Moms of Aviation Rescue Swimmers

sweetpea - I just can not thank you enough sista!!!!!!  Ill be looking for them!

The3 - yippie  awesome!!!!!!

Hi! My son is on hold right now in Pensicola.  Is this considered phase 1 or is this actually just nothing at all?? He says they took his civilian clothes and computer from hiim and he can't go anywhere at all. He will be there a week tomorrow and is not a happy camper right now. :)  How long does this take to actually start??

ProudMomma welcome to the group!!!

Thanks Lydia! I found it. Very informative.  So you son phased up all three phases in one months time??  That's pretty good!!  I'm sure it's just an adjustment on my boy's part.

Thanks Sweetpea!! Congrats to your son!! I know you're a proud momma as well!!!

Sweetpea, Praying for your son. Hope all goes well.

Proudmomma2, Good luck to your son.  Everything Lydia and Sweetpea said is the best advice.  Patience and hard work.  Once they finish RSS and go to A school barracks they will have to phase up all over again, but it seems to go faster. 

First week is hard, little freedom. They can ask for special liberty to get off base for the weekend pretty soon. If one person in their group messes up then the entire group is punished  

Sweetpea4-- I think my son was one of the 4 RSS that went to your son's wedding. I think I can safely say that he was the shortest, tiniest one. I hope all went well, you know boys, they don't tell their mom's everything. He did graduate last week and he is now in San Diego and has hooked up again with his best bud and Lydias son.

The boys were great! We have a wonderful picture of mySon with 4 of his best buds from high school along with 4 of his new navy friends!  They are all on the dock together, the pic is priceless!

Kevin - oh he is just gonna love flying... I know my B sure does!!  He is now more than half done with his required flights and he is soooooooo  happy happy .. especially now that his buddy R is there in SD with him.. I think R might even get assigned to Bs room... they were not sure as of yesterday??  But they are together at least for a few months till B graduates--- then who knows  ;o( 

Hey Proudmomma ---  did you think to go up to the form discussions up above and click on "View All" go to page two and read the Path of the Rescue Swimmer.  If you did I hope it helped you to understand the time line a little better cause it IS SO FRUSTRATING ill tell ya!  hahahaha...  

Yes I agree with Sweatpea and Kevin that they are usually Phase three long before their first school (NACCS)  but really it is somewhat up to them to bust butt and get through those inspections and encourage the other guys also...  yup one mistake and they all fail!!  More learning of Team Work..  Now that my son is where he is and almost finished with this whole Pipeling.. I see how so very important those lessons in Team Work have been to him!   He is a true believer in it and boy if someone does not toe the line he really lets em have it (in a niceish kinda of way hahahah) 

Well, sooooo okay who is on hold , who is classed up???  Anyone in Rescue Swimmer School in here right now...  I think everyone here is done or has boy(s) just getting started???  Seems like we are missing people in here?????? 

Hello Ladies -  glad to hear all seems well in our sons/husbands world. SD must be beautiful this time of the year! 

Lydia I was glad to hear your sons friend R has made his way out there, after praying for him I'd wondered how he's been doing.

Probably not a good thing but....... my sons bank statements still come to our home and man is he blowing his money!!! Talked to him last week and he said they had a 6 hour class on finances that was super boring. Can I tell you how much I wanted to be his Drill Inst and shake some sense into him!!!!!

jbmom-for my son's experience, there wasnt anything to study before the various classes.  They will give them the information that want them to know in the school.  It is the physical that they could and should challenge themselves with during the hold times.  While quite a bit of the success factor is due to mental toughness, physical toughness doesn't hurt!  If you can't perform the maneuvers, it doesn't matter how mentally tough you are.

When my son was going through RSS, there was a female swimmer (not in his class, but either before or after his, I don't quite remember) that was an excellent swimmer, but couldn't pass some of the other physical things that were required of her, so she didn't pass.

jbmom -----   welcome welcome..... please tell us... is your son or daughter in BC or on hold in Pcola... I assume on hold????   Ive been wondering about new moms (wifes here)  most of us kids are through those tough Candidate schools now so Im looking for who is coming up next.....  I lose track if I dont take notes hahah!!!!

I agree with KevinH....  actually if you could study how to be mentally prepared that would be great because that is what fails so many of these kids.....as well as the PT of course.....but unfortunately there are no classes on that hahaha!!  Just have to have it in themselves....   running, tons of working out, ENDURANCE swimming, flutter kicks by the thousands literally, and more of the same and then when done with that......  start all over!  Also, practicing just basic holding breath, mask clearing... have a buddy rip of his mask deep in the pool and him clear it and surface...  the PT is excruciating and the mental is the worse....  lots of hold times and mind games can cause them to lose focus unless they are really intend on making this....  Im sure your Sailor will be hooked up with others who will also be advising him/her...  they do talk among themselves and they do watch those who are ahead of them....  please let us know....

KevinH... Im sure he will be stellar....  my B said that generally its only a few from the class that actually fly together not like all 6 or 8 of them... B flys with one of his bffs...  and they do great together....  Let us know... Im praying for your boy!!!!!!!!!   (It is nerve wracking to me to think of them up in that helo all day...) especially when you man will do the night vision thing... ugggggg  but anyway that is what they are trained for!!!!  

Hi jbmom!  Endurance swimming......needs to be able to swim for long distances. Miles at one time......not one mile, but miles.......  Plus the other things that were mentioned (I think):  tread water for 1 hour or so.  mask clearing. And the mind games......just head games that the instructors play.  So he can be practicing on being mentally strong and on task........spot on whatever he does. 

I pop in every now and then to see how all is doing.  I really can't share what my son is doing........well, let's say he can't share too much and what he does share, I can't.  When they're in schools, it's nice to be able to exchange information.  But now that my son is with his squadron, he's at the point where the information is specific to his job.  But I still like to read this group.  =)

He comes home Sunday (YAY!) for a visit through Thursday.  Can't wait!

Texas Mom....  AWESOME you get to hug that boy!!!  Hug him for me too hahaha!!  Yes there comes a time when we cant say to much current stuff but at least we can be here to encourage those that are at the beginning and also encourage each other in our lonely times of missing them!!!!  hooyaaa I say for N4M!!!!

jbmom - I know that for one thing....  the breast stroke as funny as this might sound because my boy passed everything first time every time and won an award "honormen"  hahaha    he flunked breast stroke when they were testing in for NACCS .....  he did not have his kick part of the stroke according to what the instructors wanted... he passsed it the next time and tested into NACCS but I guess what Im saying is have him practice with his buddys and do the strokes flawlessly...  I think they test them on all strokes and endurance..  Just tell him to swim swim swim.....  flutter kick flutter kick flutter kick....  swim swim swim.... run run run run....  then start all over again!!!  =0D  Tell him to watch and listen to the guys who are up ahead of him... observation is a good learning tool....  I think that Texas, Kevins, Rox myself and all us mommas wives here would say the same thing....  tell him to look at the light at what will seem a never ending ridiculous tunnel.... that is where he will have to focus in order to get through the mental part.... the physical is up to him!!  practice and prepare... listen and do EXACTLY what the instructors tell him without hesitation or deviation!!!   I think that would be what my son would say....   Please keep us up to date... and you will enjoy being here cause it is sooo stressful on us parents while they go through this....  HUGS momma!!!!!!!!

you are welcome, I can't stand the thought of our men and women going without!!! They are all our children!!! 

My Son's family is 1 hour from Pensacola so 6 of us are planning on attending can't wait!!! God Blessed the class today they all passed!!! Yeah so happy for all of them!!! 

Sweetpea-congrats to your sailor, and lucky you for living close enough to be able to attend the graduation. 

Navymom-glad your sailor is moving along the pipeline and that you get to see your son at Christmas. 

My son is pretty sure he gets to come home for Christmas too.  By the time he comes home, he won't have been home for a year.  My husband & I did go out and visit for a week in June, but his sister hasn't seen him since Christmas.  We couldn't wait for December or the thought of him spending Thanksgiving without family again, so we are going out to visit him during the long thanksgiving weekend.  I can't wait to see that boy and hug the stuffing out of him.

Woow - navymom...  you boy flew then with my sons best friend R - so Ill bet they ALL know each other.. maybe even in the same room...  cause R flew also Friday late night..  My son picked most of the guys up in his truck... bet your son was one of them maybe....  congrats!!!!!

sweetpea......  very awesome that you will get to go sista~!!  I had a fellow N4M mom friend of mine went for me and she even tapped the ceremony...  awesome!  hooyaaa

NavyWife.... how are you doing sista...  hows the Sailor??

kevin...  wooooow I wish wish wish I could go see my boy at Thanksgiving but its not in the finances this year... however... he too said that he is pretty sure that he will have SOME time around Christmas too!  He will graduate RSS FINALLY and be through the pipeline late nov early dec... so I guess it depends on what his orders are..  but hopefully where ever they send him.. he will be able to stop in FL for Christmas with my daughter , his old school buddies and hubby and I will drive there too!!!!  fingers now crossed...

Soooooooooooooooooo   today is Graduation day for some of our boys and girls!!  whoop whoop!!!  Mabe that is why it is so quiet in here this week! 

Kyles.........  sure hoping you are okay sista!!!

Just got home from graduation! Almost had a panic attack during the pool demonstration, It is amazing how we train our military! Thats why they are the BEST in THE WORLD!!!

I second that, about the pictures.  Since I didn't get to go to my son's grad from RSS, I live it vicariously through other graduations. LOL. :)

Lydia-pkg being sent out to you tomorrow.