Corpsmen Moms and Dads

Wow, Happy Birthday to him!  What better place to celebrate than in the Navy with 25,000 other active duty corpsmen :)  I know what you mean, my corpsman's is next month (he'll celebrate in Italy, poor guy)  and was best day of my life, too.  (Libra's Mom, I'm catching up too - great place to be posted!  Just sent you a friend request, happy to answer any questions you have.)

The best people are born on May 2nd, a lovely day.  Hey that reminds me - happy birthday to ME today too!  LOL

Happy Birthday Marcy!! Have a wonderful year!! 

Marcy, Hope you had a Great Birthday!!!

Thank you all for the good wishes!  It was a lovely birthday.  Happy Birthday to ALL our May babies, sailors and loved ones alike!  

Hello, Everyone! I will be attending graduation this Thursday, and I wanted to know how early should we arrive? And is there a specific place where you park? Thank You!

Welcome and congratulations BougieRae and ohjess!  Sorry I didn't see the question about graduation.  A little late now but this is the best group for A school information:  HM (Hospital Corps) School in San Antonio  :) 

BougieRae, feeling emotionally is totally understandable.  If it helps, I think your son kinda won the lottery to be posted in VA Beach, especially at the start of summer!  Great area and so much to see and do.  Please come join this very active group:  http://navyformoms.com/group/norfolksailorsfamilyfriends.  Lots of information about the area, car purchase and ownership info, you name it.  

Hopefully you can plan a trip to see him!  I love visiting there.  Southwest has good fares to Norfolk and the airport and a really nice Navy Lodge are right by the base.  There are Navy Lodges at Little Neck and Oceana too - where is your son going to be working?

Happy Mother's Day Navy Moms!

Thanks Vette!  Had a great day with my mom, my sister and our newest mom in the family, my niece!  Your turn is coming soon :)

Hello Everyone! I'm looking to connect with or join a forum of family of BHT (Behavorial Tech) c school sailors? Curious about what to expect,etc. many Thanks and NMH!

Welcome TogaMom!  Here's a mom for you to connect with:  "IowaGirlsMomCorpsmanBHT" and the link to her page is  http://navyformoms.com/profile/IowaMom770.  Her daughter graduated C school in February 2014.  Good luck!

Happy Birthday, Hospital Corps!  Today marks the 116th anniversary of its founding on June 17, 1898.  All over the world, formal Hospital Corps Balls are happening to celebrate it (last weekend in Naples Italy and Norfolk Virginia, to name but two).  Corpsmen do all sorts of fundraising events all year and design and sell commemorative coins.  The event itself is one of the most amazing and emotional you could ever see.

Here's this year's message from Vice Adm. Matthew L. Nathan, U.S. Navy surgeon general and chief, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery:  

On behalf of Navy Medicine, I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Navy Hospital Corps as they celebrate 116 years of unwavering dedication and service.

Since June 17, 1898, when President William McKinley signed an act of Congress, establishing the Hospital Corps, the Corps has grown exponentially in size and stature from the original 25 senior apothecaries appointed by the Secretary of the Navy.

Today, we honor their bravery, brilliance and sacrifice when serving in harm’s way to protect the lives of our Sailors and Marines. From the Revolutionary War to the current overseas contingency operations, corpsmen have served with valor and gallantly answered the call, “Corpsman up!” as they tend to the sick and injured on the sea, under the sea, in the air and on battlefields worldwide. No Marine has ever taken a hill without a corpsman by his side. And when they do, they take solace in knowing that “Doc” is beside them.

From the first Hospital Corps School at Naval Hospital Portsmouth in 1902, to our extensive training programs today at our Medical Education Training Command in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, corpsmen are learning razor-sharp life-saving skills. Because of their exceptionalness and their extensive training, we are experiencing the lowest battle mortality and non-battle injury rates in the history of armed conflict. This is unprecedented and something that the Hospital Corps should be extremely proud of.

The Hospital Corps is the largest and most decorated rating in the Navy, achieving 22 Medals of Honor among many other awards. Twenty naval ships have been named in honor of hospital corpsmen. Since 1919, 178 corpsmen have been awarded the Navy Cross. In the Vietnam War alone, hospital corpsmen received four Medals of Honor, 31 Navy Crosses, 127 Silver Stars, and 291 Bronze Stars for heroics under fire, a testament to the quality of character of the men and women that wear the caduceus and answer to “Doc”.

Today, we honor their bravery in battle; their compassion during humanitarian assistance/disaster response efforts; their willingness to help those in need; and their superb performance at our medical treatment facilities across the globe. They have ensured our nation has a fit and medically ready fighting force, while providing compassionate patient and family-centered health care.

To the more than 25,000 active duty and reserve corpsmen around the world, I thank you for your service, courage, and commitment for the work you do every day. Happy birthday Hospital Corps!

Wow - over 600 again this year at the Norfolk/Portsmouth Virginia area's Hospital Corps Ball!  Very cool.  NMCP Hospital Corps Ball photos 6/14/14  

Thanks, Marcy!!!  Love it! 

Corpsman in the Spotlight today, via MCPON Stevens:

 ARABIAN GULF (June 23, 2014) Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Logan Ortlieb, from Baton Rouge, La., center, fixes his shipmate's neckerchief before they enter a Junior Sailor of the Quarter board aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51). Arleigh Burke is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. Photo by MC2 Carlos M. Vazquez II  

Welcome Mon!  Here is the perfect group for you right now. Introduce yourself there, and check out all the info about the Hospital Corps too!  HM (Hospital Corps" A School in San Antonio

Hey. My son just arrived at A school yesterday. We now get to communicate with him. I plan on visiting him at least once while he is there.  I am a school teacher and we live in Alabama. It is a 24 hour drive to San Antonio so I won't be driving. We drove to Waukegan and it was the longest I have ever drove in a car. I would love to know of a good airline ticket site for cheap flights to San Antonio from Al or GA. 

thank you, Michelle

Regarding flights to A school graduation (or anywhere for that matter). Southwest is the best. They don't charge for baggage and they don'e charge if you have to change the ticket.  USAir was really difficult to deal with. Finally after talking with a supervisor, they changed my ticket and waived the fee one time only.  I let her have an earful about being more tolerant of the military since our dates for things are changed all the time! Never flew them again.  Southwest was GREAT when I had to change a flight. 

Echoing what Drama said!  Also, be sure to sign up for Southwest's Rapid Rewards program when you book:  with each flight, you earn points towards future travel to see your corpsman :)  

Definitely sign up for Rapid Rewards on Southwest. Love to add up those points!

A look at "Life Aboard USNS Mercy" as corpsmen describe their jobs and responsibilities - 

Marcy...THANKS so much for posting the USNS Mercy video. Tissue alert when they were saluting the Memorial in Hawai'i. 

A look at a "green side" corpsman at 29 Palms - "Corpsman supports troops at LSE-14".  Says HM2 Brian McKenna:  “I like the green side mentality...I like the atmosphere, I like the work we do and I like the patients that we see. It’s the Marine-corpsman bond that you just can’t replace.”  

If you’re in the Cincinnati area, plan on attending the Hospital Corpsmen memorial highway dedication Wed., Sept. 3 @ 6 pm, Fort Wright City Building, 409 Kyles Lane, Ft Wright, KY.
BUMED’s FORCE Master Chief Sherman Boss will join local and state dignitaries, including special guest Charles “Dan” Daniels, the very dedicated, passionate, persistent and charming 90 year old and very proud WWII Navy Corpsman who worked on getting the highway honoring Navy Hospital Corpsmen.

Hello everyone.  I am wondering if there is a group for Moms of  FMTB corpsmen  stationed at Camp Lejeune.  Does anyone know of a group?  Thanks.

Welcome sock monkey!  I was just talking with Mike's Mom (a great friend since we met here on N4M!) and she's right, here's the link:  Camp Lejeune Moms, Families and Friends, please come join!

Hi MM!  LOL Mike'sMom (Marsha) and I met up in what could be called the Great Late Night Deployment Chats in this group :)

Thank you for the link to the Camp Lejeune families!  Just what I needed.

Just checkin' in and catching up on reading posts. I have to say that sockmonkey has one of my all time favorite names!!

Marcy and Mike's Mom....when I first joined 2 1/2 years ago, you guys were and continue to be so supportive. Hugs to you all.

:)

In the news today: U.S. to send up to 3,000 troops to battle Ebola in Africa "The U.S. effort will include medics and corpsmen for treatment and training, engineers to help erect the treatment facilities and specialists in logistics to assist in patient transportation….The officials said it would take about two weeks to get U.S. forces on the ground."

my son graduates from great lakes boot camp on Oct. 31th. then going to school in Texas.Anyone else got the same graduation date on here?

Welcome!  Be sure to join this group too for all things related to A School - http://navyformoms.com/group/hmhospitalcorpsmanaschoolinsanantonio

Here's a story that touched my heart and will yours, too - Mom honors her son's memory in helping another corpsman.  Ryley was less than a month into his deployment in Afghanistan when he died in 2011.  Blessings to them all...