What is the Army Forge and Forge Lantern?
If you have a loved one going to Army Basic Training and you’re wondering
“WHAT IS THE FORGE” or
“WHAT IS A FORGE LANTERN”
then you’ve come to the right place :)
I will be breaking down what The Forge is, what the Forge Lantern is, where to get one, why to get one, and when you should get one!
I even have a guest appearance from my furbaby, and some fun bloopers of us towards the end.
Please know that it is hard having a loved one going through Army Basic Training, but you are NOT alone! I will be giving some amazing tips that have helped me get through this season of life while my husband is at Basic Training. We’re in this together! And again… you are NOT ALONE! Please reach out to me if you want to talk - that’s what I’m here for!
Watch my YouTube about this by clicking the picture above!
WHAT IS THE VICTORY FORGE?
It's where your soldier in training (SIT) officially earns the title of a united states army soldier. This is the big event they prepare for during Basic Training! They MUST complete it to earn the title of United States Army Soldier.
HERE’S A SHORT BREAKDOWN OF A FEW THINGS THEY MUST DO DURING THIS HUGE EVENT:
96 Field Hours
50+ Mile Ruck March
45lbs Gear
Tactical Field Environment
Live Fire & Shoot Exercises
Mental & Physical Exhaustion
Night Infiltration
Rationed MRE's
Hand to Hand Combatives
Mass Casualty Exercises
WHAT IS A FORGE LANTERN?
IN A NUTSHELL…
It’s a new tradition that consists of a lighted LED/electric candle placed inside a lantern to symbolize shining a light to guide your SIT through the Forge - and guide your soldier back home!
It's also known to be a reminder to PRAY for your soldier/everyone in the military! You decorate the lantern to make it personalized to fit YOUR soldier… you definitely do NOT have to buy one, but many people have started to do this! To me, it helped me feel close to my SIT (soldier in training) as well as reminded me to pray for him during his time at Basic Training.
WHERE DO I BUY A LANTERN?
The one you see here is mine that I bought from Amazon. You can find the link here. This is JUST the lantern, but I sent some files (included here for you) to someone I knew who had a Cricut and she printed these out for me.
However, you can also find lanterns at Hobby Lobby, Home Goods, and many other craft stores!
If you’d prefer to buy the lantern/stickers from someone online who can also customize it for you (if you don’t know anyone with a Cricut or have the time to do everything yourself), then my two favorite places are Etsy and Lanterns of Love.
WHEN DO I LIGHT THE LANTERN?
You can have it lit just during the Forge... or the entire time during Basic Training... or not at all! This is honestly all up to you.
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to do this, so make it your own experience! :) I love that this is something we can keep around for generations to come as an honor to my SIT for what he went through and sacrificed to become a United States Army Soldier!
I will be coming out with an entire list of things that helped me while my husband was going through Basic Training. He did OSUT (One Station Unit Training), so he was located at the same place for Basic + AIT!
However, I’ll leave you with this… NO experience is the same. Everyone has their own experience and own perspectives, so take advice with a grain of salt. Except for this advice, because it’s true ;)
I mean it when I say I’m here for you! I could NOT have gone through this season without being connected to others. I mean… it was hard. But it was still completely filled with the peace of God the entire time. I desire that for everyone on this journey!
Be in touch soon! You got this!
-Michelle Henderson
