Is the class number XX-11 for classes that started in January? I'm trying to figure out my husbands class number which started on January 10th. Thank you!
Thanks, Tiramisu for the class number. I haven't yet heard from my spouse and am anxious to send him his letter! Has anyone here heard from their SO? The official OCS website said they'd get to make a phone call 24-48 hrs from their arrival on Sunday, and most everything else I've read online says they call the Sunday that they arrive.. My phone has been with me at all times so there is no way I've missed his call (I even vacuumed with it in my mouth so I would hear it if he were to call.. LOL) I'm assuming the DI has not allowed it??
Also, I heard the phone call is 2min, that they are not allowed to smile/laugh/etc.. that it's a serious tone. What am I supposed to say to him? It's hard for me talk without excitement or jokes. It will feel like I am not even talking to my husband, and I just don't know what to expect other than his raspy voice from yelling all week. Second question, what week will they allow weekend visits for spouse (not the 3hr visit, but the one when they are "off" for the weekend)?
the phone call was 32 seconds for me. all he said was "i am here, tell my parents i called". and then he had to hang up. He called 3 weeks later and we talked for 30 mins. my fiance told me that they get liberty to leave base a the 9th week....
Thanks for the info. The 3 week phone call will be much longer than I thought, so I will definitely be looking forward to that one! And 9 weeks, here I come! I sure hope the time passes quickly.
My LO is Class 05-11 and I agree with all the comments below. For my LO the inspections seemd to be the most stressful. The PFT's haven't seemed to be nearly as stressful. I did not receive any calls once he checked in and the e-mails started coming at about 2 1/2 weeks. At about 3 weeks I received a phone call from the '401' area code and the connection wasn't very good. Cell phones were returned at about 7 weeks. My son is aviator slot so medicals have been a huge issue but we believe all is now cleared. The very best you can do is let them know you miss them, write them often but don't do anything to bring attention to them (like colored envelopes, etc.), and support them when you get to talk to them. For my LO, he was having some indecisive medicals so he needed lots of encouragement and pratical advice as this was about 3 weeks in and he was so tired - though I was feeling the same way and so worried myself. We were very fortunate to have our LO home for Christmas. I think the part he hates the worst is eating by the numbers - flatly refused to even demonstrate! I wish your LO all the very best. If you have any questions, I'll try to answer - this has just been a family journey but I wouldn't trade it for anything! We are so proud of our LO.
NookWife my husband started OCS November 14th (Class 06-11). I got a brief 3 minute phone call from him that Sunday telling me that he got there safely. I then got a phone call the following Sunday, which was about 4 minutes and another one on Thanksgiving day. My phone calls were usually on Sundays and the longest one I had was about 10 minutes. He did not have to talk in a ballistic (yelling) voice. My only problem is that the phone that they use does not have a good connection and there are people waiting to use the phone behind him so sometimes there was a lot of outside noise, which made it hard to hear him. Phone calls are also up to the discretion of their DI and whether or not they have any demerits (priviledges that are taken away). They do not get their cell phones until week 10, when they become a 'Candio'. He does send a lot of letters though and loves receiving letters from me. I have also been sending all the recaps from the football bowl games this past week since they don't have access to TVs or ESPN.com (my husbands favorite website!). He also hates eating by the numbers and with the war spoon! It was great to have him home for Christmas also! I jusst can't wait for him to graduate!!
My son just graduated from OCS last week - hoorah!! Ditto to all the below comments about writing often - that can't be emphasized enough. Also, remember every Drill Instructor is different. My son was occasionally given a reward of an extra phone call and his company was allowed their cell phone by week 7 for weekend use only. Also, here's a tip about phone calls from the pay phones. Sometimes it's almost impossible to hear what they are saying because of static. We found that if you ask your LO to shake the handset it will often temporarily clear up the static and allow you to hear.
Ladies I need some help! When my husband graduates from OCS on Feb 18th he is 75% sure he will be doing STASH duty at the Newport base (basically working on base for 3 hours a day) until he starts Supply School in June (since Supply School is in Newport). He won't find out for certain until the week before he graduates! So how the heck am I supposed to find a place to live with one weeks notice?! If he does STASH duty he would literally start on Monday Feb 21st so we would need a place by then.
Also, does anyone know how much money we are given for the move? I am moving from Baton Rouge, La which is a 24 hour drive. Right now I am really considering hiring a professional mover, but I have no clue how much they cost. Has anyone had experiences (good or bad) with movers? If so please let me know!
If you get a week's notice... consider yourself lucky. When we got orders, we got three day's notice to get down to Norfolk, VA from RI. (Found out the day before graduation... had to be in Norfolk by Sunday, and my husband started his staff duty on Monday). The navy often expects you to find a place to live with little to no notice- so you should get used to it!
Also... if the navy is going to authorize your move to Newport, then they will move you (and your belongings) so you won't need to worry about it! I don't know whether they will in your situation or not.
Oh- and to those worrying about phone calls- some DI's do not allow the "I got here safely" phone call. and some won't allow phone calls (or cell phones) until much later in their training- my husband didn't get phone calls until I think it was four weeks in and no cell phones until week 11 (the class did nothing wrong... just a tough DI who didn't believe they needed privileges like that- but don't worry, she's moved onto her next duty and is no longer a DI there, haha). There is no such thing as a "weekend off" because the Candi-o's run the regiment- but some DI's do give off base liberty as long as they don't have duty or other responsibilities. If they are going off base, they usually need a liberty buddy so if you want alone time, get a room on base at the navy lodge!!
Hi everyone, We are going up to the Newport Naval Base on Jan 28th to drop off our daughter for OCS. I remember someone saying that there is a base hotel that is about 65 dollars a night. Does anyone know where I can get a phone number to make reservations?
Our daughter's uncle was a sailor about forty some years ago. Is there any way he can participate in our daughter's graduation from OCS? We would like to honor him in some way. Our daughter's grandfather was also a sailor in WWII, but he has passed away.
My family just stayed at the Navy Lodge last week when our LO graduated from OCS. It was $57/night. The rooms are large with a kitchenette, flat screen TV and it was very clean. I was impressed and recommend it. Here is the link:
My LO graduated in November. We stayed at the Best Western which was around $57 dollars a night and was very close to the base. For the new people there are videos on you tube that demonstrate "eating by the numbers" on the morning of graduation they had a 5:00 AM fun run with the families and then they demonstrated PT and eating by the numbers. There is also a good video called "Pushed to Endurance" on line that lets you know how the 12 weeks go. Good luck to everyones LOs, it's quite a journey!
Navyprincess34- Wow that's crazy and such short notice! But you're right I better get used to it. And at least I know we will be staying in Newport during that time. What exactly did your husband have to do for Staff duty? Are they on the base in an office or on a boat? When my husband wrote in a letter that he might be doing Staff duty, he wasn't really sure what it was either so he told me to find out and let him know!
Thanks all for the advice. I finally received his first call yesterday! It was so wonderful to talk to him. We had a lot of conversation in that short 5 min. I do have an important question now. He just called from his CELL PHONE. I was in another room and did not hear the ring. I called him back twice 12 min after his missed call, but received no answer. There was a staticy voice mail, and in the background I heard a man enter the room to greet him. So the whole voice mail was them talking. I couldn't make out anything except the man said, "If you wife does not call back... " Anyone know what could be going on? I'm concerned b/c this is still the first week, and he called from his cell phone. I hope he's ok.
I've replayed the voicemail. There was nothing said about me, I just misheard it. Still, I cannot understand it but I'm assuming he is at the doctor. Yesterday he said his legs would fall asleep at meal time when he sits down. It sounds like a doctor visit.. someone walked in the room.. "hey how ya doin?" , a door closed. And then I could make out the word numbness. But that's about it. I'm pretty sure it's something to do with whatever was affecting him yesterday. I sure hope he calls me back. I won't be able to sleep tonight just out of curiosity.
Thanks to all for the responses. I am going to try the Best Western as the Navy Lodge is all full up. Also thanks for the info about graduation. I am looking forward to my BIL wearing his uniform. I know it is hard to believe, but all these years later he is still the same size. Not one ounce of at on that bean pole. I just hope he has the uniform. This past year was the first time he went to the reunion with his shipmates.
NookWife, Hang in there! I'm sure it's really hard not knowing for sure what's happening. I'll be saying a prayer for both of you. Let us know when you find out something.
Violet- Not sure if your BIL is an officer or enlisted, but just so you know, if he's enlisted, he can still participate- instead of doing the commissioning, he would be a first salute. My husband had 3 enlisted (two retired chiefs and one best friend who is enlisted army) come up and do his first salute- it was wonderful. Also, if you didn't try calling the navy lodge directly, they do reserve a certain number of rooms for people making reservations by phone- when we went up, online they said it was full, but when we called we were able to get three rooms for a week, no problem!
NookWife- If you haven't heard the saying yet- try to remember- no news is good news! If he hasn't specifically told you that he has been pushed back due to medical reasons, try not to think like that! Sometimes during the first week they have paperwork like things to do- for example, they all have to go through medical assessments before starting the hardcore training- so his class leaders may have allowed them the use of cell phones during that. I know it's very hard and very worrying! My husband's graduation date was pushed back by over a month due to two separate medical issues and I will tell you that both times it happened, I received phone calls from the base- *not* from a cell phone. They weren't allowed them in Medical holding- if that makes you feel any better! Also, while it felt like the end of the world at the time- him being pushed back turned out to be a great thing (now had he pushed back again I would have missed the graduation/commissioning because I'm in veterinary school and my classes would have started up)- but in our situation, he landed great orders to an outstanding ship who's been very supportive of us. He also got to commission on September 11th with the Secretary of the Navy as their speaker- that was an experience he will never forget! Whatever happens, it's going to be okay! I'll keep you both in my prayers!
LSUtiger4life- it depends on the staff, but in Newport, there are no active duty boats. In my husband's case, he was on an Admiral's staff, so he went into work every day and did whatever the Admiral asked him to do. He called in every morning and if they needed him, he came in, and if not, he got to stay home. I don't know that there's any Admiral up in Newport these days, so your husband will more likely be doing things like staffing PSD, helping to run OCS, staffing one of the other schools, etc. It will be an office job. Admiral staffs or strike staffs will go afloat on different boats but to the best of my knowledge, they no longer have any of those in Newport! And yes, the navy is a lot of last minute things- just wait til you get to a boat, it's even more last minute, haha :). It's been good for me because I used to be crazy about insisting on having a plan- I've become much more flexible! :)
Thanks navyprincess. I will call the Navy Lodge and I also really appreciate the info on the first salute. I really wanted my BIL to participate in some meaningful way in which he would be honored for his service.
I have only been writing my husband's name at the top line of the mailing address without the OC in front.. Is he going to get those letters or should I rewrite them??
I got my first letter Saturday! I was impressed that he wrote on the front and back of the page. He is doing good. He has passed all 3 revolutions so far. He said he hurt his ankle, it is as big as a softball. His roomate has been helping him get around... but he's blessed to have made it through his revolutions! No roll back so far. He's Lead Drill Guide and is in charge of leading drill practice, making sure everyone knows their stuff. So I'm really proud. Please keep him in your prayers, for his ankle to completely heal and for him not to experience any further injury. Thanks to those who previously kept him in their thoughts & prayers when I had that weird phone call before!
loritroullier: This is a link to a Facebook family/friends group for the 09-11 Class. My son recently graduated in the 04-11 class and I found the facebook group to be an infinite source of information and reassurance. Good luck to you and your son - it's quite a journey but so worth it as you'll see when you attend your son's graduation and commissioning.
navymom9875
Jan 10, 2011
Kelliannep89
Jan 10, 2011
Kelliannep89
Jan 11, 2011
hischickpea4life
Jan 11, 2011
hischickpea4life
Jan 11, 2011
Kelliannep89
Jan 11, 2011
Kelliannep89
Jan 11, 2011
Tiramisu
Jan 11, 2011
hischickpea4life
Jan 11, 2011
Tiramisu
I'm not sure if that link I posted earlier works correctly. Go to FB and search for this:
NAVY OCS 08-11 Family & Friends
Let me know if you have any problem finding it.
Jan 11, 2011
hischickpea4life
Jan 11, 2011
Tiramisu
Try this:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_184934118202045
Jan 11, 2011
Tiramisu
Jan 11, 2011
hischickpea4life
Jan 12, 2011
NookWife
Jan 12, 2011
NookWife
Also, I heard the phone call is 2min, that they are not allowed to smile/laugh/etc.. that it's a serious tone. What am I supposed to say to him? It's hard for me talk without excitement or jokes. It will feel like I am not even talking to my husband, and I just don't know what to expect other than his raspy voice from yelling all week. Second question, what week will they allow weekend visits for spouse (not the 3hr visit, but the one when they are "off" for the weekend)?
Jan 12, 2011
Kelliannep89
the phone call was 32 seconds for me. all he said was "i am here, tell my parents i called". and then he had to hang up. He called 3 weeks later and we talked for 30 mins. my fiance told me that they get liberty to leave base a the 9th week....
Jan 12, 2011
NookWife
Jan 12, 2011
bretyler
My LO is Class 05-11 and I agree with all the comments below. For my LO the inspections seemd to be the most stressful. The PFT's haven't seemed to be nearly as stressful. I did not receive any calls once he checked in and the e-mails started coming at about 2 1/2 weeks. At about 3 weeks I received a phone call from the '401' area code and the connection wasn't very good. Cell phones were returned at about 7 weeks. My son is aviator slot so medicals have been a huge issue but we believe all is now cleared. The very best you can do is let them know you miss them, write them often but don't do anything to bring attention to them (like colored envelopes, etc.), and support them when you get to talk to them. For my LO, he was having some indecisive medicals so he needed lots of encouragement and pratical advice as this was about 3 weeks in and he was so tired - though I was feeling the same way and so worried myself. We were very fortunate to have our LO home for Christmas. I think the part he hates the worst is eating by the numbers - flatly refused to even demonstrate! I wish your LO all the very best. If you have any questions, I'll try to answer - this has just been a family journey but I wouldn't trade it for anything! We are so proud of our LO.
Jan 12, 2011
LSUtiger4life
Jan 12, 2011
navymom9875
Jan 12, 2011
hischickpea4life
Jan 12, 2011
Kelliannep89
Jan 12, 2011
LSUtiger4life
Ladies I need some help! When my husband graduates from OCS on Feb 18th he is 75% sure he will be doing STASH duty at the Newport base (basically working on base for 3 hours a day) until he starts Supply School in June (since Supply School is in Newport). He won't find out for certain until the week before he graduates! So how the heck am I supposed to find a place to live with one weeks notice?! If he does STASH duty he would literally start on Monday Feb 21st so we would need a place by then.
Also, does anyone know how much money we are given for the move? I am moving from Baton Rouge, La which is a 24 hour drive. Right now I am really considering hiring a professional mover, but I have no clue how much they cost. Has anyone had experiences (good or bad) with movers? If so please let me know!
Jan 12, 2011
Fur&FeathersDVM
If you get a week's notice... consider yourself lucky. When we got orders, we got three day's notice to get down to Norfolk, VA from RI. (Found out the day before graduation... had to be in Norfolk by Sunday, and my husband started his staff duty on Monday). The navy often expects you to find a place to live with little to no notice- so you should get used to it!
Also... if the navy is going to authorize your move to Newport, then they will move you (and your belongings) so you won't need to worry about it! I don't know whether they will in your situation or not.
Oh- and to those worrying about phone calls- some DI's do not allow the "I got here safely" phone call. and some won't allow phone calls (or cell phones) until much later in their training- my husband didn't get phone calls until I think it was four weeks in and no cell phones until week 11 (the class did nothing wrong... just a tough DI who didn't believe they needed privileges like that- but don't worry, she's moved onto her next duty and is no longer a DI there, haha). There is no such thing as a "weekend off" because the Candi-o's run the regiment- but some DI's do give off base liberty as long as they don't have duty or other responsibilities. If they are going off base, they usually need a liberty buddy so if you want alone time, get a room on base at the navy lodge!!
Jan 12, 2011
violet
Jan 12, 2011
violet
Jan 12, 2011
navymom9875
My family just stayed at the Navy Lodge last week when our LO graduated from OCS. It was $57/night. The rooms are large with a kitchenette, flat screen TV and it was very clean. I was impressed and recommend it. Here is the link:
https://www.navy-lodge.com/lodge_page.html?p_lodge_number=30Jan 13, 2011
Debbie B.
Jan 13, 2011
LSUtiger4life
Navyprincess34- Wow that's crazy and such short notice! But you're right I better get used to it. And at least I know we will be staying in Newport during that time. What exactly did your husband have to do for Staff duty? Are they on the base in an office or on a boat? When my husband wrote in a letter that he might be doing Staff duty, he wasn't really sure what it was either so he told me to find out and let him know!
Jan 13, 2011
NookWife
Jan 13, 2011
Tiramisu
Jan 13, 2011
NookWife
Jan 13, 2011
NookWife
Jan 13, 2011
Tiramisu
Jan 13, 2011
violet
Jan 13, 2011
jimsuz
NookWife, Hang in there! I'm sure it's really hard not knowing for sure what's happening. I'll be saying a prayer for both of you. Let us know when you find out something.
Jan 13, 2011
NookWife
Jan 13, 2011
Fur&FeathersDVM
Violet- Not sure if your BIL is an officer or enlisted, but just so you know, if he's enlisted, he can still participate- instead of doing the commissioning, he would be a first salute. My husband had 3 enlisted (two retired chiefs and one best friend who is enlisted army) come up and do his first salute- it was wonderful. Also, if you didn't try calling the navy lodge directly, they do reserve a certain number of rooms for people making reservations by phone- when we went up, online they said it was full, but when we called we were able to get three rooms for a week, no problem!
NookWife- If you haven't heard the saying yet- try to remember- no news is good news! If he hasn't specifically told you that he has been pushed back due to medical reasons, try not to think like that! Sometimes during the first week they have paperwork like things to do- for example, they all have to go through medical assessments before starting the hardcore training- so his class leaders may have allowed them the use of cell phones during that. I know it's very hard and very worrying! My husband's graduation date was pushed back by over a month due to two separate medical issues and I will tell you that both times it happened, I received phone calls from the base- *not* from a cell phone. They weren't allowed them in Medical holding- if that makes you feel any better! Also, while it felt like the end of the world at the time- him being pushed back turned out to be a great thing (now had he pushed back again I would have missed the graduation/commissioning because I'm in veterinary school and my classes would have started up)- but in our situation, he landed great orders to an outstanding ship who's been very supportive of us. He also got to commission on September 11th with the Secretary of the Navy as their speaker- that was an experience he will never forget! Whatever happens, it's going to be okay! I'll keep you both in my prayers!
LSUtiger4life- it depends on the staff, but in Newport, there are no active duty boats. In my husband's case, he was on an Admiral's staff, so he went into work every day and did whatever the Admiral asked him to do. He called in every morning and if they needed him, he came in, and if not, he got to stay home. I don't know that there's any Admiral up in Newport these days, so your husband will more likely be doing things like staffing PSD, helping to run OCS, staffing one of the other schools, etc. It will be an office job. Admiral staffs or strike staffs will go afloat on different boats but to the best of my knowledge, they no longer have any of those in Newport! And yes, the navy is a lot of last minute things- just wait til you get to a boat, it's even more last minute, haha :). It's been good for me because I used to be crazy about insisting on having a plan- I've become much more flexible! :)
Jan 14, 2011
violet
Jan 14, 2011
NookWife
I have only been writing my husband's name at the top line of the mailing address without the OC in front.. Is he going to get those letters or should I rewrite them??
Jan 14, 2011
navymom9875
Jan 14, 2011
NookWife
OK, Thanks.
Jan 14, 2011
LSUtiger4life
Jan 14, 2011
NookWife
Jan 25, 2011
lorilovely
Jan 31, 2011
navymom9875
loritroullier: This is a link to a Facebook family/friends group for the 09-11 Class. My son recently graduated in the 04-11 class and I found the facebook group to be an infinite source of information and reassurance. Good luck to you and your son - it's quite a journey but so worth it as you'll see when you attend your son's graduation and commissioning.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=160839253940691
Jan 31, 2011
lorilovely
Feb 1, 2011
Tiramisu
Lori---I'm also a mom of a son in that class. Try this, put this in the search bar on Facebook and it should get you to the group:
NAVY OCS 08-11 Family & Friends
Let me know if you need more help getting there.
Feb 1, 2011
navymom9875
http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=group_196510770365214&ap=1
Try to copy and paste the entire link. For some reason when it's posted on this site the entire link doesn't highlight.
Or the exact wording of the name of the group is:
Friends/Family January 30, 2011 Navy OCS Class 09-11Feb 1, 2011