Moms of Aviation Rescue Swimmers

Load Previous Comments
  • TexasMomof2

    I'm ONNNNNN it.........lots of prayers (Matt 7:7 - one of my favorites) and sending positive thoughts!
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Thank you all so much for your GREAT words and prayers and wisdom..  Im Picturing him walking up to the Master Chief and receiving his Certificate!  Im picturing a tear in his eye for he has Indeed worked hard for this..  Im fasting through breakfast right now and believing in Matt 7:7 and 21:22

     

    Ill let yall know as soon as he posts something on FB today... 

  • Jan (Ship 04 Div 802)

    HE PASSED!!!!!!! I AM SO HAPPY AND RELIEVED! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS! HE WAS LISTENING! Now it's time for a drink!
  • Mama B

    Lydia and Jan I was with you fasting through breakfast and HE is so faithful to his promises!!! Love it .......CONGRATS TO R!!
  • TexasMomof2

    Oh my gosh! I've never felt so close to another swimmer's experience ... other than my own son. Been following his path through Lydia. Reading this brought tears to my eyes!! I prayed last night and all this morning for him....along with my son's day. Back and forth between my son and your's.....what great news! Congrats!
  • onboardMOM

    Jan & Lydia-

    CONTRATULTIONS.... WE ARE EXCITED FOR YOU BOTH BEYOND!  I am so proud of your sailor and you ladies for steering the course with your sailors.  I realize just how much this journey has meant for all of you.  Sleep well you all deserve it. I am glad we could be with you for support.  :) 

  • mom2four

    WOO HOO!!! Congrats to him and to you!!!
  • Jan (Ship 04 Div 802)

    There is a Tiki bar out by the water, by where I live. My husband and I went there to have a drink and chill out. It was so nice just to kick back and relax.
  • onboardMOM

    CHEERS!!!!!
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Okay... sooooooooo TKX yall... Im soo crying now.. Okay so we my three American Legion Riders sistas were buying stuff for are packages... sooo I get a text frm R.. OMG .. Im in line checking out.... My two sisters know about R and have prayed..... So I SCREAM omg its from R... everyone stops in the entire store and looks at me.... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh he passed he passed... everyone in the store starts hollering.. hahahaha so wonderful .... So thank you all for your support for my Jan and her boy my step child R... whoop and yes I did fast... hahahahahaha
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Good hump day morning... Im still HIGH as a kite over R. And so thankful for you sisters in here! In here thats funny like you are living in my computer monitor or something hahaha !!! Have a GREAT day yall!

    By the way how are all the other kids all doing. How is our boy with the bad ear ache holding up this week??

    Now that Im back to normal sort of... I was wondering how all the other kids and hubbys are doing.  I lose track sometimes..

  • Christi

    Lydia, I know that I'm not on here often but I read the posts everyday and try to keep track of y'alls sailors. I prayed for R, and I am sooooo happy that he passed.Congrats to him and to you for keeping vigil.

    I'm considered an old timer on here. My son's been in 4 years now and is in squadron for those that don't know me. I enjoy reading about all your sailors. It warms my heart to see how encouraging you all are for each other, keep up the good work and HOOYAH...NAVY MOM's!!!

  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Christi HI SISTER!!!!  And thank you so much...  hahaha.... JessicaB calls the old timers "Old Planks" appropriate of course from a ship stand point!!!  How is your boy these days?  Was it he who was doing some different training for a different squadron or something ......  cant rememeber... gosh my mind is indeed like an old plank sometimes
  • onboardMOM

    This morning seems like a reunion party......  Thanks for the gathering!  I still seem like the neophyte as my SR is still in his freshman journey.  It is reassuring to know all of you are around to help us out.  :)
  • Christi

    Lydia, yes he is the one who was in training for the mission change for his squadron. They are now Spec Ops support. Switched from being a reserve squadron. Still in training...although SAR's are always in some kind of training. He is still loving his job, so nice to know that your kids can have a job that they absolutely love. Very rare these days. "Old Planks"....haha never thought of myself that way but yes that would be a true statement.
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    onboard.... no sister you are welcome here and each person bring a lovely spice to the table!!!  Actually I wish more RSS mommas wives would go ahead now and join us here.... 

    Christi...  when will he be done with his new training?  Very great... 

  • onboardMOM

    Christi-  I was wondering if I could tap into your "expertise".  Could you please tell me the difference between a SAR and an Aviation Rescue Swimmer?  Thank you.
  • onboardMOM

    Lydia-  Thank you for your warm welcome.  If I sound too naive just let me know.... I don't want to hold any of you back.  Can you explain the difference between a SAR and and Aviation Rescue Swimmer?  Thanks.
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Onboard.. hahahah ... are you kidding...  there are lots of newbies on here and besides... we Planks were in your shoes not so long ago...  Sea Air Rescue  well, here is my take on that.... now Christie or Texas might can do better....  SAR is the general term underwhich our Rescue Swimmers both Sierra and Romeo are included..  but as you read in the info up above... they themselves are a bit different in their scope of "work".  My understanding is that both fall under SAR whose motto is So Others May Live....  like I said perhaps someone else can give you more.. but rememeber that Rescue Swimmers are on boats and in helos.... in water and on land soo my understanding is kinda like SAR is the BIG picture with some other pictures underneath... make sense..  sorry.. thats the best I can do ... hahaha... Ill ask my boy to clarify it to me again just in case I missed something....
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Oh Onboard....  in your PIR group group.... remind the other Rescue Swimmer to hang out here with us.. Its such a long pipeline... the sooner they get here the better you know what I mean!!!!
  • onboardMOM

    Okay, the light bulb finally turned on (and it is not the new kind....).  I was confused because someone on "Sailors in Pensacola" explained that they were the same thing just that SAR is an older non used acronym and RSS was the current identifier.  Now I see (said the sightless person) that one - SAR is the big umbrella to the others.  Thank you very much and it makes sense to me; although don't hang on to that thought too strong....  :))
  • Christi

    OnBoardMom- SAR (Search and Rescue) and Aviation Rescue Swimmer, are one in the same. To get into the SAR program you have to come from the aviation side and have an air rating such as Air crewman. It's because of this rating that allows them the extensive training they receive based on the helicopter platform they are assigned, Romeo or Sierra. They are all Aviation Rescue Swimmers or SAR's as they are helo based..that is how I understand it. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. 
  • onboardMOM

    Lydia- Just posted your recommendation for PIR group from our division 817 to check out this website.  Thanks for the invite!

     

  • onboardMOM

    So the BIG PRIZE is SAR.... that's what my SR wants.  Now, one only gets their "wings" with SAR designation OR do they earn their wings with RSS first?
  • TexasMomof2

    Welll, actually SAR is the acronym for "Search and Rescue." Answering the question of what's the difference between SAR and aircrew rescue swimmer made me - maybe wrongly cuz I don't mean any sarcasm - think of the movie Forrest Gump where he talks about all the different ways to serve shrimp........ :o) As Lydia says, there's the umbrella title.... You'll see the acronyms interchanged. Aircrew rescue swimmers SAR......Aircrew rescue swimmers search and rescue.

    Now, see if this confuses anyone further. There is the rate of Aircrew Rescue Swimmer. And their description is on that link I provided a while back. And this is why we are here.....takes approximately 2 years for training. Nowwwww, on ships, they are required to have a certain number of TRAINED search and rescue swimmers in the event there is man overboard.

    Are they aircrew rescue swimmer's? No. They have different rates. Any rate....culinary specialist.....fire control......storekeeper.....etc. They volunteer - at some point prior to deployment - to test, and if they qualify, train for 4 weeks at RSS (rescue swimmer school). And then they return to the fleet.

    I'll see if I can find the link for that.......

    PS. They get their wings with the Aircrew Rescue Swimmer rate.
  • TexasMomof2

    Christi, I agree........
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Texas, Onboard and Christi.......  okay my boy says that SAR is the umbrella underwhich the Rescue Swimmers are located.. but there are Wet (Sierra and Romeo) and Dry... (guys on the ships with other rates that want to also be Rescue Swimmers)  So Texas I think the Dry are whom you are referring too..  They actually join the Navy with a different rate... but they can take the training...  they are Dry rescue..  Now our boys... are wet.. .their contract is spacific to Rescue only...  ?????  right....... yes....... no   hahahahahahaha
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    OH Onboard... you question about the wings... they use to get them at graduation from SERE and FRS... now they actually have to deploy first and meet some other critera then they get those beloved wings.....  I think Christi told us that long time ago.....  right C??
  • onboardMOM

    Okay.  I got the explanation but when my SR got  his initial contract the contract said he was an AIRR.  How does this acronym play into our "Forrest Gump" scenerio....  Thanks.
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Dayuuum this is fun....  making my brain spin!!!  whooyaaa how bout a Rum and coke!
  • onboardMOM

    Sorry.  But I am also in a quandary.... :)  I am ready for a Rum and Coke; I don't drink it but it sounds good!
  • onboardMOM

    Yes, my boy wants wet rescue too.
  • TexasMomof2

    I'm sorry, Forrest Gump and the shrimp...you know he talks about serving shrimp all those different ways? Well, shrimp is the umbrella of all the different ways to serve. And Lydia was talking about the umbrella for rescue swimmer, and I was talking about how many different ways a rescue swimmer is referred to....ok, phew, maybe it's just my weird mind.

    And, yes, his contract would be for AIRR.....aviation (or others would say aircrew) rescue swimmer.

    Lydia, you starting to think you're over on Craig's group? LOL!!!
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Okay hold the phone...  I have to talk to my boy... to get this straightened out... I need to pull up his contract if I can find it... 
  • onboardMOM

    You are so SWEET... thanks.
  • onboardMOM

    And I thought being on the Pensacola website was confusing.....  Hang in there with me.
  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Texas.  I think you might be right...  hahahah oHHHHH so do you peek in on the Ship from time to time????????????  you should we have fun!  We are officially one year old .... Okay so here is what Im getting out of all this....   Our boys are shrimpers... some on boats some in helos but still all shrimpers.....  hahahahaha  kidding!   =0P  gosh I love yall!!!  onboard ... super great questions that are getting our minds running...  hopefully we can do more at expl ...  If I can get my boy to explain I will!  meanwhile...  sounds like his contract is Wet Rescue Swimmer ... KEWL

  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Texas....  our PIR was 09-02 of last year... after the PIR we vowed to stay together.. and at the PIR we partied big time and made such great friends... In fact I hope Onboard will do the same... we all decided that we were crazy and fun and funny and having kids in the Navy is soooo stressful no matter what their rate.. so we promised each other we would stay fun and crazy... hency the Chicken Ship hahahahahahahah
  • Christi

    Y'all are cracking me up!! Need that rum and coke now please!! Texas- I agree with you about the swimmers on board the boats, they are required to have a ccertain amount, but no they are not Aviation Rescue Swimmers.

     

    As for the wings- I don't know what the new guidelines are. My son was the last class to get them under the "old" rules meaning FRAC/FRS graduation. See all these acronyms can be interchangeable and mind numbing. lol.

  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    hahahah Christi... here honey... would you like a single or double......  would you like reg coke or diet... I do coke 0 my self........are you happy that you popped back on here ahah.. so much fun we are having... well, I do know that my boy said they do NOT get those treasured gold wings until they deploy first...  not sure why the change...  OH and it was my boy who set me straight on NOT calling it FRAC but rather FRS... its a Rescue Swimmer "thing" you know they are "Special"  hahaha  (well they are cause we love them so much!)
  • onboardMOM

    Anybody for a DOUBLE?  It's got to be 5:00 pm somewhere.....
  • Christi

    It's almost 5 here....and I would love the coke 0, make that a double please!!

  • Mama B

    My poor sweet boy really got it today. We took his car to him a month and a half ago with his personal plate that said RESQSWMR and sent the new one with in two wks, knowing he would get razzed. Well today he was told to go over to the Officers Bldg and specifically to park in the Commanding Officers spot. When he went in, he was met by the Senior Chief who accused him of being he m f who "Cat called" his 14yr daughter. Then took him out side and 9 of them where standing around his car screaming at him for parking in that spot. He was made to do push-ups and recite that he is NOT a rescue swimmer. The thing that really stinks is that it was one of several guys in his car as they were going out. And the plate idea was my husbands.

    They are insisting that he bring it to them tomorrow morning for PT. Oh gosh I can only imagine what they have planned.

     

  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Mama - hang in there... they do all they can to psych out these guys... just remind him to look at but passed the senior chief as he is yelling... its part of the game... The tougher these guys are the harder they are on them.. but thats cause they know that they have what it takes... so they try to break them... he just must stare past it and give it no extra thought... they find anything they can to pick them out .. He has a car tag that made them angry prob cause he has not completed the program.. to you and me it sound tooo kewl... not to them.. My boy got Honormen award at RSS grad... dont think that at SERE (he hinted to me)  they did not know that and give him more hell for it... but.... they have to focus their mind... your boy knows that but we will pray for perseverance and peace for him - he wants this and he knows the game!  Id say take the tag off like immediately.. hahahaha...  Mama he will be okay... they look for anything from a pimple on their ass to a swim fin not properly placed on the foot... thats the game...  your boy knows that... yep they will kill him tomorrow but I have a feeling that he already knows that and he is READY  hoooooooooooyaaaaaaaaa
  • April

    Hi everyone!  I don't really comment on here a lot but I do like to read the comments and suggestions!  Thanks for keeping us newbies informed.  My husband graduated aircrew school last thursday and has his 1st day of starboard d tomorrow!  @Mama....I heard what happened :(  Don't worry your son is strong and it was just a little bump in the road!
  • Mama B

    Thanks girls, your right he'll get through this and be more careful who he lets in his car from now on! It's kinda funny, the chow-hall they have to use on the weekends is quite a walk so he drives over and is usually met by 5 or 6 guys waiting at his car for a ride.
  • Mama B

    Oh April if I didn't say it enough yet .....thank you thank you thank you for taking pictures at their graduation from NACCS!!!!

     

  • Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)

    Hi Navy Wife - you are so welcome to be here with us crazy moms and wives!  Congrat to the very first classification pass!  Now on to the really really hard one.  Im sure he will hold for a month or so in Starb D so he can really work out and swim!  He will need it for sure!

    Mama - I been thinking about your Sailor this morning...  I know he is going through the wringer but I also know that he will be soooo strong from this little bump in the road.  To him it probably feels like a major pot hole hahahaha!  Bless his heart!

    Hey who is in class 1114?  cause I have a friend whose boy just started and we think he might be in that class??? 

  • jodybrock

    Hello all. I don't quite belong here yet, as my son just started bootcamp. But,his contract is to be a rescue swimmer, so he will go off to Pensacola after BC, and I thought you could all help me with a question I have. It is about cell phones. His current phone is pretty old, and we were going to get him a new one to take after BC. But, is it worth it to get a smart phone, or should we just get a regular cell phone? I am not sure how many opportunities they have after BC to use phones and such. Any advice from those of you who have more experience than me? Thank you in advance!
  • KarsonsMama

    hello all - i am new to the site. my boy is an rss and will be graduating "a" school in august.  How do I,or can I even get, clearance to attend the graduation ceremony?  my boy said I need special security clearance to attend but he didn't know how I got that clearance and I feel that I am running out of time!  help.