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Comment by NevadaSierra on December 23, 2009 at 1:49pm

Hi Sandy: There are two groups that I subscribe to - Washington and Oregon; and Bangor/Bremerton/Kitsap Sailors and Family. Both are bery helpful, welcoming and friendly. The Bangor group is smaller (obviously) and incredibly helpful with 'local' stuff. I recently asked about RV parks because we will be driving up the day after Christmas for a short visit. Please check them out ~ and if there is anyway that I can help, just let me know ~Susan

Comment by NevadaSierra on December 18, 2009 at 11:05am

Hey everyone: Have a wonderful holiday. If you have your sailor around during this celebration - please give them an extra hug for those of us who won't have them around. Merry Christmas - I truly hope that each of you has a wonderful celebration~Susan

Comment by Gloria P. on December 6, 2009 at 6:49pm

Hello everyone just wanted to say thanks again for your thoughts and prayers on the death of my mother. My son was able to come home which I am so greatful to his command for allowing him. He is now on the way back to Pearl Harbor, Hi. It wasn't easy saying goodbye again but I am very happy to have had this short time with him. It snow yesterday here in New York so now he'll be on that beautiful warm island......he just called landed in Los Angeles...3 hour layover then Hawaii :):):):)

Comment by Rhonda8881 on October 28, 2009 at 9:43pm

I started a group for the USS Olympia. If you have a loved one on the sub, please join.
Thanks,
Rhonda

Comment by Rhonda8881 on October 16, 2009 at 4:30pm

Jan - I am very sorry that you son's Navy career is ending on a bad note. I know my son has had days, weeks, even months that he has been unhappy, but I still see it as being a good thing for him. Being in the Navy itself is different from a normal 8-5 job onshore, but Submarines are more different than that. It is very unfortunate that his deployment has been extended when he really wants to get home. Tell him Thank You for giving his country 6 years of his life.

At least he is not in Afganistan or Iraq. I have a friend who has been there for almost a year on her 2nd tour (Army). Her time is up in January but her deployment has been extended until March. She really wants to be home in January but understands that it is not that easy sometimes.

Even my husband who works an 8-5 job has had to reschedule his vacation at the last minute ...twice in the last 3 years due to changes at work. This year he will more than likely not spend all of his vacation days and his company has a use it or lose policy.

Life is not always what we want and it sucks to have to take that way, but I hope that things work out well for your son and your family so that he will have fond memories of his Naval career in the future.

Try to think of the good things he has learned and accomplished during his 6 years. I am sure it has made him the man he is and will do him well in the future. Never give up hope that good things will happen.

Comment by Mark on October 13, 2009 at 10:19pm

Hi Jan,
My thanks to your son for his service and congrats to him on a successful tour. I certainly can't blame him for choosing to get out - I made the same decision myself. You and he will both gain perspective over the years. Harsh decisions are sometimes made, and sometimes they don't have to be. The Navy is bigger than any single sailor, though. If a sailor chooses to save his leave, with the thought of taking it as terminal leave - he is rolling the dice to a certain extent. Seventy-two days is a heckuva lot of leave to save up (it takes almost two and a half years to save that). Submarines have small crews, and operational schedules do change. If they could not get his replacement on board in time for all of that terminal leave, and granting that amount meant going to sea with a watchstander on port and starboard watches (six hours on, six hours off perpetually) who otherwise wouldn't be, then they would have made a rational decision, that benefits the operational effectiveness of the crew.

Comment by NevadaSierra on September 25, 2009 at 10:54am

For those of you who want to keep Meg's article - I would recommend doing what Wendy did and copy it into your documents. That is how I was able to post it. I'm very glad that I was able to share it. Relationships are tough especially when you have a 'silent type' of sailor and an equally 'silent' dil. Hange in there we all have different opportunities and we are able to support eachother. Blessings and success to each of you in all your relationships~Susan

September is Ombudsman Appreciation month. Please teke time to tell yours THANK YOU~~s~~

Comment by NevadaSierra on September 23, 2009 at 10:27am

Wow, you are all very quiet - are you under??? Wendy found Meg's article about 'in-laws' and I wanted to share it with everyone. Here you go:

When your sailor returns from a deployment

My Name is Meg and I'm an old Navy spouse and military brat. During my time as a spouse, I've been an Ombudsman among many other rolls. My sailor and I have completed seven crusies together. Recently I was asked to address the issue of the emotional cycle of a Deployment for a Navy family and the best advice I could offer for those Navy Moms who might be struggling with new Daughter-in-laws or son-in-laws. To be fair I will invite my own mother-in-law to weigh in on this information. ( Yep, she's at Navy for Moms too!) I am sure she will have her own opinions about this issue. I want to be fair as possible. I'd also like to note that I am the Mom of three. So I understand the mom side as well.
Read the info below with an open mind and decide what is best for you and your family but please take to heart the advice I am offering is born out of years of experience. This information is offered with the best of thoughts for both Navy Mom and Navy spouse.

Just like in life, Change is constant in the Navy. Deployment is filled with Change.
Whether you are the Navy mom or the Navy spouse, If your sailor is on cruise right now you have been going through a real challenge. It is important to remember we all go through these challenges when our sailor is deployed.

1. Anticipation of the deployment: At first when we hear about the upcoming deployment we get nervous, scared, angry, and sad. At some point it starts to feel like an old band-aid that you need to pull off. You want to rip it off and get it over with. In reality you want the deployment to start so you can start counting the days down until your sailor comes home. This feelling causes confusion, you might feel guilty for wanting the deployment to just start. The truth of the matter is, we dont' like when our sailors are gone. This step includes both moms and spouses.

2. Separation: You might find yourself emotionally pulling away from your sailor. This is a surprise. During this portion of the deployment... specifically for the spouse, you might find yourself separating your lives. You realize you face taking care of both your lives without the most important person in your life with you. You want to kick the next person who says, " Well, you knew what he or she did when you got married." You might find this is when you sit down and have the great CRY. You might lose a bit of yourself when your sailor first leaves.
Personally, at the beginning of one of our deployments I flooded the second floor of our house the first night he was gone. I got to cry some more. I was definitely out of it.

3. Catching your second wind: You need to survive. You start trying to make a daily schedule for yourself. You find yourself looking for things in your life to help the time go by. Then you find things to do in life that you really enjoy. You might feel guilty thinking you don't really love your sailor. Don't worry you are still in love, right now you are taking care of the immediate needs and it's ok to put your needs on the list. Actually, this is one of the healthiest steps you can take during a cruise. It means you are still you and not just a spouse. You have your own life and every Navy spouse should have their OWN lives. It is important to include your in-laws in what you know. Provide your in-laws the Ombudsman contact and enroll their email in the command newsletter. You will be surprised how much your mother-in-law appreciates being included in news about her child/sailor.

For moms you may be a great source of help for your new inlaws. You have already gone through these steps when your son or daughter joined the Navy. You already started doing things for yourself when your kids moved out. You can help your inlaws and encourage them to take care of themselves. So call them once in awhile and just ask about them. This will also help to bring you two closer to one another as friends.

4. Reality hits again: Just as you find your stride in your daily life with the kids or your job or a new hobbie you took up while your sailor was gone, you realize you have past the mid point of the deployment and now you have to start thinking about your life changing again because your sailor is going to come home. This is a time you were certain you would never get too in the beginning and you would NEVER have believed how this might make you feel. You're excited about the homecoming but you're also nervous. You have been in charge and you feel pretty good about how you have managed to pick yourself up.

Well, things are going to be different when your sailor comes home. You certainly will explain life to him or her. Your Sailor may be the love of your life but the love of your life left you... it doesn't matter that your sailor had orders. Somewhere in the back of your mind you are still a bit ticked about that.
For you moms, you know the plan was always to raise productive citizens but you might recognize the feeling your in-laws are having. Think about the time when you realized your baby was a grown-up and perhaps she or he didn't need you at every waking moment. You might have been a bit ticked off too. I mean How dare that kid not need you? Does your sailor realize how long you were in labor with him or her?
All kidding aside, these mixed signals about homecoming are very normal

Now add that your sailor has a new spouse. Well, there are tons of books written about this subject but lets just say this is a HUGE change that both Navy Spouses and Navy Moms are dealing with everyday!

HOMECOMING
Spouses
So you get the information about the homecoming date and the first thing spouses start thinking about is making up for lost time. (sorry Moms but that is what we think about)
Spouses you start planning the perfect homecoming. You get the outfit ... you plan the meal... you get a hotel. In your perfect homecoming Dream... your mother-in-law is no wear in sight because and there is no nice way to say this but it would kill the moment. You are planning on private time. Woohoo! You are planning on all the special time you have missed. You need to know that you are still the most important person in your sailor's life and as the Lord as your witness... he or she is going to spend time with JUST you first. If you are newly married... this is all you can think about. You get yourself all set.

Mom
Moms have been waiting for much longer than the deployment. You had to say goodbye when your sailor left the house. You brought this kid into the world and you can't help it. You can't wait to see him or her. You have worried, your child may have been in harms way. You just want to touch them and see they are ok. You spent a huge portion of your life trying to get this kid to become an adult. He or she means everything to you. You won't stay long but you just really want to be there for this important day. After all you have never missed any of the special days in this kid's life. You are so proud! You have told all your friends and you got a great rate on airline tickets the moment you found out about the homecoming date. You'll call your new inlaw in a few days and TELL him or her you ARE going to be on the dock the day the ship pulls in. They haven't been married long... they can wait one more day. After all you might not be quite interested in being a grandparent just yet.

The Sailor's side
Tough as it is... these aren't the only two sides to this story. You see, you both forgot your sailor. Your sailor has been deployed where everyday the living quarters have been a challenge. They have been told what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and judged if they have not done it correctly. They have been responsible for lives and they have been under stresses we have not considered. On board ship, they have had very little privacy. They have not been able to get away from work. They have been lonely. Being the emotional basketcase is not the way to get ahead in the military so they have compartmentalized their emotions. They need to destress too. They may actually have a plan of their own! This thought seems to be a shocker for both Moms and Spouses. After all you both know exactly what he or she likes. If they have been on board the boat, they have not been driving. (This is just a side note and not from personal experience, but slowly give back the car keys.)

They may surprise you both, they may let you both down. They may want to do what they want to do. The last thing they need or want to do is to have you two at each other's throats. They don't want to come home to the two of you competing for his or her time. No matter what you THINK they might want this next bit of advice is so important.....


ASK first... both of you. Before your sailor comes home, ASK your sailor what he or she would like to do when they first get home. This also gives you all a chance to express your desires. Your sailor is going to need to remember your needs matter too and that goes for EVERYONE.

You will ALL be so much happier if you talk about what is expected and wanted.

New spouses, remember to include your inlaws.
Moms remember what it is to be a new spouse.

Both of you remember your sailor is a person too. They will be thrilled that someone asked them what they wanted rather than Ordering them to do something else. They have been doing that for the entire deployment.
IMPORTANT
When these situations are not handled right... feelings get hurt, young marriages struggle and no one is happy. The worst thing that can happen is that you can ruin Homecoming. You will all be left with bad memories and hurt feelings. You are Navy Moms and Navy Spouses. You support your Sailor and the last thing you want is to ruin what should be a happy time for all. So TALK to each other already and each of you make compromises. You will all be happier you did.

5. Reorganization of a marriage: Spouses This one is always a shocker... no matter how many cruises or deployments you might have done. After the homecoming, a week or two into the transition, something starts to seem different. That person you could NOT wait to see, starts to get alittle frustrating. If you waited on them hand and foot you may be wondering when you are going to get back to that life you created while he or she was gone. Things have changed and maybe your sailor has not noticed. How dare he or she not notice all you have accomplished? This is the moment when you need to sit down and have a talk. Talk to your sailor about the things you have changed. This will surprise you too but your sailor may be feeling the same way.

Your marriage has changed. You are now a veteran of a Navy Deployment and you have both changed. Renegotiate things in your life together. Talk about the differences and don't be afraid to address the changes. Talking about these changes helps to re-establish trush and everyday schedules. This is the easiest way to transition back into everyday life. Don't be shocked if you two end up in an arguement or two. It's normal, call your other Navy Spouse friends and ask them about this.

If you find you are both having huge issues go to Fleet and Family Support Center. They have counselors there who can provide free marriage counseling and they specialize in issues like this.

Moms: The only change you might need to acknowledge is that your child will always be your child but the rest of the world sees him or her as an adult and a Sailor in the United States Navy. Let them be the adult you raised them to be. You did a great job! Avoid trying to get in involved to fix things for them. They are grown ups and their job requires they act like adults. Rest assured, you did a good Job.

This last step of reorganizing a marriage takes the Navy family back to normal everyday life...whatever that is.


I hope this helps and sparks a healthy discussion between both spouses and Moms about what will be the best situation for their Navy family.

Earilier I mentioned my mother-in-law, I have to give her credit. She has never met my husband at the Dock or at the flightline during our marriage. She has respected the time we have needed to re-establish our marriage and then we head to her house. I have always appreciated her for this because homecomings are as challenging as the beginning of deployments. So thanks Pat for helping this Navy family work to the best of our ability.

Comment by NevadaSierra on August 28, 2009 at 12:45pm

Hi Hunyhare: Do you have contact information for the Ombudsman? If I were in your shoes, I would start there with the group for the Kentucky. There is an Ombudsman group here - they are wonderful. Helped me a great deal when I was digging. Our sailor is not very communicative either. The Ombudsman are ususally Navy wives who volunteer and are the communication link between the command and the sailor. I would check out the group here first, then look up the Ken. on the web to see what their information is. You can always check with a Chaplain also. You are in my prayers. It is very hard when communication goes down. I want to share with you that if your sailor is married the first contact is the wife. Some times that can present other oportunities. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.

Our Nuke is now at Bremerton with shore duty. Just finished his four years of sub work. I'm sure that their family will have some adjusting to do.

Our visit with Adam and his family was wonderful. Full of a lot 'family bonding' meals, dishes and laundry. A great blessing in my unemployment was to be home full time with them during the visit. Wow, kids these days - do they ever plan ahead - yes, but they don't let us 'retired folk' know which end is up - like planning for dinner, etc.

For those of you who have been holding us in your prayers - thank you. Here is the latest:
My unemployment has been delayed again. The next phone interview will be on 9-22. The HR director stated that I voluntariarly left - retired. Well, that was after I got the "Notice of Termination". I only retired because of that and to retain my medical benefits. So, I'm thinking that other than the financial squeeze after the first week of October all should be fine. I'll get a copy of the letter to them as soon as I can, and we should be okay. No jobs here yet. Over 100 for any clerical position - and there have only been six in the paper in the last month. The Union is in 'binding arbritation' with the Courts. I don't know when the next meeting will be or anything. However, there are roomers that the next round of lay off's are coming soon. Please keep the prayers coming. These are indeed hard times for many of us.

Dan (my husband) was in the ER on Monday with heart stuff. All seems okay today. He is off to the Vets to check out with the doc there. He now has that insurance. Thank the good Lord!

My angel blessings to each of you ~S

Comment by Gloria P. on August 23, 2009 at 6:57pm

My son made it safely to Hawaii. His dad and I was so happy to get his call that everything went well. Miss him so much but happy for him.

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