»» Welcome to the MEPS and DEP group ««

Yes - echo the Congrats to 2boys1girl and son on the SEAL contract. I'm sure he is very excited and he should be. My son would love that, so he runs everywhere now. Actually, he wants EOD. I thinking of feeding him lots of candy and gravy and other bad stuff! LOL Just kidding, but I will admit that I''m not thrilled with that prospect. He will be my last to leave home too.

2boys1girl-outstanding on the SEALS, there is a great series on Discovery or Military Channel that followed a class throught SEALS training great to watch.

Kathy one of the trips was literally drive there and turned right around. His recruiter was told some rates had opened up but by the time they got there they were gone. He was extermely frustrated, I didn't get to see him swear in because it happened so fast. He was there to see a group leaving for BC, he said it was really cool to see and everyone made a big deal for that. He said everyone in the area stopped what they were doing and watched the swearing in and the recruits leaving, even the ones there for MEPS.

Mistydawn - Right - he won't swear in if the job he wants is not available. However, you CAN call your recruiter today and ask him/her to snap a picture for you. Other recruiters were in there doing just that for other parents. I feel very fortunate to have been there.

I know exactly what you mean about independece and mothering. So hard to watch my little boy grow into a man. I see glimpses of both in him, and more of the man has come out in the last year. He has shown me beyond a doubt that this is his choice and what he wants. I stomped around insisting on college until he gently explained his thought process and sincerely asked me to support him. My first show of support was to drive down and sign the paper that he and my hubster had already signed.

Even if he does get a job right away at MEPS and swears-in, it's only a swearing-in to the DEP program. His swearing-in to the Navy (the important one) takes place the day he reports for boot camp, in the morning before he's put on the plane to Chicago.

Things went very well. He leaves for boot camp June 28th, 2011. He will be operations specialist. He is very anxious to get on with things now.

MistyDawn - Wonderful!

Thanks Kathy/D's mom! Ya, it hit me kind of hard when I heard the date. And it will be here before I know it....He graduates high school May 15th. He is very excited. Now that he has his plan in action it is going to be very hard for him to sit through six more months of school!!

Congrats mistydawn! My son is also signed as an OS. You should join the OS Moms group. They have been very helpful in regards to what the job entails, etc.
My son leaves in March.

Do you have a link to that group jdmom?

Never mind I got it off of your profile. I will find everything in here once I get more time in it.

Susan - you're right! I guess dinners will not be as big a thing as they are now. (cut down on the food bill!) But I will miss them both.

MistyDawn My son will be an OS. He doesnt ship out till Aug 17,2011. He is hoping they will call him early after he graduates on June 5

Diane, do they have graduation dates posted for next summer already?

MistyDawn I was talking about his high school graduation

2boys1girl...My son's main goal is SEALS eventually. That is where his heart is.

2boys1girl - You can see all the rating sheets here:
http://www.navydep.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=36

He hasn't takent the physical for it..After he takes that and passes then his recruiter said he would be put on the list.

2boys1girl- can you tell me what requirments your son had to meet before getting a SEAL contract? Did he already take his physical screening test? From what we understood, our son couldn't sign on as a SEAL...now I'm confused. Thanks!

Oh yes 2boys1girl...OS Operations Specialist. So sorry I didn't answer you sooner. I don't know the lingo either, but will be learning it fast probably.

mistydawn - the SEAL/SWCC/AIRR/EOD/NavyDiver all require additional physical tests to have that contract - after they sign up. So- first they pick the job/rating they are interested in based on how they qualify from the ASVAB tests. Then, after entering the DEP program, they can go for the PST (Physical Screening Test). The requirements are here: http://www.navy.com/navy/careers/special-operations.html

My understanding is that you can take the PST twice a month until you go to BC, and then you have another opportunity to volunteer in BC. One you pass the PST, then you are considered for a change in contract. So for example, my son signed his contract for SECF, leaving Aug 2011. But he is working on preparing for the PST because he wants SWCC, and if he succeeds at a competitive level, then they will consider him for a contract for SWCC. Some of them are more competitive than others I guess, I don't have all those details, but you should feel free to call your sons recruiter and ask him what the specific process will be for your son.

That is my understanding, I was just confused because 2boys1girl said her son already signed a SEALS contract as a DEPper. I didn't understand how he did that.

Right - so if he passes the PST for SEAL at a competitive level during DEP, they will rewrite his contract to SEAL.

My sons are on the plane to GL right now and the last two days have been very hard. I am so proud of them. I wish everyone good luck in their waiting for their DEPpers ship date. This is sooooo hard!

Good luck idahojeep to all of you! Keep us posted as you hear from them.

idahojeep - Both of your boys at the same time! Wow - you are an amazing lady. You should be proud - we all should. You are in my prayers tonight - it must be so difficult to send them both off togehter - but you can do it and so can they. "I can, I will" - we can all adopt this motto. :-) Hang in there.

wow...agree wth Kathy!!!

Thank you all. Got their addy with Ship and Div. so I can start writing today. The house is sure quiet and the dogs are depressed!

MommyHunt - Yes they arrived last night at GL. I texted their recruiter today and he emailed it to me right then. They check it on their computer is what they said. The boys are both CTR and will be going to Pensacola after BC. Thank you all for your comments and your blessings. Best wishes to all who are still waiting.

My son had a question about wisdom teeth waiver. He chose to have them pulled here about a month or so ago, his recruiter knew that he was doing this and is now saying that there might be a delay with his ship out date because he needs a waiver? I have read about waiver/delays for many other things but not this?

I am worried something will happen between now and when he leaves to keep him from going. We still have wrestling season coming up. He spent almost the entire wrestling season last year out because of a torn tendon and broken radial head from wrestling practice.

The vast majority of recruits have their wisdom teeth taken out, either at boot camp or at A-school. I have heard of a few who managed to keep theirs, I don't know the criteria. I've never heard of a waiver for it, the Navy just doesn't want to deal with it if wisdom teeth go bad at sea.

LOL, they should do an NCIS episode where they find a bunch of young people, all of them have their wisdom teeth out, and they figure out that they are Navy because of their uniform lack of wisdom teeth, LOL.

BB, the waiver needed because he had oral surgery AFTER he was initially examined by the MEPS doctors. Because something about his physical condition changed, they ask for a waiver.

They told my son that he wasn't allowed to get any work done, especially surgery (including oral surgery), including tattoos, etc, while in DEP without express permission from the recruiter/MEPS. The waiver they now say he needs is as much about him breaking their rules as it is about a physical change to his body.

Oh, and it sounds strange, but after a few weeks in boot recruits actually look forward to getting their wisdom teeth out. They get to spend 2 days in bed, which is the ONLY real break they get during their time in Great Lakes unless they get seriously ill. It's hard to imagine wisdom tooth removal to be preferable to anything, but that's boot camp. Your son just lost his "Recruit's Vacation."

4 days left to Corey leaving. I had lunch with him today...great one on one time....great conversation and food. I am gonna miss having him available for these such things:(

I wondering about a flu shot for my son, I am sure they get one in BC but if he gets it now would have built up some immunity by the time he leaves, any thoughts?

Glad I read the comment regarding wisdom teeth. My daughter will leave for Great Lakes Aug. 10, 2011 after HS graduation. I asked her to speak to her recruiter and see if she should have it done before she leaves. After 3 years in braces (plus $$ spent!), I'd hate to have her teeth shift because of wisdom teeth. Which brings me to this, are the recruits allowed to bring their retainers?

thanks JessicaB!

And Navy dentists have a sometimes odd notion of what "could potentially cause a problem" when it comes to wisdom teeth. Chris' were perfect, but the dentist pulled them anyway.

Doesn't the wisdom teeth removal have to do with what their next potential assignment might be? Just wondering?

We'll I have not wrote on here in a while so I thought I would drop a note...It is good to see that all are keeping in touch. My husband ships out on December 7th. It is hard to believe we are less than a month now. I am grateful he will be here for Thanksgiving but upset he wont get to have Christmas with me and our boy. Was wondering if anyone else has a loved one leaving from Houston around the same date? Just trying to spend as much time as we have together right now. His last day at work was Friday so at night he spends time with me and our boy and then during the day with his mom. Lots going one right now, we already got moved before he ships, getting sons school changed this week and preparing for Thanksgiving weekend and the weekend after as I know we are going to be super busy with visiting all the family. Hope everyone is in good spirits and has a fantastic week! TTYL Aprul

Son is taking the PST tomorrow for the special forces. I hope the swimming dont take him by surprise!!

Good Luck your son tomorrow mistydawn, let us know.

Hey all...just home from PIR...indescribable...awesome...but wanted to share something I did with my son...that he said helped him through the first few days...as you know a bible is acceptable to bring to boot camp as long as it is small...it has several pages in it that have nothing on it...I wrote notes on those pages telling him I loved him, encouraging him, etc...all I told him before he left was to read his bible...I had also underlined verses I thought would be helpful...he said everynight he read those notes...knowing I was right there with him...hope it helps...

Oh Lynne that is wonderful!! My daughter bought her brother his bible to take to BC already. I think I will mention this to her. She can put notes in, we can put notes in..great idea!!

Great idea Lynne, thanks so much for sharing! Congrats on your Sailor!

Just got my call from Corey. He arrived in Chicago and sounded good. A rough day for me but holding on.

Sean graduates from high school tomorrow and can get back on the path to the Navy.

We're changing recruiters. His brother's recruiter, who is the official recruiter for his high school, is in one city, and Sean plans to take a semester or two of college in another city while he waits. The first recruiter has been ignoring Sean, not helping us much with the waiver, so we're killing two birds with one stone.

MistyDawn - Good luck to your son on his PST!!! I'll be thinking about him today.

Lynne and MommyHunt - what fantastic ideas! My son doesn't go until Aug2011, but I'm keeping a list of all the ideas I find on this site in a special folder so I can implement them when he does. He also wants to do SpecOps as well and is very competitive on swim, push ups/pull ups but is slow on the run, so he runs everywhere now to prepare. We joke around about him running to the store and bringing back ice cream before it melts.

Hi my daughter got home yesterday pir 8/6/10 graduated A School as an EN and after leave she will be off to San Diego to her ship. She got married during A school aswell and her hubby goes to BC in Feb.

Anyway just remember the most important thing to do is "WRITE" when they go to bc i wrote 2-3 times a day you should see the pile of mail she bought home with her but they all need mail, get as many people as you can to write, be positive words of encouragement! No matter how strong you think your child is they need this another 2 more recruits left from our small town end october and one has already called home and his sister said he is really down!! I have already written to him. Please write!! Some recruits do "Not" get letters at all from anyone even their families there was a couple in my daughters ship!! So if you have time maybe find out if anyone is not getting mail and write them one aswell.

Cheffiona....no mail?? How aweful!! My son talks tough now..but I think he will be surprised at how much mail will mean to him while he's gone.