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.

[pumpwife]

[StacyLHR (14/136)]

My son  goes to his final MEPS Feb 10 2014 and his swearing in is the 11th.   I live 7 hours away and am debating driving down to witness the swearing in, then driving back.   On one hand, he is an independent young man. On the other, I believe in supporting my son no matter his age.   I am planning on flying up and going to PIR. Pro's: Support and Pride.  Cons: 14 hours on the road, Fuel and Hotel Cost, using vacation day.     I've got an internal debate going on about whether to attend the Swearing In or not. Any input?

[BransMom]

I feel bad for you having to debate that... I am lucky that I am only about 3 hrs with traffic from the MEPS center. Taking time off work is not always easy for me. And I also plan on going to his Graduation from boot camp and being a working mother with 3 other kids.  I'm trying to figure the cost of that.

I'm sure your son will understand whatever you decide to do. I wish I had some better advice or words of wisdom to offer you...

:)

[bravegirl09]

i to can relate.  i live in arizona and my son is in oregon.  i am flying over there to spend a couple of days before her leaves for boot camp.  i will be there for his swearing in and to see him off at the airport.  i will also fly to chicago for pir. 

i have not seen my son since july 2013 and even though he is still 21 he will always be my baby boy!!  i have 2 other children to be concerned about, time off work and the cost of a "quick" trip to be there.  for me...i wouldn't miss it!!!  though i did ask him if he wanted me to fly over and be there. 

 

no matter what you decided as BransMom stated i too believe your son will understand.  not sure this helped either but know you are NOT alone in this.

[bravegirl09]

*too*

[lemonelephant]

You need to do what is best for you and your family. There aren't many who go to MEPS with their future Sailors, but that isn't an argument for going or not going. It is just a fact. Everyone's situation is different. If not going, will make it easier for you to be able to attend PIR, then don't go. If going will help you and your future Sailor in some way, then go. What does he want? If he has strong feelings that you should or shouldn't go, then let that help you make your decision. If he doesn't have strong feelings one way or the other, then you can go with whatever works best for you.

[lemonelephant]

Check your My Page.

[bravegirl09]

i have a question....the final day at meps is the day they fly out?

my son is getting driven to portland on monday feb 3rd but doesn't leave until the 4th or 5th.  so would his final day of meps be on the 4th?

[lemonelephant]

Your future Sailor has a ship date on his DEP info. That is the date he is to be sworn in at MEPS and should fly out to the RTC (weather may delay that at times, but once he is sworn in, he is in the Navy). Your Future Sailor will go to a hotel the day before the ship date.

[bravegirl09]

lemonelephant

thank you so much!  that makes sense to me.  i am getting pretty excited to see him and hug him.

[lemonelephant]

You are very welcome.

[Lorraine]

I would like to add to this about the recruits eating based on my experience hoping it may ease some worries. We met my son at the base the morning he shipped out. He had already eaten breakfast at the hotel. While we were there, he was told that he would be given a boxed lunch at 11:00. He would be transported to the airport at noon. He texted me when he left for the airport,and when he got to the airport (he knows I'd want to know). He said he was going to get something to eat! lol I thought again? Then, when he texted me when he got to O'hare,he told me he had a food voucher and he needed to hurry because he wanted to use it to get something to eat before head out. So, I felt good knowing he would not be hungry! Also, he can pretty much sleep anywhere so he was able to get an hour of sleep on the plane. Plane landed at 8:15 and I got "the call" at 11:25.  Hope this helps.