PIR 1/9/2009

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Comment by Bill Sick on November 19, 2009 at 11:52am

Thanks for the kind words! Brett is doing fantastic. He is stationed in Virginia Beach doing desk duty waiting for C School to start on Dec. 15th. He is a GM specializing in VLS. Married with a baby on the way. He reports to his ship the USS Donald Cook on April 15th. I had to put that experience into words for Brett. It will be going into a scrapbook my wife is working now. When we give it to him is unknown. But it something he must know and that his children must also. The sacrifice our young people are making must never be forgotten and never taken for granted. It was great to hear from some parents that shared that day. Godspeed to our Sailors!!

Comment by Jenis on November 19, 2009 at 11:06am

Very cool how you were able to put into words what most of us were feeling. Scared, afraid, uncertainty, and proud all the same. This brought me to tears as it took me back to that moment! Thanks!

Comment by Mary (Chris' mom) on November 19, 2009 at 9:09am

Bill,
That is so wonderful! I hope you keep that in a scrapbook or a letter that Brett can go back and read someday. How is he doing now? What rating did he choose? Is he aboard ship now, school, or shore duty?
My son left Virginia Beach after A school and C school for Intelligence, and is now in Korea. He is happy to the point that he requested to stay an additional year. He should know soon if his request has been approved. He has enjoyed travelling in the country and is getting ready to take a pleasure trip out of country, into a couple of places in south Asia. Yes, they do mature a lot during that brief period at GL, and it's wonderfu to see them and hear from them any time we can!!!

Thanks for posting to the group. Have a wonderful day, and may Brett have a fantastic journey blessed with sights and cultures he never would have seen otherwise.
Navy Hugs,
Mary

Comment by Bill Sick on November 19, 2009 at 8:42am

I thought I would try to relate my experience and emotions as a parent watching and waiting as our son went off to see the world via the Navy. I have been having this overwhelming urge to write it all down since the 1 year anniversary of his leaving for boot camp on November 12, 2008. I will try not to be too wordy.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008. I got out of work early today to be home when the recruiter came to pick up Brett to take him to Niagara Falls Air Base for tomorrows induction. It is a dreary day, much like the mood. We don’t want him to go. But,we know he needs to. It is what he wants, he is 24 and a college graduate so he can take care of himself. The recruiter got here about 4:00pm. Tears and good byes. He called later that night feeling nervous but excited. He had a bad meatloaf dinner and was not looking forward to boot camp food! LOL We’ll see him in the morning when we drive up for his induction ceremony.

Thursday, November 13, 2008. My wife, I, our older son and Brett’s fiancée got to base with about ½ an hour to spare. He seemed relaxed. The place was packed. I didn’t realize that they did all branches of the service at the same time. The service was short and sweet and emotional. All these fine young people going to serve was amazing. Made me proud as a parent and an American. I didn’t think that I would be seeing many of these faces again in just a few short weeks. The recruits had lunch and a briefing and then were told they had a few minutes to say goodbye. THIS one was tough. I stayed strong though, but everyone was having a hard time. Tears again and more hugs and we told him we will talk to him in a week or two( ha )!We watched him get on the bus and watched as it drove away not knowing when we would talk to him again. I waited until the bus was gone before the tears flowed. I didn’t want him to see me this way. It was a somber drive home.
The “ I’m here and ok “ call came about 1:30 am our time. Lasted about 10 seconds. At least my wife got to hear his voice. That was good.

His box of clothing and personals arrived 8 days later with a very short note. He was ok. The first letter arrived on November 28th, 15 days after he left. We got a letter every Thursday for the remainder of boot. The first phone call came on December 8th. Again, short and sweet. We both got to talk to him that night for about 2 minutes each, it was so good to hear him. He was tired and unsure about his decision but was determined to do it. We got two calls the week of Christmas which were emotional given the time of year. The last call came after Battle Stations on Wednesday January 6th, 2009. Boy was he pumped!! They were looking forward to a couple of days off before PIR on the 9th. We couldn’t wait to get there!

Wednesday, January 8th. The drive out was so stinking long because we couldn’t wait to see him, but boring just the same. We got to Great Lakes mid-afternoon and checked everything out. Our motel didn’t offer a shuttle to those with a car?! What a joke. Red Carpet Inn for those that want to know. We found the gate and the lay of the land and had some dinner and went back to the motel to wait and wait and wait. We got up at 5:00am and drove the 1 mile down the road to wait at the gate. We got there at 5:35. We were the 6th car back. It was starting to snow. Within 15-20 minutes the line was at least a mile long and growing. The gate opened at exactly 6:30 and we were sent to a staging area where all ID’s were checked and all registrations were matched
to the vehicles, we were then sent to another parking area and told to wait in the car until they waved us on. We went through security and had the Id check again and then started the walk to the Ceremony hall. We got in the hall about 7:15. They had a table set up near the door with all the Division Tee shirts and Sweat shirts for sale along with other Navy gear and soft drinks. Then the wait began. Our seats were about halfway up the bleachers and near the bathroom, which was a very good idea! Coffee ya know. As the crowd came in I began to see faces that were familiar. They belonged to families that we had seen at the induction ceremony. Small talk ensued. As the clock crept along the atmosphere began to become charged with excitement. Hands were sweating, nervous laughter, nobody was able to sit still. It was almost unbearable, those last 15 minutes. Everyone was checking their cameras and making bathroom runs. And it was nice NOT to hear any cell phones! They are not allowed.

9:00 am came and went. It was snowing so hard that the divisions were delayed we were told. It would be a “few” more minutes. OMG! Could this drag out any longer!!

The overhead door began to open and the place went nuts! The roar was deafening and the excitement was off the chart. As the divisions began to march in, families and loved ones began to scream and cry, cameras flashed and the cadence and music just added to it all. People tried in vain to find their sailors. They all had their faces covered because of the weather! They were a sea of dress Blues and White caps. Their step was perfect. It was THE most incredible scene I have ever had the honor to witness.
Everyone knew the divisions by their flag but we had to wait until they removed their coats and scarves and then it began again! Everyone trying to find “theirs”. Everyone was pointing, shouting,crying, jumping up and down. It was crazy until they announced that everyone, please take a seat. We found Brett after a minute or two. He had spotted us before we found him. His fiancé has blond hair! We could see him smiling and trying not to laugh as I was zooming in with the video camera. What a hoot! Then out of the quiet a mother yelled “Kevin Davis where are you!” The placed just roared.

The ceremony was over before you knew it. Wonderful, somber, and humbling. Every state was represented, and very well I might add. When liberty was called all hell broke loose. Every man, woman and child for themselves!! I waited back taking it all in. Watching as the emotion of it all swept over the place. It was Amazing. I watched as my wife and Brett’s girl met him near the center of the floor. It was pretty cool. He looked around until he saw me and waved. I waved back. I was so much in awe of what I just saw that I wanted to soak it all in. I made my way down to the floor and walked up to my son. I couldn’t talk. The tears started again. We hugged each other for the longest time and I finally managed to whisper in his ear the only thing I could think to say. “There are no words”
He knew how I felt, nothing more need be said.

It is amazing the change in him in just 8 weeks. He was one hell of a man when he left for boot and to see him then was….well, wow. We were lucky, we got him for the whole weekend until Sunday night. We made the best of it and had a wonderful time with him. Hard to let go again, but that is the way of the Service, and maybe a letter for another time. HOOYAA!!!!

Comment by Lynn and Art for Cody (Div 059) on June 25, 2009 at 5:09pm

Hi everyone, I have an APB request:
Cody will be leaving P-cola for Whidbey Island, Wa. in 2 weeks and he is assigned to a P3 Orion 1st alert plane, but he is going to end up in Korea. He thinks he will get 18 mo. training in Whidbey Island, but he might be dreaming! Another Mother said her son was pulled out of C school and shipped off to Korea. I think Cody chose the P3 because he did not want to get on an aircraft carrier.

If your Sailor is ahead of Cody and has been transferred a time or two perhaps you can be of some help to Cody’s next venture.
1. Cody is very concerned about having the funds to get to Whidbey Island from San Antonio Area. He says he cannot get any information on what to expect for funding. He knows he gets travel pay but it will cost him $700 or more to get there. He has 1 week leave, 1 week of HARP then is only allowed 4 days to get to Whidbey (48 hr driving time). Can you shed light on how this funding is received and the time line?
2. Cody will be driving and we have a nephew he can stay with in Albuquerque, and a bother in Colorado Springs. do you know of anyone that would put him up for a night and feed him a meal that would be 8 to 10 hours in the Seattle direction?

I would appreciate any light you could shine on this mystery and outreach.
Thanks so much, Lynn

Comment by Mary (Chris' mom) on February 27, 2009 at 5:13pm

Hey Kat! That's great news! So glad he is doing so well. I know you are so glad to have him home for a little while. It almost feels odd after they have been gone so long to have them back in the house again but still it is a comfortable odd. I felt like that when Chris came home a couple of weeks ago for one night. I was wonderful to see him and have his car come down the driveway but a little odd too. Good luck to him. Chris still has 7 more weeks of "A" school and 5-15 weeks of "C" school before he gets leave and reports for duty. He's only a few miles away at the Dam Neck Annex at Virginia Beach. Have your sailor look him up sometime soon. Oh and tell him he may need to be at Norfolk just a bit early, one of the IS guys just reported in there a couple of weeks ago and they were not sure where he needed to be. He traveled from Norfolk to Dam Neck, back to Norfolk and then they tried to house him with discharges waiting to leave. They got it straightened out after about 30 hours. Now he is in Bahrain for two years.

Comment by Karen in OH (DIV 056) on February 27, 2009 at 5:00pm

Congratulations Kat!! I am happy to hear that your Son will be drydocked for 18 months!! How did he do in "A" school?? My Son is attending "A" school in Wichita Falls,TX. He should be finished the 3rd or 4th week in April. I can't wait to see him :) So is the 2 week leave standard or do some Sailors have more/less?

Comment by Kat on February 27, 2009 at 4:22pm

Hey everyone, my son is on his way home for 2 weeks now!! He finished A school this past week. Next, he goes to Norfolk and reports to the USS Enterprise. From what I hear, they're drydocked for about 18 months, so he'll be around for awhile.

Comment by Mary (Chris' mom) on February 23, 2009 at 2:56pm

Karen that's all so wonderful! What is he training for and where is he? Are you going to see him while he is at school or are you attending his "A" school graduation? From what I understand it's not a big deal most of the time and few parents go but if they are close enough to you then, why not? I've not decided about Chris' but he has to make it through "A" school before I worry about graduation and "C" school. Thanks for the awesome update and I hope you have a very safe trip to see him and enjoy, ENJOY!!!

Comment by Karen in OH (DIV 056) on February 23, 2009 at 1:10pm

Hello everyone, I just received my son's Keel last Wednesday and the DVD this past Friday. My son is doing a lot of that thing called studying too :) LOL. He really seems to have found his niche. He is going to try to "Phase up" this week. I shipped his clothes out about 2 weeks ago - along with his favorite DVDS. We hope to get together soon once he does "Phase up". Checking out the rates for airfare and hotels. Have a great weekend and thought/prayers to all our loved ones serving/training in the Navy.

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