LOL! That sounds familiar! I cried at all three NHS inductions for my kids- heck I cried at dance recitals, state football finals, confirmations, everyhing! I had to really work hard NOT o cry at the airport when we dropped Logan off for OCS- I had promised myself I wouldt so he wouldnt worry. I really miss that kid!!!!
Peggy- I am right there with you sister! I cry at everything! I can't video any performances because I shake all over while I sob!! Not pretty! None of us wanted to see our Logan off in tears too! We all made it until he left the driveway!!! Now he is an Ensign! We keep smiling at all the photos!
...and he heads back to Newport again this weekend. But, we'll see him again in a few weeks. At the moment, we have Navy uniforms strewn everywhere from the laundry room to his room upstairs...ha.
Thanks for all the tips, ladies! Tiramisu- I guess some things never change, i.e. clothes all over the place,lol! If I ever get that kid home again he can throw clothes anywhere he wants! (that would last.. mm.. about 2 days and then I would have to yell!) Anyway, I got a 4-page (!) letter from him today and he sounds great- just like himself- full of the old Logan-humor! Alot of that class is sick with bronchitis, but he didnt mention if he was one of them. He also asked for prayers as they have their first RLP next week!!!
My son checked in at OCS in Newport today. His class is 13-11. My name is Kelley and I've been reading posts for a couple of months. I look forward to meeting others who may have loved ones in the same class.
Welcome to this awesome adventure, Kelley! Im Peggy and my son ,Logan ,is in class 12-11. This is a great place to get all the info you need. I also urge you to join your class page (if there is one) on facebook- there are a few going on now for other classes, such as ours, where you can get valuable support and info. If you need anything, such as tips etc., dont hesitate to ask!! This is why we are all here!!
Hi Kelley, Our son was 03-11 and I still check here once in a while. It's hard to sit home and wonder how your DS is getting along, especially during the early weeks when there's very little communication. Write as often as you can and let him know how much everyone on the outside admires, respects and loves him, is thinking about him, praying for him, sending positive thoughts, etc. It really helps them get through the tough stuff. The only letter our son had time to send back (they're incredibly busy) was one I composed of specific questions for him with space in between for short answers. That way we got the info we were curious about and he didn't have to spend much time thinking about what to write. I got that idea from another Mom, here on N4M. Best of luck to him and his entire class - they'll be Ensigns before you know it!
Welcome Kelly! As others have said, the first few weeks are the hardest. Communication from your LO is sparse and you will worry about how things are going, what is happening etc. But as LHR said, keep writing! Write every day and keep it positive. My son (04-11) said that it was the letters from home that kept him going when times were rough. You'll probably get a short "I'm here" phone call sometime this week, his voice will be hoarse and you'll probably have a hard time hearing because the pay phones aren't very good. But try not to worry because he is in good hands, the Navy knows what they are doing even if some of things they make them do sound crazy. When you go to graduation you will be amazed at the transformation your son has made! In the months since my son graduated every time I talk to him I am so impressed with his self confidence and bearing. Hang in there and if you have questions or just need to vent we are here for you!
Welcome Kelley. I agree with PeggyW. It is an awesome adventure. My son is in 10-11 and is now an Indoc Officer who will be commissioned in May. He may be one of the ones helping your son get through the difficult first couple of weeks. These first weeks are a little tough on us Mom's at times but.... I found as the weeks went by my concerns melted away into a tremendous feeling of pride for what my son was doing. I agree with LHR, keep the letters going even if you don't hear anything from him. When my son was finally able to call - he said - keep the letters coming Mom they are my ray of sunshine! They are not only very busy but.. desperately trying to get what sleep they can. So I think that a lot of times they are making a choice between writing letters or sleeping. The wise choice is sleep!
Thanks for the warm welcome and all the great wisdom! I do appreciate it and am off to get a huge supply of cards and stamps. I did write him yesterday, so it's in the mail today and will definitely write every day. Thanks for ideas on what to include, and the fill in the blank idea is great too. Any thoughts on sending food or other things? Wondering if I need to wait a certain amount of time, and of course, Trent told me to send enough for everyone! We are so very proud of him and his choice to serve our country. We are believers in Christ, so he has many prayers on his behalf also. We had a party for him Friday night before he left, and I hope that gives him fond memories to think about. Thanks again, ladies - I'm glad to be here!
No, Kelley, do not send boxes of any kind for several more weeks. The first box you can send is the week they become Candi-o officers. But, keep the cards and notes coming...they love them. Best wishes!!
Hi, I'm new here and just have a question. My son is debating whether to go to OCS or not, do they go back and do their A school or B school afterwards?
@Gracefilled - Those who go to Officer Candidate School do not go to A or B school afterward. They go to a school for their designation. My daughter is in SWOS (Surface Warfare Officer School) right now and then will also go to additional school for her other specialty. Then she will go to her ship.
Enlisted personnel go to A or B school after Boot Camp.
OCS is for those that have graduated from college, while Enlistment is for those that have either graduated from college or have only gone to highschool.
If your son is thinking of going to OCS he should know that currently the Navy is no longer accepting applications for Aviators or Surface Warfare Officers (or they won't be within the next month or two), so he needs to act quickly.
Interesting, Violet - my son just started OCS last Sunday and is in aviation. I had not heard this about applications for aviators or surface warfare...guess the Lord's timing is perfect, as always.
Kelley, those who have been given their acceptance letters will be going to OCS for their designation. But recently, I was told by a man that his son-in-law tried to apply to be an Navy pilot and his recruiter told him that they were only going to be selecting 11 people from all US applicants. My LO also told me that they will not longer be accepting applications for SWOs. Yes the Lord's timing and will is perfect, which should be a great comfort to you as it was for me. Congratulation on your son's acceptance into OCS. The first week is the hardest. It gets better as time goes along. My daughter just graduated from OCS this past Friday. Please let me encourage you to join your son's FB family and friends support class. My new Navy family really helped me get through it and made me a better support for my LO. I am assuming he is in 13-11. Do I have that right?
Hi there! I'm not a Mom, I'm a wife but I stumbled across this page and loved all the info.! Kelley- I think my husband and your son are in the same class b/c he reported April 24 as well! How did you find out the class number already? He told me he didn't know it yet in my short phone call, but they "should" be able to write in the first week. His best friend did OCS last year and gave me all kinds of inside information of what to expect and such.. Done a deployment (he was enlisted for 7 years) but this is much different since there's NO communication at first! Looking forward to hearing from all of you! :)
Trisha - yes, they must be in the same class - Trent told us before he left what his class # is. In fact, he made up address cards that we had available to our friends at his Bon Voyage party the night before he left, that included the class. I know he'd been on a fb page with his group, so I'm sure they just counted weeks and got it. Someone here also helped me figure out the class number several weeks ago. He left early Sat. am, but it was a day frought with delays and cancellations! In DC, he met up with 5 others he knew from the fb group and they worked it all out together and arrived at OCS AT NOON on Sunday! He thrived on the excitement and challenge, haha.
I absolutely LOVE Yankee Candles, so when I saw they were offering a 10% military discount, I was delighted. The discount is good until June 7th. My son is home next week, so I plan to try to drag him in there to get the discount for me. They have a beautiful line of patriotic candles right now and they're also "buy one, get one free." And, NO, I do not work for them. :-)
Glad to be a part of this group, was missing the facebook page that is kinda quiet now! My son will be attending the first flight school in Alabama, but is residing with fellow grads on Lost Key Pensacola!!
My son is in the class that started on May 15, 2011 and that is class 14-11. The fb link to that is below. I believe the next one starts on June 4, 2011 (15-11) and that there is already a family fb page started for that one. Don't have the link but if you become a member of fb 14-11 you can find it.
We just attended the 11-11 graduation in Newport. It was awesome. We arrived Wed pm and Zak took a cab to our hotel. We all went to dinner at the Red Parrot with a friend who lives in Providence. Zak presented us with Challenge Coins and class t-shirts, sweat shirts, etc. We did not get to see him again until PIR on Thursday afternoon. After PIR, he dressed in his whites and went back to the hotel with us until time for 'Hi Moms'. Hi Moms was a really nice event held at the Officers Club. We enjoyed meeting a lot of his classmates and their families. After Hi Moms, he chose to stay on base and go out with some of his buddies for one last time. Friday morning we got up at 3:45am to go to the early morning run. His father ran along with him. They had a beatdown in the Rose Garden, then we went in to see them eat breakfast with the 'war spoon'. Graduation in the gym was nice. After graduation, we walked to the field behind their dorm for his 'first salute' where he presented his DI with the silver dollar. Then it was time to pack up to come home. Took him almost
2 hours to pack because he kept stopping to talk to friends. It was such a joy to see the young man he has become. How confident he is. How proud he is of what he is doing. When your LO graduates, go if you can, you won't regret it.
Congrats to Zak for graduating from OCS! I totally understand how wonderful the whole thing is. I thought it was almost like finishing school for adult children. We too are very happy with our new ensign.
I don't know about anyone else, but I am getting a whole lot of viral type spam from someone named Bettie C. Jones. Unfortunately, I can't figure out a way to stop them, so I have had to redo my settings to not get any email notifications from N4Ms. Is anyone else having this problem? What did you do about it?
My son graduated OCS Class 05-11 and I wanted to share the graduation box that we purchased for him. The box was absolutely beautiful with the laser engraving encircling the navy medallion. We could not have been more pleased. The photo on the website doesn't do the finished product justice.
Hello.. I'm so glad to meet other family of Navy OCS students. My fiance is in class 01-12, started july 17, 2011. I have been looking for the Facebook for an OCS support group but i can't find it. Would you please help me to get there? Thank you!!
I have tried to join the facebook support group twice now but it requires someone to "accept" me. Does anyone know somebody in that group to get this moving along? Thanks.
My daughter graduated from OCS in March. She has been on the Tortuga since May. One of her friends from college was going to drive it out but do to his schedule is unable to. Need some adivse on how to get the car back to California. Thanks - Sac Mom
I would ship in on a car carrier and it probably wouldn't cost much more than driving it across country and staying in hotels. It also saves 3000 miles on wear and tear. We shipped a car from California to South Carolina and it cost about $800.
Does anyone know the photographer who takes the formal photos at the end of OCS? My son was in class 14-11 and didn't want to spend the money on photos but I would really like to get one.
PeggyW
LOL! That sounds familiar! I cried at all three NHS inductions for my kids- heck I cried at dance recitals, state football finals, confirmations, everyhing! I had to really work hard NOT o cry at the airport when we dropped Logan off for OCS- I had promised myself I wouldt so he wouldnt worry. I really miss that kid!!!!
Apr 21, 2011
NCmom
Apr 21, 2011
Tiramisu
Apr 21, 2011
NCmom
Apr 21, 2011
PeggyW
Apr 21, 2011
Kelley
My son checked in at OCS in Newport today. His class is 13-11. My name is Kelley and I've been reading posts for a couple of months. I look forward to meeting others who may have loved ones in the same class.
Apr 24, 2011
PeggyW
Apr 25, 2011
LHR
Apr 25, 2011
navymom9875
Apr 25, 2011
NavyMom
Apr 25, 2011
NavyMom
Apr 25, 2011
Kelley
Apr 25, 2011
Tiramisu
Apr 25, 2011
Graced
Apr 28, 2011
violet
@Gracefilled - Those who go to Officer Candidate School do not go to A or B school afterward. They go to a school for their designation. My daughter is in SWOS (Surface Warfare Officer School) right now and then will also go to additional school for her other specialty. Then she will go to her ship.
Enlisted personnel go to A or B school after Boot Camp.
OCS is for those that have graduated from college, while Enlistment is for those that have either graduated from college or have only gone to highschool.
If your son is thinking of going to OCS he should know that currently the Navy is no longer accepting applications for Aviators or Surface Warfare Officers (or they won't be within the next month or two), so he needs to act quickly.
Apr 28, 2011
Kelley
Interesting, Violet - my son just started OCS last Sunday and is in aviation. I had not heard this about applications for aviators or surface warfare...guess the Lord's timing is perfect, as always.
Apr 28, 2011
violet
Apr 28, 2011
Kelley
Yes, 13-11. I'm sorry to seem ignorant, but I haven't found his fb class - do I go to fb and type in Navy OCS 13-11?
Apr 28, 2011
Kelley
Apr 28, 2011
Graced
Apr 28, 2011
Trisha
Apr 29, 2011
Kelley
Apr 29, 2011
violet
Apr 30, 2011
Tiramisu
Props to the US Navy SEALS! Job well done.
"Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done." George W. Bush, September 20, 2001
May 2, 2011
NavyMom
May 2, 2011
violet
May 2, 2011
Tiramisu
I absolutely LOVE Yankee Candles, so when I saw they were offering a 10% military discount, I was delighted. The discount is good until June 7th. My son is home next week, so I plan to try to drag him in there to get the discount for me. They have a beautiful line of patriotic candles right now and they're also "buy one, get one free." And, NO, I do not work for them. :-)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Yankee-Candle-Honors-America-prnews-3...
May 13, 2011
lorilovely
May 19, 2011
violet
Here is the link to the new OCS class 14-11 family support FB page for anyone who might need it.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_175463122509614
May 19, 2011
Mayapple
May 19, 2011
violet
Pennymac, that would be 14-11.
Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_175463122509614
May 27, 2011
Mayapple
May 27, 2011
violet
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_131516280259466
Here is the link to the FB page for June 4, 2011 (ocs class 15-11)
May 31, 2011
zaksgranma(OCS)
We just attended the 11-11 graduation in Newport. It was awesome. We arrived Wed pm and Zak took a cab to our hotel. We all went to dinner at the Red Parrot with a friend who lives in Providence. Zak presented us with Challenge Coins and class t-shirts, sweat shirts, etc. We did not get to see him again until PIR on Thursday afternoon. After PIR, he dressed in his whites and went back to the hotel with us until time for 'Hi Moms'. Hi Moms was a really nice event held at the Officers Club. We enjoyed meeting a lot of his classmates and their families. After Hi Moms, he chose to stay on base and go out with some of his buddies for one last time. Friday morning we got up at 3:45am to go to the early morning run. His father ran along with him. They had a beatdown in the Rose Garden, then we went in to see them eat breakfast with the 'war spoon'. Graduation in the gym was nice. After graduation, we walked to the field behind their dorm for his 'first salute' where he presented his DI with the silver dollar. Then it was time to pack up to come home. Took him almost
2 hours to pack because he kept stopping to talk to friends. It was such a joy to see the young man he has become. How confident he is. How proud he is of what he is doing. When your LO graduates, go if you can, you won't regret it.
Jun 4, 2011
violet
Jun 4, 2011
zaksgranma(OCS)
Jun 8, 2011
violet
Jun 14, 2011
navymom9875
Jun 14, 2011
bretyler
http://www.medalsofamerica.com/Item--i-WB2W-STYLE
My son graduated OCS Class 05-11 and I wanted to share the graduation box that we purchased for him. The box was absolutely beautiful with the laser engraving encircling the navy medallion. We could not have been more pleased. The photo on the website doesn't do the finished product justice.
Jun 22, 2011
abbracken
Thanks. Anne
Aug 15, 2011
abbracken
Aug 15, 2011
youngyumi
Aug 16, 2011
navymom9875
https://www.facebook.com/groups/190681330990537/
This link should get you there.
Aug 16, 2011
abbracken
Aug 17, 2011
abbracken
Aug 17, 2011
Sac Mom
Thanks - Sac Mom
Aug 21, 2011
susank
Aug 21, 2011
Sac Mom
Susank- Thanks you. I have looked online for car carriers so many to choose from. Do you remember who you used? Thanks Sac Mom
Aug 21, 2011
susank
Aug 22, 2011
bwtejas
Aug 22, 2011