MEPS info

[B'sMom]

Anyone have info on what goes on at MEPS?  I am going to Jacksonville to see my son off and I am just curious if anyone knows what kind of time we will have together and what if anything we can do.  Is there a proper dress code for family watching the swearing in process?  So many questions, UGH! Hard to be a mom for 19 years and then have "control" taken away in an instant.  LOL

[Rhonda]

I know how you feel! I'm so used to planning everything out and knowing what's going on in my SR's life all the time. The letting go is SO HARD. Everyone tells me (Inc my son) to trust that I've done my job well. I know when he leaves I'm going to be thinking of all the things I forgot to tell/teach him. I know he will figure it out and he will be in good hands...he even said those words to me, but we always worry about our babies when they are not with us. I know this didn't answer your question lol. I don't think there is any dress code for the swearing in here in AZ. I think/hope as it gets closer that his recruiter will tell him how it all goes that day and approx times.

[Rhonda]

Here in AZ, I know from when his friend went into the AF, that his parents were able to have dinner in the hotel with the recruits the night before they leave but the kids can't leave the hotel or have anyone in their room.

[TJ Proudnavymom]

I'm in Albuquerque and it's a little less formal here but here's how ours went. We were able to drive him to his hotel the night before. He checked in to the hotel then signed out so we could go to dinner. After dinner we returned him to the hotel with the understanding he would call us in the morning to tell us what time to be at MEPS. He called the next morning and told us to be there by 9. We got there just before 9 and were there to see him (and his new friend) sworn in. There's no dress code but remember you are representing your son. We then hung out with him at MEPS until his van left for the airport at about 1. We decided to just say goodbye there rather than trying to get through security at the airport. Later we found out his flight had been delayed quite a while but he used the time to nap. ;)

[Concerned Mom & Dad]

Good Morning B'sMom,

You will drop your son off night before at hotel. You will see him next day as you sign in at MEPS. Depending on how soon group is taken to swear in, you'll have good several hours with him inclusive of before and after. Just be there for him, that's all you can do :) All parents were dressed casually at swearing in. Re: control, completely understand :) Hope this information helps!

Kindest Regards,

Concerned Mom & Dad

[B'sMom]

Thank you.

[RefuseToSink]

Hi B's... my son just went to MEPS in San Diego for his final swearing in on 3/4. I posted about it in the discussion thread on page 14: 

Your recruit's final MEPS experience - an overview of their last hours as civilians

Here is my experience... by the way, I wore jeans, flip flops (thongs) and a sweatshirt.

So I was at the MEPS for my son this morning. It was pretty cool. After he completed stuff that he referred to as "phase one" and "phase two" and "phase three" then he told me he was discharged from the DEP and was now active. (he thought it was cool because that meant that now he is getting paid lol).

So then this head guy calls out names and the recruits (there were 17) and the parents/family members were put into a classroom style room, where civilians sat on the left and the now military personnel were seated on the right.

Then he did a power point presentation discussing the final piece of paperwork to be done prior to swearing in. This paper was more validation that there was no drug use, drinking under age, legal issues, mental issues, or illness etc during DEP that they have not admitted to yet, and they were initialing yes or no on their form.

He then went over the laws and penalties pertaining to things like: deserting the military, under age drinking, and I can't remember what else. He asked at least 4 more times throughout this presentation if they still wanted to join, and all continued to affirm with a loud "yes sir!" response.

I thought that was pretty cool because he gave an overview of the next 3-4 days in BC, how to behave as military personnel even in civilian clothes, avoiding the wrong crowd, respecting your parents and being grateful to them, and that if they still have all their stuff in a room in their parent's home, they need to pay them for that haha. It really was pretty cool and yet the guy was very real about the rigors they will experience over the next 2 months. He was kind of harsh, but in a way that it was real, yet inspiring because he encouraged them to remember why they joined in the first place. He said you each have your own personal maybe internal reasons why you joined, and you just have to remember that when you are in your toughest moment. 

Really nice experience. That presentation was a terrific distraction for what I may have otherwise been feeling. I so appreciated that, because I was distracted enough to be strong for my son, and to not send him away as a blubbering fool, but rather as a strong and hopeful supporter of his choice to enlist. 

[B'sMom]

This was awesome info.  Thank you.  I'll be there tomorrow so I'll let you know how my experience compares. 

[RefuseToSink]

You're welcome! Also, I found out what hotel he would be staying in, and I reserved my own room to stay in the same place. He checked in at a location in the hotel that was for all of the MEPS check ins, and he could have hung out there but he decided to hang out with me in my room. We then went to our "last supper" and he chose sushi. :) We love that. Anyway, he had to be back to get his room key by 7pm and when he went to his MEPS check in at the hotel, I went on to my room because he was going to hang out there until a group meeting at 8pm. I didn't talk to him again that night but I heard that others were able to hang out with family in that room or in the lobby until 10pm, when they had to be in their own rooms. They were 2 to a room, so that began his experience sleeping in the same room with a stranger haha. The next morning was his swearing in, and they were to get up at 4am and eat breakfast at 430, then MEP shuttled all the recruits to the MEP station at 5am. I was told the swearing in would take place at 10am so I headed to the MEPS and got there around 9:15. I got to sit with other families (and moms!) and the recruits as they went in and out of "phase one" and two and three. I am so glad I got the hotel room, it was worth it for me. We live about an hour and a half from the MEPS so it was nice to be there waiting with him and there for him in case he needed something. 

[B'sMom]

Linda Kay, I can understand that feeling for sure. I think I'm in the same boat.

[Bandit1998]

When we took my grandson to Houston last April for Meps, we spent the night at the same Hotel all the group stayed in that were leaving together.  We took him out to eat that night and the next morning met him at the Federal Bldg where they were going to be sworn in.  The Navy took them from the Hotel to the building in a bus.  We just dressed normal, and by that I don't mean tacky clothes or shorts, etc.  and when they called for our group to go in the men in charge will tell you everything they want you to do.  We took a lot of pictures during and after the process and then waited some more while some more young men were taken back and sworn in.  In our case, there were different branches of the military being sworn in.  We stayed with him until they got on their bus which took them to the airport for departure.  Had we known they were going to be at the airport for several hours, we probably would have followed the bus there and stayed with him as long as we could.  We have precious pictures of the entire swearing in process for our scrapbook.  Enjoy your son as he starts this new phase in his life.  Congratulations!

[Linda]

I am wondering if my son will need his actual birth certificate at boot camp? Also they told him he was allowed a small notebook/address book, what is small? He leaves Tuesday the 17th.

[B'sMom]

I am not the right person to answer this but... Birth cert no, but SS card for final MEPS paperwork yes.  My son's recruiter actually took SS card and locked it up to ensure it was there at MEPS on RTC deploy day.

As far as the address book I think it's more like a paper of important info that can be folded and kept in slim black wallet.  Hope this helps or other chime in with better info.