For those of you who’ve been following my recent ups and downs with my 17 year old son and his plans to graduate from high school early and join the Navy, I thought I’d bring you up to date. Nick went ahead and signed up this weekend. He got the A-school (Hospital Corpsman) he wanted and, because of his high ASVAB score, he also contracted for the Navy College Fund. This, as I understood it, means that, in exchange for his GI Bill buy-in of $1800, he will recieve $50,000 for college instead of the usual $35,000. The contract is contingent on his graduating from high school by the end of the summer (he will have to take and pass two classes in summer school), but he is signed, sworn, and all but delivered. He’ll be leaving for boot camp on 11/18.
I am very proud of him – he did all the negotiating for his contract on his own and didn’t allow them to sway him (because of his ASVAB score there was some pressure on him to go into one of the more technical and hard-to-fill rates) despite some very attractive enlistment bonus offers. Also, he was offered an enlistment bonus of $2000 instead of the Navy College Fund, which would have been money in his pocket right after boot camp, but he chose – very wisely, IMO – to take the extra college money instead. And, darn it – I was in the service, my husband was, my brother and father and nephew all were or are. We have a family history of military service and it is by no means a choice to be ashamed of. It’s a good thing for him to have plans for his life and to be willing to strive and work to achieve his goals. There are plenty of kids his age or even older who’ve put no effort at all into planning for their futures… I’m proud and pleased that Nick isn’t like that.
But.
I’m still a little weepy about him leaving so soon… I never dreamed in December that this would be my last Christmas with Nick living at home. I suspect that the holiday season '04 is going to be a rough one. This is the reward I get for raising him right? He goes off and leaves me? Ungrateful spawn! Everyone is going to have to be extra nice to me next winter!
Them doggone kids! You feed 'em and clothe 'em and ejakate 'em and get 'em all ready to live as adults in society, and then they go off and expect to live as adults in society. What ya gonna do?
Congrats to him and to you and his dad! I think rather highly of military careers, and it’s great when the smart kids decide to serve. Don’t get too weepy - you’ll embarrass the boy!!
Congratulations to the young man… There are big adventures out there for him and he’ll have a great life time or memories and comaraderie. Job well done, Jess. I’m always so proud and a bit weepy myself when I see all of the handsome young men and women who are new to the military. They’re in for a great ride and the best education and life lessons! Take up some hobbies, volunteer or part time work. My day is coming soon also and wow, how fast they grow. Good luck to you and yours.
Jess, I’m a generally pacifist guy who’s not to fond of the current administration and it’s war policies. But there’s absolutely no shame in signing up for military service. In fact you should be quite proud that your son has chosen to serve his country in this way (yes, I see that you are, just a little nervous as Mom’s tend to be). Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. He’s going to get a good education and great experience, and come out of this well prepared for a life outside of the military (unless he decides to stay in, of course).
Congratulations to your son for embarking on his adult future! And congrats to you and his father on raising a good kid with his head on straight!
You will not believe what they can do with your son. My brother got out of Air Force basic about a month ago, and we now have the Vastly Improved version of him. He’s doing well in his tech school classes and we couldn’t be happier. I’m sure the Navy will do much the same with your son.
Is it too late to think about Annapolis? If he had good scores, and good grades in school, go for the gold! And congratulations all around, for the ones who raised him right, and the one who is the result of it!
We would have loved for him to have gone to the Naval Academy – he just doesn’t want to go to college yet which is why he went this route instead. He does plan on going to college after he finishes his hitch, though.
“Pecker-checker.” Yeah, my dad (USN, 1955 - 1975) calls him that. Dad has some fairly nasty stories of the old days when many men weren’t circumsized and checking penis hygiene was one of the duties of a corpsman. Apparently, they’d line the naked men up, bark “Skin 'em back, boys!” and walk down the line, well… checking the peckers. Nick’s face was a study when he heard that one, let me tell you. I told him that that was why so many corpsmen won the Medal of Honor – they were throwing themselves on landmines to get away from all of the dirty dicks… Nick wasn’t amused.
I suspect that the holiday season '04 is going to be a rough one. This is the reward I get for raising him right? He goes off and leaves me? Ungrateful spawn! Everyone is going to have to be extra nice to me next winter!