Corpsman Moms

Oh okay! That's good news then, so hopefully my boyfriend will be getting his by mid February or so. Thank you!!

Remember, all orders are "needs of the Navy" and because they don't have any idea who will actually pass A school or show competence in certain areas until they have completed enough classwork to determine what "needs of the Navy" they will fulfill, giving orders early would be counter productive. 

Are you aware that FMTB is only 8 weeks long and then the sailor can be sent away from the west coast?  FMTB is pretty intense and the sailors have to earn the right to leave the school area, go off Camp Pendleton, spend the night/weekend away from the barracks.

I know, I understand that completely. I am used to the Army, where at least soft orders are often given before soldiers attend any school or training. I'm aware the Navy is different, and I am definitely not doubting that by any means.

Also very aware of all of that, thank you! I have the means to live near Pendleton for those two months. I have spoken to many family members of sailors in FMTB who have said they have phase three liberty through FMTB, (given they don't get in trouble, held back, etc.) and also that married sailors are allowed to live off base. So I am curious why your info/experience is different from that. I'm sure everything varies from class to class, of course. Of course I appreciate any and all information and experience.

In the Vietnam era blank orders were sent except for "C" schools. Only seven of sixty six were for FMF. There were several volunteers for those slots but none were selected.  I was one eight that went to Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay (GITMO). Later on to Vietnam. Go figure............

It's a great way to go but even with the title as combat corpsman nothing will make him prouder than when his Gunny says "Goog job Doc!"

Note:  A great duty for corpsmen and their family is Okinawa.  Didn't say it would easy  but great schools and good jumping off spot for shopping trips. Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Manila, Seoul, and for the very lucky Australia. I do wish you both well............  

Just reread what I wrote and it sounds kind of bitchy and that was not my intention.  Over the years, I think many of us moms have seen people confuse FMTB with FMF and think their loved one is going to be stationed at Camp P for a full assignment and not short term class.  Some students do not get their orders until FMTB graduation day and report to their duty station immediately.  Felt really sad for families at graduation.   

My experience was pretty unique because I was the mother of sailor in FMTB and mother-in-law of sailor deployed on ship out of San Diego.  My son received orders to Camp Pendleton in concurrence with FMTB orders because he was coming out of a year long IDC school in San Diego.  D-I-l completed IDC school a couple months before my son and she was assigned sea duty on ship with San Diego port.  With co-location of spouses, he was assigned shore duty and Camp P was where they had an IDC billet for new IDC.  They had housing on Camp Pendleton.  

I stayed in their housing to care for my granddaughter while son was in FMTB as her mother was at sea.  Because he lived on base and second in rank as E5,  as soon as they were able leave the school, he came home for dinner, overnights, do laundry (really gross), etc., to spend time with his daughter.  But, it wasn't a regularly scheduled liberty, more erratic.    

As to those "needs of the Navy," he was deployed for six months not long after FMTB (with no consideration to deployed spouse) so I packed up my granddaughter and brought her back home with me.  We were happy grandparents having her but she missed her parents and they missed her.   

I hope this all works out for you and you are able to spend lots of time together.  I love the area and hope my son's next assignment will be back to Camp P.    

IDCmom, thank you for your explanation and experience! It is helpful to read of what others in similar situations have gone through. Sorry if I was on the defense, it is just that time after time I post questions about my sailor and our situation and moms on here always seem to second guess my decisions to move with him- not saying you did, but it is sooo common on here. I am actually living in San Antonio while my sailor is in A school and not a single person on this site was encouraging or uplifting about it when I was asking for help. I get that it may seem silly to follow him around, but it was able to happen so smoothly for us, just like we anticipate a move to Camp P would be.

Regardless, I do really appreciate each and every comment with answers to my questions and insight about different experiences. I didn't know that liberty during FMTB could be so erratic, yikes! And that is too bad that the Navy did not consider both your son and daughter-in-law while deploying him... (makes me nervous for where my sailor could go) but I am glad you got to spend a lot of time with your granddaughter, I know my mother would be so thrilled about that! :P I am very nervous for our future and where his Navy career will take him, but I know everything happens for a reason and this training ultimately will be so beneficial to him.

Again, thank you sooo much for sharing!! It helps me tremendously.

As a Navy brat and as a Navy mom, and the sister of a Marine, Bronco, I have to tell you, I wouldn't count on any type of regular life during any training at all. Training comes first, that's just a fact of life in the military. FMTB is very intense and its training critical to the survival of Marines and whoever else Corpsmen serve. 

I work at a Park rec center where our local community college has PE classes. Yesterday I met a young Army vet and when I noticed his DV license plate, I said that my son had that same plate. When he asked, I told him my son had served as a FMF Corpsman, and he said " the only reason I am alive is the Corpsman that was with us that day". He was in San Antonio for almost 2 years recuperating and said the doctors there told him several times that it was the  treatment at the time of his injury in combat that saved his life. That is the kind of training they cram into that 8 weeks. Very intense. 

As my mother the Navy wife used to say..."as long as you remember that Ma Navy makes all the decisions in your life from now on, everything will be just fine". She used to drive across country in the 1940's in those old cars, kids in the back to meet ships as they came in back and forth and get a little time with my dad. Guess that's why we are all 6 years apart!

What a great story DocMom! That's cool, and really great that my corpsman will hopefully be trained and equipped to do things like that. I am definitely not expecting any normal life through training, our lives have been anything but normal since he shipped to bootcamp in May :P We roll with the punches and have encouraged one another by saying that the Navy keeps us on our toes and makes life exciting in a weird way- if we were back home and the military had not been in the picture, our life would be so normal and almost boring! So while I am frustrated with the Navy at times, I am ultimately grateful that it has made my sailor and I grow much closer and that I get to experience all these new places with my sailor!

I'd say your mother had it right- great advice thank you! It's funny, growing up as an Army brat I always told myself I would never be with a man who was in the military, guess I couldn't help it!! Lol :)

Bronco14, there are several of us BRATS on here and we have each had a different experience growing up with our respective services.  My dad was USAF and only away from my mother for an extended period during WWII and one isolated assignment in the late 60s. He was away on TDY often because he was a pilot but no longer than two weeks at a time.  I married an airman who got out to return to college and went civil service as Army Continuing Education counselor and we spent a lot of years as a pseudo Army family overseas and then moved to a Navy town for the rest of his career.. 

From those experiences and my son being in the Navy for 12 years, I think the Navy is the hardest on families.  Long separations are normal and hard on spouses and children.  Our granddaughter spent a total of two years with us between her parents' school and their deployments.  Now divorced, her parents are stationed on opposite coasts so granddaughter racks up the air miles visiting Mommy.  I know she misses her mother and wishes she got to see her more often but again, needs of the Navy. 

I remember a movie from the 60s, Follow the Boys about Navy wives and girlfriends following their husbands' ship in the Mediterranean.  It seemed so romantic when I was a little girl, not so much as an adult.  I think it takes a brave and strong woman (or man) to follow their loved one like they did and you are doing.    


 

My son got soft orders the day before he graduated, but he is staying on for C school.  Two days later he got to choose another station that was his hard orders.

He said that they were given the soft orders, then they were told that a set of new orders came in before another class graduated, so they let his class have some choice.

This is what he tells me of what he understood, as always. so nothing ever makes sense to me entirely.

Hi, I'm new to this group. My daughter had PIR Aug 22, 2014. After boot camp she went to OS A-School, then to little creek in Virginia. She was able to cross rate into the HM rate before the usual 2 years or so. She just graduated from HM school this past week and is now home on leave. She will leave home, here in Illinois, with her cousin to drive her car to Virginia. 

My son is leaving for boot camp on April 20 then on to A school. His recruiter said he would be going to school in Great Lakes however everything I have read states Texas. HELP

Boot camp, Great Lakes, then Corpsman school, San Antonio, Texas...

Welcome Steph's Mom!!!  Are you saying your daughter is at boot camp, or A School?  Either way, I'm sure she's fine, but I know it's stressful for moms till they get a call.  If you haven't yet, be sure to join this group for parents of future corpsmen at HM "A" School:  http://navyformoms.com/group/hmhospitalcorpsmanaschoolinsanantonio

Good morning,

Thank you Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom. She's currently in Boot Camp. I saw that group and was thinking about joining it as well, thank you.

In week no. 3 and still haven't heard anything, I'm sure she is doing fine would feel soooo much better if she told me herself.

I need help. Does anyone know of lodging on base in San Antonio? I am unable to attend my Son's graduation & I am trying to send my retired parents. This means I have to basically set everything up for them as far as lodging, transportation, visitor passes...everything. I am at a loss & did I mention, they do not like to drive!!  AGHHH!!!  Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

Can anyone tell me if the address for Fort Sam for A school. Is the City Fort Sam Houston, TX or San Antonio, TX?  I want to make sure the box I am sending will get to him.

Meadechef,I want to help because I lived there while my husband was in A school but I don't have much experience with the mailing address. I would almost bet that it would be San Antonio as the city though.

Fort Sam Houston, TX  78234, do you have the rest of his address?  Mine was 3288 Cpl Johnson Rd, Unit ###

@Lauren, yes I have the rest, I just wanted to make sure the city was correct.  Thank you very much. He finally got his address yesterday. He has been there since 4/9, after his PIR from boot camp.  They started classes for his group yesterday.  Thanks again.

you are very welcome, my son graduated C school there last August and is now in Japan, working at a hospital there.  Exciting Stuff!  Good luck to him!

Thank you Bronco14. :)

@Drums My was at the airport from about 1 am and his flight did not leave Chicago until after 1:30 pm.  He had a stop in Atlanta then he flew to San Antonio.  It was a very long day for him. You can see your SR at the airport until he leaves.  We did that until we had to leave to catch our flight.  Good Luck.

Drums, 

O'Hare is the biggest airport, so it is more likely O'Hare, but they fly out of both.  They have a lot of flights to coordinate so it is a bit random.  Good luck to you and your SR.  

After five years, I have more or less come to the end of my journey.  My daughter finished her service the end of May.  My son-in-law, acquired during the five years, has until next February.  I am grateful for all the support I have gotten from this site over the years.  Special thanks to the administrators that have given their time to this site.

It was intense at the beginning, but it was good for my daughter and probably good for me, too.  I am proud to say that my girl is a Navy Veteran.

Ruth, my son left the Navy in 2012, graduated from UTSA in 2014 and has started a great career. But...as a Navy brat and then a Marine's sister and Navy mom...the military never leaves you...or you, it. I still admin this  group site (somewhat) and the group site for those with kids in Iraq or Afghanistan because I just can't leave those folks. They saved my sanity when my son was deployed and I can never pay back enough to them.Sometimes all it takes is for a mom with kid in a war zone is to hear that I did it, she can do it, she is not alone and there is life after the military. So, drop back by, your experience is invaluable, and you have a great touch with helping others. A pleasure "knowing" you. 

Ruth, thank you for all the great information you have shared here and in the "Hospital Corps A School" group!  Wishing you, your daughter and son-in-law all the best.  Bravo Zulu!  :)

It's great to see this kind of progress.  "The new Virginia Military Medics and Corpsmen Program (MMAC), which will be launched on July 1, will help open the door to jobs in the New Virginia Economy to former military medics and corpsmen. Medics and corpsmen receive extensive medical training and experience while on active duty, but some have not yet had the opportunity to receive the civilian licenses or certifications needed to practice outside of the military medical system. MMAC is designed to help create opportunities for these former military medics and corpsmen to apply their skills and training in civilian medical facilities." PDF:  Virginia MMAC Program

DocMom94, regarding your question about mailing to Field Medical Training Battalion at Camp Lejeune/Camp Johnson:  your son can give you his address, and you can send it USPS priority mail.  Just a heads-up, they have to do pushups to get mail and situps for packages :)   By the way, there is this group for FMTB/Camp Lejeune moms, please join!  Camp Lejeune Moms, Families and Friends

Reading the post about mailing packages brought back memories.  When our son was at FMTB, he missed the birth of his sister's first child.  She printed out at least 80 pictures of him and when he received the package, he had to do a pushup for each picture.  We were so careful what we sent during Boot Camp but didn't even think about it at FMTB.