This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.
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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
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Navy Speak
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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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HM (Hospital Corps) "A" School in San Antonio
Information
Sailors becoming Hospital Corpsmen at A School in San Antonio, TX - best rating in the Navy! The Hospital Corps is the Navy's only enlisted Corps and the most decorated in the Navy. Families, friends and loved ones, join in!
Location: San Antonio, TX
Members: 799
Latest Activity: Nov 19
WELCOME!
Please say Hi and introduce yourself in the Comments section.
ALL the info at these links is relevant to your corpsman.
About the HM Rate, HM Rating Card/navy.mil, Overview from navylive.dodlive.com, and Navy Medicine Almanac 2015 p. 28-29.
PROGRAM DURATION: The actual time that a Sailor physically spends at the HM school in Fort Sam Houston, TX is 96 days. The Sailor is in the seat, learning, Mondays through Fridays for 70 actual instructional days. The course covers emergency medical technician training, nursing skills, knowledge specific to the Navy Hospital Corps, and clinicals.
Program Overview: METC/Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program
Liberty Phases at A School: Liberty Phases
Before posting a Discussion with a question, please ask it in the Comments section, and look through the Discussions - you may find what you need, plus a lot more. This is a good one: Info for those new (or not so new) to Hospital Corps A School. For some questions, your best bet may be to call the quarterdeck or campus support center at METC.
There is a graduation ceremony, and families and loved ones are invited to attend. If you go, here are Hotel recommendations for San Antonio/Ft Sam Houston from corpsman moms, and this pdf with Directions to Ft Sam Houston/Walters Gate/Anderson Hall. Anderson Hall (MIF 4) is on Cpl Johnson Road between Garden and Womack, and there is a parking lot on Cpl Johnson Rd across the street.
Navy Medicine Training Support Center, San Antonio, TX - see tabs "Visitor Info" and "Student Life." For your sailor heading to A School: "NMTSC Welcome Aboard."
The METC Online website for Medical Education Training Campus at San Antonio has a live-chat function. Campus Support Center phone number: 210-808-6382 (210-808-METC). Click here for the METC brochure and a brief overview.
This METC Program Catalog includes course descriptions for Basic Medical Technician/Corpsman A school (page 10) and C schools (see Index). Video - "METC sailors marching to chow hall"
METC on Facebook: Medical Education Training Campus on Facebook
GRADUATION SCHEDULE: your sailor is your best source for date, time and any changes. Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program on Facebook is NOT an official page, but they do post some photos of graduations.
Read this to find out What is Field Medical Training Battalion (FMTB)? (They have a great graduation ceremony for families to attend, too!) Most corpsmen attend FMTB sooner (straight from A School) or later. It does NOT mean that they will necessarily be assigned to a Marine Corps unit.
VIDEO: What to expect at Fleet Medical Battalion-East. https://www.dvidshub.net/video/455508/fmtb-east-command-video#.VvdFmMdH0_V
Field Medical Training Battalion East at Camp Lejeune, NC official website then -> Students -> Course Description
Females go to FMTB-East only. Otherwise, it's up to the needs of the Navy as to which location a Corpsman is sent to.
FMTB West Camp Pendleton CA official site, and Camp Pendleton Moms on N4M. Video: "What's FMTB-W REALLY Like"
Corpsmen serve in a variety of settings. "Blueside" corpsmen serve in hospitals and clinics and on ships. "Greenside" corpsmen are with forward-deployed Marine units and where one can earn the hard-won and highly valued Fleet Marine Force (FMF) qualification. There is nothing like the love that Marines have for their "Doc." Seriously.
Hospital Corpsman Navy Enlisted Classifications (NECs) - There are 38 - thirty-eight! - specialties within the HM rating, from Search & Rescue (8401) to Dental Lab Tech/Maxillofacial (8765). Here is a list of HM NECs and C school locations.
Rating/Rate in ascending order:
HR: Hospitalman Recruit (E-1); HA: Hospitalman Apprentice (E-2); HN: Hospitalman (E-3); HM3: Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (E-4); HM2: Hosp. Corpsman 2nd Class (E-5); HM1: Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (E-6); HMC: Chief Hospital Corpsman (E-7); HMCS: Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman (E-8); HMCM: Master Chief Hospital Corpsman (E-9).
How to read a Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) (your sailor accesses his/her LES by logging in at https://mypay.dfas.mil)
IMPORTANT: Read and follow these Operational Security (OPSEC) guidelines. N4M is an open website that can be read by non-members; and not all members are necessarily what they seem. Be smart and keep yourself and all our sailors safe. Keep YOUR safety in mind too. It's human nature to trust and want to share, but don't provide personal information to others. Great and lasting friendships are made on NavyforMoms.com, but use common sense and caution before proceeding. Online chat safety tips
Once your sailor graduates from A School, more NavyforMoms.com groups include Corpsman Moms & Dads; Corpsman Moms; Corpsman Wives, GFs, Moms; and FMF Corpsman Moms plus the FMTB groups listed above.
Bookmark this for the future! Navy Credentialing Opportunites Online (Navy COOL) for HM
METC brochure, click to enlarge:
5/17 Video: Intro to Medical Education Training Campus San Antonio
NAVY MEDICINE
Discussion Forum
Death in the family
Started by Worldtravel4ever. Last reply by Worldtravel4ever Jul 31, 2019. 5 Replies 0 Likes
My mother just passed away today, and of course I have to let our sailor know. I am worried though because I just don’t want to derail my sailor in A school. I notified the Red Cross and am waiting to hear back from my sailor. Has anyone had…Continue
A School Graduation in San Antonio
Started by wfhcs. Last reply by mern May 30, 2019. 3 Replies 0 Likes
My son graduates on June 5th from A School. I am trying to verify the time of the graduation so I can book a flight in and out that day. He understood it to be at 10am or 12pm. I was trying to see if it is a set time. Thanks again,Continue
Photographs from Graduation
Started by m3mmarianne May 16, 2019. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Does anyone have access to the photos from graduation yesterday or know where we can search? Thank you in advance.Continue
Intro
Started by AmyBeth1991. Last reply by NavyMoeder May 4, 2019. 4 Replies 0 Likes
I think I sent everyone a message, when I thought I was posting. Please forgive me. I didn't see this until after. I have a son at HM school who will graduate next month. Any advice appreciated. I will be flying to San Antonio. My husband is a…Continue
Comment Wall
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Comment by AgnesB on January 4, 2022 at 12:10am
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Autumn96 - I would also recommend waiting until he gets to A school. Our son was there February of last year. It seems he had an address fairly fast. We shipped him some civilian clothes (biggest request was "normal" socks and underwear) his lap top and a few other things. He was very specific about what he wanted/needed. Because of Covid restrictions our son was not able to leave base, but found most everything he needed right there. I think he ended up purchasing a different pair of running shoes. They do have a fair amount of room. Depending on where your son heads to after A school he may or may not want or be able to transport a lot of "stuff". Something to think about. My son had talked up cookies from home at BC so I did send some a couple of different times. We sent his laptop thru UPS. It was quite spendy to ship but it arrived OK and in functioning order so guess it was worth it. There were several Moms at the time who talked about their kids buying a computer at NEX because prices were so much better. Our son had a nice one he used in college and he preferred to have it so we mailed it. Our son really enjoyed A school in San Antonio even if he didn't get to leave base. Hope your son does as well!
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Comment by MamaTilly on January 3, 2022 at 12:53pm
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@Autumn96 I recommend waiting until he gets to SA. Once he gets there and settles in, he will get an address where you can ship personal items. I sent a huge box of civilian clothes, his laptop, and other personal items. He will prob be grateful if you send some money because they’ll be shopping at the exchange for cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc. They have pretty big rooms in the barracks with a full size fridge and a big bathroom. But have to buy their own cleaning supplies, laundry stuff, etc. Uber money is always good too for liberty.
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HI all - new to this group. My son is still in BC, but will be headed down in February. I was wondering where I could find info about what types of items he can have with him. Personal items, etc. And is he allowed to bring those items, or should we ship them to him? I'm sure I'll get more info after he graduates, but we'd like to plan ahead to help him out with logistics.
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My son left boot camp the day after PIR to San Antonio. But he just checked in and then within a few days flew home for Christmas. It was perfect timing for him. He was home for like two weeks.
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Comment by Wendy on October 18, 2021 at 5:46pm
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@mammatilly thanks, good to know!
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Hi @Wendy, this is normal. Sometimes they wait at RTC before traveling to San Antonio, then they may wait longer in SA to class up. Sometimes they go right away, sometimes they wait days or weeks.
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Hi everyone! My daughter just graduated 10/15 and is heading to HM "A" school. Unfortunately she has not left RTC yet, but is anxiously awaiting!!! Is this normal? Still there after 4 days? Any advise is greatly appreciated! Looking forward to this new adventure!
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My sailor was supposed to have first class of A school today. Happy thoughts directed towards San Antonio :)
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Comment by Cristina on February 18, 2021 at 5:29pm
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Mine just got to GL last night. Next stop ....SA
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Comment by Luci on August 19, 2020 at 8:27am
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Good morning. I am new to this side of things. My son is currently in week 4 of A school in San Antonio. I’m just checking to see if anyone else is at this phase of training, or can share some information about what to expect. He’s in the HM-ATF pipeline, so has a lot more physical training, in addition to the studies at the schoolhouse.
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