Dakota is Off to Navy Boot Camp

Dakota went to MEPS in San Diego for his final swearing in on 3/4/15. Here is my experience... I found out what hotel the DEP (delayed entry program) recruits would be staying in, and I reserved my own room to stay in the same place. This was the night of March 3rd. We were at the Marriott in San Diego. Dakota checked in at a location in the hotel that was for all of the MEPS check ins.

He could have hung out there but he decided to hang out with me in my room.

We went to our "last supper" around 5pm and he chose sushi. We love that.

Anyway, he had to be back to get his room key by 7pm and when he went to his MEPS check in at the hotel, I went on to my room because he was going to hang out there until a group meeting at 8pm. I didn't talk to him again that night but I heard that others were able to hang out with family in that room or in the lobby until 10pm, when they had to be in their own rooms. They were 2 to a room, so that began his experience sleeping in the same room with a stranger haha. The next morning was his final swearing in, and they were to get up at 4am and eat breakfast at 430, then MEP shuttled all the recruits to the MEP station at 5am. I was told the swearing in would take place at 10am so I headed to the MEPS and got there around 9:15.

I got to sit with other families (and moms!) and the recruits as they went in and out of "phase one" and two and three. I am so glad I got the hotel room, it was worth it for me. We live about an hour and a half from the MEPS so it was nice to be there waiting with him and there for him in case he needed something. I was at the MEPS early enough and yet they were a bit behind and the swearing in didn't actually take place until around 11:30am. It was pretty cool though. All of these hopeful young adults (some younger than others!) waiting to begin their new life journey. After he completed what seemed like a 2" stack of paperwork that he referred to as "phase one" and "phase two" and "phase three" in some out-of-sight room, he returned to where I was waiting with the common civilian folks. He told me he was officially discharged from the DEP and was now active duty. (He thought it was cool because that meant that from this point on, he was getting paid for paperwork, hurrying up, and waiting lol). So then this head guy (a retired Marine who served 22 years) called out names of the 17 recruits, as he led us all into a classroom. Civilians sat on the left and the "now military" personnel were seated on the right.

Then he did a power point presentation discussing the final piece of paperwork to be done prior to swearing in. This paper was more validation that there was no drug use, drinking under age, legal issues, mental issues, or illness etc during DEP that they have not admitted to yet, and they were initialing yes or no on their form. He went over the laws and penalties pertaining to things like: deserting the military, under age drinking, and I can't remember what else. He asked at least 4 more times throughout this presentation if they still wanted to join, and all continued to affirm with a loud "yes sir!" response.

I thought that was pretty cool because he gave an overview of the next 3-4 days in BC, how to behave as military personnel even in civilian clothes, avoiding the wrong crowd, respecting your parents and being grateful to them, and that if they still had all of their belongings in a room in their parent's home, they need to pay rent for that space, haha. It really was pretty cool and yet the guy was very real about the rigors they will experience over the next 2 months. He was kind of harsh, actually, but in a way that it was pretty inspiring because he encouraged them to remember why they joined in the first place. He said "you each have your own personal or internal reasons why you joined, and you just have to remember that when you are in your toughest moment." It was a really nice experience. After that, he ordered them to line up single file from shortest to tallest, and he led them into the room where they would be swearing in for the final time.

That presentation was a terrific distraction for what I was feeling. I so appreciated that, because I was distracted enough to be strong for Dakota, and to not send him away with his mom a blubbering fool, but rather as a strong and hopeful supporter of his choice to enlist.