Camp Pendleton Corpsmen Moms

Lisah, Get there a little early and there is handicap parking right next to the bleachers where you'll sit if the weather is good and they hold is outdoors...so you'll only have to walk 10-20 yards or so if I recall correctly (it's been a few years) :-)

lisah, look at the last slide in the attached link and you'll see the bleachers with cars behind them...she should ask to park next to the bleachers!

http://www.tecom.marines.mil/Portals/131/Docs/life.pdf

Thank you all, one less thing to stress about. :)

Welcome to the club marriedahoosier. We will all get through this with the support of each other. My son has been at CP for awhile awaiting classing up.

Ruth, are Chris and his new family going to apply for base housing.  I am just so impressed by the housing at Camp P. and I think it helps my d-I-l to be part of the military neighborhood and school as a new Navy wife.  

Question, we are driving from Wisconsin to San Diego to visit our son and would like to stay about 2 weeks.  Does anyone know if there is housing instead of a hotel room to rent?  We would love to stay longer as the cold winters in Wisconsin are not fun but finances are tight.  Any suggestions?  Thanks

I agree with Ruth....my son LOVED FMTB!  He does periodic TCCC (Tactical Combat Critical Care) training on the base to which he is now stationed and he loves that too.  :-)

My son has been transferred to Camp Pendleton from Jacksonville, FLA.   We are very excited that he is closer to us.  Does anyone know if they close down Camp Pendleton during FMTB training during Thanksgiving?   

Depending on duty assignments, they do get time off for Thanksgiving. If they are in trouble for anything, they should plan on eating in the mess hall.  Checking with son to be sure I am remembering correctly.

My answer was for FMTB students.  The base just goes on holiday hours with skeleton crew working like most military bases. 

velvetlace, asked my son what leave policy is for FMTB at Thanksgiving.  This is what he had to say:

They are off unless they have duty.

It is a four day weekend for the Marines.  (Marines are their instructors so it would be hard to have class if there are no instructors there)

They can travel off base depending on CO decision.  Probably 50-150 miles.

Asked my son if he gets four day weekend and he doesn't (he is assigned to a clinic).  He has to work on Friday.  Boo hiss.  Mistreating sailors on shore duty at Pendleton!!!  At least, that is a mother's viewpoint and the Navy doesn't really care what I think.     

IDCmom#1:

    SInce I have not had Thanksgiving with my son since 2010, I am hoping  and praying that this year will be different since we live in Northern California and we can drive to Oceanside to take my son out to dinner.   I hope and pray that it happens.   I am also hoping for Christmas with my son since it has been since 2010 since we have had him home for Christmas.    I was so depressed last year about him not coming home again, that I did not decorate the house nor did I put up the Christmas tree.   My husband and I had a very quiet dinner together.  I played and sang at church, so that was my Christmas.   My son went into the Navy in March of 2011.   My father was 30 years Navy, and he was a Lt. Cmdr. when he retired.  I hate the distances and the no holidays together.  I think that is why I did not go into the military myself.   I am hoping this year is different!  :)

Velvetlace, I am so glad that you will have an opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with your son.  We have been very lucky to not have gone too many years without spending holidays with our son and granddaughter but will this year. 

Planning to ask schools command at NAS Pensacola to send a sailor or two to our home for dinner and we will Skype with my son and his family. 

When you drive through Camp Pendleton gate, look to the right and wave to my son.  He lives about a mile from the gate. 

Does your son know where his next duty station is? .

IDC mom

My corpsman son is going to stay with the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton after he successfully completes his FTMB training.     His goal is to become a "Doc" down the road and to also go to C School for either Lab tech or Surgical Tech.

My son was grateful that he brought everything home on leave before he reported to FMTB.  He said that the barracks at FMTB were meant to mimic life aboard ship regarding the space and storage.  The racks are really narrow.

It is open bay and subject to inspection.  They have clean up days and locker inspections.  If they fail, they lose privileges.  Some guys have been horribly embarrassed about articles they have stored in their locker so they would be wise to not bring contraband to FMTB. 

Brush fire on Camp Pendleton today.  Believe it is over by hospital so quite a distance from FMTB.

My corpsman son checked into Camp Pendleton last night.  I understand he has started his 8 weeks of FMTB.   I am praying that all goes well.

Hi Velvetlace, my son did too, along with his best friend.

My son has just started FMTB training yesterday.  I wonder if our sons are together.  His graduation is December 12.  I am so proud of him. 

Nan, I'm sure they do now! haha. My son has been at CP for awhile. He left SA back in late July. Has your son been there for a bit or did he just get there?

Also, I though grad date was 12-13. But both of ours look to be wrong since that would be10 weeks.Does anyone know???

Joshuamom-

Yes, my corpsman son asked to go through FTMB training.  He had been at Jacksonville Naval Hospital the last two years, and he wanted to get the experience.  He was also told that it was a necessary step for promotions to have the experience.   I guess my son is in training with Nan's son, too.

I am proud of my son!

My schedule of classes says graduation date of Dec.12th for this class starting today. Good Luck to all! My son just graduated Sept. 26th.

I just saw a photo of my son from the Navy Birthday celebration. He looked 'different'. I happened to have a very similar photo of him during A-school a few months ago. They've only been a Field Med not even week but he has been working out the entire 6 weeks waiting for the class to begin. I can't believe how much he has filled out. I got to see him a couple of weeks ago and thought he was "just a little thicker"...until I compared these two photos. Jeeesh! And since he's much thicker, he just looks so much older and more mature.

One of my son's friends had a car at CP.  He was very lucky 'cause he could get off base when they had Liberty!

Hello all, Does anyone know if the military will relocate me and our child when my husband goes to FMTB training? Or will this happen after he's graduated? Any insight is much appreciated.

Thanks Kathy! His soft orders indicated he'd be staying at CP. Would that change things?

You can have a car while at CP for FMTB, those that do use it to store stuff as there isn't much room for their things in the barracks.

NavyWifeMI- Your husband can apply for base housing after FMTB, but I have heard the wait is long, best bet is to find an apartment. As far as the Navy paying for your move, I have heard several different things from they don't when it's a first duty station- to, you will have to initially pay for the move and your husband would then submit his receipt's for reimbursement.  I don't know how BAH works when your married, but for my single son, he has to wait 6 months before he can get it. Since we are from that area, he does stay off base with his girlfriend or sister most nights.

Also, to support louielou's last comment, yes, FMTB attendees may have cars.

familything, my sister saw the Captain Phillips and told me she was so proud that there is a Navy Corpsman in the movie and watching what is done by the Corpsman was a jolt to just how much her nephew has changed because he would be doing the exact same thing. Can't wait to see the movie.

Hi!   I am relatively new to this group.   My son started at Camp Pendleton for his FMTB training in early October.  I understand graduation is around Thursday, December 12, 2013.    Does anyone know how much the video and other items are from the graduation?   I want to purchase one for my corpsman son and one for his Dad and Mom (us) but we cannot be in Oceanside for graduation.   Can my corpsman son purchase the video in advance if we give him the money?   Thank you for any information

Bobbo, it is not you. Unfortunately they do not post many photos, and most that they do are group shots so you really have to scan to see if you can spot your son. East has a great photographer and she takes alot of pictures, I tried getting the photographer at West to take more but they are all business there. :(

Velvetlace, you can only buy the DVD and other stuff at graduation, so as long as they still have stuff available your son can get it after the ceremony. My advice on the DVD however is, it was a waste of money. I couldn't go to the graduation so I asked my daughter to get me the picture CD, but she got the DVD instead, there is some cool things in it, but nothing spectacular. She did get the challenge coin so I can add it to my sons collection, which is awesome.

velvetlace, when my son graduated from FMTB-West a few years ago each of the corpsman were given a copy of the dvd so there was no need for them to purchase one for themselves...not sure if that's still the case.

There arent a lot of photos of us because we really haven't done anything interesting enough to warrant photos. I mean, unless you really want photos of everyone staring at powerpoint presentations for hours.

The money raised through the sale of souvenirs and DVDs is used to fund the cookout for the students at the end of FMTB and also pays for going away presents like plaques and shadow boxes for the FMTB staff. 

I did not think that the DVD is a waste of $$ at all.  It is so much fun to watch all the stuff our sailors went through and they enjoy pointing out where they are in the DVD.  When they are all gas masked, it is really difficult to know who is who.  We still enjoy looking back at it and continue to be amazed that our "senior sailor" made it through with all those young kids.  He did not enjoy the physical experience of FMTB because he was not in shape coming out of a year long C school but I think he enjoyed the camaraderie.  He was definitely in great shape physically when he finished.  

Hello all! I just received news from my Sailor that he will be headed to Camp Pendelton for his FMTB instead of North Carolina. Is there anything that I should be aware of besides what is on the offical websites? We're headed to FSH for his A school graduation beginning of December and he reports to Pendelton two days later to work in the hospital until he classes up.

Any info from the "veteran" moms would be greatly appreciated!

Debi, Camp Pendleton has much better weather. It will be warmer.

There will be much less humidity at Camp Pendleton, that's for sure!  We are a little partial to the West Coast though.

My daughter-in-law and granddaughters were in the water at the Del Mar beach (right by FMTB) at Camp Pendleton. Crazy! 

My son did FMTB from July through September so it was pretty hot but he had just come from FSH where it was hot AND humid.  He had the opportunity to choose between CL and CP and was very glad he chose CP!  He is now stationed at 29 Palms where it is in triple digits from March through September/October with a 3300 ft elevation.  Kinda had a problem when he came home in June and it was only 72 (which is flip-flop and shorts weather in Oregon).  He needed a sweatshirt!

I second and third the socks and the moleskin as well as taking care of them right away.  The Stryker socks from Fox Mills were the best, according to my son.