Anyone with a Sailor on USS Abe Lincoln

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Comment by Martyzmom (Cathy) on August 15, 2009 at 4:26pm

Cheryle, that would be great if Marty would be able to meet your son. I will let you know when he is heading west. I am sure he was not thinking of logistics of getting a car to him all the way across the country (we live in NC)! I am positive that if there had been any openings on the east coast, like in VA, he would not have chosen that on purpose...waaaaay too close to home! :) Thanks so much Cheryle for your kind words! Cathy

Comment by Cheryle on August 15, 2009 at 9:29am

Hi Martyzmom. My son arrived at the Lincoln in May and has just this past Monday finally gotten a room in the barracks. He lived on the barge before that. My son said the galley food on the barge was awful, so he always went to the base to eat instead. He said that food was actually good. Also, he can't have a phone with a camera while on base. My son just bought a cheap prepaid phone and he moves his sim card back and forth when he leaves base. I wish there was a way for our guys to meet up, because my son does have a car and maybe he could give your sailor a lift now and then.

Comment by Martyzmom (Cathy) on August 13, 2009 at 9:53pm

Thanks for the warm welcome ladies. I wish I had found this site before BC too!! Yes, it really is a foreign language! Maybe when my son is home after A school he can get some transportation. Yes, insurance is expensive for young males, and I am an insurance agent and complain just like everyone else. Thanks again for the warm welcome and the sharing!

Comment by Chris on August 13, 2009 at 4:53pm

My son has been on the Lincoln almost 2 years. He had bought a car when he was finishing Power school in SC. He has it with him in WA and when they went on deployment he left it in the base parking lot as did many others. We were there for the homecoming and there are actually Interstate Battery trucks in the lot when the sailors return to charge up batteries and jump the cars and sell them new batteries if needed. they got quite a workout and did not charge for jumping or battery charging(though we gave the guy some money for jumping Mike's car.) He now lives off base in Silverdale and drives back and forth to the ship. I also have never heard of any food problems and he often mentions that someone off duty will make a food run for the guys on duty so never a problem for him. We have visited twice once for homecoming and this past April for the family day cruise and really liked the Seattle area. I agree that once the ship is back in Everett things will be more like normal. Seems like everything works out fine for them even though we as moms are always worrying!!!

Comment by Carmina Amador-Glover on August 13, 2009 at 4:32pm

Cathy, No laughing from me, I was in your very same boat three months ago. I guess with this website and with some information our kids provide us, we are all learning together what are kids are going through. The military is a whole different world for me and the words they use is another language for me too. I really, really appreciate this website and the people on it, especially when my son was in bootcamp (what a trying time for me). With the Lincoln being in the shipyard, there are so many variables with the sailors that are just arriving. I'm sure that once the ship is back at Everett there will be more stablization and maybe your son won't need a car except on weekends. If you ex doesn't want to help, maybe your son can do it on his own. I must tell you that my son did purchase his own used little car with his salary and his little bonus money he received for signing. Insurance is very expensive for young male adults! When I visited Seattle and Bremerton it was absolutely beautiful, it was so green and clean. My son's first call home was, "wow mom, there are so many trees up here, there are trees everywhere"... remember we live in L.A. Cathy, Have fun in Pensacola! Carmina

Comment by Martyzmom (Cathy) on August 13, 2009 at 3:50pm

Hi Carolyn!! Marty wanted to be based with a squadron and live in Japan, and there were 5 openings to do so but there was some kind of medical waiver in his file that prohibited him from doing so, and he did not know about it till the day they were picking their orders. Tuesday was a tough day for him bc all along he had planned on living there. My fiance grew up there, so he was hoping my son would be stationed there so we could go visit, as his parents still are living in Japan. And my son would have had a really great language tutor. :) About the cars-what do they do with their cars when they are out to sea? Do they just sit there on the base? Do the sailors have to pay storage fees of any kind to leave their cars behind? I hope yall are not laughing at me! But I never dreamed the kids were going to be billed for their food at boot camp either. I will mention a car to my ex and see if he will come off his wallet. Carmina, I am staying at the Navy Lodge when I go to Pensacola-two weeks from today-yeah! I will be there for 4 days. The photos I have seen look like WA is very pretty. Thanks for being patient and answering my questions. I will probably have more! Cathy

Comment by Carolyn Meyer on August 13, 2009 at 3:29pm

Martyzmom, my daughter was stationed in Japan for 3 years. She didn't really like it that much, but she didn't know the language and didn't really give it a try. You would have had a chance to visit that country! ( I have another daughter that is living over there now, and just loves the whole experience-language to culture to all of the crazy statues in the countryside.)
My Kristen has been in the Navy for 4 years so has housing stipends, which is better then the barge! We drove her car out to her last October, from Minnesota, so she is happy about having her old car to zip along in. A car does help with just about everything.

Comment by Carmina Amador-Glover on August 13, 2009 at 2:32pm

Actually we don't live close, but we are definitely closer than you. We live in Los Angeles, but I planned it to be our summer vacation. I hadn't been up to the Seattle area in over 20 years, so I was curious as to what had changed in 20 years. I also wanted to see where my son was living and I really wanted to get my son's car to him so he could have somewhat of a normal way of life (he was taking buses and taxi's around Bremerton & Silverdale, it was getting expensive). A lot of kids want to go to Japan, I guess it's part of the excitement of joining the Navy. My son was totally freaked out about leaving the states on a semi-permanent basis. My son really wanted San Diego, but there were no openings at the time, so I guess Washington is on the same coast, which has proven for us to be good. Pensacola in late April/May was beautiful, enjoy your time there and with your son. The air museum on base was very interesting. I actually went a few times to Pensacola when my son was in A School, stayed at the Navy Lodge, it's right on the beach and on the base, it was real good place to stay.

Comment by Martyzmom (Cathy) on August 13, 2009 at 2:15pm

Carmina, thank you so much for your kind words. I will definitely let you know when he is heading your way. Especially since your son is an AO too. Where do you and your husband live? You must be pretty close to have driven your son's car to him-at least closer than me in NC! My son does not have a car anyway here at home he always drove mine. I am going to P-Cola at the end of this month to visit with him. I arranged that when he first left BC and it looked like he would be there for a long time. They must have started hurrying up the process now bc he had to wait abt 5 weeks till A school started, so he will probably be finishing up just a few weeks after my visit. He mentioned rerouting his plane ticket too, so he can come home before heading west. I am pleased that he is based in the US-he wanted to go live in Japan. :)

Comment by Carmina Amador-Glover on August 13, 2009 at 1:14pm

Hi Martyzmom, you sound like me several months ago. My son joined the Lincoln as an AO in May and it was an adjustment for him, since he had been in Pensacola for six months and loved it there. The AO graduation date seemed to be a moving target, so that is why your son doesn't have a definitive on the date. I just happened to be in Pensacola the week of graduation and I was the only parent participating in this ceremony. After graduation I was able to re-route my son's airline ticket, so he could come home for a few days before heading up to Washington. As you've read, the Lincoln is in dry dock until the first of the year and then back to it homeport. My son has never complained about not receiving food, I believe the barge has it's own galley (they are still on the barge). There are a few small eating establishments at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard that he can also eat at. I'm big on making sure my son has eaten, so I just made sure he had "money" to go out an get something if the galley was closed. There are several places close to the shipyard that they can also get something to eat within walking distance. I hear that the barge sleeping quarters are not great, very tight, I'm assuming just like on the ship. The cell phone with the camera is an issue at this base and no cell reception on the ship or the barge. My son would walk to the McDonald every night to make phone calls. My husband and I drove my son's car up to him last month and I think this helped a lot. It's taken some time but I think my son has finally adjusted to Washington. Your son will have a sponsor when he arrives to the Lincoln, but I'd be glad to tell my son to introduce himself to your son once he arrives and give him some pointers. It's hard to the the new person in a whole new environment without friends and family. Carmina

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