Son in MCRD

[02mingryGT]

I posted a while back that my son had joined the Marine Corps. Well he left for boot on the 26th of January and everything was fine for the first four weeks. Ends up he contracted Bilateral Pneumonia (double pneumonia) last week during swim week. This got him pulled out of his platoon and put in the EHP (Evaluation Holding Platoon). I received a call stating he was being moved to the MRP (Medical Rehabilitation Platoon) last Friday. Ends up that information was incorrect. I then received a letter Monday from him that was very depressing and you could tell he was frustrated about the situation. I realized he had written this before he had been moved and called his recruiter immediately on Monday and informed him of what was going on. He said he'd get back to me. Well he never did so i took matters into my own hands and found a Marine Corps Parents website and from that message board was able to find the Chaplain Services number. Called them last night explained my worries and this morning my son called. He said the Chaplain had come to see him today and they allowed him to call. I told him "old Dad doesn't screw around does he boy". He laughed and when the chaplain showed up this morning he knew I had gotten his letter. He said he is doing much better but expects to be held up for possible 6-8 weeks. He said he was just upset that he was being pulled out of his platoon. He said he feels fine and they have them clean during the day. He hopes to beat the 6-8 week timetable and move on sooner. This will probably push his graduation out until at least June. So I feel much better now as it was hard to sleep the last few days. But everything is good now. Thank goodness for the Chaplains, they don't screw around. The recruiter sucks though. F*cker.

[Katmandu]

Glad to hear he is recovering and you where able to contact him.

Tell him to be patient and it WILL all work out in the end. It's be a bump in the road after he get's past this and out of boot camp.

He'll enjoy the Military and the Marine Corp WILL change him! Fascinating transformation from boys to men!

Hang in there! :bigthumb

[cobra_SVT_Girl]

I work for the Red Cross as a military caseworker and I get calls like this from parents all the time. :( And yes, the recruiters have absolutely NO CONTROL after the serviceman leaves their station -- so they are essentially worthless after enlistment.

If you ever need any help or guidance, just shoot me a PM and I can get you numbers to base operators etc. I've been doing this for about 9 years and I've pretty much seen it all. Although, it sounds like you are doing a great job on your own! :)

['92Stang]

Hope everything works out for your son. Parris Island can be a miserable place at times;)....SEMPER FI!!

[Kwik92GT]

Parris Island can be a miserable place at times;)....SEMPER FI!!

Like in April or so, and you're standing at attention in formation, not daring to move a muscle, while the sand fleas have their way with you. :lol: Good times!

Tell him to just hang in there. He'll be out in the fleet before he knows it and all this will just be a distant memory. Semper Fi.

[mustang8998]

Tell him "Thanks" and get well soon.

[USMCPONY]

I have a few friend in the drill field (drill instructors). What was his drill instructors names? Platoon? and company? I know exactly how he got Pnemonia. He was in a 90 degree pool for 1 1/2 hrs after the recruits finish with their qualification. The recruits get about 30 seconds to dry off, get changed into dry clothes that quickly turn wet because the recruits dont have enough time to dry off, pick up their wet clothes and then they have to get into formation outside in 17 degree weather and wait for 20 minutes until the drill instructor marches them back to the squad bay. Dont worry about him he is probly sitting on a foot locker for 16hrs in MRP. It suck in there. Im assuming he is getting messed with since you called lol. Recruits get messed with for a ,ong time when their parents call.

[02mingryGT]

I work for the Red Cross as a military caseworker and I get calls like this from parents all the time. :( And yes, the recruiters have absolutely NO CONTROL after the serviceman leaves their station -- so they are essentially worthless after enlistment.

If you ever need any help or guidance, just shoot me a PM and I can get you numbers to base operators etc. I've been doing this for about 9 years and I've pretty much seen it all. Although, it sounds like you are doing a great job on your own! :)

Thank you so much. Hopefully I won't need to have to contact him again in a way that a letter wouldn't suffice. It's not the recruiter can't help it's that he didn't return my calls. If he couldn't get any information then he should have let me know that.


I have a few friend in the drill field (drill instructors). What was his drill instructors names? Platoon? and company? I know exactly how he got Pnemonia. He was in a 90 degree pool for 1 1/2 hrs after the recruits finish with their qualification. The recruits get about 30 seconds to dry off, get changed into dry clothes that quickly turn wet because the recruits dont have enough time to dry off, pick up their wet clothes and then they have to get into formation outside in 17 degree weather and wait for 20 minutes until the drill instructor marches them back to the squad bay. Dont worry about him he is probly sitting on a foot locker for 16hrs in MRP. It suck in there. Im assuming he is getting messed with since you called lol. Recruits get messed with for a ,ong time when their parents call.

My dad served from 60-64 in the Marine Corps. Boot Camp today is a pale shade of what it used to be. He had the pneumonia before he went to swim Qual though your reasoning sounds plausible. There are several recruits in his platoon that have pneumonia as well. 2026 H Co was his former platoon. Don't know the DI's name. I know he liked his Senior DI. He doesn't really give a shit what they say. He told me when they yell it doesn't bother him because he's heard it all before from me. In fact the DI's say the same things I do.

Thanks everyone for you words. I'll let him know about the sand fleas.

[Katmandu]

Boot Camp today is a pale shade of what it used to be. Isn't that the truth! :rolleyes:

I hear DIs/TIs are not allowed to SWEAR at recruits anymore.

Even worse, Recruits are ALLOWED to call for a "TIME OUT" if they get to STRESSED OUT! :dummy: I about S**T when I heard that one! :eek: