Religious Program Specialist

Information for families of Navy RPs.
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  • RPCS Quinn

    This is Senior Chief Quinn (at the school in Fort Jackson).  AmyD and Malia -- Your Sailors are doing great down here!! 

    Nice to see involved parents out there!

  • AmyD

    Senior Chief Quinn.

    You just made my day! Thanks!
  • Malia

    Thank you so much Senior Chief Quinn for the update! You just made my Friday even better :) Have a great Weekend and I am looking forward to meeting you at graduation.

  • Nurse77

    My SN is down in A school at Fort Jackson, SC. Finally found this group! Hello!

  • RPCS Quinn

    Ok, just because you all got excited about hearing about your Sailors, they had a small break in training this afternoon and I decided to have a little fun.

    Enjoy!

  • Nurse77

    awwe! thanks for the picture!! My husband on the right!

  • Malia

    Ohhh, that's so cool. What's a nice surprise to see my son in this picture! It's looking like everyone is having a lot of fun.  Thank you so much Senior Chief Quinn!  :))

  • Malia

    Welcome to the group Nurse77!

  • AmyD

    That is my son on the left!  :D  I'm going to smile until I fall asleep...made my night and I'll bet you made my day tomorrow as well!  Wooohooooo! Thank you Senior Chief Quinn!

  • AmyD

    Hi Nurse77 welcome!

  • Nurse77

    Thanks! My sailor is probably the oldest in the group, they probably call him old man! haha!

  • Nurse77

    going to SC this weekend! Can't wait to see my Sailor!

  • jeffiner-desert-wind

    Ww nurse77! Sounds like a blast! Have a great time!
  • AmyD

    Lucky you Nurse77!

     

  • Nurse77

    My Sailor graduated A school today! so proud of him! Now onto CREST in North Carolina.

  • jeffiner-desert-wind

    Congrats! Nursemom. My sailor LOVED CREST. RP1 is a great Cristian and got trainer of the year! CREST has a fb page. Search CREST training. I don't recall the exact name but that should do. It is fun to see his posts.
  • Malia

    Congratulation to all RPs and Chaplains graduated today. It was an awesome ceremony. I am a very proud mom of an RP :)

  • Mar ProudSailorMom

    Nurse77 - YEAH!  CREST was a lot more fun for my son than A school.  They have a bit more freedom and it's a little more relaxed.  They have a really neat rec center that J like to hang out in. Do you know where he is hoping to go?  Keep us updated! And tell him to work hard! It really pays off there as it helps determine where they get stationed. He will grow even stronger as a man & Sailor - AND they can win awards for their hard work!  COGRATS again!

  • Nurse77

    that's so good to hear about CREST. I was hoping I would be able to hear from him like i have during A school. I should clarify my sailor is my husband! We have orders to be stationed in CA. I guess the actual CREST training doesn't start for like a month, so for the first month Im not sure what he'll be doing. thanks for the info!

  • Mar ProudSailorMom

    Nurse77...thanks for the clarification!  Heehee!  I THOUGHT you looked really young! :o)  Please feel free to ask any questions you might have and we'll do our best to answer them!  You can also send me a message any time you want!  I am happy to be a helper! Jeffiner is wonderful too!!

  • RPCS Quinn

    Great ceremony yesterday and great to meet Malia!! 


    The entire class performed incredibly well, from behavior to academics.  This was my last class in my position here, and I couldn't leave on a prouder note.  BTW, their class grade average of 20 people was from 98% to 88%, with most being 94% or above....incredibly high for a group that size and quite impressive!  They ALL did well and made me pumped that those Sailors are serving the Fleet now and maybe some day will take our places! 

  • AmyD

    Wish I could've been there. RPCS Quinn thank you for all you did for our loved ones!
  • Malia

    It was great meeting you too RPCS Quinn. Thank you so much for your service and dedication to our young sailors. Best wishes at your new duty station. :-)
  • Nurse77

    My husband is going to be starting CREST this week. Any info on this would be appreciated. How much contact can i expect to have from him. Is it like bootcamp?

  • sharbear36(ship 9 div 288)

    My son is doing Crest too. RP?
  • stacybrazell

    My son leaves for boot camp in April 2013 he is going in as an RP and is so excited!

  • sharbear36(ship 9 div 288)

    I hear ya, I'm nervous about all this too. Although reading your post I think I have some time. My son just had his PIR 9/7. He's in SC now.
  • Anna V

    Renee E - My son has been an RP for a bit now and is serving on a Navy CB base in Gulfport. He was deployed, early on, to Okinawa...but is in homeport, now. Their job is multi-focused but if he likes helping others, he will do fine!

    sharbear36 - you do have a little while...they all go through A school, first.

    Glad to see a little activity in this group :-) 

  • Anna V

    Renee E. - oh, sorry, CB means Construction Battalion...in Gulfport, Ms. several Construction Battalion Units are stationed. this is the Navy official site http://www.navy.mil/local/ncbcgulfport/ 

    Good to hear that he enjoys helping others - he'll be great for this job. I do know that when our son took his Petty officer test and started doing more, it was more challenging but it's one of those jobs that is necessary in order to keep ministry and helps going on our military bases and on deployments. They do lots in the community...building relationships between Navy and neighborhood, too.

    How long has he been in the Navy?

  • Anna V

    Renee E - I, too, hope he can be stateside. :-)

  • Mar ProudSailorMom

    Renee and Anna...it's GREAT to see some activity on here again!! 


    WHERE they are stationed makes SUCH a difference in the experience and joy they find in their jobs!  Some places are much more difficult to be at than others.  And the command at each place sets the tone for the entire group. 

    I hope everyone finds their RP is a wonderful, supportive place...and that GOD gives them strength and wisdom if they're not!  :)

  • Mar ProudSailorMom

    Renee...keep us updated!  Looking forward to hearing how it turns out. :)

  • Anna V

    Mar ProudSailormom - I just updated our military family info... and I agree with you that the command can really set the tone for the whole group.. here is the address to my blog -

    http://ministermentormom.blogspot.com/

    Renee - Im sure he will do just fine :-)

  • jeffiner-desert-wind

    My sailor is coming home for leave. I am so excited. He is having difficulty at his administrative tasks. When I heard that he was learning Yeomen things at A school, I got worried. He is NOT administrativley gifted. There are days that he does very well and days that he just can't put it together. It is very frustrating for Chaps. I'm sure he wonders why there are those days. He is fresh out or OTC and has little compassion it seems to me for a chaplain. I tell my sailor that he is gaining good life skills that will help him in life, his wife is not so administrative either, lol. I am just venting, It hurts to hear him get frustrated when Chaps is frustrated with him. At least I can help him when he struggles with Grammar. He loves to do community service and be out in the field, but the office stuff is not his thing. Prayers would be apprecieated for him that he can focus on his job, especially before he is on leave. He will be seeing his son for the first time.

  • Nurse77

    well my husband and I are starting the Navy career on a Marine base in the middle of a desert. Not what we ever would have imagined! There is only 2 other Navy personnel on the whole base. Guess you just never know! He is happy on the rare occasion that he gets to wear his blue camis though!

  • Nurse77

    we have actually been on base for about 2 months now. Starting to get used to it. Just kind of feel like outsiders since we are Navy on a Marine base.

  • Fancy Nancy

    I am wondering the same thing, Renee.  My son is also in school for RP and is scheduled to graduate soon.  I don't know any specifics--I think it may be the week after Thanksgiving.  His fiancee said that the previous class heard the week before graduation.  

  • AshleyB

    Fancy Nancy & Renee,

    My husband graduated RP school on 10/31 and he just arrived at Camp Lejeune early yesterday morning. Apparently it took a couple of weeks to process them out and obtain their flight itineraries. Your sons may have a different time frame though if they are reservists. My husbands classmates who are in the reserves are scheduled to leave tomorrow.


    Best of luck to both your sons!

  • AshleyB

    Oh dear. Well, maybe I misunderstood what you meant by "RP" school. If you are referring to "A" School for RPs, than this would be conducted at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. If the RP is assigned to the Marine side of things rather than the Navy side, then he/she would go to CREST ("C" School) for further training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, which is where my husband is now.


    If your son is in a different area/situation, sorry for the confusion!

  • jeffiner-desert-wind

    Ashley, you are correct. I am not sure where Navy side go fr C school. My son s green sde and is in Japan....well on his way after a nice leave. He has been in Japan a year now with a Marine airwing. He ddnt have any leave except for one week before CREST so I didn't see him until he had three weeks after CREST graduation before taking off for Japan.
    Renee, don't worry about the confusion we all have been there along with out sailors. Mine didny know if he was going to CREST or the Navy sde training until a week before. He heard tuat the sailors tuat went "blue" side(Navy) had more of a leave inbetween.
    Is your son a deper or is he at RTC or changing rates?
  • jeffiner-desert-wind

    Along with our sailors not out.
  • jeffiner-desert-wind

    Renee, you know Navy time. lol. Have you checked out the Japan moms group? we have a lot of fun and talk and vent and make great friendships. a very busy group.

    I sure hope that your sailor is able to be home for the holidays. What a blessing that would be!

  • jeffiner-desert-wind

    I just sent mine off this morning. It seems that it is harder, definitely not any easier, thats for sure. His wife and I got to go to the gate with him and after he boarded we were walking back trying to talk inbetween sobs. He has a 4 month old son and they are such a wonderful little family. She should be able to go over in 6 months. sooo I won't see him for a couple years, unless I go there....a possibility... I hope.

    Hope that you get to feeling better soon. get some rest.

    Blessings

  • Anna V

    Renee E ~ true, it's not easy being a military mom. All my boys are serving - either Navy (one: RP and one:nuke) or Marines (one:MP and one:radio/comm tech).

    For over two years they have been in boot or training or assigned... our RP son is assigned to a Construction Battalion unit and has deployed once, so far. Of course, I think this time of year is harder. We will all be splintered for the holiday season. I think I'm finally adjusting to the fact that and I'm looking for some vol opportunities...that way I can put some energy in a positive direction.

    We found out that our Marine son-in-law is deploying in the spring...they've been married for about 2 years and just had another baby. 

    Jeffiner - I hope you do get to go over to Japan. And bless them, it's super hard when you have a young family and they're apart for so long.

  • Fancy Nancy

    My son just graduated from RP school and will start CREST in March ( he had to DOR from SWCC and chose this completely different path).  Does anyone know what his orders might be between now and then?  

    I am eager to hear about CREST school.  I have read a few things on the net, but your voices of experience are the best teachers.

    Thanks so much!

    Fancy Nancy

  • Nurse77

    My husband had to report to Camp Lejeune and wait until CREST started. It was a couple of months. From what I heard from my hubsband CREST is pretty physically challenging, they are learning to get ready to serve alongside Marines (greenside). My husband has met alot of good guys and gals and still keeps in touch with them now that he's on a Marine base. It's more like a boot camp setup with more contact. Hope that helps!

  • Fancy Nancy

    Thanks so much, Nurse77. Your answer does help. My son misses the challenge of intensive training, so he will like CREST. He was in an 800 division in boot camp and then spec ops until he messed up his leg and couldn't pass the buddy tow.
    Were you at CREST in NC with your hubby? How did he like it?
    Thanks so much for your help!
    Fancy Nancy
  • Nurse77

    no I stayed back home while he was at CREST- sounds like your son will have no problems with this training. I wouldn't say he necessarily "liked" it but it was good for him I think. Atleast your son will be there before it gets stifling hot and humid. My husband was there in July! Wish you the best!

  • Fancy Nancy

    He said class starts up in March. Four months is a long wait! Oh, i forgot about the summer weather there! We are from the Chicago area and we experienced a few hot and humid vacations in Williamsburg VA. I was actually dizzy fron the heat and humidity. It must have been terrible to do physical training in that weather.
    Thanks again and take care!
  • jeffiner-desert-wind

    Fancy Nancy, my son absolutely loved CREST. He is the type that loves to rough it outdoors and get as dirty as he can. Now that he has an office job he really wishes that he was out there and even be a Marine. I am happy, however that he is where he is. He is in Japan on a Marine base and got Blue Jacket of the year for his air group as well as the whole base.... All his whining about thinking that he isn't pleasing his chaplain. Lol