Comments

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  NavyDads Co-Admin, Gary October 23, 2011 at 11:41am

  Thank You Jeff! Yeah I've found this site to be super helpful and eased my worries a lot when my son joined the Navy and what he's going through in bootcamp.

   

  It's really comforting to know that you can share with others who are in the same boat as you are and not have the feeling that you are alone. I've also noticed that there are a lot of veteran's here who's had the military experience to share first hand. ND is definitely a place to share your experiences, what's on your mind and a place to support one another with one common goal on a global scale. The way I look at it - we are all one big giant Navy family.

   

  Hope your son is enjoying his training in California I'm guessing he's probably in southern california where the weather is always nice :)

   

  Have a great week!

   

   
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  NavyDads Admin, Tim September 29, 2011 at 3:43pm

  Welcome aboard Jeff.
  I would like to take this time to point you in some of the right directions. For starters if you haven't had the time take a look at the right side of any page you click on. There you will find some useful information for you. The links under the about this site will help you with how this site got started, navigation, PIR, About us, community guidelines and some links to some of the groups that beginners with a lot of questions will find very useful. There is also a link called Navy Enlisted Ratings, this link will take you to a brief description of the rates (jobs) in the Navy that you can find your sailors rate and find out some information about the rate that they are in.
  First and foremost though we are all here for the same reason. We are curious about what our young sailors are getting into and for more information about the rate or job that they will be doing for the next 4-6 yrs of their lives. I know when I first got here I had lots of questions and there was not a lot of people on this site but they all were either going through the same thing or had been through it and had sailors out in the fleet. Now this site has grown to over 4000 members, Dads, Moms, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, sisters, brothers, girlfriends and boyfriends. Don't be afraid to ask questions of members in here because somewhere along the way we have all had the same questions and asked. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this site with various years of experience in the NAVY either on their own account or through their Sailors.
  Again welcome aboard and BRAVO ZULU to you and your son JGR on his enlistment and please thank him for me for making the choice to defend the freedoms that my family, this country and I have and enjoy.
  Navy dads Co-admin Tim
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  NavyDads Admin (Paul) September 28, 2011 at 8:55pm

  Welcome to NavyDads.com Jeffrey! When my daughter enlisted in 2005 and left for RTC, I had virtually no knowledge of Navy life or how the Navy did things. By the time her PIR rolled around, I was starting to get the hang of things and understand some of the language and abbreviations, but still felt like a fish out of water when dealing with most topics concerning the US Navy. When my son enlisted and left for Great Lakes in 2007, I got serious about trying to learn as much as possible about the Navy. Now, several years into my journey, I’m blessed to say I have two sailors in the family - my son Eric (AM3) was on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and just reported to Helicopter Squadron Light-37 (HSL-37) in Hawaii after re-enlisting earlier this year. My daughter Kat is now a Navy veteran and was stationed on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) as a Mass Communications Specialist. If Navy Dads were around in those days, it would have made my journey as a Navy parent much easier. I'm sure you'll find NavyDads.com as useful, educational and informative as I have over the past few years. I hope you take the time to explore the site and make some new friends. Read the discussions and add your comments. Browse through the postings in the various groups or start a new one. If you have any comments, questions or concerns about your sailor and what he is going through...be sure to post them! In my experience someone here can answer your questions or concerns or can point you in the direction to find out. And Jeffrey this is a great place to brag as well! So join in, get active, and be sure to let us know how your son is doing! Please remember that we talk about the Navy here and we must keep the security and safety of our sailors and the fleet in mind. On the right or starboard side of every NavyDads page is an area we call About This Site. Please take a minute and read through the Operations Security (OPSEC) link for some guidelines as to what we should not talk about in a public forum like NavyDads.com.
  
  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. In the Navy Bootcamp group is a discussion called A MUST READ for all New Navy Parents. Read through this post as it will do a lot to give you some understanding about what your sailor is learning and why. And be sure to check out the videos available in the Bootcamp Group as well.
  
  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.
  
  Play the following video for a brief introduction to NavyDads.com. We've made some cosmetic changes to the site since this video was made, but navigation remains the same.
  
  
  Best Regards- Paul
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  NavyDads Co-Admin, Calvin September 28, 2011 at 8:46pm

  JeffreyAt 8:43pm on September 28, 2011, grandpa273 said… , Welcome to NavyDads. My Grandson Joined the Navy and went to Boot Camp in February, 2008. When I joined I knew nothing about the Military and this site has really helped me understand what to expect and has relieved some of the worries I had. Please go to the Groups Page and check out all of the different Groups and join in to learn more about what your Guy or Gal will be learning and doing. We are a big family here and you can find answers to most any question or concern you may have regarding what is in store for you recruit. You will find others that are new to the Navy along with those that have Loved Ones that has been in for some time. We like to hear about your recruit the good times, the concerns and the questions. I think you will find that our member are just a great big family and everyone wants to help others understand what to expect and hear how your recruit is doing.
  
  NavyDads has a SEAL Dads (NSW) Group. When you have a chance be sure to read one of the following post or all three This is a must read before posting, OPSEC and Social Media and Posting on NSW Forums (this is a must read). After reading about OPSEC you will understand why I am asking for you to remove you Last Name and your Sons Name from your profile. Everyone here is ready and willing to help answer any questions you have regarding this long journey your Guy is starting. Tell him that my Family and I appreciate his desire to join the Navy and we are proud of his decision. He will be in our Thoughts and we wish him the best.
  
  Please feel free to ask questions.
  
  Again Welcome and keep us updated as to you recruit’s progress.
  
  HooYah US Navy