Sailors attending A School in Meridian, Mississippi

When they finiish is there another graduation like BC

Kim, yes, it is self-paced. YN was and so was LS. Yes, it is possible that the course can be completed ahead of the 8 weeks. But when my son was there, they all had long "hold" times after graduating before they could take leave. He finished up April 1st, graduated April 7th, and didn't get leave until April 30. They were very backed up with YN orders.

Kyle, Liberty is on a graduated basis. They arrived under "red dot" status and are moved up from there. They have the buddy system in place and believe me, there is BIG trouble if they don't return with that SAME buddy. Possible Captains Mast. They go through indoc when they arrive for a week or more. There isn't much to do in Meridian (but the mall), but my son loved being on the base there with all of his buddies. He was one of the last to leave and had a hard time saying goodbye to everyone! Luckily he met up with many of them where he is staitoned now.

Yes, as with maussie's daughter, my son too had some problems with phone reception and would call from outside. They have to be in their rooms by 10 weekdays, so he would be hurrying to get up there on time. They still have room inspections, personal inspections, muster up to march to and from class, and when in "hold", they muster them up several times a day. But it is a welcome relief from bc, believe me!

mfavored: Not even CLOSE on the graduation like PIR. My son said few if any parents attend. It is very low key.

mfavored and dillon's mom. I mailed my son his phone by priority mail and he got it in 2 days. Sometimes the mail is tricky...packages apparently are in a different place from regular mail. So he needs to check that out. He should be able to use a friend's cell or his phone card to call you with an address this first week. He will be in indoc this week. What rate are your sons?

This group moves rather slowly...not like the PIR groups. But hopefully if more get on here, we will move again! There is nothing quite like the PIR groups! They are so much fun!

Welcome to this group, ladies!

Let's start with the good news first, Kyle. "Muster up" is line up to march. They use it to make sure all are accounted for in hold situations also when there is more free time.

Captains Mast is disciplinary action with the top officers. Reserved for the most severe infractions. They are scared to death of it! Can't tell you what is done as thankfully my son has not had this nor have his friends. I hope it STAYS that way!

Somehow we N4M ladies stay together even after PIR!

Hello. My son just graduated from Meridian. LS... Navy Lingo... just google it. google.com. It is a new language for sure this military lingo. Yes, phone reception is terrible within their rooms at Meridian and I think in many of the buildings. Although my son found a spot near his room (it sounded like he was in a stairwell) and the calls would not drop. If I recall correctly, they are not allowed to walk outside & talk on cell phones. However, he would put me on speaker once or twice & I guess that went under the radar, so to speak. They have to be extremely careful when on watch to not succumb & use their cell phone. Yes, Captains Mast can be a consequence. Prior posts here indicate a number of sailors got in hot water for it. There is no internet access in their rooms... (which is just as well, my son was totally spent from a full day & sleep became extremely important... he really appreciated the weekends he got to sleep in !!! whooda thunk !!!) However apparently the library & the bowling alley (of all places !!!) has wifi. So we chatted on FB several times while he was at the bowling alley. (His one big purchase was a laptop.) I think the saving grace for my son was the golf course. $20 or $25 for the whole kit & kaboodle... golf cart, clubs, balls & greens fees. From his pics, it looked like a nice retreat in & amongst the jack pine. He said it really helped him clear his mind. There are also several basketball courts... Meridian is a small town with a major civil war history... Personally, I would've explored that, but our young adults usually are not into history as much as us 'old folk' are... lol. I know my son took several trips into town (by cab - The cabbies must do a fairly nice business) for movies & a steak dinner. My son said the food on base was as good if not better than BC. He was super busy with classes, studying, marching, runs and standing watch. One of his last was early morning and I got a wonderful text about the wildlife in the wee hours of the morning... coyote, fox, big spider, and praying mantis. A new world. My son came home on leave last Wed & its been wonderful. I'm super proud of his results from Meridian... he was shooting for a promotion, and while that did not come thru, he was the only Sailor in his group to get posted to Hawaii. We feel that is a reward all by itself. (Yes, we are planning a vaca to Hawaii next summer !!!) He has been assigned to a squadron with a tremendous history... how cool. I am so looking forward to the new experiences that await him. Thank you NAVY !!!

Lady Hamilton: In my son's mind, he was scared to death of Captain's Mast, serious offenses or not. What is deemed serious to one sailor may not be to another. Remember, they just got out of boot camp where all was so strict, they are sensing some freedoms now, and so any form of discipline in front of officers is HUGE to most of them. My son's buddies felt the same way...thank goodness. I would not want anyone to dismiss Captains Mast as not a big deal,no matter what the offense. I wasn't talking about offenses that might result in time in the brig...I was talking about regular offenses that can mess up ones life, even if temporarily. I would like for all of the new sailors to have a healthy "fear" of Captains Mast.

Interesting note about the YN's Legal Clerks Course.

My son loved it there, Cyndi. He likened it to a college campus...but MUCH STRICTER! It is a step up from bc...so much less pressure, although of course still lots of structure. I think she will like it and you will like talkiing to her....maybe even skyping if she can find a signal! That is the challenge...the signal for the phones and internet is hit and miss...but some find "spots" to get some reception.

My son arrived on 2/7, started classes on around 2/16 and finished 4/1 But he got stuck on one of the mods for much too long...he was a week to two weeks behind many of the others in his class. He had orders 2 weeks later. He was on "hold" until 4/30 (he said they were told that part of that was because the guy who schedules was on vacation and they weren't processing as quickly...and also there was a backup of YN during that time). He got his 14 days leave. Not sure when he will be home again.

Yes, we know that holidays won't be the same. Mine misssed Thanksgiving and Christmas this last year because of bc. Birthday too...even though he was finished A School in time....he was on hold when his birthday came around.

We will take any time that we can get with him. I'm going to visit him in the Fall for a weekend.

My daughter arrived on 4/24. Waited a week for classes to start and arrived home on leave 6/23. I was expecting some notice and a long wait before she came home on leave, but she called on Wed. and said "I'll be home tomorrow." That was a pleasant surprise.
The travel arrangements weren't what the recruiter said they would be. No surprise there, right? But, she was able to reroute for $30.00. God was definitely in the details there.
She had almost 3 weeks leave before she had to report.

Kyle, isn't it frustrating to be so "in the dark" about everything?
I don't think they will hold her at Gl until then. They like to move them out quickly. My guess is that she will be at Meridian waiting to class up.

Hello to all, been awhile since I have been on, anybody know details about the Corpman School in Chicago? And he finally got to come home while being in "limbo" after 4.5 months!!! LOL So hang in there Mom's!!! He looked just great!

Kyle: Ditto what maussie and Juli said. Makes no sense to hold her in GL. But I don't pretend to know how the Navy does things! She may be on hold after her schooling too. My son finished April 1st, took the financial class (required) April 6th and 7th, graduated the 8th, had orders a week later, and couldn't leave base until April 30. HURRY AND WAIT...that is the motto!

Juli: Kyle's daughter already PIRed last weekend.

My bad. How long was she on hold there?

Kyle. (this is Kim, new picture since PIR). My son says they start school this Friday.

I noticed the same change in my daughter during BC. She has always been appreciative. But, she was so thankful for the support and letters and prayers and prayers and prayers.

i have a question i'm hoping someone can help me with. My son said he is doing 2 watches tonight and that he was trying to get certified. That he needed to complete eight. ????

Does anyone know what he is talking about?

A watch is when they keep watch over a certain area. When my daughter was there she told me about keeping watch in the am hours and checking rooms. Sometimes they just sit in one spot and stay awake. They have to do it eight times as practice before they get certified. But, they will have watches their whole time at Meridian. And most will have them their whole time in the Navy.

hELLO LADIES Its been awhile since I have been able to write
Hope all is well with everyones Sailors as they are getting settled in. So happy about being able to communicate now. It makes a world of difference. My son had to switch carriers because T Mobile doesnt get service out thee at all. I shipped his phone to him via UPS he got it in 2 days. The service is still not that great so the majority of the time we usually text. Once it was so bad he told my daughter and I to hang up and just text him. Some spots are better than others. We did keep in touch through FB until his phone arrived.
He seems to be doing fine which makes me feel good. He says he is just ready for his classes to start. He;s been there since the 7th but classes don't start until the 23rd. I don't understand the long wait because definitely he's gonna be there longer than the 8 weeks he anticipated. I got off the phone with him a little early because he has watch tonight. Hope he;s able to get some rest.
Looking forward to getting info and going through this part of the journey with all of you. I am so grateful for all the info and comments that I get from this site. Take care and God Bless

Maussie64... so is the certification something they all have to achieve while at A school.

Every time I talk to my son I forget to ask him all these little detailed questions. It's all about (how are you, what are you doing, and mom can you ship this or that to me)...

Maussie64.... where is your daughter now. Did she have any options over where she ended up.

My son is so worried he will end up somewhere cold. We are from TX so snow and cold is something we don't endure well...;-)

Kim, I think it is something they have to get done in A school. It doesn't take long.
My daughter is stationed on the Emory S Land. It is a sub tender based on Diego Garcia, very small atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It is very tropical, almost always 85 degrees with a constant breeze. It is also about 11,000 miles from home. 8(( As far a picking their station - I'm sure some get what they ask for, but she asked for Hawaii, Italy or San Diego. :/ (We are only an hour from SD.) Maybe next time though.
What is your son's rate? Where does he hope to be stationed?

Ouch! Praying for a successful surgery and a painless recovery.

Will rate is a sore subject. He was rated up to an E2 in boot camp but the last week someone realized the RDC's in his unit had made a mistake and dropped the E2 rank of more than 40 recruits back to E1. He was the Medical Yeoman and should have been rated up for that but by the time the mistake was caught it was to late and 40 guys lost their rate. So to answer your question he is just an E1

Kim, something similar happened to S. She passed a test that promoted her to E2 before she left for BC. Then she failed a PFA (that she took while she had pneumonia) and got dropped back to E1 i BC.
But actually, that is 'rank'. Rate refers to their occupation.

Thanks Emma. I appreciate the clarification. So much I still don't know.

Maussie64 My son is LS? You have so much wisdom to share.

Thank you! Boys doen't divulge as much info as girls do. " Hi mom, i'm fine, Can you send me my laptop. Luv ya. Bye mom"

Too funny Kim, my daughter is more like a boy in that respect. She write abbreviations and things and just expects me to know what they are. LOL
But, the Ladies here are so helpful (like Emma) and there is always google. 8)

Emma, maybe you can answer a question for me.....
Is being stationed on a ship that is based in an area that is considered forward-deployed a deployment? How long would a female usually be there?

Thanks Emma. Shore duty on the island where S's ship is based is only 1 year. So I was just wondering......

My son was told that he might be going to San Diego and will be on a frigate ship. Are any of you familiar with this? Any feedback will be helpful.

Yes, Maussie. What Emma said is what my son said too. Ship, shore, ship, shore.....etc.

does anyone one know what NSU watches means? I typed it into the Navy Speak (to the right) but nothing.

i bet that was what he was referring too. He did mention he needed to iron his NSU the night before. I'm not used to hearing the words "IRON" come out of my sons vocabulary.

Again, many thanks

I thought this was strange. My son said the only location he could get good Wi-Fi was in front of the Library (I think thats what he said, I'd had a glass or two of wine when he started facebook IMing me last night).

He did say that the barracks would be getting Wi-Fi but by the time they did he would be gone.

Still happy with the food (doesn't say much for my cooking) LOL.

We are doing great. So your son can use his 4 or 3 G to toggle to his computer? I looked at that with my cell phone but it was an extra $45. per month on the already way to expensive iPhone.

What type of phone did he get. Mine is looking but wanted the new 4G iPhone but none are available now.

I suggested I order one for him but he seems to want to handle it.

It was 110 at the Reserve Navy Base here in Fort Worth yesterday. We just got our first cold frong and it is now 81 and raining. Much better...;-0

Are you hearing much from your son.... they must be pretty busy, i get a few txts per day but short. We talked a lot Sunday.

I don't think yours and my son are in the same barrack ;-(

Help!!!! I need directions to the base in Meridian. I'm planning to visit my son on tomorrow and Fletcher Road cannot be found on mapsquest or the TomTom....driving in from Birmingham, Al.

Thanks Cyndi! Your post was really helpful. I am so glad I found and became a member of this site! Now back to spending the day with my SAILORMANN!

hi my hubby will arrive at a school this friday he graduates on thursday. so excited

just got back from merridean miss. thanks for the address cant wait for 10 weeks to be over now.

that is great news

Hello Everyone,
My daughter graduated 9/2 from GL and will be coming into Mississippi for A school on Wednesday 9/8. I look forward to getting to know some of you! It was so hard leaving her yesterday at the GL base. We did have an amazing time together after PIR.

Welcome.... my son graduated BC Aug. 13 and headed straight for Meridian.

HE HATES Meridian and is looking forward to graduating A school and moving on. Wishfully hoping for a California Base.

They take taxi's to the Mall a lot. Shop, Bowl and eat. He has been able to wear civilian cloths when not on duty for a couple weeks now so prepare your box. It will go by quick. So she will be texting you to ship her some civi's.

Hi Kim, I can't say that my daughter likes it there either. She starts the schooling part on Monday so hopefully that will make the days go by faster.
How much longer does your Son have in MS?

hi to all.
my hubby hates a school he wont actually start til the 27th but has been there for 1 week. leaving this friday to go see him again hooyaah he can leave base now so all three kids are coming with me. check in everyday with all of you thanks
jackie

Once they class up, it is much better there. In hold, either before school or after graduation, they get very bored and antsy! My son didn't complain about Meridian until after he graduated but was still in hold waiting on his orders (for 3-4 weeks!). Then he got very anxious to move on! It does get better once they are busy.

yeah i hope so i just want to hurry up and get mike out of there he wont graduate til nov 24th and then has to wait for moving to a base i really want to be in a house by christmas. that is my goal.
have a great day.

My daughter was there during the stormy season. Every time it rained (which was OFTEN) they cancelled liberty.
She finished school on a Wednesday, graduated Thursday morning and was home by Thursday night.
An FYI to all. When they are provided traveling orders and flights, they are from MS to next duty station. We thought S would be traveling through LAX to her duty station, because that's what the recruiter told me. Wrong! Her ticket was from Meridian to Norfolk, then to DG. When I tried to get a ticket to CA the same day, it was $ 1100.00. But, S was able to reroute through the Navy travel service for $30.00. Much better!