Im "that" girl who joined the Navy and hasnt told her family yet...

[Anthy]

I havent had much contact with my immediate family for a year and I will be joining the Navy in Feb 2011. I genuinely feel that soon would be a good time to tell them. Im just looking for words of support and just any tidbits of information that I may overlook to inform them with in terms of...well, everything! Its just kinda overwhelming and I wanna plan ahead as much as possible.

And also, I will be a Logistics Specialist- FTS and so far Ive researched that its likely I will be stationed at the same base for a long period of time, which I like because one of my main goals is to finish my BA.

Any input would help, Ive posted this before with no answers and Im really starting to get stressed out.

Thanks soon-to-be Navy family =)

[Labmom39 (Lori E.)]

I posted before reading other posts. I see you have told your mom. Good for you! I was upset with my daughter for joining for a long time but I have come to terms with it and know it is what she wants to do! Best wishes to you!

[Anthy]

Thank you labmom39
yes right now its so confusing when i do think about it. the lack of response kinda caught me off guard. the only expectation i had was to have to answer alot of questions. so i made sure i was prepared, i read something Navy related every single day since March. but i didnt quite get that.
on the other hand, i still have an overwhelming excitement now, that recently changed from being super scared and anxious. so it doesnt really bother me. the reason we were estranged in the 1st place is because they were not supportive of me finishing school& becoming the person i want to be. and now i told everyone, i feel like i did it more for myself and my siblings than anything else.

[josephine navy mom]

The best thing to do is just tell them right away. We were a little upset when my son told us he wanted to join the service and we are very happy he picked the navy and turns out he is stationed 3 1/2 hours from home. So he can come and see us and we him. I was so surprised when we visited him this weekend that we were allowed on the ship and he showed us what he does. The Navy is family and is a good place to be. Good luck

[PONYGIRL06]

Anthy,

To start with, CONGRATULATIONS on taking control of your life and wanting more from it. My 20-year old son is the same way and also chose to enlist in the Navy. College debt and his want for something better in his life propelled him to talking with a Navy recruiter. The only difference is we have been very close and he told me he was considering joining and then DID. I can't tell you how proud I felt that he had made this life altering decision. Maybe the distance you've had with your parents recently is playing a large roll in why they have not warmed up to the idea. Maybe they felt excluded from your decision because of the distance you all have felt. I only hope with time that they will understand why you made your decision to join the Navy. I think you've made a fantastic decision and "I" am so very proud of YOU. If you are still finding a tense atomosphere with your parents (or god forbid, no support) and you need someone to talk to please don't hesitate to email me. I would be happy to talk or write to you anytime. Take care and do not give up. PonyGirl06, Proud Navy Mom

[runnermom999]

Congratulations! I believe anyone who serves in the military deserves nothing but respect and gratitude from all. My son graduated Basic 13 August and is finishing up his A school; what a great experience it has been, not just for him, but for us all. The Navy is a definite family. I wish you luck in telling your family. This website is great for support. If you'd like, please send me a friend request if you wish to discuss things in detail. Good luck and congratulations!

[bobbiandherb]

Yes, congratulations! I suppose we were lucky...my son told us when he was 12 yrs old that he wanted to join the Navy. When they are that young, you seem to think it is a phase until the Navy posters are all over his room! My husband spent 30 yrs in the AF, both of my sisters married AF, my step son and daughterinlaw are both active duty AF, so not sure where the Navy came in, but who cares?!? He set a goal for himself and his life and we couldn't be prouder! We are having experiences we never had before, even my husband is learning new military stuff and having fun doing it. Good Luck to you in your Navy career!

[JessicaB-Sailor Mom]

LadyHawk It really depends on if the wisdom tooth looks like it could cause a problem when it comes in. And it isn't just the wisdom teeth..any tooth that needs to be pulled, filled or a root canal will get taken care of. You don't want to be on a ship in the middle of the ocean hours from a dentist with a toothache or worse

Usually all extractions and major oral care is done in the early weeks of boot camp but not always. A kid in my son's divison had to go to Dental for SEVERAL extractions after Battlestations 21...he was exhausted ....sometimes the dental work has to wait till A school.

But it isn't all that bad...they get 2 days of SIQ (Sick In Quarters) with soft food, pain meds, followed by a couple of days of LLD (Light Limited Duty)...they usually do fine. Mostly the guys c/o about having to shave...their jaw/cheeks are swollen and sore.

[PONYGIRL06]

My son had a tooth capped as a teenager and was apparently giving him some trouble while in boot camp. I received a phone call from him about a week later to tell me that they had performed a root canal on it. If they feel the problem needs to be addressed, it will be taken care of. No worries.

[sarahw1961]

My son has been in the Navy for 13 years now - and I still remember the phone call telling me recruiters were coming that night to talk to me! My son did DEP so we did have a year to prepare for his leaving, but he was my 1st so it was hard. We all made it through bc, A school, 2 overseas deployments and he is now in Maryland. I could not be more proud of him!

After reading all of your responses here I was brought to tears many times over - you are gaining such a large family in joining the Navy - we truly do care about each and every one of you who has decided to enlist or have enlisted. You are protecting US. There's not enough thanks to go around or words that really express our gratitude for what you are doing.

Your mom needs to get on here - I didn't know anything like this existed 13 years ago - would've been so much easier for me back then - but as I said - we have all survived and you & your family will too.

Thanks and God bless you!

[Anthy]

i know this response is late, but thank you for your encouraging words. ive read this response a few times to keep myself focused on all the positives & all the things i have to look forward to.

unfortunatly, my mom has no intrest whatsoever in joining the site or knowing anything about me& the Navy for that matter; too consumed in her own world i supposed. but i focus on the fact that im doing it to set an example for my siblings & look towards making them proud in the end, because i will have no parental support with my time with the Navy. I dont even pay much attention to letter rules for BC or any of that stuff, lol. it just simply wont apply to me. but im sure this will be a changing move in my life, so i have things to look forward to

[Anthy]

=) thank you so much, LadyHawk. And yes, i would love to write letters with you. my ship date if Feb 8th and im going to be a Logistics Specialist. how old is your son?

i truely do motivate myself to suceed so i can set an example for my siblings, i really dont want this negative cycle to continue.

[Anthy]

Thanx!! and im a bit older, 22, but i am superrr excited. i spent months just being scared&anxious but now im just like dreaming ab boot camp& excited for the new start. ive prayed alot& thus far have been shown this is the right direction =) & i hope the FTS position lets me stay in one place longer so i can keep up with classes after working! friend request is on the way, btw =)