Sad story, I need some answers, maybe someone here can help.

[robpritc]

I just had another thought. If it turns out the problem was because there was no documentation for this appointment, then I am assuming the recruiters and I can still try to keep him in--by going through the chain of command, getting proof, etc. Also, if they don't keep him now (IF it is because of no documentation), will he be able to re-enlist? Thank you.

[darkgreen0311]

I actually hope everything works out for your son.I believe you stated that he's been crying to the counselor that he's home sick. That's a red flag and if he's saying he's home sick there is no telling what he's telling this counselor or doctor. Hopefully you'll find out in the coming days.








Semper Fi 4 Life
Yours is not to question why but to do or die!!!

[Big Jim]

I just had another thought. If it turns out the problem was because there was no documentation for this appointment, then I am assuming the recruiters and I can still try to keep him in--by going through the chain of command, getting proof, etc. Also, if they don't keep him now (IF it is because of no documentation), will he be able to re-enlist? Thank you.

IF INDEED IT WAS DUE TO THE RECRUITERS FAULT OF NOT TRYING TO OBTAIN A WAIVER FOR THE YOUNG MAN'S DOCTOR VISIT...YES HE WOULD GET TO STAY IN I WOULD THINK...BUT YOU REALLY HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED ALL OF THIS MESS. YOU NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU KNOW FOR SURE...UNDERSTAND? JUST WAIT AND SEE...OK?

[robpritc]

Yes Big Jim, thank you, I know I need to wait and see but this whole weekend of waiting has felt like an eternity.

Darkgreen, I understand what you are saying. It's just that all I have read over the past year (since he signed the papers) is that the marines don't send them home this easy if they are just homesick. I also would want him to stay if that is all it is, knowing he would get over it. I hope that is all it is, but whether it is or not, I know that mom can't fix it all, as much as we want too.

Sgt Reagle, just wanted to say thanks again, my mind is at least a little more at ease now.

All of you have been very helpful and supportive to this very distressed mom.

[Isrowei]

This has nothing to do with whether he is "cut out" for the Corps or not. He hadn't even met his Drill Instructors yet so that argument is moot. Sounds like a moment of truth confession and lack of documention. Which.. would kinda feel like getting punished for doing the right thing and that is a lot of stress for a young man to handle. I don't blame him for crying one bit.

Best advice is to wait it out. Talk to the recruiters and keep up with them for info. They don't want him to come back any more than you do.

Good luck.

[UsmcMotorT]

Well maybe he broke down or whatever during receiving. You are sleep and food deprived for two days. And maybe he bugged out and someone noticed it.

Hopefully everything works out.

[robpritc]

Hi, Me again. I have spent the day trying to work this all out. I still have no answers. I went to the recruiters as soon as they opened this morning. They had not heard anything. I just talked to them 1/2 an hour ago, still nothing. This is just nuts. The recruiters did suggest I get a statement from the therapist our son saw, which someone above suggested. They said they would send that statement with a waiver "in case" that was the problem and maybe it would help. I went to the therapist's office, the doctor said he would fax it to them this afternoon. When I called the recruiters a short while ago, they still had not received the fax. I made sure the therapist knew how important it was. So, I just got off the phone with therapist's office, of course he is gone already, but they left messages on both his home phone and cell phone. I hope I hear from them or him soon. This just keeps getting crazier. I called our congressman's office--got a machine, left a message, no call back yet. I will call again tomorrow am and I have a letter almost done that I am planning on dropping of there tomorrow.

I have not yet received an address for my son, so I can't even let him know we are here fighting for him.

Maybe no news is good news. Maybe they just stuck him back in the platoon--yeh, I know, that's asking too much.

Thanks, I will be back when I know more.

Robin

[DGardner]

I have not yet received an address for my son, so I can't even let him know we are here fighting for him.

Unless it's changed since I was there (I doubt it)

Rct. (Last name, First name) Last 4 SSN
Recruit Separations Company
P.O Box 15420
Parris Island SC 29905-5420

and by the way.. while I was there It was normal for us to be in and out in 8 days (for the most part). but we were told to tell 14-21 just incase there were delays.

Hope this helps.

-Gardner

[DGardner]

Oh and by the way you should get a phone call the day before he leaves the island and the day of to give you the arrival of his bus to his final stop. Other than that you probably won't get a call unless there is a special occasion or something.




-Gardner

[robpritc]

Hi, Thanks for the address. Also were you in and out of PI for some reason? Just wondering, I am learning so much.

Well, the recruiters faxed the info. from the doctor down to PI last night. They have heard nothing today. They told us they don't know if it will help or not, but it is the only thing we can try. I did also contact our congressman. He said that in order to protest it, we would need our son to write up a statement. I don't want to make a big stink of it though. I will mention it to our son if he calls again, but I won't push it. He's not the type of person to make many waves either. Plus, if this is all going to work out in the end, I figure, why make too much of it now, right?

Oh, and our son got to call last night. He sounded good, didn't sound as defeated as he did the other night. I can tell his gumption is back!!! He also said Mom, I can re-enlist!!!!! Yeah!!!! That helped me feel better right there. Knowing his dream is not gone. I told him we had the doctor write up a statement and it got faxed down there, but he did not know if it would help. (I didn't expect him to know, but wanted to keep him up on all that was being done.)

Thank you all again, you have all been so helpful!!!!!

Robin

[Big Jim]

Hi, Thanks for the address. Also were you in and out of PI for some reason? Just wondering, I am learning so much.

Well, the recruiters faxed the info. from the doctor down to PI last night. They have heard nothing today. They told us they don't know if it will help or not, but it is the only thing we can try. I did also contact our congressman. He said that in order to protest it, we would need our son to write up a statement. I don't want to make a big stink of it though. I will mention it to our son if he calls again, but I won't push it. He's not the type of person to make many waves either. Plus, if this is all going to work out in the end, I figure, why make too much of it now, right?

Oh, and our son got to call last night. He sounded good, didn't sound as defeated as he did the other night. I can tell his gumption is back!!! He also said Mom, I can re-enlist!!!!! Yeah!!!! That helped me feel better right there. Knowing his dream is not gone. I told him we had the doctor write up a statement and it got faxed down there, but he did not know if it would help. (I didn't expect him to know, but wanted to keep him up on all that was being done.)

Thank you all again, you have all been so helpful!!!!!

Robin

THATS REALLY GOOD NEWS, MA'AM...REALLY GOOD NEWS. ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE MARINE CORPS IS THEIR "HURRY UP AND WAIT" FACTOR AND THE "NOT SO BAD AS IT SEEMS" FACTOR. YOU CAN ALMOST COUNT ON THOSE TWO THINGS TO HAPPEN...FREQUENTLY TOO...!! ITS JUST THE WAY THE MARINE CORPS OPERATES...IT MAY BE SLOW BUT THE INFORMATION WILL GET THERE...THE TRICK IS TRY AND NOT YOUR WORRYING RUN AWAY FROM YOU...AND NEVER, EVER JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS, OK? I'M HAPPY THAT EVERYTHING WORKED OUT OK...

[DGardner]

Oh, and our son got to call last night.

Shows how much I know lol.

RSP isn't that bad. Cleaning and working parties and cleaning and TV watching and cleaning... that's it in a nutshell. When he comes home he'll know how to clean just about anything! haha

-Gardner

[Bdchi1]

Robin,

I remember quite vividly the fact that while the DIs and PI overall were rough and tough, the goal was to make MARINES. That requires sacrifices beyond imaginiation, and thats something that cannot be remedied by DEP or talking to recruiters. The MCRDs must take the best interest of the Corps and balance that with the best interest of the individual recruit.

These are extremely trying times on Country, Corps and Marines. In such times, things go bad because bad things are seen, heard and done. The actions affect a Marine, his family and future for all. In the balance, the Corps found something worthy enough in your son to send him to PI. That is a proud accomplishment within itself. Furthermore, no matter the reason for sending your son home, the Corps would rather hurt your son's ego than hurt his future (mental, physical, family, etc...). So keep in mind that neither you nor your son have anything to hang your head over. When the dust settles, I'm sure your son can find and develop that one piece that the Corps is looking for, and if he so desire, he will earn that title: MARINE.

Regardless, your son has my respect for standing up in a time when the Country and Corps needed him to stand. So continue standing and make best of his and your futures.

http://showcase.netins.net/web/creat...n/failures.htm

The above link is a very enlightening insight to what overcoming adversity and failure means to one's self and country. It is a proclaimed list of Abe Lincoln's failures. To say the least, he was well experienced in both failure and overcoming the same. Just look what he accomplished nonetheless.


Semper Fi.

To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.
William Shakespeare

[robpritc]

Thank you Gardner and Bdch1, I respect the both of you, too, very much. I thank all our military whenever I can, Marines, army, navy, air force, c. guard, etc. Not enough recognition goes out to any of you, I don't think.

Gardner, you did make me laugh. Now I will have a good excuse to have him help me out if he comes home!

No new news today so far.

[robpritc]

I haven't posted any news in a week as I really don't have any. Here's an update though.

The recruiters do not seem to be helping us at all. Every time they say the will call someone, we never hear back form them and when we call them again (because we don't hear back), they say they have heard nothing. Through a number of phone calls this week, I was finally able to contact the counselor at PI again who spoke with our son over a week ago. He would not give any more information than what he already gave me, he did say it happened during the Moment of Truth, which is pretty much what I had pieced together.

Also, I asked him if he ever received the fax from the counselor up here. He said he would not have received it and told us to call the Medical Review Board. He gave us their number. I called the number, the person I talked to said they have no record of receiving the fax BUT said that if they did not request it, then they would not have a record of it anyway. I told her they didn't request it, it was just us speculating on what could have happened and trying to fix things from our end. We don't know who ended up with the fax. I talked to the recruiters after my phone call to the Med. Review Board and all they would offer me is "we faxed it down to them". I asked if they could get confirmation that it was received and give me the name of who they sent it to, they skirted around the issue and I never got an answer.

The lady from the Medical Review Board gave me a phone number to the DI of the Separation Platoon. I called him. He said yes, our son was being discharged on a COG, which he said was Convenience of the Government. He couldn't tell me anything else as to the reason why he was there. He also told me he would have our son call us last night. Our son did call last night and the first thing he told me was that the drill instructor told him to call to tell me to stop calling. I had only called once, and I thought it was okay because the lady at the Med. Review Board offered me the number, I didn't ask for it. I again asked our son if he knew why this all happened. He said no. He did say that he will be coming home probably Thursday but will let us know today (Wednesday) or Thursday.

Our recruiters keep insisting this one therapist appointment (that he had here) would not be reason to send him home. Just yesterday, they told me that maybe something transpired between the doctor in PI and our son that we don't know about. Well, that has been my whole beef all along—What happened? We are not getting the whole story. Maybe our son panicked, I don't know, but if he did or something else went on, I just want to know, so that I can deal with it. I can deal with what I know—I can't deal with the unknown.

What exactly does COG mean? I found this….this is a "catch all," for voluntary separations that don't fall under specific programs. Note that it's called "convenience of the government," not "convenience of the servicemember". The military can use this provision when it would really rather that you get out, but doesn't have a basis to require your separation. (found on usmilitary.about.com)

So basically, they want him out but don't have an exact reason?

Will he have an RE code? or will COG be his RE code?

Thank you all so much.

Robin