Some parents fear they won’t hear from their kids in the Navy very often.

[Navy for Moms Admins]

Misconception? Truth? I know in boot camp sometimes conversation from them is limited, but what about after boot camp?

"Some parents fear they won’t hear from their kids in the Navy very often."

[carol costain]

LOL My son has 8 months left in the Navy and may re-enlist. After boot camp and until now ,We talk more than he did before he joined, He calls on his cell phone, We instant message every night, We e-mail when he's aboard ship. He plays on line so-com war games with his brother, whom is home with me.Boot camp was the hardest time for me also, It was the "not knowing" that worried me into panic. I had many sleepless nights and edge of my seat days waiting for the phone to ring. Then I feared leaving the house worried I would miss his call but once stationed and settled on base or at sea. you will hear more than you think from them.Boot camp seems to be the toughest part of their job. My son admitted to me that he had many times he could have called ,only was so tired from training that, the 10 minutes he would have talked? he chose to get in a catnap Don't worry you will hear from them.

[Angelkoz999]

First, let me say, my Son will tell you he is proud to be in the Navy and doing his job. And I am proud of him too. I try to be supportive, but it is also in my nature to speak my mind and not be fake. Our family was undergoing some major changes about the time my son enlisted. After 25 years in IN near Chicago I was realizing with my husband soon being able to retire, we could live ANYWHERE. I wanted to come "home" to KS and my son was supposed to establish residency and then start college at KU. He went with some friends to play a game of football with a Navy recruiter, and his life was changed. I tried many times to talk my son out of not enlisting, but he did. His recruiter talked him into signing up for 6 years! Promised him many things, few have come to pass and he is halfway through. I went to the recruiter twice and begged him NOT to pursue my son. I took a travel nsg job in KS as soon as I could so I would not have to see him leave. Didn't think it would do him or me or anyone any good to see me behave the way I would have when he left.But when it came time for him to graduate boot camp, I made special arrangements with my job, drove 5 hours in a snowstorm to the nearest airport,and flew to Chicago to see my son graduate from Great Lakes. Unfortunately I did not get to see him graduate. He had only made one phone call to me while at boot camp and that was when he was so sick with a fever that I thought he should be in the hospital. Due to the weakened condition, he missed passing his running test by 2 seconds and they did not let him graduate with his class, I could not stay till he would graduate. I almost did not get to see him at all, but it was Thanksgiving and I had risked my life to travel 990 miles to SEE my son, and I was going to. The Navy was courteous as I went up 6 ranks on the phone the day before Thanksgiving, but I got 5 hours as long as I took him no more that 10 miles from base. So we packed up our Thanksgiving dinner and china(my family was still in Portage IN) in picnic baskets and took it to a motel near Great Lakes and had dinner on beds in the room. At Christmas, my job could not give me time off when my son had leave, so he and the family came to remote western KS to see me, but again we had just a few hours and another holiday meal in a motel room. When he was done with "A school" or whatnot, he was supposed to have 3-4 days with us on his way to his assignment. We had moved to Wichita KS then, but he had elected to drive, had car trouble, and again I had about 6 hours with him. It would be over a year and a half before I would get more than a few hours with him. Letters are cherished, emails too, and phone calls are okay, but the 2 hour time difference and my son's work schedule makes even phone calls difficult. I have had him home twice for a few days in the last 2 years. He is out in the middle of the ocean in a submarine for months at a time and I cannot call him. I can email him, but cannot send him jokes and emails and pictures to help cheer him up. If I happen to be working and miss his call, it will be weeks before I have the opportunity to hear his voice again. It has been very very hard on me. To not be able to get a gift to him ON his birthday or ON Christmas, very disturbing. He has missed the birth of his nephew. The baby was almost a year old before he got to see him, and that took a letter to the three highest ranking officials in the Navy! Yes, I wrote Washington DC. My parents were having a 50th Wedding Anniversary and I was thrilled to find out my son would not be "out to sea", but he was not granted leave by his immediate higher officer and he took that as a final answer, his MOM did not. I wrote letters and my son was able to get about 48 hours. I found out you do not have to go all the way to the Admiral...but each of his trips home have had to be flights and there never is enough early knowledge to get a "cheap" flight, so EACH of his trips home have cost over $500 in airline tickets.(His recruiter had told him he would be able to fly "free" or very cheap on military flights, but I can't find out how??) I would like to see where he lives and works at least once, but he cannot tell me when his sub will come in so I can be there to see it come in, especially not early enough so I can get specific days off and a cheap flight. I have no desire to spend any time in WA when my son is NOT there, that would be sheer torture. With my son not here with the family (I have a husband and 4 other children) there is a big gaping hole in our family. Last February my husband had to have sudden quintuple heart bypass and we were told only a 50/50 chance at best of surviving the surgery. Even if my son "could" get leave, it was not within our power to afford the plane ticket in any way. This was very distressing for all of us. Thank God my husband pulled through. I try to send my son care packages frequently when he is in port, but wish I could when he is on the sub, as I feel that is when he "needs" them. This June he will miss his own parent's 25th wedding anniversary and my, (his Mom's) 50th BD celebration. He cannot be here for family reunions, graduations, birthdays, weddings or funerals. He is missing teasing his little brother as he dresses in a tux for prom and cheering his little sister on as she plays softball in high school. I do get a proud feeling when I see my son stand tall in his uniform.I cannot help but have a tear come to my eye when a strange man wants to shake his hand and say "thank you", or the grandmotherly lady asks if she can kiss him on the cheek as she passes our table in a restaurant. I wonder what her story is...does she truly know the SACRIFICE we ALL are making? The TIME with my son we will NEVER get back? The wear and tear on the fabric that was once a tight knit FAMILY? I do not get to see or hear from my son near enough. I thank God for email and text messaging and cell phones. But my family and I MISS my son very very much! I'm afraid my fears have come true...

[linda]

Reading your letter makes me cry and I too missed my son. He was very glad and he feel that he made the right decision to enlist. Charles is my youngest of four boys and I am very proud of him. When my middle son Andrew did not get accepted in the Navy I thought he will back out. The two brothers sign up , their suppose to do a buddy system. But one has a medical condition. Knowing this Charles still stayed. I am very proud of my Charles and
we need to support their decision. I really think he need the Navy. He is in medical school in Great Lakes and texting the family . His smile and relief when after graduation. All he wanted was to eat steak and rested a lot. I, too thinks Charles spent his money on food but its allright. They need food for their brains. I pray to God that he will be safe and learning study hard for his future. We should be more supportive and pray a lot . Charles MOM

[bryan]

He couldnt get a waiver from MEPS to join?

[tweety]

I will not get into detail as you did as it seemed like you had written my story. I have not seen my son in almost 2 years. It sickens me when every I think of the time that has passed. He has a 7 year old sister who admires her big brother but can not see him as well. She will cry at times saying she wants him to come home and there is nothing I can do. On top of all of that his cheef is very hard on him.

Well, I'm going to go for now.

[bryan]

They are called Space A flights or simply Space Available alot of the i know Norfolk has one at the air terminal in norfolks look on this website http://www.airtermnorva.navy.mil/ and NAS North Island Space A flights https://www.cnic.navy.mil/cnrsw/Programs/Operations/AirOperations/S... hope this helps.

[Navy Aunt (AF Wife)]

If you ever have an emergency situation like you did with your husband's surgery, contact the Red Cross. They will help get your son to wherever you need him. We were already flying space A on leave from Misawa Japan when we got an emergency phone call from the Red Cross at the airport. They made sure we got all our flights home so we could make it to the hospital.

[Lily AJ]

My son finished BC, went on to A-School and is now stationed in Hawaii (Shore Duty), we are able to talk everyday, most days it is a few times........if only for a few minutes, but it means everything to me that he calls just to say hi. We have a plan and will see each other atleast 3 times a year.......him coming home twice a year and me going to HI atleast once each year while he is stationed there. He is my only child and life hasnt been the same since he left but I deal with it because this is what he wanted, but other then missing him terribly I just deal with it.

[MomInTexas]

My son has only been at BC for 6 days, but boy...do I know what you are feeling! I found out after he left that all he really wanted was to get away from family responsibility! He hasn't called me (his father and I are divorced 8 yrs) but he called his dad the day he arrived at BC. I did receive the form letter today about graduation (I was afraid I wasn't even going to get that). I too bought him a phone card and begged him to keep in touch with me when he is allowed to make calls, but I cannot dwell on it because it rips my heart out to think he doesn't want to talk to me for whatever reason. I'm told by someone who spent alot of time with my son just before departure that he's still hurting over our divorce, doesn't want me telling him what to do, what to think, what to feel, etc. Said he just wants to do this on his own and show everyone that he really can do this! I AM PROUD OF MY SON AND HIS DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY! I love him and miss him very much. This part will not change. For now, I will write to him daily and try not to sound too down when I do.

[bryan]

Not true we have telephones and email on ships.

[SUNSHINE40]

New moms like myself have sons that left for boot camp last month and the first phone call was soooo! hard, but it was good to hear is voice, so far my son has sent me two letters and he is ok. This week I will be sented him a phone card so we can talk a little bit, but I love reciveing his letters, they make me smile and feel good. Be patience the lettlers and phone cals will come and you will enjoy everything they are doing in they're lives