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Comment by M's mom on August 6, 2023 at 9:58pm

Helomom:  Congrats to you and your son on the end of his very accomplished Navy career!!!   I remember that he had many headaches to deal with as CO in Naples during the pandemic.  Hope you got to attend the ceremony.

Seems a long time ago (2014-15) that our sons were both on the Carl Vinson at the same time!   Thanks for reaching out to me at that time, and answering lots of my questions during my son's first ship deployment.

My son was promoted to Lt Commander last fall, and will have 11 years of service this September.  He's hoping to get that 20-year retirement like your son.  He is currently starting year two of three on deployment to England.  On July 1st, he became CO of his office at the Joint Intelligence Operations Center.

Hubby and I had to fly over the pond for a visit in June, because son and his wife had our first grandbaby in April!!!!   So far away---we're going to have to learn that FaceTime thing!

Does your son have a new civilian job lined up, or is he going to take a well-deserved break for a while?  Hopefully, he will settle somewhere near you, so you will get to see him & his family more often now.  Congrats again to you both!

Comment by Helomom on August 6, 2023 at 7:16pm

Hi moms!  We have reached the end of the big Navy journey. 
Hopefully this attachment from AFN/DOD works. 

DOD_109785463-512x288-1000k.mp4

Comment by M's mom on May 24, 2023 at 11:15pm

Anna,

You must be referring to the Bay Bridge near Annapolis?  I've been across that one too, but I meant the bridge over the Patuxent River between Solomons and near the Naval base.  It's maybe not as long as the one near Annapolis, but seems to be very high when you get in the middle!  

I've also been across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel further south near Norfolk.  I think it's about 18 miles long in total!!  So weird---you're driving out in the middle of it with water as far as the eye can see, then suddenly the bridge ahead disappears down into the water into the tunnel!  ---A triple trauma for anyone who has fears of bridges, wide water, AND tunnels!!   They don't bother me, but I can see how that thing could get people really nervous!

When we visited my son when he was stationed in Baltimore, he took us on a day trip to Annapolis.  Such a cool old state house!  Son used his military ID to get us into the Naval Academy.  It was spring break, so pretty deserted, but we walked around and went to the museum and gift shop for some Navy souvenirs.

Comment by Anna on May 23, 2023 at 8:36pm

M's mom,

Yes our family lived in Annapolis for years and spent lots of time on the Eastern shore!! Lots of really good seafood!! Are you referring to the Bay Bridge? It is very tall!! Twice I got to walk that bridge!! Don't know if they still do that but they would close one span and open it for people to do the Bay Bridge Walk. Scary to feel it moving and looking down through the grating!!!

Jennifer is OK with the year wait because she has to have time in her new assignment to put on her fitrep!! 

Hope it works out for your Son! They all have to learn how to work the system!!!! Good luck to all our officers!!!

Comment by M's mom on May 18, 2023 at 12:10am

Anna,

I know exactly where NAS Pax River is!  My husband's aunt lived on Chesapeake Bay right across the river from the base, and we visited her several times. If you ever visit, there are many fabulous seafood restaurants on Solomons Island across the river from the base.  It requires driving across a very HIGH bridge over the river---not for those with a fear of heights!

Congrats to your son on making warrant officer!  I didn't know that he had been in that long.  At least he will retire at a higher rank for the pension dollars. 

It may actually work in your daughter's favor on the year delay for promotion.  That way she may get her 20 before she has to face another "up or out" promotion board. My son is hoping that he can milk the O-4 rank for another 9 and a half years, and not have to face another promotion board and possibly be drummed out at 18-19 years!   I have seen several retired Navy folks who have "LCDR (Ret.)" after their name, so it looks possible to retire with the rank of O-4.  I know that O-5 rank is harder to get, so I hope he can coast through!

The good thing about an apartment is that you don't have to worry about yard work or repairs (if you have a good landlord!)  Hubby and I downsized to a smaller house in a country subdivision 5 years ago, and there's always SOMETHING that must be done maintenance-wise. I have to shovel the driveway snow in winter (Indiana) because Hub has a bad back---especially when it comes to shoveling, the  poor thing!   I told him that this house is IT.  We are NOT moving again except maybe to the nursing home!!!  haha

We're excited to go to England, but not the 8-hour flights "across the pond."  --Although not as bad as the 14-hour flights we did to/from Japan when son was stationed there.  I'm glad we went, and really enjoyed Japan, but 14 HOURS in coach seats on a plane is brutal.

Nice to "chat" with you again!

Comment by Anna on May 17, 2023 at 6:01pm

M's mom,

Sounds like your son is moving up in his career!!  How exciting for him and his family!!  And a new (future) sailor!!! I forgot that he is an IS as that is my son's rating also!! He just made CWO2 so now both of my sailors are officers!! He's got 20 years in but the promotion made him extend for another 6 then he can retire.  He wants to make CWO3 before he gets out!! He started off as an E-1 in bootcamp!! He is currently deployed on the Nimitz but will come back to Fallon, NV.

Daughter transferred to Patuxent River, MD when she got the lateral transfer to AEP.  Unfortunately it also pushed back her first look for 04 by a year.  She knew that was going to happen with this transfer so its all good for her.

We love living here in Asheville but it is so expensive here!! And we live in an apartment!! Wouldn't want to buy another house at our age.  

I hope you have a fantastic trip to London.  I got to go there in 1997 when my oldest son's high school band was invited to march in the Lord Mayor's New Year's Day parade.  It was an exciting visit!!! Let me know how it goes!!! And give lots of love to that new grandbaby!!!

Comment by M's mom on May 16, 2023 at 5:15pm

Anna,

Certainly the physical standards for aviators need to be revised, because they were written only for MEN. Of course, women and smaller men can do the job just as well, and with height adjustable seats and such, there is no reason why they shouldn't qualify.  Good on her for helping the Navy to get real, because they need aviator candidates.  I wasn't aware that women had such trouble with the fit of flight suits and boots.  Sounds like these new standards are WAY overdue! 

Asheville is lovely.  Hope you enjoy it.  I love to travel, but not sure that "weeks" on the road would be my thing!

My son finished his assignment with the US Military Cyber Security Command at Ft Meade in MD last June, and then started a 3-year overseas deployment to the UK.  He is an intelligence analyst at the Joint Intelligence Command Europe Analytic Center at Royal Air Force Base Molesworth near Cambridge, England. His office has "eyes on the screens" 24/7, so they are closely watching areas of concern in that hemisphere.  (We don't ask and he doesn't tell---as it should be.)

 He was promoted to Lt Commander in August, and will have 11 years in September.  He's hoping to make 20, then retire and do something else.

He and his wife just had their first child (our only grandchild!) in April. They have been married for 10 years, so we were wondering if they were ever going to get around to that, but I was determined not to be THAT MOM who nags, so I never said anything, but hubby and I are just thrilled to have a grandson!!  Only problem is, England is so far away!  Hopefully in 2 years, he'll be able to rotate back to stateside duty.

We have done Face Time with them, but it's not like being there, so Hub and I are flying to London on June 1st!  Can't wait to see the little guy in person.  We are going to insist that son and d-i-l go out to eat and a movie while we are there to give them a break, and give us a chance to babysit. 

 As a government employee, son gets 12 weeks parental leave, so he doesn't have to go back to duty until July 1st.  It's great that he can be home to help his wife, and spend more time with us while we're there, before he has to report back. They are sleep-deprived with a newborn, but we've all been there and survived!

Where is your daughter now stationed doing her study, or does she travel?

Comment by Anna on May 16, 2023 at 4:14pm

M's mom,

So good to hear from you!! Yes she was right behind your Son!! Where has the time gone!!!She is very excited about this study! When she was in OCS she wanted to fly helicopters but when she went through the assessments she was told her thumb was too short!!! This review of the anthropometric standards from the 60's can have major implications for women and minorities who want to be in aviation. Plus upgrading the uniforms for many sailors. In the 10+ years Jennifer has been in, she has never had boots that fit and never been able to buy new flight suits. There are a number of female officers who pass along their used flight suits to other women because smaller sizes just don't exist in uniform shops!!! It's amazing some of the obstacles our women aviators go through!!!

How is your Son doing??

Hubby and I are no longer doing the full time RVing!! We sold the big trailer and settled in an apartment in Asheville, NC. We got a smaller trailer to do more short trips yet have a "home" to come back to!! 

Comment by M's mom on May 16, 2023 at 3:52pm

Hello, Anna!

Wonderful to hear an update on your daughter!  Sounds like she is doing important work, and I hope she finds it very rewarding.  I think she graduated from OCS in the class after my son, way back in 2012.  Where did ten years go?

Are you and your hubby still living the vagabond life around the country, or have you settled down somewhere now?

Comment by Anna on May 16, 2023 at 1:36pm

Hey Moms!

Posting a little brag about my daughter and an important study she is working on as an Aerospace Experimental Psychologist involving aviation.  If you want to read up on it go to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) facebook page and scroll down about 6 or 7 posts.  This study will really impact future women who are interested in aviation.

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