My Son is being Discharged from NTC for having an "anxiety attack".

Sunday, August 26, 2012

 I am the Dad of a Navy Recruit. I’m going to keep his name out of this forum for security reasons.  I will tell you that he just finished his 1-week.Last Friday the 24^th , my son called me from RTC GL about 1600 PST. I’m ex-Navy, I know that I was not going to hear from him until near the end of boot camp .

So right off I know something is up. He tells me that he is in the Navy Hospital that he had had an anxiety attack. The Dr.’s had already talked to him, diagnosed him and where going to process him out. All in the space of one day. I went from being excited about my son’s future in the Navy and the idea of some great bennies for college to total shock and confusion. What had happened? What was so bad that the Navy would kick my son out all in a 6hr time frame? When I was in Basic you had to commit some heinous crime to get tossed that quick! I will tell you that if the navy taught me anything, it was to regroup and move on .

 Over the course of the day he called three times. While on the phone with him I was concerned and supportive. I could tell he was distraught so  I didn’t grind him for too much information. I asked him what he felt . He said they told him the USN was not for going to work for him. That’s it. By the end of the day he said he was being moved to a holding barracks for up to three weeks during until his separation. I find out now that is Ship 5.

As of today (Sun.) I am still in shock, and somewhat angry.

From the forum entries I have read here, it seems that this condition is the biggest reason for discharging recruits. And that the majority of the cases take place in the first two weeks. I know that the screening process before enlistment is thorough . But my son was on the DEP program for 8months prior to shipping out to basic. I’m thinking that they dropped the ball here. My son has always been an honest upfront person. He would not seek to deceive or cheat.

What now? He comes home feeling shame and despair? Like most, he cut all his losses before leaving for basic. No job, no car, no money. And no VA benefits, at all. I told him everything I could think of about boot camp. He knew that there was going to be hard days ahead. I guess I should have yelled at him alot. That might have prepared him better. I never had to. He's a good kid.

I hope that his recruiter got a nice promotion for all the kids he signed up.