This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.
FIRST TIME HERE?
FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO GET STARTED:
Choose your Username. For the privacy and safety of you and/or your sailor, NO LAST NAMES ARE ALLOWED, even if your last name differs from that of your sailor (please make sure your URL address does not include your last name either). Also, please do not include your email address in your user name. Go to "Settings" above to set your Username. While there, complete your Profile so you can post and share photos and videos of your Sailor and share stories with other moms!
Make sure to read our Community Guidelines and this Navy Operations Security (OPSEC) checklist - loose lips sink ships!
Join groups! Browse for groups for your PIR date, your sailor's occupational specialty, "A" school, assigned ship, homeport city, your own city or state, and a myriad of other interests. Jump in and introduce yourself! Start making friends that can last a lifetime.
Link to Navy Speak - Navy Terms & Acronyms: Navy Speak
All Hands Magazine's full length documentary "Making a Sailor": This video follows four recruits through Boot Camp in the spring of 2018 who were assigned to DIV 229, an integrated division, which had PIR on 05/25/2018.
Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)
Boot Camp: Behind the Scenes at RTC
...and visit Navy.com - America's Navy and Navy.mil also Navy Live - The Official Blog of the Navy to learn more.
OPSEC - Navy Operations Security
Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind. In the Navy, it's essential to remember that "loose lips sink ships." OPSEC is everyone's responsibility.
DON'T post critical information including future destinations or ports of call; future operations, exercises or missions; deployment or homecoming dates.
DO be smart, use your head, always think OPSEC when using texts, email, phone, and social media, and watch this video: "Importance of Navy OPSEC."
Follow this link for OPSEC Guidelines:
Events
**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.
FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:
RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021
Please note! Changes to this guide happened in October 2017. Tickets are now issued for all guests, and all guests must have a ticket to enter base. A separate parking pass is no longer needed to drive on to base for parking.
Please see changes to attending PIR in the PAGES column. The PAGES are located under the member icons on the right side.
Format Downloads:
- Graduation Info
- PDF – 2.7 MB
- PNG – 2.3 MB
- JPG – 3.4 MB
- Printable PDF – 2.0 MB
Latest Activity
Navy Speak
Click here to learn common Navy terms and acronyms! (Hint: When you can speak an entire sentence using only acronyms and one verb, you're truly a Navy mom.)
N4M Merchandise
Shirts, caps, mugs and more can be found at CafePress.
Please note: Profits generated in the production of this merchandise are not being awarded to the Navy or any of its suppliers. Any profit made is retained by CafePress.
Navy.com Para Familias
Visite esta página para explorar en su idioma las oportunidades de educación y carreras para sus hijos en el Navy. Navy.com
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Corpsman Moms
Information
Lots of Corpsman moms around! Share your experiences here, your wisdom and your support of one another! All are welcome! HM 'A' School moms/dads/loved ones, please also join us at
http://www.navyformoms.com/group/hmhospitalcorpsmanaschoolinsanantonio
Current admins Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom and TexasDocMom
Please, if you no longer want to be a part of N4M's consider NOT deleting your profile as everything you have ever posted will disappear when you delete it . You can leave a group but don't permanently delete your profile!
Website: http://www.navyformoms.com/group/corpsmenmoms
Location: All over this world!
Members: 1064
Latest Activity: Dec 30, 2024
Please check out the information at the links below the photos.
HM 'A' School moms/dads/loved ones! Please also join in at
http://www.navyformoms.com/group/hmhospitalcorpsmanaschoolinsanantonio
Anderson Hall is in San Antonio, on the campus of Fort Sam Houston...the place where future corpsmen learn their trade. "Doc" Anderson served with the Marine 1/6. (He also went to Basic and to FMTB with my son. TDM)
Fleet Marine Force (top) and Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist qualification pins
Shipboard corpsmen working underway
Click on links (in bold and underlined)
The HM Rating - the only enlisted medical corps in the Navy
PLEASE REVIEW these Operational Security guidelines: OPSEC and an easy to remember version
RELATED N4M GROUPS:
HM (Hospital Corps) A School in San Antonio - If your sailor is headed to or is currently at A School, this group is the best place for you to ask questions and get info right now. Medical Education & Training Campus, San Antonio, Texas (METC) is the "go to" non-N4M official site for information on Hospital Corps A school in San Antonio.
Moms with Kids in Iraq/Afghanistan If your corpsman is deploying to the "sandbox," please join us, you'll find folks with open arms, lots of support and the same fears and questions you have.
FIELD MEDICAL TRAINING BATTALION (FMTB) is an eight-week course in advanced medical training, small arms training, and the Marine Corps way of life. Official sites:
FMTB - EAST Camp Johnson at Camp Lejeune, NC. Links include a Life at FMTB slideshow, study manual, lots more, click here for what to bring, car and mail info, etc.
FMTB-East on Facebook has photos, info about upcoming graduations.
NavyforMoms FMTB groups: Camp Lejeune Moms and Camp Pendleton Corpsmen
FMF qualifications and FMF: Sailors earn respect
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (Virginia) and NMC/San Diego
Navy Individual Augmentee (aka "IA") and "Navy IA" iPhone app
Fleet and Family Support Program Facebook Page
Absentee Voting Assistance
Defense Center of Excellence For Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Help for TBI and PTSD for active military, vets and their families.
Real Warriors This site has phone apps, emergency numbers, 24 hour hot lines to help a vet or a family struggling with PTSD, TBI and other issues when they return home from deployment.
VAWatchdog.org If this site doesn't have the link you need for your Veteran, there isn't a website for it. Amazing.
Navy Reserve FAQs Got questions about the Reserves/your reservist? here's the spot!
FACEBOOK LINKS:
METC Facebook Has photos!
Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program Facebook page. Graduation dates, photos of each class.
Facebook Support for OPSEC A good page to share with your sailor and to keep up with yourself concerning online and social media OPSEC.
Dogs on Deployment One-Stop Resource page for military members to turn to for advice and direction to all pet-related needs. They also are looking for fosters.
NAVY NEWS: http://www.navy.mil (official Navy site); and Navy Times - weekly newspaper published by Gannett, subscription $55/yr.
Navy facilities in the U.S. - interactive map. Clicking on the name takes you to the website for that location. There is also a link to a list of ship homeports.
Search U.S. Navy social media sites here: http://www.navy.mil/navyDirectory.asp
Graphic novel "The Docs" for deploying corpsmen
CARE PACKAGES: USPS # - 800-610-8734, say "Order supplies" and then ask for the Military Pack. They'll send you six priority-mail large boxes for military, tape, and labels, all for free. You can order cases of 10 and 25 online sent for free, too; choose quantity under "select format" at right on that page. Send up to 70 lbs for $13.45. Questions and inspiration: Care Package Ideas
TO ANY MOM WHOSE CORPSMAN IS DEPLOYING TO A WAR ZONE - look above and find the link to "Moms with Kids in Iraq/Afghanistan"...go read, go lurk, post when you're ready. We know your fear, your thoughts and tears and joy and laughter.
RETURNING WARRIOR WORKSHOPS - For sailors returning from mobilization or Individual Augmentees from deployment, here is information and the 2013 schedule of workshops around the country: RWW 2013
Discussion Forum
Don't miss graduation from Great Lakes!
Started by MelonieM. Last reply by CorpsmanMom Jul 15, 2018. 1 Reply 0 Likes
FMF camp lejuene
Started by nikki. Last reply by CorpsmanMom Jul 15, 2018. 2 Replies 0 Likes
Comment Wall
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Comment by TexasDocMom on August 16, 2009 at 12:33pm
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Once he's past training, including the corpsman school, and possibly another (called C school, like surgery tech or optometry), he will be stationed someplace. It can be in the US or overseas, Japan, Germany...whereever the Navy has stations. If he is assigned to a ship, there will be a home berth, like in Washington state or whereever. And yes, his family can move there, and he can live off base with them. All of this requires that he be in good standing, not screwing up. He needs to work hard to make a go of this, rise to the challanges he is facing every day. Be his strength, tell him you have confidence in his abilities and his brains! As he grows in the Navy, he will be stronger and have more confidence in himself and his unit. They are all scared on some level. My son told me he could hear others crying at night in BC...and he said it was tough when he heard them to not cave and do the same. He was determined to rise to the challanges, it's one of the reasons why he enlisted. Then he told me another time that he was disappointed that BC wasn't tougher, he thinks Marine and Army basic camps are harder. Must be a guy thing.
Your son can do this, LD21, give him that faith. Help him. Write encouraging letters, do not dwell on "we miss you"...short, newsy, loving and frequent.
As I do my family history, I realized my dad entered the Navy at about age 14, his enlistment photo looks just like my grandson when he was 14. I'm sure they lied about his age, there was no birth certificate and it was the Great Depression. Think how tough that kid had it back then, and he did it....for almost 30 years!
Your son can do this. Help him.
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LD21, how old is your son? did he work with a recruiter? was he on the Delayed Entry Program? Were you involved in the discussions with the recruiter?
The Navy will work with your son on many levels to get him where he wants to be, but there are no guarantees about where he will be stationed. He will be assigned to Field training, all corpman take that training. That training enables them to go "greenside" ( serve with Marine units) if necessary. If he goes greenside, he will be able to take the "upgrade" training, FMF. There are no guarantees that this will not happen. All of our children, all of us here on this board have kids who are corpsmen. Some are "greenside" with Marines, some are "blueside" serving in hospitals and onboard ship deployments, etc. No one is going to tell you he is guaranteed to be assigned to a hospital. Only the Navy makes that decision.
Rest assured, that whereever he ends up, he will be highly trained. He will serve with others that are highly trained, and he will most likely do just fine. He will do a lot of maturing in the next year, you won't know him when he comes home, but rest assured, he is still your son and his mother's child. You need to talk to someone close to you, find a support system for yourself, take care of yourself. Find another mom in your area with children in the military, or in your church, find those older women who have done this. Your fear will not help your son, he needs to concentrate on his training and the changes going on in his own life.
During basic, he will not be making any phone calls, or able to write many letters, it's what they do.All of the people there are on the same restrictions. Write him alot of letters! don't give him anything to worry about he really needs to concentrate.
He really will be okay, mine was...and so were the sons/daughters of all the moms you see on this board!
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Comment by Sharon P.M. on August 13, 2009 at 2:58pm
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Uli - GREAT picture! Thanks for sharing! Hope you're having a great time with your son home!
My son had his first 2 surgeries yesterday! Said all went real well, I asked him if it freaked him out to see people cut open and he said "no, not at all, but the smell of flesh burning when cauterized is kind of weird." Eeewwe!
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Catching up as usual here...
God Bless Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony C. Garcia, may his family find peace at this sorrowful time.
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My son said he was told it's bitter cold in Afghanistan, that "you are never, ever warm" until you come home to the USA. Must be those in the mountains...
Does anyone on N4M do condolence books for the ones we lose? I love that about the Marine moms boards. Sending prayers and thoughts for strenght to that young corpsman's family and loved ones. I wonder if his mom is on this board.
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Thanks, Kristine, it's what moms do.."guilt trips" ...I'm so thankful that corpsmen serve with deployed MARINES mostly, so have the 7 month deployments and not those long Army ones!! but still, when I talk to my SIL, whose son is Army, I have that same twinge of "guilt".
They did that same desert training before Iraq last year, but isn't Afghanistan cold in the winter? That's what had me second guessing my son going, he's Texas boy, heat just doesn't bother him but cold!! we don't do the bitter cold very well down here!
Right..Viet Nam was a jungle, Iraq a desert, Afghanistan sounds like a pit...I guess if you live in the Mediterranean, you're too happy to battle...at least any more. All the battles are in the past there.
Actually, the heat/humidity at Lajuene is driving him crazy. His car got hit while parked there and it knocked the AC out...he says it's the hottest he's ever felt, stuck in traffic in that humidity.
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Kristine, I'll be praying for that unit and all of those corpsmen...God is used to those prayers from me from last year. I guess I have some guilt that my son was transferred out of that unit in March when he hadn't re-enlisted, altho that did motivate him to re enlist so he had some type of control of his career! That unit made him an offer, guess he had no idea they wanted a quick answer!
Logisitics...what are you finding out they need for the bitter cold? does that Marine board have ideas? let us know...
always around if you need anyone.
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Corpsman School will start officially in San Antonio in 2010...altho some instructors ( like my son! yea!) will be there this fall, I'm not really sure why, but there's several I know of heading there in October or so. A vet that lives around the corner from me says there is massive building going on at Fort Sam, good for San Antonio! All military medial training will be there by the time everything is completed.
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docs mom - that's a smart kid you got there! I'm hoping my son decides to become a "lifer" There is so much the Navy has to offer for those who want to work for it. I tell my son all the time, if you go career, you'll be able to retire at 39 years old and being a corpsman you'll have marketable skills in civilian life, what an awesome concept! :0)
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Uli - ENJOY your sailor being home! :0)
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