new navy mom

[Georgia proud of my sailor]

I'm upset just writing this. My son just joined the Navy on the 22nd of Nov so I am still dealing with so many different emotions right now that I am trying to just pick one thing to concentrate on. I have been writing down questions I want to ask his recruiter but have yet to talk to him yet. Are there any questions anybody can recommend for me to ask I want to make sure I know as much as I can before he leaves in June the day before his 19th birthday!!



Confused but proud Mom

[Debby]

Dear Confused but proud Mom... there are far more worse things he can do... I had 1 son.. joined the Navy, fought to get into the Riverines and is now on his second deployment to Iraq... what i wouldnt give to have him just leaving for boot camp. With that said I am in no way undermining the pain your feeling because I was there... I have another son who is also in the military he's Army, he had been in some trouble and after 3 years of being stupid he turned his life around.. in both cases neither son knew where they were going with their lives, the military has given them some direction. Its so hard on us Mom's to let our son's go when they grow up.. our daughters too!! Be proud of him he's grown into a fine young man... My advice is ask all questions and get your concerns addressed and hopefully he has a great recruiter that knows how to deal with a Mom and her fears in handing her son over to the Navy..

[Georgia proud of my sailor]

Thank you for your reply. I do not think this is a bad thing I'm very proud of him. He just really didn't tell us he was interested in joining the Navy until he was just about joined - most likely because he knows I would have been upset. I would never put his choice down, this is what he choose and now he will get 100% of our support.
I have been reading other posts and have learned a lot I also am asking my son lots of questions.

I will keep both of your sons in my prayers and hope your son will return from Iraq safely.

Proud but nervous Mom

[mary fritz]

I was a single mom for 14 years and my oldest three were everything to me. My oldest son just graduated boot camp and although I support and am very proud of him it was so hard to picture life w/o him - seperation anxiety. Hearing from him made things much better; knowing that he liked it. But seeing him at the graduation ceremony really solidified it for me - he has absolutely blossomed under the direction of the Navy. maybe you will be anxious until those long 9 weeks are up. I know that the waiting for departure is the hardest part, really. All you can do is keep your chin up, enjoy your time b/f he leaves, and trust in his ability to succeed. This is one of those times when being a Mom kinda hurts......

[Hang in There]

Dear Proud Military Mom -
I am a 21 year old journalism student and am enrolled in (my all time favorite) class called "The War in Iraq." That pretty much speaks for itself. I have learned so much over the past 5-months about this war from the politics to the emotions of the soldiers and the people back at home. The thing I find lacking in the lesson plan is the mothers perspectives. For my final, I am trying to contact the mothers to give them a chance to speak about their views and experiences. I would appreciate if you would allow me to ask you a few questions, and simply just talk about what your life has been like ever since your sons have gone on to do such a brave thing for this country.

You can respond here or e-mail me at [e-mail].

Thank you, Happy Holidays, and Best Regards,
Alexandra Sharry

[TheyGrewAgain]

When my daughters were in DEP, what I did was ask them the questions I had. They in turn would tell me what I needed to know, or they'd call their recruiter and ask, get online and do some research, call family members that are/were in the service... that way, you're both learning, plus at 18, he's in the driver's seat. I met with my daughters' recruiter several times, and he came to the house as well to go over everything and if he didn't know an answer, he'd find one for us.

Of course, this site is also a wealth of information, so feel free to ask your questions, share your worries, and the joys!

It's hard to let go, I don't care if your child is heading off to college, getting a job nearby and their first apartment, or joining the service. Just know he'll be in good hands, maturing, and doing something you can both be proud of.

[Georgia proud of my sailor]

Thank you for your input that is what I have been doing. My son has done pretty good at answering my questions. I keep writing them in a notebook then he looks at them and answers them with me and my husband. We are going to invite his recruiter over for dinner after the holidays. I just want to be sure I do everything to help as I can and keep a piece of mind.

I am very proud of him for joining the Navy I think it will be great expierence for him. He is very excited but does realize whats ahead of him.

This site has already answered some of my questions and gave me other useful info I didn't even think of.

Your right about letting go I know that is a lot of what I am going through. I am use to helping him with a lot of things and now he is doing this all on his own. But it must feel really good for him so I encourage him as much as I can

[Lynn Abid]

Georgia....writing down the questions helps....I went in to my sons recruiter with a boat load of questions and found that the recruiter was an angel.....they gave me a card and said that we could call at anytime....I left feeling much better. Also, on this site getting the book "Honor, Courage, Commitment" was recommended and I learned alot from that. You can find it on Amazon. Chin up my friend, you are not alone.

[Char]

New Navy Mom:

My Sailor signed up in May, left in September, finished boot camp in November and is moving forward. Be happy! YOUR SON WILL BE FINE. Be supportive, if your child sees you upset, those feelings may transfer to him. Be encouraging. Ask the recruiter about job training.

[Rhonda]

Georgia,
I assume he is DEP right now? In my experience the recruiters are not very helpful after they have already signed up. It honestly depends on the question, really. Sometimes I swear that they don't even know. If you have questions you should post them here...you stand a better chance of getting detailed and honest answers. So, just start firing away...and I understand the emotions...good thing you have until June to attempt to deal...I think the time is good for both recruit and parents alike. I promise..it is all going to be just fine.

[Tanya]

I agree, my husbands recruiter knew nothing about being married in the Navy and never answered any of my questions, always tried to find something else to talk about.. He lied to my hubby about a lot of things so husband isnt too fond of him either.. However, joining the Navy was one of the best things he has done in his life. He even says that. He has turned himself around a lot from where he was 4 years ago.

[Lynn]

Georgia,
My son joined last nov and was in Dep until he left for bc on march 25. His recruiter was great. He came to our house and went over everything with us and our son and he would call once in awhile and ask if I had any questions. So keep your list and ask away. Encourage your son and make sure he goes to all the meetings they are required. Also tell him to study the sailors creed and eight general orders they should be in his dep book he needs to memorize those and it would be better for him to know them before he leaves for bootcamp my son did, and he said it made a difference one less thing he had to worry about. Most of all spend as much time with him as you can and he allows before he leaves, it will mean alot to both of you once he is gone. I hope that I have helped.

[Shirlee Howard]

You will be fine. I know it is hard but I learned to focus my energy on positive things instead of the hurt emotions of my sons leaving home. He will be fine too.

Remember everyone, negative digs at recruiters is not productive. We all have different experiences. Unfortunately some are negative. Each person needs to try to form some kind of relationship with the recruiter.