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hi  everyone   hope all is well in  navy dad land and beyond:)   my son is doing great  met a girl already and seems so well adjusted  I am so proud.I think he is visiting in may so I look forward to that .God bless everyone.

Just received my sons P.I.R. date and we are so excited. Hoping that everything goes well. Praying that nothing would happen to change this day!! Hopefully I would meet other family members that have their love ones PIRing this date in-order to keep abreast of what's going on w/ our SR.

Thank you.  

Ex-Sailor here glad to be aboard and excited about my son deciding to join the NAV.  (A Fine Navy Day with another opporutunity in which to Excel!)

My son has a ND contract and is awaiting his Report Date to Great Lakes and is gearing up by keeping in shape. Main concern at this point is Navy Dive Prep School in Great Lakes.  If anyone knows of help information, suggestions, tips, or who has a loved one with recent experience with this prior to going on to Panama City, any kind notes would be deeply appreciated.  Thanks Much!

my son will be returning soon from his first deployment is there any way that I can get video of there

return.

Anybody know who won the Captain's Cup this week? I heard rumblings that my son's ship  (ship 14 div 073) won

Hello all.

Does any one know if its ok to bunch the first group of mail for a recuit and send them via Next Day Air ????

Hello again all.

Since my son signed up last summer, I  have given thought to the Blue Star flag. I know about them and the use in WWI and WW II. My Fathers Mother's flag had three blue stars. My Mothers Mother had one Blue Star. Sadly that Blue star had to be covered with a Gold star when the Indianaoplis was sunk.

It would seem that the Blue Star Flag is being used again.

Anyone know of the current proper respected use of the Blue Star Flag ?

Hello all. Have a couple of questions if you don't mind. I have been reading but haven't found the answers. Yet anyway.

I already have three letters written and ready to mail when I get my sons first letter telling us his official address. Any one know of what the usual time frame is from day one unitl we should expect his first mail? I did read at NavyDads about recuiters not always having the correct address due to different things that can hpapen to recruits and Divisions schedules, so won't even ask the recuiter.

Question 2. Are recuits  permitted to have photos? Any limit on how many? In my day things were different, But new Navy and new rules so I thought I would ask.

And question 3. I'm sort of getting the impression that there might be current photos or even short videos on NavyDads I haven't yet found of recuits. Sort of like daily or weekly random posts for parents. I realize RTC is indeed a military installation and subject to the usual security, but there are sort of general videos of interest that are here.

Thanks again in advance for your help. I am indeed quite impressed with NavyDads. Especially the PIR telecast. That made the rest of the family happy to hear. Some new things since 1964 can be good changes.

Hello all. Still new to this site so don't know how to reply to each of you . So I will have to make a group Thank You for the welcome aboard and info.

Many new things for an old sailor like me to get used to. I was in boot camp in San Diego in 1964, and was totally shocked to learn there is no "boot liberty" or "boot leave" anymore. Its the new Navy with new terms and proceedures, but no boot leave!?!?!?!?!?

And the new working unifroms? When the recuiter came to the house before I at first thought he was a Marine! He never even heard of undress blues. The blue shirts and jeans that us oldblue jackets wore for many generations now replaced by the jump suits, not very Navy looking for us older guys. The most shocking was he didn't know what Battleship Row was.

The good news is that boots today are treated better than we were, and thats a good thing. I'm grateful to all of you and NavyDads to have a place to learn of all the new proceedures, terms and info I can find here. For example I was a mothball but my son is a smurf. Same idea about new recuits but for different reasons. So I will continure to read, and learn. Thanks to you all and this old fa_t will continue to learn and be so proud of my son. Craig

Let's try a little edition
Of trying a piece of deck log tradition
The new year is logged in rhyme
The OOD's special writing time.

CO and XO
Are top of the page
Special positions
Don't start their rage

We write of the course
Bearing and speed
State of the plant
And what's on most

Inport we tell of the lines
What number, type, size,
And of what kind.

The watchstanders on Deck
Are given a line.
The CDO, POOW, and OOD
Are often Fine.

Conditions all listed
Whether normal or twisted
Complete the entry here.
Thus is the way
We log a New Year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2014 IS UPON US!

One of the things that we get to experience as Navy Dads is the transfer. This change of duty station that throws everyone off for a little while with the change in contact info. I'm not sure how common this is on this site; I get to transfer on my son. He stepped out on his own when I transferred to USS Nimitz, and attended Boot Camp while I was deployed. My son has deployed with his squadron twice since then. Now that he is getting ready to come ashore, I am making ready for sea. Perchance, this blog will give some insight to the transfer from the viewpoint of the sailor.

Like every other Sailor out there, I applied for my orders in the Career Management System. I was then selected for my next command. I chose sea duty as that is next on my sea/shore rotation, and, being my last tour if I do not promote, will be my last chance to see all the ports that I have seen over the years.

I was contacted by my sponsor shortly after recieving hard copy orders. He brought me aboard to meet and greet the Chain of Command and see what I was like and provide any additional information I needed. I'm still in touch with my sponsor as I have not yet reported aboard.

I have filled out many forms, taken them to PSD (Personnel Admin). Lastly, I have been turning over my duties to my relief. Junior Sailors may not do this as much as Senior Sailors, but it still must happen for continuity in the command.

Next is a few more visits to PSD to ensure all in order, and executing the orders. After that, I will be on my way to another Fine Navy Adventure.

My son, in the mean time, is at the beginning of this process.

Just received daughters civis and typed letter with her address can not wait to hear from her and see her. Its going to be cold at boot camp

Hello there it has been sometime since I posted on here and it has been an enduring adventure, since my last Jarad has just graduated from A school and is home (for the first time in 6 months). To go through the last how many weeks with our young sailor has been trying at times, trying to teach him to be financially responsible, or how not to freak out when you can't get the flight you want till tomorrow you know the mundane everyday things that make up life.

One thing that I have noticed since he has returned and in this I remembered my own experience this young man returned to a world that while it has changed very little has changed completely. He tried to revert back to how he was before only to drive me nuts to the point that I finally sat him down and we talked about this I told him how on my first trip back home I wanted everything to be as if I never left and it was, but the one thing no matter how hard I wanted or thought I did, that was different was me. I had changed and so had he, the place he once found comfort and security in, now stressed him out because as he put it " I am waiting for Petty Officer to give me instruction". I remember feeling lost and confused, everything looked like it did when I left and it was without a doubt home I mean my mom was there only nothing was the same because I had changed. He was confused about how this could happen and somewhat disappointed that it had although he never said as much I could see it in his eyes, those blue eyes the same ones that I had seen in my sleep the same blue eyes that had looked to me for reassurance as a little boy now had a similar look for an explanation of this new wrinkle and while giving it my best shot I am not sure either of us were completely satisfied with it.

I relayed my story and he listened intently nodding in the right places and was very attentive yet I could see that it hasn't quite clicked yet for him. That click that lets you know that while different it's still the same you just have to find how it works now for you just on a different level than it did before. So today has been better somewhat and hopefully tomorrow will be better still yet and we will take each as they come because in the back of my mind as in his we know more than likely he will be gone for at least twice as long next time; we won't speak of that yet neither he nor I, we know. We will take each minute, each hour, each day and use it completely and just when it all starts to feel normal again he will be gone again and we will feel the vacuum, not here the sounds of him downstairs singing (bless his heart he try's) or he and his little brother laughing and cutting up we will learn all over again how to be patient and wait until he has the chance knowing he will call and being supportive when he does.

We will be happy for our Sailor proud beyond belief in hearing his voice seeing in our minds eye his smile but that will be the smile of a small child at least for me it is never showing how much we miss him only that we are here and always will be anytime day or night to listen or give him a pep talk just like we always have. Only now it different no matter how bad we wanted things to be the same we have changed to, I guess  

just a thought     

My son Carnell is in Div 37 and PIR is Dec 13 does anyone have someone in that div

My son Zachary will graduate next week from AZ school in Mississippi.  He earned top honors in his class and will be stationed in Hawaii.  His family is extremely proud of him.