NAVY BOOT CAMP

Comment

Comment by Gingerman357 on December 31, 2009 at 10:10am

Bob, it's not an experiment. The Trainers know what they're doing; they just don't know for sure what the recruits are going to do in a given situation, so they test them and test them again. Our kids stopped being kids when they got on the bus. They're grownups now who are responsible for their own actions and reactions, and we can't do a darned thing for them. This is driving me crazy. I'm a clingy old woman where my kids are concerned, but at the very least, I'm 600 miles away, and can't do anything.

My son was the most cynical person I knew prior to going to BC. He's only been there since Dec. 8. In that time, we got three phone calls: two because the security people needed more information for his security clearance, and one for 1/2 hour the day after Christmas. The first two scared me. We weren't supposed to be hearing from him, and I thought the worst: he was hurt or washed out or something. The calls were less than 5 minutes, and he said,"I can't talk, just give me the information." I figured there was a Petty Officer there making sure he didn't take too long or get conversational.

It turned out, he was the Petty Officer (recruit). It was his job to see that no one talked too long, and he had to set the example.

In the 1/2 hour call he told me that the Trainers are the best people in the Navy, and that he respects them more than anyone he's met before. This isn't typical of this cynical S.O.B. I've never heard such from him before. He might have felt it, but he never expressed it. He displayed respect, but didn't talk about how good the people were.

I feel that my son is in good hands, and being taken care of. I bet your daughter is too. I hope that he's able to make the most of it, and there's still a long time to go to see if it all works out. The RTC people want him to succeed, and they're helping him in every way. His training PO ran beside him in the PT run test, and saw to it that he kept up the pace and passed it. They've all been there and they're going to help.

Comment by Bob Kline on December 31, 2009 at 12:03am

Boy, am I ever learning that that is the truth! It will be interesting to see what happens next. I suppose that my greatest discomfort is that I don't really want to see my daughter treated as a guinea pig in some great psychological experiment. She's a real live human being possessing all of the emotions the rest of us have. I'm assuming that the RDCs have been trained to know when to let up when they see that someone has had just about all that they can take. Perhaps that could be the reason why we have had the benefit of more calls home than we would normally receive. However, to expect that I or the rest of the family will be there at all times to shore her up emotionally seems to me to be an unrealistic burden for the Navy to put on the Recruit or the family. Crimony, what if I were on an important conference call with a client or something when she called? I can't just drop everything to serve as counselor and confessor. I have a job to do too.

Comment by MarkM on December 30, 2009 at 11:31pm

Bob, just remember, there is the right way; the wrong way; and the Navy way.

Comment by Bob Kline on December 30, 2009 at 11:21pm

Thank you Mark. I was thinking along the same lines and sent an encouraging letter basically telling her to treat it all as a learning experience. The Lord (and the Navy) move in mysterious ways!

Comment by MarkM on December 30, 2009 at 10:12pm

Well Bob, welcome to the military way of life. This is indeed part of the process. I would bet that there was something they wanted from your daughter, other than standing in for someone that was sick. It could be that they were waiting for her shipmates to help her out. A lot of what they are doing in these early weeks is teaching the value and importance of teamwork in a military environment. It could have been they were waiting for a particular response from her. I would say that having her replace two people is a good sign. Don't try to read too much into what she is telling you because at this point, she doesn't know what they are striving to teach her. Just encourage her and keep her thinking positively.

Comment by Bob Kline on December 30, 2009 at 8:49pm

I don't know whether we are special or anything but I got a surprise phone call from Rosie today, our second call even though her Division is just in week 2-5 because of the Holiday. She was upset because she was made to do something called "Roving Watch" (which she had never done before and had received zero instruction about before they made her do it), because a number of Recruits were out on Sick Call. She said that every Chief and Senior Chief seemed to come through while she was on watch and yelled at her because she wasn't sure what she was doing. Then, she was told that she would have to be Athletics RCPO for the day because the regular Athletics RCPO was out ill. She took over although she wasn't sure what to do and got yelled at again. I suspect that this has to be some kind of mind-game that they play with the Recruits to break them down before they build them back up. If it isn't, then I think it is terribly unfair to throw somebody into an unfamiliar situation and beat them up just because they haven't been trained properly. On the other hand, she has done well on her tests so far and has scored "5"'s on her progress reports, which indicates that she is doing well. I don't know, I sometimes wish that they would just train my daughter to do her job minus all of the hystrionics. It seems counter-productive to me. I don't bellow and scream at the people I work with. It just isn't my style. If someone screws up I try to teach them what they did wrong and how not to screw it up again all the while praying that it won't cost us too much money. I understand the need for discipline and all that, but I don't think that making an entire Division stand at attention for an hour just because somebody talked during lunch when they weren't supposed to is particularly conducive to morale or esprit de corps. On the other hand, I suppose it beats getting tied to the yardarm and receiving a flogging like they used to do in the old days.

Comment by Carlos Perez on December 30, 2009 at 8:41pm

Thanks Mark has been very supportive to our family, like Joe and the other fellow my son is in Ship 14 DIV 091 PIR is on February 12 2009 if so it will allow the Lord.Thank you all, my wife is rather grateful for the work you all do to inform and provide support. The information that we receive helps us a lot Thanks

Comment by Scott L. Waller on December 30, 2009 at 7:12pm

Congrats Joe! Carlos we have only gotten the I'm here call from our son, but we have got (the family) several letters this week. I believe our son's started the same week. My son's PIR is Febuary 19 2010 He is in Ship 14 DIV 99.

Comment by MarkM on December 30, 2009 at 4:45pm

CONGRATS, JOE!

Comment by MarkM on December 30, 2009 at 4:43pm

Most calls will take place in the last half of bootcamp. At that point they have gotten most of the homesickness taken care of and they are well on their way to becoming Sailors!

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