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Comment by M's mom on September 21, 2017 at 9:48am

Anna & helenp:

"Don't look down" is good advice for the bridge at Deception Pass going on to Whidbey Island!  We drove over it one time while visiting when it was socked in with fog!  It was soooo eerie.  We couldn't see down, which was good, but also couldn't see the other end of the bridge in the fog. It was like driving into oblivion.

helenp: if you ever get to Whidbey, you will also have to check out all the sights in nearby Seattle, such as the Space Needle and Pike Street Market, (where the fish mongers toss the fish through the air!)   Seattle is nice, but the traffic is horrendous.

My daughter-in-law also looked for a job on the mainland when they were at Whidbey, but the daily commute was just going to be too much, so she found a job near their apt at the island's Home Depot.  She really enjoyed it, and said if they ever bought a house, she would be the "handy" one, because she learned a lot about plumbing, etc.  haha

Comment by Glenni on September 20, 2017 at 2:09pm

M's Mom, Thank you so much for your insight. I truly think he will be happy with whatever he ends up doing....I LOVE Semper Gumby!

Comment by Anna on September 20, 2017 at 12:05am

M's mom,

We just finished a three week visit with our son at Whidbey.  Drove the truck and 40' RV trailer over Deception Pass 4 times now!!!!  Just don't look down!!!  LOL  Beautiful country up there.   

helenp,

Our enlisted son is in Intelligence and attached to a squadron on Whidbey.  They were in Hawaii last year and were transferred to WA because the squadron is transistioning from the P3s to the P8s.  Pretty much all those planes will be replaced over the next few years!!  

Our daughter is an NFO stationed at Tinker in Oklahoma City.  She flies on the E6!!

Comment by Noni on September 19, 2017 at 10:08pm

Hi newmom,
My daughter is a SWO/EDO, and is stationed in SD. If you have any question for SWO moms I will try to help

Comment by helenp on September 19, 2017 at 6:28pm

M's Mom - I would love to visit him in Whidbey, but it may be a while as he is getting married the end of December in Hawaii and that trip is breaking the bank. His fiancee's hometown is Honolulu, so it's technically not a destination wedding, but same result. And everything is more expensive because it's the week between Christmas and New Year. But he had to schedule the wedding based on when his squadron deploys next. Hopefully, we'll get to Whidbey one of these days. I've heard about the bridge. I think it's called Deception Pass. He lives on the mainland, so he drives it every day. His fiancee is an RN and they thought she'd have more opportunities for work on the mainland. She's still looking though.

I bet naval Intelligence is a pretty interesting job. I also know of some Nuclear Officers who ended up very happy, and I hear that there are lucrative opportunities if one eventually leaves the Navy. My son didn't like subs during CORTRAMID though and that's where they need the most Nuke people.   

Comment by helenp on September 19, 2017 at 6:15pm

I love that M's mom - "Semper Gumby" hahaha  

Glenni, yes my son is very happy. He has had only one moment of disappointment, when he was assigned the P3 rather than the new P8. The P3 is an OLD four-engine turboprop that is being replaced by the new P8 jet. But he turned lemons into lemonade when he realized that he will develop his basic aviator skills flying an aircraft with no fancy bells and whistles, and eventually everyone will transition. I think his squadron is last. Flight training is a lot of work, but he is happy to be flying.

M's Mom is correct though. A lot can happen during the years of ROTC, including not passing the flight physical or waiting too long to have corrective eye surgery if needed. In addition, sometimes the Navy and/or the ROTC chain of command see a skill or strength in a Midshipman that makes him/her perfect for a particular track. So staying open minded is the healthy thing to do.   

Comment by M's mom on September 19, 2017 at 6:07pm

helenp:   My son was also stationed at Whidbey Island, WA. He worked with a squadron of EA-18G "Growlers."   You must go visit him at Whidbey!  The island is beautiful, but the very high bridge connecting it to the mainland is rather daunting.   (You can also take a car ferry.)

Comment by M's mom on September 19, 2017 at 5:53pm

Hi Glenni,

It's good that your son is flexible and open to all possibilities in the Navy!  Many of them join the Navy with a certain career path in mind, and then find themselves on a completely different track, (by choice or not.)

My son was accepted to OCS five years ago as a pilot candidate.  He had passed all the pre-OCS physicals with flying colors.  At OCS, he was given a flight physical, which turned up a minor physical anomaly which is not life-threatening, but it DQ'd him from pilot or NFO.   He was understandably upset, but really wanted to stay in the Navy, so he was allowed to pick another designator, and was accepted to Naval Intelligence.   He really enjoys the intel field and has enjoyed his four different duty stations so far. 

I think being DQ'd for pilot was a blessing in disguise, because, speaking as his mother, I think he is a much better match for intel than aviation.  But, he had to have the mental flexibility to accept that he could be happy doing something else if he couldn't do his dream job.

I'm sure there are Nuke Moms here whose Loved Ones really enjoy their work as nuclear officers, and could give your son some encouragement to go that route if he chooses.

I read that the motto of sailors should be "Semper Gumby"--(Always Flexible)  ha-ha   Plans change often, and they must learn to roll with it.

Good luck to your son!

Comment by Glenni on September 19, 2017 at 5:41pm

That is awesome and so encouraging, helenp. Is he loving it?

Comment by helenp on September 19, 2017 at 5:30pm

Welcome Glenni. My DS (Dear Son) commissioned from NROTC in 2014 and he is now a pilot. He earned his wings in 2016 and joined his P3 squadron at Whidbey Island, WA a few months ago. His dream was to become a pilot, but he also was open to accepting and being at peace with whatever service he was assigned. He was told that he was being targeted for Nukes also, as he was a science major with good grades in physics and calculus. He just continued to keep his nose to the grindstone. He put down pilot as his first choice, accepting that it probably would not not happen. Well, he was lucky. So one never knows.

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