Hi DsMomma...my son is also a builder...he just graduated "A" school 2 weeks ago and is lucky enough to be stationed in Key West right now ! They learn soo much, they build walls out of cement block, build a base floor, walls dry wall & dry wall repair, roofing, drop ceilings, tileing, and roofing!!! There are opportunities for them to volunteer around gulf port, and once they have leveled up they can enjoy the sights ....There is a lot of stress still lots of testing and uniform inspections...but the mess hall is great, there is a place to watch movies, watch TV and use WiFi, a pond to fish and a heated out door pool ... After graduation they usually go across the street for CES, combat training but some like my son are given orders to report to another base to begin their jobs... We gave our son an ipad mini so he could FaceTime us everyday, he bought wifi so he could do it right from there room!!! 2 in a room, 4 in a pod with a common bathroom.. FYI. Make sure he keeps his closet locked at all times cause he will find ALL his stuff thrown everywhere around his room..even hanging from the ceiling fan :).... Good luck to you both....it's so much better than bootcamp. And now that my son is stationed he has every weekend and every other Friday off works 8-4 and is free to do what he wants....A real normal life!!,
Hi all. My son just left for BC on 4/23. He will be a Seabee. His job is CE. He was so excited!! He will be going to Sheppard for A School so all you Moms out there with kids at Sheppard I would appreciate anything you can tell me. I did get my I'm here call but have not received the box or form letter yet. I am so happy I found this group. Good luck to all of you and your Seabee's!
By the way I forgot to mention that I live only 20-30 minutes from Gulfport so if any of you have Seabee's in Gulfport I would be happy to help out in any way!
Hi yelomoon. I have never stayed at the Diamondhead Hotel. I spoke to a friend of mine that lives in Diamondhead and she said that she would not stay there and has not heard anything good about it. Is there a reason you were looking at staying in Diamondhead rather than Gulfport?
Yelomoon, since your daughter is stationed here, you can stay on base at the Navy Lodge. The rates are good and you'd be on base close to her. If you want to stay out in town there are several hotels close to base that are nice. The Wingate by Wyndham is on the beach on Broad Ave. This is the closest hotel to base and is new. Then there is the Holiday Inn Express in Long Beach, also on the beach and maybe 3-5 miles from base. Other than those two, you have casinos and hotels that are a little further inland. If you call 1-800-NAVY-INN you can see about a room on base, you'll just need some of your daughter's information. Hope this helps.
I agree with SeabeeWife20. There are also multiple hotels in Biloxi which is not far away. If you are looking for something less expensive there may be other options in Pass Christian etc. Although you will have to drive further to get to base.
We stayed in the Navy Lodge and lived it it has a kitchenette and at $70 a night it was very affordable it was great to be on base so my son could stay with us at night and join us for lunch most days too! They hav a website that is easy to use to make reservations you just need your daughter at the time of checkin very easy!
Hey....my son just left GL and is now in Sheppard. Karen, he showed me pics of his room that he shares with someone and it looks real nice and clean. Like a dorm room, maybe bigger. He's thrilled to be there.
deltaflyer59 thats great! I cant wait until we reach that point. Long way to go though since my son just got to GL last week. I am missing him so much tonight!
Hi Karen! My son is also a CE and is at Shepard right now. He has been there for about 5 weeks and has been in school for about 3 weeks. He really seems to love it there (well except for the actually studying part...LOL) He does enjoy the hands on stuff quite a bit! Is there anything specific you're wondering about?
Hi DaltonsMom. Nothing I am wondering about yet. My son is in first week of boot camp. I'm just missing him so much and looking forward to him getting to A school where life can be a little more normal!
For the mom who was wondering about hotels around Gulfport, We visited our son last month and stayed at the Wingate hotel on Beach Blvd and Broad Ave, Fairly new hotel and it was $82 a night with got the military discount since we were visiting our son. This included a continental breakfast that was good too. Very close to base (2 miles) and staff was very friendly and rooms were clean. Navy lodge was booked when we stayed, but this hotel is right on the beach and has heated swimming pool too.
Just got a call from my son. He is currently at A school in Port Hueneme, Ca, CM. Only 17 days left! He got his duty station today and is reporting to Coronado. It is an amphibious base. Can anyone give me any tips on anything??
KathybShip-Our son is a CM2, went to Pt. Hueneme for A school, then Coronado for 3 years. He loved Coronado. I don't have any tips, but if you can go visit, it is a beautiful place!! Our son is married so he lived in Navy housing off base, but it was super nice.They did not like the high cost of living, but other than that, they had no complaints. The exchange on North Island ( I think that is the name) is like a mall. they enjoyed shopping, groceries ther. Sometimes the Super Target had better bargains for groceries, though.
My son will PIR 5/31/13 and A school (SW) in GP. Just wondering what we should bring him when we go to GL. Cell phone, lap top, clothes? Or do we send it all down to Mississippi when he gets there? Thank you for your help and guidance..he is half-way through bc..so far so good!
Hi Hayden'sMom congrats you will never feel as proud as you will be on PIR! It is an amazing experience! You can bring the cell phone laptop eyeglasses underwear etc to your Sailor and bring it to the airport on A school departure day(usually very early in Saturday) and (usually O'Hare.). You can stay at the gate Too it will feel normal again at A school with phone communication back again!
Your info is very helpful..didn't realize they leave for A school so quickly :( We are flying in from Ct (6 of us) on the Thursday before PIR and staying until Sunday. Either way we will cherish every moment we have with him! We also plan to visit GP in August. Looking forward to sharing A school with all of you :)
Hi yelomoon glad all of 133 is back on base!! My Seabee son had PIR on 9/9/11. I had planned the same days for PIR to so we had an extra day to play since my son left for GP on the Saturday after PIR. You can spend the day together on the day of PIR before curfew. There is a mall near the base and you can hang out at your hotel too and your son can use his phone etc in the hotel. He can't bring anything back on base which is why you can bring everything to the airport. When you get ready to plan your trip to GP we can share more Info. My son came home between A School and reporting to ECS.mail delivery works well during A school as it goes directly to the base. Anyway we are here to help you during these next few months. I am also planning to go back to GP in Sept. I can't wait!!!
Again...thank you. I find all of my strength is from the knowledge I have gained from all the wonderful moms on this site. My son has said, "Geez Mom, you know more about the Navy than I do!" Teehee..a moms job, right?
That is too funny I have impressed my son many times too and I think that it makes him happy that I have been interested in learning as much as I can too!
Hayden's Mom, You must be soooo excited now that May is actually here, my son's PIR was 12/21 so when the calendar changed to Dec I knew the end was near!!! You'll have much better weather too!!! ( I have never been sooo cold, and I come from Boston!). I have one more suggestion on what to bring...white boxers to go under his new dress whites!!! Bring all his old favorites he can wear them under camo or peanut butter's but those might show through the white uniforms they wear this time of year !!! Best wishes to you all!!!
Thank you for the heads up on the white boxers..my son will get a good laugh out of me bringing white "skivvies" for his dress whites! I really get him going when I start dropping the Navy acronyms.. All kidding aside, Navy for Moms helps me to feel like I am still in his world and it gives me great comfort to understand what he is going through and what is ahead for A school. We feel very fortunate that he left April 2nd for bc, knowing full well how long those Chicago winters can be. We are from Ct (about 70 miles from Boston) so spring is definitely making the time pass a whole lot quicker. I really appreciate all the kindness from you Seabee Moms and look forward to sharing the journey with you! Have a great day ladies!
Hayden's mom-I am from CT too and my son is stationed in GP (along with Julieb1019) My son's PIR was 4/20/12 and he just got back from deployment. He is getting a PO box in GP to receive letters. As soon as we were able to bring my son off base, we gave him some boxers to wear because they give them tighty whities during bc. In face, I think he opted out of wearing undershorts completely because of he didn't like them. (He hadn't wore that kind of underwear since he was a kid!) We also met him at the airport and hung out with him there for several hours. You can meet up at the USO and go through security to get gate passes. Once in A school, there is much more communication. You must be so proud! If you have a camera with a telescopic lens, it will take better pics. My little point and shoot did nothing and I had to get another dad to send me pics. Enjoy the ceremony and bring lots of kleenex!
Thank you for taking the time to guide me through the PIR process..all of the little tips are so helpful. I don't have a camera with a big lens, but I think I might consider sitting next to someone who does (teehee). It's nice to meet a mom from Ct. My son is the only one from NE in his division..In fact, our last name is very french and his RDC could not pronounce it so he immediately earned a nickname (BooBoo)..all I can think of is Yogi Bears little sidekick! We are located in the Northeast corner of the state..small town, but we love our community. We are looking forward to making a visit to GP in August..I know it will be muggy and hot, but as you know, anyone from the Northeast could care less about that after a long winter. I will share pictures when the big day arrives! Have a great day..it's going to be lovely out!
We are west of Hartford. I added you as as friend on this site. Is your son going to be assigned to the 133 in GP? If he is, there are a couple Facebook pages for the 133. What will his job? My son is a CM Seabee. There aren't many Navy families around me. I had joined the CT Blue Star Moms, but the Chapter dissolved shortly after I joined because of some political issues with the National Chapter. Also if you look at the local military offices, they have other groups for military families. Our local Army Strong office has functions in which military families get together. Yes, enjoy this weather! It is such a relief!
I am so happy for you cmcninch!! We are 4 weeks away..Best wishes to your future sailor, and congratulations to your family! I hear the PIR is amazing :)
That means this is Battlestations week!!!! So excited for all of you !!! We were in the air flying to Chicago and missed our " I'm a sailor call " but got to have a long talk when we landed !!!! Best wishes to you all !!!
Hello everyone, My sailor just arrived yesterday to Gulfport from Great Lakes and is really enjoying the weather and freedom thus far. :) My question for the veteran moms is about the hold time. He said they're on hold until others arrive before they can start class. Will this be a very long time??
Hi HizproudMama, welcome you must feel so much better now that your son is ready to start A school. My Seabee son is a builder in 133 who returned from his first deployment in 3/13. There really is no way of knowing when school will start because it does depend on how quickly the class fills up. So he may be a little bored until he gets busy again. If you should have any questions and I don't know the answer I will gladly ask my son for you!
HizproudmAma My Sons PIR Is 5/17 Then He Flies To GP Fo A BU. I Don't Know How Accurate His Info Is But He Was Told His Class Should Start 5/28 I Think. Congratulations On Your Son Moving On To A School, I Know I Can't Wait For These 2 Weeks To Be Up!
Hello all! I am new to this group. My sailor PIR'd on 4/19 and was put into temporary holding awaiting waivers..waivers were denied so he needed to pick a new rate. Today he got to pick his rate!! He's so excited to be a seabee as an EO! He was told that he'd never get in to seabee because of the overstaffing but just after he did his security clearance and was approved the EO position popped up and he grabbed it. His words to me were "Mom this will make me happy!" I was like GO FOR IT! If he's happy..I'm happy.
I look forward to chatting with you..it is a different direction than what he orginally signed up for but I'm eager to learn and am eagerly planning a trip to Ft. Leonard Wood :)
Congratulations Debi! My daughter PIR'd a lil over a year. She too was put on temp. holding. On the bright side, it gave her time to sight see on her time off.
I have no idea what an EO is. But it sounds exciting!!!!
deniseMatt'smom
Apr 24, 2013
Joanie Tyler's Mom(133 Bees)
My son is coming home for a visit on Friday......cannot wait!
Apr 24, 2013
Momofahousefull
Joanie Tyler's Mom: Have a GREAT visit and gets lots and lots of hugs!!!!! Happy for you!
Apr 25, 2013
yelomoon
Is there a difference between metal worker seabee and steelworker seabee?
Our daughter is a seabee in gulfport. I do not visit this site very often. As our seabee has been at the sandbox.
Apr 25, 2013
Karen
Hi all. My son just left for BC on 4/23. He will be a Seabee. His job is CE. He was so excited!! He will be going to Sheppard for A School so all you Moms out there with kids at Sheppard I would appreciate anything you can tell me. I did get my I'm here call but have not received the box or form letter yet. I am so happy I found this group. Good luck to all of you and your Seabee's!
Apr 27, 2013
Karen
By the way I forgot to mention that I live only 20-30 minutes from Gulfport so if any of you have Seabee's in Gulfport I would be happy to help out in any way!
Apr 27, 2013
yelomoon
Enjoy Joanie!
Apr 27, 2013
yelomoon
Nice to meet you Karen. We have been to Gulfport twice. Could you please tell me anything about the Diamondhead Hotel?
Apr 27, 2013
yelomoon
I was going to book a room there until I read the reviews.
Apr 27, 2013
yelomoon
Our daughter is stationed at Gulfport.
Apr 27, 2013
Karen
Hi yelomoon. I have never stayed at the Diamondhead Hotel. I spoke to a friend of mine that lives in Diamondhead and she said that she would not stay there and has not heard anything good about it. Is there a reason you were looking at staying in Diamondhead rather than Gulfport?
Apr 28, 2013
SeabeeWife20
Apr 28, 2013
Karen
I agree with SeabeeWife20. There are also multiple hotels in Biloxi which is not far away. If you are looking for something less expensive there may be other options in Pass Christian etc. Although you will have to drive further to get to base.
Apr 28, 2013
julieb1019
Apr 28, 2013
Karen
I just cant wait to get to a time when I can see my son again. I am missing him so much!
Apr 28, 2013
yelomoon
Thank you Seabeewife!
Apr 28, 2013
deltaflyer59 Ship 03 Div 124
Hey....my son just left GL and is now in Sheppard. Karen, he showed me pics of his room that he shares with someone and it looks real nice and clean. Like a dorm room, maybe bigger. He's thrilled to be there.
Apr 28, 2013
yelomoon
I would like to know about the women who adopt sailors. Those who attend events that parents or family members are not there.
Apr 28, 2013
Karen
deltaflyer59 thats great! I cant wait until we reach that point. Long way to go though since my son just got to GL last week. I am missing him so much tonight!
Apr 28, 2013
DaltonsMom (Ship 13 Div 127)
Apr 28, 2013
Karen
Apr 28, 2013
Lynette
For the mom who was wondering about hotels around Gulfport, We visited our son last month and stayed at the Wingate hotel on Beach Blvd and Broad Ave, Fairly new hotel and it was $82 a night with got the military discount since we were visiting our son. This included a continental breakfast that was good too. Very close to base (2 miles) and staff was very friendly and rooms were clean. Navy lodge was booked when we stayed, but this hotel is right on the beach and has heated swimming pool too.
Apr 29, 2013
KathybShip13Div099
Just got a call from my son. He is currently at A school in Port Hueneme, Ca, CM. Only 17 days left! He got his duty station today and is reporting to Coronado. It is an amphibious base. Can anyone give me any tips on anything??
Apr 30, 2013
Dona
KathybShip-Our son is a CM2, went to Pt. Hueneme for A school, then Coronado for 3 years. He loved Coronado. I don't have any tips, but if you can go visit, it is a beautiful place!! Our son is married so he lived in Navy housing off base, but it was super nice.They did not like the high cost of living, but other than that, they had no complaints. The exchange on North Island ( I think that is the name) is like a mall. they enjoyed shopping, groceries ther. Sometimes the Super Target had better bargains for groceries, though.
Apr 30, 2013
Hayden's Mom 12 207
Hi Seabee Moms!
My son will PIR 5/31/13 and A school (SW) in GP. Just wondering what we should bring him when we go to GL. Cell phone, lap top, clothes? Or do we send it all down to Mississippi when he gets there? Thank you for your help and guidance..he is half-way through bc..so far so good!
Apr 30, 2013
julieb1019
Apr 30, 2013
yelomoon
Hi julieb!
Apr 30, 2013
Hayden's Mom 12 207
Thank you julieb!
Your info is very helpful..didn't realize they leave for A school so quickly :( We are flying in from Ct (6 of us) on the Thursday before PIR and staying until Sunday. Either way we will cherish every moment we have with him! We also plan to visit GP in August. Looking forward to sharing A school with all of you :)
Apr 30, 2013
julieb1019
Apr 30, 2013
julieb1019
Apr 30, 2013
Hayden's Mom 12 207
Again...thank you. I find all of my strength is from the knowledge I have gained from all the wonderful moms on this site. My son has said, "Geez Mom, you know more about the Navy than I do!" Teehee..a moms job, right?
Apr 30, 2013
julieb1019
Apr 30, 2013
deniseMatt'smom
Apr 30, 2013
Hayden's Mom 12 207
deniseMatt'smom,
Thank you for the heads up on the white boxers..my son will get a good laugh out of me bringing white "skivvies" for his dress whites! I really get him going when I start dropping the Navy acronyms.. All kidding aside, Navy for Moms helps me to feel like I am still in his world and it gives me great comfort to understand what he is going through and what is ahead for A school. We feel very fortunate that he left April 2nd for bc, knowing full well how long those Chicago winters can be. We are from Ct (about 70 miles from Boston) so spring is definitely making the time pass a whole lot quicker. I really appreciate all the kindness from you Seabee Moms and look forward to sharing the journey with you! Have a great day ladies!
May 1, 2013
Philip'sMom (Deb)
Hayden's mom-I am from CT too and my son is stationed in GP (along with Julieb1019) My son's PIR was 4/20/12 and he just got back from deployment. He is getting a PO box in GP to receive letters. As soon as we were able to bring my son off base, we gave him some boxers to wear because they give them tighty whities during bc. In face, I think he opted out of wearing undershorts completely because of he didn't like them. (He hadn't wore that kind of underwear since he was a kid!) We also met him at the airport and hung out with him there for several hours. You can meet up at the USO and go through security to get gate passes. Once in A school, there is much more communication. You must be so proud! If you have a camera with a telescopic lens, it will take better pics. My little point and shoot did nothing and I had to get another dad to send me pics. Enjoy the ceremony and bring lots of kleenex!
May 1, 2013
Hayden's Mom 12 207
Phillip's Mom,
Thank you for taking the time to guide me through the PIR process..all of the little tips are so helpful. I don't have a camera with a big lens, but I think I might consider sitting next to someone who does (teehee). It's nice to meet a mom from Ct. My son is the only one from NE in his division..In fact, our last name is very french and his RDC could not pronounce it so he immediately earned a nickname (BooBoo)..all I can think of is Yogi Bears little sidekick! We are located in the Northeast corner of the state..small town, but we love our community. We are looking forward to making a visit to GP in August..I know it will be muggy and hot, but as you know, anyone from the Northeast could care less about that after a long winter. I will share pictures when the big day arrives! Have a great day..it's going to be lovely out!
May 2, 2013
Philip'sMom (Deb)
Hayden's Mom,
We are west of Hartford. I added you as as friend on this site. Is your son going to be assigned to the 133 in GP? If he is, there are a couple Facebook pages for the 133. What will his job? My son is a CM Seabee. There aren't many Navy families around me. I had joined the CT Blue Star Moms, but the Chapter dissolved shortly after I joined because of some political issues with the National Chapter. Also if you look at the local military offices, they have other groups for military families. Our local Army Strong office has functions in which military families get together. Yes, enjoy this weather! It is such a relief!
May 2, 2013
Hayden's Mom 12 207
I am so happy for you cmcninch!! We are 4 weeks away..Best wishes to your future sailor, and congratulations to your family! I hear the PIR is amazing :)
May 3, 2013
deniseMatt'smom
May 3, 2013
Joanie Tyler's Mom(133 Bees)
Went to Gulfport to visit my son today...Great visit...Also picked up my wreath made from one of uniforms he wore in Afghanistan...
May 3, 2013
Joanie Tyler's Mom(133 Bees)
May 3, 2013
Hayden's Mom 12 207
Joanie Tyler's Mom,
The wreath made from your sons uniform is awesome..what a wonderful way to welcome people into your home!
May 3, 2013
deniseMatt'smom
May 4, 2013
yelomoon
cmcinch!!! Congratulations too you!!!
May 4, 2013
yelomoon
yes, I realize I spelled your name wrong. Sorry!!
May 4, 2013
HizproudMama
Hello everyone, My sailor just arrived yesterday to Gulfport from Great Lakes and is really enjoying the weather and freedom thus far. :) My question for the veteran moms is about the hold time. He said they're on hold until others arrive before they can start class. Will this be a very long time??
May 5, 2013
julieb1019
May 5, 2013
DsMomma
May 5, 2013
Debi
Hello all! I am new to this group. My sailor PIR'd on 4/19 and was put into temporary holding awaiting waivers..waivers were denied so he needed to pick a new rate. Today he got to pick his rate!! He's so excited to be a seabee as an EO! He was told that he'd never get in to seabee because of the overstaffing but just after he did his security clearance and was approved the EO position popped up and he grabbed it. His words to me were "Mom this will make me happy!" I was like GO FOR IT! If he's happy..I'm happy.
I look forward to chatting with you..it is a different direction than what he orginally signed up for but I'm eager to learn and am eagerly planning a trip to Ft. Leonard Wood :)
May 6, 2013
yelomoon
Congratulations Debi! My daughter PIR'd a lil over a year. She too was put on temp. holding. On the bright side, it gave her time to sight see on her time off.
I have no idea what an EO is. But it sounds exciting!!!!
May 6, 2013