Seabee Moms

My daughter is headed to San Antonio in a couple weeks for A-school as a CE, do any of you know/remember what they are allowed to bring?  (phone, laptop, clothes, ect...) I am tring to pack a bag for her as her recruiter suggested to take to the airport for her after PIR...any information would be greatly appreciated Thank you!

Happy Easter to the Seabee's parents, hope you are joying your day, or you all get to talk to your loved ones.

The only thing my son wanted was his own underwear!!!

Thank you.  I already asked her and she wants me to bring the bag she had packed before she left...which is a full suitcase stuffed full.  So I was trying to thin it out I bought her a black back pack (someone had said at one point they could have one) and I was just going to put the stuff in it she could have, and let her either take the bag if she could or pull the items out at the airport.

LOL yeah I know she wants different underwear for sure!

karla,when my son went off to A school w gave him his lap top cell phone,whatever she can fit in her bg and her pack back she cantake they dont get to were clothes until they get phased up but pack her items to sleep in they can were those to bed and yes her underwear

Thank you thats good to know I didn't even think about pj's

I sent a box to Shepherd for my daughter. I would suggest sheets. They have twin beds and if I remember, they can borrow sheets until they get some. Let her also know she can use the her cell right from the start, just know that for a laptop, the internet connection is horrible. We got a "hot spot" for my kiddo and it rarly connected. The girls are on the first floor and the windows do not open so it is hard, she can go outside and may get connction. Phase up is different for all. She will know how it all works soon.

I will tell you this, cherish the time in A-school (if you ae close with her), in the start they have much downtime. I got calls 3-5 times a day. Now I get calls about every 2-3 days, mostly FB. She is deployed and that is not even typical for most.

She will be busy as class starts, lots of information to learn. You will likely here how she is "bored" then class will kick in.

i was just thinking about you miss chelsea i havent been on here in awhile! we actually live on base in bruns park area i love it i know some people dont really like living on base but its just so convinient for my husband and I! We have a 3 bedroom townhome but there are smaller ones we also have neighbors that are in 4 so its pretty awesome!

Thank you Tobianne!  We have always been really close and I definatly look forward to the phone calls...even one would make me so happy at this point, she has now been at bootcamp 7 weeks and I have only received one call, at least I get letters every wednesday, or I would probably be locked up by now, haha,  thank god I get to see her next friday!

Hey Denise, I LOVE your newest pic!!! One can always dream, right? LOL

YAY!  One step closer to being a Seabee mom...my daughter had her PIR on Friday 04-20, and flew to Wichita Falls, TX on Saturday 04-21.

Hi karlajean ,My son is in Aschool at wichita falls since graduation January 6th but he will be leaving soon to go to Italy on May 21st he is comong home on May 3rd.My might have met her everytime they have new cbees aboard he shows them around..

Hi Michelle, I know she got there Saturday and she said she had a tour of the facilities Sunday that would be neat if it was your son showing her around.  I bet you are very excited for him to come home in May....Is he being stationed in Italy?

OK, I'm confused. Is there an A school in Texas for Seabee's? My understanding was there were two. PH on the west coast and Gulfport in Miss. Can someone clear this up for me? Thanks!

they also go to MO to a Army base as well. It just depends on what job they will be doing as to where they do A-school. My daughter is a CE so Sheppard was where she was at.

Today (tonight for us here in the states) Kayla is having surgery, finally. I am very nervous. As any good momma would be. she is in good hands many other Seabee's have said they are going to take turns helping to care for her. She will not be able to eat for about 30 days. Her jaw will be wired shut. God will get her thru all of this and comfort my fears.  she will not be in the awful pain she has been in and that is the main prognosis for this. Function is gonna be a bonus if this is achieved.

For any of you that have a Sailor that's a CE could you tell me a little about the job...friend me if  it is information you can't post on here, I would really love to know what it is all about.  My daughter called me tonight all freaked out about some stuff she heard at school today about her job.  I told her it sounded like they were just giving all the information in the "worst case senerio" type format.  I would love to be able to ease her fears.  Thank you!

KarlaJean-- My son was in the same PIR as your daughter and is also a CE. I'm thinking that the first week or so is going to be mostly safety.... it can be a very dangerous field.  I would also like more information about the job.  By the way, congratulations on your new Sailor!  The ceremony was wonderful!

Thank you ProudMamma and congratulations on your new Sailor as well!  The ceremony was beautiful, and I am so thankful we had a small PIR group that place was full, I couldn't imagine it with double the Sailor's and families.

Thank you for letting me know that there is another A school for Seabee's. We really do learn something new everyday! My son is a CM in the Reserves, and went to A school at PH. He drills with the Marines at JBLM, an Army and Air Force Base south of Tacoma, WA. Hard to keep track of who goes where anymore!! I'm just VERY lucky that he is close to home (Seattle/Everett area).  :-)

To every mom who is new...welcome. I've been really busy and on and off the site, so lost track. This group is one of the best, in my opinion!!

Kym proud mom; were you the Kym whose son started bc in March 2011? Your screen name sounds so familiar. I think he PIR'd a couple of weeks before my son did. Mine was ship 12/div 157 PIR 5/6/2011. Do you live in WA?

If your not that Kym...sorry.

Oh Ebigirl you are lucky to have your Sailor close to home...I am in the Vancouver area and would love if my daughter could be closer once she is done with A-school.  Not quite sure where they station the Seabees, we were told there was two in San Diego, CA and one in Mississippi somewhere....but her Senior Chief from the recruiting office where she first joined called her yesterday and said that all the Seabees end up on the East Coast...I really hope he is wrong, but I guess if not we will survive.

KarlaJean-seabees are stationed in Port Hueneme, CA and Gulfport, MS primarily. They can be stationed overseas and in other parts of the US, as well. Not sure why her Senior Chief would have said East Coast. She will find out her orders a few weeks before she graduates. My husband was set to graduate in Feb 2011, and we found out his orders in Dec 2010.

Oh thank you so much SeebeeWife, thats what we had been told origionally, I am not sure why he said that either...unless he was just teasing her, he knows she really wants to be as close to home as possible.  That is very good to know, she graduates A-School the middle of August so maybe by July we may know more.

KarlaJean-my son is close to home because he is in the Reserves, not on active duty with the Navy. I am very lucky though...he's a great kid!!

CE is a good job, yes can be dangerous. My daughter is a CE. They will learn about wiring, as well as pole climbing. Scary yes, never let the guard down. My kiddo is deployed, she is setting poles for the parking lot. It just depends on what project they are on. I think she may be mixing some of ECS school. They learn about guns and they go to the range. They are taught how to use different guns. They go into the woods (jungle) in Gulf Port. It is exciting as well a lot of learning. Have her set up with her class mates a study group. They do class with the AF. This is an AF base. They get along, just some playful bantering goes on. They will also see, Army and Marines. This is the school aspect, when she gets to GP it becomes Seabee aspect. Just a note, I get yelled at when I call my kiddo a Sailor. They are this, but have earned the title Seabee. They are called by some "dirt Sailors" or "Sand Sailors". I was nevous at first, she never was. I will say this, her worst day was falling off the pole while climbing. They put her in a situation that she could not be afraid, made her climb again as soon as possible. The underground (manhole) is tight and can be scary, they do rescues as practice and this helps them to know that they will be ok.

I will freind you both, any other questions let me know.

Thank you Tobianne that helps alot!

Is there a graduation ceremony when they complete A-school at Sheppard for CE's?  Are there many who do not complete training on schedule?  My son is there now and is scheduled to complete in mid-August. 

they all have a graduation, not big and very informal.

Sheppard is where the CE's and UT's do thier school.

my husband took liberty after A school graduation when he was in gulfport he had to wait for his orders to come in and the date he had to report to combat training so that took a little but he grad dec 9 and came home the 13 i believe! and had to report to ecs by the 4th of January

Kym,

Thanks for the Seebee link. You can download the Seebee magazine there.

Yes leave may be taken after completing A school once the Seabee receives orders with the date to report to ECS. After ECS is completed the Seabee will report to their battallion.   My son came home for 10 days the day that he got his orders which took about 5 days after he finished A school. 

leave depends on when you are to report to ECS, duty stations.

Also when the chit is put in and if anyone with senority is leaving (odd enough I was told that even though Seabee's are not trained at the point of ECS they will not be granted leave if many Seabee's are having leave), I know my daughter is planning a trip home in late July, as is most of the battalion. There will be many Seabee's who are upset they do not get leave granted then. I am just going by heresay and that those returning from deployment will be granted first. Again, not 100 percent on that.

ECS is only done in Gulfport. yes this is combat training. They will have further training when they get to the base they are going to. Keeps them sharp, things such as "live fire" as well as FTX (this is anywhere from 3 weeks to 5 weeks. They do FTX to prepare for deployment. They live outside, no luxuries. Most come back with uniforms in sad sad shape... The men love it due to the fact that they do not shave after a certain point. not sure about gulfport FTX, but PH is started on the flat land and ends in the hills. many degrees of temps are felt. They were on theirs for 4.5 weeks. I went to PH just after they were back, my daughters uniform was torn and a mess, many men had no rearends in theirs!! It is exciting for them, also a big learning time. They eat nothing but MRE's. They do not get packages from home. They were told not to ask as that would show weakness. I do know some have gotten them and they were made fun of, so they just dont. lol

let me back up, they do get to take food and such, it is not much and this becomes a bargaining tool.... lol  My kiddo had a ton of applesauce. as well as water packets (flavorings), and she had babywipes to stay clean. They showers become few and far between.

My daughter is a depper but is going to be a Seabee after bootcamp.  For mom's of Seabee girls (UT) do they seem to like it?  

Silly question but I am curious....what are the rooms like at Sheppard AFB where my future Seabee daughter will go to A school?  I can't find pics anywhere.   

fmsnavymom- my daughter is not a UT, she is a CE. Was at the same base yours will be for school. Yes she loves her job. Again not a UT though. If your daughter is serious about learning and wants to do a job that gets her dirty she will do great.

Some have limits, they will find it and work through it. Otherwise a man will step up and do the job they were to do, there by labeling the her. My daughter does not like when a man says "Here let me do that for you", he reason, if I can not do it, I need to ask for help, if I can and was never given the chance< how will I ever know. She will do great. I do know some female UT's. They do not seem to hate the job they have. Also she will actually learn some of the other jobs. Ut's usually are right there to lend a hand so, picking up the basics will always help.

Thanks to those who responded to my questions. I appreciate the feedback.  Re the video of the dorm....looks fine..utilitarian and what I would expect.  Surprised to see messiness...I did not expect they would tolerate that.  I guess that's only in bootcamp.  

Hi any folks in Gulfport willing to accept a care package for my son who is on FTX and bring to the QD for it to be delivered to my son???? I would be so grateful.  I live in New York and do not  know anyone in the Gulfport area to do this HUGE favor for me.  I know  now that care packages can be sent to our Seabees.  Please message me if anyone can help!!!!

julieb-I have a brother who works on base there-retired Chief. Let me know if you still need some assistance with this. PM me.