For those who's Son/Daughter are getting ready for deployment

[cbdrifters]

Before my son deployed the first time for 7 months, his ship had a Family/Friends Cruise Day. This is the best thing the Navy can do for us parents and friends. We get to see where they work, sleep, and eat. We get to meet their shipmates and the officers in charge of them. You get to meet the Captain of the ship. My husband and I went on our first Family/Friends Cruise in 2007 and GOD what a GREAT experience it was. Next to having my son that was the most awesome experience I have had. But what you really learn is what it is like to be in the Navy. And I can promise you that you will get a better understanding of Navy life. And you will appreciate the what the Navy does. We have always been very proud of our son, but after that day the pride in us was ready to burst out. Your child should have a @navy.mil email address. I emailed my son everyday. But I will tell you not to expect a reply right away. It may take him awhile to email you back, depending on his/her work load and how many others are emailing him. And I sent him packages every other week. I sent him movies, CDs, video games, but he and his division liked the cookies and fudge I would send with each package. After that first package, he was emailing me orders for cookies and fudge. His shipmates and officers would have him send me orders of the cookies they wanted. And believe me, I never let any of them down. Everyone got 4 dozens of the cookes they wanted. It was an honor for me to do this little thing for them. As a mom you live for those letters or emails. But you also wait for that phone call, so you can hear that voice again. And as for home coming, that will be a day you will never forget. I hope I have eased someone's mom fears with this discussion. You see I am getting ready for my son's second deployment. And I already have my boxes ready to send out his care packages. But I also encourage that you make sure that you send your sailor packages from home. They really do look forward to each and everyone. God bless you and your sailor, and may he keep them all safe.

[judy r]

I agree with everything you said and let me share this with all the new moms if you go to www.usps.com you can order military flat rate boxes free of charge and the customs forms you might need to go with them..I have used these to send care packages to my son in Afghanistan and believe me they are packed with as much as I can get in them..I also use bags of candy as the filler instead of crushed newspaper...On one of my sons first deployments he was gone over halloween which isn't a big holiday but sent a pumpkin filled with candy...they put that up on the bridge area where all did duty time and when empty put a glow stick in it...the ships CO sent me a thank you for lifting morale on his ship and the others that saw the pumpkin glowing...that letter is in his scrapbook...

[cbdrifters]

Thanks Judy for the info on the military flat rate boxes I didn't know about this. I have the guys where I work keep the boxes for me. And another little tip, I live in a small town. There are more people on my son's ship than there are in our town (2500). And a couple of my local stores give me discounts on the containers I use to ship my cookies and fudge in. And my local grocery store gave me bags of candy, chips and cookies to send to my son and his shipmates. And another I did was go to my local elementary school and ask if they could pick a class that would like to be pen pals with some of the sailors. I would collect the letters and send them in my packages and my son would pass them out to his shipmates. The kids got a big kick out of that, when the sailors wrote them back.

[Leslie Lanigan]

my son andy is on the USS Nimitsz which is now in Bahrain in the Gulf of Omen. He is 20 years old and January it will be 1 year he has been in the Navy. I am so proud of him. He has done a great job in all his classes. He was rather excited to go overseas but i am in the worry mode everyday. This is his first Christmas away from home and i cry everytime i hear a christmas song. I have not yet received an email from him, just the one before they flew him out to his ship. i am ready also to send out his care package as soon as i get an address. Do they have different email addresses when they are on ship? Can i use his personal email address?

[Jeanine #762]

Leslie, first look on here for a Nimitz group and then go from there. His personal email may be able to be read by him if he is in port. The ships address should be on here somewhere or else ask any Navy recruiting station and they should be able to give it to you. Then send him a package addressed to him onboard the ship. His name and rank and then the address of the ship. I found my ships address by google.

[buckles]

MY SON IS GOING TO FLOWN OUT TO THE SHIP....WHAT ABOUT US...WILL WE GET TO SEE HIM PRIOR TO GOING??? WE HAVEN'T SEEN HIM SINCE JAN AND I CAN'T STAND IT. HE WILL GO OFF FROM THE EAST COAST WHICH WE COULD SEE HIM IF THEY GIVE HIM THE TIME. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE NEEDS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I LOVE HIM AND AM SO PROUD OF ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE FOR US. I WANT TO GO WITH THEM, MY SON WOULD DIE IF HE READ THIS.

[Kelsey]

My husband just got orders to a ship that has 3 months left on it's deployment. I'm trying to figure out if they will fly him out to the ship or keep him here until it gets back. Do you know how many months were left on your son's deployment before he got flown out to it? Thanks so much in advance! :-)

[Vickie - Rooney's mom]

It may take weeks for them to get a package, sometimes my son would get 3 at a time. I also received requests from his division and was more than happy to send each and every one of them something from home. It's truly an honor to fulfill these requests. He said he was the most sought out guy in the division on mailing day! (Gummy bears are great filler)

[alison n.]

yes once they leave for deployment, it takes weeks for them to get the mail. my son is leaving for his 2nd deployment in a couple of months---they love candy, powered drink mix, and homemade cookies are always a big hit. magazines and books are good(no Nudity) my mom tried to send playboy and i had to get it out of the box. anything they can't get on the ships. once they have been out for a while you will get letters from them asking for stuff. if they have use of e-mail (as my son does) it makes it easier and quicker to know what he wants--hope this helps

[Dianne]

You've made me sad that I wont be able to go on the family cruse which is later on this week.

Thanks for the great idea's ladies. I will have to get some of thse flat rate boxes.

[optomisticmom]

That sounds great!!! Now my daughter is leaving for boot camp September 7th. Her father was in the Navy along time ago. He and I did not talk about it much through our marriage, but now I wish that we would have because she is entering this journey. She will be one tough girl when she gets home. Even thoug she is now, she is my though one , you know??

[cbdrifters]

My son is also an AO stationed on a carrier. Right now he is also on a rotation doing MA (Master of Arms) work. And he loves both jobs. And I sometimes feel they are out to sea alot. But when they go out to sea, I am able to send him emails. Sometimes they are gone for a week or two, a month, etc. I guess it just depends on what they are doing. Of course he isn't allowed to tell us anything. Please let me know what ship he gets stationed on. If it is my son's ship, just give me your son's name and I will give it to my son. I can tell you there are all kinds of safety precautions with doing AO work. And whatever division he gets into, they will take him in and take care of him. They are like a family that watches out and takes care of it's own. It is truly amazing how they bond together and become like a family. My son also joined the Navy in his senior year. It had been saying since he was 10 years old that he was going to join the Navy. And his father and I couldn't be more proud of him. There is a saying that the AO's have and please pass it on to your son. And the saying is: IF YOU AIN'T ORDANCE YOU AIN'T SHIT! But I am sure there is a saying for each job that is done on a carrier. But my son told us that after roll call just before everyone is dismissed, that is when they yell out their saying. The fear for your child will never leave you, you just have to trust they know what they are doing. And I pray every day for God to keep him, his shipmates and his ship safe.

[alison n.]

my son is on the Harry S Truman based in Norfolk. He wants to transfer to AO from what he's doing now. He has been on one deployment and they are preparing to go out again early next year. They go out for manuvers every couple of weeks now for anywhere from a few days to 2 weeks. He hopes to be an AO by the time they leave. I hope he makes it so he will STAY in the Navy. Ithink it's the best thing he could have done and I am very very pround of him. I get emails from him almost everyday. Being that we live in Fla he is able to fly home every once in a while for the weekend. I just want him to be happy w/ what he's doing. Of course you worry about them being safe, but I have total faith in my son and the Navy. God Bless all of them