Sailors becoming Hospital Corpsmen at A School in San Antonio, TX - best rating in the Navy! The Hospital Corps is the Navy's only enlisted Corps and the most decorated in the Navy. Families, friends and loved ones, join in!
I just found out what my son put down for his dream sheet (wow, did that drastically change) he put down Surgical Tech for specialty stationed in Japan with second pick being Italy!!!! He was talking about Search and Rescue...not sure what happened there! I hope he gets his dream sheet but who knows with the Navy! I was sad he didn't pick San Diego or Hawaii...but I guess I had better start saving for Japan or Italy just incase!
I know! I think they are being exposed to different avenues! Pretty exciting! So many choice, we'll see what they get. My sailor put Italy or Spain. First choice Rad Tech, was physical therapy. But, even siad she was considering going in undecided, get a feel for a bunch of things. Also, put C school request for the East Coast! We are from Minnesota, thought she would pick the WARMER coast!
ps I should have said him/her, I answering Kat72 while you were posting, Squid. East coast is great, so many chances for her to travel and if it's not north of Virginia, the weather and beaches are great :)
Regarding the number of guests at A school graduation...no limit when I was there in July 2012. Not a lot of people attend. My son downplayed it but I told him I hadn't missed a graduation of his since he started preschool so I wasn't going to start now! It is not on the scale of PIR (then nothing is) but I was sooo happy I went. Much more intimate, got to meet his instructors and friends. And...spend some time looking at the Memorial Wall. Very moving.
Thanks Marcy and Emily for your comments. Doesn't sound like it would make much difference one way or the other (Mac vs. Windows). I got on their site today and it looks like an awesome, state-of-the-art campus! I will probably give him my old 14" Toshiba since it sounds like they can use campus computers for most everything.
One other question ladies, my son told his wife recently that she and their 1 yr-old can come live in San Antonio with him, but that doesn't sound right to me. It looks like they get very limited off-base privileges until at least week three. Does A School provide housing for married couples/families? I don't think it would be good for him to live off-base, even if he can.
MOMom44- for A school the military will not pay for his family to move there. The school must be listed as 20 weeks or longer. They could move themselves there if they want, but I do not recommend it. He will be so busy with school, duty section, study hall and mandatory weekly cleaning that he won't see them often. And since the military won't allow the move they would not be eligible for on base housing. They could live off base, but he would not be allowed to have a car and would be required to live stay in the dorms every night. So he would get out of school at 5 pm (mon-fri), his wife would have to drive on base and pick him up and then he would have to be back by 10pm. And most off base housing near Fort Sam is not nice. So it would be at least a 15 minute drive to and from base twice a day. But those would only be the days that he didn't have duty or study hall. In my opinion. Not worth it!!
I moved to SA when my husband had a month left of A school. This was only because he was attending C school in San Antonio and I had been laid off recently so I didn't have a job. Even though his C school was longer than 20 weeks the Navy did not pay for my move there. Luckily we only spent around $1000.
Thanks so much Britt! Sounds alot more complicated than he thought. I will relay that information to my daughter-in-law, as she's been struggling with this decision. N4Ms has been such a blessing and I've gotten answers to everything I've posted! Thanks again.
I attended my daughters graduation Dec 16, and we got there a couple of hours before graduation which was at 1400. The graduation ceremony was in Anderson Hall, where there is a front section and a back section. Graduates took up nearly all of the front section. We sat on the first row of the back section. There really were not many family members, and just before graduation started, the rest of the seats were filled with other Sailors still in training. The ceremony lasted about an hour, and family members were allowed to move about to take pictures when their Sailor went to the front to get their certificates. As said before, much less of a big ceremony than PIR, but obviously very important! Our daughter had to leave with her class afterwards to take care of some business, but was free to go later on.
One tip I wish I'd had was directions to the gate on Walters Rd, which was the gate we needed to use to pick up our daughter when we got to San Antonio. She could not give us good directions because of course she had not driven herself anywhere, and I just could not figure out how to get directions without a specific address or business name. We actually just stumbled upon the exit off of I-35 as we were wandering around San Antonio talking to my daughter on the phone trying to figure out where the heck we were! Later I realized it was so simple - I clicked on her address in my contacts on my iPhone and my map app immediately brought up directions straight to the gate! I'm sure we made this way too hard (and I could have just logged onto N4M), but we had arrived in San Antonio around 11pm after a 16 hour drive, so I obviously was not thinking clearly! Just get all that figured out beforehand!
Morning Glory, can you tell me more? What happens after the sailor graduates? Do they have a few free days to spend with family before they take off again? Can they leave base overnight? How soon before they shipped out? I am just wondering how much time I can expect to spend with my sialor if I go down for graduation...
squid, Is your sailor staying there for C School or leaving? Do he/she get leave? All this will matter on whether or not you will have time after graduation to spend. My son graduated on a Monday, so we went the Friday before and had all weekend with him (overnight Fri and Sat), and then he had to be back by 9pm on Sunday. After the ceremony they have to go clean out their room, whether they are staying there or not, if they stay there they will have to move across to the other dorms, and get checked out. This took a few hours. They get a de-briefing as well. After that depending on their destination they are free to go. My son was being held for a week before shipping off to FMTB and so because he was moving into the dorms across the way, we only got him until 8 or 9pm that night. We took him and a few of his friends down to the riverwalk to eat.
I note of advice for those that may be leaving after, have them be prepared with packing, if anything is being shipped home have them send stuff beforehand. This also took up some time because we had to go over to the UPS place and send off some packages.
With that being said, my next advice is Be Careful as to what you send them because ALL of that has to leave with them. Also, make sure they are diligent about locking up any valuables because stuff gets stolen all the time from the rooms unfortunately.
My daughter is staying for C school, and she didn't have to move out of her dorm room. I can't provide any info about shipping out unfortunately. As with louielou, we came in on Friday night, picked her up on base that night and she stayed with us at our hotel Friday and Saturday nights. She had to be back on base by 9pm Sunday night, graduation was Monday and she had overnight liberty Monday night as well, but we had to drive home after graduation. I do not believe she had any other overnight liberty until the weekend. She had free time during the day but I don't know if she could have left base. We stayed on the Riverwalk which isn't very far from base. We had no issues getting on base; they will ask for ID for everyone in your vehicle so be prepared for that. We parked in the dorm parking lot for graduation, and even though we were 2 hours early, the parking lot was pretty full. We had a chance to meet some of her shipmates in the small break room in Anderson Hall; there's vending machines there if you want to get something to drink, but no food or drink is allowed in the auditorium. After the ceremony, we were able to meet some of her instructors and have some pictures taken with them and our daughter. There are 2 video screens on either side of the stage which are beneficial if you're sitting further in the back. Hope this info helps!
I'm sure he'll do fine - he's a corpsman! For all you moms of San Diego/Southwest region-based corpsmen, here's a good page to follow on Facebook: Navy Region Southwest Community Support Programs with news about activities and other offers.
Proudmama- I drove by myself from Los Angeles to San Antonio 3 times total. Two times I had my maltipoos in the car with me and one of the times I had a full trailer driving my husbands truck. I have also done that drive back and forth twice with my husband, our dogs and a baby. The drive actually isnt that bad. The 10 freeway is a major interstate so there are lots of truck stops, rest areas and places to eat. Tell him to watch out for cops when he gets on the 8 in Casa Grande, AZ. They like to patrol that section a lot.
And be mindful of the speed limit in El Paso. It drops and then goes back up and down within a blink of an eye. And the speeding tickets are double there because its a "safety corridor"
Ooh Britt, that is such good advice. I have driven RT Austin/Orange County 3 times when i was a student. And i have made the OC-PHX/TUC and back dozens of times. Watch your speed as you get close to the CA border. AZHP really looks to give tickets to Californian going home. Throughout the years I have noticed they are on the westbound side much much more than the eastbound side.
Where does the above graduation date list come from and how often is it updated? Says 050 is April 03 and my son said his instructor told him a different date...
Thank you Vanjr1, my son just finished the physcial part yesterday and does the fitness test/tryout this Friday! He is beyond nervous about the tryout.
What do you mean by on-track? Is there more than just those 2 pieces?
As a mom I have mixed emotions about this one, but because I want my son to do exactly what he wants, my finger and toes are crossed and of course I am praying he passes with flying colors! ;)
You guys are making me so sad! I've put lots of links to important info at the top of this page (under the photo of the ships!) including to "Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program on Facebook" right after the words GRADUATION SCHEDULES AND UPDATES so please don't forget about checking 'em all out! :) My source for graduation dates is an admin at METC, btw. You should keep an eye on that Facebook page for any changes (though she says the dates are rarely ever changed) and of course your corpsman-to-be should have the final info, I would think - it's his/her graduation after all! LOL
* sniff * sniff * thanks bobbo! :) Seriously I hope y'all click on the various links offered, i.e. about HM history, NECs and such, as well as grad info - there's a lot of good reading, so much to learn and SO MUCH to be proud of! :)
Sorry Marcy, I am a guy and those kinda look like instructions up there at the top of the page. You know where I'm going with this right?...lol ... We all appreciate your hard work. God Bless!
Me again, so does anyone know anything about Search and Rescue and what it involves. My son texted me this morning that he made search and rescue. I thought he was going for SARC but I think I was way off base. Any information would be great. Requirements? Training? you know all that good stuff!
Kat72 - how cool! Go to this link (it's also one of the links at the top) - Hospital Corpsman Navy Enlisted Classifications (NECs) and click on the first one: HM-8401 for a description. The training for SAR Medical Tech is at NOMI (Naval Operational Training Institute) in Pensacola FL; don't know how long though.
Ok. Just a quick question., can the graduation dates set. As above. My son date is mar 10. He texted me today it may be the. We have not booked our flights yet. Hopefully he will know this week.
The graduation dates rarely change as Marcy said. there is the rare occasion, like a missing class, that will cause a change or a forgotten holiday. It is very common for the Sailors to be given several different dates during A School, and only one of them will be right. Us moms knew the date before our boys did. Go with what is listed, if a change happens it unfortunately won't be confirmed until the last few weeks.
For anyone who lives within two hours of JBSA - Lackland in San Antonio, TX - want to foster a future Military Working Dog? 25 puppies need homes for seven months! https://www.facebook.com/DoDMWDBreedingProgram
My son just arrived at A-School in San Antonio on Saturday. Today during a briefing he was told that if he was deployed overseas, his family could not come live with him until he's an E-4. My dauther-in-law is pretty upset because this is the first she's heard about this rule. Can anyone shed some light on this please? Do they automatically become E-2 or E-3 by the time they graduate from A School?
My son graduated BC as an E3 and was told that it was very hard to rank up fast as a Corpsman. He was hoping to test for E4 but was told he couldn't be in school when he did that. I wish I could be of more help on the deployment answers. I hope one of these wonderful more experienced mom's will have the answers for you. Best of luck to you and your family.
MOMom44, I would go to a Navy recruiting office with a list of questions and get the information straight from them. Hopefully our members here (hey Britt!) will have info for you too. Welcome to the group, by the way!
MOMom44, Welcome to the group. My sailor graduated Late Nov 2013 from A-school as an E2 but he was a "fleet return", (which means he had a different job and switched to Corpsman so he was in a few months before he started A-school). He just got promoted to E3 this month and his 1 year anniversary for starting boot camp is Feb 12th so it was 11 months before he made E3. Not saying it will take the same amount of time but it is one example. Best wishes to you and your family. God Bless!
Hey Momom44! I will be on in a little bit to fully explain the answer to your question. I am out and about right now stocking up to be snowed in for a few days.
Momom44, this is coming straight from my START guide your son should have... "Enlisted personnel in pay grades E-3 and below with Dependents will not be assigned duty in an overseas area. This includes Hawaii, on afloat units overseas, and shore based facilities overseas."
Dependents cannot go on deployments either. Being stationed overseas is different than being deployed. To my knowledge, the Navy really tries to be accommodating when it comes to Sailors that have families to keep them together. With the exception of deployments. From what I have been told, most deployments only last 6-8 months, but can be longer.
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
Momom44, Mac Air 11" would be a great gift :)
Jan 13, 2014
Kat72
I just found out what my son put down for his dream sheet (wow, did that drastically change) he put down Surgical Tech for specialty stationed in Japan with second pick being Italy!!!! He was talking about Search and Rescue...not sure what happened there! I hope he gets his dream sheet but who knows with the Navy! I was sad he didn't pick San Diego or Hawaii...but I guess I had better start saving for Japan or Italy just incase!
Jan 13, 2014
squid
I know! I think they are being exposed to different avenues! Pretty exciting! So many choice, we'll see what they get. My sailor put Italy or Spain. First choice Rad Tech, was physical therapy. But, even siad she was considering going in undecided, get a feel for a bunch of things. Also, put C school request for the East Coast! We are from Minnesota, thought she would pick the WARMER coast!
Jan 13, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
Awesome picks, good for him! I'm sure he picked his locations based on what was being offered. Great opportunities for him AND his mom! :)
Jan 13, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
And I don't think there is a limit on the number of guests you can bring (assuming you aren't bringing a marching band or anything LOL)
Jan 13, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
ps I should have said him/her, I answering Kat72 while you were posting, Squid. East coast is great, so many chances for her to travel and if it's not north of Virginia, the weather and beaches are great :)
Jan 13, 2014
DramaSoul
Regarding the number of guests at A school graduation...no limit when I was there in July 2012. Not a lot of people attend. My son downplayed it but I told him I hadn't missed a graduation of his since he started preschool so I wasn't going to start now! It is not on the scale of PIR (then nothing is) but I was sooo happy I went. Much more intimate, got to meet his instructors and friends. And...spend some time looking at the Memorial Wall. Very moving.
Jan 13, 2014
MOMom44
Thanks Marcy and Emily for your comments. Doesn't sound like it would make much difference one way or the other (Mac vs. Windows). I got on their site today and it looks like an awesome, state-of-the-art campus! I will probably give him my old 14" Toshiba since it sounds like they can use campus computers for most everything.
Jan 13, 2014
MOMom44
One other question ladies, my son told his wife recently that she and their 1 yr-old can come live in San Antonio with him, but that doesn't sound right to me. It looks like they get very limited off-base privileges until at least week three. Does A School provide housing for married couples/families? I don't think it would be good for him to live off-base, even if he can.
Jan 13, 2014
Britt<3Corpsman Wife
I moved to SA when my husband had a month left of A school. This was only because he was attending C school in San Antonio and I had been laid off recently so I didn't have a job. Even though his C school was longer than 20 weeks the Navy did not pay for my move there. Luckily we only spent around $1000.
Jan 13, 2014
MOMom44
Thanks so much Britt! Sounds alot more complicated than he thought. I will relay that information to my daughter-in-law, as she's been struggling with this decision. N4Ms has been such a blessing and I've gotten answers to everything I've posted! Thanks again.
Jan 13, 2014
EmilyD
Jan 13, 2014
Coedy's Mama
according to the FB page A school graduation is at 1400 hours.
Has anyone here been to an a school graduation? What can we expect?
Jan 13, 2014
MorningGlory
One tip I wish I'd had was directions to the gate on Walters Rd, which was the gate we needed to use to pick up our daughter when we got to San Antonio. She could not give us good directions because of course she had not driven herself anywhere, and I just could not figure out how to get directions without a specific address or business name. We actually just stumbled upon the exit off of I-35 as we were wandering around San Antonio talking to my daughter on the phone trying to figure out where the heck we were! Later I realized it was so simple - I clicked on her address in my contacts on my iPhone and my map app immediately brought up directions straight to the gate! I'm sure we made this way too hard (and I could have just logged onto N4M), but we had arrived in San Antonio around 11pm after a 16 hour drive, so I obviously was not thinking clearly! Just get all that figured out beforehand!
Jan 13, 2014
squid
Morning Glory, can you tell me more? What happens after the sailor graduates? Do they have a few free days to spend with family before they take off again? Can they leave base overnight? How soon before they shipped out? I am just wondering how much time I can expect to spend with my sialor if I go down for graduation...
Jan 13, 2014
louielou
squid, Is your sailor staying there for C School or leaving? Do he/she get leave? All this will matter on whether or not you will have time after graduation to spend. My son graduated on a Monday, so we went the Friday before and had all weekend with him (overnight Fri and Sat), and then he had to be back by 9pm on Sunday. After the ceremony they have to go clean out their room, whether they are staying there or not, if they stay there they will have to move across to the other dorms, and get checked out. This took a few hours. They get a de-briefing as well. After that depending on their destination they are free to go. My son was being held for a week before shipping off to FMTB and so because he was moving into the dorms across the way, we only got him until 8 or 9pm that night. We took him and a few of his friends down to the riverwalk to eat.
I note of advice for those that may be leaving after, have them be prepared with packing, if anything is being shipped home have them send stuff beforehand. This also took up some time because we had to go over to the UPS place and send off some packages.
With that being said, my next advice is Be Careful as to what you send them because ALL of that has to leave with them. Also, make sure they are diligent about locking up any valuables because stuff gets stolen all the time from the rooms unfortunately.
Jan 14, 2014
MorningGlory
Jan 14, 2014
Kat72
ProudMama, what class is your Sailor in? I am hoping that my son's graduation date didn't change...he has given me 3 different dates.
Jan 14, 2014
Kat72
That is awesome ProudMama:) My son is in class 045C
Jan 15, 2014
Kat72
San Diego, how nice! How soon does your Sailor fly out after graduation?
Jan 15, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
I'm sure he'll do fine - he's a corpsman! For all you moms of San Diego/Southwest region-based corpsmen, here's a good page to follow on Facebook: Navy Region Southwest Community Support Programs with news about activities and other offers.
Jan 15, 2014
Britt<3Corpsman Wife
Jan 15, 2014
Britt<3Corpsman Wife
Jan 15, 2014
Bobbo
Jan 15, 2014
tiffytbe
Where does the above graduation date list come from and how often is it updated? Says 050 is April 03 and my son said his instructor told him a different date...
Jan 16, 2014
Kat72
Hi All,
Does anyone know what SARC stands for?
Jan 16, 2014
Kat72
Thank you Vanjr1, my son just finished the physcial part yesterday and does the fitness test/tryout this Friday! He is beyond nervous about the tryout.
What do you mean by on-track? Is there more than just those 2 pieces?
As a mom I have mixed emotions about this one, but because I want my son to do exactly what he wants, my finger and toes are crossed and of course I am praying he passes with flying colors! ;)
Jan 16, 2014
Kat72
I couldn't find graduation dates on FB does anyone have that link?
Jan 16, 2014
Bobbo
Hi Kat72,
Here is a very informative article Marcy posted elsewhere awhile back on the SARC program:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/110498/corpsman-training-join-ranks-re...
Jan 16, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
You guys are making me so sad! I've put lots of links to important info at the top of this page (under the photo of the ships!) including to "Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program on Facebook" right after the words GRADUATION SCHEDULES AND UPDATES so please don't forget about checking 'em all out! :) My source for graduation dates is an admin at METC, btw. You should keep an eye on that Facebook page for any changes (though she says the dates are rarely ever changed) and of course your corpsman-to-be should have the final info, I would think - it's his/her graduation after all! LOL
Jan 17, 2014
Bobbo
There, there, Marcy. Yes, you have. There, there, dear one. ;-)
You are loved and adored, oh Great one! I don't know how many times you have answered my questions. ;-)
Seriously, the SARC article is only one of MANY great articles that Marcy has posted.
Jan 17, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
* sniff * sniff * thanks bobbo! :) Seriously I hope y'all click on the various links offered, i.e. about HM history, NECs and such, as well as grad info - there's a lot of good reading, so much to learn and SO MUCH to be proud of! :)
Jan 17, 2014
vanjr1
Sorry Marcy, I am a guy and those kinda look like instructions up there at the top of the page. You know where I'm going with this right?...lol ... We all appreciate your hard work. God Bless!
Jan 17, 2014
Lolachazzy
I am going for the March 14 grad, and just called LaQuinta (I use their rewards) and they said they have a few rooms left at this location, but filling up fast. It is 2 miles from Ft Sam. http://www.lq.com/lq/properties/propertyProfile.do?ident=LQ556&...
Jan 17, 2014
Lolachazzy
Oh, and if your sailor can be with you at check in, you can get the military rate. It is better than AAA.
Jan 17, 2014
Kat72
Me again, so does anyone know anything about Search and Rescue and what it involves. My son texted me this morning that he made search and rescue. I thought he was going for SARC but I think I was way off base. Any information would be great. Requirements? Training? you know all that good stuff!
Thanks
Jan 17, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
Kat72 - how cool! Go to this link (it's also one of the links at the top) - Hospital Corpsman Navy Enlisted Classifications (NECs) and click on the first one: HM-8401 for a description. The training for SAR Medical Tech is at NOMI (Naval Operational Training Institute) in Pensacola FL; don't know how long though.
Jan 17, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
Kat72, also this :) BUMED 1510.17
Jan 17, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
Good article about the Preventive Medicine program at METC on page 10! http://www.samhouston.army.mil/pao/pdf/current.pdf
Jan 18, 2014
Pjpckmcov
Jan 19, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
Pjpckmoov, I am told that it's rare for a class graduation date to change; keep us posted on your son's updates! :)
Jan 19, 2014
louielou
The graduation dates rarely change as Marcy said. there is the rare occasion, like a missing class, that will cause a change or a forgotten holiday. It is very common for the Sailors to be given several different dates during A School, and only one of them will be right. Us moms knew the date before our boys did. Go with what is listed, if a change happens it unfortunately won't be confirmed until the last few weeks.
Jan 20, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
For anyone who lives within two hours of JBSA - Lackland in San Antonio, TX - want to foster a future Military Working Dog? 25 puppies need homes for seven months! https://www.facebook.com/DoDMWDBreedingProgram
Jan 27, 2014
MOMom44
My son just arrived at A-School in San Antonio on Saturday. Today during a briefing he was told that if he was deployed overseas, his family could not come live with him until he's an E-4. My dauther-in-law is pretty upset because this is the first she's heard about this rule. Can anyone shed some light on this please? Do they automatically become E-2 or E-3 by the time they graduate from A School?
Jan 27, 2014
Kat72
Hi MOMom44,
My son graduated BC as an E3 and was told that it was very hard to rank up fast as a Corpsman. He was hoping to test for E4 but was told he couldn't be in school when he did that. I wish I could be of more help on the deployment answers. I hope one of these wonderful more experienced mom's will have the answers for you. Best of luck to you and your family.
Jan 27, 2014
Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom
MOMom44, I would go to a Navy recruiting office with a list of questions and get the information straight from them. Hopefully our members here (hey Britt!) will have info for you too. Welcome to the group, by the way!
Jan 27, 2014
vanjr1
MOMom44, Welcome to the group. My sailor graduated Late Nov 2013 from A-school as an E2 but he was a "fleet return", (which means he had a different job and switched to Corpsman so he was in a few months before he started A-school). He just got promoted to E3 this month and his 1 year anniversary for starting boot camp is Feb 12th so it was 11 months before he made E3. Not saying it will take the same amount of time but it is one example. Best wishes to you and your family. God Bless!
Jan 27, 2014
Britt<3Corpsman Wife
Jan 27, 2014
Maria ( 9/132 - HM- 04-2011)
Jan 27, 2014
ashley1015
Dependents cannot go on deployments either. Being stationed overseas is different than being deployed. To my knowledge, the Navy really tries to be accommodating when it comes to Sailors that have families to keep them together. With the exception of deployments. From what I have been told, most deployments only last 6-8 months, but can be longer.
Jan 27, 2014