Corpsman Moms

Mike's mom, not really your fault. I forgot to type the word "graduation". I volunteered 30+ hrs. over the weekend. 12 hr. shifts Fri and Sat. My brain was so foggy I am surprised I did as well as I did! ;-)

Thanks again for your reply. Much appreciated.

Haha! Combination of my favorite subject and being fatigued and keeping myself up. Probably getting excited to finally getting to see him again. One short weekend in 6 months is a bit less than I am used to. Glad to meet you, Mom in the O.C. Anytime. We are all in this together. We have a close friend deployed somewhere right now making me think.

Graduation started at 2pm for my son. Only lasted an hour, small and intimate setting. Lots of time to socialize with Sailor and others. Some of us moms met the night before and had a bbq and then the day of we met at Anderson Hall early to do pictures. If they get to come home for leave they will have to go through the check out process first before they can leave, this can take awhile. We only had my son for a few hours as he had to muster at 6am the next morning and then move his things to the other dorm.

Congratulations to you son louielou! 

I am kind of embarrassed to announce this bit of news but I heard from my Sailor today. He was rather excited. Apparently his group is having to wait for FMTB W until sometime in October. Fortunately for him he has been assigned to CP Hospital until then which gives him 3 months to get back into shape and he will have the ocean right there for open water swims. His message cracked me up for its happiness:   "OMG! I love you Jesus! Thank you God for giving me the perfect opportunity to accomplish my dream. It's all up to me now to prove my worth. Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital here I come!"

Mom in the OC, I posted on your comment in the other group. But Corpsman Killer is their biggest test, not their last, but it is the most stressful one.

Thank you Pam, he graduated on the 3rd of this month. He has been in holding at SA waiting for his orders to become "official" and a leave date, which has finally happened and he will get to leave next week. yay! He is going FMTB-W.

Boobo, does your son know why he has to wait until October to start? Mine is starting with the July 28th class.

My grandson is also starting July 28.  He has been in for two years and is now going FMTB-W.  My son in still in Surgical Tech school.  He just graduated A school on the 17th. 

Taylormom, my heart is with you with two Corpmen so close to your own heart. Two in at one time can be overwhelming....

This is what your corpsmen will be doing...  

Thanks 2tymeNavyMom.

Louielou, no he doesn't (although I have my suspicions). But he doesn't graduate officially until the 9th. He is only supposed to see if he can get his liberty beforehand. Just FYI, he (and I, for that matter) feel this 3 months waiting is perfect 'timing' as he hasn't been able to workout much and is looking forward to coming into FMTB in top shape. He also wants to maintain throughout FMTB because he wants to take the Spec Ops test in the last week.

Kathy, thanks so much. He is not only forward to that but also having the ocean right there for open water swims and also, hopefully, a little scuba diving since late summer and the fall is the best time of year for that.

My son loved FMTB school...and working in the hospital for the several months beforehand.  He was happier doing that than anything since...he finished a year ago.  

TexasDocmom, sometimes it is hard and a lot of worry, but so far they both have been safe and here State Side, so that helps.   My grandson will be attached to Marines, so that does cause more worry.  Where are you in Texas? 

I live in Austin, Taylormom. 

My son was a greenside Corpsman for over 5 years. Yes, it causes a lot of worry! If he deploys, make sure you find our group for those with kids in Iraq/Afghanistan. The link is in the list above the discussion box. Please invite your grandson's parents to join us as well. It's a great group of folks, and it's a blessing to know that you are not alone when you have a loved one in a war zone. 

Thanks, I will do that.  We are in San Antonio, right now.  So not far from you.. 

Is your son still in?

No, thank goodness! He was in almost 7 years, did the last 18 months in San Antonio, at Camp Bullis as an instructor in combat medical techniques. He fell in love, bought a home in NW SA, started school at night at UTSA, and now will finish up there next May and come to Austin to grad school at UT. No longer with that wonderful girl who I will be forever indebted to for making him say those words "I don't want to deploy again." . He's working hard at school, a little lonely I think and missing home even if it's only 80 miles away. He's been living away from Austin for 9 years. 

Been checking out Amtrak or the bus for coming to SA to visit, I hate I-35!! Maybe we can meet for lunch sometime. And, I want to go see the Alamo again, it's been years! I'd also like to see Anderson Hall on base, it's named after a buddy of my son. Don't know if that's possible...

Try the Megabus, it is very reasonable and runs daily I believe.  Very nice.  My other son went home on it from SA this past week.  I know it made a stop in Austin.  We will be here till the end of July, but are going back home for the 4th, then be back. Keep in touch and let me know if you get down here.  It is easy to get on base.    Well that's good it is close to home now. 

Sony Pictures has announced that they are offering Active Military and Veterans two free passes to Roland Emmerich 's presidential thriller White House Down  on the 4th of July.
Tickets can be obtained at select Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, or Carmike Cinemas theaters by showing proper military identification.  Seating is being made available on a first-come, first-served basis at each participating location.

docs mom....God Bless you! and love that son of yours! Yes it is good that it is winding down...maybe someday we won't need this group any longer? Prayers for your son and your sanity....

HawaiiNavyMom, the Navy changes continuously but when my son graduated from Corpsman school in Chicago four years ago, he had to pay the difference in the cost of the ticket to come home first before going to his first base. 

docs mom - praying your son has a safe deployment and a fast one!  So glad it will be the last one there.  My son is currently out with his marine's and will deploy sometime this year.  This will be "our" first deployment since he joined the Navy in 2010 (he spent first two years in Italy) but I believe he will be far far away from the sandbox and for that I am thankful.  God bless all those that have served there. 

God bless Doc's Mom. He is definitely in my prayers as well as you.

I have a question. Does anyone know what time graduation is tomorrow? We have gotten conflicting information. And please don't advise talking to my 'favorite' sailor. Ugh!!!!  ;-)

I checked the FB METC page...info here: https://www.facebook.com/METC.mil/posts/547227915312570

Thank you so much. I don't know how you gals can find this stuff so quickly when I can never seem to find it no matter how long I search. I looked there and never saw that particular page. jeeze!!!

TexasDocMom, I owe you big time. Let me know when I can pay up!  :-)

Is  anyone here knows the discharge procedure if the HCR get in trouble? do they have appeal process?

Alex's Mom - they'll never understand how much we worry until they children of their own.  My advice is call the recruiter - they keep up with them.  Corps school is in San Antonio so not quite sure why he is in San Diego. 

So true Tamme.

Thank you all.....I know he will come around and I have to give it time, just a very hard thing to do.  He also left saying he would never come back home and how much he hated his childhood (harsh words) especially knowing I tried my best.  I was hoping he would call me after bootcamp but I guess he needs to punish me a bit longer, lol.  I have to make light out of it otherwise, I cry.  It would help to know where he is exactly. 

They say very hurtful things at that age. He'll come around. They all do from what people tell me.

My son never left on bad terms with me or his dad, but he sure did learn to appreciate his parents in the Navy. After deploying to Iraq, he told me he and his buddies talked a lot about what their moms did for them, and how much they appreciated us. Their COs, both Marine and Navy, put a big emphasis on mom. To this day, he never ends a conversation without telling me "I love you, mom"...so I'm thankful...he'll come around, Alex's mom, they all do!

Neither on of my kids left on bad terms either but my daughter sure did change (son is in BC right now).  I think we all go through that though.  We think are parents are crazy and don't know what they are talking about then we come around.

It is kinda weird that he just graduated BC and is not in school.  I have not heard of leave between BC and school.  Sorry to be a Debbie Downer.

Alex's Mom, I posted a response to you in the A school group.  

Mom in the OC - my son has said that my being strict was what made adjusting to Navy life a piece of cake!  :)

I'm glad it worked for you, docs mom, but my son told me to NEVER call his CO! ever! Altho, your son deserved to be jerked up about just the rudeness of not calling his parents...

To all MOM's in this thread, I have a big smile on my face because for the longest time I thought I was the only one with these issues. These young men of ours are sooooooooooo head strong. I am definitely seeing a pattern!

Of course, I may be the only one on here with a son that got kicked out of kindergarten because of fighting. He had a 'gang' of him and four other boys that would terrorize the primary grade boys. When they stopped him from doing that, he just had several other boys 'come after him all at once' so he wrestle them all at the same time.

Surprisingly, he was asked 'not to return' next year because he it wasn't actually the school he should be attending.

I also want to commend TexasDocMom, Marcy and others for all the great advice and support I saw coming from ya'll today. Unbelievably wonderful.

Hello Corpsman Moms.  My daughter has been in the Navy just over a year now and is a corpsman stationed with the Marines at Camp Pendleton and is getting ready for her 1st deployment in the next month or so.  She came home for her little sister's high school graduation in May and said..."oh by the way"...She has loved every step of her journey so far and going green side is what she always wanted to do.  I am so proud of how hard she has worked to get to where she is and what she does.  And I'm trying my hardest to not be freaked out about where she might be going and the things she may be doing. 

Cathy, find us at Group for moms with deployed kids We've got a group of moms who are experienced and understand your fear. You are not alone.

Cathy, bless your daughter for her service and courage.We are all proud of her and each one of the Navy Corpsman.

You gals are the BEST:)  Your kinds words make me tear up and help tremendously.  Thank you.  I have to know in my heart he will come around.  I am going to stay on here and get to know you all:)  I just will not be able to share my son's journey with you just yet.

Alex's Mom, not to get too psycho-babbly but you hit the nail pretty much on the head. Once we 'internalize' the feeling it becomes okay. It becomes a part of us. I remember before I had primary custody of my son, I used to dread taking him back Sunday nights. And then, one night I just 'got it' what my friend had been telling me for sometime. I knew deep down in my gut that the reason I was feeling bad/sad was that my son and I loved each other deeply. And that was a good thing...so feeling bad was actually a good thing! When that happened I immediately felt 'much better'. Funny how it is so much in our heads. Rejoice knowing that your feelings are proof of the love between you and also that you are truly alive. Focus on that and it should help.

God bless,

I have had a message from Kirsi, a Navy mom with two Corpsman. She is dealing with heartbreak that none of us ever want to know:

" Our youngest is Danny, 19, also a Navy Corpsman. Tuesday morning a chaplain showed up at our door to tell us Danny had died in his sleep. The autopsy done the next day was inconclusive. They'll run toxicology and blood cultures, but those take 6-8 weeks. He had just completed FMTB at Camp Pendleton on June 28 and had just started on Monday (7/8) at Bremerton Navy Hospital."

Her next message to me:

"Right now I just find it very difficult to go on the Navy mom board. Facebook has been hard enough, but it's also been a source of much support. We're having a service for Danny tomorrow and it sounds like it's going to be standing room only. He'll be buried at Willamette National Cemetery (Portland OR) on Monday. We'll have military honors at the service on Sunday and a quiet, smaller gathering on Monday. It's going to be a rough couple of days. (As if the past few days haven't been)"
I asked her if she wanted me to share this with all of you and she said, yes, because it would be easier for her to come back to the board if she didn't have to share this herself. And we want her back on this board, she will need all the support and love, prayers that we can send her as she moves forward.

Oh Karen, my heart is aching for them...Danny and his family are in our hearts and prayers, and if you could find out if there is a place to make a donation in Danny's name, please let us know.  

She said Wounded Warriors, suggested by her older Corpsman son. I'm getting the information. 

Thank you -

RE: Kirsi's son, Danny

I am so incredibly stunned. Memory Eternal. This is a nightmare that all parents share and I am so saddened for their family.

God bless.

familything, please let your son know that we are all sharing his grief, and that he is not alone in that pain. Blessings to all who served with HA Daniel Malone.