Ship 11 (USS Kearsarge) Divisons 171 and 172 (Brother Divisions)

[ellen0502]

Welcome to the Division Discussion for Divisions 171 and 172

These two divisions are brother divisions and will be training together from the beginning through BS21 their final test. Your SRs, soon to be SAILORS, are becoming friends, and some of them may be heading to A School together.

Get to know each other, your SRs are!

Please still use the Main Wall of the PIR Group to post questions, and concerns, we “veteran” moms don’t always get to into the discussion area as often as we would like.

Every single question that is asked is important Every single concern is genuine Every single member is important to us We don't want to accidentally overlook any of them or you.

Hang in there!!!

[ellen0502]

[Maureen ( Ship 11 Div 172)]

Ellen, that is adorable!!

[SummerRainbow]

Hello everyone!  I wondered if everyone was able to get a call from their SR this weekend?  I didn't remember everyone's post, so I hope it was all good! I guess we are all adjusting to them being gone for now.

Do we know of anyone that is not getting mail and would like some?

Or anyone that needs more phone cards?  I have a few extra and would be happy to share!

[Maureen ( Ship 11 Div 172)]

I know I got a 45 minute call!! It was wonderful, though I suspect it had more to do with the fact that her best friend was working at "call" time! But I'll take what I can get!

I sent 4 postcards in an envelope to my daughter and she is to give them to anyone who hasn't relieved any/or much mail. I just wrote encouraging stuff like "I'm sure that basic training is harder than anything you have ever done, but think about how proud you will be of yourself when you earn the right to call yourself a sailor." And reminding them it is only a little over a month to go and "You can totally do this!" The hardest part was coming up 4 different ways to say the same thing!

Since they are in their "compartments" (I am guessing that is where they sleep??) when they get their mail, the females have no idea if the males are getting mail. My daughter didn't know if there was any guys not receiving male. However, I read one of the moms in this group asked her son and he said every single guy had gotten mail, that is so great!!!

I just sent my daughter another phone card, plus I had already sent her the 8 calling card pins that Calls for Recruits sent me. I told her to give those away to people who needed them.

I do think that each week is a little easier. Seeing the newbies show up on the "BootCamp" page and remembering those first, frantic, scary days. Sure there are still hours that are hard, but for the most part I think I am feeling much better, sort of settling in to the life of a Navy mom.

[Maureen ( Ship 11 Div 172)]

The Facebook group confirmed that today was a the "Scheduled second phone call" for div 171-172. The phone call we got on Saturday was a "Privilege", something they earned as a unit.

I did not get a call, but maybe she called somebody else.

[Momteyro Division 171,ship 11]

I got another great call. He sounded well and can't wait to become a sailor!

[Teri (Ship 11 Div 172)]

Hello all with PIR 5-16-14,

I am organizing an event to offset Sarge and his wife's expenses for our Meet & Greet. That will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2014 starting at 5:00pm.  

Sarge and his wife host and organize the Meet & Greet event that take place every Thursday when there is a PIR.  This event is held for the families of every division that has PIR the next day.  Sarge and his wife provided all the food, napkins, silverware, all the necessary items to pull such an event off with no expectation of assistance.

All money raised from our Meet & Greet will go into a donation box to cover the expenses. All remaining money will be donated for any sailor in need of a calling card. This is strictly voluntary on your part! 

We will be making gift baskets to raffle off at our Meet & Greet. If you are interested in donating a basket filled with items, or small gift that I can add to a basket, anything is welcomed, please let me know. Keep in mind it literally does not need to be basket. If you need ideas or suggestions let me know and I will be more than happy to post some.  We will be responsible for selling the raffle tickets so, I will need a few volunteers to sale. Any volunteer's that would like to help let me know.

If you have a connection with Sam’s Club that can donate utensils, paperware, sternos, please get in contact with Sarge. This would help offset the cost dramatically.

If you have special talent to keep the young children occupied at the Meet & Greet (even if it’s for a short while) that would be great! I.E., magic tricks, balloon animals, etc., If you are a photographer and would like to donate your services to take pictures of the families, the individual divisions and the festivities at the Meet & Greet that would be fun too!

Each division can have tables reserved so, your entire division can sit together. For Div 171 & 172 I will need a headcount very soon to reserve the tables. Ii i suggested to have a volunteer from each div to make centerpieces, if anyone is interested  please post below. They do not have to be elaborate as I think we would rather raise funds for the Meet & Greet expenses and sailors rather than on centerpieces : )

Tips to save yourself from some headaches and saving money:  

• I was told that if you are renting a car in Illinois that the rental cars businesses do not accept debit cards, you will have to use a credit card.
• They said it’s less expensive to pay the pre-pay gas at the rental car place than filling the tank up before dropping it off.
• It is recommended not to pay the tool pass from the rental car place as the pass cost more than you will pay for the tolls.

I look forward to this event and meeting all of you! Thanks, Teri

[Teri (Ship 11 Div 172)]

Div 171 & 172, I am loving the replies that are coming in for donations and for our group wanting to sit together at Sarge's meet&Greet. I look so forward to meeting everyone! IF you have not yet RSVP with ahead I would love to hear from you!

[Momteyro Division 171,ship 11]

Terri, I would like to reserve and help, I friended you so we can pm.

[congonavy]

Hello! I hear from my son by letters and it is great. He has called twice now. He is doing great. I am glad to hear that your children are all in the same division as my son. We have our hotel booked and can't wait to see him in uniform. Good luck to all of you and your sailor recruits. It won't be long now before they are all sailors. My son will head to Meridian, Mississippi for A School. 

[Maureen ( Ship 11 Div 172)]

Super BIG sigh!!

I would really like to tell you all that I won the RTC’s Facebook trivia contest and now they will be posting a photo of OUR division, but I looked at Wikipedia instead of the RTC’ site and as such I got the first part of the 4 part question wrong! Though I was the first one and was sure I had it. I felt the rush of joy, I was already imagining how wonderful it would be to share with you all that we were going to get to see them, how I would pour over that photo looking for my girl and I would have a little something to try and hold on to.

Oh course, it is utterly ridiculous to be this upset about nor getting it. After all it would just be a photo and with the size of our unit, I probably wouldn’t hardly be able to see her. But I guess I am just feeling helpless and lost today. 

How absurd is that? 

Yesterday I promised myself I was going to step out from under the black cloud and move forward. I know, I know only 4 more Fridays, but I can not go to PIR. And even then, it’s not like she will be back home. 

I know this is the goal, to raise them to become independent adults, to help them grow their wings and learn to fly, but it is so hard.

I know it will be when they are not in basic training anymore since we can talk, text even Skype with them more often.  And I know I am just being a big baby today, I will certainly try to make my next post a bit more upbeat…...

[TDK]

Maureen- you'll win next week.  Remember no news is good news.