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It's almost time! :(
My son swore into the Navy in February and will be leaving for boot camp on October 26th. While I am very proud of him and the decision he made, I dread it with everything in me. I know there are lots of parents that have experienced the same thing and would love to hear from you. Please help me prepare for what is going to be one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.
Tys Mom, Angela
Kentucky
Views: 327
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by TysMomKY on
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Thank you so much, Anchormom! Your message made me smile! I can just hear my Ty saying the same thing! I hope I'm able to be the mom he needs me to be in this transition! God bless us all!
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Congratulations to you and your son and thank you so much for your message! I am so proud that our sons chose something so honorable but at the same time worry just as all momma's do. It's hard to imagine them out there in the big ole' world without us, isn't it? I wish you and your son well and pray for all the soldiers that make the decision they have.
Best wishes from Kentucky! -
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Permalink Reply by allie(Wife of BenEM) on
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HI TysMom,
I am not a mother of a soon to be sailor, but a wife. Ben left for BC exactly two weeks ago for Boot Camp on October 4th. After this we will be off to Nuke School in Charleston as well. We have very smart and bright boys. Ben is also 20. Saying goodbye to him was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But watching him say good bye to our 11 month old son, Jack was even harder. I look at Jack and could not imagine him at boot camp ever! So I think you navy mom's are the strongest of us all. Luckily I have Jack to keep me busy. I am planning his first birthday party for Oct 30th. He wakes up everyday asking for "Dada" but I show him pictures and we kiss them together. I would encourage you to go to MEPS with him the day he ships. It is a long day there and you sit around while the boys run around finalzing everything, but it is well worth seeing them get sworn him. I was so proud of Ben. And of course the tears started flowing. We said goodbye after he was sworn. I could have met him at the airport to say goodbye, but why prolong it. The drive back was so hard. Have Ty bring his cell phone. Its a long day and he will get to text you and call when he is not on the plane and waiting to go to boot camp. It took about 4 days for me to get Ben's box back. Its amazing how much their clothes still smell like them! I got his form letter last Wednesday with a little note from him at the bottom. In the form letter is his address and PIR date. Since then I have not heard anything. But remember that no news is good news! Ive written him almost everday! Try to stay busy as much as you can. I mark everyday off of the calender. I am so proud I made it this far. I know Ty will make it through with flying colors! Maybe we will meet in Charleston! My prayers are with you through this last week and all through boot camp. -
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Oh Allie (Ben's wife), thank you so much for your touching email. I can't imagine what you are going through as his wife. There's no easier position as we all have to say goodbye to them for a little while and we have to trust and pray that they will return safely to us SOON! It is wonderful that you have your son to keep you busy and have a part of your husband with you while he is away!
I plan to be go up with Ty and see him "officially" sworn in and know that while it is breaking my heart I will also be filled with pride! I told him too that I wanted him to wear something that he would normally wear so they could send it back to me. I know that will break my heart too though. He is definitely taking his cell phone even though right now he isn't the best at contact with me while he's away doing anything! LOL
I am so proud of you too and because of strong women like yourself I know that I will make it too. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you as your loved ones are away as well and I thank you sincerely for yours!
When is Ben's PIR date? It would be so nice to meet those that I communicate with here! -
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Permalink Reply by Pam1957 on
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I felt the exact same way....one minute I was dreading it and the next a little excited for him. My son was in the delayed entry program for six months which felt like an eternity and then all of a sudden the time was here! He has been at GL since September 9 now and graduation is November 5...I have had my moments though. I went to Michaels and bought a photo album which you can also add other things to it. I am not a scrapbook person and this is great...I've saved his enlistment papers, a piece of a mylar balloon from his going away party & pictures, his future sailor picture that the recruiter took along with a picture that we took on his departure day, his little travel advice paper from the Navy, etc. I am starting to put it together now with pictures, so that he may have it later on. I want to work on this as he goes along, so that everything doesn't end up in a heap in a cardboard box. It's keeping me busy and keeping my excited about his new future. I found that I have to talk myself into staying positive...do not dwell on it. Keep busy...
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Thank you for the message. It's a wonderful idea to document everything and I'm sure he will enjoy looking back at it for years to come. I intend to do something similiar for Tyler. I realize it's for me too though.
I feel the same way because it seems like just yesterday he was told it would be the end of October and it seemed like forever away and now here it is days away.
Congratulations on his graduation. I wish you all well! -
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Permalink Reply by stewfam on
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My son also is leaving on the 26th!!!!!!!!!! And I sympathize with you - - definitely, the hardest thing I have ever had to go through - - I have cried so much this week -- I can't imagine having any tears left for the 26th. We are having a going away party for our son on Sunday and I am dreading that. Now, in hindsight I am thinking a party might not have been a good idea. I am so glad that I found this site. It is a great comfort to know I am not the only one going through this. We will have to keep in touch throughout this process. I think our boys are going to be together in bootcamp!!! How old is your son?? My son just graduated in May. He turned 19 on Oct. 14th. Please keep in touch as I would love to hear from someone who's is going through exactly what I am going through.
Sincerely,
Roger's Mom, Maureen
Pennsylvania
By the way, what is your son doing after bootcamp?? Mine is going to Pensacola Florida for A-school to be an AMS (airplane mechanic structural) -
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Hi Maureen! OMG I am so glad to hear from you and know that our sons are going to be in this together, even though I know there will be others!
We actually had Tyler's get together at my momma's this past Saturday (we live three hours away from them) and it was so good to see him with the family that could be there. But when it came time to say goodbye it broke my heart to see them hugging and talking to him knowing that was going to be the last time they see him for awhile!!! I am going to be a complete basket case. I joke to others and say that I didn't sign up for this! Take lots of pictures because I have a feeling they are going to do a lot of growing up while they are way and they will come back different people. That is scary too.
Tyler is 20 and graduated in May 2008. He went to college for a year and just had no interest in going back. He's a "hands on" kid (the complete opposite of his brother who is a grad student) and I've always told him that he didn't have to do what he thinks others want him to do, he needs to do what he wants to do and what makes him happy. Little did I know he would do this though!
After bootcamp Tyler will be doing ASchool in South Carolina. He will be in the Nuke program. Is your son's graduation December 24th?
We will definitely stay in touch! I think I understood that once the boys get their Division number (or whatever it's called) there will be a forum here for us specifically. Are you on Facebook? LOL We can also exchange email addresses and even phone numbers as we feel more comfortable, if you are interested.
I look forward to hearing from you again!
Your new NavyMoms friend, Angela -
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Angela,
I am crying just reading your message !!! Great advice for the party and I will def. take lots of pictures - - I actually thought about hiring a photographer !!!!! But, of course, didn't. Our son told us the graduation would be on the 18th of December (at least that's what his recruiter told him) I can't imagine going to Illinois on Christmas Eve - - that is what I had originally figured out the date would be (the 24th). It really doesn't matter what date it is - - I am already looking forward to it!!! That is all I keep trying to focus on - - people tell me how proud I'll be on that day - - of course, there will be many more tears that day also!!! I did see that somewhere also about the Division number - - and I am on FB - - he won't believe that I met someone who will be with him before he did - - too funny!!!! And I am def. interested in any support we can be to each other - - because I know that no one REALLY knows what u r going through unless they have been through it or are going through it themselves. We told Roger that he might be one of the younger ones - - Roger is also very hands-on also - - I bet he and Tyler will get along great!!!!
I am so happy I signed on to here this morning - I am feeling a little better now!! Please keep in touch.
Your new NavyMoms friend, Maureen :( -
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Yeah, US! I can't wait to share this with Tyler either. I have told him that he may meet his BEST FRIEND there and will probably form life time friends too! Please give my "congrats" and "good luck wishes" to your son.
My thoughts will be with you guys on the 26th too!
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As painful as it is for you at the party and giving the party, the kids really like it. I made sure that we took plenty of pictures and kept a piece of the mylar baloons that we had decorating the outside of the house. (We made it a surprise party.) I'm working on a photo album/scrapbook for him....You have to have a mindset that this will be a great adventure for them and it will mature them very fast. My father who is now deceased, was in the Navy during WWII and he said that his Navy life was the best part of his "single life"! Think positive though...I know it's hard.
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