Melissa, you are scaring me a little. My son is supposed to graduate FRS on Friday. We are currently sitting in Detroit waiting for our connecting flight to Jacksonville. He is finishing up the last few tests. I hope nothing keeps him from graduating.
I wouldn't worry too much Jodi - your son is in Jax and mine is in SD. The real issue is that his class members went on med hold and hold for an extended time and now that they are back two of them keep failing flights so my son who didn't go on hold or fail any flights is finished but his classmates are not. Not really anyone's fault, but frustrating all the same. The other issue comes with requesting billets - they don't want to request a single billet but they have to make sure the next class is ready for grad before they can request for them so even if he graduates he can't go any where without a billet. And round and round we go!
Anywho - safe travels and enjoy your visit with your son. Congratulations to all of you!
Jodi- I hope your son's graduation goes off without a hitch! I Have a wonderful time with your son with beautiful weather:)
Melissa- I can't imagine how frustrated your son must be with the waiting...
Finals coming up for RSS on Monday (my son, Navywife13, and Eaglemom2).... fingers and toes crossed...blue candle lit, and prayers abound for them and all others in that class. I think I will be holding my breath until Monday afternoon.
My son graduated FRAC today. Since this was the final graduating class of Bravo rescue swimmers and pilots at Jacksonville they had a fairly big ceremony. It was so nice to hear all the good things that the instructors had to say about our boys They will all be heading for San Diego although we don't yet know when.
Jodi - wooohooo ALRIGHT!! Now he is on his way to wings and deployment... he is down that Pipeline and through most of the hard stuff!!! ahhhh sigh of relief!
MaryKay... again AWESOME!! so close to home!!! I know you are excited!
Melissa... seems the military are always hurry up and wait - BUT he will graduate and do awesome.. soon he will get wings and deploy or vice versa...
So many things can cause a delay when you are dealing with soooo many Sailors at one time... hold times, class grads delays and as Sweetpea can tell you... waiting on wing ceremonies... but still just remember that the hardest part is behind him at this point. Now comes the fun stuff.. Cutting holes in the sky as my son says! Good money, great benefits and lots of brothers and sisters. My son is slowly on his way home now from the Mid East... wont be long but sure has BEEN long it seems!!!! I can not wait to see him. Been a long time!
So hoping and praying for our RSS kids... one day left one test, the Final Exam.... My hat is off to any who make it this far!! And who pass the exam and move on. Monday (tomorrow) will be a tense day for sure!!! My candle is also lit for them !!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxox
Congrats proudmama to you and your sailor!! If I was there, we would have a drink for sure! These kids don't realize how stressful all this is on us. haha
My son's girlfriend just got back from down there and she said she met your son and he was super nice.
Jodi- Thank you ! Yes, I am soooo relieved- I'm sure that is just the beginning of the nerves, but yes- it was really intense!
MoAngel1967-How nice! It is always great to hear how our loved ones cross paths and enjoy each other's company! And... if we do cross each other's paths... we will have that drink!
Lydia...a special thanks to you. You answered every PM with interest and helpfulness... I can't even begin to thank you enough:)
Proudmama~ Congratulations! I can't wait to be in your shoes. My son is loving his time thus far and for that I am truly grateful! He was chosen to play a victim during a scenario for RSS and he loved that too! Definately doing what he can to stand out and go above and beyond.
hoooooooooahhhhhhhhh to proudmamma's son and all those who passed!!! How did our other "kids" do?? Any update on the rest of that class?
How are the ones who are new to Pcola doing? Working out and running hard I hope... getting ready for what faces them. How are Moms and GFs???? This really can take a toll on us The Family!! So I am glad we are here together with each other to encourage, vent, laugh, cry and certainly BRAG... moms have full bragging rights!!! Each step in this pipeline that is accomplished is a goal reached and each one we are so proud of!!! Congrats to our RSS grads, Congrats to our A school grads..... Congrats to our FRS Grads!!!! And for those on hold at any given part of this pipeline... hoooahhhh hang in there!!!!! Yall have a blessed day!!!! xoxoxoxox OH AND BTW any new ones in here or new ones who are watching and reading but not commenting... remember to up to the Discussion Forum above here and read the Path... and also Phases.... it will help you with some general questions that you might have.... xoxoxox
My husband passed RSS also. He is so relieved to be done with this part and I don't blame him, it seemed pretty rough. We're just ready to get going with A school, I know there is a wait but I'm anxious. I'm so very proud of him and everyone else in this group of young men and women.
Glad you are back Beth. My son in on hold waiting to class up to NACCS, just beginning this pipeline but says that he has really been enjoying working out with the RSS insrtuctors, perhaps one is your son. What a journey that you have been on, I can only imagine. Hooyah!
Welcome back Beth. That's cool that your son has gone full circle. From a rescue swimmer to a soon to be instructor. I wish him the best! I hope my son decides to stay in and will some day be given an opportunity like this.
Ridgegirl... sounds like your son is off to a great start:). slowly but surely our guys and girls make their way through this long pipeline....
Beth- How exciting to have your son go through the entire air rescue swimmer experience! If your son enlisted in 2008...is he re-enlisting for the 2nd time? I wasn't sure that if you re-sign your contract -is it shorter since there is not the long pipeline to go through? When you wrote that he helped with rescues in Japan, I wondered if he has had to deal with the radioactivity that some of our Navy brothers and sisters were exposed to? Is your son happy with his decision to become an Air Rescue swimmer?
I am now leaving Pensacola after attending my son's RSS graduation. It was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. I had the honor to spend the afternoon with many who are on the path to becoming an Air Rescue Swimmer either pre- RSS or recent RSS grads and even some who are in the thick of A school. ALL of those young men were impressive! They were polite, conversational, and engaging young adults. I met several of the girl friends as well who were cheerful and sweet young ladies. I was especially impressed that there are siblings-both who recently graduated from RSS. Wow! I can't imagine going through this process for two of my kids... one was stressful enough! I wish you all well as I leave sunny florida (ok..not so sunny today, but has been all week) to fly back to snowy Midwest.....:( I offered to be the "Den mother" of the RSS barracks... and to stay in P'cola. The instructor didn't take me up on that offer. He must be checking with his commanding officer. LOL
HI Beth... man it HAS been a long time since you have been here.... I have missed ya! Sounds that your boy is doing awesome things!!!! Can not wait to hear more!!!!
Proud.... baaahahahaha Den Mother - love that!!! Well, welcome back home. Time for him and Navywife's man to move on to the next phase... and the others also... A school!!!! Some SERE, some FRS and some on into the fleet!!!! wooohooo what a ride!!!! =)
Hi everybody! Just received word that my boy starts RSS on Monday - anybody else's starting on Monday? I heard that the last class was down to 15 by the last week of class and only 9 graduated - yikes!
jaxietwo, congrats to your son for moving along in the pipeline. Just remind him to keep focused and to work really hard. My son's class started with 38 and I remember him saying they wanted to get it down to 20 the first day. If I remember correctly only 8 or 9 graduated with 2 or 3 of them rolling in from a previous class. Its hard but if he keeps his eye on the "prize" he should be okay.
Beth, it sounds like you have had a very busy few years. I'm sure your daughter and sons appreciated the support you gave them through letters and boxes. It's nice to hear that he decided to stay in. My son likes what he is doing but I'm curious to see how he will feel now that he is out of the schoolroom and heading for his first duty station. If all goes right he will be home next weekend for a week before he heads to San Diego.
Looks like everyone is moving along in the the pipeline - congratulations to those of you with graduates. I am envious that you got to spend time with your son - I sure miss mine.
He was finally (after 6 attempts!) able to complete his final flight and is status complete for FRS, though not graduated. He will have to wait for the next class that is ready for graduation and slide in with them - though they did get billet assignments. He will be staying in San Diego, which he is a bit bummed about as he had his heart set on Guam, but the upside of him being there is that I will have the opportunity to see him occasionally.
I have to brag on him a bit and tell you that he had his first actual rescue; not sure exactly how much information I can divulge, but there was a medical incident on a training flight and he handled it. He will be receiving an award for service at graduation. Pretty proud of my son - he is an impressive young man if I do say so myself!
Received a txt today - Phase III - well it was a picture of him holding a card with his name and Phase III on it. So weekend liberty! He stated in a later txt that he classed up today for aircrew candidate school and he starts tomorrow. I'm excited for him!
Beth, thank you for sharing the inspiring update on your son. My son recently arrived in Japan beginning his journey there. It's comforting to hear your stories about Japan.
Melissa, congrats to your son on his service award. One day my son and another rescue swimmer went to a fast food restaurant and as they walked in a lady collapsed to the floor. He said no one went to help her so they rushed over to her. She came to so they kept her calm while they called 911. She almost passed out again before the medics took over. She refused to go to the hospital but she did buy the boys lunch! He said it was the coolest feeling being able to help. I think what surprised them is that no one came to the lady's aid.
Jaxi and Eagle Mom..... super duper prayers for the boys!!! Keep us posted okay!
melissa..... stellar!!!!!!!!! I can see your smile right now!
Cs.... that is great... it will go a bit faster now for him. They all seem to love NACCS... and yes Phase 3 is great.. so much more freedom for him.
Soupmom..... my B's bff from elementary school who went in a year after B, is in Japan and he loves it... so much to do there and places to go and see.
Jodi, very awesome story about the boys! Enjoy his visit!!!!
All the training and hardships that our Sailors go through in this Pipeline makes them hyper ready at all times to run to the cause and get the job done... it is why the attrition rate is so high... But it is also understandable!
Beth, you read my mind.... I was going to ask you about the radiation health issues that so many of the Sailor DO have that were there... but I was going to PM you, so sigh of relief that you have mentioned it! It is sooo great to have you back here gf!!!!!!!
Well, my B is on his way back home from the Middle East now...it wont be long!!! Im soooo excited that I will get to see him sometime in May..!!!!! Speaking of Care packages, I am a member of a VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) here in my area and one of the things we do is ship to no less that 125 soldiers every few months.. the emails we get in return would melt your heart and make you cry... means the world to them sooo a shout out to yall for that! But it is funny cause I have personally my hubby and I shipped a ton of them to B's Black Jack Squad that are on the Boxer with him and he said that I am the adopted mamma and they have done a CD of hundreds of photos for me.... hehehe I can not wait to get it... I love pictures!!!!!! That is their thank you for all the boxes over the past 10 months!
Anyhooooo.... love and hugs to you all! Being a military mamma is the hardest job in the world !!! Yall are all super stellar!!!!! Super star mammas!
Bravo Zulu to your son and his friend Jodi! Hooyah to all of our Sailors - new and old.
Jodi - did you say your son was going to San Diego? Does he know what Squadron he will be with? I'm curious if our boys will come in contact with each other there.
lots of new people, congratulations on the path your sailor has chosen! My son is graduating the last Friday in May as Romeo in Coronado. Does anyone else in this group have a sailor graduating this date or prior that can give me some info on what to prepare for.
Carmen, I'm not sure what can be done at this point. It is my understanding that he must have a contract for AIRR before entering bc. Is he in an 800 division? I haven't heard of anyone being able to switch into the AIRR rate without prior contract. I would go talk to his recruiter. I'm not sure if he has the time in bc to talk to anyone about this. Any other thoughts anyone?
Jodi- keep us filled in on how your son likes the"real world" experience of being an Air Rescue Swimmer. Also, I bet you are really proud of him as he came to the rescue of that woman in the restaurant! You raised a good boy!
Melissa- How impressive that your son has already completed his first rescue. Congrats on his upcoming award!!! I do hope that you will be able to share a link to an article that describes what happened. Good for him!
C's mom- Congrats!!! I'm so excited for him to phase up and begin aircrew school. That is a fun school and is definitely a morale booster for the guys!
Soupmom-I would love to hear about how your son enjoys Japan as my son might end up there!
Aster!- I'm so glad you came back on and said Hi! I will never, ever forget your kindness to my daughter and how you helped her transfer to the Navy Lodge in Coronado. She has fond memories of you! My son graduated RSS and is also Romeo. Where does your son go from here? Hope all is well with you and your family!
Eaglemom2 and Jaxie- I will be lighting my blue candle for you on Monday! Prayers for your sons. I've had the pleasure of meeting both of your sons and I can just say that they are WONDERFUL young men!
Lydia- WOOOOOOT WOOOOOOOT!!! I can feel your excitement about having your B come home! I'm so excited for you. Are you going to be there when the ship arrives? I hope you get to... you deserve it and much more!!
My son moved to the other side of the base after graduating from RSS and is on hold.. I guess he starts some Indoc stuff this week. Does that mean he will begin his school sooner than later? Can anyone give me insight about how tough Romeo A school is? Any tips that I could pass on to my son about school? I know it is top secret so I don't mean content...I am referring to study tips etc.
Dbristol- Hey! I've been thinking about you lately! Hope your son is well. Wasn't he chosen for Csar? How is that going? I think of him often!
Melissa, my son will be with the Scorpions (Squad 49?).
Proudmama, my son was a Bravo which was a subdivision so to speak of the Romeo. He struggled a little in the beginning because its a lot of bookwork and my son, while smart, never liked school much. Once he got used to reading and studying he did really well.
Does anyone know how they select the order Sailor's in the same division get to start their 1st school, Air Crew? It seems they are starting at different times.
A's Mom...... seems like there is little rhyme and reason.. waaay back when my B got started on this pipeline, the kids with the higher test in scores (PT) got chosen first while the other kids then had more time to beef up their scores... as there is criteria that they MUST have to get into NACCS as well as RSS.... Still sometimes it makes no sense at all.
Carmen..... the Recruits can have a general contract and be allowed if there is a slot to be Rescue Swimmer... that is up to the Instructors at RDC... they will watch him and he will have opportunity to prove himself able.... it is however a bit rare because there just are not a lot of slots open for Rescue Swimmer... I have heard of it happening.
Jodi --- kewl I love that name... Scorpions!!!!!!!!!
HI ASTER - we have missed you! Congrats to your son!
Well, happy Sonday yall!!!!!!!!!! OH super prayers for our kids classing up RSS tomorrow!!! AND all of them no matter what point they are in this arduous pipeline!!!!!!
Hi everybody! Finally a spring day - which has helped me keep my mind off my boy - lots of yard work done and I'm beat!
RSS starts tomorrow - blue candles are ready to go!
A's Mom I'm not sure how they pick them - my son was only in Starboard D for two weeks and it sounds like some of his classmates were there much longer.
Thanks for all the encouragement from everyone - Eaglemom2 and I are going to need it!
Hi everyone....just writing an update on our son. He has been in San Diego for about 1-1/2 months, and has completed SERE, he is now on hold for FRS, he will start in May. He loves being back in CA and closer to home. Now we are going to be able to see him more often, than we had in the last year since he left for boot camp. I do not come on very often, but I do read all the messages. Just hang in there, all of the moms and dads with there sons and daughters starting on this long pipeline. We were only able to see one graduation Boot Camp and that was awesome, I will always remember seeing my son and the sound of the drums, still gives me the chills. We are planning to go to our son's FRS graduation, but that is over a year away. We are planning to go down to Southern CA during the summer to see our son, so we are pretty excited about that. My prayers, thoughts and hopes are with everyone from boot camp and all the way through the pipeline. A long but exciting adventure and us and our son are only half way through. Good Luck to everyone!
Good morning all. Have another question for you knowleegable ladies: Our son graduates from A school the early part of May ( Romeo). Do they get word where the next assignment will be before graduation? He thinks he will, but we don't know what "Mother Navy" ever does! Any insight would be helpful. Thanks in advance and best to all of you and your sailors.
Oneproudmomca, and Saltyocean- My son was just assigned to Romeo... wondered how A school was for your sons and I also wondered how do they like Romeo? Any thoughts about the A school experience from a Mom's perspective?
proudmama.....from a Mom's perspective, my son liked "A" school, at least no complaints. Lots of studying. As far as Romeo, he loves it, that is what he wanted once he got to Pensacola. Good Luck to your son in A school, once done, I hope he gets where he wants to go.
SalyOcean ~ my son is ROMEO ~ he found out he was going to San Diego about a week-2 weeks before graduation he was going to San Diego for FRS. The day after graduation he flew to San Diego and on Monday he went to SERE. He will graduate FRS the last Friday in May and is waiting to hear where he will be stationed.
Proudmama that is awesome! As you know Coronado is a great place to visit! A school is tough! Lots of studying and lots of tests...just tell him to keep his nose to the grindstone and he will do fine. :)
Proudmama, my son just graduated FRS in Jacksonville and is home for a week before heading to San Diego for his first duty station. He really seems to like what he is doing and I think he is ready to get started doing his job.
To proudmama, My son seems to like what he is doing. He requested Romeo, inspite of the longer schooling. He said the first few weeks of classes were hard, but now has gotten into the flow of things, is getting more out of it, doing much better in class, and is very proud of himself. He like the subject matter, and says it's all "new stuff".
Proudmomca, Jodi, Saltyocean, and aster.... Thanks so much for the info regarding Romeo, where your sons are in the pipeline and how they like it there! My son is waiting for A school to start...still in Indoc at this time. He loves being in P'cola. The guys who are in this portion of the pipeline seem to all be good friends. They certainly take advantage of being at the beach and my son has learned to skim board. He loves it!!! I don't think he is in a hurry to leave P'cola:)
HI Proudmomca..... AND ANY OF YALL whose kids are heading to San Diego........If your son is looking for a church ... my B goes to one where a LOT of Navy and Marines go when they are home... its a cool kinda laid back board short and flip flops church... but super active in the Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach community.... their young people are always doing something!! They even have a Surfing ministry!!!! let me know and I will send you a link to their site etc.... I know the pastor and wife personally... they are awesome lovely people!
I am happy that yalls boys are happy!!!! When they are happy WE are happy hahahahaha.... reminds me of the song HAPPY by Pharrel Williams! love that song!
xoxoxoxoxoxox my son will be home from the USS Boxer in a few weeks!! yippie.... HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY mamma!
sweetpea4
Airmom10, know what you mean waiting and waiting mechanical issues, weather delays..... UGH Patience is the key!
Mar 12, 2014
Jodi-alumni Ship 4
Melissa, you are scaring me a little. My son is supposed to graduate FRS on Friday. We are currently sitting in Detroit waiting for our connecting flight to Jacksonville. He is finishing up the last few tests. I hope nothing keeps him from graduating.
Mar 12, 2014
Melissa
Anywho - safe travels and enjoy your visit with your son. Congratulations to all of you!
Mar 12, 2014
proudmama
Jodi- I hope your son's graduation goes off without a hitch! I Have a wonderful time with your son with beautiful weather:)
Melissa- I can't imagine how frustrated your son must be with the waiting...
Finals coming up for RSS on Monday (my son, Navywife13, and Eaglemom2).... fingers and toes crossed...blue candle lit, and prayers abound for them and all others in that class. I think I will be holding my breath until Monday afternoon.
Mar 14, 2014
Jodi-alumni Ship 4
My son graduated FRAC today. Since this was the final graduating class of Bravo rescue swimmers and pilots at Jacksonville they had a fairly big ceremony. It was so nice to hear all the good things that the instructors had to say about our boys They will all be heading for San Diego although we don't yet know when.
Mar 14, 2014
Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)
Jodi - wooohooo ALRIGHT!! Now he is on his way to wings and deployment... he is down that Pipeline and through most of the hard stuff!!! ahhhh sigh of relief!
MaryKay... again AWESOME!! so close to home!!! I know you are excited!
Melissa... seems the military are always hurry up and wait - BUT he will graduate and do awesome.. soon he will get wings and deploy or vice versa...
So many things can cause a delay when you are dealing with soooo many Sailors at one time... hold times, class grads delays and as Sweetpea can tell you... waiting on wing ceremonies... but still just remember that the hardest part is behind him at this point. Now comes the fun stuff.. Cutting holes in the sky as my son says! Good money, great benefits and lots of brothers and sisters. My son is slowly on his way home now from the Mid East... wont be long but sure has BEEN long it seems!!!! I can not wait to see him. Been a long time!
So hoping and praying for our RSS kids... one day left one test, the Final Exam.... My hat is off to any who make it this far!! And who pass the exam and move on. Monday (tomorrow) will be a tense day for sure!!! My candle is also lit for them !!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxox
Mar 16, 2014
proudmama
OK.... I'm gonna burst if I don't make this announcement....
My son passed his Air Rescue Swimmer final!!!
I'm proud, excited and relieved... I need a nap and quite honestly, a beer or glass of wine!
Congrats to all of our recent grads and their moms from various stages of the pipeline:)
I am so thankful for all of my friends here on N4M... .. I couldn't have survived this without you... that is the truth.
Mar 18, 2014
MoAngel1967
Congrats proudmama to you and your sailor!! If I was there, we would have a drink for sure! These kids don't realize how stressful all this is on us. haha
My son's girlfriend just got back from down there and she said she met your son and he was super nice.
Mar 18, 2014
Jodi-alumni Ship 4
Congrats to your son proud mama. I'm sure you are relieved to have that behind you!
Mar 18, 2014
C's mom
oh HUGS to you proud!!! You have been such an inspiration to me!
Mar 18, 2014
proudmama
Jodi- Thank you ! Yes, I am soooo relieved- I'm sure that is just the beginning of the nerves, but yes- it was really intense!
MoAngel1967-How nice! It is always great to hear how our loved ones cross paths and enjoy each other's company! And... if we do cross each other's paths... we will have that drink!
Lydia...a special thanks to you. You answered every PM with interest and helpfulness... I can't even begin to thank you enough:)
Mar 18, 2014
Ridgegirl
Proudmama~ Congratulations! I can't wait to be in your shoes. My son is loving his time thus far and for that I am truly grateful! He was chosen to play a victim during a scenario for RSS and he loved that too! Definately doing what he can to stand out and go above and beyond.
Mar 19, 2014
Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)
hoooooooooahhhhhhhhh to proudmamma's son and all those who passed!!! How did our other "kids" do?? Any update on the rest of that class?
How are the ones who are new to Pcola doing? Working out and running hard I hope... getting ready for what faces them. How are Moms and GFs???? This really can take a toll on us The Family!! So I am glad we are here together with each other to encourage, vent, laugh, cry and certainly BRAG... moms have full bragging rights!!! Each step in this pipeline that is accomplished is a goal reached and each one we are so proud of!!! Congrats to our RSS grads, Congrats to our A school grads..... Congrats to our FRS Grads!!!! And for those on hold at any given part of this pipeline... hoooahhhh hang in there!!!!! Yall have a blessed day!!!! xoxoxoxox OH AND BTW any new ones in here or new ones who are watching and reading but not commenting... remember to up to the Discussion Forum above here and read the Path... and also Phases.... it will help you with some general questions that you might have.... xoxoxox
Mar 19, 2014
NavyWife13
Mar 19, 2014
sweetpea4
NavyWife13
Congrats! Hardest part over, now on to SERE...
Mar 19, 2014
proudmama
Navy Wife13-Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow!
C's mom-Thank you for your kind words:) I'm looking forward to hearing how your son's journey is going. One step at a time!
Jaxietwo- I met your son and his girlfriend today! What a nice young man he is:) It was really nice meeting him!
Mar 20, 2014
Jodi-alumni Ship 4
Congrats NavyWife13 and all the others who have sailors that have passed RSS. They should be very proud they made it this far!
Mar 21, 2014
Ridgegirl
Glad you are back Beth. My son in on hold waiting to class up to NACCS, just beginning this pipeline but says that he has really been enjoying working out with the RSS insrtuctors, perhaps one is your son. What a journey that you have been on, I can only imagine. Hooyah!
Mar 23, 2014
Jodi-alumni Ship 4
Welcome back Beth. That's cool that your son has gone full circle. From a rescue swimmer to a soon to be instructor. I wish him the best! I hope my son decides to stay in and will some day be given an opportunity like this.
Mar 24, 2014
proudmama
Ridgegirl... sounds like your son is off to a great start:). slowly but surely our guys and girls make their way through this long pipeline....
Beth- How exciting to have your son go through the entire air rescue swimmer experience! If your son enlisted in 2008...is he re-enlisting for the 2nd time? I wasn't sure that if you re-sign your contract -is it shorter since there is not the long pipeline to go through? When you wrote that he helped with rescues in Japan, I wondered if he has had to deal with the radioactivity that some of our Navy brothers and sisters were exposed to? Is your son happy with his decision to become an Air Rescue swimmer?
Mar 24, 2014
proudmama
I am now leaving Pensacola after attending my son's RSS graduation. It was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. I had the honor to spend the afternoon with many who are on the path to becoming an Air Rescue Swimmer either pre- RSS or recent RSS grads and even some who are in the thick of A school. ALL of those young men were impressive! They were polite, conversational, and engaging young adults. I met several of the girl friends as well who were cheerful and sweet young ladies. I was especially impressed that there are siblings-both who recently graduated from RSS. Wow! I can't imagine going through this process for two of my kids... one was stressful enough! I wish you all well as I leave sunny florida (ok..not so sunny today, but has been all week) to fly back to snowy Midwest.....:( I offered to be the "Den mother" of the RSS barracks... and to stay in P'cola. The instructor didn't take me up on that offer. He must be checking with his commanding officer. LOL
Mar 24, 2014
Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)
HI Beth... man it HAS been a long time since you have been here.... I have missed ya! Sounds that your boy is doing awesome things!!!! Can not wait to hear more!!!!
Proud.... baaahahahaha Den Mother - love that!!! Well, welcome back home. Time for him and Navywife's man to move on to the next phase... and the others also... A school!!!! Some SERE, some FRS and some on into the fleet!!!! wooohooo what a ride!!!! =)
Mar 25, 2014
jaxietwo
Hi everybody! Just received word that my boy starts RSS on Monday - anybody else's starting on Monday? I heard that the last class was down to 15 by the last week of class and only 9 graduated - yikes!
Let the roller coaster begin!
Mar 27, 2014
Jodi-alumni Ship 4
jaxietwo, congrats to your son for moving along in the pipeline. Just remind him to keep focused and to work really hard. My son's class started with 38 and I remember him saying they wanted to get it down to 20 the first day. If I remember correctly only 8 or 9 graduated with 2 or 3 of them rolling in from a previous class. Its hard but if he keeps his eye on the "prize" he should be okay.
Beth, it sounds like you have had a very busy few years. I'm sure your daughter and sons appreciated the support you gave them through letters and boxes. It's nice to hear that he decided to stay in. My son likes what he is doing but I'm curious to see how he will feel now that he is out of the schoolroom and heading for his first duty station. If all goes right he will be home next weekend for a week before he heads to San Diego.
Mar 27, 2014
Eaglemom2
My son starts Monday also. Are you on facebook?
Mar 27, 2014
Melissa
Looks like everyone is moving along in the the pipeline - congratulations to those of you with graduates. I am envious that you got to spend time with your son - I sure miss mine.
He was finally (after 6 attempts!) able to complete his final flight and is status complete for FRS, though not graduated. He will have to wait for the next class that is ready for graduation and slide in with them - though they did get billet assignments. He will be staying in San Diego, which he is a bit bummed about as he had his heart set on Guam, but the upside of him being there is that I will have the opportunity to see him occasionally.
I have to brag on him a bit and tell you that he had his first actual rescue; not sure exactly how much information I can divulge, but there was a medical incident on a training flight and he handled it. He will be receiving an award for service at graduation. Pretty proud of my son - he is an impressive young man if I do say so myself!
Mar 27, 2014
C's mom
Received a txt today - Phase III - well it was a picture of him holding a card with his name and Phase III on it. So weekend liberty! He stated in a later txt that he classed up today for aircrew candidate school and he starts tomorrow. I'm excited for him!
Mar 27, 2014
SoupMom
Mar 27, 2014
Jodi-alumni Ship 4
Melissa, congrats to your son on his service award. One day my son and another rescue swimmer went to a fast food restaurant and as they walked in a lady collapsed to the floor. He said no one went to help her so they rushed over to her. She came to so they kept her calm while they called 911. She almost passed out again before the medics took over. She refused to go to the hospital but she did buy the boys lunch! He said it was the coolest feeling being able to help. I think what surprised them is that no one came to the lady's aid.
Mar 28, 2014
Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)
Jaxi and Eagle Mom..... super duper prayers for the boys!!! Keep us posted okay!
melissa..... stellar!!!!!!!!! I can see your smile right now!
Cs.... that is great... it will go a bit faster now for him. They all seem to love NACCS... and yes Phase 3 is great.. so much more freedom for him.
Soupmom..... my B's bff from elementary school who went in a year after B, is in Japan and he loves it... so much to do there and places to go and see.
Jodi, very awesome story about the boys! Enjoy his visit!!!!
All the training and hardships that our Sailors go through in this Pipeline makes them hyper ready at all times to run to the cause and get the job done... it is why the attrition rate is so high... But it is also understandable!
Beth, you read my mind.... I was going to ask you about the radiation health issues that so many of the Sailor DO have that were there... but I was going to PM you, so sigh of relief that you have mentioned it! It is sooo great to have you back here gf!!!!!!!
Well, my B is on his way back home from the Middle East now...it wont be long!!! Im soooo excited that I will get to see him sometime in May..!!!!! Speaking of Care packages, I am a member of a VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) here in my area and one of the things we do is ship to no less that 125 soldiers every few months.. the emails we get in return would melt your heart and make you cry... means the world to them sooo a shout out to yall for that! But it is funny cause I have personally my hubby and I shipped a ton of them to B's Black Jack Squad that are on the Boxer with him and he said that I am the adopted mamma and they have done a CD of hundreds of photos for me.... hehehe I can not wait to get it... I love pictures!!!!!! That is their thank you for all the boxes over the past 10 months!
Anyhooooo.... love and hugs to you all! Being a military mamma is the hardest job in the world !!! Yall are all super stellar!!!!! Super star mammas!
Mar 28, 2014
Melissa
Bravo Zulu to your son and his friend Jodi! Hooyah to all of our Sailors - new and old.
Jodi - did you say your son was going to San Diego? Does he know what Squadron he will be with? I'm curious if our boys will come in contact with each other there.
Happy weekend to everyone!
Mar 28, 2014
aster
lots of new people, congratulations on the path your sailor has chosen! My son is graduating the last Friday in May as Romeo in Coronado. Does anyone else in this group have a sailor graduating this date or prior that can give me some info on what to prepare for.
Mar 28, 2014
Eaglemom2
jaxie, please send me a message on facebook - we can start a support chat group so that no one can see what we say - safer for our boys.
Mar 29, 2014
proudmama
Carmen, I'm not sure what can be done at this point. It is my understanding that he must have a contract for AIRR before entering bc. Is he in an 800 division? I haven't heard of anyone being able to switch into the AIRR rate without prior contract. I would go talk to his recruiter. I'm not sure if he has the time in bc to talk to anyone about this. Any other thoughts anyone?
Mar 30, 2014
proudmama
Jodi- keep us filled in on how your son likes the"real world" experience of being an Air Rescue Swimmer. Also, I bet you are really proud of him as he came to the rescue of that woman in the restaurant! You raised a good boy!
Melissa- How impressive that your son has already completed his first rescue. Congrats on his upcoming award!!! I do hope that you will be able to share a link to an article that describes what happened. Good for him!
C's mom- Congrats!!! I'm so excited for him to phase up and begin aircrew school. That is a fun school and is definitely a morale booster for the guys!
Soupmom-I would love to hear about how your son enjoys Japan as my son might end up there!
Aster!- I'm so glad you came back on and said Hi! I will never, ever forget your kindness to my daughter and how you helped her transfer to the Navy Lodge in Coronado. She has fond memories of you! My son graduated RSS and is also Romeo. Where does your son go from here? Hope all is well with you and your family!
Eaglemom2 and Jaxie- I will be lighting my blue candle for you on Monday! Prayers for your sons. I've had the pleasure of meeting both of your sons and I can just say that they are WONDERFUL young men!
Lydia- WOOOOOOT WOOOOOOOT!!! I can feel your excitement about having your B come home! I'm so excited for you. Are you going to be there when the ship arrives? I hope you get to... you deserve it and much more!!
My son moved to the other side of the base after graduating from RSS and is on hold.. I guess he starts some Indoc stuff this week. Does that mean he will begin his school sooner than later? Can anyone give me insight about how tough Romeo A school is? Any tips that I could pass on to my son about school? I know it is top secret so I don't mean content...I am referring to study tips etc.
Dbristol- Hey! I've been thinking about you lately! Hope your son is well. Wasn't he chosen for Csar? How is that going? I think of him often!
Mar 30, 2014
Jodi-alumni Ship 4
Melissa, my son will be with the Scorpions (Squad 49?).
Proudmama, my son was a Bravo which was a subdivision so to speak of the Romeo. He struggled a little in the beginning because its a lot of bookwork and my son, while smart, never liked school much. Once he got used to reading and studying he did really well.
Mar 30, 2014
A's Mom
Mar 30, 2014
Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)
HI Everyone!!!!!!!
A's Mom...... seems like there is little rhyme and reason.. waaay back when my B got started on this pipeline, the kids with the higher test in scores (PT) got chosen first while the other kids then had more time to beef up their scores... as there is criteria that they MUST have to get into NACCS as well as RSS.... Still sometimes it makes no sense at all.
Carmen..... the Recruits can have a general contract and be allowed if there is a slot to be Rescue Swimmer... that is up to the Instructors at RDC... they will watch him and he will have opportunity to prove himself able.... it is however a bit rare because there just are not a lot of slots open for Rescue Swimmer... I have heard of it happening.
Jodi --- kewl I love that name... Scorpions!!!!!!!!!
HI ASTER - we have missed you! Congrats to your son!
Well, happy Sonday yall!!!!!!!!!! OH super prayers for our kids classing up RSS tomorrow!!! AND all of them no matter what point they are in this arduous pipeline!!!!!!
Mar 30, 2014
jaxietwo
Hi everybody! Finally a spring day - which has helped me keep my mind off my boy - lots of yard work done and I'm beat!
RSS starts tomorrow - blue candles are ready to go!
A's Mom I'm not sure how they pick them - my son was only in Starboard D for two weeks and it sounds like some of his classmates were there much longer.
Thanks for all the encouragement from everyone - Eaglemom2 and I are going to need it!
Mar 30, 2014
Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)
Prayers, hopes and thoughts for our RSS kids!!!!! And much love to you mammas!!!!
Apr 1, 2014
oneproudmomca
Hi everyone....just writing an update on our son. He has been in San Diego for about 1-1/2 months, and has completed SERE, he is now on hold for FRS, he will start in May. He loves being back in CA and closer to home. Now we are going to be able to see him more often, than we had in the last year since he left for boot camp. I do not come on very often, but I do read all the messages. Just hang in there, all of the moms and dads with there sons and daughters starting on this long pipeline. We were only able to see one graduation Boot Camp and that was awesome, I will always remember seeing my son and the sound of the drums, still gives me the chills. We are planning to go to our son's FRS graduation, but that is over a year away. We are planning to go down to Southern CA during the summer to see our son, so we are pretty excited about that. My prayers, thoughts and hopes are with everyone from boot camp and all the way through the pipeline. A long but exciting adventure and us and our son are only half way through. Good Luck to everyone!
Apr 2, 2014
Saltyocean
Good morning all. Have another question for you knowleegable ladies: Our son graduates from A school the early part of May ( Romeo). Do they get word where the next assignment will be before graduation? He thinks he will, but we don't know what "Mother Navy" ever does! Any insight would be helpful. Thanks in advance and best to all of you and your sailors.
Apr 4, 2014
oneproudmomca
Saltyocean - my son graduated A school (Romeo) in Feb and he found out about 2 weeks before where he was going for SERE and FRS.
Apr 4, 2014
proudmama
Oneproudmomca, and Saltyocean- My son was just assigned to Romeo... wondered how A school was for your sons and I also wondered how do they like Romeo? Any thoughts about the A school experience from a Mom's perspective?
Apr 4, 2014
oneproudmomca
proudmama.....from a Mom's perspective, my son liked "A" school, at least no complaints. Lots of studying. As far as Romeo, he loves it, that is what he wanted once he got to Pensacola. Good Luck to your son in A school, once done, I hope he gets where he wants to go.
Apr 5, 2014
aster
SalyOcean ~ my son is ROMEO ~ he found out he was going to San Diego about a week-2 weeks before graduation he was going to San Diego for FRS. The day after graduation he flew to San Diego and on Monday he went to SERE. He will graduate FRS the last Friday in May and is waiting to hear where he will be stationed.
Proudmama that is awesome! As you know Coronado is a great place to visit! A school is tough! Lots of studying and lots of tests...just tell him to keep his nose to the grindstone and he will do fine. :)
Apr 5, 2014
Jodi-alumni Ship 4
Proudmama, my son just graduated FRS in Jacksonville and is home for a week before heading to San Diego for his first duty station. He really seems to like what he is doing and I think he is ready to get started doing his job.
Apr 5, 2014
Saltyocean
To proudmama, My son seems to like what he is doing. He requested Romeo, inspite of the longer schooling. He said the first few weeks of classes were hard, but now has gotten into the flow of things, is getting more out of it, doing much better in class, and is very proud of himself. He like the subject matter, and says it's all "new stuff".
Apr 5, 2014
proudmama
Proudmomca, Jodi, Saltyocean, and aster.... Thanks so much for the info regarding Romeo, where your sons are in the pipeline and how they like it there! My son is waiting for A school to start...still in Indoc at this time. He loves being in P'cola. The guys who are in this portion of the pipeline seem to all be good friends. They certainly take advantage of being at the beach and my son has learned to skim board. He loves it!!! I don't think he is in a hurry to leave P'cola:)
Apr 6, 2014
Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours)
HI Proudmomca..... AND ANY OF YALL whose kids are heading to San Diego........If your son is looking for a church ... my B goes to one where a LOT of Navy and Marines go when they are home... its a cool kinda laid back board short and flip flops church... but super active in the Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach community.... their young people are always doing something!! They even have a Surfing ministry!!!! let me know and I will send you a link to their site etc.... I know the pastor and wife personally... they are awesome lovely people!
I am happy that yalls boys are happy!!!! When they are happy WE are happy hahahahaha.... reminds me of the song HAPPY by Pharrel Williams! love that song!
xoxoxoxoxoxox my son will be home from the USS Boxer in a few weeks!! yippie.... HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY mamma!
Apr 10, 2014