Give them wings...and both of you will fly!!!

[Lynne]

I wrote this blog post in June/2010 before my son entered boot camp:

"Hey Mom, I want to join the Navy."

"You want to what, with whom, hello, why?

And with those words the roller coaster began, my life turned upside down and my little boy, my only child who I had raised by myself began to grow up. At first, all I could do was cry. He was my only son, an only grandchild. My father had given his life for our country and I thought, "Dear God, not my son." I was convinced he was making the wrong decision and he was convinced he was making the right one. All the things I had taught him about doing the right thing even when pressured by other people was suddenly coming back to haunt me. He looked at me and said, "Mom, you taught me to think for myself. You held me accountable. You told me I had to do what was right, what was in my heart. You said choosing a career that would make me happy was more important than how much money I make or the prestige that I earn. You said God would be my guide and I think this is what he wants me to do."

As I listened to him and the tears poured down my face I thought, "what was I thinking teaching him that" and then I remembered it was that same strength that made him choose not to party in high school, it was that same strength that made him follow his own road rather than seek out trouble or react with violence when angry. It made him speak him speak his mind and have confidence. So, the next day he signed his papers.

After talking with the recruiter he came home a little sad and said it might be a year until he could go to boot camp. I breathed a sigh of relief and thought that would give me a lot of time to get used to the idea and maybe even secretly hoped my son would have second thoughts ( well you can't blame a mom for hoping). I struggled with how to tell my friends and family. You see, it was okay for anyone else to join, I just didn't want to give up son when I had given my dad. I knew my family was going to erupt because they remembered my pain and their own. I was only 10 when my dad died but forty years later it still feels like yesterday. My son has tried to assure me, as has his recuiter that he will safe, but a mom worries as you know.

After signing his papers the very next week he went to MEPS and scored high on all his tests. His recruiter was so happy. My son was estatic. He had called when he got to MEPS and said that many of the young people had studied for the ABSVAM (sp) and he worried about that. He was labeled QNJ which I guess means Qualified But No Job and sent home to wait. Whew I thought I can deal with this waiting, he can go to school and life will go on.

However that was not to be. The very next week he was sent back to MEPS as some jobs had come out. He wanted to be a fireman because he is only a few hours short of firefighting but due to his high scores the navy had other ideas and he was given an AE job and scheduled for Boot Camp in September. "September of 2011" I said to him when he called. "Weeeeelllll, um actually, no mom, this year?" Once again, up the roller coaster and down again - yes the long wait was simply a fallacy...somehow he is going in September to boot camp with something called Cardinal Company, which I think just basically means he is being sworn in at a St.Louis Cardinals Baseball Game in St. Louis. What happened to the long wait that was going to gradually give me the time to get used to this? I guess the Navy happened.

My life now seems to be filled with salutes, pushups and funny stories about moving the wrong foot, turning the thumb a different way, and memorization of creeds and other information. As he started memorizing all kinds of things so he wouldn't have to do it under pressure at boot camp he said maybe he shouldn't learn it all because the recruiter said he could get in trouble if he knows too much. So like the good mom I am, I explained that just because he knows it doesn't mean he has to volunteer and raise his hand when someone asks the first time who knows it. He looked at me nodded his head and said "you know mom you're pretty smart."

I am going to miss my son. I don't know if I am ready for him to suddenly become such a mature young man like I know boot camp will make him. But, I know this that regardless of my fears and my sadness I will support him 100%. I will tease him, I will laugh with him but when he swears in and gets on that bus he will know he is leaving behind a Navy strong mom reporting for duty.

Today my son is in A-school and for those of you who have recruits in boot camp I want you to know we both survived, pretty much unscathed. There are so many moms on this site who helped me on my journey. Some gave me a shoulder to cry on, others encouraged me when the road seemed rough, some gave me a swift kick in the pants when I really needed ( and um sometimes I did) and others walked the road with me. We learned from each other.

We laughed together. We cried together. We worried together. We made a pact to encourage our recruits and never let the trials and tribulations of everyday life enter into our letters and communications. For some of us it was difficult. Some families lost their jobs, loved ones died, crises occurred...but together as a Navy family we found a way to cope and to help each other just as our recruits were learning to do.

Since going to A-school our lives have changed some. Now we talk to our sailors. We laugh with them and marvel at their changes. They laugh at how much we knew and how many time the Navy For Moms information

is more correct than what they now...pretty funny huh!! All those fears I had seem to have gone out the window.

Sure I am still anxious, about war, about my son perhaps having to go to foreign countries, living in a world where we don't know what the future holds. I also learned he has been well-trained, that he loves his country, that he is vigilant about the choices he has made, proud of the service he will provide and everyday he says "Mom I know you weren't sure about my choice, but I know I made the right one." What's a mom to say? Bravo Zulu son! So Hang in there new moms,to my 11/5 PIR group you will always be in my heart, and thanks seasoned moms for helping me through!!

[navy25]

Hi Lynne, I couldnt have said it better I too have only one child and I couldnt believe my ears whe he said he was joining the Navy especially after 2 years prior he had graduated with a bachelors in Architecture and today he is a Sailor and very happy of his choice and like what you say about your son mine was the same never got into trouble he was raised very family oriented and strong family values and today he continues those values from his upbringing as a United States Sailor Im his mother and as much as I miss him especially Thanksgiving and his Bday same weekend Im extremely proud of my son. His father was a Vietnam Vet with 2 Purple Hearts and passed as a young man of 39 my son was only 2 years old so Im scared of whats ahead but I can only pray to God to keep him and his other shipmates Safe in the years to come and just be there for him to support him as well as the rest of our family does so yes BRAVO ZULU to my son and Our US Sailors in their future in the Navy.Mostly Keep them Safe while they are protecting Our Freedom-Navy25

[AJVNavyMom]

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

[Penny_Nuke_MM2_NimitzNuke]

WOW, reading these letters from you ladies has tears running down my cheeks. Really !!! My son just left for BC the day before Thanksgiving and it has been a roller coaster as well. But my son, a really great kid, told me that he was also doing what he really wanted to do in spite of his college that he had behind him. His Mechanical Engineering background and education was being turned in for Navy Nuke School. He was finally excited about life, about his career path and about boot camp. He worked closely with the local recruiting station and even became the Chief Recruit Petty Officer. They loved him and had him leading PT, mentoring other recuits, and just about anything else that my son could find to help learn the Navy ways, he was there volunteering. If he wasn't at home, he was at the recruiting station. The day, just a little over a week ago, when I said a final good bye to him at the airport, I knew then and there that he would not come back the same. My youngest son was coming back a new man. In many ways it scared me to death - but the biggest question I had was if he would ever call our home state home again. Would he ever "be" home again. That is what brings the tears. I love my son and count him to be one of the biggest blessings of my life - man, it's so difficult to let them go, isn't it? So, for now, I received the arrival phone call and the kid in the box but still have so many firsts yet to go through and I still cry. Oh yes, as the tears fall freely, I know that the days will go quickly until i can see and hold him one more time to experience the changes we moms all see on the days of PIR. And I agree with judy, Navy Mom - hardest job in the world.... for now at least.

[mamawalrus]

Beautiful words!

[Marsha]

Thanks all you wonderful Navy Mom's for sharing...it truly helps..it's hard...but it helps!