Mammakent wrote:
mammakent
Emu Egg
Emu Egg
Joined: Feb 04, 2006
Posts: 1
New postPosted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 4:59 pm Post subject: Anybody here young and in the military? Reply with quote
Hi, I'm new and I'm here to try and find some helpful info for my just turned 19 yr. old son who has been in the Navy for 7 months and is having a really hard time fitting in.
He has never been diagnosed with Aspergers but from what I have been reading, he fits it like a glove. He had a miserable 4 years in high school, being the odd guy out, the victim of constant teasing and harrasment, never fitting in, never having friends.
He was very excited about joining the Navy and was really looking forward to getting on with his life and moving past the loneliness of high school, but he has finally admitted to me that he is even more miserable now. He has become the victim once again of mean jokes and ribbing.
If anybody has experience or advise to share about surviving 4 years in the Navy I sure would be interested to hear it. My son is hesitant to talk about this with anyone and spends all of his free time in agony and is terribly lonely. He tries so hard to fit in, it breaks my heart. He's a really great kid. I'm hoping that perhaps this web site could really save his life...
Hi! This is Ghosthunter
some dates by ghosthunter wrote:
I wish I could offer good advice and vibes your
direction, but I can't. I can offer some personal
experience(being that I tried the Army at age 19, going
on 20 in 1986).
Is this similar? to your son?........Re:facts below
Highschool failure wrote:
I just left Highschool in 1982, and all that I saw in life, and
still is a haunting experience is part-time food service.
I was desparate to join something, so I joined the ARMY.
The reason for this part is that I had no emotional
family and just visited my dad and found that he
looked upon me as a failure, ect.......So I tried the
ARMY. I just didn't have the loving family and
hope to see a future, just like being at 40 now.
Hmmmmm? Can you describe your son's situation?
some starter facts wrote:
Recruits went from Oakland, Ca to Fort Wayne, S.Carolina.
Basic Training was in Fort Wayne, S.Carolina. We started
on a greyhound bus to Fort Wayne and I believed they
used the term MEEP's, or something like that when you
were inbetween the basic training part and the transition
part.
What was his pre-Transition experience or location.
some more facts wrote:
They had us stay in a motel for one night and off we went.
The department category was ARMY, RA(I think regular army)
The time I spent was from 5/7/86-6/12/86. The reason
I never was in their long was because I was going through
emotional breakdown.
I didn't take well in translating orders, be it Quizno's in 2005
or the ARMY in 1986. I don't read verbal language well
as I will have found out in 2005-2006 in psychologist evaluations.
Does this bring some memory regarding your sons
situation????
Precurser to joining wrote:
I didn't like the military and knew that before I joined. I had
to find a way out of the being a failure(not knowing of
aspergers then) route in my life.
I find as I got older that it is better to not do what you
aren't really spirited in. At 19-20 years old I didn't
heed this.
Can you elaborate some of your experiences and your
sons that might pertain to this?
Psychological Issues wrote:
I didn't get to shoot a gun by the first month. They held
back about 5 people and had us do other things. I was
in a dischargement center and before that the psych hospital
for a week.
I am glad your son got through basic trainiing.
And just for the record you are the first person
in 20 years I opened up to about this darker and
earlier part of my pre-asperger dx life. Thanks.
How in your view or his(your son's) did the psychology
issue come into play?
What were they doing that makes you currently stressed?
I ask this because you wouldn't be here writing unless
you had a sub-conscious, or conscious concern.
final days in ARMY psych ward wrote:
I remember the drill sergeant was nice when he visited. I remember
my last actual basic training day was when they took you to
a room with gas masks(tear gas in room) and I said something?
and never saw basic traiining again(in it's proper form).
I was given a general discharge under AR 635 200 PARA 11 3A
and Separation Code of JGA and Re-Enlistment code of RE 3.
This is the best I can offer and I hope you can open up a bit
more about your concerns and what you and he(your son)
are experiencing. Either way, thanks for allow me to express
a darker part of my life(and short 1.5 month part)!
Sincerely,
Ghosthunter
05 Feb 2006, 2:00 am
