Camp Lejeune and FMTB-East Moms, Families and Friends

The Navy can and will change orders at will. As you might read in some of the groups on these board, any job can be needed any place. A mechanic can be fixing trucks in the USA or onboard a ship...and a week later be in the sand.

My son is leaving the military in mid summer but up until he's less than 7 months short, he's on a list that can be deployed again to Iraq, if a corpsman is lost or has a family emergency, he could go again.

Those young corpsmen know that FMTB prepare them for working in Marine units. They are prepared for it, it's just us at home that are not if they are deployed. Matt's first deployment with his Marine unit was on a ship, they were bored as they could be for 6 months, just being transported around, One brief actual event, but even that turned out to be boring, thank goodness.

My son and 12 others were pulled out of the hospital to fill a FMBT class at Lajuene. The others in the 240 person class all had orders except these 13. After the class was completed, they lined them up and said..."you go there, you two go there, you go there..." and that's how Matt got his unit. Or at least that's the story I heard. Matt's unit had just returned from the sand, and had lost a corpsman there, that's why it was a MEU deployment and a year or so before he was deployed overseas. Most of the remaining ones in that class went to Iraq pretty quickly I heard. I had wonderful letters and blogs from one friend of my sons while he was overseas.. He was only in for 2 years, he left the military as soon as he returned pretty much.

Andrea, your corpsman will get the same military training as any Marine, and there will be desert training for him before any deployment to the sand. He will do his job and a Marine's job when out on assignment, he's a tough guy now.

I know it's hard to not go to each and every graduation, ceremony etc but these young people are living in their own world now, and you have to follow your son's wishes here, it's important. Important that he makes these decisions himself, important that you recognize his right and ability to do so. It's just one step, and then there will be another...and one day your boy comes home a total grown up man...who loves his mom for letting him find his own way and listening to him when he asks you.

My son is leaving the Navy and that same unit in a few months...I'm so excited. He's done his 4 years and says "it's enough". I can tell he's torn, but he's ready to go back to school and finish his degree. I'm happy!

The little town of Libertyville, IL near the base has GREAT foodies living and working there! Just drive up and down it's sweet main street...there was a deli there that I was dying to try but we ran out of time. A new bakery that had the pastry chef from the Chicago Four Seasons baking for it...and a steakhouse, I can't remember it's name...very reasonable prices, and great food. Plus the 7-11 lady turned us on to a great little cafe that was Matt's first food request...enchiladas, rice, beans and fresh flour tortillas...all in Libertyville. Probably a good thing, because I saw no grocery stores anyplace there.

Yes, Matt said the weather was good at Lajuene today, wish he'd been here to rake some leaves...it was 77 degrees here in central Texas!

Congrats to your son, Kelly...he's on a whole new journey now. Best wishes!

Hopefully, they will stay stateside for a while...they did when Matt joined them, he was in the US for several months before his first deployment with an MEU, then back to the US for a while before Iraq. He was transferred into them right after they returned from Iraq. Thank goodness my son's last eligible date for deployment has passed as of last week, since he's leaving the military in August!! They haven't moved him out of the 2/2 either, so maybe they are sticking around for a while. Who knows?

He liked Lajuene better after he got his car, before that he was really lucky to have a buddy with family nearby....holidays and weekends were spent there.

Cher, my son liked being deployed as well...but we were blessed with them not seeing the action that other Marine battalions did, at least not as intense. When Matt was in training there he had a buddy who was from the area, that helped alot! but he hates it when he is without his car, I think he likes the extra storage....as well as being able to go other places besides Jacksonville.

I asked him about restaurants and he says "mom!" ( you know the tone..the Marine one...) "MOM! you have to make reservations at Olive Garden! that's the status of places to eat there!"...He did hate the 22 hour drive back to Lajuene form Texas this last time, tho...but he got a couple of books on tapes and he was okay.

Corpsmen are in a no man's land...part Navy part Marine all boss....

Kelly, he'll start doing what Matt does...Matt walks outside now everytime he goes to use his cell, just habit I guess...it's where it works. I know at GL he had to stop walking to talk on the phone, I don't know if that's so rigid as real Docs or not...

How far do you live from NC, ginger? how much trouble will it be to get the vehicle to him? plus having to get back home if he's put in a unit after FMTB school that deploys relatively quickly...if you live close, I'd get it to him. If you live far away, I'd wait to see what happens after school is done.

and welcome!

Ginger...Poth, TX...on 21? on the way to College Station?

I'm in Austin. Yes it's a long, long drive. If your son is gong to be deployed, especially to the sand, he will know ahead of time, and have one "long" leave (not all that long if you ask me) to come home, take care of business, etc. Make sure he brings you the information you need, there is a "single" deployment guide for the single guys to follow. Make sure he knows to put you on every list for parent coordinators to have.

I don't know about anyone else, but the state of Texas does not require the amount of liablity insurance that NC does, so be aware of that. Matt found his best rates with Geico, they have a good military discount. Since the loan on his car is in his name, we had to carry him on our Allstate the whole time he was gone in the sand. That stinks!

ginger! I knew it was familar...I'm from Corpus, I've driven that road a thousand times!! I generally go to Kenedy/Karnes city to that Mexican restaurant by the donut place (that's how it's described in my family) that has the best chalupas in the whole wide world! real ones! with the cheese in the right place and melted the right way...

Yes Matt has that DIC card, but then as Field corpsmen they take all types of driving things, they drive everything with wheels.

My son is sitting by the gas chamber every day, just says his face is on fire and creams/lotions make it worse not better.

Food poisoning usually takes a few hours, maybe there's a stomach virus going around. Hope he feels better.

Three Lajuene Marines Killed in Accident

This was a couple of weeks ago during that nasty ice storm. I'll check my Marines board to see if there are condolence books being prepared for the parents.

So young.

We have Sprint, it stinks...whereever you use it, but my son has it, my daughter and her family has it, so I'm stuck.

My son always walks out doors to use his cell...always. That tells you something...besides it's NOISY in doors...

Andrea, you are at the start of a long and winding road, realize that all of this is out of your hands, and in your son's and his commanders. There is a transition from mom of a new Sailor, with all the excitement of graduations, and new stuff...to being a military mom.

There is a Corpsman's Moms group on this board, I hope you're a member. Also a group for Moms with kids in Iraq and Afghanistan. The support is amazing and you have a place to vent and ask questions and give other moms support, even if your child is not in the sand.

And just because he's taking that particular training does not mean he's on his way to a sand deployment. Who the heck knows how the military thinks?

Yes! my son just called, he's pretty jazzed, I know msnbc carries it live! and I'm watching for Texas sky blue eyes and that big smile!

President Barack Obama is expected on Friday to unveil his proposal for gradually reducing U.S. troop strength in Iraq. Mr. Obama will make the announcement at Camp Lejeune, a Marine base in North Carolina.

Today at CL...taken by my son. He was a little ticked that they couldn't hear the "at ease" order, so didn't get to get loud to welcome the Commander in Chief.

He'll get over it, Heather...and those other guys...they are really just a little jealous...

when my son was in boot camp, my SIL and daughter sent him a package...now my SIL is an ArmyRanger Gulf War vet...and he knew exactly what he was doing...but my daughter was innocent! In the package were packs of condoms (remember they were in basic at GL) and my son was called to his CO's office. He was asked if he would accept that package. He said he knew he should have said no. But he took the package...and the ribbing he took! he was a leader of his squad or whatever and when they called him over the PA they called him "capt condom"...my daughter was furious with my SIL but my son and SIL laughed about it later.

just tell him to be thankful you didn't put in the exploding confetti that you had thought about...and I bet he had a lot of help eating those goodies.

Have they all been deployed together yet? it all changes then...all packages from home are respected! cuz it's home.

and he will be Bubba forever! My dad was born in Oklahoma but was named "Tex" in basic...and was Tex Webb the rest of his life, it's on his tombstone.

Corpsman moms group This is a group that's kind of hand in hand for those Navy moms with sailors at Camp Lajuene.

Also remember to check with your sailor before you share too much information on these groups with another mom, please follow your sailor's guidelines about this! and remember to use PM to share that information, not the open groups.

It's like back in school, just because moms may be friends does not mean your kids will be friends. They see each other totally differently than what we think they do many times. And they are learning to work as a team, with no conflicts.

It gets cold at LaJeune, too...Matt a couple of months ago.

He said "the whole military shuts down!" Here in Austin, if it's icy or snows, we close schools and people from up north laugh at us...but Matt says the whole military is ineffectual in the snow and ice. I think the cold is what made him think twice about Afghanistan, he really hates it, he's a Texan. He never said a word about the heat in Iraq. I'd ask him, he'd say "not too bad". Of course, now the re-enlistment is a done deal, I hear "you know, mom, I'll probably deploy, it's boring on base all the time."

a week or so after this picture his facebook status said "oh, no, the wind is blowing! what will we do?" Evidently on the day that pic was taken, they got them up for formation and then postponed it all day long...he was not impressed.

Andrea, my son bought a new car early on, his goal is to have it paid off as soon as possible. With deployment, he doubled the payments up, plus it got very few miles on it (even with me driving during the gas crunch instead of my van!) and he's on the way to his goal. He loves that little Mazda...and he loves having dependable transportation to get him around.

No, he bought here in Austin...but check online at the dealer's web sites...and go talk to the dealers in your area...maybe they can give you some advice. Matt bought a little Mazda 3, he loves it.

Also, check out the dealerships in surrounding towns...or those a little further out from CL.

PT...my long lanky son now has thighs as big around as Texas....they run and run...with a couple of hundred pounds thrown over their shoulders...daily. When he was on the MEU onboard ship, they ran up and down stair wells for long periods of time to keep those legs built up.

I told him he has to work out the rest of his life or he'll look like a pear when he's old.

Hi all - I'm Marcy in Scottsdale, AZ. My son is heading to CL/FTMB in March following two yrs at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Va. So glad to find you, I'll be having questions soon!

Thanks Melody! How did your son like the experience of FTMB? Looks challenging. My son was home for Thanksgiving, which was wonderful - wish I could have kept him around for Christmas!
I too send my prayers with those deploying; thank you for adding the Marine's quotation about God's grace...so comforting. Bless every single one.

Susan - My son is a Corpsman on the green side too ! I have been on the " Corpsman Mom's and Dads" site as well.. Really I could just say ditto to Andrea my son did EMT before joining the Navy. My son deployed out last Oct. and I know the Marine's are taking good care of their Doc ...

I am new to this site and really happy to have found it since my daughters husband is stationed there too.

Susan - My son is in Afghanistan and I hope he will be home this summer .... He will never tell me the truth he always says I'm doing fine mom. He does tell his older sister though.Her husband is a Doctor and has had many tour to Afghanistan and Iraq. He says hes tried and wants to come home. Home to my son is Camp Lejeune . All I can say is that it was 15 months from the time he finished BC to his deployment. Mike was an EMT before joining the Navy though I don't know if that has anything to with anything.....lol
My heart just won't be the same until my son comes home...

I have been watching the new could it be Haiti ??? Have no idea just a guess...

Susan - I have this site and I pray a lot !!! I also cry a lot :)
I try and keep strong for him and I never allow him to know I'm scared just like him with me...

Susan - Just wait cuz there will be a mom that will be in need and your going to be right there for her ... I belong to a few groups within this site ...this is wonderful to be involved with so many moms and dads ...
Have you ever been to CL ???

Uli - Good to see your on this site too !!!

Susan,

I have never been there either.. my youngest has twice now visiting her sister...My Mike was so lucky that he and his brother - in - law are stationed in the same place... Gosh I miss that kid soooo much and I do understand what you met about the car ride home....

Marsha

Susan from SC/Navy Mom! - Yes he can make calls home, but its in rotate first his sister ( who's husband is an officer at CL ) then his dad , then me....very few letters he will txt me via his email ...I like that. Gosh I miss his voice !!!!

Susan - What's nice is that we have each other and everyone brings something special to the table.

HI, I see there's been talk of visiting CL. I'll be there w/ my son March 6 - 8, any recommendations for hotels would be appreciated!

Thanks you two! Don't really need much in the way of amenities but breakfast is always a good bonus, saves time & $ too. Just something nice at a reasonable price! Shopping hotels online never tells you the bad news along with the good, & sometimes reviews on TripAdvisor are outdated & just wrong. If you can think of other tips for me I'd surely appreciate it! I'll have a rental car & visiting my corpsman before he checks in to FMTB.

Kelly, you're funny and right. Just thinking about good breakfast spots, that kind of thing. It's always fun to share a 'find.' It's all about visiting with my corpsman and making it an easy & fun time. Can't wait!

Marcy - Enjoy your time with your son !!!!! Wish I new of a place ...Hey when are you going maybe I could ask my daughter of a fun place...

Hi, I'll be there March 6 - 8. See what she has to say!

Okay I will ck with her today

Marcy - Uli to the rescue !!!!

Thanks for all suggestions, I'm cutting and pasting into a page on my laptop, SUCH a help! Comment about the BAR made me laugh! Haven't lived near a base but can imagine the potential. My corpsman doesn't drink, btw, but he loves his history and will be so grateful to know about the Beirut Memorial, we won't miss it. I love the tips - I love Wendy's salads, the Golden Corral hits everyone's cravings...this all is great, and Mike's Mom will give us more!
So sorry to hear of your family troubles, Uli. There's no one-upping on this site, just each thought and comment leads to another and the whole thing adds up to a refuge where we can all share and gather comfort, relief and laughter too.

confession: I'm addicted to Wendy's chicken BLT salad. Best $4.99 deal around. There. I feel better ;)

Uli - I speek your french once in awhile.... Don't worry you had so much info for our Marcy I thought it was GREAT !!!!
I am so sorry to here about my MIL... You and your family are in my prayers. It is not an easy time.

Ca. Princess

Susan - Silly boy's don't they know we have the nose's ever !!!!lol

Susan, if I thought there was chocolate in my son's dresser it would be long gone! At Halloween I had all these perfect little KitKat bars left over and they started the long slide into Thanksgiving and Christmas. I"ve GOT to get with it again - I will if you will!