Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

Could someone tell me how we get the 500$ credit limit for Navyfederal??? My car broke down today & we need money asap but have none!!

My husband's orders popped up this morning, but I have NO CLUE how to read what they say?!?! What dates am I looking for??! How do I get any info for it when there are like 12 differents NLT dates?!

His intermediate Activity says he has to report to VA, August 21 for 44 days, then there is another intermediate activity that says he has to report to the same spot NLT Oct 4th for 31 days then his ultimate activity says he has to report the same spot Nov 4th.

Can someone help me use the move.mil website. Its so confusing...

my son is on the CVN 75.... my husband just passed away...he was fortunate to atten the funeral before shipping out..... so proud of these men and women who serve our country... my daughters and I plan to be in Norfolk when they port... any suggestions on planning this? place to stay etc.?????

thanks everyone for the homecoming info... I am going to get on it now...

anyone know what a LHD is?

It is an amphibious assault ship. They carry Marines, Navy and Marine helicopters, and I'm pretty sure they also have the ability to carry and deploy LCACs (hovercraft). They have a flight deck like a carrier, but it is too small for jets to take-off and land on. They can have Harrier Jump Jets though because those jets can take off vertically.

Thank you My Son is going on one.

Does it snow in VA?! if so How much and how often!?!?

Does anyone know anything about the Family Cruise? My son said his ship the USS Carr is having one but he does not seem to know much.

Cindy: A Navy Mom friend of mine just went on one on the Essex in Japan. Said it was WONDERFUL! I hope that you get info on it. Maybe through the ombudsman?

Chelsea: I wondered the same thing about the snow since my son is stationed there now. Googled it. Seems that they don't get it often, and when they do, it is light and melts fast. This year, they got more than usual, I think, but still not bad? One mom told me that they had not had snow in several years, and then got a little this year.

Cindy, I'd contact the ombudsman for the USS Carr and ask about the Tiger Cruise. You can find yours at http://www.navyformoms.com/group/whatsanombudsmanandhowtocontactthem
A friend is going on an upcoming Tiger Cruise and had a deadline to complete and return several forms, including medical clearance.

Ooops! I didn't know the difference, Cathleen! Thanks for explaining!
I thought family and tiger cruise were the same...you can tell I'm NEW to the Navy family!

If you ever do get a chance to go on a tiger cruise, I say go for it. My husband's last ship had one at the end of their deployment, but I wasn't able to go on it because, at the time, spouses weren't allowed. I have my theories about why. I'm not sure if the rules have changed since then. If they have, I will be the first one to sign up for the next one.

I have been on several family cruises, though. Those are a lot of fun. I always tell people to go if they get the chance.

Got it: Thanks AwaysReady for explaining the difference!

that is crap! If moms, dads, and kids can go, spouses should be able to as well, we are the ones that are married to them! If they are scared "stuff" would happen then promise immediate separation if caught!

Gman Navy Husband: Uh, ok....but we nominate YOU to tell the NAVY that!
:-)

I second that nomination. I think a large part of why they don't allow us to go is because they think there will be some "stuff" going on. It really would be neat to be able to go out to sea for a few days on one of the ships, but I understand why I can't go.

I will say something when my wife goes aboard. I watched Carrier on PBS and was super excited to participate in a Tiger Cruise. If they are worried about spouses doing "stuff" then they can keep them separated at night.
There is a lot of sacrifice spouses have to go through and not letting us participate in something as fun as that is ridiculous. If the rest of the family is allowed to do that then the Navy should be required to fly spouses to each port they stop at.
I am prior service and the stuff I have seen so far being done in the Navy to spouses really irks the h#$ll out of me. We are supposed to be the ones supporting our sailors and so far, I can honestly say I regret the decision we made to sign up for the Navy. I keep telling my wife she should have gone Army.

Just venting.

Check out some info on Tiger Cruise 2010 posted on N4M
Pretty cool stuff.
Tiger Cruise 2010

oops, click on the Click Here that is in the comments.

Thank you for the information on the Family day cruise, the tiger cruise also sounds cool. I agree with the spouses out there that you should be able to be a part of that cruise

Welcome lunchlady!

my daughter is stationed in norfolk aboard the bush. lucky for me, i only live 1 1/2 hours south of there in nc!

Hello everyone. New to the group also. Hubby is aboard the USS Bataan and we live in Norfolk. :)

Welcome, Miranda and duhhuh!

thank you diannep!

Hi all, just looking for some info, early planning. My daughter's ship is due in later this year(1st deployment) and I was wondering what needs to be done so we can watch the fleet come in. Do we need special passes? Any info would be helpful! Thanks

colleen, have you signed up with your daughter's ships frg? i signed up with mine and they give you ALL KINDS of information, they had a 1/2 way party, meetings each month and a party the night before. they will help you with all the particulars for the homecoming.

carol

duhhuh58 and Theresa, thanks for the info. I didn't know what the ship's frg, so I went to the ship's webpage and found it there. I may have to wait til she's acutally on the ship! She graduated Penn State and was commissioned this May. She will be joining the ship in Sep after a 3 wk school for her job. It was hurry up and get to Norfolk then wait for the school! My son is in Goose Creek training to be a Nuke EM. He graduates A school 17sep then has 2 more 6mo schools before he's out to the fleet.

nitewriter: What I have been told is that your sailor will need to make the reservation and be there with you when you check in.

diannep, Thank you for the info. Will check with him.

colleen, what ship is your daughter assigned to?

All - thought I'd mention this.... our son just returned to Norfolk area from deployment and needed to buy a car. We looked around Hampton and Virginia Beach for a couple of days. We stopped at Beach Ford to look at a car we found on the internet - they gave him an outstanding deal and treated him really well. I highly recommend them.

duhhuh and CindyH, My daughter will be on the Ross. She will be joining it in Sept. She will be a legal officer. I am in the process of joining the FRG. Hopefull I can even though she's not there yet but they are expecting her soon!

Debbie - Ship-to-shore calling cards are used when calling from the ship. The cards can only be purchased in the ship store, NEX or online (I have no experience with this site so not recommending it) https://shop.aafes.com/scs/product.aspx My son purchased his at the NEX and reloads them on the ship.

There is info about the cards here on AT&T's site: http://www.usa.att.com/military/action/services/detail?id=dos

Evening Biker, Understand your concerns... Since he is not used to the elements
I suggest he take his journey as a learning curve.. and drive slowly until he gets confortable on each condition. Snow is easier to drive on than ice/ rain. even seasoned persons can have an accident on Ice. due to both being unstable..

i live about 1 1/2 hours south in nc on the outer banks. we do get some snow around here, they get more in va than we do but it's not too bad. he just needs to take it slow, don't worry about making anybody mad. pump the brakes and give plenty of room for stopping.

on the other end of the weather. the humidity can be deadly! the heat is bad enough, nothing like temps in the 90's for days and days on end. but, when it's in the 80's and 90's and the humidity is high the heat index gets way up there. we've had days here this summer where the heat index has been 120+. need to remember to stay hydrated, drink lots of water, don't guzzle it, especially if it's cold (that will cause cramping) and if possible stay indoors during the middle of the day.

with the cotton uniforms it won't be as bad as with polyester but it's still bad. when i was a paramedic we used to wear polyester pants. nothing like going outdoors and almost immediately your clothing is damp and sticking to your skin! but this summer has been real bad, i get off work at 5 and go outside and the heat literally slaps you in the face. big thing to watch for, if you quit sweating you're in big trouble.

don't get him a skate board, he's liable to get run over. he'll be fine with the snow. tell him when it snows to go to the nearest parking lot and practice. just take it slow and easy!

Hi were getting stationed in norfolk in november any advice would be appreciated.I would love to make friends! :)

K, feel like a local and head to Doumar's Drive-in for barbeque sandwiches for lunch; they'll hang a tray on your car window and believe me, it's authentic. Been featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. http://www.doumars.com/
The Ghent neighborhood has a number of good spots, too.
When I visit I usually stay in Old Town Portsmouth, which you can reach via a quick $1.50 ferry ride from Norfolk's Waterside. From the dock in Portsmouth you can walk up High Street to a variety of restaurants. My favorite is a hideaway off High Street called Still, a sophisticated yet casual tapas spot with outstanding food, good wine list and cocktails - http://www.stilleats.com. I also like The Deck restaurant: deck, casual bar or tables with linens depending on mood - it's surrounded by yachts in the Tidewater Marina and has great views of the Elizabeth River and Norfolk skyline. Both are a short walk from the ferry dock.

Welcome lz100789!
Bikernavymom, my son was raised in Arizona and he adapted fine! (I have lived in LA, NY, Boston and DC, by the way.) The winters there are a lot more mild than you're thinking - there's a vast difference between Norfolk and DC, much milder in Norfolk. Last winter was unusual. And the freeways are a breeze compared to LA. He'll be fine.

Hi lz100789, There is a mom here I think her name was like "Dinnap" I know that is close, but her son had a bad experience when he first got to Norfolk and I learned so much from her. My son read her posts too so when he met his supervisor at the airprort he asked for a map of the base, where the chow house was, where he needed to report and when, where the NEX was. That gave him a huge start his things and his supervisor he got had no problem showing him. Lucky him got early in the day so once he put his stoff away he took the map and walked the base. This was cool because he ran into a dozen people from boot camp and they walked around with him. Also make sure you know about transportation if needed to get around the base and to town, not sure if they have duty vans or taxis as my sons friends had cars. Ask as much as you can that first day because after that everyone seems too busy to answer. Hope you love it there my son does.

lz100789, my husband is stationed on a ship that will be in Norfolk after it commissions (it's brand new, and still at the ship yard right now). Our kids and I are already here in the area. Feel free to add me as a friend on here, and ask any questions you may have.

I wanted to to clarify my post below. I meant people on base can be too busy to answer BUT I always got help here which has made a huge help for my son.

Hi IZ100789: Yes, I am the diannep that MissyMySailor was talking about. My son DID have a horrible arrival in the Norfolk area ... he is actually in Newport News (shipyard). But it was short-lived once he connected with some A School friends in the area and bought his car. I think that MissMySailor's advice is good...to familiarize yourselves as much as possible with the base and surrounding areas before arriving . That would make it so much easier!
Welcome to the group!

My son is deploying out today and I want to watch it on the web... where do I go?

Try WAVY.com; they usually provide coverage.