Gunners Mate

[Bill S.]

Well GM parents,here we go again.Brett just finished SCC and is REALLY bummin about this next hold for ATT. They told him it will be for 8 weeks! It is driving him crazy all that sitting around and waiting. It is not his nature. I don't know what to tell him, he is getting so depressed. I just hope something changes for them. I just don't get what all the delays are about. You would think they would move them through quickly to better use their training while it is fresh in their minds. So, 8 weeks to ATT and then hold again before A school. Looks like Oct. or Nov. before they get done. What a mess! Wish our Sailors the best. Bill

[Bill S.]

Greetings GM parents, I have been talking with some GM parents on NAVYDADS about the time line and the morale of our sailors. This is my latest update. They have these young men doing the mundane . They clean everything every day. You name it, they clean it. They do their daily duty, stand watch on 4 hour shifts and have their " free " time. They get weekend liberty usually from 5:00 pm Friday until 9:00 pm Sunday unless they pull duty and watch. Brett is 24 years old and has always been active with work, sports and volunteer work and has completed 4 years of college. So it IS taking a toll on him as well as the others. He says there is quit a bite of theft an irresponsible behavior and the whole ship has to pay the price when some one asses up. As for the enlistees, Brett was told BEFORE he signed that he would be done and out to fleet, including boot, in 6 to 7 months doing GM. Looks like it will be almost a year before he gets his duty assignment. He can not get any firm answers from any of the senior staff on any time line other than "we will let you know when we know". I was aware of some of these things before Brett did his PIR. I chose not to tell him because they have enough on their plate without worrying about schooling. He told me that that was the right decision for him so I was off the hook. Now he has his laptop which was a godsend. He did have to get a wireless card because there are no places on base other than the library were they can get internet service. He doesn't want his car because everyone bugs those that do for a ride on weekends. They also pester him for his laptop because he is one of few that have access. My thinking is that there MUST be some reason for this, whether it be for their mindset or to just break them and get them used to a different life. I just don't know. I kills me to know that these young men are being yanked around like this and there is nothing we , as parents, can do for them. So the daily phone calls from friends and family and the internet helps him cope and he is getting to the mindset of one day at a time. As soon as any info comes in on the time line I will post it here and it should give you some guidance. Hopefully things will speed up soon. Best wishes to all you parents and your sailors. Godspeed. Bill Sick