Soon after meeting with his recruiter in December, he went to Bay City to take his ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test for placement. We were all pleased with his score of 92 which would help ensure he would be accepted.
Training began in late December with his first introduction to warrior training on a Thursday afternoon. What was detailed to me sounded grueling, and this was only training! Thankfully he has stayed physically active throughout his life, so he was able to take on the challenge and feel confident that warrior training would get easier; and it did! In addition to warrior training on Thursday afternoons, he also began showing up for daily workout sessions at the office with other recruits to build up his endurance and strength.
Next was his first trip to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) in Lansing for his physical in mid January. His journey to MEPS began on Monday morning leaving from the office via a contracted government van with other recruits. The process is, the recruits are dropped off at a hotel where they may room with another recruit. They are on their own until 6:30 a.m. the next morning when they are picked up and delivered to MEPS. Each recruit may have a different purpose upon arriving at MEPS. Some may be there to be sworn in, others to ship out and some, such as Trent for physicals, etc.
Following MEPS our first waiting period began... Trent was flagged with a medical issue that could have prevented him from being accepted due to a kidney stone he had 8 years earlier. The doctor performing the exam cleared him, however it was headquarters that needed to give the final approval. The waiting time would be 2-6 weeks. This news was disheartening considering Trent needed to be fast tracked in boot camp due to his age. He will be 29 on May 16 and MUST arrive in San Diego on or before his 29th birthday in accordance to the age restriction of 18-28.
Just over two weeks later we received word that he needed a medical waiver and more testing was required before he would be accepted. He had a visit with his personal doctor per military orders and all tests came back normal. Again, this information was sent to headquarters while another waiting period ensued. He was then informed he needed to report to MEPS again for an MRI and doctor visit. Once again, he was told all looked normal BUT official review and acceptance of a medical waiver needed to come from the top! Another long 2 and half weeks later, we learned that he was cleared! This final clearance came at the end of March with the May 16 deadline drawing closer.
On March 28, 2016 Trent traveled to MEPS once again to be sworn in as a Marine Corps recruit. On the morning of March 29, 2016 Trent woke up as a civilian and ended his day as a United States Marine Corps recruit! What a huge hurdle for him to accomplish and what a huge sense of pride for his family! Thankfully his Dad and Step-Mom were able to be there to support him as well as capture the moment on video! I am bursting with pride knowing the admirable career my son is about to embark on!
So proud and excited for Trent on this new journey. I know he has the physical and the mental strength it will take to get him through boot camp and beyond!!!! He will be in my thoughts, prayers and heart as he continues on his journey.
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