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My son leaves for Boot Camp Aug 13th 2012 from Tampa
The closer it gets the worst I get. Everytime someone asks me about my son I tear up - don't know how I'll cope on the 13th. My questions are; Can we go to MEPs with hm to watch him swearing in? Can we go to the airport with him? Can he take stamps, paper and envelopes with him? Can he receive mail from England. We're English born so all his cousins/aunts/uncles live in England and want to write to him too. Can he write back to them?
He's taking his cellphone with him so he can call when he gets there. We have a Verizon family plan and Verizon will put his line on hold with no charges while he's in boot camp. Not sure if anyone knows that. I'm really proud of him
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by mommaross CVN77 on
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Thanks for this - it was a great help.
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Permalink Reply by BunkerQB on
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Survival Guide for Navy For Moms Newbie
This will help you get started. Welcome to Navy For Moms.
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Permalink Reply by jamesmom on
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our son left from meps in tampa on 8/1 everyone there was very helpful with info while you wait. We too got there about 8am and they did not swear in til about 11am he then left straight to airport you can follow them there and get a pass from the airline to wait at the gate with them until they board. My sons flight did not leave until 5pm that night was a long day be prepaired to wait.
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Thanks - good to know. Now we can plan for spending all day there. I don't mind the waiting around now that we know the possible order of things.
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Permalink Reply by Jainz57 on
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Hello Mommaross,
My son left for boot camp just 2 days ago and we went to his Swearing In. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It was very moving. We were told to get there at 8:30, but he didn't get sworn in until 10:45. So, there might be some waiting since they still have to finalize everything. Watching him stand at attention and swear his service to our country was something you will never forget.
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Permalink Reply by frogkisses on
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My son leaves from Niagara Falls on August 13th. I still feel quite in the dark as to what to expect that day.
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From what I've read we get to feel extremely proud and extremely grief stricken. Looks like our boys will be in BC at the same time. Read all the posts on hear and also look on youtube to watch videos of MEPs and BC and PIR - this helped me to understand and know what to expect. Good luck for Monday
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Thanks so much. I will do that. He is so "whatever" about all this. I am the one asking all the questions.
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Permalink Reply by SEAttLeMom on
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Oh yeah....and don't forget either a small address book or a sheet of paper he can fold and put in his wallet with the main addresses and phone numbers of people he'll want to contact should he find time to write. I did a quick check with my son and was suprised that even though they were stored in the cell phone how few were actually committed to memory. We can bless technology for that potential oversight, huh?! :) Take care.
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You're not alone. I had to pull the answers out of my son, piece the one-word answers together, and then still do a lot of the research myself. I think it's just them trying to handle this as men on their own - but I can tell you...my son was relieved that I ended up knowing more than he thought I did.
My son's ship date was 8/7 but he checked in with the recruiting center on 8/6 at noon and was checked in to the hotel for the night with other recruits (my first teary-eyed good-bye).
He needed to take only the bare minimum:
A small overnight bag for the hotel with an even smaller one for travel since he'll be returning his overnight bag to you right after his swear-in ceremony (reason to go :) ), his toiletries (travel-sized), fresh clothes to travel in including a sweatshirt or light sweater if he'll be arriving at bootcamp in the evening, his wallet, a prepaid phone card that can be used from a landline or payphone (we got the PennySmart card - 1 cent per minute from Bartells Drug Store. Sams Club or Costco also offer good cards - or, go online to www.callsforrecruits.com to get emailed free calling card codes, each can be used only once and is good for up to a 20 minute call - each SR is initially issued 9 cards - 6 to keep and 3 to share and they send more as needed)....back to the list..... his i.d. both military and civilian, social security card, bank info including routing number and bank address if using a local bank for his direct deposit, a book of stamps, a pocket bible if wanted, an unexpected letter from you that he can tuck in to his wallet for future reading :), and here's the kicker....his cell phone, which he will immediately have to ship home to you but can use to text while at the hotel or waiting in the airport.
The morning of 8/7 we all met him at MEPS at the Federal Building to watch him swear in. Your son should have or get information on the time and place from his recruiter that he can share with you ahead of time. If there are any changes to the time, he can let you know the night before. Our time got bumped up from 9am to 8:30 late the night before. Often times it depends on how many recruits are being shipped that day. Plan to be there early in case your son's final processing goes quickly and he has a few extra minutes to visit with you. The swear in ceremony goes fast, less than 15 minutes total, don't be late - they don't wait. I was initially told that we would be watching behind bullet-proof glass and would have basically no casual contact with our son. Not true here. We were able to visit for a few before the ceremony. We were able to take photos of the ceremony during and with our son after. He then was swept off in to a different room for final instructions, came back out to give us his overnight bag, and kiss us good-bye. He was there for another hour before heading to the airport and then at the airport for 1 1/2 hours before flying out. Some SR's end up at the airport all day before their flight leaves. Fortunately this wasn't the case for my son.
Being able to connect on his cell phone helped ease the pain of him leaving and put his little brothers,sister, and girlfriend at ease. We could also then figure out the flight and follow the airlines flight tracker which really helped his little little brother.
It all happens so quickly. The more you know the easier the few days preceeding will be and your son will appreciate your 'knowledge through osmosis' as his ship date approaches and he begins to get a little anxious and may overlook something. Afterall, they are men now and starting a new and exciting chapter in their adult lives.....but they will still always be our sons and we their moms!! :)
Enjoy your time together. Take care and God Bless you all !!
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Permalink Reply by jsluna1 on
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Hi - my son shipped out on 8/4............very, very tough! It gets a little easier after he's gone - no longer thinking "ok - we have 2 more days....1 more day...." The tears are just part of it. My son called me around 11:30pm our time (we are in California) to let me know that he got there ok - sounded tired, but so good to talk to him.Am trying to find my way around these sites to get a feel for what he's experiencing - bits and pieces are there. I believe I read that you can watch him swear in and can go to the airport...........but better double check that. He can use his cellphone to make that first call and then it comes home to you in his "belongings box". They recommend your son purchase a phone calling card for future calls after the first one.
I still cry - folding his laundry, seeing his favorite things at the grocery...........but, it's getting better because I know that he is safe and he is doing what he wants to do.
Take care...
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Permalink Reply by BowflexLA -SeaBee on
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My son left yesterday Aug 7. He had his cell phone with him the entire time. He even called me when he landed in Chicago. This is what really helped me... I got a free app at the app store so I could track his flight on my phone. I followed him through every state from Shreveport to DFW Dallas then to Chicago. I felt like I was with him for a little bit longer. But thats just me. The apps were PAGEONE TripTracker and FlightView. I watched them both.
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