HM (Hospital Corps) "A" School in San Antonio

hi cdmom...that is good they have that opportunity to fly first class.

thanks for the confirmation.

Thanks ladies! I'm visiting my Sailor for Easter. So happy he got his orders and so happy to spend sometime with him on the Lord's holiday! Hope you all are doing fantastic!

Hello All,

My Husband just graduated Boot (12/100) on 3/30/12 and is getting settled into A School down in SA, TX.  I am looking forward to learning more about what he (and I) should expect during the next 4 months! 

Hi Red! Congrats on your hubby's grad from boot camp! San Antonio is a wonderful place and I hope you get to visit your hubby soon! Being able to talk to them is a nice change in pace though I do miss writing letters like when they were in bc. Anyhow welcome aboard! :D

Hey Red, if he isn't a reservist don't let the long wait time get you down. My husband was in a holding division for 7 weeks before he finally classed up. I agree with celina, being able to talk to them more is awesome! It will be a great journey, and there is a ton of support here! Welcome =)

Does anybody know how long the phases last, and at what phase they are allowed to have overnights off base? 

They can phase up to phase 2 about 2 weeks after they get there and then about 3 weeks later is phase 3 if they all behave. Phase 3 is when they are allowed overnights off base. 

Once they phase up they can also phase down.  If they have a bad inspection they will phase down.  My son got phased down because his hair was barely touching his ears.  It appears once classes start they quit playing games with them.  My son did not make Phase 3 until his classes started.

Celinamae - Thanks.  I am hoping to visit him in the next month or so...when he is able to overnight outside of Base.  I already told him, that he should still write me a letter now and again because I liked it so. 

Brandon's Girl - He is a Reservist - so he has 2 weeks before classes are suppose to start.  Thanks for reaching out.  I really wish I had known about this website BEFORE he went to Bootcamp.  But I'm certainly glad I found it now! 

Hey Ladies!  Brand new to this forum!  My husband graduated Great Lakes 01/27.  He's set to graduate with 080 on May 7th.  Anyone else have sons/daughers/husbands in his class?  I wanted to add about Phasing up or down.  It's not just with inspections, it's also with school.  If they fail any tests, they loose a Phase as well.  There are other things too, a girl was caught texting in class and the entire 080 class was dropped down a Phase.  If any of ya'll have questions, I'll be more than happy to answer (or try to).  He should be home on leave for a week then off to Camp Lejeune for FMTB.  Hopefully, I'll have my sailor home by July...fingers crossed!

I saw him for PIR in Great Lakes, I've to be San Antonio once, and he flew home 2/18-2/20.  Since it was a holiday weekend, they were given the opportunity to travel from Fort Sam Houston.  Don't know if that was for everyone, but at the time he was only Phase II so he had to fill out a special form that had to be signed by 4 or so people.  Anyway, he got it and was home the next day.  According to his orders, he'll be graduating A School on the 7th of May and will be due at Camp LeJeune on the 14th of May.  He's also a Reservist, I don't know if that makes any difference or not?  I'll be flying there for his graduation, which I'm told is a very nice and low-key ceremony.  As for what to expect after FMTB?  I haven't a clue, just that he's finished in July.  We're hoping he's able to take some leave, but honestly, who knows...

Time has stopped. My son graduates April 18th..(class 065 I think).As it gets closer..every day feels like a month! Then he is headed for Yorktown, VA....I hope to see him between assignments!...Waiting is hard!

Congratulations to proudascanbe with your son's upcoming graduation.  Mine graduates May 7th and I have my arrangements made to come for graduation.  We haven't seen him since January, so looking forward to him having time off before he goes to Japan.  I so understand how hard it is to wait.

Can anyone tell me--I know for graduation at Great Lakes we had to buy tickets.  Do you have to for graduation from A school in San Antonio?  My son graduates next week and I am late planning everything.  Thanks!!!

Just got home very early from visiting my son this weekend.  He is due to graduate May 7th and then should be home shortly after that (he is in the reserve.)  He really enjoys the base and the town was very neat.  Very enjoyable visit with him!

Hello, does anyone know if our sailors get liberty the day they graduate from A school even if it is on a week day?  I'm making plans to come for my son's graduation on May7th, but don't know what would be the best days to reserve a room Sunday or Monday, or Saturday and Sunday and leave Monday.  He has thirteen days leave accumulated.  But not sure if he leaves the very next day for home.  Don't want him to beat me there ;)  Thanks Dale. 

CDMom, my son just told me that he graduates on April 17th and will fly out on the 18th.   Can't wait to see him!

Congratulations txfutrebabydocmom on your son swearing in.  How proud to have two members of your family in the Navy.  Do you get to see him sworn in?   Our son joined the Navy, was sworn in and then came home and told us.  What a pleasant surprise.

Did anyone hear when the people who are supposed to graduate on June 6th get their orders? I'm getting so anxious to find out what they are...

Hi A school moms!  As the mom of a corpsman going on five years (amazing how time flies) I thought I'd drop in with some reminders of some great groups you should join, if you haven't already ~

Corpsman Moms & Dads - we're a super-active group, and the coffee pot is always on :)  Be sure and say Hi and introduce yourself!

Corpsman Moms another good group

Camp Lejeune Moms for Field Medical Training Battalion East, or stationed there

Camp Pendleton FMTB West, or stationed there

Thanks! :)

My son's orders posted and he is going to Japan.  He has thirteen days leave accumulated and graduates May 7th and has to be in Japan May 25th.  Trying to figure  out the cost of  rerouting his flight from San Antonio to Ohio and than back to California on to Japan.  Does the Navy count business days, or seven day weeks for leave time?  So proud of him, but wow! Japan is so far away. 

CDMom--wow, Japan...that's awesome.  I'm with you about being so far away.  My son just arrived in Naples, Italy today.  He had a rough time getting there.  He got to North Carolina fine from Pensacola, but then his plane to Germany was delayed 3 times due to maintenance...ended up having a 7 hour delay.  No problems though going from Germany to Naples except due to the delay didn't get to make his original flight and was worried about finding his bags when he got there.  Then this morning I get a phone call from NFCU fraud unit wanting him to verify some charges on his credit card.  I'm just hoping that this was due to him using it out of the US.  He did call today and I told him, but he had other things on his mind.  Don't have any way to contact him because don't think his cell phone works over there, but I did send him a message on facebook like he asked me to with the phone numbers, so hopefully he will get it straightened out.  I hope your son's arrival in Japan goes more smoothly and congratulations!

My son just started class today anyone else sailor start today?

Candy,  when did your son graduate bootcamp? My SR is going to Corpsman A school and Im just curious to know how long classes are put off (ie. how far behind ?are they). Was your son able to come home? if so, for how long? 

3/16/12 was graduation and he was only there 3 weeks he didnt get to come home some are being pushed back a few weeks but my son got lucky when does u r sailor graduate?

Hi Can dy,4/20/12. Im hoping mine does get the chance to come home...if he wants to. Not sure if he would want to use any of his time this soon but who knows. Can I friend req. you?

Well, my husband just arrived at SA this Saturday and is getting settled in. Says classes start 4/17. I know nothing about this part, as I've been on our PIR group. Can only handle so much at a time!

Anyhow, I am sure I will be full of obnoxious newbie questions- but I am wondering about the 'FMF' portion of my husbands rate. Are all hospital corpsman automatically FMF? He is also reservist, so I am sure our situation is a little different.

Oh- ALSO! Any advice for internet in the room? Their plan is totally ridiculous so I am wondering what others did....

Happy Graduation day!  To all those new Corpsman and their Moms!

For those of you that have experience with your loved ones in A-school, how does it work for corpsmen that are married. Unless they are an E4 or above that can not go overseas with dependents. So what happens if they are low ranking in their class, and there are only overseas spots open when it comes to choosing orders?

Thank you txfuturebabydocmom, that helps know how long he has home.  Do you know if we can reroute his plan ticket to Japan straight from San Antonio to Oh and than from OH to California rather than having to go back to San Antonio to California to Japan?  He has to pay the difference for rerouting and we are trying to figure that out.

Thank you Bellachella!

I have a question...While you are waiting to CLASS UP so you can start A School, do you still get to PHASE UP. Or do they only start phasing up after their class fills and starts? Thanks much!

You can phase up before you start class. My man got phase 3 before classes even started.

Thanks Bellachella,  Would it cost less to buy a round trip ticket to home and back to San Antonio rather than rerouting?  I'm thinking out loud here and a friend of mine who has a son in the Marines thinks it would be.

Thanks Bellachella... Sound like rerouting is the best way to go.

Thank You Celinamae :) That's great news! Can someone PLEASE tell me the names and editions of the HM textbooks? I would really love to have the ISBN # of them if at all possible. Being as it sounds like my son might be doing alot of WAITING to class up, I think I will try to find some used books so he can study with all that wait time. (I doubt they give them text books during the wait time. He really wants to go FMF, and I've read there may not be many spots. So HIGH grades will be a must! Thank You.

My son will be heading down to San Antonio after Graduation 4/20/12 so I am new in this group . What is Phase up? Is there a place I can go to read up on what to expect?I would also be interested in names of textbooks and someone mentioned flashcards. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Crazy Blonde, so if they dont go FMF than good grades is a must to advance?

My son just started class and he will graduate July 10th and he gets to come home for a few days Im so excited counting down the days!

Candy that is great. My sailor is suppose to start the 18th. When was his 1st day of class? I want to see when graduation might be for him. His he still liking it? TN is wanting to start class!! 

Thank you for Phase up, flashcard  info., I will do the same for my son at airport. Good idea.Thats great about your daughter and her roomate/family. Its funny how things work out like that.

1proudmom; Their assignments that they wish to end up with are based on the Navy's needs. A list comes out with the assignments available. (Dream List) They get to sign up for the available assignments in order of grades. So the highest grade Sailor gets to choose first, then the next highest, and on down the line. So in order to get FMF (if there is a slot available) it is very important he's up high on the list so he can choose it before someone else gets it.

I went back on this group over 40 pages back and read EVERYTHING from Jan 1st till today. I HIGHLY recommend doing that as it will teach you alot about what's in store.

Crazy Blonde,  I will do that.  Thank you .

gcnavymom, did you get her the Kaplan "Anatomy" cards or both Anatomy & Physiology?

I have seen alot of mention about buying a stethoscope, I thought the Navy provided everything, but keep seeing recommendations to buy this stethoscope : http://www.allheart.com/2144-47.html#i

Does the Navy NOT provide everything, or is this just a better one that they all seem to want for some reason? WHEN do they need to have this?

 What else do our Sailors have to buy?

I found the recommended Coloring Books and Flashcards here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1427796947/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?i...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805350861/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?i...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321036638/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?i...

I'm trying to find the Kaplan Physiology Flash Cards, but only find Netters.

Wow.  It's like sending them off to college!