New Marine Mom Here

[Linda Bingham]

My 22 year old son has joined the marines and leaves January 18th for boot camp. 5 DAYS YIKES Although I have had my emotional moments and have alot lately I am very proud and him very much for wanting to defend our country. Over the last two weeks I have had so many photos floating in my head we get to watch him be swore in on Tuesday morning and board the bus to go to the airport. April 15 he will graduate and I can't wait to see him and take lots of photos. The photographer in my is but the mom in me is

I can't wait to get back next week with photos to share with everyone and when he graduates I have a ton of photos floating in my head.

[TxTowman]

Congratulate and Thank him for Me!

[sheribeari]

PM me if you ever want to talk. I to am a Marine Mom. My son has been thru two tours in Iraq when it was at it's worst.

[brewercm]

Wow, I look back and it was 26 years ago this month I went into the Air Force. I remember to this day the look on my mothers face the day I went off to basic. The next time I saw that same look was heading to Korea. Trust me that even if he isn't showing it on the outside he will have that same feeling, although there's also that little excitement of the unknown about what he's heading into.

Give him a big thanks for his service. It's a whole different world than it was back then, and you must be so proud.

[Linda Bingham]

Will do TXtwoman

Thank you Sheri I may need a shoulder at times this is all new territory. Tell your son thank you for his service.

Clifton first thank you for your service, and I am glad to know you could see the many emotions in your moms face, words can't begin to describe the range of emotions I have. My son saw me cry for the first time Christmas day and when I say cry I mean flood gates opened and the waterworks didn't stop the rest of the day. I have seen the emotions in my sons eyes and heard the excitement on his lips. He is ready and I know he leaves a boy and will come back a man.
I will tell him thank you.

[jbelcid]

Oooraaah. Been out of the Marine Corps just 6 short years and not a day goes by I don't miss it. It will be a life changing experience for both you and him. Only piece of advice I'll give him is to take NOTHING personal in boot camp. Enjoy it, have fun with it. Cause years after he gets out when he meets another marine, they will share boot camp stories.

Tell him thanks from one marine to another.

[cwend]

Semper Fi

[djmick]

Semper Fi

[sheribeari]

Just thank God every day for him being in the Marines and not in another branch of the service. They train longer and better and have shorter tours than any other branch of the military. Take solace in the fact that he is well trained and also in knowing that he will never be alone. A Marine that is injured has a brother Marine with him at all times, even during surgery. On a side note.... Make sure you have a valid passport. If something were to happen, they would send your son to Germany. They will also send you to Germany and put you up while there, but your passport must be ready to prevent delays. Does your son have a wife/fiance/steady girlfriend??

[Linda Bingham]

Semper Fi Derek and Cory

Sheri thank you for that info I will get my passport right away I had already been thinking I needed to go ahead and get my passport just in case he's overseas. I have heard their tours are shorter and yes I like the fact that marines are trained longer and better. He doesn't have a wife/fiance/or girlfriend.

[sheribeari]

So glad there is no girl in the picture. The only thing that I found to be frustrating was that family readiness didn't contact parents if there was a wife/fiance/girl friend in the picture. I had to contact them and make sure I got included on notices about what was happening and newsletters. Unfortunately parents come behind them. But other than that, once I made sure I was on everyone's list, I got regular updates. Also, once deployed, there is a way to contact your Marine daily. You type a letter online, it is printed out at his camp and delivered to him/her. It is a way for them to have a taste of home every day. It is at: www.motomail.us/ Be sure to keep this link so when your son deploys, you can send him a note every day.

[Linda Bingham]

Sheri you are so kind and a wealth of information. We left Monday to take Laramey to leave on Tuesday and Tuesday morning we got there to find out he was bumped from going, they had to many going this week. He was told he would leave April 11. He was so disappointed. We left and he called his recruiter who got on it and arranged for him to leave this next Monday. Which is better because he has a friend going that day also. It has been a crazy week so we get to do it all over again Monday.

[jbelcid]

Originally Posted by Linda Bingham

Sheri you are so kind and a wealth of information. We left Monday to take Laramey to leave on Tuesday and Tuesday morning we got there to find out he was bumped from going, they had to many going this week. He was told he would leave April 11. He was so disappointed. We left and he called his recruiter who got on it and arranged for him to leave this next Monday. Which is better because he has a friend going that day also. It has been a crazy week so we get to do it all over again Monday.

You should have your son contact the recruiter and see if he and his friend can get in on the buddy program. Won't do much but get them in the same platoon at boot camp but having someone you know go through with you would be nice. Not sure if its to late for that or not but worth asking about. Might need both of them to go to the recruiter.

[canon_shooter]

Semper Fi from one Marine to another. Dealing with The Marine Corps is like anything else - you have your ups and downs, your happiness and disappointments, things are on time and things are delayed... Being a Marine is like nothing else - to infuse your life with the values of honor, courage, and commitment provides a level of pride that never fades, even years after leaving active duty. Send him a heartfelt thanks from a Marine and his family.

[Balderdash]

Semper Fi. . . I spent the summer of 1966 at MCRD (yup, I'm that old). Flew out there in 2000 for our son's graduation. When I stepted on the 'Grinder' it all came back. . . just as vivid as if it had only been the day before. Your son has joined a great brotherhood and what he learns while he's in the Corps will strongly influence the rest of his life. I'm very proud of your young man.