A Day In The Life - 10/04: Paul Gets A Future Job

I get this text from our son, Paul: "Can you watch Hero on Friday?" I told him that I could. Then it got changed to Monday. So Monday rolls around. Just barely. It is 5:15 AM when Jessica arrives at the door with Hero and Ariel. It had been a tough morning and so she stayed for a few minutes and talked before heading off for work. She had already sent Paul off on his way to get weighed and measured and whatever else they do when they "let" you into the military.
So the four of us take Gaye to work and Ariel to school after they get a few Cheerios or puffs of some flavor down their gullets.

That leaves Hero and me to play. Paul didn't know how long his stuff would take so they left the car seat. I had a lunch appointment with Richard Yeates, who I have not seen in just about forever it seems. Hero came along and was pretty good until right at the end. She was a little fussy but not bad for a two-year-old. Then it was home. I think there was a nap in there sometime in the morning. Finally Paul arrived and told us the story:
Paul was attempting to go back into the Army - this time as an officer. He had spent 8 years in the Army reserves when he first left high school. But now he had a degree and has been out of work for about nine months. He had passed all of his tests and security checks, had gotten his age waiver and his eye sight waiver, but did not get accepted. He was told that there was a second review but the odds were not in his favor but he ought to go for it anyway. He later found out that no one that the recruiters had ever sent for second reviews had ever made it. This was not encouraging but he had nothing else at the time so he signed up for it.
He schedules the second review for Monday (the reason I am watching Hero and Ariel) and gets his height and weight checked and measurements taken and a few other things interspersed with a lot of waiting. And (drum roll, please) gets accepted! Then he finds out that today is the last time that they are doing second reviews. And today is the last time that they are giving waivers for age. They have so many candidates due to the economy that they will no longer be considering people who do not make the cut during the first round. In addition, the person there gave him a pay / rank increase from E3 (top of the Privates) to E4 (Corporal). He remains an enlisted rank until he finishes Officer Candidate School, when he will become a Second Lieutenant. Additionally, he has an advantage, having 8 years time already behind him and competing with kids who are just out of basic training with zero time in service. The major hindrance to rank advancement for those who show initiative is time in service, which he has eight years of. His first two rank advancements should come pretty quickly if he does well. He starts OCS on January 12th at Fort Benning, Georgia.
What a blessing. Gaye and I have been keeping him (and our other kids) in our prayers for the things they have been needing and this was definitely an answer in the affirmative to ours. Thanks.
To celebrate, we went to dinner and then to Ocean Blue Frozen Yogurt. Ariel climbed up on the railing and sat with me to eat our yogurt and then took a very close look (with Hero) at the water in the fountain. I won't say we fell in but we took every opportunity to have that sort of accident and still remain dry. :)