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

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:

RTC Graduation

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:

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 husband just joined the navy in February, and is currently in The DEP program. He leaves in Nov. for basic. He is going into to be a nuclear tech. And I am so incredibly proud of him.
But I am not sure of what to expect when he leaves for basic, and when he goes to his schooling. I know I get to go with him for his school, and from what his recruiter told me I know it will be in S. Carolina.
I'd like to get to know some other spouses in my position, and also any advice anyone can give me to help with my upcoming journey Is appreciate it.
Thank you :)

Views: 212

Replies to This Discussion

Hello,

Im Briana, my Sailor just left for bootcamp on July 24th. So this is a new experience for me as well. I can tell you form what Ive learned so far that when he leaves for basic should should recieve the address to write him letters in a week or so, and you will probably be able to receive letters from him after the 2 or 3 week mark. Also I have learned that phone calls, besides the "I made it here" phone call are rewards for doing well on tests and stuff. It depends a lot on the division I think also, some will get to call more thatn others. So the best thing to do would be not expect them, that way if you get one its a really good surprise! :) My sailor has been gone less than a week so I havent gotten anything yet, but the ladies on this site are very helpful when you have questions. Im sorry that I dont know very much about A school yet, but some of the ladies who have gotten to that point will be able to give you great info for sure. Good luck to you both and welcome to the site. You definitely are among friends here!  

Thank you Briana:) I have been browsing the site a bunch, and everything I have seen is super super helpful:) thank you for the info as well. Also, sorry to hear that he left recently, but also Congrats. I hope it goes by real fast, so you can see him soon :)

Thank you very much, I hope that the time will go by fast as well. And Im happy that you've found a lot of helpful information so far. The best advice I can give you is enjoy and cherish every single moment with him until he leaves. I would give anything to have my Sailor here next to me right now, but at the same time, Im so incredibly proud of him and know that he's out there making a better life for us. I can tell you it wont be easy when he leaves, but if the love you feel for him is anything like the love I feel for my Sailor, every moment will be worth it in the end.

The nuke program is somewhat different than regular A schools.  You will get housing, and they will move you out.  I've heard of the nukes being able to go get their spouse for the move, but I can't promise that to you.  His A school will be tough, and Power School will be tougher.  Expect him to study for up to 14 hours a day, and that's in the school building where he can't have his phone.  It is almost all classified, so he can't study at home for he most part.  The drop rate is very high, so it is important not to fuss over those long hours.  

After those to schools, he goes through Prototype, which is training on a live reactor.  There are two, one in New York, and one in Charleston.  That's another six months.  

Just get through boot camp first.  You may want to begin do a pre-packout sorting of everything you own. Organize important papers, make a list of all your banking and financial info, go through and sell, toss or donate everything you will not need again.  Hang on to memories, but not old clothes which will never fit type of thing.  They won't ship your car, so get it prepped for a long drive if you want it in SC.

@femininbeauty- Congrats to you and your sailor:) I am pretty good with not stressing. At times it is hard, but I am trying my best to enjoy every moment with him. :))
@auntiM- thank you for all the advice. :) you are very knowledgeable about all this. :) I can handle the studying for long hours, we gave always worked jobs that had conflicting schedules, and I'd only see him for dinner. Then maybe before he left for work. It will be hard though to not be around him:( but i want him to finish nuke school. He is soooooo smart, its a great program for him. And will open so many doors for him :)

My nephew is a nuke on a sub, he loves it because the small crew is like family and he is never bored.  

Thank you for all the info, and i hope i get that time with him :)

Hi Sarah! My husband is also in the nuke field and just started Prototype (the 3rd and last phase of training) here in SC.  He and I were dating when he left for bootcamp, got engaged when he was A school (the first phase of training) and got married while he was in Power school (the 2nd phase). You should check out the Nuke Moms group (and other Nuke school groups)-- you'll find tons of info there. There's also a Nuke Wives & Girlfriends group on Facebook, if you're interested. Anti M is correct -- they are constantly studying and under a lot of stress. But just take it one day at a time and definitely focus on getting through boot camp first. 

What is it like for a wife while your hubby was in school? And thank you for the info, I will have to check that group on Facebook out??
Also, how does turn husband like the nuke program? And how long did it take to get you to Sc once you were married?
And I am taking it day by day, or at least I am trying. I am the type of person who likes to know what o am up against. Lol, so i am trying to figure out ad much as possible:) and all of you guys are being Sooooo helpful. Thank you :)

Trust me, I love me some organization and planning! So funny that he's the complete opposite and actually enjoys not being able to say where we'll end up 6 months from now :)

We got married on New Year's Eve and that was in between his Power School training but for the most part, it wasn't too stressful. Yes, there were some long hours but my husband worked his butt off to make sure he was never behind in his classes. Some of his friends had mandatory study hours which kept them in the "Rickover" building until 10-11PM but thankfully, Mike was always home by 7PM. So we were lucky enough to always have dinner together and most of the weekends! I was also fortunate enough to be able to keep my job and work from home so during the day, I was busy working. 

I moved down before we got married but I didn't have too much stuff with me. Other navy wives will probably have more insight in what goes into a navy move but most of my things we left with my parents' house in NY. After our wedding, we were lucky enough to have some time to get me included in his page 2, enroll me in Deers and get my ID. Apparently tons of sailors chose New Year's eve (it was a Saturday, after all) to get married so their office was swamped that week! For me, moving down was a breeze since my cousin lives in the area. I got to bunk with her and her family until Mike was given the okay (and the BAH) to live off base.

Mike is still trying to decide if he likes the program or not. Now that he's out of the classroom and is set to do more hands-on training, I think he'll actually enjoy it more. He was fine with A school and Power School but grad hold was so annoying to him (it's the waiting period between Power School and Prototype). He was in grad hold from April-August and was just so restless. 

Thank you for all the info, and I joined that group on Facebook. I totally dig it. Seems very informative. :)
And Congrats on the wedding, ours was on Jan. 14th of this year. :) kind of sucks he isnt gonna be with me for our 1st anniversary cause he will be finishing up basic training.

Congratulations to you as well and too bad about your wedding anniversary. Try your best to go to his graduation though, it is an amazing experience!!! I soon expect to be missing out on spending holidays, birthdays and anniversaries together. The nuke program has a lengthy training period so I feel somewhat spoiled still having my sailor around (some of his boot camp buddies have already been deployed!).  That's just part of this lifestyle. But hey, it's all about how you see things. Why not start having mini anniversary celebrations, starting the 14th of this month? Do it until he leaves for BC. It may not be the same but at least in some ways you both get to celebrate that day! 

Mike going to boot camp was an incredibly emotional and difficult time. I never realized that I could ever miss someone so much! I didn't prepare for it at all and as soon as it happened, it was such a shock. First thing I did was look for a support group and that's why I ended up here. This place is such a wealth of knowledge, so utilize it. I don't think you can 100% prepare for how you'll react when he leaves but having the info to understand what he's going through plus knowing other people who are in your position helps a whole lot.

RSS

© 2024   Created by Navy for Moms Admin.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service