First, thanks for approving me and I look forward to spending a lot of time on this site! My son will leave for Great Lakes on Tuesday April 12th. We are all starting to get a little nervous and excited all at the same time. We thought that there may be some time to support our son and spend some extra time together on the 12th but he has stated not much goes on for parents and he will be busy. He has requested we drop him off at the hotel in San Diego the night of the 11th and say out good-buys there. I am not sure if we should push a little to be there on the 12th, if the other young people will be surrounded by loved ones or if we should honor his wishes and wrap it up on the 11th. I realize he is becoming a man and I want to honor his wishes but I don't want him to be the only one standing around alone. Anyone that has been thru this and has any advice we would really appreciate! Thanks Again!
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Yes, we are also done.
I am so glad I asked the question on this board and went to MEPS. The ceremony was great and something we will watch with family. There was one girl with no family their and she asked someone to take a picture and I felt bad for her not having any support there.
For those who read this in the future:
Monday we did a family day together in San Diego and got my son to his hotel by 7 PM. We said some long goodbyes and left to go to another local hotel. We didn't know the military had overbooked that hotel and later our son was bused to a different hotel. He got to bed late and they got him up at 3 AM as he had to be brought back to the first hotel for breakfast and to ride the bus over to MEPS with everyone else.
We got to MEPS around 8:30 AM and got to sit with him in the family area. He would get called into different areas for a long time. We finally went to swearing-in and they do a good job and even let me come up front to video. My son was really tired but they would not let any of the boys sleep. After that they gave him a box lunch and we sat with him as he ate. They then announced he would not fly out for GL until the next morning. It worked out better as this gave him a chance to go back to the hotel and sleep. We could have stayed as he could go out with us after he was returned to the hotel as long as he was back by 10 PM. He just wanted to rest and we had to get back home for work the next day. He called us later and we all got to talk with him but pushed him to turn in early.
This morning he sent me a text from the airport to let me know he was flying out had gotten a great night of sleep. He called again in Chicago and was getting some pizza before jumping on the bus for GL. We just got the call that he was safe, and would write to us in a couple weeks. It has begun!
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well the deed is done ...
David swore into the Navy yesterday and is now enjoying the friendly confines of beautiful Great Lakes Ill.
A big Bravo Zulu has to go out to the Jacksonville MEPS center, great facility, efficient process, and wonderful people made it a pleasant event for both new recruits and their guests. Hopefully all the parents who can in anyway attend their recruits "send off" will.
Brett, did your son make it out OK, did you get to attend? He and David could very well be sitting together and admiring their "new hair styles" as we speak. LOL
Have him call you this evening. He'll probably have a good idea of his movements by then. I know my son had to have his final medical exam that morning - sign his contract - THEN swear in. and all in all it was about a 6 hour day for him at MEPS. we arrived at 8? and saw him as I said in my other post, after his medical & contract and before his swearing in. then for lunch afterwards... until he left.
Great News! We are going on Tuesday and he is good with that! We take him to the hotel tonight in San Diego and then we are going to join him Tuesday at MEPS until they put him on the bus for the airport. I know they leave early for MEPS and have some paperwork to complete. I am not sure when the family should arrive but we were thinking around 8 AM. I don't want to miss the swearing in, should we go earlier???
Dan,
Sorry I missed that. I agree, LOL. I will not look for you in San Diego but we can celebrate in Illinois!
LOL, don't look for me on the 12th. My son (David) is shipping from Jacksonville Florida, and San Diego is just a little bit too far to go just for a cold beer. I was referring to the boys PIR to celebrate their graduation from boot camp ... I'm just assuming you will be making that trip to Great Lakes.
I want to give a big THANKS to everyone that has commented! We will be at the swearing in with all cameras and video charged up! I am so glad I found navydads.com as I got great advice and I am sure this will just be the start of my questions and posts. It is so nice to know we are not the first to go through this and many parents experience a similar situation. Thank again and Dan I will be looking for you on the 12th! I will probably need an "adult beverage" after that morning :)
As you said Dan.....Win/Win !!!!! Trust me...It's all because it is hard for him to say "goodbye" to Mom & Dad....You have earned the right as parents to get him to this point. He will look back on it fondly some day.....
Howdy Brett,
My son also ships out on April 12th.
Here is how his mother and I played the we want to attend the swearing in ceremony game.
As all "grown up" sons his age, he didn't want us there ... wanted to do it himself ... I'm big and don't need my parents holding my hand ... yadda yadda yadda.
Sooooo we told him that we would find out what hotel they were staying at the night of the 11th and we would make reservations to stay at the same hotel so we could buy him dinner and maybe hang out a little bit in the evening with him and some of his new found friends and future shipmates. Needless to say he was mortified, so we "made a compromise" and his mother and I will only attend the swearing in (win/win).
With both young men swearing in the 12th, it's a darn good chance they will be going through this together, maybe we can hook up for a celebratory adult beverage at their PIR.
Definitely go to MEPS for the swearing in. We didn't know what the process for the day would be but it turned out that he stayed with us for about 30 min. prior to the "ceremony" then he got his bag lunch and ate with us in the family room for maybe an hour? if that. Then the "Shippers" were all called away and next thing we knew he was lining up to get on the airport shuttle.
The time spent during that day went a long way to easing my feelings about him leaving. I only nearly lost control when he was on line with his processing papers ready to walk out.
We were all there for him (siblings, parents & grandfather)....most everyone had at least one person there for them.
Elicia
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