Ship 04 (USS Arleigh Burke) Division 817 and 818

[ellen0502]

Welcome to the Division Discussion for Divisions 817 and 818

Be very aware when posting about your SRs who are in this division. Make sure you read the OPSEC rules (everyone should).

Do not post first or last names of your recruits

Do not post a city or state

Make your N4M profile private and remove the city and state in your profile

Although your SR is still in BC, what they are doing may be slightly different from what the other divisions in this training group are doing. It is also recommended that you go into your "settings" (clickable link on the right side) and change your privacy setting to "private" and change everything to friends only.

Please still use the main wall to post general questions, and concerns, such as meet and greet questions etc. Specific questions regarding the 800 division should be posted here.

We “veteran” moms don’t always get to into the discussion groups as often as we would like to, and the ladies helping out with the 800 divisions don't always get to the main wall as often as they would like.

Every single question that is asked is important

Every single concern is genuine

Every single member is important to us

We don't want to accidentally overlook any of them or you.

Hang in there ladies!!!

[Lucy]

Ellen, this does surprise me, because the Navy's  focus on OpSec  rules is to never post candidates  names,or pictures on social media, and they are very adamant about enforcing these rules, also  making it clear to families about the OpSec rules.....when my son was going through this, he was advised to delete his Facebook  page, even though it was on a private setting, and even though no profile picture of him could be seen. It was that important. So with that being said, it is amazing me to they would allow pictures of the candidates  to be posted  on Facebook.

[Up&Down]

Hello Ladies!  I can see by your questions and threads that you are getting excited to see your sailor at PIR.  I just have to jump in here to add my opinion and concerns about what's ahead for you and your sons.  

There is another Navy Mom on here who makes ribbons for you and family attending PIR.  I think she goes by Lalaribbonmom or something like that.  The 800 divisions ribbons are in black & yellow.  You can indicate their division on the ribbon and who you are to the graduating sailor...."mom" "dad" "sister" "aunt" etc.

I am quite troubled by how you want to put ribbons on your hotel door.  I have never heard of this but I do want to expand on from here on out how you must keep quiet about your son's journey.

Your son is going through boot camp right now....meaning lots of discipline yelling and structure is his world....and his new world hasn't even started yet meaning going through BUD/S.  Please take this in the spirit that it's given.....this isn't high school.  This is a whole new world.  A quiet.  Lips are tight.  Don't tell anyone what he's doing world.

Your son does not want this.  Believe me.  He is going through a journey that the sailors in the other divisions can't even imagine.  Be proud. Stand tall. Wear your ribbons at the PIR if you want but that's it!!!!!  

Welcome to the world of Special Operations.    Tell no one.  Show no one.  

If you have questions....friend Saltymama and ask her.

[SaltyMama]

Thanks Up&Down for your experienced viewpoint. Great points and yes feel free to friend request me and/or ask to join PreBuds and Buds group where you can talk to other moms too!

[SaltyMama]

NavyMom, I would never advertise where my son is staying, let alone put a picture of him on the door. PIR ribbons are great for the actual PIR as that's always a way to meet with other parents in your division but again like some of the other veteran moms on here, I STRONGLY advise against any sort of marking on your hotel door. 

[SaltyMama]

NavyMom, that's what I was trying to point out and thought the statement "I STRONGLY advise against any sort of marking on your hotel door." had done the trick.

I have never heard of this for PIR and don't think it's a good idea. Why would you want to put a banner on your door? If your son continues on his SpecOps journey there will be no door banners, pictures on social media... it's a totally different branch of the Navy. If other divisions want to do door banners, great... let them but do not advertise where the SpecOps people are.

This is PIR for the US Navy, not a sports team tournament.

[Lucy]

Nothing is left to go on it, NavyMom, you don't  put banners on doors, advertising  who your son is and what he is doing, this is a special operations  community  and we do not advertise, for your son's  safety  and your family's  safety..... especially  in this day and age..... really, we can't  say this enough..... 

It's okay to wear  your  PIR ribbons, to the PIR graduation  but to the graduation only, don't wear  them out in public..... and that is all you can do, or all we advise you to do, you can do what you want, take our advice or not, you will find out soon enough....

. I don't  mean to sound harsh, or anything, because I was a new mom, too, we all have been there, we know what you are going through..... we are still going through it..... I miss my son every day, and I'm  very proud of him and what he has accomplished, very few have accomplished  what he has.... but we have wear our pride in our hearts, and share it with family  and close friends only.... no one else, and certainly  not on social media and at hotel rooms.... 

And when I was a "new" mom, I listened  to what the veteran mom's told me and I followed their advice and respected that, I did not argue with them, and tell them they were being too harsh with me.... I realized that they had not only my best interest at heart ,  but my son's  interest at heart as well...... I realized this is was not about me, it really is about him, this is his journey, and his dream, my job as his mom was to support him and and follow whatever rules I had to so that he would have the best chances to fulfill  his dream......

And, I feel that if mom's are offended by what we have to say, and offended by our advice, then they don't  belong on these groups.....as the saying goes "if you can't  take the heat, stay out of the kitchen!" 

Something that helped me through this whole process was to keep a journal, in this journal, I could write anything I wanted, I could vent my fears, my worries, my pride, ect, ect, everything that I was feeling I wrote down ,  and that helped me..... and i wrote down my son's  process and progress, and I still have the journal to this day, and I made a scrapbook  for all of my son's  keepsakes through his journey, from boot camp to his SQT graduation, I have kept all pictures, and memorabilia  he sent me with his buddies, ect, pictures  he sent when he was training.... all kinds of things.....

So that really helped me, and I have it to look back on..... so I really recommend  keeping a journal, someday you may want to do  a scrapbook as well, and in that, you can display your pride.

[SaltyMama]

Well said Lucy... Journals and scrapbooks are therapeutic as well as family treasures.

[Lucy]

Exactly ,  Saltymama, I know you have a scrapbook too, and they are therapeutic  and fun to do! This is a perfect way to display our pride for our sons, and it is a safe way to display it..... I thought your comment about it not being like an away football game or sporting event an excellent  comment..... this is a whole new kind of ball game for our guys.... and it's not like in High School, where you can display banners, and decorate  your cars and hotel rooms..... this is different, and we have to treat it differently..... there are rules for a reason.

[Lucy]

Oh, and just in case I have to say it....... ladies, please don't decorate  your cars!

[Up&Down]

Hi Lucy & Saltymama....I worked today so I wasn't able to look at these latest threads until tonight.  It's a shame that some BC moms don't see the importance of being humble while their sons go on this noble journey of trying to become a Seal.

The silliness of it all to decorate hotel room doors.  Why?  I believe you want to do this not for your son but for you.

We have stated last night that this isn't high school.  This is serious stuff.  Your sons really are not part of the regular group of Navy graduates.  They are already an elite group that were able to obtain a Seal Contract.  They exceed in all physical aspects of what the rest of the sailors  in boot camp half way strive to achieve.

With that being said, there is another reason that you BC moms must behave on this sight as well as in public....

Your son's will soon be in Pre-Buds and their instructors watch this group like a hawk.  The instructors can put two & two together and figure out who's who......The instructors just love to use this N4M's group as a tool to "beat these guys up".   And that's another important reason to stop babying your son and helicoptering him.

He's a man now no matter what age.  He's going to go through such a rough road ahead of him and he doesn't need you to get in the way because of your behavior on this sight.

[Lucy]

Up&Down, I agree with you 100%... and the instructors do monitor these sites.... to get information....so please do not give out names or pictures... even on private messages... you do not know who you are really talking to.... so do not give out any private information, and if someone asks you what your son's  name is, even in a private message, it is okay to say no, that you don't  feel comfortable  in giving out information even in Private Messaging..... no one needs to know what your son's  name is, and if someone is persistent  about  asking who your son is, that should be a red flag....

[SaltyMama]

NurseMom - I don't know about specific order of activities in boot camp - instructors may have to make adjustments but don't worry, they will cover everything.