JTF submom congratulations to your son! And can I say Wow, God bless you a proud of mom of five that is awesome! How exciting to have your whole family together again, lots of happy reunion tears are coming your way no doubt!!
tidefan, have a wonderful trip! How excited you must be to have your son captive in your car for the trip home!! No running off to friends' houses, at least until you get home! :) Have a great visit with your son! :)
Kevsmom, is your son still there with you? I'm mixed up on days these days!! I sure hope so! :)
We are going to Groton for the first time next month to see my son graduate. We are staying at the Navy Lodge. He will be staying at Groton and joining the crew of the USS New Mexico, a Virginia class sub. Any recommendations on where to eat, or if anyone has stayed at the Navy Lodge can tell me what it's like? Thanks!
Good morning OklahomaMama!!! You'll have to go to Mystic Pizza!! And there's a sushi place that ProudNavyMom took my son, hers and two others. There's also a good BBQ place near the base that had good food but I can't remember the name of it. It was less than a mile from base though.
Yay Kevsmom93 - enjoy your son have a wonderful week!
Annette - Congratulations and awesome to hear your son got his first choice - Guam. Graduation is just around the corner. What a year it has been!
tidefan - safe travel! We drove our sons truck out in October - you will enjoy Groton......huggs to your son! tooo funny mrsb...it's true, he will be ALL yours tidefan. Enjoy!
OklahomaMama - Wonderful, happy news - you will enjoy Groton. We like Navy Lodge, it was clean, quiet, not too far from base. We totally fell in love with Mystic. Our fav place to eat was S&P Oyster Co. delish food and lovely view.
MacKenzie 33 - Hooyah on P.I.R. in June! sorry I do not know about a medal on taggs, I will ask my son. If so, I just may get one for our son!
OklahomaMama, you will love Groton!!! The Navy lodge is literally around the corner! You will like your accommodations. I am including a pic of my room. I asked for a room with double beds so my Son could stay with me, all for the same price, taxes included $75!!!! No hidden charges.
You will see so many Sailors and other Military at the front Lobby, I just kept asking them one by one if I could give them a hug and they always said yes!!! They felt so good and oh boy, be careful, because they are solid muscle hugs!!! HAHAHA I thought I was going to break in two!!! HAHAHA I took a pic with one of the Sailors, his last name was Eyore or something like that and he said good luck with spelling that! If this is one of your Sons, please let me know and I'll PM his photo to you!!!! He was the one that took the most time talking with me. So sweet! I love all our boys!!! Ok, and the uniform! ;-) HAHAHA
My Son enjoyed the TUB the most!!! HAHA they only have showers so he said, mom, i will be a while laying in the tub, we don't have one of these and I really would like to enjoy it!! HAHAHA bless his heart! I was so happy knowing he was enjoying his bath!!! I even got to re heat his leftovers, make him some tea and actually made a whole other meal for him. I did not buy groceries but you have all you need to keep groceries and cook in there if you want. I was too busy trying out Restaurants! The Groton Townhouse serves all meals family style. It's handy and they serve a lot of food. Very friendly Service. The Sushi place a little further under a freeway, called Koto Japanese Steak house is delicious! All the boys like it. And they are all in a health food kick so the less carbs the more they like their food. But don't get me wrong, they WILL EAT everything!!! HAHAHA Dunkin Donuts are at every corner, no kidding! And they even have breakfast sandwiches and other stuff!! We only have 3 in Texas and they only sell donuts and coffee; so this was amazing to me. FYI, the breakfast at Dunkin Donuts was the same price as the breakfast at Groton Townhome, just 0.2 miles from the Navy Lodge. There are a lot of corner stores and they sell alcohol in them, so if you want a pack of gum and you ask someone there where to go, they'll tell oh, there's a liquor store right there at the corner. Liquor store? All I want is gum!!! HAHAHA I thought it was funny bc our corner stores do not sell liquor!! haha
I concur with going to Mystic, CT to the Mystic Pizza restaurant, the pizza is delicious!! Well, you have to experience it. Don't take my word for it, you decide. The boys had the Calzones and what was left of my pizza!! HAHAHAHA and I even took a slice to Navy Lodge for pm snack :)
Walls are thin at Navy Lodge and there are some families staying there with children, but remember, they are visiting their loved one so it really didn't bother me that the kids were a little loud, they were happy to see their daddy and it warmed my heart. I prayed for them and their family. It must be hard for them all.
The sights are breathtaking! take in the sights the colors, the smells. The rivers, lakes. THE BOULDERS!!! Huge!!! We don't have those here in flat land Houston! There is a lot of new builds. They really need the new homes for those stationed there and their families. Ask your Son to take you around base and the Nautilus Museum tour, the first nuclear powered Sub! it was cool!!!
Ok so I wrote too much so I'll post the pics on separate post. Oops there's the red highlight again telling me too many words. Have a nice trip! God bless,
Here is the pic of the Navy Lodge I took, I was so impressed. The room is not much bigger than a regular room but a little kitchenette makes a big difference.
ProudNavyMom, thanks for posting those pictures!! I hadn't seen some of them!!! Such handsome Sailors you got to hang out with! Oh, and my son rarely takes a picture that he isn't making faces in. :)
I just got a hold of my son and texted for 30 min. This is crazy, he was texting his sister and me at the same time and Lord knows who else!!! HAHAHA I hope his fiance too!!!
Well, they are back on day classes and a group of them were just getting back from working out.
I was feeling down bc I hadn't heard from him but boy I just keep sending those two liners letting him know I love him! :-)
He made my day! they are so busy with school I hope they all do great!!!
mrsb, the pics of your boy making faces are the best! He does have a nice smile too! :-)
Well, I'm feeling great now that I heard from him!
God bless us all who didn't sign up for this roller coaster ride yet hang in there to support our boys! :-)
Can someone please tell me what Phase III Liberty at A School entails? My SR says that it means he can wear civilian clothes and live off-base with me. Is this true? I've been researching it online and can't find anything about living off base. I see that he gets overnight privileges, weekend liberty, and gets to wear civilians clothes. But, nothing about living with your wife.
I am married to my SR, yes. :-) No, I am not in Groton. My husband is nearing the end of boot camp and I am 7mo pregnant in Florida. I am sure a week after he graduates BESS. He says after BESS he is automatically Phase III Liberty.
I would focus on relaxing and not getting your hopes up - Many people get delayed starting BESS because they need enough guys for a class - he could be in Groton a couple of weeks before starting BESS. I don't mean to disappoint - but I don't want you to get your hopes up.
Also, if someone in his division screws up - the whole division can get white washed (the color of their liberty Phase card - White is I)
Ashley, Cath is right. Just focus on your baby right now. Someone in my son's group decided to draw "something" in the head and they all got bumped back to white card-no one could leave the base for any reason, no civvies, it was awful for them. Never did find out who did it but I know they weren't happy.
Ashley, it is true we do not want to disappoint you. We just want to prepare you for wait time. We understand it may be frustrating at times, in NAVY time, it will all work out. NAVY is alot of hurry up and wait. We have learned to go with it...when it happens, it happens. We are NAVY Mom's, so we relate a little differently than a NAVY Wife in this situation ....but we TOTALLY understand. There are several qualifications your Sailor must complete and earn once he arrives @ Groton = their Liberty Phase Card.Your Sailor will be very busy his first few weeks meeting his quals. And just like BOOT if one messes up, they are likely all to be disciplined. From my experience, Groton does delay many courses until there are enough guys or instructors for the class. Hurry up and wait....it will happen. However, it is a great family to be apart of. Your Sailor will be happy here. Do your best not to worry toooo much - in time everything will fall into place for you and your lil family. We are here for you. Take good care of YOU!
Thanks KevsMom!! :) I can read your mind ya know!!! I know it's almost time for your Sailor to leave for Hawaii; hug him tight and as often as possible, as if I didn't need to tell you that! NMHs!!!!
Welcome to the family gundoggie!! We'll all try to help as best we can. Did I meet you in the chat room? Seems like it! :)
Hello gundoggie - I think it is a good idea to get on board early. We are here for you through BOOT and arrival at Groton. We keep your SR and family in prayer - NAVY BOOT is quite an experience. Stay positive, work hard and go with it. Send your SR lots of positive letters, he will truly enjoy and look forward to them.
Fair Weather and Following Seas to your Sailor KevsMom. Lots of huggs.
Ashley I feel for you - Hopefully it will all work out as you envision, but you do need to be prepared for "plan B" if it does not. Your husband should notify his commanders when he gets to Groton so that they are aware of the situation. There are contingencies for family leave emergencies. I would put the birth of your child in this category.
My son was married last month and a few weeks ago they were able to get off base housing, but he still has to spend time in the barracks - especially when he has watch. He has finished BESS, ATT & TEchno and starts A school next week.
Welcome gundoggie! BESS is Basic Enlisted Submarine School. Every sailor who will serve on a submarine must do the 6-8 week sub school (can't remember if it is 6 or 8!)
After that there is usually ATT (Advanced Technical Training) then depending on rate, he might have tecno which is specific technical training, then A school!
Your son can take a laptop, cell phone I believe gaming devices - it's pretty liberal.
cybergrouch - it depends on the color of their card. I'm not sure of the colors and freedom attached - white I believe have none. Usually by the completion of BESS they do have liberty, but if someone screws up that can be taken away!
No clue about between BESS & A school since he is going to a different base
Hi gundoggie! It does depend on his rate as far as graduation goes. My son is in radio and should graduate end of July or early August but we still don't have a date. He's been there since last June 8th so his will be well over a year. Sorry I can't give you a better answer. :(
Well, I am back to getting to be on navyformoms. We left early Wednesday to drive my son's car to him at Groton. He is on hold for school due to student loans. He has liberty privileges and can drive. We got to see him Thursday night through Tuesday morning when he dropped us off in Boston at the airport. It was wonderful
tidefan - Welcome home. Oh, sooo TOTALLY awesome to share time with your son. I am happy for any Momma and Poppa that can hug their Sailor personally! I am sure he is a happy man with his car! Hoping his hold is not for too long.
gundoggie - NAVY does not seem to be to concerned with my plans either - ha ha! We go with it...not easy, but WE are not alone! I think BESS & A school are the biggies - our sons ATT & Techno were mid-week, mid-day and were short and sweet graduations. Our son mentioned that the very next day after A school graduation they leave for their next base. We are in So. Cal. so he said it was not a big deal if we did not attend. He said he will be home as soon as he can.So, when we get an exact date for graduation I will be asking NAVY Moms that DO attend to please take pic's. Or he will have to selfie!
Hey fathomom! How are you? I've heard a rumor that my son's graduation is July 25th but I looked into airfare; it's ridiculous!!! So am thinking we probably won't go to graduation either, as much as I would love to. But then again, if my son is coming here the next day there would be no reason to go. The Navy certainly does keep us on our toes!!
Fathomom - do you know when your son should graduate A school? My son said his should be somewhere around October 17. I will definitely go as I am only 90 minutes away.
tidefan - Was confused about waiting due to school loans. My son will be in Groton soon (PIR 6/6) and has student school loans from before joining. Will this prevent him from attending A school?
Cybergrouch-My son has to show how he will be paying them. He had several years of student loans. He has shown them that he is making payments but it is hurry up and wait-Navy time. So we still wait.
tidefan - All these things we find out bit by bit. They do seem to enjoy waiting. It was over a week before they had enough students to start basic after he got there. Does tidefan refer to Alabama or the Navy (asks the Florida Gator). Just asking cause It won't be too long before he asks for his car and was wondering about the trip (we are in Atlanta).
Cybergrouch - my brothers live in the Atlanta area - small world! If you are planning on driving the car to Groton it's about an 18 hour trip. Depending on the car, you might want to think about selling it and having him buy one up here - just a thought!
Cybergrouch - I drove my son's little Honda Civic from Florida to Groton- He is glad he had it but Connecticut winter.s took quite the toll on this poor car. No proper storage available. If you buy a new car up there to keep on the sub base where the plows throw snow on them and they can't be washed regularly - I feel - you are wasting your money. I told my son to drive that heap until he was an E-5 and had quarters off base so he could maintain it and then buy a new one. He wants a Ford F-150 - talk about the big bucks...
He is driving his car home from Groton now -back to Florida.In a few weeks he is taking it to Charleston, SC to be loaded on a boat to Hawaii where cars are not plentiful or cheap.
You can maintain an engine of a car well, for a long time, even if the body is less than perfect. Bank your would be payments and bide your time. He is going out on a sub soon anyway and the poor car will really suffer from just sitting and waiting for his return in storage.
I am so proud of all our sailors - mine is coming home for two weeks - can't wait - then off to the silent - underwater world. I don't know how they do it. Hooyah!!!!
Just returned from Groton last night after my son's graduation from Radio A school. Had an amazing time, although my son had duty one day. Took the whole family. It was a great experience and a super proud moment! For some reason no one in his class has orders yet so they're in TPU...awaiting to be assigned a boat. They are all ready to dive into their jobs...so to speak. lol Hoping their wait isn't too long.
Wow JTFsubmom, thanks for the info! My son and ProudNavyMom's son are supposed to graduate radio in July but we still don't know when. I thought they all got their orders before graduation....see what I get for assuming something? So hard to make any plans when I don't know any details!!! We will be moving our daughter to Utah for vet school in August and I sure do want to see my Sailor too!
mrsb...I am still trying to get used to the Navy "way"! lol Most classes do get their orders up to a month in advance but this class didn't for some unexplained reason. Even the class that graduated in two weeks have their orders already. We assumed he would be coming home today for his leave before going to his next base...not happening. Very hard to make plans around his "new parents"! They are far more strict and structured than we ever were! lol All kidding aside, he does love his job and is super excited to start doing it. The Navy has helped to make him a terrific man who is as proud of himself as we are of him. I'll keep you posted to let you know how this TPU works and how long he's there.
cyber I hope that I didn't scare you off. I am kidding about my football. We are diehard Alabama fans but I try to get along with every fanbase(even Auburn).lol
CathBubblehead - our son should graduate end of June. I agree that our son's with cars in Groton should sell their cars and buy wherever they are stationed. I think it would be easier, less stressful, one less thing to worry about... my son and my husband don't seem to think so. So we go. Once our son get orders, I may have to start worrying about him driving back to So. Cal. in his truck...Oy!
mrsb - yay, a date! I hope July 25 sticks! All of our sons are learning to wait, I guess we will learn too! I do my best to think positively about it...it is so out of our control. Prayers help me....a lil cabernet too! ha ha!
navymom2013 - I am so happy to hear that your son will be home soon. Lots of HUGGS for that boy/man/Sailor/soon-to-be submariner! Please stay in contact with us!
JTfsubmom - Congratulations on Radio graduation - awesome! What a year! Yup..... alot of sailors on hold right now. Good things come to those who wait....just hope it is not for toooo long too! I am sure easier said than done - these young men are ready for their next part of their journey.
gundoggie - we will be thinking of you and yours on Tuesday. Off to start his NAVY journey! Big NAVY MOM hugg! I get teary remembering that day for us. I keep ALL of our sons in prayer! HOOYAH!
My sailor son just arrived in Groton last night. He graduated from boot camp in August of last year and has spent the past 9 months in nuke school in Charleston. Sad to say, he didn't pass his final comp exam/oral board at the end of nuke ET "A" school. It was extremely difficult, and we are over the disappointment now and excited that he was re-rated to a non-nuke ET Comm and is getting ready to start a different path on his Navy journey. It's been close to a year since he first left for boot camp on 6/26/13 and what a roller coaster this has been for me...lol! I'm looking forward to learning more about what my son will be experiencing in his time in Groton, which may very well last over a year (with class hold times,etc!)
I'm glad to have found this group!
Kevsmom93
JTF submom congratulations to your son! And can I say Wow, God bless you a proud of mom of five that is awesome! How exciting to have your whole family together again, lots of happy reunion tears are coming your way no doubt!!
May 18, 2014
mrsb
tidefan, have a wonderful trip! How excited you must be to have your son captive in your car for the trip home!! No running off to friends' houses, at least until you get home! :) Have a great visit with your son! :)
Kevsmom, is your son still there with you? I'm mixed up on days these days!! I sure hope so! :)
May 18, 2014
OklahomaMama
May 18, 2014
mrsb
Good morning OklahomaMama!!! You'll have to go to Mystic Pizza!! And there's a sushi place that ProudNavyMom took my son, hers and two others. There's also a good BBQ place near the base that had good food but I can't remember the name of it. It was less than a mile from base though.
May 18, 2014
Kevsmom93
Yep, I've got him for another whole week mrsb!!
May 18, 2014
FATHOMOM
Yay Kevsmom93 - enjoy your son have a wonderful week!
Annette - Congratulations and awesome to hear your son got his first choice - Guam. Graduation is just around the corner. What a year it has been!
tidefan - safe travel! We drove our sons truck out in October - you will enjoy Groton......huggs to your son! tooo funny mrsb...it's true, he will be ALL yours tidefan. Enjoy!
OklahomaMama - Wonderful, happy news - you will enjoy Groton. We like Navy Lodge, it was clean, quiet, not too far from base. We totally fell in love with Mystic. Our fav place to eat was S&P Oyster Co. delish food and lovely view.
MacKenzie 33 - Hooyah on P.I.R. in June! sorry I do not know about a medal on taggs, I will ask my son. If so, I just may get one for our son!
May 18, 2014
ProudNavyMom#1
OklahomaMama, you will love Groton!!! The Navy lodge is literally around the corner! You will like your accommodations. I am including a pic of my room. I asked for a room with double beds so my Son could stay with me, all for the same price, taxes included $75!!!! No hidden charges.
You will see so many Sailors and other Military at the front Lobby, I just kept asking them one by one if I could give them a hug and they always said yes!!! They felt so good and oh boy, be careful, because they are solid muscle hugs!!! HAHAHA I thought I was going to break in two!!! HAHAHA I took a pic with one of the Sailors, his last name was Eyore or something like that and he said good luck with spelling that! If this is one of your Sons, please let me know and I'll PM his photo to you!!!! He was the one that took the most time talking with me. So sweet! I love all our boys!!! Ok, and the uniform! ;-) HAHAHA
My Son enjoyed the TUB the most!!! HAHA they only have showers so he said, mom, i will be a while laying in the tub, we don't have one of these and I really would like to enjoy it!! HAHAHA bless his heart! I was so happy knowing he was enjoying his bath!!! I even got to re heat his leftovers, make him some tea and actually made a whole other meal for him. I did not buy groceries but you have all you need to keep groceries and cook in there if you want. I was too busy trying out Restaurants! The Groton Townhouse serves all meals family style. It's handy and they serve a lot of food. Very friendly Service. The Sushi place a little further under a freeway, called Koto Japanese Steak house is delicious! All the boys like it. And they are all in a health food kick so the less carbs the more they like their food. But don't get me wrong, they WILL EAT everything!!! HAHAHA Dunkin Donuts are at every corner, no kidding! And they even have breakfast sandwiches and other stuff!! We only have 3 in Texas and they only sell donuts and coffee; so this was amazing to me. FYI, the breakfast at Dunkin Donuts was the same price as the breakfast at Groton Townhome, just 0.2 miles from the Navy Lodge. There are a lot of corner stores and they sell alcohol in them, so if you want a pack of gum and you ask someone there where to go, they'll tell oh, there's a liquor store right there at the corner. Liquor store? All I want is gum!!! HAHAHA I thought it was funny bc our corner stores do not sell liquor!! haha
I concur with going to Mystic, CT to the Mystic Pizza restaurant, the pizza is delicious!! Well, you have to experience it. Don't take my word for it, you decide. The boys had the Calzones and what was left of my pizza!! HAHAHAHA and I even took a slice to Navy Lodge for pm snack :)
Walls are thin at Navy Lodge and there are some families staying there with children, but remember, they are visiting their loved one so it really didn't bother me that the kids were a little loud, they were happy to see their daddy and it warmed my heart. I prayed for them and their family. It must be hard for them all.
The sights are breathtaking! take in the sights the colors, the smells. The rivers, lakes. THE BOULDERS!!! Huge!!! We don't have those here in flat land Houston! There is a lot of new builds. They really need the new homes for those stationed there and their families. Ask your Son to take you around base and the Nautilus Museum tour, the first nuclear powered Sub! it was cool!!!
Ok so I wrote too much so I'll post the pics on separate post. Oops there's the red highlight again telling me too many words. Have a nice trip! God bless,
May 19, 2014
ProudNavyMom#1
Here is the pic of the Navy Lodge I took, I was so impressed. The room is not much bigger than a regular room but a little kitchenette makes a big difference.
May 19, 2014
ProudNavyMom#1
Have to brag about our boys (mrsb's and the other two we love beside our Sons) Here's some pics of them
May 19, 2014
ProudNavyMom#1
New York City, tough guys look! hahahha I love them
May 19, 2014
OklahomaMama
May 19, 2014
mrsb
ProudNavyMom, thanks for posting those pictures!! I hadn't seen some of them!!! Such handsome Sailors you got to hang out with! Oh, and my son rarely takes a picture that he isn't making faces in. :)
May 19, 2014
ProudNavyMom#1
I just got a hold of my son and texted for 30 min. This is crazy, he was texting his sister and me at the same time and Lord knows who else!!! HAHAHA I hope his fiance too!!!
Well, they are back on day classes and a group of them were just getting back from working out.
I was feeling down bc I hadn't heard from him but boy I just keep sending those two liners letting him know I love him! :-)
He made my day! they are so busy with school I hope they all do great!!!
mrsb, the pics of your boy making faces are the best! He does have a nice smile too! :-)
Well, I'm feeling great now that I heard from him!
God bless us all who didn't sign up for this roller coaster ride yet hang in there to support our boys! :-)
May 21, 2014
mrsb
Amen to that ProudNavyMom, we didn't really sign up for this ride but we're holding on the best we can! Gotta love those boys!
May 22, 2014
Ashley
May 22, 2014
Cath Bubblehead mom
May 22, 2014
Ashley
May 22, 2014
Ashley
May 22, 2014
Cath Bubblehead mom
I would focus on relaxing and not getting your hopes up - Many people get delayed starting BESS because they need enough guys for a class - he could be in Groton a couple of weeks before starting BESS. I don't mean to disappoint - but I don't want you to get your hopes up.
Also, if someone in his division screws up - the whole division can get white washed (the color of their liberty Phase card - White is I)
May 22, 2014
mrsb
Ashley, Cath is right. Just focus on your baby right now. Someone in my son's group decided to draw "something" in the head and they all got bumped back to white card-no one could leave the base for any reason, no civvies, it was awful for them. Never did find out who did it but I know they weren't happy.
May 22, 2014
Kevsmom93
ProudNavyMom#1 how awesome is that! So happy for you to text with your son :-)
Oh my goodness those picture were so great! You both have very handsome boys and what good sports to take all those pics with you!
Did I ever tell you I am not a fan of roller coasters....lol!
May 23, 2014
Kevsmom93
mrsb I was referring to you about the pics too!
May 23, 2014
FATHOMOM
Ashley, it is true we do not want to disappoint you. We just want to prepare you for wait time. We understand it may be frustrating at times, in NAVY time, it will all work out. NAVY is alot of hurry up and wait. We have learned to go with it...when it happens, it happens. We are NAVY Mom's, so we relate a little differently than a NAVY Wife in this situation ....but we TOTALLY understand. There are several qualifications your Sailor must complete and earn once he arrives @ Groton = their Liberty Phase Card.Your Sailor will be very busy his first few weeks meeting his quals. And just like BOOT if one messes up, they are likely all to be disciplined. From my experience, Groton does delay many courses until there are enough guys or instructors for the class. Hurry up and wait....it will happen. However, it is a great family to be apart of. Your Sailor will be happy here. Do your best not to worry toooo much - in time everything will fall into place for you and your lil family. We are here for you. Take good care of YOU!
May 23, 2014
mrsb
Thanks KevsMom!! :) I can read your mind ya know!!! I know it's almost time for your Sailor to leave for Hawaii; hug him tight and as often as possible, as if I didn't need to tell you that! NMHs!!!!
Welcome to the family gundoggie!! We'll all try to help as best we can. Did I meet you in the chat room? Seems like it! :)
May 24, 2014
FATHOMOM
Hello gundoggie - I think it is a good idea to get on board early. We are here for you through BOOT and arrival at Groton. We keep your SR and family in prayer - NAVY BOOT is quite an experience. Stay positive, work hard and go with it. Send your SR lots of positive letters, he will truly enjoy and look forward to them.
Fair Weather and Following Seas to your Sailor KevsMom. Lots of huggs.
May 24, 2014
Ashley
May 24, 2014
Cath Bubblehead mom
Ashley I feel for you - Hopefully it will all work out as you envision, but you do need to be prepared for "plan B" if it does not. Your husband should notify his commanders when he gets to Groton so that they are aware of the situation. There are contingencies for family leave emergencies. I would put the birth of your child in this category.
My son was married last month and a few weeks ago they were able to get off base housing, but he still has to spend time in the barracks - especially when he has watch. He has finished BESS, ATT & TEchno and starts A school next week.
May 24, 2014
Cath Bubblehead mom
Welcome gundoggie! BESS is Basic Enlisted Submarine School. Every sailor who will serve on a submarine must do the 6-8 week sub school (can't remember if it is 6 or 8!)
After that there is usually ATT (Advanced Technical Training) then depending on rate, he might have tecno which is specific technical training, then A school!
Your son can take a laptop, cell phone I believe gaming devices - it's pretty liberal.
May 24, 2014
cybergrouch
Do sailors have liberty during BESS? What about between BESS and A school? He will A school in Pensacola.
May 27, 2014
Cath Bubblehead mom
cybergrouch - it depends on the color of their card. I'm not sure of the colors and freedom attached - white I believe have none. Usually by the completion of BESS they do have liberty, but if someone screws up that can be taken away!
No clue about between BESS & A school since he is going to a different base
May 27, 2014
Cath Bubblehead mom
gundoggie - BESS and A School I believe are the biggies. If there is ATT & Tecno, my son didn't tell me! LoL.
There are no restrictions on the number of people - but NO CELL PHONES! you can bring a camera for pics - and they are very good about posing!
May 27, 2014
mrsb
Hi gundoggie! It does depend on his rate as far as graduation goes. My son is in radio and should graduate end of July or early August but we still don't have a date. He's been there since last June 8th so his will be well over a year. Sorry I can't give you a better answer. :(
May 27, 2014
tidefan
Well, I am back to getting to be on navyformoms. We left early Wednesday to drive my son's car to him at Groton. He is on hold for school due to student loans. He has liberty privileges and can drive. We got to see him Thursday night through Tuesday morning when he dropped us off in Boston at the airport. It was wonderful
May 28, 2014
FATHOMOM
tidefan - Welcome home. Oh, sooo TOTALLY awesome to share time with your son. I am happy for any Momma and Poppa that can hug their Sailor personally! I am sure he is a happy man with his car! Hoping his hold is not for too long.
gundoggie - NAVY does not seem to be to concerned with my plans either - ha ha! We go with it...not easy, but WE are not alone! I think BESS & A school are the biggies - our sons ATT & Techno were mid-week, mid-day and were short and sweet graduations. Our son mentioned that the very next day after A school graduation they leave for their next base. We are in So. Cal. so he said it was not a big deal if we did not attend. He said he will be home as soon as he can.So, when we get an exact date for graduation I will be asking NAVY Moms that DO attend to please take pic's. Or he will have to selfie!
May 28, 2014
mrsb
Hey fathomom! How are you? I've heard a rumor that my son's graduation is July 25th but I looked into airfare; it's ridiculous!!! So am thinking we probably won't go to graduation either, as much as I would love to. But then again, if my son is coming here the next day there would be no reason to go. The Navy certainly does keep us on our toes!!
May 28, 2014
Cath Bubblehead mom
Fathomom - do you know when your son should graduate A school? My son said his should be somewhere around October 17. I will definitely go as I am only 90 minutes away.
May 28, 2014
cybergrouch
tidefan - Was confused about waiting due to school loans. My son will be in Groton soon (PIR 6/6) and has student school loans from before joining. Will this prevent him from attending A school?
May 29, 2014
tidefan
Cybergrouch-My son has to show how he will be paying them. He had several years of student loans. He has shown them that he is making payments but it is hurry up and wait-Navy time. So we still wait.
May 29, 2014
cybergrouch
tidefan - All these things we find out bit by bit. They do seem to enjoy waiting. It was over a week before they had enough students to start basic after he got there. Does tidefan refer to Alabama or the Navy (asks the Florida Gator). Just asking cause It won't be too long before he asks for his car and was wondering about the trip (we are in Atlanta).
May 29, 2014
Cath Bubblehead mom
Cybergrouch - my brothers live in the Atlanta area - small world! If you are planning on driving the car to Groton it's about an 18 hour trip. Depending on the car, you might want to think about selling it and having him buy one up here - just a thought!
May 29, 2014
navymom2013
Cybergrouch - I drove my son's little Honda Civic from Florida to Groton- He is glad he had it but Connecticut winter.s took quite the toll on this poor car. No proper storage available. If you buy a new car up there to keep on the sub base where the plows throw snow on them and they can't be washed regularly - I feel - you are wasting your money. I told my son to drive that heap until he was an E-5 and had quarters off base so he could maintain it and then buy a new one. He wants a Ford F-150 - talk about the big bucks...
He is driving his car home from Groton now -back to Florida.In a few weeks he is taking it to Charleston, SC to be loaded on a boat to Hawaii where cars are not plentiful or cheap.
You can maintain an engine of a car well, for a long time, even if the body is less than perfect. Bank your would be payments and bide your time. He is going out on a sub soon anyway and the poor car will really suffer from just sitting and waiting for his return in storage.
I am so proud of all our sailors - mine is coming home for two weeks - can't wait - then off to the silent - underwater world. I don't know how they do it. Hooyah!!!!
May 30, 2014
JTFsubmom
Just returned from Groton last night after my son's graduation from Radio A school. Had an amazing time, although my son had duty one day. Took the whole family. It was a great experience and a super proud moment! For some reason no one in his class has orders yet so they're in TPU...awaiting to be assigned a boat. They are all ready to dive into their jobs...so to speak. lol Hoping their wait isn't too long.
May 30, 2014
mrsb
Wow JTFsubmom, thanks for the info! My son and ProudNavyMom's son are supposed to graduate radio in July but we still don't know when. I thought they all got their orders before graduation....see what I get for assuming something? So hard to make any plans when I don't know any details!!! We will be moving our daughter to Utah for vet school in August and I sure do want to see my Sailor too!
May 30, 2014
JTFsubmom
mrsb...I am still trying to get used to the Navy "way"! lol Most classes do get their orders up to a month in advance but this class didn't for some unexplained reason. Even the class that graduated in two weeks have their orders already. We assumed he would be coming home today for his leave before going to his next base...not happening. Very hard to make plans around his "new parents"! They are far more strict and structured than we ever were! lol All kidding aside, he does love his job and is super excited to start doing it. The Navy has helped to make him a terrific man who is as proud of himself as we are of him. I'll keep you posted to let you know how this TPU works and how long he's there.
May 30, 2014
mrsb
Thanks JTFsubmom!!
May 30, 2014
tidefan
cyber it stands for ROLL TIDE-lol. I had to say that. We live in MS. I take my football and softball serious
May 30, 2014
tidefan
cyber I hope that I didn't scare you off. I am kidding about my football. We are diehard Alabama fans but I try to get along with every fanbase(even Auburn).lol
May 30, 2014
shirl
This is a podcast about life on a sub, w
Very interesting and will give u a chance to hear what your submariners will be doing. Hope the link works. Roll Tide, I am from Alabama originally.
May 30, 2014
FATHOMOM
CathBubblehead - our son should graduate end of June. I agree that our son's with cars in Groton should sell their cars and buy wherever they are stationed. I think it would be easier, less stressful, one less thing to worry about... my son and my husband don't seem to think so. So we go. Once our son get orders, I may have to start worrying about him driving back to So. Cal. in his truck...Oy!
mrsb - yay, a date! I hope July 25 sticks! All of our sons are learning to wait, I guess we will learn too! I do my best to think positively about it...it is so out of our control. Prayers help me....a lil cabernet too! ha ha!
navymom2013 - I am so happy to hear that your son will be home soon. Lots of HUGGS for that boy/man/Sailor/soon-to-be submariner! Please stay in contact with us!
JTfsubmom - Congratulations on Radio graduation - awesome! What a year! Yup..... alot of sailors on hold right now. Good things come to those who wait....just hope it is not for toooo long too! I am sure easier said than done - these young men are ready for their next part of their journey.
gundoggie - we will be thinking of you and yours on Tuesday. Off to start his NAVY journey! Big NAVY MOM hugg! I get teary remembering that day for us. I keep ALL of our sons in prayer! HOOYAH!
May 31, 2014
amp
I'm glad to have found this group!
May 31, 2014