Editor's Note: From the home front to the front lines, we're following one recruit's journey in our American Morning original series "A Soldier's Story." Today, in part six, Jason Carroll shows us what happens to a private when his or her basic training is complete. Tomorrow, we're with Will as he graduates, but his battle buddy is nowhere to be found. Find out why, tomorrow on American Morning.

Editor's Note: From the home front to the front lines, we're following one recruit's journey in our American Morning original series "A Soldier's Story." Today, in part five, Jason Carroll reports on the critical weapons training our recruit Will McLain needs to survive on the battlefield.

By Jason Carroll, CNN

For privates like Will McLain, the stress is not just about passing a weapons test. It’s also about coming closer to learning whether or not he will be deployed to fight a war.

It is one of the last hurdles to overcome before completing basic training – weapons qualification.

Before Will McLain enlisted, he showed me how to handle a shotgun back in his hometown of Rosamond, California. But shooting for recreation is nothing compared to what he’s doing now, where hitting bulls-eyes is just as important as avoiding sniper fire.

Will's shooting scores earned him a rating of marksman, but fell short of the score needed for sharpshooter or expert.

I asked him if there were times he thought he couldn’t do it.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could do it,” he replied. “It was more like, dang, what did I get myself into. I got three years of this coming up, but to realize that you can make it through this, it’s kind of good to feel.”

FULL POST

Editor's Note: From the home front to the front lines, we're following one recruit's journey in our American Morning original series "A Soldier's Story." Today, in part four, our Jason Carroll checks in with Will McLain's family to find out what they think about the stress and time away from home. Tomorrow, we look at Will's training and get his feelings about deployment as it draws closer.

By Jason Carroll, CNN

So far, much of the focus of our series has been on Will McLain's impressions and experiences.

Now, we turn the camera in a different direction to get his parents' point of view of what it’s like to have a recruit in the family for the first time.

“Hey Mom and Dad, how are things going at home? I hope well,” Will's letter reads.

Nearly every time Laurie McLain reads a letter from her son, Will – or Junior as they call him at home in Rosamond, CA – it’s hard for her not to become emotional.

“I love you guys and I'll talk to you when I can. Love Junior."

The letters come from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri where new recruit Will has been at boot camp for the past nine weeks.

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Editor's Note: We're tracking three recruits from their final days as civilians through to deployment. It's an unprecedented look inside the life of a soldier. This is a blog written exclusively for CNN by Army recruit Will McLain as part of the American Morning original series, "A Soldier's Story."

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/12/04/will.mclain.cnn.art.jpg caption="Army recruit Will McLain is home on Christmas leave from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri."]

By Will McLain

I've been through a month of boot camp so far and it's been a huge change. You rapidly learn the protocol and it becomes a way of life.

It's kind of sad at first because you start missing everyone and the fun times you had, but you just have to remember the reason for leaving. For me, it's to make a good life for me and to be able to retire young, hopefully with a family.

Through boot, naturally there is a lot of screaming and push-ups, but you know it's what's going to keep you alive later. Also, with all the courses you do, it helps develop a strong sense of confidence in your abilities and an even stronger sense of trust in your partners and teammates.

I'm also lucky enough to be part of the cycle to get Christmas leave. It's two weeks long, which is short to me, but it's great to be able to see all the friends and family that I missed. I even got to see one of the biggest people in my life who was visiting from Texas – my best friend Kayla.

The other plus is it gives you time to relax and recuperate a little. I run and still do some PT in the morning so I don't go back out of shape and suffer again. That's not really a worry to me, just something I don't want to risk.

I'd say my one worry I do have is I don't want to end up coming home next time I'm on leave to see all the old friends gone. But out of the things I enjoy the most, it's for sure being home for Christmas and then being able to spend New Years with friends.

Editor's Note: We're tracking three recruits from their final days as civilians through to deployment. It's an unprecedented look inside the life of a soldier. This is part three of the American Morning original series "A Soldier's Story," and don't miss part one and two here.

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/12/15/mclain.rifle.art.jpg caption="Army recruit Will McLain is in week three of basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri."]

By Adam Reiss, CNN

It's week three of basic training for Will McLain. He and 193 other new recruits are busy getting through the red stage, physical training also known as PT.

The booming voice of Drill Sergeant Joseph Rix is ever present, "just trying to get them ready to deploy so they have a little bit of a head start more than what we did when we went through basic training," says Rix.

After a quarter of a mile run, Will has time for a drink, while outside a private, who just cannot make it, passes out on the ground. "You've done a total of twenty five push-ups and one lap. Now get up! You did not pass out," says a drill sergeant standing over him. Eventually the other soldiers are ordered to bring him into the barracks and leave him on a bunk to recover.

Later, several soldiers would stumble through the rigorous exercise that has them carrying two forty-pound duffel bags at the same time. It's not easy and Will has trouble lifting them both at the same time. Another angry drill sergeant whispers “encouraging words” in his ear.

FULL POST

Editor's Note: We're tracking three recruits from their final days as civilians through to deployment. It's an unprecedented look inside the life of a soldier. CNN's Jason Carroll reports for American Morning's special series, "A Soldier's Story." Watch part one and two, and tune in to American Morning on Wednesday for part three.

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://am.blogs.cnn.com/files/2009/12/soldiers-mclain-mask-art.jpg caption="Army recruit Will McLain wears a gas mask for a drill on the dangers of a potential sarin gas attack."]

By Adam Reiss, CNN

Correspondent Jason Carroll and I returned to Fort Leonard Wood Monday to check back in on the recruit we are profiling for our ongoing series, "A Soldier’s Story." You may remember meeting Will McLain when we first met him in his hometown of Rosamond, California.

We spent the first couple days of basic combat training with him and now he is with his platoon in his third week of basic training. Will is changing before our eyes both physically and mentally. He has lost ten pounds and is really on his way to becoming a U.S. Army soldier.

He has been assigned a battle buddy, Demetrius Daniels, 23, from Detroit, Michigan. A battle buddy is an interesting concept. The Battle Buddy system is the policy of pairing Initial Entry Training (IET) Soldiers into teams for the following reasons:

– Mutual support and assistance
– Teaching teamwork
– Developing a sense of responsibility and accountability for fellow soldiers
– Improving safety during training
– Reducing the likelihood and opportunity for sexual harassment, misconduct, and suicide gestures or attempts.

Essentially you do not go anywhere without your battle buddy, and Will and Demetrius seem to get along just fine.

On Monday, all the soldiers went through a drill in the NBC chamber. It is where they drill the soldiers on the dangers of a potential sarin gas attack. For the purposes of the test, they use small plastic pellets that they cook on a grill in the chamber. The result is stinging throat and eyes.

Soldiers go in fifteen at a time and go through several exercises before they are ordered to remove their masks. Most of the soldiers begin jumping up and down and try to do anything to ease the pain. One soldier couldn’t make it and ran from the chamber. Will was successful and passed the test.

Please tune in next Wednesday for part three of A Soldier’s Story with Will McLain.