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Comment by Katryn on August 27, 2017 at 1:39pm

Hi Everyone...I am a brand new Navy Mom. My son reported to OCS in Newport this morning.  He graduates 11/17/17

.  I would love to connect with other moms who have son/daughter there or who have advice for a new mom...Trying to figure out what the next 12 weeks will look like...Thanks and best to you all...

Comment by Liz on August 21, 2017 at 12:43pm

Okay, got a call today that my son is going to Guam.  He chose this post.  What do I need to know......He is a CEC - Civil Engineers Corp.  Needless to say, I am a bit peeved at him but he is THRILLED.  Bleh...HELP...

Comment by Nancy on August 20, 2017 at 9:48am

LucyJo, There is a huge gap between where your DS is and mine, even though they were only one OCS class apart. My DS was 08-17, but the week he reported (last week of June) ALL the naval academy graduates also reported AND all the college ROTC graduates, so there is a huge backlog now. My DS is still waiting on IFS!!! He has been down there 7 weeks just working in the museum and working out. Hopefully he will start soon. He has requested Milton, because with all this free time, he has found a church in the area and made friends, and best buddies are either staying because they are NFO, or one other SNA who is my DS's best friend is recently married and they are also requesting Milton because his wife teaches in the area. Also we are on east coast, so the closer he is to us, the better in my opinion, at least for awhile. I know there will be a time coming when I have to do without seeing him for a lot longer, but want to delay that as long as possible, haha. I will private message you.

Comment by CindyN on August 20, 2017 at 12:36am

Beardog - I don't have any experience directly with Pcola but advice I have seen on the Norfolk group is that sailors should arrange financing through Navy Federal CU or USAA prior to going into any car dealers. They will likely have better rates than you would get at the car dealer.  Friends who are military (active and retired) have USAA insurance and are very pleased with the company. My son has USAA car and renters insurance. They seem to have very good rates.

NFCU has a program to help customers with the car buying process. I don't know how well it works as my son didn't use use but if your are interested here is a link: https://www.navyfederal.org/products-services/loans/auto/autobuying...

USAA appears to have something similar: https://www.usaa.com/inet/wc/advice_auto_buying_selling_menu?wa_ref...

Norfolk Fleet and Family Support Center has a Car Buying Strategies workshop. Pcola may have one as well.

Comment by jsefamily on August 19, 2017 at 1:18am

Bear dog, when my DS was stationed in Pensacola, he purchased a vehicle from a dealership in Alabama. Because there are so many opportunities nearby, it just takes a bit of shopping around to nearby dealerships. It's no different than buying or leasing anywhere. Just warn him to be a firm negotiator on his own behalf. The salespeople can really go after all the young servicemen and -women, especially officers.

Comment by Anna on August 18, 2017 at 11:31pm

GalleyMom,

So wonderful to hear from you again!!!  And glad to hear your sailor is doing well.  And for you and M's mom, I so understand that downsizing ordeal.  We sold a 4 bedroom house in GA to move back to NE Ohio and a little 3 bedroom condo.  Then we went to a two bedroom apartment.  THEN we moved full time into a 40ft 5th wheel RV and have been living in it for 3 years.  I jokingly told the hubby the next downsize would have to be a pine box!!!!  But the traveling is wonderful!!!!

M's mom,

I'll keep that advise in mind if any of my sailors go to Japan!!  

beardog,

Sorry, I don't personally have any info on car leasing.  My girl took her car to P'cola and then on to Oklahoma with her.  I'm sure you can find some info online by searching for car leasing in Pensacola.  If there are any other moms on here who have sailors there now, maybe you can shed some info here?!?!

Comment by M's mom on August 18, 2017 at 10:27pm

GalleyMom,

SO glad to hear from you again!  Also glad to hear that your DS is doing well.  Yes, my DS spent 10 months in the Persian Gulf on the "Chucky V." in 2014-15.  If your DS winds up on the Vinson, the ship has a Facebook page, which was very helpful to feel connected while DS was at sea.

Funny you should write about downsizing, as my hubby and I are doing the same thing!!!  We will close soon on a new house, which is half the size of our present house .  The bad news is, we will have to get rid of half of our stuff.  The GOOD NEWS is, we will have to get rid of half of our stuff!!!!!!!    It needs to be done, so moving to a smaller house will force us to take only what will fit.  We are storing some things for DS and DIL until they get back from Japan. We told them we will stuff it into our new garage for now, but the minute they set foot back in the US, we are loading it up into the pickup truck, and delivering it to their doorstep!  haha

Since DS spent 10 months at sea, and then will have been on foreign duty for 3 years when he leaves Japan, he thinks he will almost certainly be able to get assigned stateside for his next duty. (He sounds like he wants to make a career of it.)

DIL hinted that they might try to start a family as soon as they get back to the US, which I'm relieved about, because I don't want grandbabies living half-way around the world from me!!!!!   I suppose if they have kids and DS stays in the Navy, they will eventually wind up on foreign duty again, but there is always SKYPE.

Hope to hear from you more often!

Comment by beardog on August 18, 2017 at 7:12pm

My son will be in pensacola and needs to either buy or lease a vehicle.  Anybody have experience with this?  Thank you!

Comment by LucyJo on August 18, 2017 at 1:54am

Nancy,
M's Mom did answer the question about checking. The bag does fold up verupy nicely. He got solid black and if I recall, we had the Navy Seal monogrammed with block gold letters for his initials underneath. It turned out very nice!

Is your SNA going to pref Milton or Corpus? Mine was in OCS 07-17, just finished API and will go to Corpus Oct 2. They are stuck in P'Cola until the new fiscal year starts.

Comment by M's mom on August 17, 2017 at 4:10pm

CL,

Your son will enjoy Japan.  Tell him to embrace all the cultural opportunities he can, pilgrimage to Mt. Fuji, explore the old city in Kyoto, etc.  Tokyo will host the 2020 summer Olympics, so that will be exiting.  My son will have left by then, but yours might still be there.  You must go visit him, even though it's a travel ordeal !!!

My husband and I relied on the trains, which are clean and extremely prompt, (and the station signs are also in English.)  We did not want to rent a car, because, like in the UK and Australia, they drive on the LEFT side of the road in Japan!   My son got an international driver's license, and fearlessly drove us all around in the insane Tokyo traffic!  It was all I could do to stifle myself at times from yelling, "You're in the WRONG lane!"  haha   Son says you just get used to it, but he will be discombobulated at first when he drives back in the US!

I see that Sasebo is in the south of Japan, near Nagasaki.  I'm sure they have a museum about the atomic bomb dropped there.  We went to Hiroshima.  They've built a Peace Park and museum at the ground zero point of the bomb. Very, very sobering exhibits in the museum about the destruction that happened there.  --Which makes me very nervous with what's going on with North Korea when my son and DIL are right next door in Japan!

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