View Full Version : 57 days till "boot" and scared to death!
Anonymous
12-31-1969, 08:00 PM
Hi, I am in the DEP of the Navy and I leave for RTC on Sept.22of this year. I am not in good physical condition and I am scaredI will fail there. I need some advice on what exercises work wondersand any mental training I may need to do. I am married with an 11 month old son and scared about leaving them. I am also afraid ofmeeting new people and "fitting" in. I hear that there are a lotof "cat fights" at RTC. Is it easy to make friends there? I have somany questions, but no answers. It is male dominated at my recruitersoffice, so any female orintated questions of mine have no answers.I am signed up for the rating of AO, so if anyone could give mesome advice or stories, that would be great! I hear that it is a predominatley male field, and that's a bit overwhelming. Also, can anyone give me an idea of my chances of going on an AircraftCarrier? My recruiter told me that there's not a lot of themfacilitated for women, so my chances arn't that great. I promiseI will post again with more questions as they come to me. One more thing-Is there anyone out there going to RTC in late Sept.of this year? Any responses would be greatly appreciated!Thanks, JennyEve
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houseblend@3lefties.com
Anonymous
12-31-1969, 08:00 PM
JennyEve:Always remember that a little fear is a terrific thing...it can keep you alive... being paralyzed with fear can "kill" you.**What worries me most is your statement about poor physical condition... although 13 years of service have aged me a bit, I figure that I am in pretty good condition for a woman of 33 who never thought of exercise prior to meeting a very convincing Navy recruiter...**my best advice is a combination of running and walking starting with about 2 miles (since you will mostly be walking)... run as much as you can then walk until you can run again... be careful not to choose the "perfect" place to run as the Navy has the habit of challenging you with headwinds at the pier, slight inclines, heat, cold, you name it... don't prepare for the best, prepare for the worst and you will always be MORE than ready.Regarding aircraft carriers, yes you could end up on one depending on the rate that you finally choose and if you are lucky... the "big boys" tend to have better facilities to accomodate women... however, while the fact that you are a woman brings an interesting "flavor" to your service please don't focus on it... I have found that earning the respect of the men and women that I work with, for, and lead is easier and they accept me as a "sailor" if I am not the one who mentions or uses my gender...**Although it sounds tough, until we are able to act "equal" we really don't deserve to be treated as if we are equal... now, before your overreact, that doesn't mean that all men are stronger, that all women are nicer, that type of stereotyping is what has gotten us here, with young people like you "scared" to joing our elite organization.**The Navy is not the family type of organization that I joined but despite hardship, family separation, difference in pay from my civilian peers I could never have dreamed of a better and more fulfilling career. Regarding your son, that will be hard... are you sure that you are up to it and that you have a strong support system to back you up... many young people become very comfortable, while assigned to a shore station, and fail to make good workable dependent care plans... despite the fact that we may be safe and sound, as I am in San Diego, we are all warriors and if there is a skirmish or humanitarian mission to be done we have to do it, no questions, no whining, no nothing... pack your stuff, kiss the kids and get on board.... one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do but you cannot imagine how proud I was when my daughter's teacher told me that when my daughter was explaining to her why I could not attend a class event my daughter had told the teacher that "it's okay, I'm serving my country by sharing my momma."**Guess being raised a Navy "brat" is a good thing.**The worst thing that can happen if you let these things get to you is that you will end up in trouble or administratively separated for a personality disorder (adjustment disorder, etc.)... all of this would leave an ugly mark on your resume if nothing else.**Just say to your self "I can do this" and press on.... Good luck!
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sprice1@home.com
Anonymous
12-31-1969, 08:00 PM
Well, if anything your comments give me hope and make me want to try even harder now. I have heard both good and bad stories about life in the Navy. Especially when it comes to having a family when you join. Hearing that your daughter is supportive and willing to "share" you with the service, well, it touched my heart. And it made me think that I too can do this. I was wondering about what you said about finding sufficient child care if I'm on deployment. What is sufficient? Will my husband be able to keep him and send him to a day care facility while at work? Or will I have to make other arrangements? My recruiter is fairly "green" and doesn't have answers to all of my questions. I came online in hopes that I would be able to find someone to help me out a bit. I decided to join the Navy when I was 16 years old, but due to a drop out and drop in of highschool, I am a little behind. ;) I am willing to work my heiny off to make it happen. I am willing to put my feelings aside for awhile so I can become a sailor. And I am willing to do all of the grunt work I that I have to to get ahead in this life. I have the dedication, I just want the preperation. I want to go into boot camp knowing what I need to do, if not one step ahead! I was also wondering about all of the facilities at boot camp. Will there be an "open" head? Showers? What do barracks look like? Approximately how many beds to a room? I have so many questions, it seems they'll never be answered in time! I can't tell you how much I appreciated your reply. Thank you so much! I hope I will hear from you soon, and to anyone else who may read this, I would love to hear from you! My e-mail is 'houseblend@3lefties.com'. Please feel free to e-mail me privately or reply to this message! Thanks again, JennyEve
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houseblend@3lefties.com