This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.
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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
Latest Activity
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.)
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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 July 24, 2012 at 9:53am
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I don't know about the move, ktssong, but I'll ask around.
Yes, I think each deployed Marine, soldier, sailor, comes home with changes, and probably at least mild PTSD, or possibly Traumatic Brain Injury that hasn't been discovered. But change is for sure...
Here I am supposed to be supporting you all, but I have something to share. A couple of weeks ago, my son went to be best man at his best friend's wedding in LA. We were following one groomsman's posts on facebook, from their arrival through the wedding. And I saw my son smile. I mean REALLY smile, a happy smile, the one I hadn't seen in years, especially in a photo. Every shot, there was HAPPY. I kept watching those photos, still do...new ones coming up all the time. Yesterday his gf posted her nephew's 5th birthday party, my son in a goofy matching Tshirt for this little guy, smiling that happy smile. And I say to friends, look at that...look at that smile, I think he's better, I think he's finally learning to live again, not be so serious all the time. And I burst into tears. They don't get it, they don't see what I see, they don't know that we watch for every single sign that war did not take away the child we raised, and that I am on my knees thankful to see that smile. He was last in uniform in January, and finally maybe some of that responsibility he felt is being lifted off of his shoulders.
I got a note from the bride, thanking me for my "great son. He was a rock" for the groom, and the crazy stuff going on. Well, first of all, he was working catering weddings at 15, second of all, one groom isn't nothing after you've been an FMF corpsman in a Marine unit! And he smiled! Dear God, thank you. Now, being a Navy mom, I wonder if he's burying it, but right now, I'm just going to enjoy that smile!
His gf posted a photo of my son and a corpsman buddy visiting over the weekend (they deployed together) and captioned it "reunited and giggling like preteen girls on the living room floor" playing video games.
Prayer for this day is all of our kids get their smiles back, their lives back and move forward. I think I'm going to post this in the "Transitions" group, At some point, we'll all be there. And we still will not be alone!
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Comment by Much Trouble on July 24, 2012 at 8:13am
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Hello Ladies... Yep, I'm still lurking here, but you are doing such a good job, I usually have nothing to add. I got my PTSD info from this site (at the top of the page) and had some websites and contact information handy for when my son came back home, but luckily I didn't need it. We ARE shaped by our experiences in life, and our troops are no different. Your kid WILL be different when he or she comes home. Yes...my son has changed, but the biggest change is that he shows his love for family, friends, and this beautiful country. (At one time, he seemed to feel it wasn't "manly" to show those feelings...but not a day goes by now without him appreciating what he has.) One more thought...When he got back, the Navy was constantly contacting him about his experiences. Even after he got out of the Navy (almost a year after his return) he was being contacted with follow up questionnaires. I don't know if this is standard with the Navy (military) or if it was his reserve group doing it, but they haven't let him fall through the cracks.
One thing I haven't mentioned before...While he was gone, I had a change to talk to some Vietnam Vets, who had a booth at a local event. As soon as I said my son was in Afghanistan, The Vet I was talking to, put down his handful of usual pamphlets, went into his tent and came out with a fistful of special material about PTSD, gave me contact info with local vets groups, and kept telling me to contact them for ANY reason...even if it was just that I needed to talk to someone. There IS help, if you or your kid gets the run-around...come here, and we will steer you in the right direction.
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Comment by DJones on July 24, 2012 at 7:31am
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ktssong, My son took it upon himself to seek help. He lost 2 very close friends while there and it really affected him. I spoke to him and told him he needs to see someone and talk about it. At first he said no way, but after a few weeks of nightmares and insomnia and boughts of anger, he agreed. His 2 good friends that were there with him also decided to seek help with him which I think helps. Talking to your child helps. I didn't read anything, but knew in his tone of voice and things he was saying he needed to see someone. I think it is fair to say that most of those who return have some form of PTSD whether it is a very mild case or severe. Good luck and talk to your child and try to get a feel of their emotions or tone of voice.
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Comment by ktssong on July 24, 2012 at 1:22am
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Cheryl, that is funny that you said lurking in the background made me smile and so did all the posts about goats. I'm from Cincinnati, there are goats up here but I don't have any myself. I do love visitng the farms though especially in the Fall. Well, I am getting ready to soon help my daughter in law travel to Mississippi to get moved into that apartment on the Gulf Coast for when my son returns. Did a bridal shower for her this weekend. It's actually a belated one just to keep her and myself busy through the tail end of this deployment. We hear less from him right now because he's out there somewhere. Anyway, they got alot of goodies to put in their new apartment and start their life together when he gets home.
What we are wondering moms...does anyone know how to tell us to do a giddy move so they can get reimbursed for it? Also, about the PTSD, DJ, I'm glad you are talking about it too and that you are sharing with us. It helps me. I feel like I've noticed a slight difference in the undertones of some messages from my son like he is so tired, tired of the country over there, tired of sandstorms, it just seems like he's having to press himself and I'm thinking this is an indication to me to not be surprised when he gets back. I'm glad he's saying it but I have noticed this. Is there anything you read about it like things to look for that I don't have to search to hard to find...I work 13 hour days and when I get on here I don't want to surf the web too much. I like getting on here and do banking then emails an I'm off. Please pray for me and my daughter in law...we are both very nervous about getting from Ohio to the homecoming at the right time. Ombudsman...we don't want to miss it i
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Cheryl, welcome to the group no one wants to join...! but welcome, and don't try to carry it all alone, we have broad shoulders here....
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A friend posted this on facebook, it says what we all try to say to our friends and neighbors all the time...hope everyone is hanging on, thinking of you all.
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Communication is key. Be there for them. LISTEN to them without criticizing. I am so glad he talks to me. It may not be every day, but when he really is needing someone and his gf is not around, I am next in line. Makes me feel proud that maybe my parenting skills paid off. I've learned never to give up on my kids...be proud of them and support them. I am in my last week of CNA class and next week I will be in clinicals. I cannot begin to tell you all how much I want to work at a VA hospital and give our men and women the care they deserve. This is my contribution to them.
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DJones! I'm so proud of him and his buddies, too....thank you for sharing. Let us know how it goes, anything you learn about coping and taking care of yourself and him while he finds his way back to his old self. And I know he will...
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Finally, my son had his first visit for PTSD. I'm so glad he made that step. I think it helped that 2 of his buddies who deployed together are going. So proud of him.
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One of those listed from Sunday is from my town of Austin, Texas. Cpl Juan Navarro obit
He's only 4 years younger than my son. I don't know if he was part of the 6 that got hit together or the one that was later.
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