do you know if she has a phone number for the photographer? I emailed the OCS website last week but haven't heard anything from them. Maybe I should just call them.
Your boyfriend will be in Class 3-12. My son was going to be in the Aug. 28th class, but when all the bumping around settled down, he'll be starting OCS two weeks later,Sept. 18, and that's Class 4-12.
I started the day he left. They will get there; however he may not get them roght away. Depends on the DI and the team he is in. If there is a wise guy, the whole team pays. then again if all goes well, he may get his mail quickly. It is a crap shoot., you won't know until it is all over. Just hang in there keep writting and remain positive.
That's what we're here for! Feel free to ask questions or just vent. OCS is a tough road but when you attend your daughter's graduation and commissioning you will experience a pride like you've never felt before. My son graduated in January and every time I talk to him I am amazed at the maturity and confidence he has developed since beginning his OCS journey. Welcome aboard! We're here if you need us!
Haha, no, but that's a good guess. Years ago, when my boys were elementary age it was popular to call people "dawg." As in "what up dawg?" They also called people by their first initial followed by dawg. My name is Gale and so I was dubbed g-dawg by my kids which then became a screen name I use a lot.
Hang in there! You will get a call anywhere between 2-4 weeks in. The waiting is very hard on family members but when the call comes it will be so sweet! And usually once they can call you will receive calls fairly regularly. Rest assured that if you haven't heard anything they are doing fine!
My Fiance is in the OCS class of 04-12. I heard from him last tuesday. The day before they got their drill instructor. He was already horse and didn't really sound like himself. He also told me that although he had been writing letters every night that they had not been able to send them yet. He said to expect a call within 3-4 weeks. I sure hope its less than 3 weeks! I just want to encourage you all, especially those who spent a ton of time with their significant other before they left, to find a new routine. This has been difficult for me and I spend most of my nights up rolling about in bed wondering if he is ok and wishing that I could be there to encourage him every step of the way but i'm a student at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine so I have been very distracted with school and clinics. Another tip passed on to me from a wife of a navy captain was to remember to eat healthy, I cannot stress this enough. Go for a run, write letters (or in a journal), find a new hobby (one you didn't do with your significant other). You aren't trying to replace or forget about your significant other but you simply cannot wallow. Anyways I hope you all are having a great day! Love and Blessings!
My LO is in class 02-12 and the end of OCS is in sight! Things to look forward to...phone call about week 4; then they could call one day each weekend after that. Around weeks 6-7, we were given e-mail addresses. They could check e-mail every day but could only respond one day a week. Was awesome to get that privilege because even though they don't answer, you can 'talk' to them each day via e-mail. Week 9 they become Candidate Officers instead of Officer Candidates; known as Candios. They get their cell phones!!!!! They have passed their rollable events and are wearing their officer uniforms. They don't get much sleep as they actually are leading the new class that comes in that week for the first couple of days, then work with them as needed. Will have short nights and long days again, but it's different because when they get a minute they can respond to a text or e-mail. The FB support groups and N4Ms have been a significant source of support and encouragement. And hthurma2 is right - keep busy knowing this is just a rocky path to a bright future.
Good luck to all you new Navy friends and family. We went thru OCS last year with our grandson. It was ROUGH on him and all of us who love him. You probably won't hear from him too much. They are so exhausted and have very little free time. Our gs said he had about 4 hours a night to devote to sleep. They are going to be miserable a lot of the time and so will you. Write to them everyday. Tell them about your trip to Walmart, what the weird neighbor did, local sports, weather, anything except bad news. They are gonna make it and you will too! Make your plans NOW to go to their graduation. It is an experience that you should not miss. You will be so impressed with all these young people.
Our daughter is part of the current OCS Class 07-12. Week 4 down, 8 to go!! She reported on 27 Nov 2010, and received an unexpected 2 week liberty for the holidays!! What a Christmas gifit!!! Graduation is obviously pushed back 2 weeks but all is good!
My husband is 8-12 and just completed his Outpost and we haven't heard from him (heard this was good!)...Prior Service Navy GSM1 =) Good luck to all...it's the most nerve wracking thing I have ever been through =/ ~ Cori
I stopped by the board today because it was one year ago today that he began OCS. Gosh, how it's flown by. He's way far away now and that's okay, that's what we expected and we'll see him in a few months. Looking back, I thought I'd share a couple of totally random thoughts...trivial things really: when you see them at the Hi Moms, they will have black electrical tape covering the gold braid around their sleeves because they aren't yet Ensigns. The next day, that tape will be removed and the officer's insignia goes on their covers. Also, believe it ot not, within about a week of commissioning, most of them had become Facebook friends with their drill instructor! :-)
Tiramisu - your post reminded me that it was one year ago today that my son reported to his first duty station after graduating OCS on the Friday before. So you son was entering as mine was finishing. My son is also away from us now but we saw him over Christmas and he is doing great!
my boyfriend left for ocs jan 1st. he's in class 08-12c. he got to call that night and give us his address but nothing since then. I figured it was gonna start getting easier but the extended period of time not hearing from him is hard.. when should we expect our first real call from him? and he hasn't sent any letters yet. any range of time when we should be expecting him to send letters back? also, are there any other family members with people in class 08-12c?
Funny story our grandson told us. He was in class 11-11. We own an income tax firm. Last year during tax season when I'd write him I'd grab one of our envelopes with our company name on it. One day his DI pulled him aside and asked "Son, are you having some tax problems?" He told him no, its just letters from my grandma!
Hi shanonjm7 i understand your frustration about not being able to talk to you bf. its very hard, but we just have to remember ocs requires all of their attention for now. communication should open up near week 4. i havnt heard anything yet either. he is class 9-12. what is your bf specializing in?
When our LO's become candios they are allowed to receive a box of snacks from home including candy, salty snacks...basically contraband type goodies. If your LO is in class 08-12 they become Candios on 2-29 so you want your box to arrive prior to that day. Write Cabdio Box on the outside and it will be held in the mailroom until the proper time. They were suggesting Large Flat Rate Boxes which you can get free of charge @ the PO. Oh also some people decorate the inside of the box with Naval or whatever type decorations you like to make the package festive. Hope this helps.
hello. i'm new here to the site in general and to the ocs group. my daughter will be going to ocs this summer. she is super excited. i wouldlove to talk with moms with any helpful insight as to what to expect. my daughter is only 18 and i had some reservations at first with her going to be an officer at such a young age...any insight anyone?
My daughter will graduate OCS in April and has mentioned a wrist watch that she can wear with her uniform as a possible graduation gift. I'm having difficulty finding the regs that cover this and would like to be sure that what we purchase is allowed. Does anyone know the regs? Can it be gold, silver or maybe the rose gold type? All that I can find is that conservative watches are allowed. Can it have a design within the face as in a College logo that is in the same color?
Any guidance along these lines would be appreciated. Thanks
Hello all. I'm a soon-to-be newbie OCS mom. My son graduates from college on May 12, 2012, and he will start OCS Newport on June 17, 2012. I am SO glad that I found this site. I have so many questions that were not answered by reading everything on the Navy's OCS pages. There is nothing like the voice of experience, so I thank all of you in advance for any advice! I am not sure that I should have watched all those videos on YouTube, because it looks absolutely grueling. My son assures me that he knows what he is getting himself into, but I don't think I could put up with that stuff for even one day! I so admire all of the men and women who have made it through OCS. I hope my son will be one of them!
How did you veteran OCS parents handle getting plane tickets and hotel reservations in Newport for your LO's graduation, when there is the possibility that they may fail an inspection or something and get held back? ( I think the term is "roll") We can always change hotel reservations, but I think the airlines charge a hefty fee for changing your tickets. I wouldn't want to wait until three weeks before his graduation date (to be confident that he WILL) before getting reservations, or the flights and hotels may be sold out. How have you other parents handled this, not knowing when their actual graduation date will be? Does anybody know what percentage of the OC's actually graduate on time, and what percent "roll" back to a later class? I hate to think of him "rolling" since my son hasn't actually started OCS yet, but I was also a Boy Scout mom, and their motto is "Be Prepared!" ;)
Our LO graduated Thursday Class 08-12. We made reservations on Southwest Airlines where changes and cancellations are free. Our daughter who is in college changed her tickets at no cost to a later flight. Love Southwest Airlines! Good Luck!
I'll ditto what Sue and OkSuzy said regarding the reservations. (1) We waited until he was a Candio and (2) We made our flight reservations on Southwest because of their cancellation policy. I'd actually looked into refundable reservations on other airlines, but they were MUCH, MUCH more expensive tickets...so it was Southwest. And it all worked out fine. :-) Good luck to you, M's mom!
We also waited on airline reservations until our son gave us the go ahead, which in our case was about a week before he was officially was a candio. It was very nervewracking - watching the prices of airfare go up but knowing you don't dare make the reservations too soon. Unfortunately for us Southwest wasn't an option. As others have said, we did make reservations at the Navy Lodge very early because those can easily be changed and it does fill up quickly. There are plenty of other hotels in the area but we really enjoyed being right on base so we could walk to all the events.
Thank you everyone, for the advice on plane tickets. We will be flying out of Indianapolis, and Southwest does fly from there, so that's great. Our son will be graduating OCS (we hope!) sometime in Sept., so thankfully, we won't have to deal with Indiana February snowstorms like Sue did! My son's recruiter told him not to bother driving his vehicle out there, since he will have no use for it while in OCS. He said they would email him a plane ticket confirmation. We are also considering driving our son's car out to Newport for his graduation, and then we will fly back home. That way he will have his car to load all his gear into, and drive to Pensacola. (He will go to Flight School after OCS.) How long do they have after graduation to get to their next assignment? I have read other posts on here about LO's graduating on a Friday, and then having to report someplace else on Monday! It is a 24- hour drive (two long days) from Newport to Pensacola, but then he will have his car with him down there, to look at places to stay, etc. Any Flight School moms out there who can tell me how your LO got to Pensacola after OCS and how long they had to get there?
M's mom: Congratulations to you and your son. This is a very exciting time for your family. We have found it very helpful to learn how to go with the flow because it can feel like a like of hurry up and wait. My son graduated OCS Jan 2011 then went to Pensacola for flight school. He flew home to the west coast and was home for several days prior to making the four day drive to Pensacola. It is true that some grads had to leave right after the ceremony for their next assignment but our experience was that he had about a week to get to Pensacola.
Congratulations to you! I made our reservations at the Navy Lodge as soon as my son's graduation date opened up. I made our flight reservations at the half-way point with Southwest. I figured I had nothing to lose if he rolled - I could change the reservation at no cost. I did not tell my son that I had made our flight reservations until he made candio as I did not want to add any pressure. He laughed when he found out just how early I made them! Luckily everything worked out. My son did not take his car to Newport - he flew home with us and was home about 2 weeks before he drove to Pensacola. He had about a week to get to Pensacola and took a week of leave. By the time your son makes candio he should be able to give you a good idea of how much time he will have to get to Pensacola. Enjoy the ride!
Kathy M: Congratulations to your daughter on her upcoming graduation! After watching those OCS videos on YouTube, I so admire these young people who can tough it out through all of that--no way would I get through it! I'm sure you are very proud of her. That's unbelievable that she doesn't have her orders with only two weeks to go. My son has a laid-back, go-with-the-flow attitude, which I'm sure will serve him WELL in OCS and the Navy. I, on the other hand, like to have all of our ducks in a row, and all the reservations, etc. locked in well in advance. That' s why I'm trying to get as much info as possible now, even though my son doesn't start OCS until June. I guess I'm going to have to learn to relax a little as a Navy Mom! LOL! I'm just trying to compare this to his college experience, when we were given piles of freshman orientation info, and pages of FAQ's, etc. I am so thankful for this website, and for all you veteran moms out there who are taking the time to be reassuring voices of experience. I promise to "pay it forward" and help other newbies after "WE" survive OCS!
Congratulations! My son graduated March 22. It was GREAT! We went to Newport a few days early and toured the town as well as the mansions. We had dinner with him Tuesday evening. Hi Mom's was Wednesday, and graduation was Thursday. I think Graduation is usually on Friday. Anyway enjoy it will be awesome!
My son graduated on a Friday and had to report to his first duty station on Monday. He had been told ahead of time that he likely would get some time off but that wasn't to be. When he reported on Monday morning they weren't even expecting him as the ship wasn't even in port. He spent the first few weeks pushing papers in an office on base. Hurry up and wait, as they say!
It would be nice if they were all given a few days afterwards to go home and get stuff that they couldn't have in OCS, like their laptops and civilian clothes. (Here I am thinking like a MOM,and not the Navy!) For young people of my son's generation, having to live without their cell phones and internet access for months in OCS has got to be torture! :O Welcome to primative survival without electronic devices, kids! LOL! So, after they move to Pensacola for flight school, are they then allowed a more "normal" lifestyle, i.e., can they have their cell phones and laptops in their living quarters? ( For after-school use, of course.) Were you other moms able to communicate with your LO's more often when they were at their next school? I realize communication is sparse when they are at sea.
Dmarie, I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. Our son was commissioned one year ago yesterday. In retrospect, our greatest worry while he was at OCS was that he would "roll back" or worse, "wash out." Happily neither of those things happened.
These days, our son has no cell phone access, no internet (which obviously means no Facebook), and no television. We receive e-mail when he can send one--when they are not under RC, Reduced Communications, aka "River City." We have a Google Alert set up on our computers for mention of his ship and occasionally we learn something through that. When we hear ominious "saber-rattling" talk from certain world leaders, we know that our son is right in the middle of that region.
dmarie: You are right, of course, about letting go and letting my son handle things. He already is very independent. My questions about OCS are more for MY OWN "need to know" than my son's! I know that the limited communicaton allowed in OCS is, in part, to train the loved ones at HOME to deal with that aspect of Navy life. We have never had daily communication with him all through college, maybe only weekly emails sometimes, but I still knew where he was, and I could call him if I wanted to. The hardest part for me, when he will eventually be on sea duty, will not really be the lack of communication, but just not knowing where he IS, due to security reasons. Tiramisu: My heart goes out to you, not hearing from your son very often. Hopefully, his sea tour will be over soon, and the lines of communication will open up.
M's mom- My daughter graduated a year ago in March and is stationed in Sasebo, Japan. Since communication can be very difficult I have found that her ships facebook page does help to keep me informed to some degree and the facebook page of mom's who have son's or daughter's in Sasebo. I live in CA and my daughter went to college in NY, so I was some what use to not hearing from her unless she needed something LOL. I know what you mean at least I knew where she was and she was only a phone call away. It's not always easy not hear from her. She is currently on a 5 month deployment and the last time I hear from her was in Jan just before they left. Even though I might not hear from as ofen as I would like I still email and send her funny cards every week. I also send care packages every month or so. Gotta love those USPS flat rate.boxes!!! I try to get creative when I send the packages so for her b-day I lined the inside box w/b-day paper,added party hats, noise makers, party favors, and a b-day cake in a jar and she loved it.
Hang in there!!! We are all here to help support one another.
USPS flat-rate boxes are THE BEST! :-) Just sent him a variety of things....Pepperidge Farm goldfish, UnderArmour socks, etc.! It seems so little, but it's our connection these days...
I belong to a group, Operation Baking G.A.L.S. (Give A Little Support). Just about every month I bake cookies and send a box to a military person stationed in harms way. I've been doing this for about three years. If you would like to nominate your son or daughter to receive boxes, go to www.bakinggals.com and fill out the nomination form. It's a great organization.
bwtejas
Aug 22, 2011
alconsepts
Aug 22, 2011
Sac Mom
2 in the Service & Susank - Thank you again for all your help Sac Mom
Aug 22, 2011
bwtejas
Aug 22, 2011
navymom9875
My son graduated in January (04-11) and I still have the portrait envelope. The re-order form has the following info:
Portrait Studio
Navy Exchange Bldg.
NETC Newport, RI 02841
401-847-3815
Hope that helps!
Aug 22, 2011
bwtejas
Aug 23, 2011
Graftrak
Aug 23, 2011
LZ27
Aug 25, 2011
navymom9875
Aug 28, 2011
navymom9875
Aug 28, 2011
navymom9875
Sep 9, 2011
Graftrak
Sep 12, 2011
hthurma2
Hey Everyone!
My Fiance is in the OCS class of 04-12. I heard from him last tuesday. The day before they got their drill instructor. He was already horse and didn't really sound like himself. He also told me that although he had been writing letters every night that they had not been able to send them yet. He said to expect a call within 3-4 weeks. I sure hope its less than 3 weeks! I just want to encourage you all, especially those who spent a ton of time with their significant other before they left, to find a new routine. This has been difficult for me and I spend most of my nights up rolling about in bed wondering if he is ok and wishing that I could be there to encourage him every step of the way but i'm a student at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine so I have been very distracted with school and clinics. Another tip passed on to me from a wife of a navy captain was to remember to eat healthy, I cannot stress this enough. Go for a run, write letters (or in a journal), find a new hobby (one you didn't do with your significant other). You aren't trying to replace or forget about your significant other but you simply cannot wallow. Anyways I hope you all are having a great day! Love and Blessings!
Sep 26, 2011
Melissa (Tucson)
Oct 12, 2011
NOAM
Oct 12, 2011
Diane
Dec 10, 2011
susank
Dec 27, 2011
zaksgranma(OCS)
Good luck to all you new Navy friends and family. We went thru OCS last year with our grandson. It was ROUGH on him and all of us who love him. You probably won't hear from him too much. They are so exhausted and have very little free time. Our gs said he had about 4 hours a night to devote to sleep. They are going to be miserable a lot of the time and so will you. Write to them everyday. Tell them about your trip to Walmart, what the weird neighbor did, local sports, weather, anything except bad news. They are gonna make it and you will too! Make your plans NOW to go to their graduation. It is an experience that you should not miss. You will be so impressed with all these young people.
Jan 4, 2012
Ginny S
Our daughter is part of the current OCS Class 07-12. Week 4 down, 8 to go!! She reported on 27 Nov 2010, and received an unexpected 2 week liberty for the holidays!! What a Christmas gifit!!! Graduation is obviously pushed back 2 weeks but all is good!
Jan 6, 2012
Cori S
My husband is 8-12 and just completed his Outpost and we haven't heard from him (heard this was good!)...Prior Service Navy GSM1 =) Good luck to all...it's the most nerve wracking thing I have ever been through =/ ~ Cori
Jan 7, 2012
rokymtns
Diane - try this link http://www.facebook.com/groups/269941609700901/ or search US Navy OCS Friends and Family
Jan 7, 2012
Tiramisu
I stopped by the board today because it was one year ago today that he began OCS. Gosh, how it's flown by. He's way far away now and that's okay, that's what we expected and we'll see him in a few months. Looking back, I thought I'd share a couple of totally random thoughts...trivial things really: when you see them at the Hi Moms, they will have black electrical tape covering the gold braid around their sleeves because they aren't yet Ensigns. The next day, that tape will be removed and the officer's insignia goes on their covers. Also, believe it ot not, within about a week of commissioning, most of them had become Facebook friends with their drill instructor! :-)
Jan 9, 2012
navymom9875
Tiramisu - your post reminded me that it was one year ago today that my son reported to his first duty station after graduating OCS on the Friday before. So you son was entering as mine was finishing. My son is also away from us now but we saw him over Christmas and he is doing great!
Jan 9, 2012
shanonjm7
Jan 10, 2012
zaksgranma(OCS)
Funny story our grandson told us. He was in class 11-11. We own an income tax firm. Last year during tax season when I'd write him I'd grab one of our envelopes with our company name on it. One day his DI pulled him aside and asked "Son, are you having some tax problems?" He told him no, its just letters from my grandma!
Jan 14, 2012
haseebmd
Hi shanonjm7 i understand your frustration about not being able to talk to you bf. its very hard, but we just have to remember ocs requires all of their attention for now. communication should open up near week 4. i havnt heard anything yet either. he is class 9-12. what is your bf specializing in?
Jan 24, 2012
OkSuzy
When our LO's become candios they are allowed to receive a box of snacks from home including candy, salty snacks...basically contraband type goodies. If your LO is in class 08-12 they become Candios on 2-29 so you want your box to arrive prior to that day. Write Cabdio Box on the outside and it will be held in the mailroom until the proper time. They were suggesting Large Flat Rate Boxes which you can get free of charge @ the PO. Oh also some people decorate the inside of the box with Naval or whatever type decorations you like to make the package festive. Hope this helps.
Feb 21, 2012
tranz4md1
hello. i'm new here to the site in general and to the ocs group. my daughter will be going to ocs this summer. she is super excited. i wouldlove to talk with moms with any helpful insight as to what to expect. my daughter is only 18 and i had some reservations at first with her going to be an officer at such a young age...any insight anyone?
Mar 8, 2012
BunkerQB
Navy requirements:
http://www.navy.com/joining/qualifications.html
Minimum age for OCS - 19.
Mar 8, 2012
ahpowellmd
My daughter will graduate OCS in April and has mentioned a wrist watch that she can wear with her uniform as a possible graduation gift. I'm having difficulty finding the regs that cover this and would like to be sure that what we purchase is allowed. Does anyone know the regs? Can it be gold, silver or maybe the rose gold type? All that I can find is that conservative watches are allowed. Can it have a design within the face as in a College logo that is in the same color?
Any guidance along these lines would be appreciated. Thanks
Mar 9, 2012
M's mom
Hello all. I'm a soon-to-be newbie OCS mom. My son graduates from college on May 12, 2012, and he will start OCS Newport on June 17, 2012. I am SO glad that I found this site. I have so many questions that were not answered by reading everything on the Navy's OCS pages. There is nothing like the voice of experience, so I thank all of you in advance for any advice! I am not sure that I should have watched all those videos on YouTube, because it looks absolutely grueling. My son assures me that he knows what he is getting himself into, but I don't think I could put up with that stuff for even one day! I so admire all of the men and women who have made it through OCS. I hope my son will be one of them!
Mar 20, 2012
M's mom
How did you veteran OCS parents handle getting plane tickets and hotel reservations in Newport for your LO's graduation, when there is the possibility that they may fail an inspection or something and get held back? ( I think the term is "roll") We can always change hotel reservations, but I think the airlines charge a hefty fee for changing your tickets. I wouldn't want to wait until three weeks before his graduation date (to be confident that he WILL) before getting reservations, or the flights and hotels may be sold out. How have you other parents handled this, not knowing when their actual graduation date will be? Does anybody know what percentage of the OC's actually graduate on time, and what percent "roll" back to a later class? I hate to think of him "rolling" since my son hasn't actually started OCS yet, but I was also a Boy Scout mom, and their motto is "Be Prepared!" ;)
Mar 25, 2012
OkSuzy
Our LO graduated Thursday Class 08-12. We made reservations on Southwest Airlines where changes and cancellations are free. Our daughter who is in college changed her tickets at no cost to a later flight. Love Southwest Airlines! Good Luck!
Mar 26, 2012
Tiramisu
I'll ditto what Sue and OkSuzy said regarding the reservations. (1) We waited until he was a Candio and (2) We made our flight reservations on Southwest because of their cancellation policy. I'd actually looked into refundable reservations on other airlines, but they were MUCH, MUCH more expensive tickets...so it was Southwest. And it all worked out fine. :-) Good luck to you, M's mom!
Mar 26, 2012
navymom9875
We also waited on airline reservations until our son gave us the go ahead, which in our case was about a week before he was officially was a candio. It was very nervewracking - watching the prices of airfare go up but knowing you don't dare make the reservations too soon. Unfortunately for us Southwest wasn't an option. As others have said, we did make reservations at the Navy Lodge very early because those can easily be changed and it does fill up quickly. There are plenty of other hotels in the area but we really enjoyed being right on base so we could walk to all the events.
Mar 26, 2012
M's mom
Thank you everyone, for the advice on plane tickets. We will be flying out of Indianapolis, and Southwest does fly from there, so that's great. Our son will be graduating OCS (we hope!) sometime in Sept., so thankfully, we won't have to deal with Indiana February snowstorms like Sue did! My son's recruiter told him not to bother driving his vehicle out there, since he will have no use for it while in OCS. He said they would email him a plane ticket confirmation. We are also considering driving our son's car out to Newport for his graduation, and then we will fly back home. That way he will have his car to load all his gear into, and drive to Pensacola. (He will go to Flight School after OCS.) How long do they have after graduation to get to their next assignment? I have read other posts on here about LO's graduating on a Friday, and then having to report someplace else on Monday! It is a 24- hour drive (two long days) from Newport to Pensacola, but then he will have his car with him down there, to look at places to stay, etc. Any Flight School moms out there who can tell me how your LO got to Pensacola after OCS and how long they had to get there?
Mar 27, 2012
gonavymom
M's mom: Congratulations to you and your son. This is a very exciting time for your family. We have found it very helpful to learn how to go with the flow because it can feel like a like of hurry up and wait. My son graduated OCS Jan 2011 then went to Pensacola for flight school. He flew home to the west coast and was home for several days prior to making the four day drive to Pensacola. It is true that some grads had to leave right after the ceremony for their next assignment but our experience was that he had about a week to get to Pensacola.
Mar 28, 2012
rokymtns
Congratulations to you! I made our reservations at the Navy Lodge as soon as my son's graduation date opened up. I made our flight reservations at the half-way point with Southwest. I figured I had nothing to lose if he rolled - I could change the reservation at no cost. I did not tell my son that I had made our flight reservations until he made candio as I did not want to add any pressure. He laughed when he found out just how early I made them! Luckily everything worked out. My son did not take his car to Newport - he flew home with us and was home about 2 weeks before he drove to Pensacola. He had about a week to get to Pensacola and took a week of leave. By the time your son makes candio he should be able to give you a good idea of how much time he will have to get to Pensacola. Enjoy the ride!
Mar 28, 2012
M's mom
Kathy M: Congratulations to your daughter on her upcoming graduation! After watching those OCS videos on YouTube, I so admire these young people who can tough it out through all of that--no way would I get through it! I'm sure you are very proud of her. That's unbelievable that she doesn't have her orders with only two weeks to go. My son has a laid-back, go-with-the-flow attitude, which I'm sure will serve him WELL in OCS and the Navy. I, on the other hand, like to have all of our ducks in a row, and all the reservations, etc. locked in well in advance. That' s why I'm trying to get as much info as possible now, even though my son doesn't start OCS until June. I guess I'm going to have to learn to relax a little as a Navy Mom! LOL! I'm just trying to compare this to his college experience, when we were given piles of freshman orientation info, and pages of FAQ's, etc. I am so thankful for this website, and for all you veteran moms out there who are taking the time to be reassuring voices of experience. I promise to "pay it forward" and help other newbies after "WE" survive OCS!
Mar 29, 2012
OkSuzy
Congratulations! My son graduated March 22. It was GREAT! We went to Newport a few days early and toured the town as well as the mansions. We had dinner with him Tuesday evening. Hi Mom's was Wednesday, and graduation was Thursday. I think Graduation is usually on Friday. Anyway enjoy it will be awesome!
Mar 29, 2012
M's mom
OkSuzy: Congrats to your son! I'm sure you are very proud. Is he getting some time off before he has to report to his next duty station?
Mar 29, 2012
OkSuzy
Yes, he has a delay before his school begins. He is working in a recruiters office...it was that or use his leave time. It's great having him home:-)
Mar 29, 2012
navymom9875
My son graduated on a Friday and had to report to his first duty station on Monday. He had been told ahead of time that he likely would get some time off but that wasn't to be. When he reported on Monday morning they weren't even expecting him as the ship wasn't even in port. He spent the first few weeks pushing papers in an office on base. Hurry up and wait, as they say!
Mar 30, 2012
M's mom
It would be nice if they were all given a few days afterwards to go home and get stuff that they couldn't have in OCS, like their laptops and civilian clothes. (Here I am thinking like a MOM,and not the Navy!) For young people of my son's generation, having to live without their cell phones and internet access for months in OCS has got to be torture! :O Welcome to primative survival without electronic devices, kids! LOL! So, after they move to Pensacola for flight school, are they then allowed a more "normal" lifestyle, i.e., can they have their cell phones and laptops in their living quarters? ( For after-school use, of course.) Were you other moms able to communicate with your LO's more often when they were at their next school? I realize communication is sparse when they are at sea.
Mar 31, 2012
Tiramisu
Dmarie, I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. Our son was commissioned one year ago yesterday. In retrospect, our greatest worry while he was at OCS was that he would "roll back" or worse, "wash out." Happily neither of those things happened.
These days, our son has no cell phone access, no internet (which obviously means no Facebook), and no television. We receive e-mail when he can send one--when they are not under RC, Reduced Communications, aka "River City." We have a Google Alert set up on our computers for mention of his ship and occasionally we learn something through that. When we hear ominious "saber-rattling" talk from certain world leaders, we know that our son is right in the middle of that region.
Apr 2, 2012
M's mom
dmarie: You are right, of course, about letting go and letting my son handle things. He already is very independent. My questions about OCS are more for MY OWN "need to know" than my son's! I know that the limited communicaton allowed in OCS is, in part, to train the loved ones at HOME to deal with that aspect of Navy life. We have never had daily communication with him all through college, maybe only weekly emails sometimes, but I still knew where he was, and I could call him if I wanted to. The hardest part for me, when he will eventually be on sea duty, will not really be the lack of communication, but just not knowing where he IS, due to security reasons. Tiramisu: My heart goes out to you, not hearing from your son very often. Hopefully, his sea tour will be over soon, and the lines of communication will open up.
Apr 3, 2012
Sac Mom
M's mom- My daughter graduated a year ago in March and is stationed in Sasebo, Japan. Since communication can be very difficult I have found that her ships facebook page does help to keep me informed to some degree and the facebook page of mom's who have son's or daughter's in Sasebo. I live in CA and my daughter went to college in NY, so I was some what use to not hearing from her unless she needed something LOL. I know what you mean at least I knew where she was and she was only a phone call away. It's not always easy not hear from her. She is currently on a 5 month deployment and the last time I hear from her was in Jan just before they left. Even though I might not hear from as ofen as I would like I still email and send her funny cards every week. I also send care packages every month or so. Gotta love those USPS flat rate.boxes!!! I try to get creative when I send the packages so for her b-day I lined the inside box w/b-day paper,added party hats, noise makers, party favors, and a b-day cake in a jar and she loved it.
Hang in there!!! We are all here to help support one another.
Apr 4, 2012
Tiramisu
USPS flat-rate boxes are THE BEST! :-) Just sent him a variety of things....Pepperidge Farm goldfish, UnderArmour socks, etc.! It seems so little, but it's our connection these days...
Apr 4, 2012
rokymtns
I belong to a group, Operation Baking G.A.L.S. (Give A Little Support). Just about every month I bake cookies and send a box to a military person stationed in harms way. I've been doing this for about three years. If you would like to nominate your son or daughter to receive boxes, go to www.bakinggals.com and fill out the nomination form. It's a great organization.
Apr 4, 2012
rokymtns
Follow up - to nominate someone, click on "Contact Us", then "Nomination Form"
Apr 4, 2012