Hope this helps. The bag drag when DS was a huge list, so for those that feel confident you will get SFT, here is what I remember DS needed.
1. Camo tan crew t-shirts
2. White t-shirts
3. Camo socks
4. white ankle socks
5. black dress socks
6. 6 Blue pens
7. 6 mechanical pencils
8. Blue 1" binders ---I think it was 6
9. Blue spiral notebooks
10. Sunscreen
11. Razors
12. Soap
13. Shampoo
14. Shaving cream
15. Ziplock gallon bags
16. Laundry marker pen
17. Moleskin
18. Sunglasses
19. Spare pr of eye glasses if you wear them.
I am sure there were a lot more on the list, and there are specific numbers they want you take. Basically that A-3 bag will be full. The ziplock baggies are important because they want them to use them to place shampoo, soap, shaving cream,sunscreen in them for the G forbid case in transit the liquid items break.
I believe we got the moleskin at CVS. They gave 2 options, but moleskin is better quality...it is to prevent blisters from marching.
They will have to use the laundry pen to place the 1st initial of their last name and their last 4 on all of their t's, socks, underwear for laundering purposes.
~~~ I think I couldn't find one, so I just gave him a permanent sharpie.
For the medical....it is a short physical...think sports...weight, eyes, ears and current shots. Irv if your DS is coming home, check his records. DS had to get a couple of booster shots. (H1N1, menococal (sp?), tetanus, and something else). I had to go up to his college to do it because they gave only @10 days to have it done, and the student health clinic couldn't do it in time. I wouldn't do the physical part because it is an actual form the doc must sign.
FWIW, a lesson Bullet taught our DS was after the bag drag, take the blues shirts and place each one individually in a gallon zip lock bag. It stops them from wrinkling as badly. We did this with his blues pants too. Make sure to remove all of the air before sealing the zip-lock. If you fold correctly, it works in reducing wrinkles. Think those space bag commercials.
They will bring that bag home with them at the end of the yr until they go to SFT. They will also bring a sealed manila envelope to take with them. That is the hardest thing...not opening it!
As parents, buy at least 2 books of stamps because their cell phone will be confiscated within 12 hrs of arriving. DS wrote us 1x, but he came home with @ 50 letters, and he wrote back to the majority of those that wrote him.
They will get an address shortly before leaving. We sent a letter the day before he left, so that on the 1st day of mail call he had something.
They will get their cell phones back a night or two before they return...make sure they take their charger too.
Hope that helps to divert the waiting process.
I get it, trust me. I get it, because I have the tee shirt to prove that everytime DS called us, my stomach dropped thinking he was going to tell us his future, only to be told no word yet. For him it didn't end with SFT. The rated board was delayed. Base assignment report dates were delayed.
ADAF members have a cliche that is true...hurry up and wait!
The sooner you accept that as truth, the easier your path will be.