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:
Events
**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.
FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:
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:
- Graduation Info
- PDF – 2.7 MB
- PNG – 2.3 MB
- JPG – 3.4 MB
- Printable PDF – 2.0 MB
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
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Anyone with Sailors/Soldiers/Marines in War Zones and Combat Areas
Information
For parents and loved ones of deployed and deploying military personnel...Aghanistan/Iraq and any and all war zones. Please introduce yourself on the main comment page.
Members: 116
Latest Activity: Jul 14, 2020
Anderson Hall is in San Antonio, on the campus of Fort Sam Houston...the place where future corpsman will learn their trade.
"Doc" Christopher Anderson served with Marine 1/6.
(He also went to Basic and to FMTB with my son. TDM)
Corpsmen on the job in Afghanistan:
Helpful Links:
It provides access to services and resources at the national, state and local levels to support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration.
Absentee Voting Link Get info here on registering to vote and absentee voting.
Navy Individual Augmentee Information "IA"
Ombudsman Registry Find your sailor's unit and contact information
Seabee Info Web site Answers to many questions about deployment, etc even if your sailor is not a Seabee.
Fleet and Family Deployment Navy Facebook
Online Program Helps Military Vote Absentee
Guardian Angels for Soldiers Pets Facebook Page
Dogs on Deployment One-Stop Resource page for military members to turn to for advice and direction to all pet-related needs. They also are looking for fosters for pets whose owners are being deployed.
****Red Cross and Help for the Military, Emergency Notificaton Link to the Red Cross Military Assistance page, on the left is a list of links to important sites, including the phone numbers if you need to notify your deployed loved one of a family emergency. This note: Beginning June 13, 2011, at 8:00 a.m. EDT, all military members and their
families can use one number- 877-272-7337 (U.S. Toll Free) to send an urgent
message to a service member. The change means that all military members and
their families can use this single number to initiate an emergency communication, regardless of where they live.
Coaching Into Care works with family members or friends who become aware of their Veteran’s post-deployment difficulties—and supports their efforts to find help for the Veteran.
This is a national clinical service providing information and help to Veterans and the loved ones who are concerned about them.
Defense Center of Excellence information and help for TBI and PTS for active military, vets and their families.
After Deployment... This web site is VERY useful to service members, family and loved ones after the return of a loved one from deployment.
VAWatchdog.org Very useful links for our vets and their families.
Secondary PTSD Resource Link For families and loved ones of a soldier/sailor/Marine/airman with PTSD.
Facebook Support for OPSEC An online resource for OPSEC regs and questions concerning safety in social media web sites.
Graphic Novel Helps Corpsmen Cope with Combat-related Stress
Links to those sending packages to our deployed sailors/soldiers/marines/airmen:
Molly's Adopt A Sailor Group Join the group, or just read for ideas on what to send to your deployed kid.
Jacob's Program Another group of volunteers sending packages to our deployed folks.
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To all who drop by! WELCOME! please post below so we can get to know you. If you send a message around to 'all members' , we CANNOT respond. So, please introduce yourself below, and remember to not share dates or specfic movements by any military unit on the board! Thank you!! and again WELCOME!!
Discussion Forum
Son in Spin Boldak
Started by rysony. Last reply by rysony Mar 14, 2012. 40 Replies 0 Likes
Care Packages - lists of items, how to order priority boxes and how to fill out customs forms
Started by Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom. Last reply by millon4 Oct 2, 2012. 29 Replies 1 Like
Sailors in Afghanistan with boots on the ground
Started by Ruth, Gun's Mom. Last reply by TexasDocMom Sep 18, 2010. 18 Replies 0 Likes
RSS
Comment Wall
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Comment by TexasDocMom on November 22, 2012 at 12:13pm
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Thinking of you all this morning....very thankful that I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my all my children (kids and grandkids) to be together for the first time on Thanksgiving day since my son enlisted. He's out now..and here, sleeping in a bed too short in his old room...that is my wish for each one of you someday soon. It will happen.
You will each be in our blessing as will your children and those with whom they serve....and Paymaster...tradition is GOOD, it keeps us sane. Have a blessed day all of you...and if it's tough, come here, we'll all be checking in on this board all day long. You are not alone.
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Comment by adale on November 22, 2012 at 12:11pm
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Thanks Susan. Although my son is in the sandbox, I think of many Thanksgivings after my divorce that he wasn't here for the holiday either. I kept thinking when I got old, my kids would rally, but though I feel old, it hasn't happened yet. Somehow, though, him being out of the US makes it hard to get through today. I worry about how he gets through this day. Thanks for your prayers.
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Comment by Paymaster on November 22, 2012 at 12:56am
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Jersey....Its good the think of him.
I always made everyones lunches in the morning. I always put them in the same order everyday, my husbands first, then mine, then the Navy son, then our second son's and lastly our daughters from left to right. When the Navy son left home I would make the lunches like I always did, leaving his space empty. One morning my husband made the mistake of mentioning that now that he was gone to the Navy that I could space the lunches out a little more and not leave his space empty. In a very firm tone I told him, that was the Navy son's spot and it always will be and as long as I live and I make lunches everyday it would stay that way! He has never said another work about were the lunches are place on the counter. That was 15 years ago.
Eventho the other children have left home the lunches go in the same spots. I think about my children every morning as I make lunches.
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Comment by JerseySusan on November 22, 2012 at 12:40am
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So... I e-mailed our son today a Happy Thanksgiving, even though I know he won't see it. I know when I bake the Pumpkin Pie tomorrow morning, I will probably fall apart. I already am just thinking about it now. It's his Favorite Pie. Happy Thanksgiving To All.
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Comment by yelomoon on November 21, 2012 at 8:25pm
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thank you Paymaster, Back at ya,
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Mickey say's it best!
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docsmom, glad you joined us here. My son is in the Navy(in the sandbox)on loan to the Airforce Reserves...we are all one "family". My son has been in the Navy for 13 years and this isn't the only difficult one, nor the only one when he has been deployed. I just found this site recently and it is amazingly supportive. My Navy son was 11 when his dad left me. It isn't easy, but he is strong and has survived. I too am praying for all the others in "our shoes" with our dear sons and daughters out there during the holidays. Also, thanks to the people that put the sites up that ship to APO/FPO. Ordered Cmas goodies for my son today.
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Docsmom, Yes you do have a tough year. I joined this site, not b/c of our oldest in the Navy, but b/c of our youngest in the Air Force deployed over in the sandbox right now. The oldest will be deployed soon. Even though our circumstances are & were very different, I can very much Sympathize with your situation. My husband & I had to raise our 1st Grandson for the first 6 years of his Life. Our daughter was just not in a good situation during those years. I remembered what it was like to go through the Holidays with him, & not her. It was very hard on him, & a lot of heartache for us. However, she finally has blossomed into a loving & caring mother. She got married last spring to a great (son-in-law) that we adore & is now pregnant with her 3rd child. I know your heart is aching for her & their broken marriage, but know that right now you are your granddaughters 'Angel'.
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docsmom, thank you for joining us. It really helps to have this page to share your fears, concerns and loneliness....and joy when the good stuff happens. You are not alone in fearing the unknown, or missing your child (or in many cases, like Susan, children!) especially during the holidays, even more than those long "normal" days.
I met a woman the other night when I worked a dinner for the First Ladies at our LBJ Library, her son has been in 17 years and is now a Marine commander. (I forget the rank). He has deployed multiple times and will be doing so again. I invited her to join us, and when she said "but he's a Marine"...I told her we don't care, deployed is deployed, fear is fear, and you are not alone. We have a lot of good moms and a few dads that will reach out and hold your hand. I hope she joins us. We started our conversation when we were looking at a photo of LBJ during the Viet Nam war, listening to a tape recorder, his son in law sharing his experience in VN, President Johnson has his head in his hand, leaned down on a desk, and you can see the despair in his face. All parents have this fear, and we welcome all of you here. We are all the same, we have all been in that pain, and we will all help each other to keep sane in the insanity of a child in a war zone. You are not alone.
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Comment by IDCmom#1 on November 18, 2012 at 1:55am
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A while back, TexasDocMom suggested I might want to join this group despite my son being deployed somewhere other than the sandbox. Guess I felt like as long as I stayed away from here, I didn't have to recognize that he wasn't going to be home for the holidays this year. I don't like not being able to control my circumstances and the Navy is making it hard for me to do so this year. We do have his wonderful four year old daughter with us while he is gone so she fills up the lonely time. I think what is most difficult for me is that last year, my son's family was intact. This year, the hardships of being a dual military couple ended their marriage and my little granddaughter has had to go through two parents being deployed and moving back and forth across country to be with grandparents who adore her. I pray next Thanksgiving and Christmas will be more normal for her, with both parents nearby, even if not together. Thanks for listening. I have been a Navy mom for over 9 years and this is the first hard year for me. I've been lucky.
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