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Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on December 23, 2008 at 9:45am

Delete Comment Good morning! It seems so dark this morning that I'm thinking the snow is near though the weather map looks like it's all sliding south and east of the QC. I hope your sailors made it home! Mine is in Norfolk--he just stayed for a weekend before he had to leave. He stopped at Great Lakes and found an apartment to rent in Zion; then took his time getting to Norfolk since the roads were awful. A wonderful retired chaplain and his wife offered him a place to stay while he's there--we found each other on Navy for Moms! The networking has been wonderful. Now he's just bored. The Navy made him report and then gave him four days off this week, four next week. Yesterday he told me "A month ago I was working with weapons and doing important stuff, today I emptied wastebaskets." He was wearing the new work uniform and an officer asked him why a Marine was taking out his trash! He says the uniform is comfortable, but a guy on the street told him he looked like a bus driver. lol If you have a sailor in Norfolk, let me know. Andy would like to meet someone to hang out with.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on December 14, 2008 at 9:18pm

My son arrived home Friday morning from almost a year in Afghanistan! Concerning his journey home, I can say GOD BLESS THE USO at O'Hare Airport. United scheduled his flights from Norfolk with 45 minutes between his flights. He landed 25 minutes late, had to go to a completely different terminal, and they refused to hold the plane, put him on another airline, give him meal vouchers or a hotel room. He found the USO that gave him a couch to sleep on and at least treated him kindly. Friday morning he finally made it to Moline. The weather is ugly, so maybe I can keep him one more day before he drives back to Norfolk!

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on December 10, 2008 at 11:37am

My son just called from London--he's on his way home, too! Sometime in the next week, he and I are going to look at apartments in Zion before he has to go back to Norfolk for a month. He warned me that 12 boxes are being delivered today--all his stuff from Afghanistan. Twelve boxes in addition to the three foot lockers already sitting here AND a Christmas tree! This place looks like a holiday warehouse!

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on November 9, 2008 at 7:55pm

I don't have a lot of experience in the USO business, but I do know that my son has taken advantage of the USO's in Kuwait and Afghanistan. They're pretty nice with lots of comforts from what he says. Of course, it's not home, but still they have big screen tv's (we don't at home!), video games, computers, and comfy chairs. Andy also takes advantage of the military lounges when he flies--benefits there, too. I remember seeing the USO on base at Little Creek, VA, too.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on November 8, 2008 at 12:17am

The Marine Moms in the Quad-Cities that adopt all Navy moms (they are great!) are packing Christmas stockings and other goodies on Sunday afternoon to send to the troops. You're all invited. On the Arsenal at the Reserve Center, 3-5pm. Dads and families are welcome. I'm taking my two granddaughters to help. It was really fun last year.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on November 3, 2008 at 10:51pm

I found the book Married to the Military very helpful. I found a second hand one, then found them at Borders for gifts. It helps explain a lot. I flip through it once a week--it's for moms, girlfriends, spouses. Need to know? My gosh, that sounds like MY son!

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on November 3, 2008 at 10:25pm

You should be proud! Now we have a Dubuque, Clinton, and Davenport mom! San Diego is awesome. My husband and I were there in February and visited our son's recruiters who are stationed there now. Welcome, Dana.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on October 7, 2008 at 11:36pm

I can only tell you Andy's experience and it could be different with each sailor. From June 04 till September 05, Andy was assigned to an aircraft carrier. They went in and out of Norfolk for a week or two, sometimes a month at a time with sea trials. In Sept. 05 the ship was deployed to the Persian Gulf till March 06. It went into the dockyards then and he had a day job with the Navy in Virginia. Then he volunteered to go overseas which took him to Ft. Riley in Nov. 07 for training till Feb. 08 when he was deployed. The Navy doesn't deploy anyone longer than a year, though that's different than getting shore duty. I know a sailor who was in Italy for two years, another that's been in Spain for at least three. They have to do sea duty first, as I understand it, to get that kind of duty. From what Andy tells me (and he's career Navy), after three years at Great Lakes, he has to go back to a ship again, but then the next duty will be one where he gets to choose where he wants to be to raise a family and buy a house, settle down.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on October 7, 2008 at 10:10am

Andy is back in Afghanistan--got a call from him Sunday and again yesterday that he'd be back at camp today. He was supposed to put in a year there from Feb to Feb, but because he's active Navy (he went over with mostly Reservists)and needs to go to instructor school, his assignment was shortened by a month or more. The Navy hasn't told him the exact date he'll leave for Norfolk. I'd be surprised that Ethan would be sent to Iraq for two years.

Comment by Ruth, Gun's Mom on October 5, 2008 at 3:55pm

I'm the one originally from Brooklyn (Community of Flags, IOWA [go Hawks]) and live in Rock Island now. He just turned 26, been in for almost 5 years. He's a gunners mate and will be instructing about weapons. I have no idea how he became an instructor other than he requested Great Lakes and talked to his detailer. I think volunteering for Afghanistan put him at the top of the list or at least helped.

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