Mail Call was always awesome in OSUT (didn't do basic, armor branch is combined 19 weeks of [censored] with a DS, pretty much basic and AIT lumped into one, but no Benefits of AIT, basic rules all the time)
what made it awesome wasn't the fact of getting mail, it was the show of how well the DS could "ninja star" a letter at someone, they sure do have some velocity.
id advise not sending anything food related, either A. The DS is gonna enjoy it, or B. Its going to end badly (we had a guy get a 6 lb bag of starburst candies, my plt had 30 seconds to devour it or we would regret it, needless to say the bay was rainbow colored in puke afterwards)
send him instructions on how to use a floor buffer, that's almost as important as weapon maintenance..
qtips, baby wipes, insect repellent, foot powder, batteries, stenopads, inkpens, pencils, envelopes, stamps are all must haves and really all we could get sent...
calf high white socks were another one eventually needed, as were razor blades, shave cream, and bar soap (no body wash)
remind him this.
people have finished this before you, you aren't gonna die. Don't do stupid [censored], go with the flow.
make it to breakfast- PT is over you're alive
make it to lunch- half the day is done
make it to dinner- only little tasks left
make it to "personal time"- day is done, scrub yourself, sleep
repeat.
taking it one day at a time is better than looking ahead weeks at a time.
idk the AIT experience, so he has that to look forward to.
active, reserve or guard?