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Comment by CrackerjackMom on March 1, 2009 at 2:34pm

Angie thanks so much for answering my questions and be avalible to us.

Comment by CrackerjackMom on February 26, 2009 at 2:23pm

It's like I told my daughter, her trials and adventures on the way to becoming Admiral will make a great story. LOL!!

Comment by CrackerjackMom on February 22, 2009 at 2:19pm

Thanks Hoppi, that's what my daughter is in the process of doing in March.
This great to have on here. I'm sure there will be many questions for you.

Comment by CrackerjackMom on February 21, 2009 at 1:18am

Someone just posted this on another Navy board that I'm on.

Fleet Master Chief (SW/AW) Tom Howard has been selected by Adm. Jonathan Greenert to be the next senior enlisted Sailor at Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Va., according to the command.

Howard, a former boatswain’s mate and battleship Sailor, is Pacific Fleet’s top master chief. In December, he began filling a wider role with both fleets after Rick West left Fleet Forces to become the master chief petty officer of the Navy. The post at Fleet Forces is unofficially considered the No. 2 enlisted job in the Navy.

Howard will remain in Pearl Harbor until his successor is named and takes the helm, probably around May.

“As a fleet master chief, I have engaged those force master chiefs on the East Coast already, and I am staying connected even as I transition into this new [role] — it’s an honor to get this opportunity,” he said. “I also look forward to continuing to work as a member of MCPON West’s leadership mess, just as he and I have been doing for a few years now.”

Howard, a 27-year veteran, joined the Navy in 1981 after graduating from high school in Toledo, Ohio. Striking for boatswain’s mate onboard the cruiser Belknap, he rose through the ranks to become a master chief boatswain’s mate during a succession of underway commands including the battleship Missouri, Carrier Group 4 and the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis.

But his Navy career hasn’t always been rosy.

After boot camp in Great Lakes, Ill., he started training to be an electronics technician but was kicked out of training for having a “nonmilitary attitude,” he said.

Howard was sent as a nondesignated seaman to the Belknap, where he came under the wing of Chief Boatswain’s Mate Jim Howard — no relation — who helped the younger Howard strike for boatswain’s mate and get his military career on track.

“I admired him greatly,” Howard said. “It was his professionalism that really had an impact on me.”

Five years later, as a second class boatswain’s mate, he was diagnosed with cancer and sent to National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Md., for treatment. After surgery and chemotherapy, he spent two years on limited duty while serving at the Naval Legal Service Office at the Washington Navy Yard.

Despite being away from the fleet, he wanted to make first class, so he developed his own study program. It consisted of audio tapes he created and listened to during his 55-minute commute back and forth to work. He was advanced to first class before returning to the fleet.

These events, Howard said, helped shape his life. He makes a point of telling Sailors that adversity can be overcome.

“I start out every all-hands call I make telling Sailors that I’m here to give them hope,” Howard said. “That it’s OK to fail and you can come back from adversity and still succeed in the Navy.”

Comment by CrackerjackMom on February 20, 2009 at 8:57pm

Shelia, take a look at my pictures on my home page.... LCAC. "Landing Craft Air Cushion" they "fly" from shore to ship and back again. They carry supplies and Marines to where ever they need to go. Tara and the LCACs are stationed in Camp Pendleton. She has been there a year. The Boxer will hold (I think) she said 3 of them this trip. She works on the LCACs and also as the Yoeman for her unit.

The pictures are of the day she left for deployment 1/9/09

I hope that explains it.

Comment by CrackerjackMom on February 20, 2009 at 2:17am

Hi, everyone. I have been a member of Navy for Moms for a few months now, but just found this group. I have two sailors both are on the complete opposite ends of the jobs. My son is a Nuke and my daughter is undesignated. My son has been in 3 years and my daughter has been in 1 1/2 years.
She went in undesignated right from the beginning. It was her choice. (tried to talk her out of it) She did not qualify for MC, she was a few points off on the ASVAB, and did not want any of the other jobs she qualified for. So her intention was go in und and strike for the job she wanted. She did boot camp and a 3 week school in Great Lakes, and her orders were for Camp Pendleton. She was assigned to ACU5. Right now she is on deployment for 6-7 months. She is still undesignated but is hoping to be rated by the time she is back. She will be taking the BM test in March. Hopefully she passes and then she will be rated.
There is so much more to her story of why she is trying for BM. But right now she loves it at Pendleton and she is loving being on deployment. But she wishes she had gone in rated even if it wasn't for the job she wanted.
So her saga continues, and she worries about not getting rated before her time is up. Because she really (thinks) wants to stay in for more then 4 years.
Anyway, I am here to help if I can, and get info from you all on here as well.
I am so glad that I found other und moms, I feel like I was the only one out there.

Comment by Kelly (Matt's Mom) on February 8, 2009 at 5:59pm

My kiddo said his check was short by a substantial amount, too. I've told him to ask. He just doesn't know who to ask yet being as he just arrived Wed in San Diego. If I find out something, I'll write about it. Thanks for this site!

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