Today is the day

[Kyles Mom]

At 10:30am I drop off my son to the recruiter!

[Chipmunk]

Kyles Mom - Bigggg Navy Mom Hugs to you!!!  Everyone reacts differently with their emotions to all of this, just know you are not alone. Someone has gone through the same emotions as you will have and we all understand. I did not know anything about this site when my son left for BC. My mother had passed away earlier in the year my son left and so I called my sister. She has a son and son-in-law serving in other military branches, but I knew she would understand. Afterwards, I was alone in my car for a short time and I just cried my few Momma tears. The next day was harder for me at MEPS. I had thought we would be able to go to the airport, but we also had other responsibilities. Just thinking I could was an encouragement. Then I was told NO by the man driving the recruits to the airport. (Again, I didn't know anything about this site, to gain insight from others.) - I was a Momma Bear mess, because I also found out they were navigating the airport, etc, all by themselves, and didn't have a staff person to go with them. They do give them a briefing instruction and they did have one of the recruits in charge of all of them and that person at least had flown before. But I almost missed hugging and telling my son good bye because I was in another office trying to figure out the airport deal.

If you can, let your recruit know to call you when they land at GL. My son had time to talk to me for a little bit and tell me about his first plane ride, which was really nice for this mom.

Again, HUGS!!!

[A'sSubMom]

How did it go? How are you doing?  I'm going to be in your shoes on Tuesday. My son is leaving then. 

[Kyles Mom]

I just said goodbye at the airport, he’s nervous but with 3 other kids. I cried like a baby but am so proud

[Chipmunk]

Kyles Mom - You've got this!! Big Hugs to you!! Do your best to keep yourself busy. I had to help my oldest daughter finish getting moved out of her apartment and it was my husband's birthday so I didn't dwell on too much until later in the evening when I knew my son was to be flying out and their plane was delayed. I had to take my other son to swim practice so I could not sit by the computer and track his flight. But he did call me when they landed in Chicago, and we talked for just a short bit. It was his first airplane ride and he wanted to tell me about it. 

I was surprised though at how long it took for him to actually call me and tell me that he was at GL. The "I'm safe" call. And then it was so scripted, I knew it was my son but I thought it was a recording. I kept just saying, I love you, that I didn't hear most of what he said, just something about a call in 3 weeks. He finally must have turned around to someone and asked, "Is that all," then I realized it really was him and I said I love you again and he hung up! No other comment to me at all - that is when it hit me. It was past my bedtime and I was exhausted and I just went to bed and I think that is when I cried in my pillow, mostly feeling sorry for myself and then prayed for my son. 

I didn't know anything about this site. I think my husband had to find the Navy bootcamp / RTC site for me. A few days or week later, he found a site that told me what my son was probably doing at BC and that helped a lot, it gave me a focus with my prayers and when he finally called I had something to ask him about. I wrote emails to him, just so I could see his smiling face on his profile picture. I have not watched the new BC videos that are posted here on the BC Mom page, but some of the ladies find them helpful.

I kept telling myself this was going to be harder on him than it was on me, and I was right. I prayed for him a lot more then than I do now, and that is mostly because currently, he is still able to call and talk to me fairly easily.