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Comment by Arwen on February 23, 2010 at 10:15pm

Kathie, I was stuck over at the general Pensacola group for too long. Corry Station is soooo different from the NAS, I was getting confused as to which rules were which. So I'm here now. We can use your guidance, so we're glad you found us.

Comment by Arwen on February 23, 2010 at 8:02pm

Chris already called, he had a room assignment and his roommate was taking him on the "grand tour" of the base. He sounded tired but happy and a bit excited. He said he will call again later. Whee! We're preparing his box of electronics and stuff right now. Tape! I need tape!

Comment by Sarah (BooBoo) on February 23, 2010 at 7:50pm

Arwen, I guess Shawn will be just ahead of Chris and they are both IT. Boy is this going to get confusing with the 3 groups;) Shawn said they were told phase 1 was only about 10-14 days and then after that they can wear civ clothes. I already have my list. I will let you know more as I find out.

Comment by Arwen on February 23, 2010 at 5:56pm

Thanks. I'm hoping he calls tonight to tell us all about Corry Station. He may be too tired, though.

Comment by Arwen on February 23, 2010 at 1:19pm

Chris arrived at Corry Station this morning, he called us at oh-dark-thirty (we're on the west coast so his early morning was our middle of the night) to let us know he got his orders earlier than they told him to expect.

How long does it take to complete the check-in routine so he can call us to let us know his address?

Comment by MamaBear kk on February 23, 2010 at 8:07am

I truly believe our posts should be based on our experiences, and/or, the experiences of our friends (possibly our local group - with monthly meetings, etc.). You may find your best information comes from current experiences. Not all experiences are the same.

Comment by Arwen on February 23, 2010 at 1:31am

I thought they had to wait at least 6 weeks to get civilian clothes privileges.

I would not recommend that sailors cook in their own rooms at all. Their meals are already being paid for out of their food stipend, they need to not waste it. And they should not be paying for food out of their paychecks.

OTOH, one of the first things he asked for his his coffee press and good coffee beans. He is a coffee addict and it's not always available when he wants it.

Comment by MamaBear kk on February 18, 2010 at 12:52am

JessicaB-Sailor Mom ~ The time they spend cleaning depends on the condition of the room they move into. My son's first assigned room was not up to snuff in his opinion - so he cleaned it. The common area was also in need of a good cleaning - he cleaned that too! The others were happy with all of his skills - then he was moved due to remodeling. He started over in his next apartment and they keep it clean - as they do have inspections. I do believe they have a sink. My son likes the food on base, so he does not cook in his room. My son also likes Corry Station. For someone that I had to constantly remind to take his laundry to our laundry room - or do it - he sure frequents the Corry laundry room a lot! They develop their base family - they look out for each other. The Floridians can't believe that he misses snow! We enjoy our Ohio seasons. I am happy to hear your son starts A School tomorrow! I am sure he will enjoy his learning experiences : ) Your son will probably be in classes with Marines and Air Force - this is also a fun experience! ~ : ) ~ kk

Comment by MamaBear kk on February 17, 2010 at 7:30am

Hello all! I was at Corry Station and NAS 2/13 through 2/15; while visiting my son. He will be leaving Corry Station in the next couple of months. We did stay at the Navy Lodge, but unfortunately, the experience was not as expected; as we compared it to Great Lakes. Because of its location, and beautiful surroundings; I still would recommend it.

Arwen ~ The following may assist you:
Your son should get his address within a week of arriving. I give this time period, as his arrival date (weekday,etc.) determines how fast they move. My son arrived during a holiday week, so things took a bit longer. He will get a PMB # _ _ _. He will be picking up his mail, so he will have to check frequently. They have small mail boxes, so packages have a different criteria for pickup. Ask him to check when he gets there, but they have designated time frames for package pickup. In addition, NO mail delivery on Saturday and Sundays - this includes legal holidays. I suggest you refrain from shipping anything important (cells, laptops, important time sensitive documents, etc.) to arrive on a Friday. If a package arrives on a Friday, you do not know the time frame the carrier will deliver it. This may cause a delay due to specified hours pickup AND your son may be in class and will not be able to get there in time. Too many parents, wives, etc. have spent $$ needlessly, me included, to have a cell or laptop sit on a shelf from Friday through Monday. You can use all carriers: USPS (do not rely on Priority Mail 2 - 3 day as it is not a guaranteed time frame), UPS ( I found this quicker and less $$ with insurance coverage.), FedEx, etc. I usually follow my tracker and text, or email my son his approximate time of delivery so he can plan accordingly. The personnel at Corry Station mail pickup will sign for the package and your son will sign their paperwork when he picks it up. Let me know if you have more questions about this.
When your son arrives he will be assigned his compartment. This may, or may not, be his final living quarters, as they were doing some remodeling. My son was moved once. The living quarters are varied. Some are like dorm rooms with a common area and single rooms (3-4) branching off. Some are 2 person apartment type (old Officer apartments) which I hear are a bit smaller but nice. If he moves, his PMB # will remain the same. He will have a refrigerator and a microwave. When you ship him his civilian clothes, throw in a plastic storage container for food/snack storage. Or he can buy one at the NEX.
The large NEX is at Corry Station. I feel the prices on toiletries and cleaning supplies are similar to Target, and without tax : ) So it is much cheaper to send a NEX gift card for these if you wish. He will be able to walk to this NEX ~ and they do often. You name it! It is there.

He will soon find his Corry Station family and have trips to the movies, mall, restaurants, etc. There are many restaurants within walking distance, and they do often.

Corry Station does have a different personality to it. There seems to be more activity than NAS - and the rules are a bit different. They enjoy the physical fitness areas a lot; work out equipment, racketball, movies,etc. He will find his niche.

Oh yes...he will be able to email you as soon as he gets there, as they have a huge computer lab with printers, etc. There is one phone boot remaining - it lasted after Katrina - if need be.

He should enjoy the food too!

I also lived in Florida (South Florida). It was strange to me to see the difference in flora, etc.

Also ~ each airline has a policy for active military (with orders and military purchased ticket) which waive most, or all, fees regarding luggage. Remember this for down the road.

~ hope this helps ~ : ) ~ kk

Comment by Arwen on February 15, 2010 at 5:57pm

I won't be visiting Florida. About 15 years ago I moved away from Florida I swore I would NEVER set foot in that state again. But I will see him in Chicago this weekend!

We're sending Chris his stuff in a seabag, one of ours from when we were in the Navy. There is a special rate for shipping luggage through UPS, and when it comes time for him to move on to his first duty station it will be easier for him to tote around two seabags (which are free on most airlines) than a seabag and a couple of boxes.

I heard IT is self-paced. That's going to be great for Chris' learning style. The entire system, self-paced, study only in classroom areas, etc, seems geared towards Chris' learning style. He should do VERY well there.

As night life goes, I'm sure Chris will do his best to find a Dungeons and Dragons gaming group. Their drug of choice: Mountain Dew -- in large quantities. If he can't find a D&D group he will create one.

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