GREAT LAKES, Ill. -- One of the Navy's newest Seaman was surprised at the weekly pass-in-review (PIR) May 17 when her husband who was deployed to Afghanistan showed up at the Navy's only boot camp, Recruit Training Command (RTC).
Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (HM3) Adam Jarboe, originally from Steele, Mo., recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan as a Fleet Marine Force (FMF) Corpsman with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division. He was scheduled to return in June, but the deployment ended early.
On this particular Friday he was in the USS Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall to surprise his wife, Seaman Recruit Amanda Jarboe, 27, from Woodridge, Ill., who was graduating.
"I told her when I left to go to Afghanistan to not be surprised if I make it back to attend her graduation," said Adam. "She didn't believe me."
"It was surreal, and I couldn't imagine him doing something like this," said Amanda. "I was just looking forward to seeing our one year-old daughter Reese and my parents. Seeing him and our daughter together made today even more complete."
"It was a dream come true to surprise her and hug her as she graduated boot camp," said Adam.
Amanda was one of nearly 800 recruits to graduate May 17 in front of more than 2,000 friends and family. Joining Adam and wife Amanda were her parents Larry and Patty Schrimsher of Woodridge, Ill. and Adam's father Neal Jarboe of Steele, Ill.
The reunion wouldn't last long as Amanda was to fly out the following day to Gulfport, Miss. to undergo training to become a member of a Navy construction battalion, better known as the Seabee's.
Amanda won't be alone though as her sister Yeoman 2nd Class Megan Burke and her brother-in-law, Equipment Operator 1st Class Sean Burke, are both stationed in Gulfport, Miss. She also has another brother, Hospital Corpsman William Schrimsher who is stationed in Japan.
"It is amazing to have another child become a Sailor," said Patty. "It was also great that Adam was here to see Amanda graduate. None of us thought he would be back until June, but once we found out he would be back early, we jumped on the opportunity for a surprise."
Adam and Amanda both hope to apply to be co-located in Gulfport.
The reviewing officer (RO) for the graduation was Rear Adm. Mark F. Heinrich, commander, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) and Chief of Supply Corps who told all the new Sailors, "You are going to be tested every day because of what we do and who we are. Remember your core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment."
Recruit Training Command, located in Great Lakes, Ill., trains over 37,000 volunteer civilian recruits annually, transforming them into basically trained Sailors.
