USS Essex Navy Moms

I have to book them because he had to cancel his credit card. I search better than him. Has anyone used cheapoair? I can get two tickets under $3000.00, but I am a little nervous using it. The next best is $4300.00. I don't have time to search today, I will have to do it tomorrow.

I don't know what he did. I am guessing that it has something to do with insurv. His email after the inspection said "The inspectors did say that my system was one of the best NATO systems that they had seen". I'll drag it out of him eventually. I told him that he now has "bling". LOL.

My sons airfare is booked. $3500.00 for the two of them but I have to pick him up in New York. I phoned the airlines directly, Delta was $7000, Continental would only start in Narita and United was $4200.00. Cheapoair quoted lowest but when you give your credit card information it comes back 'sold out'. You have to keep searching. It's a much quicker search engine to check different airlines, airports and dates. I was able to find that Japan airlines was cheapest leaving Dec 31 instead of the 30th. He gets in at 10:00 am on the 31st at JFK (2-3 hours from me). Then I found the same thing on travelocity (a site I trust). I went through my upromise account and made $35.00. From his three years traveling from Japan, he will have 18000 airmiles on Delta, United and JAL. Hopefully, he will get to use some of them.

His orders are not set. He just told me that there is a possibility that he may go to San Diego instead.

Kim - Glad you found some 'reasonable' airline tickets. It's amazing how much more they are this December from last.

We vacationed in San Diego a number of years back - had a lot of fun. Of course, I know that's a long way away from your home and the East Coast would be so much closer to home and a nice drive for your. Does Jonathan have a preference of where he would like to be?

Did you ever find out what his special award was for?

Katie rec'd the box I mailed on Sept 28th on the 14th. I just sent to boxes of 'trick or treat' candy. One was filled by my Bible study and weiged 13# 10oz. I sent a 2nd box with 'requests' (I had asked if there were any favorites.) plus a couple of items for Katie and it weighed 10# 3 oz. Hopefully the chocolate items don't melt too much;) When I told her we were having 60s/40s here at home she said it is still really warm where they are.

I got an answer on the award: "I got the NAM for staying up all night fixing 2 broken power supplies on the SDC the night before a major evolution where we needed it to work". I think he meant evaluation (insurv) and I remember that he said that he pulled an all-nighter getting something to work. He had everyone from a Lt. Commander on down phoning every hour for a status. Then he told me how well his inspection went. It was the only detailed email that I had ever gotten from him. He had been 48 hours without sleep.

Jonathans leave (chit) was approved late his first year. The airfares had gone up a lot. They are higher now than they where then. Good Luck.

Kim - glad you heard from Jonathan. Sounds well deserved;)

It's strange how the leaves get approved at such varied times. The sailors were given the 2 leave dates a while back. Wonder why their 'superiors' in charge of approving the chits for the different divisions are so varied as to when they do the 'approvals'. Think this is the only leave they have been allowed all year with INSURV and their deployment schedule. Hopefully soon you will hear that it's been approved.

Jonathan never received anything in writing about his leave. He was told at the award ceremony directly from the department head. Otherwise, he would still be waiting. His dates kept changing. 30th-11th, 29th-11th, 30th-12th. Final answer...30th-11th. He could have booked a month ago, saved money and spent the extra day relaxing in Japan if he got it.

Wonder if Typhoon Megi is the 'storm' that Katie is mentioning?

Kim - his leave may actually be the 29th-12, but has to allow for travel and time change. Seems like it starts at 6:30 pm - after flights have left for the USA (or no way to get to the airport before the flight leaves). I know on the return flight Katie allows for delayed flights and a little sleept before she has to report back.

Asked Katie how the cookies were after taking 16 days to get to them. She said, "Well if you are asking, the cookies are gone!!! Surprise surprise."

Kim - Glad that Hans will be coming home for a visit. Good luck with your ticket search! Glad he will be home and get the extra time with you after the wedding.

I use APO/FPO Flat Rate and they require you to declare what you are sending on the customs forms. Not sure that it actually goes thru customs since it is sent to a zip code in CA and leaves the US via military mail (Someone else can correct me if I am wrong-no problem.) I send my homebaked cookies in freezer ziploc bags. Some cookies travel better than others. I just declare homebaked cookies, etc. and guestimate the cost. My daugher's post office in her small town will let her declare 'priceless' - at least once. Or like I sent this past week - trick or treat candy - a whole boxful.

It does not go through customs.

hi everyone on once in a while still net off home , but working a little too. and our son is trying to see if he gets leave hes been there 6months now. we cant wait to see him, and we have no idea if he can get plane arangements or not st louis is closed or centrila air port. worried there seems to be alot to plan for . deb japan mom was spicysmom

hi everyone on once in a while still net off home , but working a little too. and our son is trying to see if he gets leave hes been there 6months now. we cant wait to see him, and we have no idea if he can get plane arangements or not st louis is closed or centrila air port. worried there seems to be alot to plan for . deb japan mom was spicysmom

Kim from Tennessee - 2,155 is less than Katie spent - could be travel dates, could be ??

My problem with cheapoair was that when I went to book it said sold out. I booked through travelocity. Although Kayak searches all the well known (expedia, travelocity, etc) search sites, it came up with a higher price. Travelocity was a lot cheaper than Japan Airlines.

The cheapest on cheapoair had him leaving the 30th with a 14 hour layover in Tokyo. He would arrive at 9:40 am in Washington. He is now flying out at 7:00 am the 31st with a two hour layover in Tokyo and arriving at 10:20am in New York. He will spend less time travelling and be home a 1/2 earlier.

Try the airlines also. What airport in TN? Are there any others that are close enough to drive?

I checked flight24.com. The charge in euros. Don't forget to check if your credit card charges a foreign currency exchange fee. It can be anywhere from 1-4%.

Sharon - wonder what the hold up is on his approval. Sure would be nice to know one way or the other. If he gets approval it won't be that he can't find a flight, it will be how much will the ticket prices keep going up!?!

Sharon - So glad that Steven finally got an answer, even better that it was "YES"! Will he be home over Christmas or New Year's?

Sharon - I think someone has suggested that here or on the Japan group, but I didn't hear that they were successful. I had started to look at airfares, but then got an email from Katie with her travel itinerary. She just took care of it herself. I know that it was from a different site than last year. I decided not to look for better airfares since it seemed pointless since Katie had already paid for her tickets.

Sharon, I started a discussion group in the Japan site. I got a military rate from United. It was good but I found better. I posted everything that I found in the discussion group. One thing, I phoned united 3 times before I got a good military rate. Continental is the only one that has their military rate online. It seems that they all offshore the customer service to India. The first time I phoned United, the military rate was $8,000.00 and the guy was definently from India. If you have watched the tv show "Outsourced", I would rate him the "C" group. LOL.

My point is keep phoning until you hear a good rate. Ask the rate type. I can't remember what they called it but the military rate had an unusual code.

I noticed you are from California. I can't remember, but there was a search engine that used Virgin air into California. Try sky-tours.com or militaryfares.com.

Just found out I will be a USS Essex mom...My son is still in A-School in Great Lakes, he will be an HT. This is all brand new for us, came here to learn and get support, I'm gonna need it...
-mary

Yep, Jesse graduated in July. He will be a Hull Technician. Welding and firefighting and stuff like that. He thought he'd be going to Norfolk or San Diego because it seemed like sailors with similar jobs were going to those places, he was scared to tell me thinking I would be really upset so he called his Dad first while I was at work. It's just sooooo far. Let me know how you're doing, and how is your daughter feeling about all of this? (I'm not that great yet at navigating this forum but I did figure out how to accept your friend request) LOL, thank you! -mary

YAY! Thank you ladies, I feel better already.

Welcome, Mary and Jesse. When are your sailors arriving in Sasebo? My sons 3 years will be up in the spring sometime. His new orders are still up in the air. He is arriving coming home with his Japanese girlfriend over New Years.

The lack of communication is the hardest. Get them started now on Skype. Drill into them that they MUST contact you when they arrive safely.

Also, make sure they apply for a passport before they leave. My son never got his. He has not needed it, but you never know. I think it is easier to get in the U.S.

They do not need a passport. My son has been there going on three years without it. This is his 3rd trip home for the holidays. I don't think he is able to travel on vacation to other countries without a passport. He is always afraid to travel with a layover in China or Korea because he doesn't have one. Better to have it and not need it. We are from Canada and all our family lives there. If there was a family emergency, I am not sure if he can fly to Toronto.

I wouldn't pay extra to have them mail it to them. It will go to an FPO box in San Diego. That will take 2 days. From that point it is up to the military.

Sharon, you should check your booking with the airlines. You should be able to bring up his reservation and add a contact name and address.

Sharon, look at the airlines website. Contact me if I can help you.

Sharon, post his itenary.

Katie emailed about noon today our time, but she didn't mention being in port. Maybe she didn't have liberty like Hans. Still no candy boxes ;( Was hoping after 2 1/2 wks they would have arrived. Did Hans mention what he was up to on liberty?

Thanks Susanna for the email and thanks everyone else for not posting where they are. I hope we all hear from them soon.

I Finally heard from Katie this evening......
Hey Mom,
Sorry I haven't written pretty much all week. I have been off the ship. Getting some relaxation!!! It was nice to get some air.

Hi everyone, thank you for the welcome posts! Sorry I haven't been on in a while. Has been very hectic with stuff going on at home, wedding and 50th anniversary and stuff.
Well, Jesse graduated from A-School today and is coming home tonight!! He will be home for 26 days! He will go to Japan to the Essex on Nov 30th. I wish I could take the next month off from work, but I do have some days left this year, thank goodness! And, he will be here for thanksgiving! I am so excited to see him!

Mary,
I am not sure when they return but he will probably meet up with the ship in port. Enjoy your time with him. Make sure he gets Skype working so you can video conference with him Christmas day. They do a lot of stuff for them at the Sasebo base during the holidays. Keep us posted.

I haven't heard from Jonathan. That probably means that he is having a good time.

Having Christmas Thanksgiving weekend with Jesse sounds like a great idea! I will have to give it some thought and plan something. I've got some vacation days left too, so I'll take some to be with him while he's home. Thanks!

Right now, Jesse doesn't have a laptop, he just has an Iphone that he just bought when he graduated boot camp. I imagine he won't be able to use that in Japan, and will need to get a phone when he gets there (from what I've read here), I think he is hoping to get a laptop after he gets to Japan. Is that a bad/good idea? We'll have to get skype at home still.
I'm so tired today! Jesse arrived late last night and we were so excited we stayed up late talking, work today was rough!
So the Essex is out to sea right now? Is that why Jesse doesn't need to be at the port for a month? Or, does that have nothing to do with it (LOL) I don't know, I feel like I just learned how to be a bootcamp mom, and I'm not ready yet to be a "overseas in the fleet mom"!!! thanks everyone. Mary

What are your favorite sites to learn about Sasebo?
-mary

It is against the rules of navy4moms to post where they are or where they are going. We may post where they have been. I know that it can be found other places but we follow OPSEC. Please read the following:
http://www.navyformoms.com/forum/topics/navy-for-moms-n4m-community
http://www.navyformoms.com/video/opsec-internet-safety
We send each other private emails to tell details like that.

Reeniegalla, please delete your post. I know you meant no harm. Many newbies have made the same mistake. AntiM and other ex-navy moms on the Japan site can explain why this is so important better the me. You can also ask the admins.

hi deb here , how is everyone doing , terry is fine out to sea alot dont get to talk to him much driving me nuts i looked up plan fares for the hoilday but cant give the info to him and im afriad he may get it too late i dont remember id info or i could order them and have them sent to him, crazy japan mom !!!!!!!!!!!

oh yeah its his first leave we havent seen him in 67months now needing one of those hugs soon ,,,lol japan mom

Maine4Me, they crossed the equator again! That is such a great experience. I would love to see pictures. It was an unusually detailed post from my son. He was so exited, they had to crawl around the ship and a ton of other silly stuff. Your son is now a shellback instead of a pollywog. I posted earlier all the crossings. It is cool. I will look it up if you want to see.

Sharon, I hope your son is done with cranking soon. Not fun. But I bet he has stories. I told my kids that I walked to school 2 miles every day in Canada, snow, uphill both ways......LOL

Sorry if I was too rough about saying where they are, instead of where they where.

BTW, if anyone has details about where they are please email me. I sent an email to my son because I have not heard for almost a month.

Haven't heard too much from Katie this week. She had warned me that she would be on a crazy schedule again. Not sure if it was the 6 on 6 off or what. Saw pics of them practicing water rescue in a particular sea, but she says they have moved on already. Also mentioned they were waiting in case needed, but didn't happen. Katie isn't sharing any specifics at this moment, so I don't have any specifics to private message either.

My sons want a dog. We had MacGyver (lab/golden retriever) from Dec 1991 to August 2005 and he was the best dog ever;) They keep on looking at Humane Society sites and found one they really want. They even have been trying to get Alicia (college daughter) and Katie (Navy) to help convince me to get a dog.

Heard from Kate tonight. She said...............Yes (they crossed the equator) and yes (they had the 'ceremony'). We got done a little bit ago (9:45 pm EST). It was fun!!!! For me at least!! (Katie went thru the ceremony the same time as James and the group in the pic below.)

Heading off to bed, I've gotten a few hours of sleep every night this week, plus I have a crazy schedule right now. Not the same one I have told you about.

Tina, Marianne, LOL, LOL. I have not heard from my son, even though I sent him a message to "email me or else". Thanks for the info. CONGRADULATIONS to all the "shellback" moms here. I hope I said it right.

Sharon - When did his cranking duty begin? It usually last 90 days, of course, I guess it could be extended;( I'm sure he participated in the WOG ceremy, how else could he become a 'shellback'? I never saw pics from when Katie became one and I don't think she took pics this time with her being on the other end, like Jamie, Tina's son.

Katie said she can't say where they are (no surprise), but I have been hearing from her. She has been asking what everyone wants for Christmas. We are celebrating her 21st and Christmas when she comes home after she celebrates them both in Sasebo;)

USS Essex Makes a Port Visit to Hong Kong
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrew Smith
Posted: November 17, 2010

Wonder if any of our sailors will do this? During this visit, Sailors and Marines will also have a unique opportunity to spend time with Hong Kong families through a “meals in the home” program.

Kim - I've heard from Katie the last 4 days. Earlier she said....My department is very busy and I don't get that much time for liberty. Oh well. It has to happen, yea it sucks but I wish I had more time to go out.
Today she said..........Things have been fun in HK. I have some pics that I'll show the family when I come home.

to Kim, I heard from my son twice in one day, I think it was Tuesday, but after that nothing. I guess he is enjoying HK

Katie wrote - We were able to get off a little early yesterday so I went and did little more souvenier shopping and just hung out.