One Recruit's Parent's Journey

[Syzygyone]

Our recruit shipped out at 1500 today, 30 MAR 08, to MEPS and will arrive at MCRD SD at O-dark thirty Tuesday 1 Apr 08. So he will start his Marine Corps career on April Fool's Day!

He was lucky and got his 02XX MOS contract and was able to get an early ship date. He was only in DEP for about 6 weeks. He's not shown much concern over the last month, attending a few Poolee events, but mostly just tieing up loose ends and seemingly endless partying with friends. We'd discussed Boot camp and he was somewhat astonished to realize that having gone through Naval Aviation Training in the early 1980's I had been "Marine Drilled, Navy Tough." Maybe not exactly like Boot Camp but close enough for government work. I remember being totally amazed as I went through the experience, marveling at how they had it all figured out. When to push, when to push harder, when to give the carrot. I was a 26 year old lawyer but I, like everyone else, was quickly only interested in pleasing the DI and didn't realize until later that in pleasing the D.I. I was actually just learning what they wanted us to do, and then did it.

Interestingly, over the past six weeks, as we read Keeping Faith, and Building the Corps, and perused YouTube and such for recruit training videos, he actually began to patiently listen as I explained things that were happening on the videos. What still brings it back to me is the phrase, "NO!, GET BACK" I find myself reliving it as I watch the videos, now with the understanding of age and experience. For longer than I can recall, my recruit has just looked at me as an old fart who didn't know anything. It somehow broke through the wall when I spoke of what to expect. He kept insisting that they'd never seen anyone as smart and admittedly cocky as he. I countered with the fact that within about 30 seconds, they'd have him pegged as needing Marine D.I. method Mil Spec # 14-22-X. We assured him that they'd seen his type before and would know exactly how to handle his particular personality.

Over the weeks, he began to evidence a concern that nothing prevent him from getting into the Corps. He actually went to the dentist, worked out, studied his "gouge",put on a few pounds. He began to voice concern over possible failure to meet expectations. I assured him that nothing he is expected to do is impossible and that the D.I will be right there doing it with him to show him how it is possible.

Today, as time drew near, and he'd called his Grandparents, and brother, and all his friends has called to wish him well, most all of the normal, some might say excessive, 20 year old bravado was gone. He admitted to his mother that he was not afraid, but apprehensive, saying "It's kind of like when they strap you in to a really big roller coaster!" When we arrived at the recruiting office, he was taken to get the travel brief. His recruiter answered all our questions. His recruiter has been great through out and even though he ships to his new duty station tomorrow morning, he was thoughtful enough to show up and check on his "last recruit". In less than an hour, our recruit got in a van with five other recruits and they drove off. No bands. No parade. Just six nervous young men moving to face their future.

His mother and I are not at all sad and, in fact, are very much looking forward to this. I am proud that he wishes to serve and I believe he wants to join the Marines for the right reasons, not just because the uniforms are cool, although that has been mentioned. This young man, who is deeply loved but who has done very little despite incredible opportunities since highschool, NEEDS the self discipline the Corps will teach him and we think he will thrive. For the first time in many years, he has no computer, no cell phone, no fast car, just a few bucks and a Visa Buxx card. He has only himself and soon his brothers going through boot camp. We see this as a seminal event, when he will get the final ingredients we were apparently unable to pass along.

So, now we wait for the first letter.

This is going to be interesting. I hope you don't mind my kind of blogging here. I can't think of any place more appropriate.

Semper Fi!

[Gator347]

As a Dad of a Marine who recently graduated (Bravo Company) in August 2007, each Phase is a killer. I would live for any and ALL information available. Stay strong and VERY positive.
Write: Notes, Cards, Pictures, Local News Clippings, Jokes, Letters, Letters from Pets, Get your Family & Have Friends Write. But above ALL, STAY POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!
If you don’t get mail, don’t worry. :scared: He is in VERY good hands!!!! They (SDI & Staff) will do ALL they can to get someone, who wants it, to graduate. :evilgrin:
If you get a chance to email his SDI, Do So, but show respect and support. These men & women are awesome. I was even allowed to send Gator Aid & Power Bars to their platoon. I sent enough for the entire platoon for the Crucible.
I will always be grateful to my son’s SDI SSgt T. Warren MCRD PI. (I hope he makes Gunny).
MCRD: 3 months of little sleep. Support of your recruit (100+ letters, Powers Bars & Gator Aid): $300, Hotel, Travel, 2 days Off Work for Family Day :$700.
Seeing your Son/Daughter become a recruit and graduate a USMC Marine: PRICELESS:usmc:

[Syzygyone]

Thanks much for that information and for the postive thoughts. :thumbup:

[DAMNPROUD]

Syzygone,
Wow please keep blogging!my son leaves april 28th and your post is very similar to whats going on in my house.my son is very bright ,very strong and very confident.until now, as the date draws near some fears are starting to pop up.he is not afraid that he cant make it,he is afraid he will injure himself(sprained ankle,twisted knee ect.)and will have to be cycled back in.
i myself like you am looking forward to his transformation.schoolwork and sports always came easy for him,this will be his first big challenge in life.

please keep us posted on your son and on your journey

[SGTBrentG]

syzygone,

Sounds like your son has all the support in the world. I am sure he will do fine. Please keep us posted. Semper Fi!

[Syzygyone]

Well, the miliary is just as efficient as I remember it. Having had only TWO physicals in the last 60 days, imagine my son's surpirse and dissappointment that the Docs decided to wait until Ship day to discover that he has a plantar wart on his foot. I can see why he can't go to boot camp with that but why wasn't that discovered before, when there was time to take care of the situation. :mad: MEPS delayed entry for 60 days. I just spoke with the recruiter and our Doc. They can remove it today and the recruiter says he will be able to ship April 14th. He's also indicated that the recruting station will keep him busy there for the next two weeks so as to loose as little motivation as possible. It's a good lesson in discipline and rolling with the punches but, dang it all! :(

[marinemom]

Well, now you have the additional job of keeping his spirits up while the medical procedure is done and healing occurs. And the recruiting office will
definitely keep him busy.

As as been said here before - write, write, write - letters, cards copies of his favorite newspaper cartoons, anything, but keep the mail going - he will need it more than you know.

And, when that 15 second phone call comes in " Hi, I have arrived safely at Parris Island and I will send you my address" - do not try to answer him, and do not be upset by the background screaming - it's normal.

Nothing quite compares with the tremendous swell of pride as you see him on the parade deck on Family Day and Graduation Day - it will amaze you.

Welcome to the family of Marine Parents - you're in for a great ride!

[DAMNPROUD]

AHH Man i know your both dissapointed.the fourteenth will be here before you know it.

[Gator347]

Welcome to MEPS. My son had to get a waiver. He got all his info and was told he would need to wait 8-12 months. After 11 months they complained the Surgeon’s letters needed a newer date. It drove us crazy.
My son’s recruiter was never so glad to see him ship! (15 months).

He'll do fine.

[Gator347]

Nothing quite compares with the tremendous swell of pride as you see him on the parade deck on Family Day and Graduation Day - it will amaze you.


AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Syzygyone]

More frustration this afternoon. He's one mad recruit/poolee. As said, MEPS TNPQd him for 60 days becasue of a plantar wart. The local recruit Gunny assured us that as soon as it was taken care of and my son got a letter from his Doctor that it had been treated and would not interfere with military duty, they would get my son shipped in two weeks. We were able to get in to the Doctor about three hours after my son got back to town. The wart, a very small wart, was quickly cutoff and treated. The Doctor provided a letter saying that it was treated, was not symptomatic, was not contagious, would not spread, and would not interfere with military training or duty.

So, knowing he had been told that he would not actually fly out of Denver until 1700 on April 1st, we wondered if it was possible for him to still ship today. Afer all, he was all setup with everything else. Accoriding to my son, MEPS won't let you ship unless you are through their process by 0630 a.m. It was by now 18:00 p.m. But, he was so frustrated, we decided to pursue it even after hours.

Unfortunately, his recruit station is undergoing almost a total change of personnel. His primary recruter is winging his was to his next permament duty station. The Master Gunny of the recruit station is actually in the process of moving to MCRD SD to work the DI school there. So, we were forced to deal with a brand new recruiter and an Admin Gunny. Wecalled the new recruiter (been on the job less than ten days) and he indicated to my son that it wouldn't be possible to get him back to Denver to ship today but it would be possible for him to ship in one week. Now, the MCRD SD schedule shows next week as OPEN. The station Admin Gunny had indicated next week was not a ship week. I finally felt compelled to get involved and spoke with the recruiter and asked that since we had the Doctor's clearance and that I would personally drive my son to Denver, if he could ship today on April 1st. He was pretty equivocal about whether next week was a ship day but promised to check with the new NCOIC. The recruiter did call the new NCOIC who didn't call me directly but instructed him to call us back. He advised, without explanation, that the chances of my son shipping today were virtually zero. He did affirm that if the MEPS Doctor got the personal Doctor's letter today and approved, it would be possible for my son to ship next week.

So, now we wait. My son is fit to be tied but mostly because he is not used to being helpless and at the mercy of a beauracracy like MEPS. Maybe this is good training for dealing with the military in any event. So, we will show up at the recruit station, letter in hand, and wait for MEPS to make the call. Hurry up and wait!

[Gator347]

Maybe this is good training for dealing with the military in any event. So, we will show up at the recruit station, letter in hand, and wait for MEPS to make the call. Hurry up and wait![/quote]:scared:

The FLEET is much of the same. My son went through MEPS New Orleans post Katrina. Talk about a "Cluster". But the Maj. who runs it was/is a Class Act. (03__ Vet of Faluja sp?):usmc:

Take a breath. This too will work out. If my son got in with a "rod' in his femur, yours will make it with a wort!:yes:

[Syzygyone]

As said, MEPS TNPQd him for 60 days becasue of a plantar wart. The local recruit Gunny assured us that as soon as it was taken care of and my son got a letter from his Doctor that it had been treated and would not interfere with military duty, they would get my son shipped in two weeks. We were able to get in to the Doctor about three hours after my son got back to town. The wart, a very small wart, was quickly cutoff and treated. The Doctor provided a letter saying that it was treated, was not symptomatic, was not contagious, would not spread, and would not interfere with military training or duty.

...

Unfortunately, his recruit station is undergoing almost a total change of personnel. His primary recruter is winging his was to his next permament duty station. The Master Gunny of the recruit station is actually in the process of moving to MCRD SD to work the recruiter school there. So, we were forced to deal with a brand new recruiter and an Admin Gunny. We called the new recruiter (been on the job less than ten days) and he indicated to my son that it wouldn't be possible to get him back to Denver to ship today but it would be possible for him to ship in one week. Now, the MCRD SD schedule shows next week as OPEN. The station Admin Gunny had indicated next week was not a ship week. Hurry up and wait!

Okay, here's what's transpired. As indicated above, my Poolee was not able to ship on April 7th as that was an open week at MCRD SD. So, we went on a short family trip and while it was tense because he was so frustrated (every few hours he'd say, "I could be getting quarter decked now, or "right about now, I'd be meeting my DI") it was a good time to spend with him as a family, one last time.

We returned to town and the offending wart was progressing but we had him go to the Doc one more time just to be sure. He did and it was treated again. On Tuesday, the recruiter's office (remember this is a substation in transition) called to advise that the MEPS Doc wanted a formal letter from our personal DOC that the wart was healed. Our Doctor provided that letter, via fax by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday the 8th. It was too late to project my son going for a med check on Wednesday the 9th so they waited to fax it to MEPS until Wednesday, hoping we could get a project for Thursday, the 10th. Well, the message from MEPS was recevied late on the 11th but still in time to do a project for the 12th. No one called my son until it was too late to project for the 12th. All the while, my son had been riding with another recruiter doing area canvassing and visiting high schools, etc. He thought he was close enough that he'd get word of what he was to do. Finally, he got a call on Friday, the 11th, too late to go see MEPS on Saturday. One SSGT told him to come in on Satgruday to sign papers to project for Monday the 14th for the Med Check with an eye to ship to MCRD SD, on Tuesday the 15th. Literally minutes later, he spoke with the GySgt who told him that he just needed to show up at the usual time on Sunday, the 13th at 3:00 for the trip to MEPS. This was what had happend before so all was well.
Saturday afternoon, he did get a call from the recruiter he'd been riding around with who mentioned in passing that he thought my son was to have shown up on Saturday. My son advised that the GySgt had said all he needed to do was show up on Sunday as usual. Nothing further was said.

So, we get him all ready on Sunday and show up at the recruit station at 3:00. It's closed and locked up. We start making phone calls. All told, since April 2, my son had been in contact with 6 different Marine recruiters, all of who had a slightly different take on what he was supposed to have done. This is in contrast with the previous experience where a GySgt and MGySgt had talked with him through every step and he knew exactly what was expected, etc. Those two superior NCO's moved on to other duties and my Poolee was sort of lost in the shuffle.

After a heart to heart with my son about HIM needing to watch out for himself, and to make absolutely sure he had all the info, etc., I had a discussion with the GySgt. I told him that as soon as he shipped, my son was property of the USMC but before he shipped, I was going to make certain he didn't slip through the cracks again. All concerned agreed that it was a typical SNAFU but I didn't so much care about that as much as the fact that my son is still hanging up in the air.

Long story short, the GySgt finally called back and promised to call the Ops office and secure a ship spot on Tuesday 4/15 provided my son clears the med check which will take place also on the 15th. My son reported to the recruiting station at 0830 on the 14th and he called to tell me that some recruiter told him that if he passed the Med Check, he would in fact ship on the 15th. He will make the trip to MEPS this afternoon for the O-dark thirty report to MEPS on the 15th.

So, now we hold our breath to see if the MEPS doc concurs with the personal doctor that the wart has healed and my son can ship to boot camp. So, if any of you are willing to pray to the "wart kill god", please do so on my son's behalf!

We'll keep you posted as the saga continues.

[marinemom]

Went through a similar thing with my son, tigger, when he was going in - I'll make you a bet right now that your conversation with the Gunnery Sergeant will be what puts the "delayed" paperwork through - he'll probably ship tomorrow. Somehow when the parents show up and back the kids, it rings bells. I think I started my "do not think of changing his ship date" speech with "I married the Corps in 1968 - do not think I do not understand the drill....." and then went from there.

That afternoon, the Staff Sergeant called to tell us that he would be picking tigger up at -dark hundred the following day.

Keep that support attitude going when he does ship and write, write, write and write.

[Syzygyone]

Went through a similar thing with my son, tigger, when he was going in - I'll make you a bet right now that your conversation with the Gunnery Sergeant will be what puts the "delayed" paperwork through - he'll probably ship tomorrow. Somehow when the parents show up and back the kids, it rings bells. I think I started my "do not think of changing his ship date" speech with "I married the Corps in 1968 - do not think I do not understand the drill....." and then went from there.

That afternoon, the Staff Sergeant called to tell us that he would be picking tigger up at -dark hundred the following day.

Keep that support attitude going when he does ship and write, write, write and write.

Thanks for the encouragement and yes, we will write write and write and so will a bunch of his relatives.

[Syzygyone]

The GySgt came through. My son just called to say he is ensconced in his hotel roon for the night, just waiting for the medical verdict tomorrow. Several other recruits are with him so that's good. He says he has a ship slot and they already have his plane ticket and his orders will be cut, all depending on what the Doc says. My son says his foot feels and looks fine but what will the Doc say? This reminds me of my days being Marine Drilled in Naval AOCS. My most hated evolutions involved not DIs but doctors.

He'll be able to call us tomorrow after the med inspect because he will be transported back to the hotel to await transport to the airport. So, in the meantime, we'll be thinking positive thoughts and please be wooing the "wart kill god". We certainly will!

[Syzygyone]

Got a call from our son last night around 2100 MDT and we made backup arrangements to pick up his back pack and a copy of his orders from the hotel. His mother and I can't figure out why they would take him to the hotel to await transport to the airport. We don't know when his flight out will be be we think around 1700 MDT. In any event, it is important to get a copy of his orders for purposes of the Soldier's and Sailor's Civil Relief Act actions with lenders and insurance and the DMV.

We'll just have to wait and see what he says when he calls.

. . .

I awoke at 0330 a.m. thinking about whether my son has gotten up. Well, more like worrying if he did. The protocol is to awake at 0330, clean up, east at 0400 and bus to MEPs at 0430. It's now 0630 and I'm at work. Worrying. What else? It all depends on what the Doc says about the plantar wart. I'm cautiously optimistic that the Doc will clear him. As requested by MEPS, our son's personal physician has provided a document that says it's fine.

Stay tuned....

[marinemom]

First of all - told you so, lol.

Do not worry about what time he will get a flight - all transport is designed to get these kids to either Depot by midnight - scare the h... out of them and keep them up for the first 36 hours - he'll be fine.

Just relax a bit - if they haven't called you by noon your time - he is on his way to the Depot - just remember what I said about the 15 second phone call..............it is loud!

[Syzygyone]

Just relax a bit - if they haven't called you by noon your time - he is on his way to the Depot - just remember what I said about the 15 second phone call..............it is loud!

Well, it's 1200 MDT, and no word. . . . .

[Syzygyone]

YOU WERE RIGHT!
Our son, now no longer a poolee, but soon to be Recruit Johns, just called to say he's on the bus to the airport, with ticket in hand, due to arrive at San Diego airport at 1900.
His comment: "F###in' A, Ready to rock"!

I said, Congratulations, I am very proud of you for just signing up to do this but for pursuing it with so much enthusiasm!.

I asked can I give you one last word of advice" He said, YES, SIR! (he hasn't said yes sir to me for years)

I said this: "Do NOT anticipate. Anticipation is always worse than the actual event. Take it as it comes. There is nothing they will ask of you that can't be done and they will show you it can be done. Go show 'em what your made of!"

Again, he said, YES, SIR!.

I like this already!

P.S. He's already made a buddy, someone else who was "screwed' two weeks ago. Probabbly same Platoon (we'll see) and same MOS too!.

Semper Fi! These kids are the future of this great nationa and to paraphrase Frank Schaffer from his books, my wife and I have given the Corps our best.

Now the journey begins. I will try to keep ya'll posted. Thanks for the words of encouragement to date!

[marinemom]

Congrats - and as I said to you before, the feeling that you will get as you see him and his platoon march across the parade deck cannot be described. tigger is a 3rd generation Marine, and I still got shook up.

Now, I could gloat and say I told you so.....but I won't, lol. And remember, the plane may get in to San Diego at 1900 hours, he will not get to the Depot until a whole lot later...the head games begin!

[Camper51]

Congrats - and as I said to you before, the feeling that you will get as you see him and his platoon march across the parade deck cannot be described. tigger is a 3rd generation Marine, and I still got shook up.

Now, I could gloat and say I told you so.....but I won't, lol. And remember, the plane may get in to San Diego at 1900 hours, he will not get to the Depot until a whole lot later...the head games begin!

The handlers met several of us as we got off the plane and we were taken directly to the depot with no delays at all. The fun began as soon as the bus doors opened and that first Drill instructor boarded the bus to tell us to "You have five seconds to get off my f*cking bus and go stand at attention on the yellow footprints, NOW DO IT!!!"

Gee what a wonderful day it was...

[NoRegrets]

Congrats! My Son's ship date was a but messy back in Jan. but in a few days he will graduate:yes: Good luck to your Son, I mean recruit:beer:

[Syzygyone]

It's April 15, 2008. My son reported to MCRD San Diego exactly one month after he was supposed to ship. The first delay was by his choice to guarantee an 02XX MOS. The second was by MEPS choice and that was hard to take. Long story short, the wart was cured to MEPS satisfation exactly 14 days after the initial temporary disqualification.

When we recevied the call that he was shipping, it took some time to sink in. By the time I called his mom, he'd already placed a call to her AND to his brother. Good news travels fast! The rest of the afternoon I was floating at work. This was such a HUGE relief. Many people wonder why I am so excited and think I should be very concerned. Well, that's for later. For now, we are content to be pleased that, by his own choice, our son, whom we love beyond words, but who had become a constant source of stress and anxiety because of his lack of motivation for school or work, and his choice of "freinds", has taken an incredible step toward manhood. It was very nice, not only to be called "sir" but to hear this child happy, excited, and enthusiastic, instead of bored, crabby and insolent. I and my wife are adult enough to freely admit that we need to assistance of the United States Marine Corps to polish off the raising of this child.

We gave him a throw away cell phone to contact us with while enroute and it paid off. Recruit Johns called while we were out eating an early dinner and left a message that he had met a new buddy and gave us his buddy's parents' phone number. We'll reach out to them in the next few days. My wife is happy that he has a buddy.

So, we popped in "Ears Open, Eyeballs CLick" and began to watch it again. We called everyone we could think of and they unanimously share our joy and pride. He called again to say he was boardng the plane and we immediately went to FLightaware and tracked the flight of our youngest leaving the nest. We printed out several progress reports which will go into his scrapbook.

As we watched the report of his plane landing, he called again, while taxiing, to say they'd made the greatest landing in the world because you could see MCRD right out the window. He also said he got about an hour nap and also that his brother, who is in the final stages of air traffic control training, had managed to pass a message to the pilots of his airplane wishing him personally and all the Marine recruits good luck and godspeed. We all thought that was pretty cool.

We then immediately notified his grandparents. His maternal grandfather is a veteran of the Tarawa invasion and is just very pleased with this whole endeavor.

My wife and I sat through the rest of the evening occasionally looking at each other in wonderment that this great thing has really happened. Jordan had contacted his brother again, saying they were hanging out in the USO, gathering his fellow recruits as the stremed in. It's now 1030 in California so he only has a few more hours before the inculcation begins. So, now, after I go check in with recruit parents.com, I am going to write the first of about 90 letters, as will his mother. We'll store them until we get his address.

Thanks all! Ooorah! MCRD SD FOXTROT :thumbup:

[ScottsMom]

Get ready for an incredible journey. As the marinemom said earlier, when you watch your son walk across the parade deck it will be the proudest moment of your life, as well as your sons. Joining the Marine Corps (my son was the 11th family memeber to join) was the very best thing that could have happened to my son and although he is a new Marine (November 2007), he is so very proud of what he has done and will hold his head up high to defend his Country. OOH RAH!!!

[Syzygyone]

I woke up at 4:30 wondering what he was doing. He's probably already had his hair cut but that’s nothing new to him as he had a friend buzz his head about a month ago. When I was in AOCS, I came to look forward to the haircuts because the vacuum hose from the clippers was pleasantly cool and the aftershave the put on after the razor cut was really refreshing. Usually that pleasure lasted only until you got back outside and once again, we were back doing pushups.

I’ve been doing research on marineparents.com and especially on recruitparents.com. Tons of very helpful people who have gone through this experience and are willing to share. We found the thread for MCRDSD 2RTBN Fox and I will be posting there regularly. We also found out the colors. We think 2nd is Yellow. That’s a coincidence because I was in the 2nd at Pensacola and our color was yellow too. When we passed the first room, locker and personnel (RLP) inspection and were "secured" after 4 weeks, we were allowed to wear our colors and had white tape on our name tags, signifying the second phase of that training. We had logos designed. Since this was our D.I.’s first class, our saying was, “1781 – SSgt Walker’s First Blood". The design had an F-14 silhouette with a squadron logo of heart pierced by sword dripping blood! We were pretty proud to wear those colors. My nickname was Cro-Magnon, due to the shape of my shaved head. Jordan's mom acted as our class “Mom”. She brought us geedunk and material for our flag, etc. I think she even sewed it. She got a jersey too and since she was eight months pregnant with our oldest son, her nickname was WONANAHAF!

The weather here today is getting pretty cold again and it actually started snowing big time. So much for spring time in the Rockies, eh? I chuckled though when I thought that my son's previously favorite pass time was turning donuts on icy parking lots. At least he won't have to deal with cold temperatures.


Also, I’ve been reading on the boards that each platoon will have a “witch doctor”. He’s a guy who carries band-aids and tape and moleskin if anyone gets small cuts or blisters or sore spots on their feet. That’s pretty common so I am sure the USMC has it figured out plus I am told that they are always accompanied by a Corpsman! That makes me and Jordan's mom feel better.

Jordan's mom keeps asking me things like, do you think they've eaten yet? or when is lights out? I can only respond that in my experience we were fed three times per day and had no trouble falling asleep at night. I am betting that tonight, Wednesday April 16, is the first time you have slept since 0330 Tuesday morning.

My questions are more toward the specifics because I remember that’s what I was focused on when I was in. What uniforms have been issued so far? How many? Footwear? How well do they fit? Frame of reference is interesting.

Jordan's mom said she felt discombabulated all day, kind of like she's moving around without an appendage. That really is accurate. We are now true empty nesters and the Marine Corps now has our 6' 3" 200 pound baby. We've not received even the brief phone call and certainly no letter yet so we are struggling to deal for the first time, with not knowing. We take solace in the statements by others that no news is good news.

So ends day three, the first day of adjustment and wondering. God bless all the troops and especially the recruits and families of MCRDSD 2nd RTBN Fox Company! :thumbup:

[Syzygyone]

I awoke at 0500 this morning, once again wondering what he was doing. I hoped he was still asleep out there and could have a chance for a decent breakfast this morning. Which lead me to wonder how is the food so far? I know this is only receiving and forming but the chow is probably the same all the way through. I contented my self with the thought that today at least, he'd probably have time to eat.
It's snowing in Colorado and I chuckled that at least he wouldn't have to be dealing with freezing temperatures. Work passed normally, all the while I was wondering if you would be able to call as others have said to expect.

We just got the call at 1835 PDT, 17 April. It was collect as we expected and from the 619 area code. Very short, monosyllabic responses and very soft. We heard tiredness in his voice but when I asked if he’d had his head shaved and got his uniforms, his response was, “Yep!” When I asked about boots and if they fit, he said “Yes sir!” I asked how he was doing and he said "Tomorrow is the big day we meet the D.I.’s. Then, that quickly, he had to go. One more we love you and are proud of you and it was over. We could hear others in the background.

It took a second or two to register that that was him who had called, calling from United States Marine Corps boot camp. We are, as are all of you we're sure, so very proud of them and what they have chosen to do. I tried to explain to his mom why I feel he's doing okay despite the lack of his normally high energy voice. But mom’s think differently. Ooorah to all the Recruits of Fox Company! Tomorrow will come and go and they will be one day closer to becoming a United States Marine. WOW! I still can't quite get my head around that.

[NoRegrets]

We didn't get the first call because My Son got their late do to a lay over in Dallas. I only talked to him once in bootcamp and I asked who is this when he called. Poor kids voice was so horse. He was plenty sick in boot camp and said never had he been that sick in his life. My Son is grauduating tomorrow so when he gets home he can go to the DR.

You guys should get the movie "Ears, Open. Eyeballs Click" it is one of the best videos i've seen that actually details the life of a recruit!!! I also bought "The Making Of A Marine". I have watched them often.

[Syzygyone]

We didn't get the first call because My Son got their late do to a lay over in Dallas. I only talked to him once in bootcamp and I asked who is this when he called. Poor kids voice was so horse. He was plenty sick in boot camp and said never had he been that sick in his life. My Son is grauduating tomorrow so when he gets home he can go to the DR.

You guys should get the movie "Ears, Open. Eyeballs Click" it is one of the best videos i've seen that actually details the life of a recruit!!! I also bought "The Making Of A Marine". I have watched them often.

We've watched "Ears,," several times. Just great. Didn't know about Making of a Marine. Will go find that tomorrow.
Glad you son made it and I wish him all the best!

[NoRegrets]

We've watched "Ears,," several times. Just great. Didn't know about Making of a Marine. Will go find that tomorrow.
Glad you son made it and I wish him all the best!

Thank you...:) I got my making of a Marine movie at Sams Club before he left for BC so we watched it together a bunch..The stories I am hearing now are something else! My Son and I have a lot to catch up on..

[quillhill]

We didn't get the first call because My Son got their late do to a lay over in Dallas. I only talked to him once in bootcamp and I asked who is this when he called. Poor kids voice was so horse. He was plenty sick in boot camp and said never had he been that sick in his life. My Son is grauduating tomorrow so when he gets home he can go to the DR.

You guys should get the movie "Ears, Open. Eyeballs Click" it is one of the best videos i've seen that actually details the life of a recruit!!! I also bought "The Making Of A Marine". I have watched them often.

Congratulations to your son for earning the title! I'm sure the next few days will be a whirlwind (if it's anything like when my brother finished AF boot camp a few years ago).

Thank you for raising such a fine young man who would choose to serve his country. My grandfather served eight years and fought at Iwo Jima. Your son is carrying on a proud tradition for him and those of us who support our troops.

I'm very much enjoying reading this thread. I'm having flashbacks to how I felt when my brother was going through is AF boot experience. While the USMC training is different the questions as a family member feel so familiar.

I take my leave now and go back to lurking. Pardon the interruption.

[Syzygyone]

Friday 18 April

I awoke this morning thinking about the phone call we received from our Recruit last night and wondering what it must be like for these kids to meet the D.I.s. My last advice to him before he left was not spend time anticipating because it is almost always worse than the actual event. I think that applies even to Black Friday. By now, they are neck deep into Black Friday but I took it as a good sign that our son referred to it in his phone call as, "Tomorrow's the big day we meet our D.I.s" I've written most of my letter to him for the day. (I've written 5 short ones now counting the day he left for MEPS) I urged him to stay motivated and to think of this as giving himself the gift of perseveracne. Getting through to graduation will prove to themselves that they have abilities far beyond what they thought.

I hope things are going well for all the recruits of Fox Company and hopefully in a few days we will get a Platoon Address so I can mail these letters.

Thanks to all for all your kind words of encouragement. His mom and I are coping much easier with the assistance of this forum and recruitparents.com

[Syzygyone]

I'm getting confused and I supposed some of the rest of you too. When I post days, I am referring to Days since Recruit Jordan left for MEPS. In the future, I will annotate the title with the specific Day, as in Forming 1 = F1, Training 1 = T1. I am going by the matrix that can be seen at this site: http://www.mcrdsd.usmc.mil/RTR/RTR_Matrix%201.htm. (http://www.mcrdsd.usmc.mil/RTR/RTR_Matrix%201.htm.)

These were the forming days for the platoons of Fox Company and we hope to soon receive an address which will include the Platoon Number so we can start mailing letter.

We spent our first weekend as "empty nesters". We spent the whole first weekend wandering around feeling not out of sorts but not quite knowing what to do with ourselves. Our thoughts are continually returning to our son and our memories of his early years keep coming back. We are constantly asking each other, well, today, they do X - and then we discuss how we think his personality will relate to that. Usually we come to the conclusion that he will eat this or that up.

We are sure Forming 1, F1 Pick Up, was intense. But we believe, after his phone call that he was looking forward to it.

We don't know what F2 In house procedures, or F3 with a picture of a Church, actually entail but marine acquantances, some with recent experience with children going through Boot Camp, tell me it's when they are "taught" the rules of living in a barracks. Our son has always been fastidious about his appearance, even if we didn't like how he appeared. The difference now, and this may be a big hurdle for him, is that HE has to do the cleaning, and HE has to keep his cothing straight. They will learn, if they haven't already that mistakes have immediate and significant consequence, something that I, as a parent, probably have been guilty of softening up for my youngest child (read "spoiled"). If nothing else, In House Procedurs appear to us to be a majopr step toward self sufficiancy and maturity that the Corps helps these young men take.

Now, today is Forming 4 or F4, which the Matrix indicates is "Intro to M16". He's had a little exposure to weapons but what he has done he's enjoyed immensely. We think he will enjoy this part because it really marks the first introduction these kids have to what the military is really about, defending this country. That sometimes means weapons and certainly in the Marine Corps, with every marine being a rifelman, it will carry significant weight. With the issuance of the weapons, real honest to goodness weapons, for which they now have full responsibilty, it becomes a reality for these young people. It begins to show them that what they are attempting is truly important, as important as it can possible be. I am truly proud of each and everyone of these young men and the path they have chosen.

I have long marveled at the genius and wisdom and Marine training methods. Each and every step has a purpose and is scheduled in such a way as to have the most impact on the recruit. It surely was when I was drilled by Marine D.I.s almost 30 years ago. Days of toil and sweat and yelling are followed by the psychological lift of being issued a weapon! Surely more toil and sweat and yelling follow but now, they have taken the first step to becoming a part of The Few, The Proud! It really works marvelously well.

By our count, Boot Camp last 89 days. They have completed the receiving and forming week. They've completed 7 and are into their 8th day. Only 81 to go! The books we've read and my recollection confirm that they will live Sunday to Sunday. In the interim, they live meal to meal. My advice to our son was to NOT anticipate, just take it as it comes, focus on the task at hand and the time takes care of itself.

I hope the same holds true for his parents.

[marinemom]

Just remember that you brought him up gave him the ability to make a decision that will bring him to a plateau of exellence beyond all - or abut 95% - of the kids with whom he attended school.

He may have been fastidious about his appearance at home - he will become a raving fanatic about it by the time he crosses the Parade Deck - not to mention "policing the area" - barracks in boot and the fleet, and also at home.

One funny story to tell his mother - when my son "tigger" got home, I left a sleeping, skinny Marine when I went to work on the Monday morning after graduation. I opened the door when I got home and the combined smells of lemon oil, ammonia, Windex and Lysol hit me full on. I mean I had tears in my eyes.

Walked in to find the kid in the recliner chair watching baseball on a TV screen that glowed, with a beer on a coaster (he never knew what a coaster was before!) on a coffeee table that was so shiny, the sun coming through the so-clean-they-are-invisible windows bounced off it. OK, this is a bit strange, but....went into the kitchen - all wood cabinnets polished, floor sparkling and waxed, all appliances totally washed and shined - and the bathrooms - well, let's just say his Senior would have liked them.

Asked him why he went berserk on the cleaning - his reply was that he did not go berserk, he was simply policing the area.....

Yes, the transformation is a total one.................

[NoRegrets]

Just remember that you brought him up gave him the ability to make a decision that will bring him to a plateau of exellence beyond all - or abut 95% - of the kids with whom he attended school.

He may have been fastidious about his appearance at home - he will become a raving fanatic about it by the time he crosses the Parade Deck - not to mention "policing the area" - barracks in boot and the fleet, and also at home.

One funny story to tell his mother - when my son "tigger" got home, I left a sleeping, skinny Marine when I went to work on the Monday morning after graduation. I opened the door when I got home and the combined smells of lemon oil, ammonia, Windex and Lysol hit me full on. I mean I had tears in my eyes.

Walked in to find the kid in the recliner chair watching baseball on a TV screen that glowed, with a beer on a coaster (he never knew what a coaster was before!) on a coffeee table that was so shiny, the sun coming through the so-clean-they-are-invisible windows bounced off it. OK, this is a bit strange, but....went into the kitchen - all wood cabinnets polished, floor sparkling and waxed, all appliances totally washed and shined - and the bathrooms - well, let's just say his Senior would have liked them.

Asked him why he went berserk on the cleaning - his reply was that he did not go berserk, he was simply policing the area.....

Yes, the transformation is a total one.................

Great Story:D

Here is mine,

Came home from Boot Camp and felt like he was doing something wrong.

Sleeps late again.

Showers are long again.

Stands with arms behind his back.

Makes his bed but not like in boot camp.

Restless

Bought me some roses..Brownie points for that one..:)

He is very proud of what he has become but it will take a bit for them to be their old self.

Marie

[Gator347]

My Marine was never on time in his life! - Now he is 15 minutes early.

My Marine lived like a pig. We begged (DI Style) him to clean his room. - He now refuses to sleep at his sister's apartment because it's a mess.

My Marine was always looking out for his own needs. - He now puts the family first.

God Bless the Corps!!!

[Syzygyone]

I love these stories! Keep 'em coming! They give us hope!

Our son, while fastidious about appearance and cleanliness, usually took like a hour to take a shower. Also, while he liked cleanliness and everything neat and tidy, HE wasn't the one to do the cleaning. And being on time? Lordy lordy. That's what drove him mom and me the craziest. He would ALWAYS delay departing. It's like he never thought anything about being late. We're pretty confident that bad habit will be broken. On the day he reported for transport to MEPS, he was told to arrive at 0830. Typically he delayed and sure enough, the MGySgt called him at 0830 on the dot. Luckily, after a needlessly frantic drive, we were actually pulling into the parking lot so he only got a small reaming, but perhaps the point was made.

I am really looking forward to shaking the hands of the D.I.s after graduation. I am SURE they will have earned our never ending gratitude and appreciation.

[marinemom]

Shower time will be extremely shortened for about the first 4 days of boot leave - takes them that long to realize the they actually can enjoy a long, hot shower of more than 1 1/2 minutes..

By the time he gets back home, he has totally learned the functions of brooms, mops, rags, polish, wax and all the other cleaning goodies. And he knows how to use them to their optimum usefulness. Be afraid, be very afraid!

Timeliness is now part of his DNA - and if you are planning a family outing when he is home, I'll bet you $5.00 right now that he is ready at least 1/2 an hour before you are.

Also, since you went through the transformation, you should be prepared for the extent or politeness and respect that he will demonstrate when he gets home, but you may have to warn his mother to be prepared to be referred to as "ma'am" when he does us the term " mother" or "mom".

And, just a reminder, he will be stripped down to the choice core of himself, so warn his mother not to get hysterical at how much weight he might lose, or how "thin you look" - when tigger went to the Island, he was 6'6" and 190 pounds. Always lean in build, I still was not prepared to see him on the parade deck and to find out that his weight was now 167 pounds - he had a 30 inch waist, not since 8th grade had he a 30 inch waist.

RIght now, he is still a 6'6" Marine Sergeant- at 220 pounds, with a 19 inch neck, a 47 inch chest and a 36 inch waist - the Marine Corps builds men!

[woodysmom]

My son boarded his bus to Parris Island on Feb. 11, 2008. As I type this he is in the midst of The Crucible. A friend told me I would get a "mom you're the best letter after 10 weeks". Mine came after 10 days... She still hates me over that one. He's ready to leave the island, has gained 10 pounds or so, had no problems until this past week and he sprained his ankle and got major blisters on his hands. He hasn't been to medical at all and is toughing it out... like a Marine. He thinks the DIs are hysterical, but know how to do their job expertly and that is to make them into Marines.

This was not the post-high school path I hoped for my intelligent athletic son, but it's the one he chose and I couldn't be more proud of his courage, his commitment, and his compassion. He was my buddy for many years and I miss him terribly. Counting down the hours until he graduates with his dream intact.
-Woody's Mom