Recently, my oldest son decided to enlist in the United States military. How did we, as his parents, respond? We threw a party! Now, I have to be honest, at first we weren’t thrilled. He was going to college, and I thought his life was heading in a totally different direction. Then, we realized this wasn’t just an adolescent whim. He made a decision to serve his country, and we were going to support him.
How to throw a going to Basic Training Party.
1. Find a cheep venue! A member of our family is a member of a sports and recreation club, and he was able to get us a room for free! We had to pay a $100 deposit, but the deposit was returned when we cleaned the venue after the event. We did have to pay a bartender. It cost us $70 for the night.
2. Feed people, and they will come. We ordered pizza and salad from a local pizzeria. The food was the most expensive part of our party. We ordered 15 pizzas and 4 trays of salad. It cost us about $200. We did not supply drinks. The club offered cheap sodas and drinks. Nobody complained.
3. Give us cake! My mother, my son’s grandmother, offered to buy the cake. She had a family friend make a small cake with the US Air Force emblem and some cupcakes. We think it turned out great! We added some fabric I found on clearance at a craft store, and it really pulled everything together
4. Send them home with a gift! Everyone loved this idea! I bought a bag of army men online. I think the bag cost $13. Then I wrote a note: Please take a soldier home and place it somewhere that will remind you to pray for our men and women serving our country.
5. Create a twist on the traditional guest book! I grabbed two baskets and put some cheep dollar store note cards in one. I asked friends and family to take a moment to write some words of encouragement to my son, and then I would mail them to him during basic training. This really was a great idea (stole it from Pinterest)! Mail call is so valuable in basic training! This allowed me to send him a letter everyday, and he got to hear from someone new all the time.
When your son or daughter leaves for Basic Military Training it can be a difficult time for the entire family. Be proud that you raised such an amazing child! Celebrate his or her decision to embark on such an amazing adventure. Savor every moment you have with them. Most of all, PRAY. Pray for peace of mind. Pray for strength. Pray for protection.