Comments

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  Bob Russell October 27, 2009 at 7:06am

  Jack, Mark is in his third week of MA school at Lackland AFB. He will graduate in early December. He is doing great - says it is 180 degrees different from boot camp. He goes to class from 8 - 5 and has weekends free. He went through the OC (pepper) spray ordeal last Friday. He called afterwards and said his face and eyes were still on fire six hours later. He was excited to get his laptop and a cell phone so he can talk to his wife on a daily basis. He will get his orders soon, we are hoping he will stationed on the east coast. It is great to hear him sounding so positive about his Navy service. Sounds like part of Jacobs training will be surviving a Great Lakes winter. Great hearing from you. GO NAVY!
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  Bob Russell October 14, 2009 at 6:33pm

  Jack, sorry I missed you too. Once we got seated, I forgot about everyting except our sailor. He called tonight and is in San Antonio for A school which starts Monday. He is a new man. See you on the A school group.
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  Bob Russell October 6, 2009 at 7:47am

  Jack, I saw another comment on the Boot Camp group that they ran BS21 last night (Monday night). If so, we should be getting a call from our sailors today. I am excited about the trip, I am flying up Thursday morning with Mark's wife and her parents. His mom is recovering from surgery and cannot come. She grew up in a Navy and Marine Corps family and it is really bumming her out that she won't be there. We all have plenty of cameras to capture the experience, and a webcam so she can talk to him during liberty. Hope to see you at PIR. GO NAVY!
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  Bob Russell October 3, 2009 at 8:11am

  Jack, Have a safe and fun trip. We will fly up there on Thursday. I am more excited every day as I read the posts from other dads about PIR. Hope you have a safe and fun trip. GO NAVY!
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  Greg Yee October 3, 2009 at 1:55am

  Jack
  Got the gate pass and we are almost ready to go, can't wait to see our new sailor, really looking forward to PIR, have a safe trip and GO NAVY !!!!
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  Bob Russell September 30, 2009 at 1:51pm

  Jack, Mark has been using most of his phone calls to contact his wife. Her baby is due in February and he is concerned about not being with her. Such is Navy life! We have been getting regular letters, he sounds really upbeat lately. He mentioned BS 21, but did not give a day. I guess we will know it is over when he makes the phone call. I am excited and looking forward to PIR next week.
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  Greg Yee September 23, 2009 at 9:47am

  Jack
  We also heard from our son on Saturday morning for about 35 min, he sounds better than the last call, was SIQ for a couple of days with the recruit crud, had a 102 temp but was back on his feet when he called, hes passing his test's and is up beat, ready for PIR in just over two weeks, we can wait to see him, tell you son congrats on the job hes doing and it will be over soon, thanks for the note, take care and will chat with you later.
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  Greg Yee September 10, 2009 at 9:14am

  Jack
  Have been getting letters for about a week and a half now, he sounds good but wants it to be over soon, got a 15 min call last thursday, was good to hear from him, he is the div ARPOC and says the guys dont listen to him very well, I told him to hang tough and not wear his heart on his sleeve, he will earn the guys respect as time goes on, he says the chow sucks and he and his division are doing lots of PT, his mother and i told him to hang in there and stay tough and it will all be over before he knows it, less than a month to go, looking forward to PIR 10/9/09.
  chat with you later
  Greg
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  Wirt Epling September 6, 2009 at 2:08pm

  Jack,
  Thanks for the note. My wife, Lisa, and I were just talking about the possibility of a phone call this coming week. I'm envious, but happy for you getting the call. I know you're glad to get some positive feedback from your son. I hope ours goes as well as yours sounds. Our youngest (daughter) is home for her visit from college, so we're distracted in a very pleasant way this weekend. Hoping to hear from him soon.
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  NavyDads Admin (Paul) August 26, 2009 at 9:13pm

  Welcome to NavyDads Jack! I'm sure you'll find the site as fun and useful as I have. Explore and make some friends, add your comments to a discussion or two, read the postings in the various groups-- even start one or two. I have! If you have any questions or concerns about your sailor and what he is going through...ask! I'm sure someone here will have the answer or can point you in the right direction to find out. I'm lucky enough to have two sailors- my son Eric just returned from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and my daughter Kat returned last fall from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). And Jack this is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Jacob is doing!
  
  As a parent of a sailor currently or soon to be at Great Lakes you'll have many questions about what your son is going through. Thanks to one of our members we have two excellent videos that you can access from the Video area on the NavyDads.com main page: New Bootcamp 1 of 2 and New Bootcamp 2 of 2. These videos will answer many of your questions and concerns and will give you a better understanding of how the United States Navy transforms our children into sailors!
  
  Be sure to spend some time in the Bootcamp group- there are many questions and answers available to help you understand what your sailor is going through. And as PIR draws closer, be sure to spend some time going through the PIR-Tips, Hints and Helps group- we’ve tried to assemble some tips and suggestions to make your sailor's PIR more enjoyable. And stop by the NavyDads offical store- Navyoutfitters.com. Show your support for NavyDads by wearing the latest in NavyDads attire.
  
  And Jack- thank you for your service to our great country. Best Regards- Paul