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  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by jclarke View Post
    I was the only parent who didn't call to complain
    Good god, those poor Marines must be miserable! Fielding all those silly complaints from parents...I really feel for them. I know this sounds sarcastic given the context of this thread so far, but I truly mean this. Thank you, sir for understanding the training that was given to your son. Maybe you can help the other parents understand and give those poor Marines a break.


  2. #17
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    I mean c'mon! If Id really wanted to step into thing's concerning our son, I'd have called the OD to find out what's going on, how/where to write him. But, we know that isn't the "right" thing to do. We'll wait, just as we did when he went to the Island for a letter. It's all we can do, and what we know is best to do.


  3. #18
    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by elliscraig12 View Post
    Bottom line is, it's up to his unit to decide, not the recruiter. Once you ship off to boot camp, the recruiter is out of the picture, he's done his job. If you want to know what the policies of your new unit are, wait to get there and ask them.
    I totally agree with this statement. Sorry that the recruiter put false hopes in your new Marine's mind and yours, nothing worse than thinking he will get to come home. Once my son went to boot, I don't think I ever talked to the recruiter again....I asked if he wanted to try for RA, he just said no, I want to get things going.


  4. #19
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    This area is full

    of well off parent's who don't think their offspring should/should not have to do this or that. You'd be surprised at how many do NOT have their child take, accept responsibility for their action's, and realize the consequences for them (there's not enough room for the stories I could tell!). When I'd heard that parent's did call, I was floored, and asked the Gsgt I know wth? All he could do is shake his head in bewilderment.

    As far as "getting other parent's to understand"? ROFL! Believe me, we're not of their, umm, "class" to do that!

    Quote Originally Posted by afraziaaaa View Post
    Good god, those poor Marines must be miserable! Fielding all those silly complaints from parents...I really feel for them. I know this sounds sarcastic given the context of this thread so far, but I truly mean this. Thank you, sir for understanding the training that was given to your son. Maybe you can help the other parents understand and give those poor Marines a break.



  5. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by jclarke View Post
    of well off parent's who don't think their offspring should/should not have to do this or that. You'd be surprised at how many do NOT have their child take, accept responsibility for their action's, and realize the consequences for them (there's not enough room for the stories I could tell!). When I'd heard that parent's did call, I was floored, and asked the Gsgt I know wth? All he could do is shake his head in bewilderment.

    As far as "getting other parent's to understand"? ROFL! Believe me, we're not of their, umm, "class" to do that!
    Jeez where are you from? Sounds like part of the area my office is responsible for recruiting from.


  6. #21
    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    Never for one minute did I ever think of calling anyone in the Marines asking any questions. Any questions I had I just searched the net. If my son thought for a minute that I called someone regarding something that happened to him, I can't even imagine how mad he would be at me. He is a Marine now, I am still his mom, but I know he can handle anything that comes his way.


  7. #22
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    I just remember how it was when his Grandfather was in as a Warrant Officer. He "worked" the brig's, and I had room inspection's each and every Saturday. He'd come into my room wearing his white glove's, and there dang sure better not be something on the upper door, window frame's to dirty them! But, this was like, about 48 year's ago. Inaccuracies were not tolerated, and any/all information had better be accurate and recent!

    Much has changed since then, even within the Corps itself I imagine. and more are in the pipeline. All we know we can do is to wait, see and when we do have an address to write to him, to let him know to get on with what he know's he's gotta do to get to where he wants. He has a "Commandant's" list of what to read when he has down time. What he knows he doesn't want to be, is a "mediocre" Marine! His goal he told me when I took him to BWI was to work on getting rank of Sgt. in 2 year's. An almost unreachable goal probably to say the least, yet, from what I've learned, it can be done.


  8. #23
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    Jeez where are you from? Sounds like part of the area my office is responsible for recruiting from.

    We live in what's called Potomac, MD. It used to be Gaithersburg, but those who live here in the million dollar plus home's got it changed. As the original Gaithersburg area is not as "well monied" as this area. We live in County sponsored housing (which takes almost half our SSD), drive a 2004 Honda (just hit 50k in miles), his Mom works part-time, and I do what's needed at "home". Also try to sell baked goods (Monkey Bread, Cheesecake, Cookies). So, when we get an address, hopefully he'll be permitted a couple of packages of my baking.

    But, it's something we'll have to wait and see on. No telling how much he'll be in the field training. We're also "guessing" that since we've not heard from him, he's been "picked up" for training.


  9. #24
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    Exactly!

    Quote Originally Posted by Marinemom32 View Post
    Never for one minute did I ever think of calling anyone in the Marines asking any questions. Any questions I had I just searched the net. If my son thought for a minute that I called someone regarding something that happened to him, I can't even imagine how mad he would be at me. He is a Marine now, I am still his mom, but I know he can handle anything that comes his way.
    That's how I found that he'd be kept down there, if he wasn't picked up for training, he'd be in a "holding" platoon. And we know he'd be furious if we made any kind of call down there for any reason short of an emergency (and we'd hesitate on that even), as we'd want him to continue. He knows very well that he has no control of what his Mom and I are dealing with. And whatever will happen, is going to happen, whether he's here or not.


  10. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by jclarke View Post
    Jeez where are you from? Sounds like part of the area my office is responsible for recruiting from.

    We live in what's called Potomac, MD. It used to be Gaithersburg, but those who live here in the million dollar plus home's got it changed. As the original Gaithersburg area is not as "well monied" as this area. We live in County sponsored housing (which takes almost half our SSD), drive a 2004 Honda (just hit 50k in miles), his Mom works part-time, and I do what's needed at "home". Also try to sell baked goods (Monkey Bread, Cheesecake, Cookies). So, when we get an address, hopefully he'll be permitted a couple of packages of my baking.

    But, it's something we'll have to wait and see on. No telling how much he'll be in the field training. We're also "guessing" that since we've not heard from him, he's been "picked up" for training.
    MCT is roughly 29 days (can't remember the exact number) of which he will be in the field all but part of Sundays. I usually advise parents against sending anything to MCT as most new Marines do not even know their address there. He will be in and out so fast that the mail may not even get to him. From my experience, it is better to wait until he arrives at MOS school (assuming that it will be longer than 4 weeks).


  11. #26
    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    [quote=jclarke;826297]That's how I found that he'd be kept down there, if he wasn't picked up for training, he'd be in a "holding" platoon. And we know he'd be furious if we made any kind of call down there for any reason short of an emergency (and we'd hesitate on that even),

    Is he at SOI East? There is a web-site you can go to, and it gives an address to send mail, and gives a week by week description of what they will be doing, my son said it was a little outdated, but kind of accurate. Lots of Hikes, and they will be in the field through the week. Let me know and I can PM message the site to you, or just googgle SOI East and info will come up also. He sounds like a very motivated Marine, good luck to him and you!


  12. #27
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    Actually, we have no idea what part he is in! He was so intent on getting in, he went in on an "open contract"! He resisted "heartily" against going in as Reserve. So, when he left the Island, he hadn't even been assigned an MoS. His desire was to be where they needed him, wanted him to be. And to earn the assignment. He very much wants infantry, and believe it or not, to go to Afghanistan. We'd watched a lot on the History channel, and NatGeo that had "embedded" reporter's or other people who were premitted to show how the Marine's live and fight over there. There was a recent one on YouTube, some minutes long on how Camp Georgetown got a "rude" awakening one morning!

    He pretty much knew what he was getting into long before he got on the bus to the Island. And is willing to do what he has to do, to go through to get it done. I should tell that he "made a mistake" on the firing range, and the muzzle got to far on his side of the line so he was put back a week. He was allowed to call us and tell us. We immediately sent letter's telling him "!@#$ happens, and how we recover fro...is what counts." No "poor you" stuff, mainly "it's all on you and how you do from here". We don't know how long it took before he got them, as we sent them to the platoon he'd originally been in. By that time, he'd recovered, learned, regained his bearing, and earned his EGA.

    We got his times in several events he had to do and from what I understood from his Senior DI when we went down for graduation, our son had lit a fire under his butt and had done well on them. One of them had to do with overhead push-ups with a 30# ammo can, and several other's.


  13. #28
    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    Well I hope he gets what he wants...but it is all about the needs of the Corp, my sons MOS is Security Forces, but that is part of infantry, so he spent the 52 days living in the field at ITB. He is in Virginia finishing his training. All you can do is keep motivating him, and reminding him why he joined. My son really started to question his decision at ITB, but from what I read that is pretty normal with the training that they do there. I copied a paper he had written in the 7th grade and mailed it to him....He said that relly got him going again. I am sure it will be hard to spend the holidays without him, I am sure you just needed a place to vent! Good luck to your son, and if he does get infantry, let me know, I can try and answer any questions that you may have


  14. #29
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    True that! And he knew that when he accepted the open contract, that the Corps would put him where they needed him. What's interesting is he liked Parris Island, he enjoyed the training no matter how tough it got.

    He likes telling how he'd swiped a foot at a cockroach, and the Killhat had made him pick it up after someone had stepped on it. Then he had to find a live one to keep as a "pet". It soon dies, he quickly replaced it, poking a few holes in the baggie, and putting a piece of apple in it. When it died during one of the event's, he had to bury it, then say "services" over it!

    All the while he knew it was all "in fun", and just a "test" to see how'd he handle the entire "joke". It's one of his favorite stories from the Island. On the way home, he even commented on how he was already missing the Island, but was so ready for my cooking! And even when we got home, he didn't lay about, he was either helping the Recruiter's or doing something else. His room was kept the same as he did in boot camp. We even went to an indoor range where he was able to fire an AR, just to kind of keep it's feel in mind.

    So, we'll see what happens after Camp Geiger. Who knows?


  15. #30
    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    ha ha My son does the same thing, he looks back at the time he had on PI with very fond memories, and I knew he would. I tell you what, he had some of the funniest stories about his Kill Hat, he would have me laughing so hard...I love listening to all his stories about anything that he has done in the Marines. But I will have to say the stories that came out of Parris Island are the best.


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