SECF - ET & FT & STS

Rhonda8881 go to photobucket.com or just click on the photo below it will take you there ok :)

Welcome Sandy SC. My son is stationed at Pearl Harbor and is an ET/Nav. He is 3 yrs through his 5 yr contract. He is not on a Boomer so some things may be a little different, but can't be too different from what he does. I will be happy to try and answer any questions you have.

Search for a group for Bangor. More than likely there will be one. Also, search for a group for his specific boat.

Hello SECF - ET & FT & STS Moms! I want to wish all of you a Happy and Blessed New Year. I will be leaving on 1/1/10 to go see my Sailor for a week but wanted to wish you all the best for next year before I get busy packing and forget! Thank you for being the best Navy Moms/Dads, etc.

Welcome caryns! There's also a group for the Sub School, here's a link: http://www.navyformoms.com/group/grotonctsubschoolaschoolmoms

Nikki that has to be hard on you and your son. Doesn't give much time for good byes. We are here for you to help you whenever you need. Cry when you feel like it, it is very normal. My prayers for both of you for the Strength to conquer this new journey.

Welcome caryns.

Got a call from my son last night about 10:30pm woke me up from a dead sleep since I have to work real early in the morning. Just to tell us he will be out to sea starting today don't know or can't say for how long (its a Navy thing). So now we can email him on his boat instead of calling him on his phone and wondering why he hasn't answer back.

Nice that they call us but at the same time I hate it. Not being able to talk to them hearing their voices. But at least they are smart enough to give us that text or call :)

Yes my boy is on a Fast Attack.

So true MyFairLady718 I do agree on that quick call :)

Hi Lindsey yes I have it on my computer calender lol. He started on April 20, 2009 and graduated on July 30, 2009 so it was about 12 to 13 weeks in A school. Hope this helps. :)

I think the SECF "A" school was 12 weeks for a very short time before going back to 18 weeks. My son (an STS) finished his "A" school in late October after beginning in mid-June (2009). He told me that they realized pretty quickly that cutting it short wasn't going to be a good idea.

ET-Comm is supposed to be two weeks longer than the SECF ratings. Graduations seem to be always on Thursdays. If you count twenty weeks, skipping the two weeks for the holiday stand-down, it looks like 4/15 would be the date. I would think Matt would be able to confirm that date with his instructor.

Hey Mark my son is ET-COMM they must of change it after he graduated. As you can see from the dates I posted below his was about 12 to 13 weeks.

Congratulations JoAnne! What a great surprise to receive. Did you enjoy your visit to Groton? My son graduated sub school in Oct. 07 and I really enjoyed being there, but the leaves were still green!!!

Good Luck to your son at C school.

Congrats to your son, JoAnne - that is awesome!

I have to share some good news about my sailor. He received an Award last week. He said it is one of the lower ranked awards, but I am still very proud of him.

He received an Admiral's letter. The best part is he received 100% on one of his responsibilities. He said he asked a couple of ETNavs on other subs and they said that is very hard to accomplish!! He has also been given new responsibilities in his job.

Not many people understand that something not so big can be a really big thing. I appreciate all of you in this group.

Lindsey - they'll find out about a month before their "A" school graduation.

Hey all! My son is in Boot camp right now. His PIR date is Feb 26 then on to Groton Ct for Sub School and the rest. He will be an FT when its all said and done. I am looking for all of the advice you guys can give me, as of this point, I havent learned much of whats next. Getting thru boot camp is hard enough!

Hi crystald1972! Welcome to the group.

The first thing is, you will hear from your son a lot more often in Sub School (unless he is the type who never calls home!). You can send him mail with things in it that he cannot receive in BC. He can have his cell phone and will be able to leave the base at different times. He won't be able to go very far, but it is good for them to just be able to get off of the base.

He will be able to have more of his own things like stereo, etc. He will find out what is allowed and what is not. The bad part is they are able to spend their money again!!!!!!!!!

One note: my son went in to become a Fire Tech and after a few classes was told he would get his 2nd choice which was ET Navigation.

He is happy in that position and is very glad it happened that way. He has been in for 3+ years now and is stationed at Pearl Harbor. I think he is planning to make a career of the Navy; but that can change depending on his mood!!!

Congratulations on being a Navy Mom!!!

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentines Day with your love ones near or far :)

Thanks Rhonda8881. Will he be allowed to have his vehicle there?

Yes, my son had a car there. He did not have a car to start with, but bought one while there. I don't remember if they are allowed to have them immediately or not, but seems like one of his friends did have a car to get them around. It has been 3 years since he was in Sub School and I can't remember for certain. Hopefully someone whose family member has been in CT more recently can help out.

Belated Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Mardi Gras! to everyone.

Hello all :) Found this group (hoping I'm in the right one now lol) because my husband is an ET, even though he isn't out in the fleet yet. He just graduated Power School and is on hold, waiting for Prototype. Is anyone else still here at NWS? :)

My husband will graduate march 5th and then off to Groton for his school. He is going to be a SECF?

hlwolter -

Does he know what job he will have....ET, FT or STS?

BTW Nikki, if I had a 65 mustang I would want it right there beside me too!

I dont know Rhonda

The ET is Electronics Tech, FT is Fire Tech and STS is Sonar Tech (I think!).

My son is ET/Nav (Electronic Tech for Navigation System). Fire Tech works on the Firing System for Weapons and Sonar Tech is the radio/communications system.

He should know soon which one he will be. Once you know, you can find more information on what his job will be.

Unless there is another job that I don't know about under SECF.

Welcome to the group! You will learn a lot from this group and website. We are always here to share knowledge or even a shoulder when you need. I don't know if there is anything you can go through that someone here has not already been through!

Let me know if I can help you with anything else.

Thanks Rhonda I am still trying to figure all this out. The whole Navy thing is new so I am trying to find my way around. The hardest part is being away from each other. I don't think I would be so emotional about it all if I weren't pregnant

Hi Rohonda small correction ET/COMM are radio/communications not the STS sonar tech. My son is ET/COMM thats how I know.

Also we can ask Sub School Chief he will have all the right answers :)

Gloria,
After I posted the message I remembered about the ET/COMM!!

It has been 2 years since my son graduated Sub School and my memories are fading, I guess.

hlwolter -
Don't feel bad about being so emotional, though being pregnant makes it worse! Us moms are the same way when our sons leave home for the Navy. We are used to watching over them and giving them advice and when they join, we can't do that. In addition we worry about them otherwise also.

When is your baby due?

September! And I am not even sure when we caqn move out there to be a family again.

I think it's submarine electronics thats all he told me. I am sure electronics is a pretty generic term so when he calls me again I will ask. Thank you Sub School Chief . I am sure in the next couple of months I will be bothering everyone with questions

Thank you for the info. It's much appreciated. Why does it take so long for our letters to arrive to boot camp ? Right now they are ten days behind. I am getting letters faster from him then he is recieving them from me?

Hi Everyone,
I am new to this site but not new to the Navy. My son graduated boot camp June 2006 and went to NUKE School. He then graduated from NUKE school and is assigned to the USS Georgia at Kings Bay, GA. He has been there since February 08.
Cat

Welcome navycat!

My son text us from Hawaii and said that he's with friends and went to higher ground about 2 miles from the shoreline. So far the Tsunami hasn't hit but the waters are receding pretty fast.

Just heard on CNN the Tsunami has been lifted for Hawaii :)

The SECF "A" schools are in Groton after sub school (BESS) - they spend about eleven months in Groton before heading to a boat. I had heard though, that those going into DEP now are no longer guaranteed subs, but may have to take their chances with winding up in the equivalent surface ratings (probably determined during boot camp).

I should add though, that it looks like your son has been in DEP for a while, so he's probably good to go for subs.

Missile Tech is a different program, I think - he'll be either sonar, fire control, navigation ET, or Communications ET (formerly Radioman). They'll get to express a preference (which doesn't seem to matter) and be assigned their specific rate about half-way through sub school. I live in Bremerton, WA - feel free to check my page by clicking my name - I do have family in San Antonio.

Wow time does fly by my son will be taking the PO3rd class test today wishing him the very best and everyone else who are also taking exams today :)

Thanks Jack....by the way I just added some new pictures on my profile ....my boy went SKY DIVING on his day off this week....he sent me some great shots....I always wanted to do that maybe when we go to visit him in Hawaii I just might do it ....crazy just like him :)

Congrats Lindsey*Matt's girl 4eva*Groton! Enjoy the vacation; it is not that far away!

Hi Nikki H

Good to hear that he is enjoying sub school. Mine enjoyed it as well.

Hello his_smurf and welcome! My son is an ET Nav on the USS Olympia at Pearl Harbor. You will get answers to your questions here and also, there is a group for Sub Moms also. You may know more than us moms do. You probably learned more being raised by a submariner than our sons tell us! My son graduated Sub School in Oct. 2007. At least you will be used to not hearing from him more than we were at first.

My son found out today he is FT. Don't have a lot of info on that. Any help out there.

Just wanted to say hello. We just got back from Great Lakes for my son's PIR and he was "assigned" to ET so he should be arriving at Goose Creek right about now. His division won the Captain's Cup and he won the most sit-ups award (whew - testosterone!). We had a great time at graduation and he looked fabulous - what a man! He volunteered for sub from the beginning because one of the Nukes we talked with said that they have a greater opportunity to advance and know their CO's as opposed to being one of 3 to 4 thousand on a ship. Don't know if that is true or not but it made sense to me. Anyhow, we are so proud and I know I share that with each and every one of you here.