Sailor travel?

[Barbara (Eric's mom)]

My son will be flown to South Carolina by the Navy after PIR. How can he get home to California for Christmas? Does he just wait at the airport in uniform and try to get a flight on standby for the military rate? Is there anything I can coordinate in advance? Any info. would be helpful!!

[Nicole]

He will have to pay for his way home, he will have to put in a Chit (a permission slip) along with his flight plans and days he is requesting off in order to come home, he can't just leave. While they are in A school they basically need a chit for everything, my son had to get one to get a tattoo

[Hoppi aka Angie]

Once he gets to his "A" school, he will be required to check into the command. They will do some indoc and give him info. While there he will/should be able to fill out a leave chit. Once the chit is approved he can go on leave for the days, the command approves.

He will have to pay for his own ticket. Odds are it will be very expensive due to last minute flights. Understand if he does try to go stand by, he MUST be back at the command by the date and time they tell him to. If he is not he WILL get into alot of trouble!

[Barbara (Eric's mom)]

Thanks for the heads up. It looks like he will be flying to South Carolina the end of next week. Is there someone usually available on the weekends to approve a Chit? It sounds like it may be best to be aware of available flights but not to confirm anything until he gets his Chit approved. He'd be so disappointed if he couldn't be with us for Christmas.

[Hoppi aka Angie]

Most commands have a CDO, who is the command duty officer. Who acts on the CO behalf, when the CO is gone for the day. Odds are your son will have to check in with them, it is up to the command when he can start leave. It is not normal for a Sailor to get to his command and than with in a few hours, go on leave. BUT this is the holidays AND this is "A" schools that we are talking about.

If I where you and you can afford it, if you are planning on buying a ticket get one where you can change the dates and times of the ticket.

Sorry to say this, but he will be disappointed A LOT in the Navy. As he will NOT be home for every holiday.