March 6, 2006

  • By golly, what a day it's been!  While at Tom Thumb an hour ago, darned if the cell didn't ring and it was CHARLES!  

    He's doing fine!  Making good grades
    on his various tests (4.6 and 4.7 out of 5.0), received another 5.0 on a surprise inspection, and here's what he's
    really proud of....he received a 216 on the live gun range, classifying him as a
    sharpshooter.  His was the third highest score in his division, he'd
    have us know. 
     
    A downer, though....no signing
    bonus. 
     
    And why?  Because he did what
    everyone warned him not to do, which was trust the recruiting people
    (though he doesn't remember if it was the actual recruiter here in Fort Worth or
    when he was at the MEPS office in Dallas).  He was solemnly informed there was
    no money in the Navy's budget for signing bonuses (that month, quarter,
    whatever), but by the time he gets through part of basic and to the
    reclassification point, it'll be available, so he can get it then.
     
    Um, no.  He was firmly told at Great
    Lakes that's not possible and all signing bonuses must be in
    the contract, period.  So another recruit who is apparently his age and stage
    and also going to be a machinist's mate is getting $6-7K, while Charles gets
    zip. 
     
    You know, I'm giving serious
    consideration to complaining to our congressional reps about this.  For all the
    yatter about equality in the military, having two recruits with the same
    educational level signing up for the same job not receiving the same signing
    bonus is ridiculous.  Not to mention I'm tired to death of hearing about "Better
    get it in the contract because you can't trust the recruiters or recruiting
    office!"  This is the military supported by our tax dollars, and I am not at all
    happy with the idea of lying being condoned in it, at whatever
    level.  
     
    Anyway, he's doing well and vastly
    looking forward to getting out of basic, taking the disappointment over the missed bonus philosophically, determined to advance to a higher grade ASAP and get money through a higher pay grade.

    Plus this a few minutes ago I received the letter he wrote us a week ago yesterday.