Confused

[Jane]

I have a son thinking about joining the Navy. I have heard so many positive,but I know there has to be negative things about it to. He has talked to me and I know he wants to but is just scared that there is stuff he just don't know about it. Please can someone help me.

[momclf (ship03 div 018)]

Jane, my son is in Hospital Corpsman A school right now, he completed basics 12/3.  A year ago I was sitting where you are today.  My son is smart and has never had to work hard to get good grades, but that just made him lazy.  So when he said about the Navy I was all for it, thinking maybe it would teach him some respect and responsiblity.  When the time came for him to talk to the recruiter he did it himself on several occasions before we finally met his recruiter.  He swore in while he was still 17, but did not leave for BC until he was 18.  What I guess I am getting at is this, there are times he does not seem to like it so good (I think when he is missing his girlfriend, lol) and times when he realizes it is the best decision he ever made.  He came home on leave at Christmas and realized alot of his friends were going nowhere and he was.  Now that basics are over and he can communicate with everyone he seems to be enjoying himself alot more.  He told me he has made some lifelong friends.  Whatever your son decides all you can do is encourage him.  It won't be easy, but if this is what he decides to do, all of us mom's are here to give you a shoulder to lean on.  Good luck.

[Mom of Joshua, the MA]

Jane - I hope you're getting the info you need.  There are a LOT of good people on here who have been where you are right now.  My son PIR'd - aka graduated ;0) , on 10/29/10.  I can tell you, his father and I were super worried about him making it through boot camp, but looking back from this side of it, we're amazed how well he actually did!  He even had to switch jobs in the midst of all the craziness of boot, due to a vision problem, but now he's happily awaiting the deposit of the enlistment bonus for MA  (Master at Arms).  He was supposed to go in as an ASM - Aircraft Structural Mechanic.

 

Do a lot of talking, a lot of praying and then a lot more talking.  You'll never know all of what will happen until things actually happen, but you may be pleasantly surprised at the stamina of your son.

 

Talk to the moms, dads and currently enlisted on here.  You'll get a lot of info - however, I can't guarantee you'll ever feel fully at ease with it.  After all, they ARE our babies!  Right?  lol

 

Take care and best of luck to your son! 

[ebigirl]

Jane,

My son (19)  enlisted in Nov. of 2010 and leaves for bootcamp March 9, 2010. Joining the Navy is something he has thought about for a long time. He made this decision totally on his own, and for that reason alone I know that he will do very well. He is my only child, and I am very proud of him.

Like a lot of other parents my husband and I had our doubts about if he would even make it through bootcamp. My husband is still on the fence, but I know in my heart he will. He's they type of kid who jumps in with both feet at 200% when it's something HE really wants.

I now this is the very best decision that he could have made for himself. I can't wait for his PIR...I'll be there with bells on beaming with pride!!

[punkinbaby76]

Jane- It sounds like you have gotten tons of good information on here! I was enlisted years ago and my husband recently joined due to the poor economy. I can tell you it is hard, but worth it to be a Navy mom/wife/girlfriend! Once you find out what his rating (that is the name for the job he will be doing) go on here and find that group so that you can ask specific questions about what your son will be doing! Also, tell him if he has a ship date (the day he leaves) that is more than 3 months away, to become really active in the DEP (delayed entry program) This will help him get rank faster (his pay grade) so that when he graduates from boot camp he will be an e2 or e3. Some ratings, have prerequisits that they have to do before they class up in A school (the technical training after boot camp) that they may be able to complete while in DEP. Yes the navy has several overmanned ratings right now, so once he gets past bootcamp there may be a wait at his a school before he begins his classes.

About bootcamp-it will be physical. Tell your future sailor to start running, doing push ups, and sit ups before he goes to bootcamp. This will help him with the physical part of it. The best advice I could give my husband was this: bootcamp is what you make of it! If you go in with the mind set that you are going to work hard, have fun, and learn alot of new things (including how to fight fires, shoot a gun, clean a bathroom, history of the navy, how to tie a ship to a pier ect) then you will have a blast! IF you go in with the mind set that this is going to suck, than it will! He will meet alot of lifelong friends and get to see the world! With my 17 month old daughter, having 2 parents that served I hope will have an influence on here to join when she turns 17!

If you have any more specific questions, please feel free to friend me on here and I will answer all I can for you! If not, I can get alot of information. Also, check out the navy's bootcamp website. There is a whole section for families on there! And a faces of bootcamp video. Just type in the google search engine, rtc great lakes and it should be the first link up there! Good luck!

[jacketfan24 (corpsman mom)]

My son is planning on joining also.  He had been accepted to a college, got a partial scholarship, and decided he didn't want a huge student debt upon graduation.  He has always been fascinated with the military (he was born on an Air Force Base) and this was a natural move for him.  I didn't care for the idea, but have warmed up to it the more he talks about it.  The recruiter seemed fairly up front about everything and didn't really seem to be trying to make it look better just so he'd join.  He wants to be a Corpsman.  The recruiter did tell him that the sooner he started the process, the better the chances are of getting the job he wants.  He said a lot of high school seniors wait until the last minute and start in May or June when they realize they don't have the money for school or didn't get into one and that it's harder to get the job you want without DEP.  He is hoping to be able to go in almost right after graduation in June.  He is taking the ASVAB today.  I have learned a lot from this website just by reading all the posts.  I guess I will go more in depth once he is officially 'in'. 

He has played high school football, wrestled, and run track, so he is very physically fit, but he's still going to the gym to work out and get ready. 

If he ends up on DEP, how does he get involved in that?  Do they give him information?  I just thought that meant that you wait for a later date to leave and I figured he'd just go to a local technical college in the meantime.  (Although a friend of mine from work just joined and he said Corpsman was the job they had plenty of right now; he leaves this month.  He took Corpsman because he couldn't get what he wanted fast enough.)  I'd love some info on the DEP just because I like to know what's going on.  I guess it makes me feel a little more in control. 

He's not my first child to leave home, but he is the first to go this far away!  Thank goodness I still have an 11 year old at home! 

[Kim]

Did you get the information you needed on DEP? My son's recruiting office held meetings once a month where they studied some of the basic stuff they had to know in bootcamp which I think helped to relieve some of the pressures of memorizing things when under duress at basic!!! They also did PT and some marching drills and went out to the local fort and shot M16's! Depended on the weather and what was going on for the month. The recruiter always called him and had him come in and do stuff if he needed additional paperwork. It was something that kept tabs on them and kept them thinking about the Navy and kept their interest piqued. I don't know how mandatory everything was because my son's recruiter told me when he left that he really appreciated him because he always showed up and participated. My son was a Depper for 9 months before going to basic training!  Hope yours gets what he wants! Fun times ahead! Mine wasn't even in the Navy a year ago and now he is on a ship in the Gulf of Adan! How life changes!

[Kim]

Did you get the information you needed on DEP? My son's recruiting office held meetings once a month where they studied some of the basic stuff they had to know in bootcamp which I think helped to relieve some of the pressures of memorizing things when under duress at basic!!! They also did PT and some marching drills and went out to the local fort and shot M16's! Depended on the weather and what was going on for the month. The recruiter always called him and had him come in and do stuff if he needed additional paperwork. It was something that kept tabs on them and kept them thinking about the Navy and kept their interest piqued. I don't know how mandatory everything was because my son's recruiter told me when he left that he really appreciated him because he always showed up and participated. My son was a Depper for 9 months before going to basic training!  Hope yours gets what he wants! Fun times ahead! Mine wasn't even in the Navy a year ago and now he is on a ship in the Gulf of Adan! How life changes!

[jacketfan24 (corpsman mom)]

I never got any info...thanks!  We are stuck waiting on medical records to be sent to the recruiter so MEPS can review them before he goes for the physical.  My son is getting frustrated.  It was only supposed to take a week, and is now been two and they don't have them yet.  The hospital said theys sent them and they were received Firday...He had a knee scope done over a year ago (no damage to repair, thank goodness!) so I guess they have to make sure it was not a major injury that would be an exclusion before they waste the money on a physical for him.  The recruiter said it's not a problem.  He originally had a torn PCL which heals without surgery, but there was still pain.  Turned out to be scar tissue, which PT healed and he's fine.  He is just not paitient and he wants to go straight in instead of having to wait.  I think he is worried that the longer this takes, the longer he will have to wait.  He scored 82 on the ASVAB, so hopefull he will be able to get what he wants. 

[D'sMum35]

If she loves him she would not be so selfish. This is the best thing in the world for your son. I hope he finds it withing him self to man up and do what HE wants to do. If she loves him, she will wait.....besides, and not to be disrespectful...but most of us know you are not that same person in hs as you are in college. I can guaranetee you, she is going to most likely leave him when she gets her freedom.....just saying....

I would tell my son to not have any regrets, What does he think he wants for his life? to sit home and wait for her??? Not a good scene. Sorry to be so to the point, but your son is a born Warrior, and she is not going to be a good fit for him if she keeps up the guilt. Its HIS life, not hers.

Ok Im done now......

Best of luck and God Bless your son.

[D'sMum35]

My sons gf was the same way....but 3 years later they are closer than ever and know this is good for their future. Good luck!

[mysailorson]

Jane,

so glad to hear that there are other sons out there like my son.  My son has been at boot camp for 10 days now.  He is a good kid but never put a lot of effort into things.  My husband and I were a little worried about how he would handle boot camp and the Navy in general.  But he decided that he wanted to do it and we supported him.  He signed his papers in July '10 and just left on Feb. 7th.  The communication we have received so far sound like he is doing okay.  I will know more when we get the first "real" letter from him.  I think it will be a great thing for him.  I am excited for him and all of the opportunities this will give him.  In everything I have read and heard the positives largely outweigh the negatives!

Good luck!

[NanZam]

Hello, I have a son who is now in A school...and the negative is for the kids who are not use to rules, cleanliness, and responsibilities, and also being away from home...being away from family is the hardest part in bootcamp, but once its over they can call, skype, etc...this makes their time easier on all the family...Wishing you the best...