Our son was picked to serve in the Honor Guard. He injured his back and could not stay in the Honor Guard. They put him working in the office while his back heals. Talking to other young recruits that hurt themselves and are awaiting orders, he has now lost his interest he had for the Seabees, which he would be very good at, he is 18 and listens to the other recruits that encourage him to work in the office. He has become satisfied with wanting to just work in the office. He left Texas with high dreams of becoming a Seabee, he received the highest score in boot camp and got his sharp shooter ribbon. Can the Navy see through some of this and guide this young man to a career that is right for him?? We are disappointed he has lost all his drive and the desire not to attend any A-school because the other boys told him A-school was horrible and worse than boot camp. He listens and obeys his higher ranks and is worth working with to guide him in the right direction. Please advise!
Well, I only know a few recent graduates of bootcamp and A School, but none of them has expressed anything other than pleasure to be in A School vs bootcamp. What the "other boys" are telling your son is news to me.
My son became even more motivated to become a Seabee after arriving at A School last year. He was as gung-ho as John Wayne himself at PIR, and he went over the top at A School. The Petty Officers and Chiefs teaching at A School apparently got them all cranked up about serving in the Seabees. All he could talk about was earning his EPA certifications for HVAC (he's a UT), getting to Battalion, getting through SeRT, and deploying.
I'd be very interested in others' take on this one. Having some personal freedom, being able to go off base, eat out at restaurants, use email and the internet, have a TV in your barracks, and calling home most any night one pleases are all aspects of A School life which are not possible in bootcamp. That seems pretty luxurious, by comparison, to me.
Thank you so much for the information. I am going to let my son know that he better quit listening to the party animals and that they will get him in trouble. He will get pumped up again, I hope, when his back heals and I am hoping that his career councelor will get him motivated again. He was a very good welder in school and I truely think he will enjoy the Seabees. Thank you for your comments, I feel better.
You see that in school. Your insulated and have a tendancy to believe all the junk others who have also done nothing up to that point tell you. All you can do is encourage him and ask him if he wants to be an office nerd for the rest of his life. If he was motivated to do something before that should make him mad enough to break the spell.
USS Liberty, Never Forget.
I believe in Murrays Law, he thought Murphy was an optimist.
Hey Tell him SW is the 2nd best rate in the Navy after UT.(LOL) Hey if he wants to be an office nerd he should have joined the Air Force and be almost military.
[quote] Thank you so much for the information. I am going to let my son know that he better quit listening to the party animals and that they will get him in trouble.
Yep, that can happen. Maybe the "party animals'" problem with A School is that they are there for longer than bootcamp (for the most part) so can't party for even a longer interval than while in bootcamp.
Just the other night, my guy lamented about how crazy a few of his young shipmates are. They're on Guam, where legal and Navy-accepted drinking age is 18. Apparently some of the guys are a little too willing to whoop it up. He says the first "alcohol incident" write-up results in 45 days restriction and forfeiture of half pay for two months. Pretty steep price to pay for an evening of whooping it up.
That said, the willingness to listen to others and what program to buy in to is in their hands now, not ours. We can only hope they make sound decisions.
To all of you that answered me, Thank You!! I told him exactly how I feel and hope it bothered him. I told him the guys he is hanging with have no determination to be anything, they are lazy and are content with being nothing, doing nothing, and are perfectly content with it. They need to grow up and I further told my son, "You have what it takes and the Seabees will like a man with the potential you have" he is good at building, welding, and a good sharp shooter too. I also expressed that he owed to us to try and see what it is like for himself and then if he is not happy, then go from there as far as changing his career. I sincerely feel that once he gets with MEN he will see the light. Again thank you all, I have enjoyed everything I have read about the Seabees and I know my son will fit in and love it, he just doesn't know it yet. I have to hope he is bothered by our disappointment and give it a chance.
Hey, you UT's knock it off!!! EVERYONE knows EO's are the BEST.
When I was headed to A School (in 1966) everyone told me the same thing. Your son is probably doing a great job and they don't want to lose him.
If he wants to do office work, tell him to request a Seabee Battalion and get into H Company, it's the 'paperpushers' of the Seabees. He will be working and training with "da 'Bees". Then if he decides he likes it, he can cross-rate in. And we know he'll like it!!!
Very good advice. Personally, I think he will get very tired of office work, I am, and he will be much happier using his skills in the field. He is also a hunter and fisherman and loves to target shoot, so being in an office can get quite boring, I have been in an office for 20 years and I know it is so same ole every day. Thanks for the input.
Not to discourage you, but after my tour with the Seabees, I went to school in Boston (I was stationed in RI) and studied Architecture. It was always an interest, along with Highway Engineering. I got tired of bouncing around in trucks and being covered with dirt at the end of the day.
I spent 36 years as an Architect and enjoyed almost every minute of it. With my background in Construction I veered away from drawing floor plans and got into detailing and the construction aspects. I spent many days 'in the field' overseeing the construction of my own designs. I've traveled over most the the US, mostly South and Eastern States, and even did Projects in South America.
I'm now forced into retirement and spend most of my time sitting right here, writing Architectural Specifications for Construction Projects. When you get older it's not all that much fun crawling around in the dirt, that's for YOUNG people.
I hope your son enjoys whatever he decides to do. But, I'm positive once he gets a taste of the Seabees, he won't regret it. None of us have.
After reading the input from all of you, I feel my son will do good in the Seabees because he will be around some of the greatest talent and learning from the best will make him the best. I pray the Navy councelor will direct him right and know that he is only 18 so he needs direction and if they guide him to the Seabees instead of an office, he will become something very special. I am honored to speak with such a force as all you Seabees. God Bless all of you!!!
To 12840403 I sure your son will love the bee's once he gets in and if he does not we always need office nerds. To Bob058 You EOs may get us there but you can't take a crap with out a UT.
