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Is it more common than not for the parents to be at MEPS the day the recruit leaves for BC?  Wanted input from others.

I had planned to attend but my husband(former Navy) said its time for him to do this on his on.  I know he is capable but would like to be there for his active duty swear in.  And then meet him at the airport (if its going to be some time before he flys out). 

Proud mom and want to share in all this, he has done everything else up to this point without us.

Thanks

MOM1994

Views: 10402

Replies to This Discussion

Our family went to MEPS with our daughter but didn't go to the airport. I also wanted to see the official swear in. We also got to take a family picture with her after the swear in. It was really nice. There were a lot of families there. Some of my co-workers said we should have let her go on her own but I wouldn't have changed it for the world.
I went to my son's swear in. It's an experience you will never forget it was very emotional for me.

We have two in the Navy, one just went in through MEPS July 1.

The first one, we were there at MEPS to see him swear in, and then we rushed to the airport to "see him off".  Not a great idea. 

The second one, we were there at MEPS to see him swear in, and we said goodbye there.  That was the correct way to do it.  At our MEPS, they encouraged the parents to be there in the room during swearing in, and even encouraged us to stand ANYWHERE, to get the best picture/video.  One Dad was standing up on the dias right beside the chief, and he didn't bat an eye.  The swearing in _ceremony_ is for us parents.  BE THERE.  But DO NOT follow him/her to the airport.  It ruins the clean-break transition that the MEPS station is shooting for. 

(if the swearing-in wasn't meant to be witnessed by us parents, they'd do it one at a time, while they were signing off their paperwork.  Be there.  That's why MEPS does it that way.)

I attended my son's swearing in ceremony and was glad to be there to support him. He had requested my presence, and it was a proud moment. Other families were there and we took family photos for each other. If you want to go, you should be there. I did not go to the airport - I said goodbye as they boarded the van to leave after the swearing-in.

Our son is being sworn in this morning. We had dinner with him last night and said 'see you in the morning'...just got a txt from him an hour ago asking if we'd be mad if we let last night's goodbyes be it. He felt like it would be too emotional for him and too hard to leave us. I totally understand but my husband and I are heart broken. We wanted to be there for this special moment...I never dreamed it would be this hard to let go! He and I said and cried in his room yesterday as we were getting the few things ready to go...He's got such a sweet spirit and it was so hard to see him so emotional. I know he just doesn't want to be emotional at MEPS in front of folks. I would definitely go if they want you to be there!

Our whole family (seven of us including our SR) were at MEPS.  His swearing in was very special, and the captain allowed - in fact encouraged - all of the family members to be up front to take pictures and videotape during the swearing in ceremony.

Frankly, a lot of the SR's looked rather lonely and forlorn going through this process all alone.

It was a long day with a lot of waiting around, and would have been pretty boring for our SR if we had not joined him.

We had the opportunity to have lunch with him, and then it was about time for him to take off to Great Lakes.

When my husband joined the Army, he did it alone too, but in retrospect, he wishes his mom could have been there with him - he just didn't know that it was allowed.

We went to MEPS to see my son sworn in, took pictures, and even ate lunch with him.  Our MEPS was super supportive of the families, so much so that they had a whole kitchen set up with food for us!  Everyone there was really aware of us and a lot of the process was really geared towards us being there.  They told us where we could go, and when we had to wait.  We weren't planning on going to the airport, but that was discouraged anyway.  After we said good-bye, I was so happy that we had gone.  They are my last memories of him before boot camp. 

Hi mom1994,  We all went to Meps then to the airport when our son left. I was glad we did as his plane was due to take off at approx. 3:00. Due to bad weather his plane did not leave til 7:00. My son was glad he had us there to wish him goodbye. We have no regrets. Hope this helps. Have a great day.

 

My SR's recruiter picked her up the afternoon before she went to MEPS. I then drove to MEPS the next morning to see her sworn in. The officer who did the swearing in, recreated the ceremony and allowed me to take her picture with him. After that we said our goodbyes. She whispered to me not to embarrass her by crying.  I did not go to the airport. After I said goodbye I went out in the hallway and lost it at MEPS. (I'm a widow, so I was alone) Fortunately, there were two very nice people working at MEPS. (I failed to get their names) But, they had tissues and offered such sweet words of encouragement that I was able to regain my composure and drive back home. (Wish I knew their names, they were at the Raleigh, NC MEPS office and stayed with me until I calmed down enough to drive.) You do what you think you need to do to participate in your SR's big moment. Then start preparing for PIR weekend!!!

My husband and I both went to MEPS and airport and stayed with our daughter. There was no way I was letting her go one second sooner than I had to. She was at the airport for about 5 hours. Time well spent, loving on my baby.
I wanted to be there for my son's swearing in but he kept telling me he didn't think there would be any other parents there and I should stay home. I suspected he would be afraid it would be too hard to say goodbye there. We said goodbye at the hotel the night before. I really wanted pictures of his swearing in and he got someone there to take pictures and he sent them to me. Afterward, he said the parents and girlfriends that were there were just sobbing and so I think it was best for us to say goodbye the night before.
I was not told about MEPS but he did allow us to take him the night before to hotel. They took him the next day to airport. We did text some that day. I think I would have liked to have seen the swearing in.

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