Ship 5 Moms(Formerly Ship 17)

colormecrazy.  sorry your husband was sent to S5.  My son got there Friday morning.  Yes it does make us sick to our stomach.  My son told me in the initial call that about 20 days also.  Due to the closure for the holiday I don't see how that would be possible.I am hopeful though.  Maybe someone with more experience with this waiting game, if you will, can help you better than I.  This is a fantastic site with great people which I have found comfort and lots of info with.

glorann....do you get letters back from your son?  or does he strictly facebook for communication?

Hopefully my husband can see legal by Friday then, but that means that he wont be sent home until after the 19th, and I'm concerned that he will have to wait. But if the travel arrangements aren't made by the Navy, maybe that means he will be send home regardless...as long as the appointment with legal happens before then ...he has been able to call about every other day and I've been sending mail. Its just awful that they have the ability to keep all of our loved ones stuck there when they get a two week vacation...just wrong!

and JeanneT Hopefully your son & my hubby will be able to be sent home. Even if they don't make Christmas, it'd be nice to have them home before the New Year!

@jeannet so far no letters but he said he sent one either thursday or friday and it takes 3 days. he facebooks as much as he can. i know it's really hard and sometimes you get depressed but all we can do is look forward. it sucks thinking of what is going on and it is hard to focus on other things. luckily i have good family support and my husband and i support each other. we don't always agree on how we vocalize lol but we do support each other. i have found that just venting helps. unfortunately my friends are probably tired of hearing about it but they are troopers.

colormecrazy.....thanks hopefully they will be.  glorann....your husband is actually hysterically funny lol.  I just don't know what to do for my son.  This was supposed to be his future launching itself.  They say one door closes and another opens.  We will see.  My heart is broken.

I know he is :) it  is true that one door closes and another opens. this i am sure is going to be an eye opening experience for them. i know our son says it has made him appreciate what he has. hopefully he will be able to get his job back once he returns, if he doesn't reenlist. it does get better jennet. how old is your son?

he is 23.....worked and went to college for 4 years before finally deciding that the Navy could give him everything.  I never mentioned this.  It was all his idea.  Supported it all the way.  He was so very excited and proud.

how old is your son glorann and texnavydad?

sixftblnd....your message about the letter made ME cry.  good kids come from good parents.  Good job sixftblnd.

he is 25 he will be 26 on sunday.he has had a very good job for 4 years. he needs 1 more semester before he graduates. this was also his idea. he has gone back and forth about it for about a year or so. he was so proud of his asvab and linguist scores. he had been told they would hold his job for several years so hopefully he will be able to get it back.

sixftblnd your letter also made me cry. i am sure you are very proud. you have raised a good son

yeah our son scored a 91. he was going to school in monterrey ca. he has a friend there that will be finishing in february, she is in the army though

jeannet hopefully your son will go back and finish. i know it was a knee issue and hopefully it is not that bad

linguist. he actually taught himself how to speak japanese when he was a freshman in college

sxftblnd.....i have heard something about the Pell grant.  Thanks for the link.  There is a ray of sunshine already.....hahha

Thank you sixftblnd2002. Yeah we are figuring our son will spend it there too, unfortunately.  pell grant info is good to know. luckily if he goes back to his prev employment they also pay for some schooling.

JeanneT sorry to hear that.

every penny does help.

we also want the best for all these boys. yeah our son already said that there are stories and really good ones haha

jeannet we try :)

well i am out. i gotta get up at 5:15. goodnight and sweet dreams. sending prayers out y'alls way,

Phone calls are great but hard at the same time.  Went to Legal on Friday.  Paperwork still on CO's desk today.  Doesn't think he will make transportation this week and they told him not to get his hopes up about being home before Christmas.  And to think we had our hope up.  Maybe they just tell them that.  Still sounds sick but says some better.  As soon as he makes new  friends....they leave.  Boring.  Still runs drills everyday- Still has headaches/migraines everyday.   Wishing he was home like so many others.  Think it's gonna be a day of tears.  Guess I'm over due not cried since Saturday. 

Afternoon Ladies!

Sorry I jumped ship last night, I was, well, in a funk more than usual. I was able to chat with my son, not once but twice on FB private message and was waiting for the 3rd, but it never came. I guess I became spoiled with 2 times chatting with him.

Anyway, later last night, my wife, daughter and I were watching The Voice and Scottish rock singer, Terry McDermott came up to perform and sang "Let it Be" by The Beatles, from 1970. Now, I don't know about you, but over the years I have "heard" that song, countless times, but really never "listened" to the lyrics and the message behind them until last night. Why last night? I dunno... maybe karma, fate, me being in a funk cuz I was really missing my son or what.

Bottom line is, those words spoke to me, like never before.

"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, Speaking words of wisdom, let it be"

"And in my hour of darkness, She is standing right in front of me, Speaking words of wisdom, let it be"

"Let it be, let it be, Let it be, let it be, Whisper words of wisdom, let it be"

Well, not only did those words and the rest of the lyrics invoke a waterfall of silent tears, they reminded me, that we are the words of wisdom to our SR's.

So what about us and the words of wisdom we need to hear? "Listen" to the lyrics... those same words are our strength.

"For though they may be parted, There is still a chance that they will see, There will be an answer, let it be"

"And when the night is cloudy, There is still a light that shines on me, Shine on until tomorrow, let it be"

So, I don't know if those words speak to you like they did to me, but they do help some. Yes our SR's are still "parted" from us and no this song will not get them here any sooner. But for me at least, it helps to ease the pain a tad and helps me to be a little stronger, a little more focused on how to deal with this for my family and my son.

I have attached the song here (below I think) in case you wanted to hear it and possibly, get something out of it.

Stay strong ladies... believe it or not, we are ALMOST, out of this storm.

I know every single one of those emotions you all are feeling now.  I would be doing ok in my brain, busy making a plan for him or busy at work and then I would be overcome completely with emotion and just start sobbing.  This would happen multiple times a day and it really sucked.  I do know now that as much as they want to be with their division carrying on with the plans they had made, they really are ok in seps.  So yes, the injustice of it all and the complete and total helplessness that we experience especially as parents being unable to fix things is enough to make you think you are losing your mind on a daily basis.  I worried more about his mental well being than anything else, but it does give them time while they are there to formulate a decision and a plan for their future.  I was so scared that things would be status quo when he returned in spite of the things he was telling me he wanted to move forward, but so far he has stayed the course and desperately can't wait for classes to start.  We are still heartbroken that his path deviated from the original plan, but life does that on all counts at some point in our lives and we have to pick up what may look like pieces and move on somehow.  I am not an overly religious person, but I do have a deep faith the has kept me digging deep for the lesson or whatever meaning I'm supposed to learn from all of this and I have been clinging to this scripture that happend upon me at exactly the time I needed it:

"For I know the plans I have for you,"declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Helped me.  We all have to find some peace somewhere.  Thinking of all whose loved ones are still there and hoping for the best that they get home by the holidays.  My son was there for his 22nd birthday and for Thanksgiving so I know how much it sucks when the holiday rolls around.  

Right on Steph... Right on.. Jer. 29:11-13 has been my favorite for many, many years and has comforted me and carried thru allot of really tuff times.What we really loose sight of sometimes (in my case allot) is that what we see, is not what God sees. We are control freaks by nature (especially me) and have a very hard time letting go or letting it be and letting God be... in control. Yes, its extremely hard to not be able to reach in and take the steering wheel and set things straight. But... it will all work out for the good. Is that supposed to comfort us right now? Well yes and no. Yes cuz God said so. No, cuz we aren't rationally thinking right now do all the emotion we have to deal with and still try to remain strong for our sons and daughters on S5. As you said, we try to formulate a plan, get it to execute and then... something else happens that totally screws up what WE had planned. Reference to Jer. 29:11.

I know. I know... easier said than done, but the very best thing we can do for sons and daughters, is try to stay strong, focused and pray. Strong faith or not, what have you got to loose? Our family keeps everyone that's in here in our nightly prayers and also the many that are not in this forum.

So... the shoulders are here, the ears are here and the prayers are here.

We SHALL overcome. Not cuz I said so, cuz HE did.

@bridgett  Hey girl... one thing that we all have learned here about the military is... Hurry up and wait and wait and wait. I know that doesn't help much, but... when an SR (seaman recruit) gets moved to ship 5, there's sometimes a time period of getting him actually on to the ship which may account for the difference in what the recruiter told you and whats actually true.

Once they leave Recruit Training Command and are transferred to ship 5, they are under a different command and all the paperwork has to go from one command to the next and sometimes that alone can take some time. Your bf will get some phone time and computer time as they have a lounge on ship5  with video games, a few computers and vending machines. When he will be given access time to the lounge and computers or when he can make a call, is all up in the air. You can never guess when he will call, or get comp time and how long each will be. We carry our cell phone on us EVERYWHERE we go. Our phones never leave us, because you never know when they will call. We chat with our son on Facebook private message more than he is able to call.

So Bridgett... stay strong girl If you feel like you're gonna fall apart, talk to us. There lots of caring folks in here who either have been already been thru this our are currently going thru this. 

Bottom line is, There is allot of help here. Allot of shoulders to cry on, allot of ears to listen and give what answers we have and other info to possibly point you to to help you. Don't be shy. We all are hurting like crazy, but we all are family and are here for each other.

Right now Bridgett there are over 200 SR's on ship 5. All being sent home at some point. It's crazy i know, but some are in there for medical reasons, other for administrative... some don't even know why yet.

Take a deep breath and try to stay strong. As I said, when you feel like you may fall apart, we all are here for each other. Welcome to the family Bridgett.

@Bridgett... That's good to hear that you know for sure he's on S5 and doing fine. That's sad about his folks, but you lady are his rock. He will need all the encouragement and support you can give him. We are here, as I said and as sixft also said, for you. To answer questions, give advice and help keep you strong.

Take a deep breath and relax a bit (I know that's hard). At least you know for sure where he is and that he's ok.

One thing is for sure in here... we ARE family and we support and help each other no matter what. We will help in every way we can, if you want us too.

Bridgett...my husband shipped out on 12/4 too! He was sent to ship 5 that Thursday.

I'm pregnant and having terrible mood swings. One minute I'm fine and then the next I'm crying my eyes out. Today I've been in bed all day super sick. I just want my husband home. :/ has anyone heard anything about the holiday being the 19th-2nd? Does anyone know if he gets to see legal before then will they be able to send him home before the 2nd? I haven't been able to talk to my husband in 2 days. :( I got to talk to him atleast once all weekend. Trying to keep my spirits up. :/

Bridgett maybe he could be there just sick or a temporary thing.  like flu or anything that that.  The most important thing to remember is NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS.  I remember hearing that but then got a phone call saying he was being sent home.  So be patient and wait. I know it is horrible, and days seam like weeks but if you haven't been called with the 'I'm coming home",  take a deep breath and pace and wait.  Try keeping a journal to him write in it often.  In our house we found it helped relieve some anxiety.  

My husband just called! I spoke too soon!

He spoke to his chief and he said they've been getting calls and questions about that holiday and it's just a rumor going around. They can't take two weeks off the process because of how behind they would be when they got back with all the added recruits and everything would be a huge mess. And about how they can't legally keep them for so long or something.

So I am hoping and praying that this information is correct!!

He also said there is SO many people there, like 20-30 people get added a day and they are well over 200. He's not getting any of my mail which bums me out :/ maybe it being December mail is slow.

Crazy-  I'm not pregnant and I do that same thing.  Your normal.  I think everyone here cries daily- even txnavydad.  :)   I'd like to say you'll be ok.... but you wont.  It will get easier....but it doesn't.  Hang in there we are all here for each other.  When you find anything out post and let us know.  

Melissa- I'm really happy I found this place! I'm so happy to talk to people who understand. Everyone around me tries to help, but telling me itll be better- and a week later I feel like Its worse. Its more discouraging.  I'll definitely help out as much as I can.

Bridgett- Hopefully you get a call soon. My husband said that there are so many people, and a lot of them think that because they're leaving, they don't have to behave. They take away their privileges a lot. But I agree- if it was something serious, you would know for sure. Just try to focus on that. It's a sucky situation all the way around. :(