Fort Lewis - Day One

We're here! We are in Washington state.

When we flew in the sky was overcast and it was raining. He called shortly after our plane landed. There are a lot of things that need to fall into place before we can see him. Baggage, shuttle bus, rental car, hotel room (the girls want to freshen up) and a Fort Lewis vehicle pass. I check things off the list one by one and in the proper order. We get our bags, catch the shuttle, pick up the car and check into the hotel. (Nice place. Two rooms, two Queen beds plus a sofa sleeper, which is actually more comfortable than an Army bed.) Every thing goes down without a hitch. Until...

We arrive at the Fort Lewis Visitor Center. Entering the parking lot we see row after row of parked cars. I had heard stories about the dreaded Visitor Center and they were all about to come true.

Entering the building we see a mass of people crammed into the tiny space. I ask the guy closest to the door how long the wait has been. He tells me he's been there an hour and a half already. Passes are processed in order of importance. Military in uniform get preference, followed by other government employees and out of uniform military personnel (with the proper ID). Being a civilian I can expect to wait at least two hours if not more. Security requires two forms of photo ID before they will issue a vehicle pass. (I brought my Passport for just that reason.) They only allow access to two of the Fort gates, so pick the right ones.

I "take a number" and the waiting starts. Guys in uniform come through the door, take a number and wait only a few minutes. We wait. A few others with proper credentials come in and are processed quickly. Still we wait. Military not in uniform are getting increasingly frustrated because they too have a long wait in front of them and they complain to security. And still we wait. Occasionally, families with smiles on their faces hear there number called and move up to the security window. We wait on.

Our sons girlfriend goes to work with her cell phone - trying to get in touch with him. Across the room we see a guy who looks a little bit like him but our hopes are dashed when we realize it's not him. Then she makes contact. "We have to wait at least a couple hours for a pass," she says. "I'll find a way to get there - just hang on," he tells her. Soldier to the rescue - that is his job, right?

We wait. It's nearly three miles from the front gate to his barracks. Feeling confined inside the Visitor Center she goes outside to wait for our son. My wife and I continue to wait inside. Luckily, he finds a ride. My wife keeps an eye on the parking lot and a few minutes later sees the two of them coming up the sidewalk. He's dressed in civvies but does have a military ID so maybe our wait will be shortened. He can take a number and sponsor us which will increase our chances of being called.

We go outside. Hugs all around, a few wipes at eyes brimming with tears and then we re-enter the center. Looking at the crowd he says, "Let's leave. We can come back later. Hopefully it won't be as busy." (I'm all for that.) He wants to put some distance between himself and the base and he wants to do it as quickly as possible. So we leave.

Everyone's hungry so we find an Olive Garden and eat a late lunch, early dinner. Waste a little time at the Puyallup Mall and go back to the hotel. Late in the evening - and I mean late - we head back to the Visitor Center and make another attempt at securing a pass. There are still people waiting - though not very many. Our wait is fifteen minutes. We get a four day vehicle pass and enter the Fort.

He was expecting to be dropped off at that point and we'd see him the next day.
I said, "Not a chance, pack some things. You're coming with us."
"I have to be back here by 5:30 tomorrow morning."
"Fine, I'll drive you back. No problem."

With that settled, we return to the hotel.