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
Badge
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Loading feed
Comment Wall
Comment
-
Comment by Curleytop on April 8, 2013 at 9:09pm
-
Julieb 1019,
Your comments were most helpful. All of you veterans moms have been great. I would not make without N4M. All of the groups I have joined have kept me informed about my son's journey but this group definitely rocks.
-
Comment by TexasDocMom on April 8, 2013 at 7:39pm
-
I'm so happy to hear he's got those dogs, and a family willing to wait for him to talk, ktssong! Yes, I remember my son telling me on a phone call from Iraq..."they might say they miss their wives, their moms, their girlfriends...we miss our DOGS!". There is a group that helps veterans bring the dogs they find on deployment home to the USA now.
-
Comment by ktssong on April 8, 2013 at 7:19pm
-
TexasDocMom, Thank you for sharing the story. It made me appreciate the moments my son opens up still and shares little by little what happened there. I had him a scrapbook I made that he could journal some things in it next to pictures to help talk about it with others as he shares the scrapbook. I was thinking if he shared it with friends that come over they could talk about things and open up conversations. I really believe too that one of the things you shared last year I think led me to something about dogs being a good therapy for those returning. I shared that with my daughter in law and son and when he got home they purchased a second dog and they both have one to lay with and pet. They have really been super good for him. I have pictures of the dogs laying on him while he sleeps.
-
Comment by JerseySusan on April 7, 2013 at 9:20pm
-
TexasDoc, that truly was a very inspirational story that touched my heart. Thanks for sharing it. I am in the learning process and am grabbing a hold of all valuable resource information during this time. He needs surgery on his shoulder,but has elected to hold it off right now with no reason given, except he will have to have it done later.
-
Comment by julieb1019 on April 7, 2013 at 7:55pm
-
By the way you will find that there is no silly question because next time someone asks you will have the answer since we all learn from each other every single day!! Gotta love us Moms for always being here for each other anytime day or night
-
-
TDM I thank you so much for pushing the article on Andrew O'Brien. I posted it on FB and twitter and he actually is following me know. Anyway, his story is so inspirational and he will touch and save many lives with his story. My son is home on leave now for the first time in a year. It is great to hav us all back together again after a recent first deployment to a war zone. He seems to be himself and for that I am grateful. I keep all if you and our kids in my prayers so that we will comforted in good and not so good times. Curleytop the FRG. Is the family readiness group and the battalion FRG has a Facebook page and a FRO family readiness officer too. They both provide useful information to families
-
-
Thanks ktssong. This may be a silly question but what is a FRG group? I hope I will sound this encouraging next year. Last year at this time, I was thinking senior prom, high school graduation. This year I am thinking war zone. What a diference a year can make.
Yes, TDM. I cannnot just focus on pre and deployment time, but must also prepare for when my son returns. I am learning more all the time. For the sons and daughters that have chosen to serve, I am learning that it is not easy for the family left at home. We too must find our way from panic to peace. It is a journey. Day by day.
-
-
I'm sharing this here. Not to frighten our new moms but to reach out to the moms and families of those with newly returned vets. This is one young vet's story and it can be tough to read, but he's a brave young man, and we need to share this story. Combat veteran finds his voice He is here in Austin and I hope to meet him. As you'll see in the photos, he's working with all military families, including a mom with two sons in the Navy.
Remember, not all vets come home with PTS or TBI, but we have to reach the ones who do. We have to make sure that they and their families know what we have learned on this board, we are not alone.
-
-
Here's my new profile picture. When I visited Gulfport base in March they had Seabee Day and I got up in one of the vehicles and my daughter in law took a picture.
-
-
Curleytop I would also like to welcome you here. Just listening to you reminded me that I was exactly where you are now one year ago. A bundle of emotions. Looking back, I did everything the moms on here advised and it helped so much. It was like a mission I went on myself to be my son's encouragement. Sending boxes was a biggie. Everytime I was at the store, I'd pick something up. When my box was full, I'd send it. I sent one about every other week. Friends and co-workers contributed. They liked putting in to the box too because it made them feel like they were doing something to support our troops.
Update on my son's surgery since he's been home. He is still in the service of course but they took out his adenoids, tonsils, cut his uvola in the back of his throat in half and did some work in his nose. It's been two weeks and he said he can breathe better than ever and his throat is still extremely sore. He had his first day back to the base yesteday. He finds out this month where he deploys this summer. I feel somewhat anxious about it but I'm trying to just push it aside right now and stick with my plans to stay in touch and visit as much as I can right now before he leaves again. I plan going again in May and again in July before he goes.
The FRG group for your sons battalion is also a wonderful way to stay busy. Even if you live away from their homeport base, you and a family member can keep up with what the FRG group does at their monthly meetings and have a person who is close to you do the same thing. If they celebrate hump day---celebrating deployment half over...go out to dinner with someone and celebrate it too. Me and my daughter in law made bracelets with my son's name on them and passed them out to friends and family to put on their review mirrors or to wear to remind them to pray for him. They all loved them. Find ways to support him in positive ways and it will help.
I can't say that we stayed away from guns. Me and my son took a gun safety course together when he was growing up. I used to go target shooting and loved it. I even owned a gun. I've sold it since but now he handles them and is always taking classes since he became a Seabee and I think he's earned his sharp shooter. It makes me feel better knowing he knows how to use it the best he can should he ever need to use it.
He was without a voice for two weeks because of the surgery. Now that he's well I've got laryngitis and can't talk so we've had to text lately instead of talk. Losing our voices hasn't stop us talking through technology. Thank God for technology because of it we have this group to come to. When my dad was in World War II his mom didn't have this.
© 2025 Created by Navy for Moms Admin.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Anyone with Sailors/Soldiers/Marines in War Zones and Combat Areas to add comments!