Stephen was able to call home on the 12th and the 13th. He had just been informed that he will be restarting basic from day 1 on September 24th. He is not looking forward to starting over but is trying to make the best of it. Hopefully he will get a two week pass to come home at Christmas. Pray for continued healing. He sounds so much better and says he is feeling better but his chest still hurts when he runs. He says he is feeling a little depressed (maybe homesick). Pray that God will make it clear what it is He wants Stephen to do and that Stephen will have the wisdom to see God’s leading. I will post Stephen’s new address as soon as I have it.
Debrah Fiddes
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
04 Sep 09
Hey Everyone
Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve sent an update. We’ve been busy.
In the last few weeks we’ve focused on weapons. When we qualified with our M4 rifles, I qualified sharpshooter on a scale of marksman, sharpshooter, and expert. I had 33/40 target hits. I rushed the shot on 3 and couldn’t get the elevation right for the 300 m targets. We’ve also been learning about the M240B, M249,, M203, Mark 19, .50Cal, AK-47, and the AT4. The troop has been shooting those all week.
Unfortunately, last Saturday I had to go to the hospital to get treated for pneumonia. The 5 days spent in the hospital plus being on quarters till the 8th have caused me to miss more training than is allowed. I will be put back to week 4 once I’m healthy. This will make it so my return date is in December, possibly January, depending on when I can get transferred to another Troop.
This address will not be good for much longer so I will send a new one when I transfer. When I get the new address, Please write. I get no contact with the outside world except through the letters I get, and they are one of the few things that keep me motivated.
That’s all I have for now. Please keep me in your prayers. I’ve been sick the whole time and I’m ready to be healthy. I miss you all a lot and look forward to finally coming home when I do.
Stephen Fiddes
Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve sent an update. We’ve been busy.
In the last few weeks we’ve focused on weapons. When we qualified with our M4 rifles, I qualified sharpshooter on a scale of marksman, sharpshooter, and expert. I had 33/40 target hits. I rushed the shot on 3 and couldn’t get the elevation right for the 300 m targets. We’ve also been learning about the M240B, M249,, M203, Mark 19, .50Cal, AK-47, and the AT4. The troop has been shooting those all week.
Unfortunately, last Saturday I had to go to the hospital to get treated for pneumonia. The 5 days spent in the hospital plus being on quarters till the 8th have caused me to miss more training than is allowed. I will be put back to week 4 once I’m healthy. This will make it so my return date is in December, possibly January, depending on when I can get transferred to another Troop.
This address will not be good for much longer so I will send a new one when I transfer. When I get the new address, Please write. I get no contact with the outside world except through the letters I get, and they are one of the few things that keep me motivated.
That’s all I have for now. Please keep me in your prayers. I’ve been sick the whole time and I’m ready to be healthy. I miss you all a lot and look forward to finally coming home when I do.
Stephen Fiddes
Friday, August 14, 2009
August 14, 2009
We received several letters from Stephen this week. He has been pretty sick and missed a week of training. He was told that because he missed so much he would have to move to a troop that started a week later. He has been given the opportunity to remain with his troop and has to make up the unit he missed this weekend. Pray for continued healing and strength to make up what he missed. Because he his remaining with troop D his address will remain the same. He would enjoy hearing from you.
PVT Fiddes, Stephen
2nd Platoon
Troop D, 5th Sqdn, 15th Cav
3576 Wilson Rd
Ft Knox, KY 40121-3728
PVT Fiddes, Stephen
2nd Platoon
Troop D, 5th Sqdn, 15th Cav
3576 Wilson Rd
Ft Knox, KY 40121-3728
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Day 1, Week 1
Day 1, Week 1 26 Jul 09
04:36
Hey Everyone. I finally got to the training site. Reception absolutely sucked. When we got here we got off the bus in a hurry, while carrying a 60 lbs. duffle bag in front, a 30 lbs. laundry bag, and our personal bags. What they didn’t tell us was that there was a 1.5 foot diameter x 1 foot deep hole right outside the bus door. Everyone went down in it. We ran up a hill to the front of the barracks and had a shakedown. For you civilian types, they went through our stuff and checked for contraband and made sure we had all items. For you CAP types, it was EXACTLY like the BCS Shakedown.
Our Drill Sergeant (DS), DS Moore, is really cool. He is chill with anything till you do something wrong. He’ll crack jokes left and right; however, yesterday people wouldn’t shut up so he made us drink 2 quarts of water, then smoke us for 45 – 60 minutes. Good for the fat guys, not so much for those of us trying to gain weight. They haven’t selected the double rations people yet. I hope I’m on their list because I would like to gain 20-30 lbs while I’m here.
Tomorrow, we get our rifles. I’m pretty excited for that. We qualify next week sometime, I think. However, on the flip side, PT with a rifle sucks because you have to control the rifle, and your body, and lift the rifle. Oh well, I’ll be in shape when I get home.
I also finally have an address. You MUST write it exactly as I have below or I may not get the letter.
PVT Fiddes, Stephen
2nd Platoon
Troop D, 5th Sqdn, 15th Cav
3576 Wilson Rd
Ft Knox, KY 40121-3728
I look forward to reading letters
Stephen Fiddes
D-Troop 5-15 CAV, 2PLT
04:36
Hey Everyone. I finally got to the training site. Reception absolutely sucked. When we got here we got off the bus in a hurry, while carrying a 60 lbs. duffle bag in front, a 30 lbs. laundry bag, and our personal bags. What they didn’t tell us was that there was a 1.5 foot diameter x 1 foot deep hole right outside the bus door. Everyone went down in it. We ran up a hill to the front of the barracks and had a shakedown. For you civilian types, they went through our stuff and checked for contraband and made sure we had all items. For you CAP types, it was EXACTLY like the BCS Shakedown.
Our Drill Sergeant (DS), DS Moore, is really cool. He is chill with anything till you do something wrong. He’ll crack jokes left and right; however, yesterday people wouldn’t shut up so he made us drink 2 quarts of water, then smoke us for 45 – 60 minutes. Good for the fat guys, not so much for those of us trying to gain weight. They haven’t selected the double rations people yet. I hope I’m on their list because I would like to gain 20-30 lbs while I’m here.
Tomorrow, we get our rifles. I’m pretty excited for that. We qualify next week sometime, I think. However, on the flip side, PT with a rifle sucks because you have to control the rifle, and your body, and lift the rifle. Oh well, I’ll be in shape when I get home.
I also finally have an address. You MUST write it exactly as I have below or I may not get the letter.
PVT Fiddes, Stephen
2nd Platoon
Troop D, 5th Sqdn, 15th Cav
3576 Wilson Rd
Ft Knox, KY 40121-3728
I look forward to reading letters
Stephen Fiddes
D-Troop 5-15 CAV, 2PLT
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Stephen is finally at Basic
Stephen is doing well. After a week in reception he has finally made it to where he is going to do his basic training. He said that although his CAP training has helped, it does not pay to know everything and his habit of wanting to get in and fix everything brings more attention than he wants. His platoon impressed the drill sergeant so they earned a 3 minute phone call home. He is ready to begin his training.
Monday, July 6, 2009
To Start things off...
As most of you know, in November 2008, I joined the Oregon Army National Guard. The time has come for me to go to Basic Training and AIT (Advanced Individual Training). I will have an address posted here as soon as I have one. I will be in Ft. Knox KY from July 15- Mid-late November. Any Letters would be greatly appreciated. I ask that you follow the following criteria for the letters. By following this, it will minimize my chances of getting smoked, or distracted.
1: No perfume letters
2: No pornographic, suggestive, or seductive photos (not that anyone sends them to me but just in case) (This is checked upon receiving of the letter from what i have heard)
3: No food or drink of any type.
4: No tobacco products (I dont even use them so it'd be a double waste)
5: No electronics, weapons, knives, books, etc.
Again, if you follow the preceding critera, that would help me a lot. I also ask one more thing.
***DO NOT!!! tell me about any deaths, serious injuries, car crashes, any bad stuff. If I ask, Lie to me and tell me everything is going amazing and that everyone is alive and OK. I have set it up with a couple people to tell me when i get home. Until those people tell me, I DO NOT!!! want to hear about it. I will deal with it when it gets home. I dont care who it is, or how they may have died, or where they died, I DO NOT want to deal with it at basic. This is not in any way to be disrespectful, and yes it may seem selfish, but it will help me a lot.***
I will put a couple people in charge of updating this with an address, and letters that I can write home, and I will also try to reply to as many letters as possible. I cannot possibly reply to all of them, However, I will reply to as many as possible.
I will not have access to my email, and IF (I probably wont) but IF i do get access to my cell phone, I will only be able to call during certain times, and I ask that you do not call my cell phone while i am gone. If you need to get information from me, you can call my parents at
(503) 639-7692
Thank you so much for your help and support!
Stay Cav!
-Stephen Fiddes
1: No perfume letters
2: No pornographic, suggestive, or seductive photos (not that anyone sends them to me but just in case) (This is checked upon receiving of the letter from what i have heard)
3: No food or drink of any type.
4: No tobacco products (I dont even use them so it'd be a double waste)
5: No electronics, weapons, knives, books, etc.
Again, if you follow the preceding critera, that would help me a lot. I also ask one more thing.
***DO NOT!!! tell me about any deaths, serious injuries, car crashes, any bad stuff. If I ask, Lie to me and tell me everything is going amazing and that everyone is alive and OK. I have set it up with a couple people to tell me when i get home. Until those people tell me, I DO NOT!!! want to hear about it. I will deal with it when it gets home. I dont care who it is, or how they may have died, or where they died, I DO NOT want to deal with it at basic. This is not in any way to be disrespectful, and yes it may seem selfish, but it will help me a lot.***
I will put a couple people in charge of updating this with an address, and letters that I can write home, and I will also try to reply to as many letters as possible. I cannot possibly reply to all of them, However, I will reply to as many as possible.
I will not have access to my email, and IF (I probably wont) but IF i do get access to my cell phone, I will only be able to call during certain times, and I ask that you do not call my cell phone while i am gone. If you need to get information from me, you can call my parents at
(503) 639-7692
Thank you so much for your help and support!
Stay Cav!
-Stephen Fiddes
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