Yesterday afternoon, I dropped my son, Will, off at the recruitment station in Provo. They delivered him to a hotel near the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) up in Salt Lake that evening, so he could begin the process first thing this morning. He spent all morning undergoing physicals and filling out paperwork. He met all the physical requirements. In fact, he passed them with flying colors! The military creates a physical profile for each member that can potentially limit eligibility for certain jobs. Will got the highest marks in all categories of the profile, so there are (again) no restrictions on the jobs he can be trained for in the military.
He is on the low end of weight for his height. We've known that for practically his whole life, though. Only 5 lbs. lighter and he would have been disqualified from joining the service. So, we'll spend the next 11 months once again trying to help him gain weight. He will be taking weight training classes all year during his senior year, and I'm hoping that will also help him fill out some. Such a backwards dilemma.
After the physicals, he spent time going over a ream of paperwork while we arrived at the MEPS to watch the swearing in ceremony. Will and 6 other guys stood at attention, raised their right hands, and took the oath to serve their country. Will was the tallest guy in the room. He is now officially taller than his Dad.
Now that Will is a member of the military, he will join the Future Soldiers Program. That means that every Thursday afternoon he will meet with the recruiters for an hour and a half to learn what it is to be a soldier. Sargent Yates said sometimes they'll be doing PT (physical training), and sometimes they'll be learning about military traditions and etiquette. And, because he has joined the Army Reserves, he will join his Unit up in Salt Lake City once a month for Drill Weekends. He'll get paid for those.
When Will graduates from High School, he will then be ready for Basic Training and AIT (advanced individual training). AIT is where he will be trained to do the specific job (MOS) he chose in the military. For him, that is a Chemical Operations Specialist, or CBRN. The job designation is 74D, pronounced 74 Delta. He will be trained to operate and maintain decontamination equipment whenever chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear fallout occurs. Sounds scary! I picture the people in the hazmat suits in movies like "The Sum of All Fears". That's the job my son will be trained for. That's the job he chose over becoming a paralegal or a medical tech. There were lots of jobs he could have chosen, actually, but those three were the most promising because of the signing bonuses that came with them.
You see, when he finishes training for this job, he will receive a $10,000 bonus for being willing to do it, and a $100/month "kicker" to his Montgomery GI Bill. That means an additional $100/mo. on top of what he would normally receive as a GI. That's school money. Because when we returns from job training, he will be going to school. Tuition assistance and the GI Bill will cover his college costs, and the recruiters told us that we will make sure his admissions and registration are all taken care of before he ships out to basic, so there will be no snags or stresses when he comes home. He'll be ready for school. All his ducks in a row.
Today, Will swore in as a member of the US Army Reserves. I am so proud of him, and so anxious, too. I want him to excel and I want to protect him all at the very same time. It is internally confusing. While waiting for the swearing in ceremony, Will mentioned that he designated me on the paperwork as the person who should receive his body and his pay if he should be killed while serving. What a cheery thought.
All of this is a lot to process! I know I've been driving Will nuts with all the researching I've been doing on all things Army. I'm just trying to wrap my head around it, you know? He's still my little boy, even if he is 6'2" and in the Army.
I'm grateful we have almost a full year before basic. I can focus on this last year of high school, and just enjoying every last drop of every moment I have with him before he leaves. I want to make it a year to remember. My last year with a child at home.
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