Anyone with Sailors/Soldiers/Marines in War Zones and Combat Areas

anyone know how long it will take to get an address?

Yelomoon, I'm so sorry, I don't know how I missed this! Susan thank you! Check the web site for your son's unit, they will have FRO (Family Readiness Officer) to help you, or an ombudsman. Sometimes the address is listed on the web site, all you have to do is fill in your son's name and rank. Be sure to connect with the FRO (or the equivilant) to make sure they have your email address to keep you updated.

Julie, Texas Mom and Susan,

Thanks so much for your information. 

Julie, I am on my trip right now. Going to ask for deployment book from my seabee tomorrow. She is in the process of getting shots and things. She didnt feel real great tonight but hung in there. More for her tomorrow.

She claims she asks questions to hear they dont know the answers. didnt get into navy lodge, didnt know I needed to be exscorted. Working on that tomorrow. Thankfully we got a room somewhere else.  I was lucky. Big goings on here this weekend. The town is packed. But atleast there is something affordable to do. :).

Thanks again, will contact leason (?) hopefully tomorrow.  I feel like I dont know what I am asking and I dont want to cause any conflict for my seabee.

Thanks again ladies, you are the best!!

yelomoon so happy that you are there with your Seabee> Enjoy EVERY minute as it all goes by too fast.  Hope that she is feeling better. Keep in touch!

Please check the new link above, Military Pathways, for those of you who are concerned about PTS and your sailor, marine or soldier...or yourselves. Be aware of secondary PTS....

Today is National Depression Screening  Day https://www.facebook.com/#!/militarypathways

Just joining. Not so sure how it all works, but looking forward to sharing experiences with others. My son has been in the USN for 13 years, now deployed.

Hi adale, Welcome. I just joined this site a month ago. Quite a few Mom's on here that have a lot of great advice, information and lots of compassion.

thanks for welcoming me JerseySusan. Looking forward to having someone to talk to. My son eloped prior to deployment and he communicates mostly with his wife, not Mom. :-(  Why can't he understand how worrisome it is for me? I get e-mails but they are few and far between. When I can't stand not hearing from him, I call  my d-i-l and she says he is fine.

Hi Adale...We seem to have much in common.  I KNOW how you are feeling...my son is also married and communicated only with his wife.  I was lucky that I have a good relationship with my DIL and she would keep me posted .  In fact, she worked nights, so I often slept at her house overnight watching the children, and continuing through the day with the pre-schooler, while she slept.  That was wonderful for me...she kept me informed and the kids kept me from brooding too much.  It's understandable that your son wants to be in touch with his wife...but it sure doesn't make the "Mom" thing any easier.  The only thing I can suggest is trying to build a friendship with your daughter in law...and maybe telling your son that you don't want to interfere, but he IS your baby boy, you worry about him, and still love him.  Meanwhile, come here as often as you need.  Start planning the boxes to send...YOU are the one who knows the food he likes and what he enjoys doing.

Hi Much Trouble, Thanks for your posting. I have sent many boxes so far. My son was state-side in the spring for R&R and gave me a list of what he prefers me to send. His wife says she doesnt' bother to send packages, as family and his friends sent plenty. LOL. My d-i-l and I have a relationship...my husband and I were just down to NC to visit her to celebrate her first wedding anniversary. With him deployed, I wanted to be supportive.

Well Adale....Don't feel like you are alone with your D-in-L situation. We have had several heartbreaking issues with ours. Let me just say, 'She" is a main issue why I have had to put my Profile on "Private" settings. She was following my catagories on my N4M's site with any comment I made to other Moms'. I just found this out 6 weeks ago. ;((((

Much trouble-don't you just love the internet......good and bad....I am not on FB for a reason! My nieces and nephews tell me that they restrict what all our generation can see anyway. My sons told me they would NOT befriend me on FB, so no reason to join.My d-i-l seems to side with my EX's side of the family and believe all the crap they tell her about my previous marriage.

On Another good note, Our other son (the one who is deployed over there), has been able to make contact with us this past week. It is a "great" feeling hearing his voice. Hopefully Skype is next on the list. My husband went out & bought a new camera & microphone for our computer so we will be ready & able to "See & Hear" when that chance comes around. He has rec'd a couple of packages & mail from us & other relatives. He said he "really" loves receiving actual mail, a lot different than receiving e-mail. He has a true "Appreciation" of actually holding mail in his hands, while being out in a third world country.

Welcome ladies!! this is the group no one wants to join, but never seems to leave. My son deployed to Iraq in 08, left the Navy in Feb after 6.5 years and here I am, still here!  

Remember to make those little photo pocket books that they can carry with them all the time....they love those! And do check out FB enough to find their units pages if they have one, lots of photos sometimes there!

If you decide to wander into FB, let me know, we have a boat load of Navy moms on there...Army moms, Marine moms, we don't care! 

I have a really nice website for anyone who needs to send their son/daughter a B'day, or Holiday cake/cookies/brownies in a box. Check it out, they ship APO/FPO.  www.Cheryls.com

Thanks everyone for helping me contact my ombudsman. she is wonderful. Thanks again!!!

Send food...warm clothing...and remember everything you send that they might want to keep, might have to be packed up and carried whereever they go...send food and warm clothing, books that can be tossed, movies if they have their laptop, some things that might entertain them.

Update from Battalion 133:

Runnin’ Roos Family, Friends and Fans,
Our mettle and conviction of purpose has been tested.  Two of our teammates were in a vehicle that set off an improvised explosive device.  Both are going to be fine.  One teammate is heading stateside and the other will likely remain deployed.  The depth of commitment to our common oath, individual talent, team training and equipment today made an indelible difference.  Everyone performed superbly.  Thank you for your continued support that enables our focusing completely on the tasks at hand.  The Roos are at full stride, and your Seabee is making a positive difference.   V/R,  CO  Let's keep them covered in prayer please!

Joanie, God Bless all the Angels watching over them.

yes dear God please watch over our children

@ lori, i sent you a friend request. I will give address. thanks so much.

@ texas mom.  when you say warm clothing are you talking warm military clothing or warm street civilian clothing?  And what kinds of food is good to send.  Cookies, junk food.I thought I read somewhere we can not send items that contain pork. Praying for the ones that were involed in the ied explosion.

Hi Julie, our trip was good. the weather couldnt of been nicer. Met some real nice seabees, I could tell that they have a great bond. Made me feel comfortable knowing how well the ones I met were all getting along. So polite they were.

Check the discussions area above this box, and see the lists of items suggested to send. Foxsox.com has great military socks, they are warm! gloves, under armor, thermal under clothes. If they have elec, send ramen noodles and a tea pot for boiling water....Chief is the master jerky maker....

It gets bitter cold there.... 

Here's a link to shipping cut off dates for the holidays....https://www.usps.com/shippingdates/

got our first phone call. she knew nothing of the incident and we didnt say anything about it. Thought that was best. Thanks again for all the advice on what to send.

I'm so happy for you, Yelomoon!  At least for a while, I'm sure you are so relieved.  (Unfortunately, the saying "This, too, shall pass" applies to the good things as well as the bad.)  Stay here with us, even if you feel much calmer.  If you don't need advice and friendship, there is another mother out there struggling to deal with things, who needs YOU!

Glad to hear you got that call, yelomoon....sure helps to get a good night's sleep when you hear that voice, doesn't it? And like MT says, do keep coming here, we need all the voices of support and concern we can get!

My son has been in the Navy 13+ years and started being "distant"(little to no communication)in boot camp. I thought when he was in harms way, he would communicate more-NOT. I only slept well when he was stateside for a few weeks, but now that he is back in the sandbox, I worry every minute. Does anyone have a son that isn't good about e-mail/skype/etc?

Adale....I with you.  Mine is not the best at communicating.

Do you beat yourself up about all the childhood "mistakes" you must've made to have a son treat you like this?

Adale...No I don't.  When he was growing up my husband traveled every week for work.  So it was just me and the kids.  We were very close when he lived at home.  When he left for college he was in love with his high school sweetheart, who he married.  I always told him when he married, his wife must come first.  That no matter what, mom would always be here.  Even as I type those words, I know he does love me, but he puts his family first.  I know that above everything else he is a good husband, father and officer.  I wouldn't want it any other way. 

Yes, I wish he would call more often and when he is deployed we get information second had from his wife, who we have a good relationship with.  But I work at that relationship harder than I do any other.  Because I know she is the key to my grandchildren.  She is an excellent wife and mother!!  She has the hardest job there is.  I remember having to do it all when my husband was gone. 

Yes, I do miss him when he is out of country.  Yes, I would love it if he just called to chat, Yes, I cry sometimes when I don't hear from him and I know he has talked to his wife.  But this is the life my son has choosen, and I must respect his choice and live this life.  I rejoice when I do get a call or a picture!  But when I am feeling left out I come here to vent. 

Sorry my answer is so long, it helps to get it out now and then. 

How does that saying go......."A Daughter is a Daughter all Her Life, A Son Is A Son Til He Takes a Wife".........?

Paymaster....I agree with 'Everything" you said. Working on a relationship with our D-in-L has taken a toll on our whole family. I remember listening to others about D-in-L relationships years ago from others. I always said "Oh, that won't be me"...I mean after all....We are very close with our kids, & Proud of it. Why wouldn't we be happy with an addition of an In-Law especially if our son was happy???? Well........ here I am finding myself in that very position to tend too.

Please don't get me wrong.  I have a wonderful DIL.My son is proud of her  The children are happy and she keeps them busy with postive activites.  She even has found time to coach the second gd's soccer team. 

When I say I work at our relationship I want to know that I am a welcome guest when my son is deployed and I want to visit. 

I try to make sure every month he is gone that I do little things to let her know we are thinking of her.  Sometimes I send her flowers, sometimes its her favorite chocolate.  If its Mother's day that the gifts are from the children to her.  I just try and do things that I know I would have appreciated when the kids where young and I was home alone most weeks. 

I just want you all to know that I always appreciate all of you for listening when I don't have a good day and I need to vent before I explode:)

My son has been in the Navy long before Navy 4  Mom's was around.  Back then you were lucky if you had another friend that had a child active duty and you could call and let your frustrations out.  At least since the internet I have been able to stay in touch with friends that I have made through my son.  It so helps to have others that are either there were you are or have been there. 

thanks texasmom and mt  I am trying my best to be strong as any other.  hey, by the way. I am female and that is my hubby in the pic with our seabee. I dont want to confuse anyone.

My seabee's friend is deploying on Tuesday. I was so amazed at how they all stand by each other.

TexasDoc, Thanks for the link of shipping cut-off dates. It is very helpful. Have you ever used UPS to ship APO/FPO? Is their a difference "time wise" with packages arriving over there?

I have not, JerseySusan. Check with Molly's Adopt A Sailor group, they have literally shipped tens of thousands of packages and believe me, they know the ins and outs of shipping and doing it cheaply and fast.

Just a reminder to the new moms and dads....please remember we try to follow OPSEC regs here. Social Media is a real headache to the military in many ways, and we try to keep our information clear of any information that anyone could use to harm our folks in uniform and/or that might connect one of our members to their deployed loved one...and be used in some sort of con game or harmful way. So...no specific dates or days of arrivals, departures, etc...no names of loved ones listed here. Remember when your son or daughter shares something with you over the phone, he/she is telling mom, not the folks you have met on an internet board or facebook.  It is confidental. Please do not share reports of injuries or deaths here unless it linked to the release by the DoD. Okay...duty done!

Ahhhh Gotcha Julie, so all packages don't get delivered as an individual, they will all go out with different groups of military assigned to that APO/FPO address.

Sooo, when a mother popped up the other day asking for addresses to send care packages out to the troops from the BSMA, what did you think? Even though I looked up her profile page & she seemed legit, but I was pretty leery about it & would never give out our sons address to someone I don't know.

Lorilab is good....one of our moms. Her son was injured in Afghan last year, she doesn't post much now, but she follows our board. My main prayer was never to follow in her foot steps, she's an amazing mom of a wounded warrior (who is healing and waiting for orders the last I heard).

If I spot anyone unknown, I'd yell...and the post would be removed. If anyone spots any unseemly or weird posts, just let me know!

Gee Susan, Your worries are just as hard as ours. Praying for both of your sons. It doesn't matter which soil they are on. My heart aches for you.

Susan, my heart with you. I can't imagine the fear you're going through...my son tells me he's fine, moving on with his life, and I still watch every smile, frown, tone of voice when the war is being discussed, just in case I've missed something, and sometimes it's overwhelming to realize we have war veterans as children. If we can help you in any way, if we can just listen, or write letters or whatever it takes, we are here for you and your sons.

My heart goes at to all.

My seabee has not even been in a year and yet she graduated second in her class and now she is at the sandbox. Other seabees who had to take the A school test at least twice are in other places than the sand box. So I beleive only the smartest goes to the sand box. I pray to God they are smarter than the low life sand mans who live there.