Contact with a sailor

[AdamsDad]

I realize this may sound like a stupid question, but how much contact can a person expect to have with a sailor or marine while they are at sea?  Cell phones seem unlikely. Internet would seem more likely.

[CeeCee]

Is your sailor on the Bush? If so, they will have email...and that's about it. But you can get Ship to Shore calling cards from AT&T online. Also, if they will be porting in other countries, you can get international calling cards. We talked to a rep at AT&T the other day and that's what they suggested. But ship to shore cards will work from the ship and is the only ones that are guaranteed to work on the ship. If and when they port, they could use their cell phone but will have international roaming charges so an international calling card would be cheaper in the long run, even if you got international on his/her cell phone, they still have roaming charges. Hope this helps.

 

My son has been on a ship twice, once for three weeks and then for a month and the only contact we had was email or when he ported for a few days in Florida.

 

[AdamsDad]

Thanks CeeCee, and yes my son is going to be on the Bush when he finishes C school. I am excited for him, but I have gotten a little spoiled since boot camp ended, with the ample acess to phone calls and Facebook and whatnot.  It was like he was just across town insted of across the country.  Thanks very much for the info.

[navymom58 - Shelton's Mom]

Thank you for this information, CeeCee.  My son is on the Bush and although we are very excited for him, we will miss speaking with him. We were just speaking about a calling card on Saturday night.  Now I know which one to get for him. Below, they mention a "different" email.  Is this going to be different from his current military email address?  Is the just for this deployment?

 

We will be traveling to Virginia to wave them off.  Hope to see everyone there!

 

Robin

[CeeCee]

Robin, my son says the phones don't work very well on the ship....but still gonna get him a calling card.

 

Yes, the different email IS different from his current military email address. This will be assigned to him when he gets on the ship. It took 2-3 days for my son to get his, but it is different and it is for when he is on the ship only.

 

I won't be in Virigina to see them off, but going next week to spend the entire week down there.

[CeeCee]

I know what you mean....it's nice being able to text, talk on the phone and on facebook.....it's definitely different when they get on the ships.....it so very hard, that's why this site is so valuable....it's the extra support we need when they're gone.

 

[sharoncede]

Hey Adams Dad   My name is Sharon    My son has only been out on the ship once for thirty days   We didnt have much contact at all   He would contact us by cell when they were in port and he would talk to us via email but he had a different email address then normal  Sometimes his emails came thru and sometimes not  the same for ones that we sent him   I hope this helps a little   Have a great day

[CeeCee]

Adam's Dad, to elaborate on sharoncede's post...the "different" email will be assigned to your son when he gets to the ship...it won't be immediately, it takes a few days. Also, as sharoncede said, sometimes they come through and sometimes they do not. When they were training, they had periods of "no email". I'm not sure but it will probably be like that when he is on the ship since they were training for what it would be like when they are deployed.

[Angie(Proud Mom of Jacob]

AdamsDad, our son was deployed last July on the Nimitz and we mostly communicated by email.  I would get one almost daily.  One thing we did learn if he called from the ship that we would have to wait until he finished talking before we could reply.  The timing was delayed and we could be talking and then the line would go dead but it didn't matter, getting to hear his voice was always wonderful.  He would always call when he was in port and let us know where he was.  Some mom's would skype with their sailors when they were in port. I think the ones who had their own laptops would take them to places with internet to do this. 

[Angie(Proud Mom of Jacob]

Also remember No News is good News.  That is what my sailor tells me.

 

[stewfam]

Hello there - - I wasn't sure where to post these questions.  I figured I might as well try here.  My son will be leaving on the Bush on the upcoming departure.  Does anyone know what time it actually will be leaving (morning/afternoon)?  Also, do some sailors board the ship the day before ?  I would love to actually see my son the night before he departs, but I am not sure that that is possible.  Any information would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much. 

[jrob Fighting 31]

My son is also going out. He told me he has to be on board the night before. I think it was around 9:30. But it could depend on the squadron.

[Karen J. Nowak]

I would think that your sailor could also get a ship to shore card onboard at the ship's store.  If it's sold there then it should be a good one for them or else there would be a mutiny..lol.  Our son called once from the ship when he was on a DET cruise he said he got the calling card onboard.  Also my son told me that his work email, (the .mil one) can also be used, any emails will be forwarded to him on the ship, he told me that when we were onboard the night before he left.