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Comment by M's mom on February 26, 2016 at 8:49am

GalleyMom:  The swim call pics were all marked "copyright US Navy" which means the Navy has released them and they were used with permission, so I figured it was OK to post the link.  Most news media outlets will only use images released by the Navy, so it should be OK to repost them.

Comment by Anna on February 25, 2016 at 9:18pm

M's mom,

When my son was deployed on a carrier, they had a steel beach party and had several small inflatable pools set up on deck.  I have a couple pics of Son and his buddies sitting in these little pools with their quota of two beers!!!!!

Comment by M's mom on February 25, 2016 at 8:28pm

GalleyMom:  My son was on the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian/Persian Gulf last year when those pics were taken, but he never said anything about swim call, even though he likes to swim.  I'll send him the link and ask him. They can just walk right off the stern from those amphibs, but I wouldn't want to jump in from so high from the aircraft carriers!!!! 

The aircraft carriers also have what they call "steel beach picnics" when they set up volleyball nets and basketball hoops, and haul out big gas grills, and have a cookout right there on the flight deck.  My son said he didn't get to attend all of the "beach parties" because he was on duty.  (Some of them always have to be minding the store, so to speak.)   So they had several cookouts, so most of the crew could attend at least one.

Here's the link to the swim call pictures.  As GalleyMom wrote, hope some of you will spot a loved one.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3463761/GERONIMO-Sailors-le...

If this doesn't work as a link when you click on it, just go to dailymail.co.uk and search for "US Navy swim call."

Comment by M's mom on February 20, 2016 at 4:58pm

GalleyMom: Glad to hear your DS is doing well. What do you mean by him being "the point of the spear?"  I suppose that means he is the leader of something?   My son enjoyed Norfolk/Virginia Beach also.  He was there at the Dam Neck annex of NAS Oceana for intelligence school.

Yes, my DS and DIL moved to Japan in January, and are really enjoying it so far.  They are at Yokota, which is about an hour from Tokyo. Yokota is actually an Air Force Base, but it is the Headquarters of the Joint U.S. Forces in Japan, so all of the services are there.  DS is doing something intel-related at HQ.   (We don't ask & he doesn't tell!)    He did say that after spending 10 months at sea on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, with flights going out 24/7, that it's nice to have an office job with regular M-F hours. 

So, he and wife get to spend the weekends exploring.  They have been to Tokyo, and rode the "bullet train."  He bought a cheap used Nissan car to drive around the base, but they drive on the LEFT side of the road in Japan, like in England, so that is taking a lot of concentration to stay in the correct lane!     DIL is applying for civilian jobs on the base to keep herself busy. 

After 6 weeks of living in the Base Lodge, they just were assigned permanent housing and scored a three-bedroom apt. even though they are childless, because there was nothing else available.  They gave us a "walk-through" on Skype, and it is huge!  It's like a townhouse. They can see Mount Fuji from their window!  Their furniture and stuff arrived from storage, so they are busy unpacking.  DS has set up his home office in the second bedroom, and DIL has claimed the other as her "art & crafts" room.  I said they needed to put another bed in there somewhere, so hubby & I can come visit in a year or so!  

 LOL'd at your son's comment about "life as an adult!"  Yes, paying bills and dealing with housing and filing taxes and even food preparation are so much more enjoyable when Mom & Dad handle all that!!!    Clueless teenagers are so cute when they huff, "I can't wait to be an adult; then I can do whatever I want and just have fun!"   Welcome to real adulthood, kids!   hahaha

Comment by Anna on February 18, 2016 at 11:06pm

Wow, some extreme changes.  M's mom, I agree, I'm glad my daughter got to have first salutes also.  That was a wonderful opportunity for her Sailor brother and Sailor sister to attend graduation and participate in her first salute.  She gave regular silver coins to her DI and CPO, but she bought special coins to give to her brother and sister.  Graduation is the only time I could get a picture of all 3 of my sailors in uniform - that's my profile picture.  I also enjoyed the Pass in Review and having breakfast with them Friday morning.

Comment by topdog1p on February 18, 2016 at 10:31pm

my LO graduated sept 2015. we got to watch PT thursday morning there was no drill  or first salute. The class did have challenge coins made to be handed out by those who purchased them. Mine handled one of his to the Chaplin as that is who he worked with as the religious body for the class  

Comment by M's mom on February 18, 2016 at 9:58pm

I heard also that they did away with the First Salutes ceremony after graduation, when the new Ensigns were saluted by their Drill Instructor and Petty Officer, and then  each were given a silver dollar or other coin.  That has been a tradition in the Navy since forever, so I don't get why they're doing away with all the traditions, like the impressive Pass-in-Review drill we enjoyed on Wednesday before graduation.  Some said it was because the drill instructors were making too much money from it, because some were given expensive coins that they cashed in, but I thought that was an expected perk for the DI's!   No rule said they had to use expensive coins!

I'm glad my son got to do the First Salutes back in Sept 2012, and we have pictures of it.  He used two silver dollars that belonged to his grandfather, and we didn't care what they were worth in cash.  The sentiment was priceless!

Comment by LoniJ on February 18, 2016 at 8:37pm

My LO's graduation time in Dec 2015 only had Hi Moms and graduation. They did away with giving silver dollar too at graduation.

Comment by bkat3 on February 18, 2016 at 8:20pm

My LO just graduated Nov 2015 and we did not get either drill or PT.  We had 'Hi Moms' reception and then graduation ceremony the next day.  I think normally they do PT, but they cut it due to time schedule and the large size of the class.

Comment by Anna on February 18, 2016 at 8:10pm

Welcome shopgirl!!  Enjoy this journey.  In hindsight it does go quickly but it just doesn't feel that way in the beginning.  

I have a question for all you moms who responded and had loved ones graduate in the past couple years - did they do away with the Drill routine the Wednesday before graduation??  I read about HI Moms and PT but not drill.

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