M's mom your correct. She was sent to San Diego, to look at the program. There they decided they didn't want/need what ever they call it. While in SD they as for a second look at her. Still don't know what happen. Engineering picked her up right away. No interviewing which we were told is unheard off. (I so want to say her name instead of her) she had two do two years SWO, which she did on the USS P. Her orders were screwed up and they place her back on a ship. She should of went to MIT or the Naval School. So now she will do a partial tour on the Big Z. She has been having meeting with Engineering. They are working on getting her in the right place.
I need your help. My son just left for OCS in Newport RI June 25th. When he called home for the last time Sunday morning I forgot to ask him about his Class # so that I can send him mail.
Is there a way I can figure this out? I read somewhere that if a start date was the 25th of this year, then the class would be 25-17? Is this correct?
MamaMO: Another group you should join is "OCS Graduate Moms". While it has "graduate" in the name it is really about OCS questions. There is another mom on there who mentioned starting a Facebook group for the class that was starting June 25th. She mentioned the class was 16-17 but I would ask on that group and she will likely chime in. You may need to go back a page or two in the comments. There will also be a letter to the address. They divide each class into a couple of groups but I do know that they will still deliver the mail you send.
MamaMO also like the officer training command FB page. They will have pictures of the classes at OCS. I looked forward to looking for my son when he was there. it is just like finding waldo.
MamaMO: As others have written, I think your son's class is 16-17. (It's the 16th OCS class to graduate in fiscal year 2017. The Navy starts a new fiscal year Oct 1, so the July OCS class should graduate after Oct 1, so should be 01-18.) You should be able to send him mail even if you don't yet know his company letter A/B, etc.
If you do Facebook, join Liz's group, "16-17 Navy OCS Family and Friends."
As others have mentioned, join the group "OCS Graduate Moms" here on N4M's. We have answered many OCS questions recently if you read back on the comment wall.
My son did NRTOC studying engineering then during junior year he decided he wanted to do subs and did all the interviews for that and was selected. He started nuclear power last month.
He doesn't know yet if he will be staying in Charleston for next school or going to Saratoga Springs, has anyone else had someone to to NY and not stay in SC?
My son is not in aviation, but there is a group here on N4M's called "Naval Aviation" which you should join. They can answer any questions you may have about flight school, etc.
Good luck to your son! I hope you can make the trip to Newport for his graduation.
My son starts nuclear power school in September. He plans to visit in the next couple of weeks to check out apartments. Any suggestions? Best areas/ where to avoid?
There are many housing options near Goose Creek. Living closer to NNPTC will be less expensive and more suburban/rural. All the restaurants, nightlife, tourism, museums, etc are in Charleston (@ 25-30 mins).
My son spent a total of five years in the area, he preferred downtown living. So much so that he still has a house there.
Thanks! My son and daughter-in-law are visiting this weekend. Looking for the most economical and convenient location. His wife is in pharmacy school in Atlanta so they will be paying for 2 places.
My son loves clocks...we got him a ship's bell clock in a beautiful Mohegan stand with an engraved plate...it was wonderful to watch his face and see him learn how a ship's bell really works
I got polo shirts for every one who attended my Sons Winging. The gold wings were on the left above the heart, on the right we had an embroidery company "winged" and then the date underneath. on the left shoulder we put his rank and name . They looked great and was a great keepsake for my family who witnessed this amazing event !!
Thanks for the idea, I still have a few weeks to get something. He says it's not a big deal but if you're going to be a pilot I can't imagine anything bigger. Maybe it's just "a mom thing ."
It is a very big thing !!! Maybe not to get something tangible but it absolutely is a big thing. Friends of my Sons from High School, College and from Pensacola, Corpus Christi all came to see the winging. Family flew in from all over just to see the few who received their "Wings". The Wings which few can ever achieve ! If it is a Mom thing then you can feel assured your in the right boat !
We gave our NFO a custom framed artwork piece as a winging gift. Wish I could remember the cost but I think it was in the $300 range, but you can design your own to suit any budget.
Worked out the details via phone & email with a great guy, Butch, at Wings Pensacola Inc, 1-800-642-9464. (Do a browser search on "Wings Pensacola Inc" & you will see the website address. Not sure if posting a website in this forum is okay.)
The website's"Customer Service Page" has details for customizing plus a link to a Photobucket with samples of finished pieces.
All details can be customized: format, matting, frame, number & types & positioning of items (patches, fleet aircraft prints, info card).Our NFO knew about his gift ahead of time & dropped off the patches to be added, but Butch can also get patches if needed.
We picked up the gift at his store on South Navy Blvd when we arrived in P'cola for the winging andhad fun looking around the store.
The website also has a gift catalogue (if you want other ideas beside the framed artwork) and other general aviation items.
Hope you find this info helpful. Congrats to your aviators!
Congratulations Liz, to both you and your son! The adventure begins. Ok, I guess that is "continues" as OCS was definitely an adventure as well. Where does your son go next?
My son is presently stationed in Japan, but he and his wife just got back from a vacation in Guam. They took a 3-day course to get certified in scuba diving, and then took a scuba tour to some wrecks and coral reefs. If your son would find that sort of thing exciting, it is available in Guam. The underwater pictures my son sent showed them in swimsuits, not scuba wetsuits. He said the water temp there was 84 degrees, so no need for wet suits!
Good luck to your son! The Navy is an adventure for the families as well as the sailors!
Liz- The coolest part of our son's command tour was getting his challenge coin as a gift from him. It was a bucket list item I didn't realize I even wanted. His Master Chief gave me the Chief's Mess coin. When his career started 20 years ago I had no idea where it would lead.
Congratulations to you and your son, Liz. My son is in Guam as a helicopter pilot. He loves it there. He will be there another year and a half. He does a lot of diving. He loves history, so visits the forts.
It is so exciting reading where your sons are stationed! My son has always wanted to be a pilot, but after just a month in his ROTC unit, he is really open to the possibility that he could be"drafted" as a nuke. A couple of people have already said something to him about that possibility. One officer made a comment to him that "you can be a pilot with almost any major, but they want the really smart guys in the Nuke program." Since he is Aerospace engineering, it seems they are already "targeting" him...But the blessing is that he is really open to whatever lies ahead!
Welcome Glenni. My DS (Dear Son) commissioned from NROTC in 2014 and he is now a pilot. He earned his wings in 2016 and joined his P3 squadron at Whidbey Island, WA a few months ago. His dream was to become a pilot, but he also was open to accepting and being at peace with whatever service he was assigned. He was told that he was being targeted for Nukes also, as he was a science major with good grades in physics and calculus. He just continued to keep his nose to the grindstone. He put down pilot as his first choice, accepting that it probably would not not happen. Well, he was lucky. So one never knows.
It's good that your son is flexible and open to all possibilities in the Navy! Many of them join the Navy with a certain career path in mind, and then find themselves on a completely different track, (by choice or not.)
My son was accepted to OCS five years ago as a pilot candidate. He had passed all the pre-OCS physicals with flying colors. At OCS, he was given a flight physical, which turned up a minor physical anomaly which is not life-threatening, but it DQ'd him from pilot or NFO. He was understandably upset, but really wanted to stay in the Navy, so he was allowed to pick another designator, and was accepted to Naval Intelligence. He really enjoys the intel field and has enjoyed his four different duty stations so far.
I think being DQ'd for pilot was a blessing in disguise, because, speaking as his mother, I think he is a much better match for intel than aviation. But, he had to have the mental flexibility to accept that he could be happy doing something else if he couldn't do his dream job.
I'm sure there are Nuke Moms here whose Loved Ones really enjoy their work as nuclear officers, and could give your son some encouragement to go that route if he chooses.
I read that the motto of sailors should be "Semper Gumby"--(Always Flexible) ha-ha Plans change often, and they must learn to roll with it.
helenp: My son was also stationed at Whidbey Island, WA. He worked with a squadron of EA-18G "Growlers." You must go visit him at Whidbey! The island is beautiful, but the very high bridge connecting it to the mainland is rather daunting. (You can also take a car ferry.)
Glenni, yes my son is very happy. He has had only one moment of disappointment, when he was assigned the P3 rather than the new P8. The P3 is an OLD four-engine turboprop that is being replaced by the new P8 jet. But he turned lemons into lemonade when he realized that he will develop his basic aviator skills flying an aircraft with no fancy bells and whistles, and eventually everyone will transition. I think his squadron is last. Flight training is a lot of work, but he is happy to be flying.
M's Mom is correct though. A lot can happen during the years of ROTC, including not passing the flight physical or waiting too long to have corrective eye surgery if needed. In addition, sometimes the Navy and/or the ROTC chain of command see a skill or strength in a Midshipman that makes him/her perfect for a particular track. So staying open minded is the healthy thing to do.
M's Mom - I would love to visit him in Whidbey, but it may be a while as he is getting married the end of December in Hawaii and that trip is breaking the bank. His fiancee's hometown is Honolulu, so it's technically not a destination wedding, but same result. And everything is more expensive because it's the week between Christmas and New Year. But he had to schedule the wedding based on when his squadron deploys next. Hopefully, we'll get to Whidbey one of these days. I've heard about the bridge. I think it's called Deception Pass. He lives on the mainland, so he drives it every day. His fiancee is an RN and they thought she'd have more opportunities for work on the mainland. She's still looking though.
I bet naval Intelligence is a pretty interesting job. I also know of some Nuclear Officers who ended up very happy, and I hear that there are lucrative opportunities if one eventually leaves the Navy. My son didn't like subs during CORTRAMID though and that's where they need the most Nuke people.
We just finished a three week visit with our son at Whidbey. Drove the truck and 40' RV trailer over Deception Pass 4 times now!!!! Just don't look down!!! LOL Beautiful country up there.
helenp,
Our enlisted son is in Intelligence and attached to a squadron on Whidbey. They were in Hawaii last year and were transferred to WA because the squadron is transistioning from the P3s to the P8s. Pretty much all those planes will be replaced over the next few years!!
Our daughter is an NFO stationed at Tinker in Oklahoma City. She flies on the E6!!
"Don't look down" is good advice for the bridge at Deception Pass going on to Whidbey Island! We drove over it one time while visiting when it was socked in with fog! It was soooo eerie. We couldn't see down, which was good, but also couldn't see the other end of the bridge in the fog. It was like driving into oblivion.
helenp: if you ever get to Whidbey, you will also have to check out all the sights in nearby Seattle, such as the Space Needle and Pike Street Market, (where the fish mongers toss the fish through the air!) Seattle is nice, but the traffic is horrendous.
My daughter-in-law also looked for a job on the mainland when they were at Whidbey, but the daily commute was just going to be too much, so she found a job near their apt at the island's Home Depot. She really enjoyed it, and said if they ever bought a house, she would be the "handy" one, because she learned a lot about plumbing, etc. haha
Glenni- Our son graduated from University of Washington NROTC and Seattle University School of Nursing with a BSN. Three years later he was accepted to flight school and off he went. The Navy presents all kinds of opportunity. In 2013 he received his Masters degree from the Naval War College. Semper Gumby!
Son and D-I-L are still at Yokota, Japan. January will be two years, and he expects to be there another year. They love Japan!
Hubby and I endured the crowded 12-hour plane flights to/from Tokyo in July to visit them for 9 days. We had a great time. D-I-L is getting pretty good at speaking Japanese, so they took us to some "real" Japanese restaurants in town, not the Americanized ones around the base. Son has an international driver's license, and was fearlessly zipping us around in insane Tokyo traffic. They drive on the LEFT in Japan, so I struggled to stifle myself from yelling, "You're in the WRONG lane!!!" haha
Seems like a long time ago, that our sons were both on the USS Carl Vinson in the Persian Gulf. Since he's had a long ship tour and is now on 3-year foreign duty, son thinks he probably will be able to get assigned stateside for his next duty station, probably Suitland, MD near D.C., the HQ for naval intel.
M's mom-Sounds like you had a fantastic trip to Japan! How fun! Our son is looking at the possibilities for his next orders, strange to think he probably only has one or two sets of orders left.
We have given up waiting for DS to get a foreign assignment so my husband and I took our first trip to Europe in October. We flew into Venice and spent 2 days, then took the train to Florence spending a couple of days there, then the train to Rome. While we were in Rome we took a day trip to Naples, Pompeii. Next up was our 11 day western Mediterranean cruise which returned to Rome where we stayed a couple of days before flying home. We loved the Mediterranean area, we are looking at a cruise of the eastern Mediterranean in the future. We are definitely enjoying retirement!
My son's 6th Fleet ship is deploying at the end of November/early December. When should Christmas packages be mailed? We hope that he would receive it while at sea, but before Christmas. Thanks.
Noni
Jun 27, 2017
MamaMO
Hi Moms-
I need your help. My son just left for OCS in Newport RI June 25th. When he called home for the last time Sunday morning I forgot to ask him about his Class # so that I can send him mail.
Is there a way I can figure this out? I read somewhere that if a start date was the 25th of this year, then the class would be 25-17? Is this correct?
Thanks for any insight.
Jun 27, 2017
Liz
Jun 27, 2017
CindyN
MamaMO: Another group you should join is "OCS Graduate Moms". While it has "graduate" in the name it is really about OCS questions. There is another mom on there who mentioned starting a Facebook group for the class that was starting June 25th. She mentioned the class was 16-17 but I would ask on that group and she will likely chime in. You may need to go back a page or two in the comments. There will also be a letter to the address. They divide each class into a couple of groups but I do know that they will still deliver the mail you send.
Jun 27, 2017
CindyN
Liz - Did you mean 16-17 rather than "16-16" in the Facebook group name?
Jun 27, 2017
Liz
Jun 27, 2017
topdog1p
MamaMO also like the officer training command FB page. They will have pictures of the classes at OCS. I looked forward to looking for my son when he was there. it is just like finding waldo.
Jun 27, 2017
M's mom
MamaMO: As others have written, I think your son's class is 16-17. (It's the 16th OCS class to graduate in fiscal year 2017. The Navy starts a new fiscal year Oct 1, so the July OCS class should graduate after Oct 1, so should be 01-18.) You should be able to send him mail even if you don't yet know his company letter A/B, etc.
If you do Facebook, join Liz's group, "16-17 Navy OCS Family and Friends."
As others have mentioned, join the group "OCS Graduate Moms" here on N4M's. We have answered many OCS questions recently if you read back on the comment wall.
Jun 27, 2017
Duchess2006
I'm a little late to the latest convo.
My son did NRTOC studying engineering then during junior year he decided he wanted to do subs and did all the interviews for that and was selected. He started nuclear power last month.
He doesn't know yet if he will be staying in Charleston for next school or going to Saratoga Springs, has anyone else had someone to to NY and not stay in SC?
Jun 28, 2017
myvampress
My son went from Charleston to Saratoga Springs.. He is finishing up this week and will be done!
Jun 28, 2017
Jen C
My son is currently in OCS and has earned the selection for an aviation contract. Anyone else in the same position?
Jul 4, 2017
M's mom
Welcome Jen C,
My son is not in aviation, but there is a group here on N4M's called "Naval Aviation" which you should join. They can answer any questions you may have about flight school, etc.
Good luck to your son! I hope you can make the trip to Newport for his graduation.
Jul 4, 2017
submom⚓️pwm
Jul 15, 2017
Chris
There are many housing options near Goose Creek. Living closer to NNPTC will be less expensive and more suburban/rural. All the restaurants, nightlife, tourism, museums, etc are in Charleston (@ 25-30 mins).
My son spent a total of five years in the area, he preferred downtown living. So much so that he still has a house there.
Jul 19, 2017
submom⚓️pwm
Jul 19, 2017
Mahtola
Is there a traditional gift for a wing ceremony ? My son's is coming up and I will be going to it, not sure what is expected.
Aug 22, 2017
HeloMOM2016
My son loves clocks...we got him a ship's bell clock in a beautiful Mohegan stand with an engraved plate...it was wonderful to watch his face and see him learn how a ship's bell really works
Aug 22, 2017
Chris
Mahtola, I got my son a set of wings from here:
http://www.flywings.com/
Aug 25, 2017
PA Navy Mom 1st
I got polo shirts for every one who attended my Sons Winging. The gold wings were on the left above the heart, on the right we had an embroidery company "winged" and then the date underneath. on the left shoulder we put his rank and name . They looked great and was a great keepsake for my family who witnessed this amazing event !!
Aug 27, 2017
Mahtola
Thanks for the idea, I still have a few weeks to get something. He says it's not a big deal but if you're going to be a pilot I can't imagine anything bigger. Maybe it's just "a mom thing ."
Aug 28, 2017
PA Navy Mom 1st
It is a very big thing !!! Maybe not to get something tangible but it absolutely is a big thing. Friends of my Sons from High School, College and from Pensacola, Corpus Christi all came to see the winging. Family flew in from all over just to see the few who received their "Wings". The Wings which few can ever achieve ! If it is a Mom thing then you can feel assured your in the right boat !
Aug 28, 2017
ljdnavigator
I am taking notes too. My son will be going through this in the future! Thank you for all of the ideas.
Aug 28, 2017
Rose
We gave our NFO a custom framed artwork piece as a winging gift. Wish I could remember the cost but I think it was in the $300 range, but you can design your own to suit any budget.
Worked out the details via phone & email with a great guy, Butch, at Wings Pensacola Inc, 1-800-642-9464. (Do a browser search on "Wings Pensacola Inc" & you will see the website address. Not sure if posting a website in this forum is okay.)
The website's "Customer Service Page" has details for customizing plus a link to a Photobucket with samples of finished pieces.
All details can be customized: format, matting, frame, number & types & positioning of items (patches, fleet aircraft prints, info card). Our NFO knew about his gift ahead of time & dropped off the patches to be added, but Butch can also get patches if needed.
We picked up the gift at his store on South Navy Blvd when we arrived in P'cola for the winging and had fun looking around the store.
The website also has a gift catalogue (if you want other ideas beside the framed artwork) and other general aviation items.
Hope you find this info helpful. Congrats to your aviators!
Aug 29, 2017
Liz
Sep 17, 2017
Liz
Sep 17, 2017
CindyN
Congratulations Liz, to both you and your son! The adventure begins. Ok, I guess that is "continues" as OCS was definitely an adventure as well. Where does your son go next?
Sep 17, 2017
CindyN
newmom - Yes there are definitely SWO moms in this group. My son is a SWO.
Sep 17, 2017
Liz
Sep 17, 2017
M's mom
Congrats Liz, to you & your officer!
My son is presently stationed in Japan, but he and his wife just got back from a vacation in Guam. They took a 3-day course to get certified in scuba diving, and then took a scuba tour to some wrecks and coral reefs. If your son would find that sort of thing exciting, it is available in Guam. The underwater pictures my son sent showed them in swimsuits, not scuba wetsuits. He said the water temp there was 84 degrees, so no need for wet suits!
Good luck to your son! The Navy is an adventure for the families as well as the sailors!
Sep 18, 2017
Helomom
Sep 18, 2017
naturegirl1
Congratulations to you and your son, Liz. My son is in Guam as a helicopter pilot. He loves it there. He will be there another year and a half. He does a lot of diving. He loves history, so visits the forts.
Sep 18, 2017
Noni
Sep 18, 2017
Glenni
It is so exciting reading where your sons are stationed! My son has always wanted to be a pilot, but after just a month in his ROTC unit, he is really open to the possibility that he could be"drafted" as a nuke. A couple of people have already said something to him about that possibility. One officer made a comment to him that "you can be a pilot with almost any major, but they want the really smart guys in the Nuke program." Since he is Aerospace engineering, it seems they are already "targeting" him...But the blessing is that he is really open to whatever lies ahead!
Sep 19, 2017
helenp
Welcome Glenni. My DS (Dear Son) commissioned from NROTC in 2014 and he is now a pilot. He earned his wings in 2016 and joined his P3 squadron at Whidbey Island, WA a few months ago. His dream was to become a pilot, but he also was open to accepting and being at peace with whatever service he was assigned. He was told that he was being targeted for Nukes also, as he was a science major with good grades in physics and calculus. He just continued to keep his nose to the grindstone. He put down pilot as his first choice, accepting that it probably would not not happen. Well, he was lucky. So one never knows.
Sep 19, 2017
Glenni
That is awesome and so encouraging, helenp. Is he loving it?
Sep 19, 2017
M's mom
Hi Glenni,
It's good that your son is flexible and open to all possibilities in the Navy! Many of them join the Navy with a certain career path in mind, and then find themselves on a completely different track, (by choice or not.)
My son was accepted to OCS five years ago as a pilot candidate. He had passed all the pre-OCS physicals with flying colors. At OCS, he was given a flight physical, which turned up a minor physical anomaly which is not life-threatening, but it DQ'd him from pilot or NFO. He was understandably upset, but really wanted to stay in the Navy, so he was allowed to pick another designator, and was accepted to Naval Intelligence. He really enjoys the intel field and has enjoyed his four different duty stations so far.
I think being DQ'd for pilot was a blessing in disguise, because, speaking as his mother, I think he is a much better match for intel than aviation. But, he had to have the mental flexibility to accept that he could be happy doing something else if he couldn't do his dream job.
I'm sure there are Nuke Moms here whose Loved Ones really enjoy their work as nuclear officers, and could give your son some encouragement to go that route if he chooses.
I read that the motto of sailors should be "Semper Gumby"--(Always Flexible) ha-ha Plans change often, and they must learn to roll with it.
Good luck to your son!
Sep 19, 2017
M's mom
helenp: My son was also stationed at Whidbey Island, WA. He worked with a squadron of EA-18G "Growlers." You must go visit him at Whidbey! The island is beautiful, but the very high bridge connecting it to the mainland is rather daunting. (You can also take a car ferry.)
Sep 19, 2017
helenp
I love that M's mom - "Semper Gumby" hahaha
Glenni, yes my son is very happy. He has had only one moment of disappointment, when he was assigned the P3 rather than the new P8. The P3 is an OLD four-engine turboprop that is being replaced by the new P8 jet. But he turned lemons into lemonade when he realized that he will develop his basic aviator skills flying an aircraft with no fancy bells and whistles, and eventually everyone will transition. I think his squadron is last. Flight training is a lot of work, but he is happy to be flying.
M's Mom is correct though. A lot can happen during the years of ROTC, including not passing the flight physical or waiting too long to have corrective eye surgery if needed. In addition, sometimes the Navy and/or the ROTC chain of command see a skill or strength in a Midshipman that makes him/her perfect for a particular track. So staying open minded is the healthy thing to do.
Sep 19, 2017
helenp
M's Mom - I would love to visit him in Whidbey, but it may be a while as he is getting married the end of December in Hawaii and that trip is breaking the bank. His fiancee's hometown is Honolulu, so it's technically not a destination wedding, but same result. And everything is more expensive because it's the week between Christmas and New Year. But he had to schedule the wedding based on when his squadron deploys next. Hopefully, we'll get to Whidbey one of these days. I've heard about the bridge. I think it's called Deception Pass. He lives on the mainland, so he drives it every day. His fiancee is an RN and they thought she'd have more opportunities for work on the mainland. She's still looking though.
I bet naval Intelligence is a pretty interesting job. I also know of some Nuclear Officers who ended up very happy, and I hear that there are lucrative opportunities if one eventually leaves the Navy. My son didn't like subs during CORTRAMID though and that's where they need the most Nuke people.
Sep 19, 2017
Noni
My daughter is a SWO/EDO, and is stationed in SD. If you have any question for SWO moms I will try to help
Sep 19, 2017
Anna
M's mom,
We just finished a three week visit with our son at Whidbey. Drove the truck and 40' RV trailer over Deception Pass 4 times now!!!! Just don't look down!!! LOL Beautiful country up there.
helenp,
Our enlisted son is in Intelligence and attached to a squadron on Whidbey. They were in Hawaii last year and were transferred to WA because the squadron is transistioning from the P3s to the P8s. Pretty much all those planes will be replaced over the next few years!!
Our daughter is an NFO stationed at Tinker in Oklahoma City. She flies on the E6!!
Sep 20, 2017
Glenni
M's Mom, Thank you so much for your insight. I truly think he will be happy with whatever he ends up doing....I LOVE Semper Gumby!
Sep 20, 2017
M's mom
Anna & helenp:
"Don't look down" is good advice for the bridge at Deception Pass going on to Whidbey Island! We drove over it one time while visiting when it was socked in with fog! It was soooo eerie. We couldn't see down, which was good, but also couldn't see the other end of the bridge in the fog. It was like driving into oblivion.
helenp: if you ever get to Whidbey, you will also have to check out all the sights in nearby Seattle, such as the Space Needle and Pike Street Market, (where the fish mongers toss the fish through the air!) Seattle is nice, but the traffic is horrendous.
My daughter-in-law also looked for a job on the mainland when they were at Whidbey, but the daily commute was just going to be too much, so she found a job near their apt at the island's Home Depot. She really enjoyed it, and said if they ever bought a house, she would be the "handy" one, because she learned a lot about plumbing, etc. haha
Sep 21, 2017
Helomom
Nov 10, 2017
M's mom
Helomom:
Has your son made Captain yet?
Nov 11, 2017
Helomom
Nov 11, 2017
M's mom
Helomom:
Son and D-I-L are still at Yokota, Japan. January will be two years, and he expects to be there another year. They love Japan!
Hubby and I endured the crowded 12-hour plane flights to/from Tokyo in July to visit them for 9 days. We had a great time. D-I-L is getting pretty good at speaking Japanese, so they took us to some "real" Japanese restaurants in town, not the Americanized ones around the base. Son has an international driver's license, and was fearlessly zipping us around in insane Tokyo traffic. They drive on the LEFT in Japan, so I struggled to stifle myself from yelling, "You're in the WRONG lane!!!" haha
Seems like a long time ago, that our sons were both on the USS Carl Vinson in the Persian Gulf. Since he's had a long ship tour and is now on 3-year foreign duty, son thinks he probably will be able to get assigned stateside for his next duty station, probably Suitland, MD near D.C., the HQ for naval intel.
Nov 11, 2017
M's mom
Moms:
On this Veteran's Day, let's not forget thank our sailors for their service!
Nov 11, 2017
Helomom
We have given up waiting for DS to get a foreign assignment so my husband and I took our first trip to Europe in October. We flew into Venice and spent 2 days, then took the train to Florence spending a couple of days there, then the train to Rome. While we were in Rome we took a day trip to Naples, Pompeii. Next up was our 11 day western Mediterranean cruise which returned to Rome where we stayed a couple of days before flying home. We loved the Mediterranean area, we are looking at a cruise of the eastern Mediterranean in the future. We are definitely enjoying retirement!
Nov 13, 2017
sueb
My son's 6th Fleet ship is deploying at the end of November/early December. When should Christmas packages be mailed? We hope that he would receive it while at sea, but before Christmas. Thanks.
Nov 14, 2017