My son's first liberty

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Permalink Reply by Leonard on May 28, 2009 at 7:29am

Isn't it amazing, the transformation they go through during basic training. It's funny to me how we think we're doing what's best for our kids and yet sometimes they don't act the way we think they should. Then, the boot camp environment where they are screamed at, pushed until they drop, and worked like dogs seems to turn them into exactly what we wanted!

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Permalink Reply by Manuel R. Dominguez on May 28, 2009 at 7:52am

I agree, I think the transition has been a great one. He has become his own person. A little bitter/sweet.

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Permalink Reply by Edward Gonzales on May 28, 2009 at 11:55am

My sonn was on his first liberty for the Memorial weekend. we went to Gulfport,MS to visit with him. He will be comming home for 2 weeks June23rd.

He to, seem to have grown up quite a bit....

Gradutating A school on the 23rd, and then back for combat training......

Proud Father........

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Permalink Reply by Manuel R. Dominguez on May 28, 2009 at 12:10pm

Thanks for the input Ed.

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Permalink Reply by manny seligmann on June 11, 2009 at 11:37am

My son also turned from a boy to a man between the time we dropped him off Ft. Detrick for his trip to Lakes and when we saw him a couple of months later at graduation. It is interesting to observe how he is very professional and focused while in uniform but whenever he comes home on the weekend and gets back with his friends, he reverts to old behavior! I have to remind myself that he's still only 20.

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Permalink Reply by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on June 11, 2009 at 12:04pm

I've learned from my two sailors that "kids will be kids" though you will start to see a shift away from the boyish behaviors the longer he is in the Navy.

manny seligmann said:

My son also turned from a boy to a man between the time we dropped him off Ft. Detrick for his trip to Lakes and when we saw him a couple of months later at graduation. It is interesting to observe how he is very professional and focused while in uniform but whenever he comes home on the weekend and gets back with his friends, he reverts to old behavior! I have to remind myself that he's still only 20.

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Permalink Reply by Lee on June 11, 2009 at 8:09pm

It appears all of them do this! When my son stepped off the plane, he was a true sailor standing tall and proud. He spoke like a grown up. The next day when he was in his regular clothes and with his friends, he was like the kid he was back in November. The next day when he had to put on the uniform again, it was like watching a movie where they morph one person into another! As my son said, this was his only chance to be "himself" and while he was on leave, he was going to take advantage of it. He pointed this out until the day he left. :-)

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Permalink Reply by manny seligmann on June 12, 2009 at 12:13pm

Yep, When he was approaching the end of his 7 month deployment and looking forward to two weeks leave, we were teasing him about how nice it would be to have him home knowing he would put his clothes away and make his bed each day. His reply: "Are you kidding? That's exactly what I am glad I won't have to do!"

Lee said:

It appears all of them do this! When my son stepped off the plane, he was a true sailor standing tall and proud. He spoke like a grown up. The next day when he was in his regular clothes and with his friends, he was like the kid he was back in November. The next day when he had to put on the uniform again, it was like watching a movie where they morph one person into another! As my son said, this was his only chance to be "himself" and while he was on leave, he was going to take advantage of it. He pointed this out until the day he left. :-)

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