Daughter Through Boot Camp....loves the Navy!

[Deb]

HI Moms,
Just a few words of encourgement from one who has been there recently. My Daughter went to bootcamp in Sep of 08. She had her PIR in NOV - and it was frigid in GL then! The kids form an unbelievably strong bond with their fellow recruits while at GL and most of them actually enjoy their weeks there. We went out to dinner with 3 other families and the girls were laughing the whole time about different things that had happened, and they all said it wasn't horrible, their instructors really cared about them, helped them, and they all learned to work together and look out for each other.

After boot camp she went to Pennsacola (which she absolutely loved) for IT, and is now stationed in Norfolk. I took her down there to get her settled, and we weren't there literally 5 mins in a food line at the NEX when someone came up to her and said HI...when did you get here?? It was great! I felt so bad about leaving her in Norfok until she realized that she knew so many people...some from Great Lakes, and others from Pensacola. She just found one of her best friends from boot camp who was assigned ship duty ....and "her ship just came in" and will be in Norfolk for several months. She is just starting her IT job, she has made some great friends, and has never been happier.

So moms...hang in there, your kids are in the best branch of the military...and they'll do just fine!

Deb

[MILLIE KRIEGER]

Deb, thanks for writing your experience. My daughter already said that she sat down with some of her shipmates and picked some of the same places to be stationed together. So hopefully where ever she ends up, she will have friends. It makes moms feel better when they have someone to relate to.