The Long Gray Line

Before Brad left for West Point's 'Beast' boot camp, he gave me a CD to listen to while he was away. "All My Loving" by Jim Sturgess {listen here!} from the movie Across the Universe was track number one. There were many lonely days that I listened to it on repeat more times than was probably healthy. I wrote to Brad every single day as our only form of communication, and he still has a hard time expressing how much those letters meant to him. Our relationship was still so new at that point, but there was no denying we were falling in love.

Track number one again played on repeat for me recently, but this time silently in my head. As I waited for the commencement ceremony for the United States Military Academy Class of 2013 to begin, a wave of nostalgia hit me. As I sat in the freezing rain in my bright red poncho and rain boots I had begrudgingly worn rather than my adorable planned sundress (yes, the weather was that bad), I thought about the lyrics, what they meant to me then, and what they mean to me now. Four years have come and gone, and so much has happened! I was accepted to and graduated from nursing school, we adopted two kittens, I moved to New York. We traveled together to Key West, Las Vegas, Boston, San Francisco, Alaska, and France. We watched Michigan State win a lot and Army lose a lot of football games (sorry love, couldn't resist). We both said goodbye to our childhood homes as our parents moved on to bigger and better things. Brad asked a big question, and I said yes. A lot can happen in four years, just to name a few.

And now we can add one very big one to the list. Brad has joined the long gray line as a West Point graduate. He is now a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army and will join the 36th Engineer Brigade at our first duty station, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

One thing that did stay the same as Brad journeyed from lowly plebe to officer rank was love. The love we share, love from our families, and love from new and old friends alike. Just as my daily letters got Brad through boot camp and a silly love song helped me survive, it is because of all of the love in our lives that we celebrated a very big accomplishment in rainy Michie Stadium on May 25th together. The weather of graduation day, although a bummer, did not dampen the happiness of the graduates, family, and friends one single bit. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise to hide the tears of joy that fell like waterworks down my cheeks as I got that much anticipated first hug on the field.

To 2LT Witt: Okay, okay. I guess you can take some of the credit. Maybe it wasn't entirely love that got you to graduation day. I suppose a good deal of late nights, physical challenges, hard work, and lessons learned in leadership were necessary on your part too. For some odd reason I expected you to come out of the barracks for the big reveal in your new officer's uniform as a different person. Much to my delight, you are the same exact guy I fell in love with four years ago, just with a spiffy new get-up and admirable title and career to match. You earned this, and I could not possibly be more proud of you. In fact, watching you graduate and commission was the proudest moment of my life so far. Choosing to serve our country in a time of conflict and uncertainty speaks volumes of your selflessness and courage. No matter where Army life takes us from here, together or far apart, know that I am always right beside you. You have "all my loving," always.

From R-Day...

West Point would post pictures of the new cadets every day during boot camp. My summer was spent in a tiny cubicle in the call center at Whirlpool Corporation. Needless to say, I spent many hours scouring their website searching for a familiar face in a sea of soldiers. Here is what I found...

...to Graduation Day!  

As captured by the photojournalism queen (who we are blessed to call our dear friend), Jill Knight of Jillography! 
We are forever grateful to you for giving us the gift of such awesome and emotion-packed pictures.

© Jillography 2013 / www.jillographyblog.com

Drum roll please...

Where the Witts will roam:

A: West Point, New York until Brad becomes a 2LT and I become a Mrs.

B: Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri (about 2 hours southwest of St. Louis, Missouri) for EBOLC (Engineer Basic Officer Leadership Course) from August 2013 to January 2014

C:  Fort Campbell, Kentucky (about 1 hour northwest of Nashville, Tennessee) for the next 2 to 3 years, or until the Army tells us where to go next!

Our future homes

Let the Army adventure begin!

Well, I've done it. I have finally succumbed to the typical (soon-to-be) Army wife method of sharing. The blog. As the clock struck midnight welcoming 2013 into our lives, looking into Brad's smiling eyes after our new year's kiss, I knew exactly what we both were feeling: this is our big year. Brad's graduation from West Point is nearly here, and we will vow to spend forever together shortly after. Our entrance into what we have dubbed "real Army life" as husband and wife is so close we can definitely feel it's intimidating thrill. There is so much about what is to come for us that I know we will love, but with so much to learn and adjust to there is definitely a hint (or perhaps a heap) of anxiety to be accounted for. Ready or not, here we go!  

In more immediate news and reasoning for getting this blog up and running, post night is upon us. For those of you unfamiliar with West Point and all of it's perplexing lingo, post night is an event for firsties (seniors) to be assigned their first duty station. We've submitted our top choices, and what's meant to be will be.

Thinking back to the end of November, you'll remember our excitement over Brad earning his #1 choice branch, engineers. We know we will be at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for about five months beginning late this summer for Brad's BOLC (Basic Officer Leadership Course), but what follows will be determined this Thursday. These assignments are based on each cadet's rank among his class for branching and among his branch for posting. Translation: each happy moment we are feeling now and will be feeling for years to come in our new home Brad has earned for us through an enormous deal of hard work the past four years.

To wrap up my first official blog, words cannot begin to express how blessed we are to be so strongly supported across so many miles. My move to New York after graduation now feels like a baby step, one that I'm so glad I took to prove to myself that love from friends and family spans all distances no matter what. I can now jump into this next big adventure with a steady heart and (the best part!) the hand of my new husband to hold on tight to through the scary stuff. Army life often seems like a foreign world to those not living in it, but I'm hoping this blog will help keep all of you up to date and informed as our journey unfolds.

Best wishes, and warm wishes as I'm watching the snow fall here, to each of you. I am looking forward to another post on Thursday with the big news!

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living." -Gail Sheehy