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 DJones on January 9, 2012 at 3:26pm
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Well, I had a bad breakdown last night in front of my husband. Thank goodness he didn't tell me the usual, "Stop letting yourself worry so much. It doesn't do any good." Instead he comforted me and let me have my moment. My son is at a FOB and gets mail only when they convoy to Dwyer which may be once a month. It's ashame as it is their morale booster. I think I've sent enough boxes for the entire unit. LOL..
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Comment by Marcy on January 9, 2012 at 2:03pm
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Nice one Texas Doc mom. That was funny.
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Comment by Much Trouble on January 9, 2012 at 1:56pm
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TDM...Welcome to another club...The retired Moms. LOL I know what you mean...I feel blessed that he will never have to return to the sandbox or any other war zone, but a part of me also feels a sadness. I know he loved what he did, and I pray that his decision to get out wasn't influenced by me. Like you, I grew up as a brat and two of my daughters spent about 10 years each in the military. It seems strange to no longer have any ties. Yes...I also have the "survivors guilt"...That is why I don't talk much on here anymore, unless there is a hurting mom. I will always remember that fear! In fact, when a mom posts her confusion, fear, and pain, I can still FEEL it in myself. Just as my son's deployments shaped him, they also shaped me. Anyway...Enjoy your new status...you earned it!
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Comment by TexasDocMom on January 9, 2012 at 12:36pm
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okay, explicit lyrics in a couple of spots, but lots of faces of Marines and corpsmen...
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Is there not moto mail in Afghanistan? I'll have to investigate.
So glad to see this group active and in full support mode! It's a bitter sweet day for me on this site, my son is officially out of the Navy after signing some paper work this morning....7 years of my life that have changed me forever. I never knew fear and pride in the waves that has taken me over as a military mom, I've met people online because of N4M that have become fixtures in my life, and who will continue to be part of my life forever. Deb has started a group called Transitions here on N4M, and I will be posting there as well, as I watch my son learn the ropes of being a civilian again after being a military professional, and the ends and outs of the GI BILL, etc....sharing the stories and concerns, watching Congress as they provide for our vets. My concern is to avoid my generations trauma of seeing our Viet Nam vets homeless and on street corners because of their PTS and inability to cope in civilian life. We owe these young vets a better life at home after their sacrifices in two war zones, and we owe their families for the sacrifices each one has made. Paying this "debt" will make our country stronger, with an educated group of strong people, with decent health care to keep them safe and functioning.
And I can say to you here on this group, the relief running through me that my son will never ever again deploy to a war zone in the middle east is just over whelming. Just tears of joy, and feeling so guilty because all of you are still in that hell.. a tiny, very tiny bit like the survivor's guilt that so many of our young vets carry, I guess....we all suffer secondary crisis issues from these wars, it's just how it is..
Now, one granddaughter's boyfriend in Army ROTC Infantry, and one grandson kind of floundering out of high school....a great nephew definitely thinking military....but one son on his way to a new beginning, with many benefits from his military experience....not just the education, etc....the man he has become is the man I always knew was inside that spoiled rotten 5 year old all those years ago...the man I saw appear for the first time on the day after 9/11 when he told his friends in my car that day "we were attacked, I'm going to enlist". He's livin' his life.
Sorry to rattle on, I just know you are the people to know what a relief this will be for each of you as this day comes to you as well. And it will.
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Lynda, my God did I bawl like a little baby watching the video. I can hardly wait til I am standing there waiting to hold my son.
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DJ...I agree...you are getting plenty of exercise. Maybe you should try some form of meditation or guided imagery. I think you need to be able to shift into a lower gear to relax. Does certain music relax you? If so, play it before bedtime. Do you knit or crochet? Sometimes sitting quietly, repeating motions can be relaxing...or utterly boring. LOL There are ways to relax and sleep...you just need to find what works for you. The most important thing you can do while your son is over there, is keep yourself in top form. He should NOT be worried about you. You are HIS rock.
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Lynda, I'm so happy for you!!! You didn't have to say that you cried...I knew that and was crying with you as I watched the video. LOL I have to say that this whole experience has sure taught me what is important in life!!! Anyway...Thank you for sharing your joy...and feel free to come back and help the moms who are just beginning this awful journey.
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DJones! you must be the fittest woman in the world! wow!! you make me feel very lazy...geez!
Simple truth that seems trite,...no news is good news....if you do not hear anything, your loved one is not injured or worse. That's a fact. The military will immediately be in touch with the next of kin if anything happens. We went weeks without hearing from our son in Iraq...they simply are busy. They have a job to do, and it's not concentrating on us, we are the relief in their daily lives while deployed. They are in a routine we could never do, and it requires their total focus. When they are back "in the wire" someplace near a place with phones or online support, their COs will have them (if they were not already wanting to) call home or email. No news is good news.
One thing to remember is that if they are not calling, they are not bathing...I know my son went weeks without a shower...ewwww.....
I had valium perscribed by the doctor, I never used it but I wanted something so if I was a manic mess when my grandkids came over, I could appear calm! To sleep, I used benedryl....my old friend that's saving my butt now in cedar allergy hell here in central Texas.
Go to an herb store to see what teas and things they might suggest for sleeping....but get some sleep, girl!
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I don't think I can work out any more than I do. 6 days a week. Do weights and my cardio is an hour on treadmill and one hour walking my dog. For the last 27 yrs. I have worked out like this. I just need to maybe take some melatonin and see if that helps. My poor friend has been texting me saying she is scared and freaking out cause she hasn't heard from her husband in 6 days. She said he usually calls daily. I feel so bad for her. They are only 22 yrs. old and she is so far away from family. I ended up calling her and trying to comfort her. What we all go through. I told her and my son's gf to get on this site immediately. Hope they do.
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