My bootcamp experience as a MOM!

[purplegiraffe69]

My Boot camp/Graduation experience as a mom.

My son left June 14^th 2012 for Great Lakes, he classed up right away, and maybe 3 or 4 Processing days and was put in a division to graduate on August 10^th. (so 8 weeks and 1 day there)

I got the “I’m here call” about 10pm eastern time on the 14^th.   Got the box the following Tuesday, and the first mail didn’t come till July 6^th.   It was 17 days until his division could write, so literally 3 weeks before my first letter.   Then the next week was week 2 day 5 and my son called early in the morning, but this was not the halfway call, it was the information call about his clearance. I got to talk to him about Info only for about 30 minutes, never getting to chit chat at all.  I was able to ask him some yes no questions, and one was,  “is today your first phone call” he said yes, and I posted in our group so everyone knew.

 

My son got in trouble on that day, walking on the wrong side of the road (he was actually following another recruit, but it turned out to be a sailor, who was allowed to walk on that side, recruits weren’t) That is when everything went downhill for him.  He got in so much trouble.  He couldn’t call that night, his division lost time off of their call and he was pretty  much told to quit.  He didn’t quit, he did all of his punishment (including heavy Intensive training with the seals—that he was required to pass, and barley did)    His shipmates really supported him, and that helped, but he was so upset that his division lost time off of their call because of him.  From there, he just kept his nose down, did his work and stayed out of trouble. He got a really bad recruit crud cold, but refused to go to medical because so many guys were getting set back.  I got one more 30 second call around week 5 for more info, I asked if battlestations were planned for the Tuesday before graduation, he confirmed.   I was getting regular mail on Thursdays.    Week of graduation, he finally called at 5pm on Wednesday after battlestations with the “I’m a Sailor” call, we got to talk for 30 minutes (our first real conversation in 8 weeks) We were actually already driving to Chicago when he called. 

Just a side note about boot camp in general.  My son was probably more prepared that most kids for boot camp. He is a Navy brat (my hubby and I are both prior Navy and he was born on a Navy base in Japan) he did  4 years JROTC in school, and was drill captain for marine rotc.   There wasn’t much he didn’t know about going in, he passed his PT the first few weeks there, and knows all the cadences and marching.  His major problem was lack of sleep and the emotional roller coaster that bootcamp is.  He was not prepared to get in trouble and have someone else lose a privilege, that almost was too much for him.  But he said he learned a valuable lesson about teamwork and probably some humility since he thought was better prepared than most! He is so happy it is over, proud he did it, and is loving life in A School!

 

We got there on Thursday night, up early on Friday morning and went to graduation.

(wanted to also add, lalaribbonqueen here on N4M’s did my awesome ribbons we wore, and as a gift I ordered him a challenge coin with his ship on it, I am going to buy one for every duty station he has)

We brought 14 people to graduation.   4 on the list, 1 active duty, 3 on the wait list  and 6 kids under 12. 

We left Navy Lodge at 645, got to the base and in line by 7am, maybe took us  30 minutes to get thru all the lines, the never asked for the kids birth certificates, but we had them because you are supposed to bring them.  They did check all of our ID’s.   we decided to sit on the lower section in front of our division, but after we figured out we were crammed in like sardines, with still 90 minutes till graduation started, we decided to move.  We went upstairs to the balcony and hit the jackpot.  We still sat in front of his division, and had a great shot of them walking in, and we had a whole bleacher section to ourselves , and with 6 kids that was awesome they could move around.  

I have seen pix of graduation since, showing the balcony and it was packed up there, maybe because ours was only 9 divisions it was not that packed.   My kids got some snack and drinks at the little vender on the floor and it was all over about 11am.  We met up with our sailor, he had to run back to his division before they were dismissed so we went to the NEX to wait for him.  I ordered all of his pix and the keel book to be mailed home. Paid for them there, and shopped the NEX, there is also taco bell and subway you can eat while you wait on your sailor. He got back about 12noon, and we took off for Pizza Hut in Wakaguean (maybe 5 minutes away)  they were very nice and gave all 15 of us a side room and there was a lunch buffet we hung out for like 2 hours there.  We headed back to Navy Lodge for the afternoon, the little kids napped, I brought civilian clothes for my sailor (he never left the room in them, just hung out in the room in real clothes)  we took the kids to the playgrounds, and walked around outside (even though it was august, it was windy and chilly!)  We got back to the base about 645/7pm and we ate at subway and taco bell at the NEX.   We said goodbye to my son about 730pm (so he had enough time to march back to the barracks)

The next morning he called me from Chicago O hare telling me he was at Terminal 2 USO.  So on our way out of Chicago, my hubby dropped me off at terminal two and sat in the cell phone lot.   When I walked in, I looked up and saw the USO and my son was looking down the big glass window at us, he came down and met us and I gave him his cell phone, contacts, and laptop.  We hung out for about 30 minutes then he went back up (he was leaving at about 1030am) and my hubby drove around and got me.  

My son is in Virginia Beach now, we txt a few times a week, and chat on the weekend, I also see him pop up on facebook once a  week, he txts his girlfriend every night.   We are planning our trip there now to see him in Oct or Nov. 

[lindagr41 - Ship 12 Div 295/296]

Purplegiraffe69, I loved all the info you gave. It will make it easier for us when the time comes.

My son's PIR is 9-14 and I can hardly wait. He is excelling and even got 2 weeks taken off boot camp being moved to DIV 295 where he is now. He was volunteered to be his division Yeoman and made Honorary Recruit Petty Officer.  His division as a whole is not doing well though so we have not gotten any phone calls the whole time he has been there. So we are extra excited to get the "I am a Sailor" call.

I hope your Sailor is still loving A school and the Navy. Congratulations.

[amanda621]

Very very helpful information, thank you so much for taking the time to share! We have graduation next Friday, the 14th and I never would have known to bring my daughter's birth certificate..i am going to get it out now.

[Barbydahlzz ALUM 09/075 USS JPJ]

my story runs a little different...... Son left Nov 7th 2011....got the IM HERE call nov 8th.. sounded really good and excited.. took forever to get a division together..got the box the 11th, a form letter soon after....thanksgiving has come and gone LETTER DAY.. yay .... dec 7th walking thru walmart my cellphone rang... 847 area code... TOO HAPPY spoke for 30 minutes walking around walmart... more letters ... now its christmas ... his division was adopted out by a local church!!! A TINY BIT OF LIBERTY!!! another call HOME!!!! AND facebook time... back to the barracks... ITS NEW YEARS... 2 weeks to go!!! THEN the worst call ever!!!! He is NOT graduating and has been put in RCU... fractured both of his heels... 6 weeks spent in RCU...healing, physical therapy, bone scans more physical therapy, depression, ugh the worst 6 weeks ever for both of us... LOTS of letters to him as well as lots home... a couple calls too... then WOOHOO got a letter with a DIFFERENT return address... BACK IN TRAINING !!!! he had only 2 weeks to go but got put in a div that had 4 weeks left because no one was where he was at when he was pulled out.. kinda excited since he already has done what the new div is about to do.... things go well... BATTLESTATIONS....no call home for "im a sailor" ugh depressing and frustrating... head up to chicago anyway since he didn't call saying I DID NOT MAKE IT.. so i knew things were good... SARGES' MEET N GREET... a must ... FRIDAY AM EARLY PIR MARCH 2 .. parked the car... i hear a div marching and calling cadence.. i turn to see AND START TO CRY.. who are they?? NO CLUE.. get thru sit in bleachers in front of the div sign... ITS TIME..... the door rolls up.... i see feet... I CRY ..I SEE MY SON... CRY SOME MORE...its done... i find him...HUGS he cries.. LIBERTY...hand him his phone when we pick him up.. GREAT DAY.... next day.... USO at O'hare..... spend the WHOLE day at the airport.... flight not till 4pm.. off to san diego for A school.... Now he's almost done with OPS school... and will be home in october. Almost a whole year since he left.. and can't WAIT!!! HOOYAH

[purplegiraffe69]

What a great story barbydahlzz,    i am glad we didn't get plane tickets, because you just never what can happen the last week or two of boot camp!!!