All Posts (921)
Sort by
My son is almost two weeks in and is in Ship 11 Div 246, anyone else?
Anyone with family in ship13 div237???
We are confused about how long is A school, he is a ABE, his recruit said school in pensacola was about 5 months thats why he had to sign for 5 years. We are reading that school is only 5 weeks? Can any one clarify this?
Well it is official. I got my "I am a Sailor" call late yesterday afternoon and got to talk to him for 21 minutes. The relief of this call was a blessing. The waiting was torture. I will be leaving tomorrow to head out to the GL for PIR. What a proud mom I am right now.
Want to thank all of you that kept me and my son in your prayers. Feeling so blessed and relieved right now! Joey's dad got a call today.......he called me at work.....He aced all of his tests including his last PFA! I was so worried and concerned with his knee injuries but he made it. His division even won the "Captain's Cup" today and "the Chant" (not sure what that is) but he told his dad to tell me to expect a call sometime Tuesday after BST. Two more tests to go....BST and an inspection. If they pass that they will be "Hall of Fame Division". Feeling so proud and thankful right now....under 5 days until I see my Sailor "shine" at PIR! — 
feeling blessed.
The sperm donor dropped off letters today at my job and my job is strict so I would have had to wait to read them. I was a mess. They let me go in the ladies room and read them. He dropped them off crying and I was like "what?" He said it does not sound good. After getting home (I got a letter too)(im sure it's the last one) I felt pretty good after re-reading them. He got hurt again and said in his fathers' letter that he does not want to disappoint me or his dad and that he is going to try his best but did not know if he could and that he was sorry for that. (he injured his knee again but the right one this time) After going through the letter with the dates and time frame I figured out his had a root canal on Tuesday, which he was not concerned about and obviously everything went ok other than having to make up stuff that he missed. He also mentions that his final PFA would be today (Thursday) and he feared he would not pass it because his knee was just hurt and it was bothering him pretty bad. It is 9pm hear and "no news is good news" so I will go with that and assume he passed his last PFA today! God I hope so. He wrote some more things like how sorry he would be and feel if he did not graduate and that he would reimburse us the money we have put out already for accommodations! (how sweet that was and well it broke my heart in two). In my letter he put that he was glad I had all the info I would need for PIR and that I probably would not be getting one but that he put our 4 names down for guests at PIR. In my letter I could not be more proud! Crying half the night and not sleeping well and working a 9 hour stressful shift today......my letter put tears of joy. On top of him earning a 3rd class swimmer/a ribbon for sharp shooting and a ribbon for markinspike he his division (forget your SR's division right now) but the division got a scholar flag (doing well on the 1 st test) and an inspection flag for (overall score on the 1st inspection)they got a 4.95 highest being 5.0..He said he would get another Monday that just passed for (drill flag). and that they have a chance to have a score of 4.7 or higher that they we will be "hall of fame division" that is very hard to get but that they have a good chance of getting. He told me they took pictures in their dress uniforms. He does not think he is the best looking guy with short hair (he is a rocker like mom and always wore it long) but he said "it's hard to look bad in the uniform"! And them the "Big ONE"! he got ranked up from an E-1 to and E-2! and that he will have a patch on his arm during graduation with 2 stripes!!!!! All that being said/typed "no news is good news" and can not wait til BS are over and get the "I am a sailor call" which I am anticipating to be no longer than Tuesday of next week....One proud momma right now.....still worrying though....how could I not until this is all over and he is off to school in Groton!
Got 3 letters today and Joey passed all his tests and inspections. Their division is first out of 5 divisions. He won a ribbon for sharp shooting and passed his running test....(think there is one more) but he did it on the injured knee in record time. He got to get out for 3 hours last Saturday to go out to eat and other activities for their division for scoring so high. He was ranked/rated as a 3rd class Navy swimmer (not sure what that is or means) but what ever it does I am so proud of him. FYI they got "best division group out of all for academics" and my son in law who was in the Navy says that his division may be 1st to march out! Or that was how it was when he was there 9 years ago. He said in one of the letters that if they finish over all higher than the other divisions (as well as they started) that they will graduate as "hall of fame division". One happy Navy mom right now.....under 13 days til PIR.......I feel like jumping all around and doing cart wheels around my apt.
MEPS was such an adventure! I met great people, though I was the oldest of everyone there (I'm 29). After going through the ASVAB (96 score) and the medical examination (just reaching my max weight of 160 lbs.), I was finally sworn in at 4:00 pm on 2014 05 28. There was a sense of great pride from all of us standing before the American flag and our service flags.
I chose a job in Advanced Electronics / Computer Field. I'm excited. I signed a contract for 6 years plus 2 inactive.
ok question? Is anyone else still waiting for their "official form letter". Mine still has not got to me. I wrote my son and his father told him on his last call to him. Starting to worry and to think that I am the only one still waiting on this. PIR is in 15 days......anyone???? suggestions please or help?!!!
I was told not to worry if I have all the information (ship, division, PIR date, who's on the list, and the password) all of which I have, but I would feel much better having this letter in my hand.
This is to attempt to help those folks who might be interested in a Tiger Cruise in the future.
As you have probably seen posted here and in other sources, it may be a chance of a lifetime so don't pass up the opportunity. Only after we got on the ship with our son, did we find out that it would probably be the only deployment he would ever have and so it was truly our only chance at a Tiger Cruise. And it was thoroughly enjoyed by all!
I will tell you right up front that, information coming from our kids on the ship is very brief and intermittent. When you take into consideration that we are dealing with young folks that may not phone home often to begin with, plus the fact that they are under strict regulations about what they can disclose, limited computer time, as well as their seemingly total disregard for parents need for details, details, details, information is slow in coming!
We received an e-mail from our son with him stating the dates for the "Cruise" and attached to that e-mail were a couple of PDF's for us to print, fill out, scan, and mail back to him. Those PDF's were for general information about do's and dont's on the "Cruise" and for health history. What to bring and what not to bring and things of that nature. Nothing official ever came from the Navy about the "Cruise" save for those PDF's. So don't expect to see anything official with a Navy letterhead. You won't get it! Private contact from your sailor is all you're going to get. And that private contact will be limited!
I was in contact prior to the "Cruise", with several others that met here at Navy For Dads. We formed a little e-mail group because you can't reveal specific info here at Navy For Dads, but you can in private e-mails. Some parents were a bit frustrated because other folks had already received an e-mail and returned their PDF's before they even got their e-mail from their son or daughter. You'll have to be patient, as difficult as it is, and take the information as it comes.
Information available here in the Tiger Cruise group will tell you what to bring and some general info. Some things that might not be covered though are:
1. It is warmer at the Hawaii start, and colder at the San Diego end of the "Cruise" so you should allow for that bit of a climate change. It was warm and muggy in the non-air conditioned parts of the ship at the beginning of the "Cruise", yet we had fall/spring jackets on most of the day during the last couple of days. Of course, this was a December "Cruise".
2. In the sleeping berth that I was in, there were numerous outlets where you could plug in a phone or battery charger. No problem there. The sailors were all doing it with their phones, etc. The berthing areas are all air conditioned and freezing cold! The air temp cannot be controlled so be sure to have shorts, T-shirts, pajamas or some such thing that you can layer to keep you warm in bed. You'll need it.
3. What everyone wants to know is, how cramped is the sleeping bunk? I am 6' tall. When I lay flat on my back, I made a fist and put it on my forehead, made a fist with the other hand, and stacked it on top of my first, and my top hand was touching the bottom of the bunk above! You can roll over in that bunk. But you don't make any move in that bunk without thinking about it! You cannot sit up at all. The bunks are stacked three high. If you get a bottom bunk, you have to get down on your hands and knees to get in it. If you get a top bunk you have to climb to get in it and drop to the floor when getting out. The middle bunk is the easiest go get in and out of. You get into a bunk by going in head and hands first and you get out by backing out feet first. You cannot sit up on the edge of the bed like you do at home. There is a storage area about 8"-10" deep under each bunk, the full length of the bunk. Lots of room for all your stuff. Just make sure you pack things in soft crush-able bags. There is no room for suitcases.There may be a locker available to you. Make sure to bring a keyed lock and not a combination lock. This picture was taken during one of the brief times that lights were on. It is a ship at work around the clock and some people are working at night and sleeping during the day so the lights are out in the berthing areas most of the time, with just soft red lights left on, which makes it very hard to read the numbers on a combination lock.
Some berthing areas are quite noisy and others are quieter. But again, it is a ship at work 24/7. They don't stop working because the "Tigers" are on board. Some berthing areas may be near a work area where things are being dropped and banged and things of that nature. Others are near a part of the ship that may have a constant machine-like drone that never stops. You will likely be berthing near where your son or daughter works so that may give you some indication of what to expect. If he or she works on the catapults for example, you may be in for some topsy turvy nights!
4. There were a number of tours that we could sign up for that took us through most of the ship. About the only part of the ship that was off limits was the nuclear power section which is where our son is. Depending on the job your son our daughter has, will determine how much time he or she may be able to spend with you on the "Cruise". The nuclear department for example, has fewer staff and so my son was working most of the time and didn't really get to spend much time with us on the ship. It made things a little difficult at first as, "Tigers" are not supposed to be wandering the ship without a sailor with them. But he was able to get other sailors to go with us until we got accustomed to the surroundings. After all, you are spending most of your time doing the tours and you are are going as a group with a sailor leading your group, so you are in good hands. After a while you get accustomed to your surroundings and learn where to go for various things. And there are 5,000 other people on their with you! There is never a time or place where there isn't someone available to ask for directions.
5. I was not prepared for the crush of 5,000 people in such small confines. Do not be fooled by how wide the ship is at the outer edges of the flight deck. It is much narrower everywhere else.
6. If you've never been on the ocean before, go prepared to get seasick! Hopefully you won't have a problem but if you plan ahead to bring Dramamine or some such thing, then you will be prepared. Our "Cruise" lasted 7 days and I was seasick for about 24 hours right in the middle of it. I took Dramamine and was fine after that. And I have been on the water lots in my life, just never on the ocean. The ship does not porpoise much, but it does roll side to side. And it's that rolling motion that makes people sick. We were on one of the tours that took us way up in the "Tower" on a day that saw the most rough seas of the trip and that's what put me over the edge. My wife and the other "Tigers" that we became familiar with on the "Cruise" had no such trouble.
7. When you are in Hawaii, waiting for the ship to come into Pearl Harbor, you will have no way of knowing exactly when the ship will come in. Your sailor will probably have told you the day, but not the time. They are not allowed to give out that information. I would suggest getting to Pearl Harbor by 7:30 at the very latest and just hanging out around the park there, to wait for the ship to come in. It does not cost anything to park your car and hang out at the park while you wait. Your sailor may have some free time while in Hawaii but the ship only stays there overnight and leaves the next day, so do not expect to have several days there with your sailor. They are ending their long deployment and are on a mission to get back home, so they are not lingering long in Hawaii!
I could go on and give a lot more detail but that would give away too much of the trip. It truly was the chance of a lifetime and we still can't get over some of the things we experienced on that ship. You will leave with a much better understanding and appreciation of what our sailors go through on long deployments in some pretty tough conditions!
I hope this blog helps some others that may be planning a Tiger Cruise in the future. Enjoy!
Master-At-Arms 2nd Class Petty Officer Mark A. Mayo was shot and killed, while defending a fellow Petty Officer, on the deck of the USS Mahan on March 24, 2014. The selfless act of this young man deserves recognition. Please sign this petition and call upon President Obama to award him the Medal of Honor.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/award-petty-officer-mark-mayo-medal-honor/
I have gotten a email from my son who is deployed on a carrier, and he has informed me that he did not have his cash card to make purchases on the ship. Is there anything on this end that I can do, or advice that I can give him in acquiring one while at sea?
Thank you
Since I immigrated the legal way, it took a few years to become a naturalized US Citizen. However, when the children want to join a branch of the military, it can become a bit challenging for the following reason:
Until 2011, German citizenship law stated that when you joined the military of a friendly nation, you automatically gave up the German citizenship. However, in 2011, the law concerning German citizenship was comprehensively re-written. This also impacts young men and women with one German parent, when they want to join a branch of the U.S. Military. Since specific security clearances are required for certain fields and dual-citizenship is not allowed, the prospective candidates must renounce their German citizenship.
The attached document was created to help other parents in this situation as a walk-through for the procedural steps. We did provide this to our recruiter, but it might be useful for someone over here as well. However, keep in mind it only applies to future military with one parent being of German descent.
Anybody heard that ship 2 Div.918 earned another flag for doing good in training this week? Heard through the grape vine that they did, just wondering? Also does anybody know if they are doing Battle Stations this week? Been sending him letters but don't know if he's receiving them because he is not writing back!!!! Can't wait 03/14/14 just around the corner to go see our SRs (sailors).See ya'll at Meet and Greet with the sarge.
Hi, I am a newbie to Navy Dads. My son Steven is in RTC with a PIR date of 3/28/14. He is on Ship 13 (USS Marvin Shields) Div 123.
First so very proud of him and all his fellow recruits. What a big step in their lives. Although it looks to be one of the coldest winters for the Great Lakes I am confidant that they all will be looking back on this experience in 10 or 20 years and be thinking it was one of the best times in their lives!
I hope you all are getting the letters and phone calls from your recruit. I actually had a third one from my son just yesterday. (he was using a calling card he purchased at the Navy Exchange) We got to talk for about 25 minutes. That plus the 40 minute call we had with him on Sunday gave us a much clearer picture of how he is doing and how things are going. He said his Division may (?) be able to earn one more call home
If I may, for those who may not know I will try to give a few bullet points on the overall status.
As of today (2/27) PIR 3/38 class will be in WEEK 3 DAY 1 of training. By tomorrow they will be at their halfway point in training.
Swim tests are all done. Most recruits in his division did well. Just a handful need some extra training. My son said so far the swim tests was his BEST day by far!
Most everyone seems to have a cold.
Div 123 needs some help in their marching. They are all testing OK, but are not a top level Division just yet.
Yesterday they were fitted for their "Dress" uniforms (blue winter and white summer). My son thinks he looks best in the dress blues with the "dixie cup" cover (hat)
They get another haircut next week
He is getting about 7 hours of sleep...not a real GOOD sleep but good enough
The food (chow) seems to be above average. My son was never a breakfast person but he now loves the eggs, bacon and blueberry pancakes (and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal). They get 12 minutes to eat (in silence)
They have started PT. My son is lucky to be in great shape (unlike Dad) and so this was never a concern for him
IMPORTANT!. Keep them letters coming! He told me that receiving letters from home is VERY important to all the recruits. Even just a card or quick note. I write him something every day. He says the worst feeling is when they have mail call (each weekday night) and your name is not called. I asked him to send me the names of any of his fellow recruits who do not seem to be getting any mail so we could send them some words of encouragement. He thought that was a SUPER idea and is ending me two names. I would encourage you to ask your son/daughter to do the same.
I asked my son, so is boot camp, better, worse or about what you expected. He said it what what he expected. I asked him if he regretted his decision to enlist and he responded with a very confidant No!
He sounded more relaxed and settled in when we spoke yesterday. He is meeting some good people...perhaps some of your sons...(Ship 13 Div 123 is all males). Working as a team is critical.
And finally, apparently you have to stand in line for EVERYTHING ! :)
We all need to be big time proud of them. Will post more if I learn of any good new info. Will look forward to reading other posts as well. Hope to meet some of you at PIR.
Best regards,
Paul
Since my son recently joined and he had college behind him, we were looking into Student Loan deferment.
In a nutshell, it is next to impossible to defer Government Student Loans these days. This can become very important because a few months after College is done, the payments are starting to come due.
If you cant pay, this will impact your credit rating and if you have a low credit rating that in turn can impact your security clearance.
The recruiter did not know this one either and when I gave him the form he was very happy since he did not have the info yet.
I am adding the form to this post. Look at the definitions in section 6 and 7.
