Jenna off to LLA

Jenna left this morning to go to LLA.  This is a week long leadership camp for JROTC in South Carolina.  At this camp there are 22 JROTC Corps. from Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.  LLA is Leadership Lab Active.  These cadets that were chosen will stay in the dorms all week, eat in the college cafeteria, began the 6am morning with a run, test on their Air Force knowledge, have room inspections,  and get to meet new friends.  This is Jenna's 3 yr. attending and she is a squadron leader this summer.    The hardest part for me during this week is not being able to talk or text her.  Once they got off the bus this morning at 11 am they took their phones.  We will get a 10 minute phone call Friday night.  These are always rushed calls and you try to see how the week has been and to see where they will be in the line up for Saturday's graduation parade but usually all I remember is the sound of her voice after talking to her.

Jenna started JROTC her freshman year is high school after a family friend talked about how much he enjoyed it.  I knew nothing about the program and wasn't sure if I wanted her to go military.  But this group has help her grow into a young women, learn discipline, and how to work with others. 
The Corp. has become part of her family.  I learned about the brotherhood, how uniforms were to be ironed, heard cadence called all times of day and been called Mama Ann by groups of kids I claim my own now.  I am a proud AFJROTC Mom. 

this is our HS rock the cadets painted before the left