This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.

FIRST TIME HERE?

FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO GET STARTED:

Choose your Username.  For the privacy and safety of you and/or your sailor, NO LAST NAMES ARE ALLOWED, even if your last name differs from that of your sailor (please make sure your URL address does not include your last name either).  Also, please do not include your email address in your user name. Go to "Settings" above to set your Username.  While there, complete your Profile so you can post and share photos and videos of your Sailor and share stories with other moms!

Make sure to read our Community Guidelines and this Navy Operations Security (OPSEC) checklist - loose lips sink ships!

Join groups!  Browse for groups for your PIR date, your sailor's occupational specialty, "A" school, assigned ship, homeport city, your own city or state, and a myriad of other interests. Jump in and introduce yourself!  Start making friends that can last a lifetime.

Link to Navy Speak - Navy Terms & Acronyms: Navy Speak

All Hands Magazine's full length documentary "Making a Sailor": This video follows four recruits through Boot Camp in the spring of 2018 who were assigned to DIV 229, an integrated division, which had PIR on 05/25/2018. 

Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)

Boot Camp: Behind the Scenes at RTC

...and visit Navy.com - America's Navy and Navy.mil also Navy Live - The Official Blog of the Navy to learn more.

OPSEC - Navy Operations Security

Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind.  In the Navy, it's essential to remember that "loose lips sink ships."  OPSEC is everyone's responsibility. 

DON'T post critical information including future destinations or ports of call; future operations, exercises or missions; deployment or homecoming dates.  

DO be smart, use your head, always think OPSEC when using texts, email, phone, and social media, and watch this video: "Importance of Navy OPSEC."

Follow this link for OPSEC Guidelines:

OPSEC GUIDELINES

Events

**UPDATE 4/26/2022** Effective with the May 6, 2022 PIR 4 guests will be allowed.  Still must be fully vaccinated to attend.

**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.

**UPDATE 7/29/2021** You now must be fully vaccinated in order to attend PIR:

In light of observed changes and impact of the Coronavirus Delta Variant and out of an abundance of caution for our recruits, Sailors, staff, and guests, Recruit Training Command is restricting Pass-in-Review (recruit graduation) to ONLY fully immunized guests (14-days post final COVID vaccination dose).  

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:

RTC Graduation

**UPDATE 8/25/2022 - MASK MANDATE IS LIFTED.  Vaccinations still required.

**UPDATE 11/10/22 PIR - Vaccinations no longer required.

RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021

Please note! Changes to this guide happened in October 2017. Tickets are now issued for all guests, and all guests must have a ticket to enter base. A separate parking pass is no longer needed to drive on to base for parking.

Please see changes to attending PIR in the PAGES column. The PAGES are located under the member icons on the right side.

Format Downloads:

Latest Activity

Navy Speak

Click here to learn common Navy terms and acronyms!  (Hint:  When you can speak an entire sentence using only acronyms and one verb, you're truly a Navy mom.)

N4M Merchandise


Shirts, caps, mugs and more can be found at CafePress.

Please note: Profits generated in the production of this merchandise are not being awarded to the Navy or any of its suppliers. Any profit made is retained by CafePress.

Navy.com Para Familias

Visite esta página para explorar en su idioma las oportunidades de educación y carreras para sus hijos en el Navy. Navy.com

Badge

Loading…

My daughter's a DC and she's really not liking it. She's currently in A-School and has yet to go out to the fleet.  I'm looking for advice about the realities of the job from other DCs because she says she hasn't really been able to get a realistic picture about the actual job from her studies.  I'd like to be able to pass on some advice to her from people who do it.  Any input would be helpful.  Thanks!

Views: 307

Replies to This Discussion

PS: She's read the official "job description." She is looking for real-time experience -- and whether they like it or not when they're actually doing it.

I actually just had my Sailor write a letter to another Sailor in A school to help provide some encouragement. If you'd like, you can email me, and I'll forward the letter to you to send to your daughter. Brandi. brandiwhyne321@yahoo.com.

I am a mother of a DCA and I cant really tell you alot but my son would probally be glad to email her to give her some insight to what to expect. this may be helpful? 

 

My son went in un-designated damage control.Eng/Fn.... attached below is what it means.... he loves it... he's not much of a book worm for education so this was a win win situation for him he went right off to a ship after basic Navy school after boot camp

there was a mom on here who's daughter was not enjoying A school for Damage Control I wish her recruiter had let her know about un-designated

 Ma'am, 
I wanted to clarify what it means to be undesignated. Many people will tell you that it is a horrible thing. I wanted to dispel this as some of the happiest Sailors that I know have started off undesignated. It gives them the opportunity to go to sea on a ship right away rather then coming into the Navy and sitting in a school for 6 months to 2 years. It also provides them the time to see and experience what each of the divisions actually do before picking their rating rather then hear about it from a someone else and guess that it sounds cool.

 
- What is it? Being undesignated is just that you currently have no rating. This could be for a variety of reasons ranging from failing out of an "A" School to actually signing up for the Navy as an undesignated striker. 
 
- Will you have to clean and paint? Yes, however so will every single enlisted sailor in the US Navy. I'm a Chief and I am still cleaning and painting. 

- Will you work in the Galley and have to clean dishes and help the cooks? Yes, however this is the same for every E-4 and below reporting to a Ship for the first time. It is known as being a Food Service Attendant (FSA) and every Sailor will do it for somewhere between 30 - 90 days.

- So what is the difference then? As an unrated person when you get to your ship you won't be directly slated to a division. (Electricians (EMs) go to electrical division; Cooks (CS) go to mess division) Instead you work directly for the Command Master Chief (CMC/COB). You will normally be assigned to Deck Division. They are responsible for all of the topside equipment (changes on the size of the ship for specific breakdown) but they normally have the very important job of taking care of anything needed to work on the deck, damage control gear for man over board issues, the ship's quarterdeck and general condition of the exterior of the ship. You will spend your time working on your divisional work load and learning Navy basics like seamanship; flag signals; rule of the road (navigation); damage control; warfare qualifications; using the PMS (preventative maintenance system) and you will be given the opportunity to work with several other divisions onboard. 

-Then what? Well, the standard first sea tour is approxamatly 18 months and then the Sailor will pick a rating that their ASVAB score (it can be retaken with a request to attempt a better score) qualifies them for then they will go to "A" school and will gain a rating. The Sailor's performance will go into the CO's recommendation for what school that they get to attend. So, encourage them to give their level best everyday and have a positive attitude.  After this they may go back to the same ship or be sent to another depending on their desires and the needs of the Navy. There are a few jobs that do not require going to an A-school, the rating Boatswain Mate (BM) would be one example. 

RSS

© 2024   Created by Navy for Moms Admin.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service