Left For OCS Class 06-16

[myvampress]

Well Ladies I took my baby to the airport today.  It was a very sad day for me.  I am very excited for my son but feel heartbroken knowing he is gone and I won't be talking to him for awhile.  I kept stressing to him about what you all have told me about keeping low key as far as him telling his girlfriend, friends and father not sending him cards, gifts, etc.  We went yesterday to get him white T-Shirts and he asked me what size I thought he should get since he wears between a medium and a large and I was joking with him to get larges because he doesn't want his drill instructors seeing how huge his arm muscles are because they will be making him do all the heavy work... lol He said good idea mom...Thanks to all of you for helping me with some knowledge and being a support group to help me through this transition.  While at the airport my son held me tight when he hugged me because this was the first time I have ever cried when we were saying our good byes.  When he left for college I was fine because he was only an hour and a half away and I knew we would be talking and seeing each other somewhat often but this time was extremely hard.  Thanks again for all of you being here for me.

[NYNancy]

Best wishes to your son. I feel for you. I still have to hold back tears every time we say goodbye and its been 7 years. But they have been 7 very exciting years.

[M's mom]

myvampress:  Hang in there Mom.  The first few weeks of OCS are the hardest, not just on the candidates, but on the families at home as well, especially if you are used to frequent communication such as texting etc.    You will get a brief phone call Sunday or Monday to let you know he is there.  He will probably sound hoarse from all the required yelling.  He may sound very discouraged, but you must tell him other OCS Moms have told you that they all feel like they want to quit for the first few weeks.  Tell him it gets better each week, if he can just hang in there.  He must not quit, no matter what!!!!

These first few weeks, NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS.  As long as he is not calling you to tell you he is coming home, he's doing OK.   Write encouraging letters to him daily, but don't expect many in return.  The only time they have to write letters is when they could be sleeping.  After he and his class pass the huge Room, Locker, and Personnel Inspection at week 3-4, then they will be given email privileges, and you will hear more from him.   Tip: if he doesn't know your email address from memory, send it to him in a letter.  They will be emailing from a closed military server, and he will NOT have access to his usual email program, so he can't just scroll down and click on "MOM" but must type in the full email address.

[M's mom]

Melissa:  Tell your son to make good use of the six months he has before reporting to OCS by getting in the best physical shape he can.  Some have even worked with personal trainers.  He must also seriously commit to memory all of the Navy knowledge he is expected to know from the packet that his recruiter gave him.  If he arrives at OCS in tip-top shape and knows all the Navy info by heart, he will have a much easier time at OCS than some who arrive underprepared and pay dearly for it.

[Anna]

Myvampress, 

I understand how you feel.  I have sent a son to college,  a son to basic training, a daughter to basic training, and a daughter to OCS!!!  Sending the of to the military is hard - lack of communication,  not knowing how they're doing,  what they're doing.  . . . But I do think OCS aged me more than the other!!! I agree with M's mom,  write lots of encouraging letters even tho you won't get much, if any,  response. After about 4 weeks you should get occasional letters and/or emails depending on how easily your son can write or type!!!!!  Sometimes my daughter only had ten minutes but she could type out a real quick email!!!!! If he should call in the first few weeks to say he was rolled don't let him think of it as a failure, and don't let anyone else think of it as failure.  Some candidates really gain so much more after rolling.  Just keep encouraging!!!!!

[myvampress]

Thank you all for being here for me or should I say for all of us parents who is experiencing this new experience we are all going through.  You all have helped me a lot through this transition as well as the Facebook page for my sons class.  It is really a relief on the OCS class Facebook page with them keeping us up to date on what our LO's are doing and what they are about to face and when, not to mention the pictures they post, I was so excited seeing my son in one of them.  I am learning more and more and the stress I have been feeling is becoming less.  Thanks again to everyone.