Am I the only one here who's totally relaxed about sending my child to boot camp?

[Arwen]

There are a LOT of posts from mothers worried/stressed about their sons or daughters going to boot camp, I'm just looking for a little reassurance that I am not the only one who has no problem with my child leaving?

I've helped him study and "encouraged" him to keep up his PT so that when he goes he will be ready to take that test and make E-2 right away. I'm very comfortable with letting him go.I feel he's ready. I'd send him tomorrow if I thought he was ready for the test and was sure he could still get the same job.

Is it because we did this once already, sending him off to college last summer (2008)? I was just as relaxed then, too. A hug and a goodbye, a minute of tears as I watch him leave, and he's gone. Out of sight, out of mind, except for letters or phone calls.

Is it because I went to boot camp myself, I know what it's like, so it holds no fears for me?

Mostly I'm eager to hear about what he learns, how boot camp has changed from my experience, fun and outrageous stories, and to hear of his future adventures.

So, is there anyone else out there who feels the same way I do: pride that my son is ready to make a major step towards independent adulthood with a touch of relief that he isn't going to stay home forever?

[lynne]

my son is leaving for boot camp this wednesday and i am not stressed out about it. I already have one son in the army and have seen him go to afghanistan and iraq so this seems like a breeze. I am just unsure of what he should be bringing. The army gave my son a list of what to bring. I know he will be fine. I would like to know when graduation is so i can get plane tickets

I think you should have pride in what your son is doing. It definitely will make your son a man,more responsible and to take care of himself...

[Carla Street]

Lynne, what's cool is you can go to the RTC site on navy.mil and when you find out what ship and division he is in, you can find out what the graduation date is. Be sure to buy tickets you can refund or change the date, that way if he has some difficulties or the change the date of the graduation, you can move it. I think I saw where they changed the date for the Oct 30th graduation. Just be aware.

Send $20 in his wallet to buy a phone card (although they can earn calls and get them free), an address list, some stamps, and a deposit slip for the bank he wants to use and don't worry about the rest. They just send it back. Have him dress in clothes he doesn't care about because they send it back to you in "the box" to be stored. They just send it back. I learned that the hard way. We used a list the recruiter gave us, didn't need it, HA!

[Guilderland]

When I found out that I was being called for boot camp on March 20, 1975, the night before my parents asked me if I was ready and my mom and I spent some quality time shopping for what I needed for boot camp. My parents were proud of me as I went on board the plane to go to Orlando, FL. but knowing my mom, she cried. My parents were so excited to see me after graduation and I flew to Louisville, KY to see my brother and his family. Dad just retired and both Mom and Dad drove down to KY to see us. Mom didn't even recognize me because I lost 25 pounds. Where ever I went with both parents and wore my uniform, they showed pride in a daughter's judgement.

[Carla Street]

Oh man. Thank you for your service too Hon.

[bonnie]

nice story.

[Beath]

I've expereienced sendind off my son to boot camp last year, he was only 17 years old at that time so I feel like I dont want him to leave but I had no choice but to let him go cause it's for own good as what you said, im proud of him cause of the big decision he ever made at his young age and it's a major step for him towards independent adulthood cause as young as 17, he's gonna learn to live independently, God Bless

[alison n.]

my son has been in for 3 years now. i remember boot camp like it was yesterday. he went right out of high school. he did have 4 yrs of ROTC. he was more than well prepared. of course i cried the day he left, but i knew this is what he wanted and was ready. because of ROTC he breezed thur boot camp. he actually said it was boring. but-today he on the USS Harry S Truman and loving it. he has already been on a 7 month deployment and are preparing to head out again in a few months. i wouldn't trade any of this experience for the world. it was the best thing we could have done. of course you worry-- is he safe, happy, does he like his job, the people he works and lives with. is he eating ok---things like that. but fortunely my son calls almost everyday. and can email too. when hes in port. and close enought that he can come home for weekends sometimes. he's in Norfolk, we are in Florida. i'm hoping he makes a lifetime career out of it. because of ROTC, he went in as a E-3 and is now an E-5. yes you will worry--thats only natural, but your child will be fine. if there's anything i can do--let me know--good luck

[bonnie]

Hi to Alison and everyone interested:
It is amazing that our kids know from an early age what it is that they like or want. I sure didn't. I struggled along trying to find out what path to take. My daughter joined the Navy Sea Cadet Corp- (-like an ROTC--but not considered ROTC) in high school just on a casual invitation from a classmate to check it out..next thing we both knew, she was off to Fort lewis, Wash. for "boot camp".. during the summer when the Marines were gone. She loved the discipline and the activities associated with it. She stayed with the NSC corp for 3 years, graduated from high school and enlisted. She then decided against going in too soon or even at all and went away to college for a year..found that lacking in structure and direction. Decided then to re-enlist and off she went. She, too, entered as an E-3 and after a yr 1/2, (A school/ C school, move to E-4 she is taking the next step in March, 2010. to become and E-5. She loves her field! Meets many people and is experiencing so many more things than she could ever if she stayed in our town. I am so proud of her. I see her as a very sensible, reliable, grounded person with wings to fly. She has her sights set on becoming 'chief' one day! Wow!

[Carla Street]

It's been 7 years now and my daughter is considered a "disabled vet" with chemical induced asthma and I still don't regret it. She was what I called "lost" when she was at home. She moved 10 times in a year. The thing that kept her going was she's bullheaded and had decided when she was 15 she wanted to be in the Navy. If she hadn't done that, I'm not sure where she would be. We've grown closer and closer and I'm not sure we could've done it without the distance and her getting her self esteem built and not floundering.

I'm a moderator for a navymoms on yahoo site and it's been quite the deal sometimes because everyone has different reactions. We're there for support but man, some moms REALLY go nuts. Bless their hearts. We have especially one mom who used to come in and go "get over it!" HA! I had to do some fancy footwork sometimes and a few moms left.

We've had discussions and I've worked with the "recruit" mom and finally we've gotten so we help some moms make the transition from the young person being their "whole life" to being a friend and a supporter and, yes mom. We work on them feeling they have a life without completely living it for someone else. Some just need help with that process. There is less of that with the formation of this forum but it's quite the process sometimes. Pretty tender people out there! Having support like our groups helps a lot.

[bonnie]

Carla, How are you a moderator for N4Ms? how is the moderator job on Yahoo? hmmm. Is there something I can do to pitch in to help out?

How is your daughter a chemically induced asthmatic? That sounds horrible,. Is she still in the Navy or discharged as disabled?

[Arwen]

I'm a moderator on several Yahoo sites. There are two ways of becoming a moderator; start a Yahoo group of your own, or volunteer to be a moderator when the owner asks for help.

One of my groups is my own creations, I started it 11 years ago (dang, how did that happen) and has 700 members and averages a few hundred posts each month (no spam!) , but the one I took over (in 2003) for an owner who was leaving is the most active, 340 members but over 1,000 posts each month (no spam there either).

It doesn't pay at all, it's totally a volunteer position.

[Carla Street]

Oh, no, I'm not a moderator here. It's a yahoo group and they formed it in 2000. Nope, nothing to do, just what you are doing in here and supporting others.

Julie was on the Lincoln in 2003 and worked with the Prowler jets. She got asthma from the jet fuels. She could have stayed in and do office work but if she couldn't work with "her jets" she didn't want to. So, she's been out since '05. She's doing the mom trick now, HA! Thank you for your concern.