Corpsman Moms

Navymassmomship.  He is a psychologist?  Or, he is a psych tech? 

As they say in the South, don't borrow trouble.  Wait until you know if there is something to worry about.  Don't drive yourself crazy.  I think all of us have done that but it doesn't help you or your son. 

He should be getting information soon on where he goes next.  When you know that, let us know and we can give you more guidance.

Sweet dreams. 

Key West!  Would love my son to be stationed there since it is such a great place to visit.  Only concern I would have is when a hurricane approaches and they would be evacuated if it was a serious one.  So envious!

I don't currently know anyone stationed at Naval Hospital Pensacola other than my granddaughter's pediatrician (whose little sister was one of my Girl Scouts many years ago - such a small world).  My son joined the Navy to get away from Pensacola and his first assignment was Pensacola.  It wasn't a bad assignment despite wanting to not be here.  He worked in immunizations.  It has been quite a few years since he was there but I still frequent it with my granddaughter (who has been with us while he was deployed) and it isn't a bad assignment.  Small hospital a few miles away from NAS Pensacola.  The only bad experience I have had there is waiting for prescriptions but every military hospital seems to be horrible in the pharmacy department. 

If I can answer any questions about Pensacola, ask away.  

Anyone have a connection at the 29 Palms base?  My corpsman is there and is looking for a good church to attend.  I told him I would use my Navy moms connections and see if I can help him find something :)

Proud to be a NAVY CORPSMAN mom!  

Me, too, Marcy!  Love my corpsman :)

He would be looking for a Baptist type church with a contemporary service. Doesn't have to be Baptist, but that type if you know what I mean. Thank you!

Tell him to check with the Chaplain.

Hi all,  My son has just graduated from A School at Fort Sam Houston and is next on to Dive School - hoping to end up as a Dive Med Tech.  Quite the road.  Thought I would seek out this group as well as if there is a Dive group. Kathy

KathyShip12Div072 -  can you let me know where you stayed for graduation.  Trying to find a descent hotel for upcoming graduation.  Thanks

HI Nick's Mom from RI - We actually stayed with my brother in Austin and drove in to San Antonio from there so unfortunately I am not a good one to ask.    It was alot of fun to see though.  

Just released!  Cycle 219 (March 2013) Active Duty advancement list.  Congratulations to those who advanced!   HM Advancement List E-4 - E-6

Congratulations on your son setting his sights high!  

Field Medical Training Battalion/FMST/8404 training is not a C school, it's an eight week program that most corpsmen go through comprising advanced field medicine, weapons familiarization, physical training and Marine Corps organization and procedures.

 To submit a package for acceptance for IDC school, I believe one must have a minimum six years of service with four years in rating and E-5 with at least two years in grade, along with a host of prerequisites, top evals and experience.

Yes, your son is just starting a long haul! 

There are links above about FMTB ((training) and FMF (qualification). FMF is earned while serving with a Marine unit, in the last 10 years, it's usually in a combat zone. And Marcy is right, IDC applicants have to have six years in, they offered it to my son before he decided to leave the Navy, he was in almost 7 years. FMTB used to be automatic for every corpsman to take, especially at the height of the Iraq and Afghan wars, but I don't know if that's still the case. Didn't mean that they would automatically be assigned to a Marine battalion, but they would be ready if they were needed. 

And as a Navy brat and Navy mom, I can tell you, the best laid plans can be turned upside down by Ma Navy. She makes the final call! 

Not having 8404 can limit the choices of duty stations later on down the road.

hello all...i am trying to get a feel for how many of you have a female recruit going to BC in the next few months as a Corpman? 

Welcome paigesmom!  Please come join this group too - http://www.navyformoms.com/group/hmhospitalcorpsmanaschoolinsanantonio - always a mix of boot camp and current A school folks there :)  And lots of good information at the links provided there for you too.

can anybody give me idea about what paygrade (E-?) they are when they come out of BC

I've been lurking n the dark for awhile but have a question. My son is about halfway from graduating METC. A little over. My question is that his grades are trending up. Especially since he stopped SPC OPS class. Is this typical? I have a technical degree (Engineering) and I have found that grades tend to degrade through a class. So this sounds weird to me. Have you other 'moms' found this to be true...grades/scores going up as the class goes forward? Thx in advance.

Paigesmom:

There were many. And they make sure they aren't 'alone'. From what I saw at PIR, the gals were having a great time together.

My son was at boot with an all male Division and wished they had a few women. And this from a sailor who went to, and liked all boys HS and is going towards all male training. He felt it would have helped morale...and cleanliness!

Don't know what you mean by SPC OPS class.  In any case, he may have joined a study group, figured out the best way to study, and is becoming more familiar with the material and the way it's presented, so it seems logical to me that his grades would improve.  What does he say?

The training, the pace and the focus of it, is different than college classes. They also seem to have a real knack (all those years of experience) for motivating and moving these soon to be corpsmen forward. My son did not apply himself in high school, or that much in college before he enlisted, and did very well in every training class, ended up being an instructor himself after 5.5 years greenside with the Marines. I asked him once if he was learning and studying and he said 'Mom, I'm not going to tell a bleeding Marine I didn't read that page. Don't worry". So...I never told him I still worried. 

Special Ops PT class. It was killing him because to the lack of sleep. They have to get up about 2 hrs. early but he was passing the tests...barely. It could be a "group" like you say. He seems to have made some "good" friends there. My son is the postcard child for tight lipped. Always has been. Until he signed his papers for the delay entry program, nobody had seen him smile much. Now, all the time. But he doesn't ever talk about about training. he just wants to talk about life outside right now.

Have to say I was a little amused by a parent's concern about grades going UP, not down!  

Paigesmom, re rate - varies per individual and how they entered service, and is a question your daughter's recruiter can answer.  

Thanks TexasDocMom. I love the story. Sounds like my son could have said that exactly! Except for college. He just didn't want to go. Passed on athletic scholarships. I hope he has the same experience as your son. I tend to think it is a combination of no more special training (extra time to sleep and study), good friends to help study, and just applying himself. Thanks.

Marcy ~Corpsman Mom, I agree. New to me too! :-)

Just want to add...since leaving the Navy a little over a year ago, my son is almost finished with his degree from UTSA (in San Antonio), and will be coming home to Austin to go to grad school here next year at the University of Texas. And he regrets not working harder on his grades his first round of college. The Navy gave him a lot of focus and built his work ethic...on that level, I'm so pleased. The time spent in sleepless nights during deployments are still pretty real to me, but thankful they are over. He has a 50% disability between his hearing and a knee problem, but he looks great, has a big smile, and is looking forward to his life.Now...if he and that wonderful young woman we all fell in love with would get back together...shh, don't tell him I said that!

TexasDocMom he'll be in my prayers. bad knee and some hearing loss, while not to minimize that, is acceptable to me from the other possibles out there. Thanks for his service and to yours. I'm afraid that I will be there in a bit with sleepless nights, too. After all, a dinner at Matt's El Rancho will put most things right!

Are you from Austin, Bobbo? We're all mourning the loss of Mrs Martinez, she passed away this last weekend. Matt's El Rancho is wonderful, but we've got our local Cafe Garcia that we love! My son always laughs when he reads some of the N4M stuff about moms worrying that their kids are going hungry...right off the base in San Antonio  are dozens of amazing Mexican cafes...good and cheap food! I totally agree, compared to what others have lost, a little hearing and a bum knee is something we can totally live with...

TexasDocMom, I went to UT there in Austin for a couple of years before transferring back to my beloeved So. Cal. and become Trojans. I love Matt's. Took my son there in 2005 when we drove the circular route of Hou-CollStn-Austin-SanAnt-Hou. I loved it Austin except for the school. Bad time to go there in my major. So many good restaurants. Thinking of moving back, actually. My family settled central Texas. My favorite place back then was a little place on East, east, east 6th Street (way east of I-35) called Taco Village. They had one of those ole washing machine wringers and made homemade tortillas in front of you. I still remember just eating one after another. So good. Mouth is watering even now.

That's why Cafe Garcia is our favorite...homemade tortillas, made right in front of you. I'm working a couple of genealogy lines of pioneer central Texas families. Too bad they aren't mine, but still...a lot of interesting stuff. And great food...San Antonio has good Mexican food as well.

Yes, San Antonio has it all. Nice city. Just a bit hot in the summer. Heck, maybe I just go all in and move to Lukenbach.

Mom of IDC here.  In just the past year, requirements have changed for IDC school.  At present, you need to be an E5 but not required to be in six years.  There is a guy getting ready to graduate with only four years in.

School is one year long.  Individual test passing standards have recently been lowered but still must have an overall 80% to pass school.    Curriculum has changed somewhat and may be a little easier.  You must have 91 average to be promoted from E5 to E6 at end of school with six years time in Navy.  My son didn't have 6 years in but time was waived.  He was "frocked" (wear the rank but don't get the pay) E6 for the few months until he met six years requirement.    

This school requires maturity and independent study skills.  My son was lucky that his former wife was in the class ahead of him.  She was an excellent student (first in her class) and gave him a kick in the butt when he needed it.  Independent study is not one of his strong points.  There are study groups and it is HIGHLY recommended that student takes advantage of them. 

Think you end up with 45 college equivalent credits at end of school.  Not all credits will apply to required nursing or PA courses (many would be considered electives) but there are some schools that have developed programs toward some kind of med admin BA degree.

My son did not complete FMTB until after IDC school. 

Being an IDC can be very rewarding.  He has just returned from first deployment as an IDC and it was a very interesting experience from what he has been allowed to tell us, which isn't much.  I think one of his favorite parts of being an IDC is teaching young corpsmen procedures that they did not have time to learn or refine in A school. 

It is a lot of fun to hear him and his sister (a NICU nurse) talk in "medicalese" when they are together.  I literally would trust him with my life in a medical emergency or just to remove a splinter!        

Docsmom, wow, thank you for that!  What was your son doing in the years leading up to IDC school?  And I wonder the same for the person with four years in.

Mom in The O.C. you got mail. Wondering if our boys know each other?

Mom in the OC, confusing me with MOS.  Are you speaking "Army MOS" which is same as Navy NEC? 

When my son went to IDC school, candidates needed to have 6 years in service but he had time requirement waived since he would be six years shortly after graduation.  I guess, theoretically, a sailor could go from A school to IDC "C" school if they had already attained E5 rank. Son just told me that some people can come out of boot camp as E5 if they had particular certifications pre Navy.

OC Mom - didn't answer your whole question.  After A school, son was stationed in Pensacola at Navy Hospital.  Would have been OK if he hadn't joined to Navy to get away from Pensacola!  Did six month deployment to care for the detainees in Cuba.  PCSd to Norfolk where he worked at Portsmouth Hospital until he was transferred to a clinic in Yorktown.  From there, went to IDC school, then FMTB at Camp Pendleton, assigned to a clinic there, deployed for ten months, returned to Camp P to a different clinic.  

Mom in the OC, the Navy makes the call on each and every station and assignment a sailor gets. There are guidelines, including grades, attitude, ability, work ethic, recommendations from his CO's...all that stuff. No one here can give you absolute answers about what your son's path will be. Ask him, he'll know more than anyone else. 

I will caution the new folks here to one thing. It's great to meet someone whose child is serving with yours...but be careful. Just because you make friends with someone does not mean that your kids will be buddies as well. And make sure when your sailor tells you something in confidence that you do not share it with others. He's talking to Mom or Dad, not to all of us on N4M. Sharing too many stories from the same unit can get very complicated  very quickly. Ultimately, you are your son/daughter's parent, and that's your main focus. 

No one has broken any rules....This warning is something I post every so often when there are new folks in the group. I also post it in other groups I admin. Sometimes new moms and dads get a little overwhelmed with all the info they are just learning about and either share too much, or with the wrong folks, or perhaps just something that their sailor would prefer to remain private. 

Amazing how many times "NEVER!" becomes "YES!", isn't it?

Good Morning Moms,

• Just joining the group today. My son goes to BC in late fall and then to A school. He is so looking forward to HM and a true goal of FMF. His job change came through in May, was to be AD, but I just realized I had not joined the group yet. Just saying HI!
• D

CorpsMomM, here you go :)  NMCP Frocking Ceremony 6/10/13.  And here's the phone directory for NMCP.

Welcome DeHar!  Be sure to join the A school group - HM Hospital Corps School San Antonio

Welcome, DeHar.  Our son is headed home from the sand box for a two week R&R.  Can't wait to get my arms around him.  Please keep him in your prayers.

Tamme, start cooking! enjoy those days! Welcome to DeHar...check out the group that Marcy gave you the link to, and come on by anytime!

CorpMomM, let me know what you find out about photos of those ceremonies.