Corpsman Moms

Pretty much all corpsmen go to FMTB. It doesn't necessarily mean they will go greenside with a Marine unit, it just means that they are trained and ready if need be. Inga's daughter has been an instructor at GL for as long as I've known her mom, but now she's moving to a Marine unit and will be deployed with them. Before any deployment, there is further training for the particular location, so he won't be picked up and thrown into a war zone without more training (usually..it is the Navy's call.).

FMTB is training, FMF is a qualification, based on performance with a corpsman's Marine battalion. Not all of the FMTB trained corpsmen become FMF corpsmen.

My daughter and son are in Okinawa. She called me at 1 am and was being evacuated. I can't get through to her now.

If the authorities are advising evacuation, please heed the warnings. Take no chances. The shape of the coast lines along the west coast will affect the size of the wave, the amount of water, and how far inland it can go.

Our Navy sailors will have plenty to do, they do not need to risk their lives rescuing people too hard headed to evacuate. (this is the voice of a hurricane veteran!) so please encourage all to heed the warnings and follow the professional advise of the authorities. Better to do too much than not enough.

Be safe!! I heard the San Diego ships will not move out, where they are is more protected. The ships at Seal Beach will move out into the Pacific. Not as much protection there for the ships.

Kelly, I bet your son is so busy, his head is spinning. The Navy will take good care of all of them.

A friend sent me this link about Japan:

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/military/Pentagon-All-US-military-in-Japan-...

I got an email from my son who his stationed in Italy and he said right now none of the corpsman are being sent to Japan from his base, but if they ask for volunteers he is signing up.

My son used his debit card there. He was still able to shop online. Make sure you can access his bank account, his online bill pay etc so you can keep a track of any bad transactions.

Not sure about soaks? get on the Moms with Kids in Iraq/Afghan board, lots of people to answer better than I can about Afghanistan needs.

He may not be going where you think, lots of things going on in the world where our Navy is needed.

Breathe. You are not alone, we're all here.

Hi,

It has been a while since I have commented on this site. My grandaughter graduated from 'A"school last week at GL and now she is headed for Yokosuka,Japan.She is now with me in Joliet,Il. She  has been released from her old command in GL but has not checked into her new command in Yokosuka,Japan. She has tried to contact her sponser in Japan but has not received a response. I am sure they are too busy to answer. She will do RAP duty  tomarrow in Jo liet at her recruiters office.

Hopefully they can help her. Narita air port is open and functioning so I assume I put her on her flight from O'hare Tuesday. AM.I hope she will arrive safely. She has only flown one in her life. She is only 18 years old. Any suggestions?                                                                                                                                                        

Welcome Kym!!  Isn't it great that he is almost done with bootcamp?  Longest eight weeks EVER!!!  We have an A School Group that you should join.  Lots of information there.  But the best part will be getting to talk to him again!  Are you going to make it up to Great Lakes for PIR? 

Here's the link

http://www.navyformoms.com/group/sailorsinaschoolforcorpsmen

Do you mean the Navy base in CC? I grew up there..it's small...My son was amazed how little it was when we drove through.... I think the Army still has the Army depot there.http://www.ccad.army.mil/history.html

. Sometimes I think it's still there because of so many retirees in the area for the medical stuff. They built a great hospital about 30 years ago but never fully utilized it. Go to the beach...through Ingleside, across the ferry to Port Aransas. Gorgeous this time of year...Kind of fun to go to the USS Lex and tour it, there's a great seafood place there...Blackberry's (?? can't remember) on North Beach near the Lex.

My son says the little Mexican cafes right out of Fort Sam are amazingly good...fresh tortillas and great food. RiverWalk is fun and lots to do there. Usually on weekends he comes to Austin, but he was raised here and his girlfriend lives here (altho she's from San Antonio!) .

The Spurs usually have some military seats available...very big supporters.

Headed the other direction than Corpus, Fredricksburg is a great little town...http://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/index.asp The Nimitiz Military museum is really good, and there's food, music, shopping...

Ladies, it's come to my attention that the death of this young sailor is under investigation and that information regarding this investigation has not been made public or released. My fear would be that this young sailor's family would read about this on a public board like this one, and although our comments are in deepest sympathy, I know none of us would want to cause this family any more pain in any way whatsoever.

I would ask that when your sailors share information, please clear it with them by asking if this has been released yet and if not, please do not share it on any public board, including facebook. If the answer is "I don't know" then assume it is not to be shared here either.

As to activities at Fort Sam, for all enlisted personnel, there are plenty of things to do, see and be involved in. It's a huge military installation, they just need to get out and find it.

Foxsox.com. and Thorlos socks, plus plain cheap white ones that can be tossed out. Those flavor things that go in water bottles.

I checked anysailor.com and they have great requests. Women with personal products, and hair products, snacks, etc...plus corpsmen list there as well.

I'll find out from the Corpsman who just returned. 

Jacqueline, I suggest you read Tamme's post again. She is referring to the injured children injured by IED bombs planted around their homes and towns by the Taliban. Not to our own wounded military personnel.

Those "in power", and I am assuming you mean our President, don't get the bad rap for this one.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I thought it was the kids needing sweats. Already called my neighbor for her grandkid's outgrown ones...

Contact Jerzee, or whoever makes them and get a donation?

Jacqueline, I apologize, I've just come off a board where my son's CIC has been slandered up one side and down the other. I think I'll walk the dog...

Hi everyone... I am new on here.. My son is waiting to class up and just got re-classified as an HM.  I have been reading a few pages,,, has anyone joined their local Blue Star Moms?  We just packed boxes for some troops and filled lots of boxes with special request.  If you dont have a local BSM chapter in your area you may be able to send your son's address's to them so they can send them boxes.  :)  

So I read there are tons of HM jobs and my son is hoping to be with the Marines in the field.  Not sure how all this works as far as where you end up?  Can anyone help me understand some of this? 

Where are your all's sons at?

Still waiting on address but have been told been jerky and mixed nuts are a big request. 

Mamawalrus, welcome.  My son is currently doing a two-year clinic corpsman work.  Then on to FMTB. 

This is the response I received regarding sweatpants and address:

"Forget the sweats because its getting hot out this time of year. Things I would send are toiletries, DVDs, snacks (not candy), and maybe some shorts and t-shirts. I wouldn't go overboard on the clothes because some ladies are making adaptive clothing for troops that have Velcro sides so they are really easy to take on and off. I would send general stuff. I would address it like this:
 
Ward
NATO Role 3 MMU
APO, AE 92055

Let's make sure that address will work, many times APO and FPO addresses witll not take a general address of "ward" or "any soldier" or whatever...there should be a specific name, and if that happens, please share it by PM...or private email.

When in doubt, check with Molly at Molly's Adopt A Sailor...she'll have skinny on addresses, etc.

Welcome mamawalrus!  My son has been in for eleven months and has completed A School (14 weeks) and FMTB (8 weeks).  Then once he got to his duty station in Italy, he had to continue training for three more months and has become EMT certified.  He finally started at his clinic this week and I can't tell you how excited he is!!  Never heard so much excitement about an EKG!!

I've been following the posts for the last couple of days and want to thank everyone for the hints.  I have a wife of a co-worker currently serving a year in Iraq that I'm getting ready to send a care package to.  She's a Sargeant in the Army.  I love the sock idea and am going to add a couple packages of those to my box.

Impressive job for your son Deborah! wow! Hard hours...right now my son is 24 on, 8 off, but they rotate that as the classes come and go where he is an instructor. You have to be young to do those hours.

Those are some long hours our Corpsman are working.  God Bless them for what they do.

Lisa - My son is in Naples for at least two years or maybe longer.  They seem to be extending some duty stations over there because (well, the reason given anyway) the Navy does not have the money to move them.

Thanks Molly for the information.

Thanks, Molly! I asked Molly to drop by because I knew she'd have insights to sending to hospitals, etc. I just remember my son saying when he was in Iraq, so many packages came and contained so much "stuff", that they were just dumped on the ground, people took what they needed and the rest was dumped...no room to store it or pack it around with them. I have a feeling while that unit had so much stuff, another was bare bones, so working with a group like Adopt A Sailor (which has grown way past just adoptin sailors!) is good, Molly gets the info, shares it, helps people across the country organize packing parties, etc...it's a huge volunteer network.