Your recruit's final MEPS experience - an overview of their last hours as civilians

[Arwen]

The day before your recruit is due to ship out s/he will report to his/her recruiter's office, for yet another drug test, weigh-in, and another round of paperwork. Then the recruiter will drive him/her to a hotel near MEPS, where recruits get a meal ticket and a room. They cannot have ANYONE in their rooms, even spouse/children, and must be in that room by curfew. In many places they are told they may not leave the hotel, even to have a last dinner with the family, but there is a lounge/restaurant at most hotels used by MEPS to house incoming recruits.

In the morning all recruits at MEPS (all services) will be picked up at about 5:30 am, either by a bus/van if there are a lot of them, or by their recruiter, and taken to MEPS.

When s/he arrives at MEPS he/she will take a final physical exam, another weigh-in and drug test, then wait to be called by a processing clerk. When recruits finally get their turn at the desk, they provide IDs once again, sign a thick packet of papers, then sit in a waiting area to wait for all recruits to finish.

When everyone is finished with paperwork (at this point recruits are mixed - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard), they are all taken to a special room where they will be sworn in. This can take place anytime between about 9 a.m. and noon. If family members are waiting in the MEPS waiting room, they can be there for this part. They often do two ceremonies, one ending with "So help me God" and one finishing with "I do so affirm," as preferred by each recruit. It's a very crowded little room, with almost no space for an audience, so pictures are difficult. Many MEPS officers, who lead the oath, will recreate this ceremony with individual recruits for family members to take pictures.

Then the recruits go back to the office, each is given their file, recruits are separated into small groups according to their service/destination and given meal vouchers to eat at the airport. One recruit will be put "in charge" of the group. They will be loaded onto a van, charter bus or are given subway/train tickets to the airport. At this point they will be expected to stay with the group but are not supervised.

You CAN go to the airport (separately) to meet your recruit, you may be able to get a gate pass to sit with your recruit at the USO or the gate if there is time before the flight. A better option is to make sure your recruit has his/her cell phone to call and chat while waiting. They cannot use their phone at MEPS or on the plane, but they can call from both the originating airport and the Chicago airport.

When your recruit arrives at the Chicago airport, they can take an hour to get a meal if it's not already really late. They should make it a big meal - they have a long night ahead of them.  Then they report to the airport USO office, where they wait for a bus to pick up them up and take them to RTC.

Once they step on the bus they must turn their cell phone off. Those who have cell phones will get to make a 10 second call from their phones a few hours later, it could be 5 p.m. or 1 a.m., depending on how late their flight gets in. Within an hour of that call, the recruits put their phones in a box with all of their other belongings (even their underwear!) to ship home. Usually the battery is put in one shoe and the phone in the other.

For more information about what happens next, you should watch the video Navy Racks: Boot Camp. It's a little bit dated, the uniforms are different now - but it gives an excellent overview of what their experience will be.

[wendi.austinsmom]

My son was supposed to leave December 24, but received a call on Friday to leave September 5 so now we are under 2 weeks. I am really excited for him and the timing is great - all his friends have left for college and he has been at loose ends - but I am surprised how weepy I feel all the time. This page has been helpful to me so I can understand what he will be going through when he leaves next Thursday.

[elsmom]

My daughter leaves Sept 10. She's been in the DEP program since January... and all of a sudden it's time for her to leave. She's my only daughter and I've only known one person whose child was in a service. Thanks to everyone on this site for all the info!

[leana*ship14div426]

no phone call :(

chris landed at ohare around 5 pm yesterday and we waited all night for his phone call....nothing.... what does this mean? his g-friend also did not get the call

[leana*ship14div426]

yeah, he had his own phone and it was charged.. i think i just built myself up for ecieving that little call from him so much that i literally layed in bed all night eyes wide open just waiting.... i know hes safe and probably absolutely loving it although tired... I thought today would be better but i can feel it just below the surface.. haha,i think ill be fine as long as i continue deep cleaning the house to busy my brain lol

[lemonelephant]

If he accidentally left his phone turned on while on the plane, it may not have been charged when he got to the RTC because searching for a signal while in the air can drain the power from a phone. He MAY get to make a make up call since he did not call upon arrival, but not everyone does.

[leana*ship14div426]

thanks. i think its the unknow thats so hard

[ItsMeCyndi]

My son left on Thursday Sept 12th and we received our call last night at 9:00 pm. He said they have been very busy, have not started PT yet and when his flight came in (around 8:10 pm on Thurs) that they were immediately brought to begin their process and had only one hour sleep the first night. Yikes! That is a "wake up call" ....he sounded good and the call was very brief, maybe 45 seconds. I hope you have received your call by now too.

[wastoldtochangemyname]

Quick question:  Did the Military NOT GET THE MEMO on the Paperwork reduction Act??  Everytime my daughter goes to see her recruiter, she fills out several TREES worth of paperwork.  And after reading this, you're telling me there's more?  JEEZ Louise!

 

thanks for the info!  This helps so much.  I feel like my spaceship just landed and I am trying to understand the language.  I know I have that "deer in the headlights" look every time I go into that office, but the recruiters are so nice and they try to explain everything, but I am still walking out of there with the "whaaaat just happened" scrolling through my brain.  I'm just glad my daughter understands it!

[Wendy is Chel-Cee's mom]

I just dropped my daughter off at the recruiting center. My husband and I booked a room at the same hotel she is staying in tonight. I want to spend as much time with her as I can before she leaves. I plan to be at the MEPS with her and the airport as well. Is there anything I should know or need to bring?  

[LeslieC]

my son's re recruiter says she doesn't know anything about a gate pass to wait with him at airport before he leaves for boot camp. Is this something that is normally done or no? Just curious and trying to be prepared before he leaves.

[lemonelephant]

Some go; most don't. It is totally up to you and your future Sailor. If your future Sailor and you decide this is something you want to do, he would need to go with you to the airline counter and indicate that he is Enlisted and flying to Navy boot camp in order for you to go with him past the security gate.

[LeslieC]

Ok thank you. I thought I had read his recruiter could get a gate pass