It can be hard when you've sent several letters of support to your recruit but haven't gotten one back. On average, it can take a few weeks before recruits have the time or feel comfortable writing letters.

Free time is very limited and it usually happens in the evening before they go to bed. During that time they have to shower, prepare their uniforms for the next day, get mail delivery, and study for any upcoming tests, etc. So as they're adjusting to that very rigid schedule it can take some time.

While mail call is easily the most important part of the day from the vantage point of the recruits and trainees, it isn’t for the drill instructors or drill sergeants tasked with preparing young men and women for service in their respective branches. Training schedules are jam-packed with essential lessons, physical training, and administrative tasks that have to take precedence over morale-improving exercises like distributing the mail.

Those charged with training the next generation of American service members have all gone through the same training themselves, and they’re well aware of how valuable mail is to their recruits and trainees. However, sometimes delays in the training schedule or remediation of essential lessons can leave precious little time at the end of the day for the comforts of home.