FAQ: What will happen when my new recruit reports for duty?

[Arwen]

The day before your recruit is due to ship out s/he will report to the recruiter's office, where s/he will take a drug test and weigh-in, and complete some 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 he/she arrives at MEPS he/she will take a final physical exam, weight, and drug test, then wait to be called by a processing clerk. When s/he finally gets his/her turn at the desk, s/he will provide IDs once again, sign a thick packet of papers, then s/he will sit in a waiting area.

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 (if family members are waiting in the MEPS waiting room, they can be there for this part) where they will be sworn in. 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 do the ceremony, 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 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 take an hour to get a meal (Chicago Pizza was my son's choice). They should make it a big meal - it may be the last one they eat for a day or two.  Then report to the USO office, where a bus will pick up the recruits 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. Those without cell phones will be provided with a pay phone. If your recruit does not have a cell phone, make sure s/he has change or a calling card to make that call, it is NOT free. A few hours later 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 will happen.

[Barbydahlzz ALUM 09/075 USS JPJ]

ok... do our sailor get new athletic shoes during their p days at boot?

[Arwen]

Yes, they do. They get rather nice New Balance running shoes. My son said they were the best shoes he ever wore.

All recruits are outfitted with EVERYTHING from underwear and socks to toothpaste and razors. Prepare your girls for granny panties and your boys for tighty whities.

If they wear contacts, make sure they're disposable, and have a week's worth of contact solution. They will be given glasses, and their contacts will be thrown out.

The only thing recruits need is a small black leather wallet with his ID, social security card, some stamps, a phone card (1,000 minutes, make sure it's activated!), a folded list of addresses and phone numbers, and some band aids (for blisters the first week of wearing new boots).

If they want they may also keep a few wallet-size photos, $25 in cash, a small (and I mean REALLY small) religious text of your preference and a religious medal, which must be no larger than a dog tag.

 

DO NOT buy little shampoos, a change of clothes, a swimsuit or the stuff on that damn list the recruiters gave to me 25 years ago and gave my son two years ago. They WILL send it all home.

[Barbydahlzz ALUM 09/075 USS JPJ]

hahah  i know what you mean about the "list" from the recruiter... my recruiter told me " theres a list of stuff to bring... don't bring any of it" that was 23 years ago... got to Orlando for boot..still sent stuff home..hahah

that is soooo cool they get running shoes.. we sure didn't back then.. do they still get "boondockers" or have they moved to a real boot??

[Arwen]

They get a really sweet leather combat-style boot. Wayyy better than our old boondockers. I shudder with the memory of those things, but I admit, they were designed to get off easily if you go in the water. The new boots are more comfortable, but I wouldn't want to have to get them off if I ended up in the ocean.  My older son lives in his, even in civilian clothes.

 

I assume you went to Orlando for boot camp, as I did? They've changed boot camp in some ways, but it's exactly the same in others. Changes include no more work week, no grinder, no standing lockers. They have three RDCs, not two CCs, and it's always one chief and two petty officers.

[Barbydahlzz ALUM 09/075 USS JPJ]

yea, did go to orlando for boot..ooooooohhhhh  so not fair EVERYONE should have to endure the grinder...... I've talked with my son's recruiter and he's filled me in with the changes... have to say, im jealous... looks like more fun than what we had.

[KIM756]

Hi, you said to bring a folded list of addresses, other places I read they can have a small address book.  Is that not correct?  There is so much to learn! :)

[Arwen]

They can have a small address book, but the wallet list is less likely to be lost, and less likely to get put in The Box by accident. It's common for recruits to get so rattled that, when they are being instructed to put things in the box, they put stuff in that they're allowed to keep. They are specifically told where to put the wallet (in a safe place, they will need their ID and stuff in there), so it is more certain for recruits to still have it after they seal up their box.

[ProudOfGar]

THANK YOU!!! so much for posting this and all the comments I/we are new to this whole thing my dad served in the Army and was in the Vietnam war....he had to bring his HS best friend home for his parents to bury. He really didnt' talk to us much about his military days. My husband would have let someone cut his index finger off to have been able to serve but due to not passing medical he didn't get the chance but has really been alot of knowledge for me. But these are the kind of details I need this is great!!! Any other advice that anyone wants to throw out there I would love to hear!!!! 

 

I just returned home from my 16 year old daughter being in a wreck with her friend. The friend lost control of her car going from pavment to gravel, shes only had her license for a month. They were ok the car isn't trashed but the airbags went off and scared the girls pretty bad, so at this moment I'm kind of looking forward to my son being looked after by the Navy so I had to focus on something else tonight and this was just the info I have been looking for!!!  

[locogirlp]

Regarding the religious text......my daughter's grandparents purchased a "Sailor's Bible" for her at Lifeway.  Is this bible acceptable as far as size, etc?