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Congrats to Today's PIR Members

Posted by Fred Ward on October 29, 2010 at 3:30pm

Congratulations to all those SAILORS who PIRed today and to the proud family members who were fortunate to attend and to those who were keeping the "home fires burning" while supporting their son/daughter/brother/sister/nephew/niece/grandson/granddaughter etc..(you get the idea). They made it through the hard work and the support of their RDCs, instructors, their new family (division members) and most importantly their families. God Speed!

Landlocked Sailor

Posted by Bob Rotruck on October 29, 2010 at 10:21am

Colorado sailor, so far from the sea,
No salt in the air or ocean to see.
It was good to stand on the bow underway,
In heavy seas with a face covered in salt spray.
To feel the wind blowing against your life vest,
Checking to be sure it is tight on your chest.
Turning your back on the onslaught of wind,
Facing aft at aircraft fighting off the din.
Watching young men in shirts of yellow, green, and blue,
Quite a rainbow for the old salt eyes to view.
And there were the red shirts at their fire station,
Praying there would not be a break in the operation.
Purple shirts scurrying about with fuel lines taut,
Giving airplanes a pure drink without any salt.
And flight deck safety would always come first,
Men in white shirts watching for a burst.
And up on the bridge the skipper watched intent,
Making sure the men were earning their free rent.
I was just one man, on that sea going city,
And now it is all done, what a sorrowful pity.
I served my country twenty wonderful years,
But when I think of it I burst into tears.
For men and women still go out to sea,
Keeping our nation as free as can be.
All I can do is remember the past,
And wish that it would just last and last.
God bless our sailors that stand tall in the wind,
Our country is the greatest and it will never end.
ROTRUCK - 2010

Got a Letter!!!!

Posted by Dean Alton on October 27, 2010 at 8:09pm

This was truely a wonderful day. We got our first letter from our son Brandon. He explained that this was the first time he had to write which was dated 10-24-10. All is well and he is enjoying his time in basic training, making new friends and learning new skills. He is in DIV903 and he says this is the high performance division. Past recruits in this DIV have done exceptionally well in Basic training and his is also doing well. One of his biggest delights was that he gets to have Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. It is one of his favorite things. He sounds good in his letter, and that makes my wife feel somewhat better. She wants to hear his voice though!

Ship2/DIV 903

Posted by Dean Alton on October 26, 2010 at 9:59pm

Hello Jerry and Sterlon, Our son Brandon is also on Ship2/DIV 903 and headed for nuke school after PIR 12/3. We also have not heard anything from him, just the kid box and the form letter. This is starting week 4 and Momma is getting a little anxious. If anyone hears from their recruit, please forward day and time as well as how long you got to talk.

Recieved the first letter

Posted by John J. on October 25, 2010 at 6:36pm

Actually the second if you count the form letter that came after the 1st week. All seems good, Swim went well running needs a pep up, missed the mark by 30 seconds. He's been there 3 1/2 weeks. Seems to me we all / most had that the first time running. Says he sure misses the 10 hour sleeps on our couch, man that used to bug me. Can hardly wait to get the next update from him. Maybe the phone call this weekend, we hope.

Daddy's little girl

Posted by Gil on October 24, 2010 at 12:30pm

Daddy’s little girl!

I remember the day that she was born, daddy’s little baby girl! The moment that I saw her, my life was changed forever. God had answered my prayers for a baby girl, Lovely daughter is her name. As I did with my two sons, I made a promise to raise her and provide her with a safe home. I promised to teach her to know God and follow him in life. One day like a blink of an eye, my baby daughter turned 5 and went to school with her brothers, Ah! It was so awesome to watch them walking toward the bus stop and holding hand together and I could see that daddy’s little girl was growing up. Lovely daughter soon began to show physical changes and started middle school, she was becoming a teenager but in my heart she was still daddy’s little girl. One day I woke up and I saw this beautiful young woman, she gave me a goodbye kiss and asked me for my blessings and there she was Lovely daughter was getting ready for her first day in high school. I could not believe what came after, just a few years passed by and Lovely daughter was having her graduation ceremony from high school, she just turned another page of her life and she looked so beautiful!! It was then when I knew that the time was near. Every father’s fear was getting closer, the day when the children will spread their wings and leave the nest! Many things passes thru my mind, one of them, was she ready? Today, Lovely daughter is leaving for the U.S. Navy boot camp; my eyes are in tears because daddy’s little girl is now a grown up woman. I know my love for her has not change if anything, it’s has grown stronger and hers for me as well and I pray God to continue watching over her and guide her thru life and as for me, I say this to God, thank you father for the privilege, the joy and the honor to raise Lovely daughter, my beloved daughter and always “DADDYS LITTLE GIRL!”

I love you Lovely daughter and I'm proud of you..HOOYAH to you~ Dad

Grandson - Gabriel

Posted by Cindy on October 23, 2010 at 8:42pm

Well friends...I hope you enjoy these pictures of my grandson, Gabriel Allen. It is a small compilation of his short four months here on earth. In some of them you will see his aunts from his mom's side, my nieces, his daddy (my son) Kelson, and my daughter-in-law, Ally, who was the best 'Auntie' he could've asked for. She spoiled him so much! I enjoyed putting it together for you all. Yes, I cried, I smiled, I chuckled, I remembered but it's ok. If you get to know him in a small way, you'll see why we miss him so much and why he was loved beyond belief. He didn't enter this world in the greatest circumstances as his parents split up a month or two after he was conceived. They were both 17 at the time. However, I don't think you'll ever find a 17 yr old male more ready to be a daddy than Kelson was. You see, Kelson feels to this very day, that God told him Gabriel was his and everything would be alright. In our wildest imaginations, we never would've thought that "everything" would include his death the morning of August 13th. Scootch's parents, separately decided on the name Gabriel. She liked the name. Kelson's went a little deeper. He liked the name, and after looking it up and finding it meant "God's Messenger", that was it for him. The morning of his birth, I will never forget. Morgan and Ally were here on pre-deployment leave. We had scheduled family pics, for April 6th, hoping Gabriel would be born. He wasn't. Janelle, the mom, had an appt on that day and was told it would be another week or so before the baby was born. To our surprise, we ended up in the hospital at 4:45 or 5:00 am, on April 7th because she had gone into labor. What?! The doctors were worried he would be maybe 4 lbs...he was 8 lbs 5 oz! Janelle's not a big girl, so we were also surprised that Gabriel was 21.5" long. I honestly don't know how she was able to carry such a big boy. The day before Father's Day, Kelson received a letter from the state stating, thru DNA, he was Gabriel's daddy. Kelson knew it. This gama knew it, too, but the paternity test was something that had to be done. On Father's Day, there was 5 generations together. My grandma, my mom, myself, Kelson, and Gabriel. We thought it would be one of the last few pictures taken of grandma (she's now 92), so I wanted it taken. Not knowing it was Gabriel's only Father's Day here, it has become so much more precious. At the time of Gabriel's death, he weighed 16 lbs and was 26.5". I found out from his other gma that Janelle's dad had been 6'3" and stocky (German descent). Scootch definitely picked up the Matson build! Kelson had Scootch from Friday afternoons to Sunday evenings. He works on Friday, so I was the one to pick Scootch up. I really, don't like Friday's at this time. Gabriel's death on August 13th, due to SIDS, will be one of the hardest days I think I'll ever have to go through. A SIDS death is a death that is hard to accept. There is no closure because, to this day, they have no clue what causes it. As a Gama, I grieve the death of Gabriel. As a Mom, I grieve for Kelson as well, because he lost his son. I'm getting better. Two steps forward, three steps backwards. I had the chance to visit a Corpsman wife, whose husband went through BC, A School, and FMTB at Camp Pendleton, with Morgan, in California for a few days. Jenne has three children. Her youngest is Hunter who turned 1 on 9/11. Hunter let me be a Gama to him for those days and it was healing. I have a long way to go and there will always be a piece of my heart missing and it will never be replaced.

Time to upgrade the country's citizenship

Posted by Bob Taylor on October 22, 2010 at 4:13pm

It is disheartening to read many papers these days and see how many of our kids (and grownups) are headed towrd the gutter. I pray often that WE, this Country will soon see the need to upgrade our backbones and our love of the US.

Is it possible?

Ship: 2/ Div. 903 Dad

Posted by Sterlon Mayo on October 18, 2010 at 4:58pm

My wife and I received the form letter on 10/16/10, finally something. We were encouraged by the note he left on the four whole lines they are given, more to come soon, I'm sure. This site has been an incredible tool. THANK YOU for creating this for all us DAD'S out here. Question on the 900 divisions, what would they be doing if they are not musically gifted?

PIR Awsome!!!!

Posted by Chris B (PIR 10/15) on October 17, 2010 at 10:41am

PIR was out of this world....and she was so beautiful and different. She is still a little homesick but doing great. She had a smile on her face from ear to ear. We also adopted her bunkmate and spent the day with both of them. As for places to stay....for future reference....DO NOT at the Quality Inn. First there was a musty smell in the ha

NEWBIE

Posted by ken chambers on October 16, 2010 at 3:26pm

Son just signed up as am sructural anybody out there who can give me some info on this job classification

PIR Yeaaaa!!!

Posted by Chris B (PIR 10/15) on October 13, 2010 at 2:46pm

Thanks for all your thoughts....she called today and will PIR with her Division!!! She did it!!!

Hello Everyone

Posted by Luis on October 11, 2010 at 6:34pm

Hello everyone, been quite busy lately and have not had much time to be on the computer. Just wanted to drop by and say hello. My son is currently in Jacksonville and is working on the P3-Orions as part of the VP-26 Squadron. He has been working a lot of hours and then spends time resting, working our and watching Football. We are now more in contact with him and this is good. Well, you all take good care and God Bless. Luis-Navy Dad & DAMN Proud.

Postponed Graduation HELP

Posted by Chris B (PIR 10/15) on October 6, 2010 at 7:55pm

We just got a phone call from our daughter that said she was not graduating next week because she failed her run by 20 seconds. What happens from here. Help, need information on how things work.

Chris

Left for Boot on 10-5-10

Posted by Dean Alton on October 6, 2010 at 9:00am

Our son Brandon left for Boot on Monday the 4th of October and reported for duty on the 5th. We will miss him dearly, but we are very proud of him and know he will do well. Good luck Son!

Mom and Dad

P.S. The boot videos really help to see what goes on in boot and what Brandon will be encountering. Thank you

Anyone Son or Daughter leave for Boot Camp on Sept 9,2010?

Posted by Michael W.Culley on October 4, 2010 at 8:15pm

I have a question, I have not recieved any Form letter from The Navy or from my son, he's be gone for 3 weeks. I recieved his box of personal belongings. The letter is supposed to have the password so I can get my pass for graduation? If no letter how do I get this information? can any one help with this information?

deployment communications

Posted by Tom Hannan on October 4, 2010 at 5:47pm

my son will be making his first sea deployment every soon. Is regular letters via mail the only way to keep in touch or is email available aboard ship ?

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