Corpsman Moms

Green side Corpsmen serve with the Marines as their medics after FMTB, earning their FMF qualification (see links above). Blue side Corpsmen serve with the Navy, in clinics, hospitals and on ships. I guess I just now figured out that the men I always thought were doctors when I was a little girl were corpsmen like my son!

Not all corpsmen who take FMTB immediately go green side. Inga's daughter, who was an instructor at Great Lakes in the corpsman school, took FMTB right out of her corpsman school and is just now going greenside. She'll be deployed early next year with her Marine battalion. She is not assigned to an infantry unit so will most likely not be out and about. There are groups of women Marines and corpsmen who work with the Afghani women and children.

Morning

New to this site. My daughter is in THU at RTC but should be heading to A school in a few weeks. Glad I found a site that is more active. I'm sure there's going be lots of questions once she finally gets there.

HJPrescott...welcome! be sure to check the links above to the groups about A school, etc...lots of information there, and you might find others with kids in your daughter's same class, etc...but we are always here!!

Britt,

Right now A school is 12 weeks.  The extra two weeks are for clinicals, but they still haven't sorted out clinicals in San Antonio.  However, they usually have to wait 2-3 weeks after arriving in San Antonio to start classes.

Around 5-6 weeks into A school they "pick orders."  Highest grades get first choice.  Choices are whatever C schools are available, FMTB, and various bases, mostly in the US.  

Not everyone does FMTB--only a very small number of girls are allowed this selection and there are a limited number of openings even for the guys.  

So nice to read "not everyone does FMTB"...when my son enlisted, EVERYONE did FMTB, and that was the case for years...Inga's daughter did FMTB back right after A School, then taught at A School for several years, now is deploying with a Marine unit in the new year.  My son was pulled from clinicals with 14 others to complete a  FMTB class, that's how fast they were running corpsmen through them . It would be truly wonderful if less corpsman were being trained to serve in combat, wouldn't it?

Please remember to check above the discussion area for links to many of the topics with frequent questions. N4M also has groups here for Corpsman A School information and the different FMTB locations. Also a great link to METC that will answer many of your questions about San Antonio and the school and logisitics there. Also read the information on IA, many corpsmen are being pulled to serve with other branches of the military in different areas of the world.

Our military is very well trained, as well as the civilian medical and first responders across the country/world. Our kids are professionals now, led by other professionals...and it's such a wake up call to hear that "professional military voice" as it comes out of my son sometimes....

I am so glad I found this group.  I am having such a hard time with my son's deployment.  I find myself bawling every now and then and no one to talk to as most of my friends and family are civilian and have no idea what it is like.  He just deployed 3 weeks ago to a VERY volatile area with only a handful of Marines.  He's at a fairly safe place now with com every day, but getting ready to head out to a combat outpost.  I have good days and bad days.  Just wanted to share my feelings as I am sure you mom s, wives and GFs know what I am going through.  It is so scary.  I would love to hear from any of you about getting through the deployment.

BTW, my husband and I met as Navy Corpsman back in 1984 at Bethesda Naval Hospital.  We are now back in the VA area where we were married 25 yrs ago and he is working as an AF Colonel at the new Walter Reed.  I'm so proud of my son, but so worried about him.  Does anyone know if there is any Corpsman mom group in the DC area that meet?

DJones...find us at Group for moms with kids in Afghan/Iraq link  There are moms there fighting the same battles you are with kids deployed in Afghanistan. We know how frightened you are, we know the sleepless nights, the Walmart meltdowns, the knot in your stomach as days pass and you don't get that call/email ...something to let you know that he's okay today. You are not alone. And some one is always home in our group.

Remember, you are not alone....we'll talk, cry, laugh, scream and pray you through it the way other moms have done for us.

DJones - definately join the group TDM suggested.  I go over there and follow a couple of the Mom's that have kids that went through FMTB with my son.  I know I will be there eventually.  My son is stationed in Italy right now until next year sometime, but after that who knows? 

When I mentioned earlier in my post about my son being occupied on weekends and not as homesick, it's not always going to the bar.  He has seen and done some much in Italy and travels every chance he gets.  He has even taken leave for a couple days and gone to Paris.  Keeping busy helps and he, like my husband and I, never stay put for very long!!  Traveling is in our blood!! 

Pam-Corpsman mom.....My son is going on his 5th yr. and coming up on the end of his career.  Both my kids are military brats and lived 14 yrs. in Europe so they are very well travelled and cultured.  My husband and I are in our 30th yr. with the military and coming up on retirement in 2.5 yrs.  We are certainly very proud of our son choosing Corps school as his Navy path.  I was at the commissary yesterday with my husband and a very young soldier came through the door with no arm and no leg.  Needless to say, I went outside and cried.  So hard to see.  They are so young. I really wanted to volunteer with the wounded warrior program at the new Walter Reed, but don't think I'd do very well.  I broke down each time I went into the hospital.  I think the USO will be a good choice right now.

DJones...I'm crying just reading your post!  I know my day will come soon enough when I have that knot in my stomach but until then I pray for all the rest of you that you find peace knowing that your sailors are doing what they were meant to do and trained by the best. Mine is in FMTB in CL right now.  Haven't seen him since July and I miss him more each day.

DJones - You and your family have given so much for your country!  My husband spent four years active duty in the Army, but was out by the time my son Jamie was four months old.  Jamie always wanted to join the military, but I always talked him out of it.  After finishing up his Freshman year at college, he called me and said he was joining the Navy and since he was nineteen, there was nothing I could do.  He loves being a Corpsman and I love how the military keeps him grounded.  It has been such a good fit for him as I'm sure it has for your son.  I'm glad that he chose not to go green right away so that he could experience Europe.  What a great experience for your kids!!

We have had a couple of our boys in our town lose their life in the sandbox and it just breaks your heart.  It's hard to keep your head up and stay strong sometimes.  Give us a shout though whenever the urge to shout hits.  There's always someone here that will let you have a cyber shoulder to cry on....

Thank you Pam...I may need a Cyber shout or cry.  My son's girlfriend has never experience this before so I told her to check out this website.  It may help her.  She is having a hard time also.  My son needed this.  He was not ready for college and this gives him stability and the discipline he needed.  

Hi Pam...my sailor is in Italy right now, too.  Is yours on the mainland?  Mine is in Sicily.

In my previous position, my window was right next to the Army/Marine recuiting office.  After the time my son knew he was joining the Navy until he left for BC was 18 months.  So for 18 months I got to watch wifes, husbands, parents, grandparents, and siblings tell their loved ones goodbye, knowing I would be doing the same thing.  I cried a lot, but the people I worked with knew why, and were very understanding.

mombyheart - My son is currently stationed in Naples.  He says Naples itself is a dirty little place, but the rest of the countryside is beautiful!  He has posted so many pictures on his Facebook of all the places he has seen so far. 

karenmjm - we had a 12 month wait and it went by so fast.  He really took care of the whole process himself and it was at that point that I had to learn to back off and let him make his grown up decisions.  So not easy!!

Tomorrow my Husband and I are driving with our son to his "first" duty station. It is finally starting to hit him that he is leaving home for good. (Duh!!) Lots of mixed emotions as I can remember when I left for Portmouth, Va with my Mom and twin sister. It hit me when I watched them leave for home and I had to go and check in. I know my son is going to have so much fun, learn alot of stuff and make wonderful lifelong friends. Still saying goodbye is not going to be easy. Thank goodness we have instant communication with our Sailors.

UFQ202...I remember that day so well.  When I joined the Navy in 1984, saying goodbye to my dad was so hard.  He actually cried that day.  I got a phone call at the MEPS station and one when I got to boot camp.  Then the day came to say goodbye to my son who joined the Navy.  I cried weeks before and weeks after.  I didn't hear from him for 3 weeks into boot camp and was afraid he jumped ship on his way there.  Saying goodbye is NEVER easy.  He is now in Afghanistan and saying goodbye after his predeploment leave was even harder.  We get through it though don't we.  Military families are so special.

UFQ202 - (((HUGS))) to you...  My husband won't even take our son to the airport anymore because he can't take saying goodbye.  So that leaves me being the strong one all the time.  Lucky me, huh?  I just wait until he's out of my sight then I bawl like a baby!  And slowly, over time, my son has asked me to send all of his belongings (not much) to him in Italy so I think for him it was a gradual realization that he was out on his own.  Gosh it's hard and even more so when our children are in harm's way. 

Vipergirl - Found this link while I was searching to see if a group was set up for preventative med tech.  Maybe it will help.

http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/nshs-sd/Pages/PreventiveMe...

Thanks for the Hugs and support. This has been alot harder than taking him to MEPS for bootcamp. Always have said it was easier being the Sailor than the Mom at home.

Hello Everyone, My husband got to San Antonio for A school on 10/15th. It's been frustrating because classes have not started yet for him. There's a rumor they may start in a week or so, but of course that's only a rumor. We have an almost 3 yr old daughter and we figured it would be hard enough being apart for 14 weeks (on top of the time he spent in boot camp), but now it's at least an extra 4 weeks. I don't know if anyone can answer my question, but I'm curious whether the navy would move us out to him if the combined total of time away is over 6 months. I know that under normal circumstances the navy will move the family if the sailor is to be gone at least 6 months and 1 day. And who would we contact about getting accompanied orders?