We gave our NFO a custom framed artwork piece as a winging gift. Wish I could remember the cost but I think it was in the $300 range, but you can design your own to suit any budget.
Worked out the details via phone & email with a great guy, Butch, at Wings Pensacola Inc, 1-800-642-9464. (Do a browser search on "Wings Pensacola Inc" & you will see the website address. Not sure if posting a website in this forum is okay.)
The website's"Customer Service Page" has details for customizing plus a link to a Photobucket with samples of finished pieces.
All details can be customized: format, matting, frame, number & types & positioning of items (patches, fleet aircraft prints, info card).Our NFO knew about his gift ahead of time & dropped off the patches to be added, but Butch can also get patches if needed.
We picked up the gift at his store on South Navy Blvd when we arrived in P'cola for the winging andhad fun looking around the store.
The website also has a gift catalogue (if you want other ideas beside the framed artwork) and other general aviation items.
Hope you find this info helpful. Congrats to your aviators!
Congratulations Liz, to both you and your son! The adventure begins. Ok, I guess that is "continues" as OCS was definitely an adventure as well. Where does your son go next?
My son is presently stationed in Japan, but he and his wife just got back from a vacation in Guam. They took a 3-day course to get certified in scuba diving, and then took a scuba tour to some wrecks and coral reefs. If your son would find that sort of thing exciting, it is available in Guam. The underwater pictures my son sent showed them in swimsuits, not scuba wetsuits. He said the water temp there was 84 degrees, so no need for wet suits!
Good luck to your son! The Navy is an adventure for the families as well as the sailors!
Liz- The coolest part of our son's command tour was getting his challenge coin as a gift from him. It was a bucket list item I didn't realize I even wanted. His Master Chief gave me the Chief's Mess coin. When his career started 20 years ago I had no idea where it would lead.
Congratulations to you and your son, Liz. My son is in Guam as a helicopter pilot. He loves it there. He will be there another year and a half. He does a lot of diving. He loves history, so visits the forts.
It is so exciting reading where your sons are stationed! My son has always wanted to be a pilot, but after just a month in his ROTC unit, he is really open to the possibility that he could be"drafted" as a nuke. A couple of people have already said something to him about that possibility. One officer made a comment to him that "you can be a pilot with almost any major, but they want the really smart guys in the Nuke program." Since he is Aerospace engineering, it seems they are already "targeting" him...But the blessing is that he is really open to whatever lies ahead!
Welcome Glenni. My DS (Dear Son) commissioned from NROTC in 2014 and he is now a pilot. He earned his wings in 2016 and joined his P3 squadron at Whidbey Island, WA a few months ago. His dream was to become a pilot, but he also was open to accepting and being at peace with whatever service he was assigned. He was told that he was being targeted for Nukes also, as he was a science major with good grades in physics and calculus. He just continued to keep his nose to the grindstone. He put down pilot as his first choice, accepting that it probably would not not happen. Well, he was lucky. So one never knows.
It's good that your son is flexible and open to all possibilities in the Navy! Many of them join the Navy with a certain career path in mind, and then find themselves on a completely different track, (by choice or not.)
My son was accepted to OCS five years ago as a pilot candidate. He had passed all the pre-OCS physicals with flying colors. At OCS, he was given a flight physical, which turned up a minor physical anomaly which is not life-threatening, but it DQ'd him from pilot or NFO. He was understandably upset, but really wanted to stay in the Navy, so he was allowed to pick another designator, and was accepted to Naval Intelligence. He really enjoys the intel field and has enjoyed his four different duty stations so far.
I think being DQ'd for pilot was a blessing in disguise, because, speaking as his mother, I think he is a much better match for intel than aviation. But, he had to have the mental flexibility to accept that he could be happy doing something else if he couldn't do his dream job.
I'm sure there are Nuke Moms here whose Loved Ones really enjoy their work as nuclear officers, and could give your son some encouragement to go that route if he chooses.
I read that the motto of sailors should be "Semper Gumby"--(Always Flexible) ha-ha Plans change often, and they must learn to roll with it.
helenp: My son was also stationed at Whidbey Island, WA. He worked with a squadron of EA-18G "Growlers." You must go visit him at Whidbey! The island is beautiful, but the very high bridge connecting it to the mainland is rather daunting. (You can also take a car ferry.)
Glenni, yes my son is very happy. He has had only one moment of disappointment, when he was assigned the P3 rather than the new P8. The P3 is an OLD four-engine turboprop that is being replaced by the new P8 jet. But he turned lemons into lemonade when he realized that he will develop his basic aviator skills flying an aircraft with no fancy bells and whistles, and eventually everyone will transition. I think his squadron is last. Flight training is a lot of work, but he is happy to be flying.
M's Mom is correct though. A lot can happen during the years of ROTC, including not passing the flight physical or waiting too long to have corrective eye surgery if needed. In addition, sometimes the Navy and/or the ROTC chain of command see a skill or strength in a Midshipman that makes him/her perfect for a particular track. So staying open minded is the healthy thing to do.
M's Mom - I would love to visit him in Whidbey, but it may be a while as he is getting married the end of December in Hawaii and that trip is breaking the bank. His fiancee's hometown is Honolulu, so it's technically not a destination wedding, but same result. And everything is more expensive because it's the week between Christmas and New Year. But he had to schedule the wedding based on when his squadron deploys next. Hopefully, we'll get to Whidbey one of these days. I've heard about the bridge. I think it's called Deception Pass. He lives on the mainland, so he drives it every day. His fiancee is an RN and they thought she'd have more opportunities for work on the mainland. She's still looking though.
I bet naval Intelligence is a pretty interesting job. I also know of some Nuclear Officers who ended up very happy, and I hear that there are lucrative opportunities if one eventually leaves the Navy. My son didn't like subs during CORTRAMID though and that's where they need the most Nuke people.
We just finished a three week visit with our son at Whidbey. Drove the truck and 40' RV trailer over Deception Pass 4 times now!!!! Just don't look down!!! LOL Beautiful country up there.
helenp,
Our enlisted son is in Intelligence and attached to a squadron on Whidbey. They were in Hawaii last year and were transferred to WA because the squadron is transistioning from the P3s to the P8s. Pretty much all those planes will be replaced over the next few years!!
Our daughter is an NFO stationed at Tinker in Oklahoma City. She flies on the E6!!
"Don't look down" is good advice for the bridge at Deception Pass going on to Whidbey Island! We drove over it one time while visiting when it was socked in with fog! It was soooo eerie. We couldn't see down, which was good, but also couldn't see the other end of the bridge in the fog. It was like driving into oblivion.
helenp: if you ever get to Whidbey, you will also have to check out all the sights in nearby Seattle, such as the Space Needle and Pike Street Market, (where the fish mongers toss the fish through the air!) Seattle is nice, but the traffic is horrendous.
My daughter-in-law also looked for a job on the mainland when they were at Whidbey, but the daily commute was just going to be too much, so she found a job near their apt at the island's Home Depot. She really enjoyed it, and said if they ever bought a house, she would be the "handy" one, because she learned a lot about plumbing, etc. haha
Glenni- Our son graduated from University of Washington NROTC and Seattle University School of Nursing with a BSN. Three years later he was accepted to flight school and off he went. The Navy presents all kinds of opportunity. In 2013 he received his Masters degree from the Naval War College. Semper Gumby!
Son and D-I-L are still at Yokota, Japan. January will be two years, and he expects to be there another year. They love Japan!
Hubby and I endured the crowded 12-hour plane flights to/from Tokyo in July to visit them for 9 days. We had a great time. D-I-L is getting pretty good at speaking Japanese, so they took us to some "real" Japanese restaurants in town, not the Americanized ones around the base. Son has an international driver's license, and was fearlessly zipping us around in insane Tokyo traffic. They drive on the LEFT in Japan, so I struggled to stifle myself from yelling, "You're in the WRONG lane!!!" haha
Seems like a long time ago, that our sons were both on the USS Carl Vinson in the Persian Gulf. Since he's had a long ship tour and is now on 3-year foreign duty, son thinks he probably will be able to get assigned stateside for his next duty station, probably Suitland, MD near D.C., the HQ for naval intel.
M's mom-Sounds like you had a fantastic trip to Japan! How fun! Our son is looking at the possibilities for his next orders, strange to think he probably only has one or two sets of orders left.
We have given up waiting for DS to get a foreign assignment so my husband and I took our first trip to Europe in October. We flew into Venice and spent 2 days, then took the train to Florence spending a couple of days there, then the train to Rome. While we were in Rome we took a day trip to Naples, Pompeii. Next up was our 11 day western Mediterranean cruise which returned to Rome where we stayed a couple of days before flying home. We loved the Mediterranean area, we are looking at a cruise of the eastern Mediterranean in the future. We are definitely enjoying retirement!
My son's 6th Fleet ship is deploying at the end of November/early December. When should Christmas packages be mailed? We hope that he would receive it while at sea, but before Christmas. Thanks.
Probably wouldn't hurt to send Christmas packages to the ship in early December soon after deployment. You never know how long it will take to reach him, so if you don't want it to be late, I'd do it sooner rather than later.
When my son was deployed on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, packages took anywhere from only one week to over three weeks to get to him. It just depended on if his package made the weekly or whatever shipment from the fleet post office. If you use the "large" size US Postal Service flat-rate boxes, (size 12" x 12" x 4") there is a military discount of a few bucks off the postage if it's going to a FPO or APO address.
Sounds like you had a wonderful trip to Italy! I've always wanted to see Rome, and Pompeii. I'm jealous of your retirement, too! My hubby just retired, but (I never thought I would say this) I'm only 60, so alas, I'll be working a few more years!
My son thinks he wants to go for the career in the Navy, because he likes what he does in intelligence. Hopefully, his next assignment will be stateside, since he's been on a long ship deployment and then 3 years of foreign duty. It will be nice to have him and D-I-L closer to us, but after that, I may hint that he try for Europe, so we can visit and take the grand tour!
Hi! For everyone sending Christmas stockings to the TR they have posted the address. Please don’t ship until next week though. *****The Box number has been added****
Mailing address
Our contact is the Command Master Chief of the ship and we will be mailing everything to him.
CMDCM Andrew V. Frederick
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71)
Unit 100250 Box 03
FPO AP 96632
Finally, please do not mail anything before next week. As mentioned before, the Command does not have the storage space to hold gifts. Thanks to everyone for all of your help!!!
I think they are supposed to say Navy for Moms Holiday Project on all sides of shipping carton.
****Another thing i forgot to mention for anyone that has never mailed a package to a military address. You must have a customs form for each package. ****
M's mom and Glenni-It was an amazing trip. We had never taken a cruise before and now we are totally addicted! 9 cities and 4 countries without having to pack and repack. Pisa, Lucca, Villefranche, Montecarlo, Barcelona, Cartagena, Malaga, Gibraltar, Ibiza. It was wonderful.
Just introducing myself to the group. My DS , who is 25, who has been working as an aerospace engineer for the last 3 1/2 years, has decided he wants to join the Navy and become a Naval Aviator. He has applied to OCS and has handed in all of the required paperwork but he still has to have his physical. He was hoping to be considered for the February 2018 board but now that the physical has not been completed he will probably not be considered till the following board in 2018.
Hi and welcome rousse54. your DS sounds similar to my son's path to OCS. He worked as a mech. engineer in the PNW after college then made to the choice of joining the navy. He said persevere in getting paperwork and appointments with the recruiter is key. He too experienced delays but finally did get his date to go to OCS to be a Nuke. Good luck on this next adventure and looking forward to hearing DS has a date at OCS.
Welcome rousse54! My DS applied to OCS for pilot when he was 26, but he was enlisted at that time. Your DS needs to graduate from OCS prior to his 27th birthday. Looks like the deadline for the uponing board is Feb 16th. He should get on his recruiter everyday and do whatever takes to get the physical done and his package complete. I wish him all the best!
Welcome rousse54. Unfortunately, the military is very much "hurry up & wait." With my son it was "wait, wait, wait,....now HURRY UP!!!" He was accepted to OCS in 2012 right before his college graduation, but was told that there would not be a spot for him at OCS for about a year! He was weighing his job options, not thinking he would be able to get a very good job if he was honest with a prospective employer that he would be leaving for the military in a year. We were on a family vacation, as a last trip before his job search, when his recruiter called him and said he had to report to OCS in six weeks!!!! It was a very unexpected whirlwind to get all of his stuff ready, memorize all the required Navy info, and try to get into OCS physical shape in just a few weeks, when he had been thinking he had a year!!!
They have to learn to roll with whatever their orders are and whenever. As others have posted, part of the game is showing the recruiter how badly you want it. They want to see the perseverance and drive. Gone are the days when the recruiters would pursue the candidates. Now the candidates must show the Navy that they really, really want it, and they have the Right Stuff. Tell your son to keep at it, and good luck to him!
Thanks, everyone! He has been on top of his recruiter but the recruiter tells him right now is a very busy time and MEPS is processing a lot of people. I am fairly certain he will miss the February 2018 board and be considered for the next Naval Aviation board, whenever that is!
Rousse54, welcome, and I wish your son the best of luck. My son is studying aerospace engineering at Auburn in the NROTC program. He also hopes to become a pilot.
Thanks, Glenni for the warm welcome. Good luck to your son. My son did not make the Feb. 7 aviation board deadline as he is still awaiting his physical with MEPS. They are asking for additional information from him. But hopefully he will get that all done and be considered for the next board which I believe is in May 2018.
the hurry up and wait never stops. My DS got caught in the after effects of 9/11 with all the reserves coming back in and using all the training time for them. After two uncertain years of waiting, the do I get a full time job etc,My DS finally got to OCS in Pensacola. Now 13 years later he still files Jet Jockey carrier style and is also doing a stint at the same time in the big place on D.C. got in 3 Masters Degrees to so the wait is worth it.
Congrats BoomMom on having a LO heading to OCS. Time has flown bye since my LO was there now over 2yrs ago. If you have not joined the OCS page here is can be another great place for info. If you are facebook join the officer training command newport. They will post pictures of the classes. It was so fun searching pictures trying to spot a glimpse of your LO. There should also be a fb page for your LO's class it will look something like Navy OCS class xx-18 friends and family.
BoomMom - You might also want to ask on the "OSC Graduate Moms" group. You will find "To be", current and past OCS family members in both groups. Best of luck to you and your son/daughter!
TriciaM, you mentioned that 13 years later your son is still flying. That is awesome. My son has said that they have been told most pilots only get 1 actual flying tour of duty unless they are really outstanding! That was a little discouraging to him, and he has considered the Nuke route (they're also pressuring him towards the Nuke program), but at this point he really still wants to fly. So it is encouraging to read that about your son!
I will agree my son is an outstanding aviator (I get a quick reminder when I just say he is a pilot, he is a Navy Aviator!). There are others also so good luck to your son.I have flown with my son before he went in so do know he is an born aviator. He is an Embry Riddle grad so started flying there.
Don't want to brag but where else but here to do it. My Navy Aviator just finished qualifying on the HS Truman and received "Top Hook" . We are so happy he just made it and the icing on the cake to boot !
Rose
We gave our NFO a custom framed artwork piece as a winging gift. Wish I could remember the cost but I think it was in the $300 range, but you can design your own to suit any budget.
Worked out the details via phone & email with a great guy, Butch, at Wings Pensacola Inc, 1-800-642-9464. (Do a browser search on "Wings Pensacola Inc" & you will see the website address. Not sure if posting a website in this forum is okay.)
The website's "Customer Service Page" has details for customizing plus a link to a Photobucket with samples of finished pieces.
All details can be customized: format, matting, frame, number & types & positioning of items (patches, fleet aircraft prints, info card). Our NFO knew about his gift ahead of time & dropped off the patches to be added, but Butch can also get patches if needed.
We picked up the gift at his store on South Navy Blvd when we arrived in P'cola for the winging and had fun looking around the store.
The website also has a gift catalogue (if you want other ideas beside the framed artwork) and other general aviation items.
Hope you find this info helpful. Congrats to your aviators!
Aug 29, 2017
Liz
Sep 17, 2017
Liz
Sep 17, 2017
CindyN
Congratulations Liz, to both you and your son! The adventure begins. Ok, I guess that is "continues" as OCS was definitely an adventure as well. Where does your son go next?
Sep 17, 2017
CindyN
newmom - Yes there are definitely SWO moms in this group. My son is a SWO.
Sep 17, 2017
Liz
Sep 17, 2017
M's mom
Congrats Liz, to you & your officer!
My son is presently stationed in Japan, but he and his wife just got back from a vacation in Guam. They took a 3-day course to get certified in scuba diving, and then took a scuba tour to some wrecks and coral reefs. If your son would find that sort of thing exciting, it is available in Guam. The underwater pictures my son sent showed them in swimsuits, not scuba wetsuits. He said the water temp there was 84 degrees, so no need for wet suits!
Good luck to your son! The Navy is an adventure for the families as well as the sailors!
Sep 18, 2017
Helomom
Sep 18, 2017
naturegirl1
Congratulations to you and your son, Liz. My son is in Guam as a helicopter pilot. He loves it there. He will be there another year and a half. He does a lot of diving. He loves history, so visits the forts.
Sep 18, 2017
Noni
Sep 18, 2017
Glenni
It is so exciting reading where your sons are stationed! My son has always wanted to be a pilot, but after just a month in his ROTC unit, he is really open to the possibility that he could be"drafted" as a nuke. A couple of people have already said something to him about that possibility. One officer made a comment to him that "you can be a pilot with almost any major, but they want the really smart guys in the Nuke program." Since he is Aerospace engineering, it seems they are already "targeting" him...But the blessing is that he is really open to whatever lies ahead!
Sep 19, 2017
helenp
Welcome Glenni. My DS (Dear Son) commissioned from NROTC in 2014 and he is now a pilot. He earned his wings in 2016 and joined his P3 squadron at Whidbey Island, WA a few months ago. His dream was to become a pilot, but he also was open to accepting and being at peace with whatever service he was assigned. He was told that he was being targeted for Nukes also, as he was a science major with good grades in physics and calculus. He just continued to keep his nose to the grindstone. He put down pilot as his first choice, accepting that it probably would not not happen. Well, he was lucky. So one never knows.
Sep 19, 2017
Glenni
That is awesome and so encouraging, helenp. Is he loving it?
Sep 19, 2017
M's mom
Hi Glenni,
It's good that your son is flexible and open to all possibilities in the Navy! Many of them join the Navy with a certain career path in mind, and then find themselves on a completely different track, (by choice or not.)
My son was accepted to OCS five years ago as a pilot candidate. He had passed all the pre-OCS physicals with flying colors. At OCS, he was given a flight physical, which turned up a minor physical anomaly which is not life-threatening, but it DQ'd him from pilot or NFO. He was understandably upset, but really wanted to stay in the Navy, so he was allowed to pick another designator, and was accepted to Naval Intelligence. He really enjoys the intel field and has enjoyed his four different duty stations so far.
I think being DQ'd for pilot was a blessing in disguise, because, speaking as his mother, I think he is a much better match for intel than aviation. But, he had to have the mental flexibility to accept that he could be happy doing something else if he couldn't do his dream job.
I'm sure there are Nuke Moms here whose Loved Ones really enjoy their work as nuclear officers, and could give your son some encouragement to go that route if he chooses.
I read that the motto of sailors should be "Semper Gumby"--(Always Flexible) ha-ha Plans change often, and they must learn to roll with it.
Good luck to your son!
Sep 19, 2017
M's mom
helenp: My son was also stationed at Whidbey Island, WA. He worked with a squadron of EA-18G "Growlers." You must go visit him at Whidbey! The island is beautiful, but the very high bridge connecting it to the mainland is rather daunting. (You can also take a car ferry.)
Sep 19, 2017
helenp
I love that M's mom - "Semper Gumby" hahaha
Glenni, yes my son is very happy. He has had only one moment of disappointment, when he was assigned the P3 rather than the new P8. The P3 is an OLD four-engine turboprop that is being replaced by the new P8 jet. But he turned lemons into lemonade when he realized that he will develop his basic aviator skills flying an aircraft with no fancy bells and whistles, and eventually everyone will transition. I think his squadron is last. Flight training is a lot of work, but he is happy to be flying.
M's Mom is correct though. A lot can happen during the years of ROTC, including not passing the flight physical or waiting too long to have corrective eye surgery if needed. In addition, sometimes the Navy and/or the ROTC chain of command see a skill or strength in a Midshipman that makes him/her perfect for a particular track. So staying open minded is the healthy thing to do.
Sep 19, 2017
helenp
M's Mom - I would love to visit him in Whidbey, but it may be a while as he is getting married the end of December in Hawaii and that trip is breaking the bank. His fiancee's hometown is Honolulu, so it's technically not a destination wedding, but same result. And everything is more expensive because it's the week between Christmas and New Year. But he had to schedule the wedding based on when his squadron deploys next. Hopefully, we'll get to Whidbey one of these days. I've heard about the bridge. I think it's called Deception Pass. He lives on the mainland, so he drives it every day. His fiancee is an RN and they thought she'd have more opportunities for work on the mainland. She's still looking though.
I bet naval Intelligence is a pretty interesting job. I also know of some Nuclear Officers who ended up very happy, and I hear that there are lucrative opportunities if one eventually leaves the Navy. My son didn't like subs during CORTRAMID though and that's where they need the most Nuke people.
Sep 19, 2017
Noni
My daughter is a SWO/EDO, and is stationed in SD. If you have any question for SWO moms I will try to help
Sep 19, 2017
Anna
M's mom,
We just finished a three week visit with our son at Whidbey. Drove the truck and 40' RV trailer over Deception Pass 4 times now!!!! Just don't look down!!! LOL Beautiful country up there.
helenp,
Our enlisted son is in Intelligence and attached to a squadron on Whidbey. They were in Hawaii last year and were transferred to WA because the squadron is transistioning from the P3s to the P8s. Pretty much all those planes will be replaced over the next few years!!
Our daughter is an NFO stationed at Tinker in Oklahoma City. She flies on the E6!!
Sep 20, 2017
Glenni
M's Mom, Thank you so much for your insight. I truly think he will be happy with whatever he ends up doing....I LOVE Semper Gumby!
Sep 20, 2017
M's mom
Anna & helenp:
"Don't look down" is good advice for the bridge at Deception Pass going on to Whidbey Island! We drove over it one time while visiting when it was socked in with fog! It was soooo eerie. We couldn't see down, which was good, but also couldn't see the other end of the bridge in the fog. It was like driving into oblivion.
helenp: if you ever get to Whidbey, you will also have to check out all the sights in nearby Seattle, such as the Space Needle and Pike Street Market, (where the fish mongers toss the fish through the air!) Seattle is nice, but the traffic is horrendous.
My daughter-in-law also looked for a job on the mainland when they were at Whidbey, but the daily commute was just going to be too much, so she found a job near their apt at the island's Home Depot. She really enjoyed it, and said if they ever bought a house, she would be the "handy" one, because she learned a lot about plumbing, etc. haha
Sep 21, 2017
Helomom
Nov 10, 2017
M's mom
Helomom:
Has your son made Captain yet?
Nov 11, 2017
Helomom
Nov 11, 2017
M's mom
Helomom:
Son and D-I-L are still at Yokota, Japan. January will be two years, and he expects to be there another year. They love Japan!
Hubby and I endured the crowded 12-hour plane flights to/from Tokyo in July to visit them for 9 days. We had a great time. D-I-L is getting pretty good at speaking Japanese, so they took us to some "real" Japanese restaurants in town, not the Americanized ones around the base. Son has an international driver's license, and was fearlessly zipping us around in insane Tokyo traffic. They drive on the LEFT in Japan, so I struggled to stifle myself from yelling, "You're in the WRONG lane!!!" haha
Seems like a long time ago, that our sons were both on the USS Carl Vinson in the Persian Gulf. Since he's had a long ship tour and is now on 3-year foreign duty, son thinks he probably will be able to get assigned stateside for his next duty station, probably Suitland, MD near D.C., the HQ for naval intel.
Nov 11, 2017
M's mom
Moms:
On this Veteran's Day, let's not forget thank our sailors for their service!
Nov 11, 2017
Helomom
We have given up waiting for DS to get a foreign assignment so my husband and I took our first trip to Europe in October. We flew into Venice and spent 2 days, then took the train to Florence spending a couple of days there, then the train to Rome. While we were in Rome we took a day trip to Naples, Pompeii. Next up was our 11 day western Mediterranean cruise which returned to Rome where we stayed a couple of days before flying home. We loved the Mediterranean area, we are looking at a cruise of the eastern Mediterranean in the future. We are definitely enjoying retirement!
Nov 13, 2017
sueb
My son's 6th Fleet ship is deploying at the end of November/early December. When should Christmas packages be mailed? We hope that he would receive it while at sea, but before Christmas. Thanks.
Nov 14, 2017
Glenni
Helomom, that sounds like an amazing trip! I love the Mediterranean, but we've never done a cruise! Gotta add that to the bucket list!
M's Mom - what a great trip to Japan! I really look forward to seeing where our son gets stationed!
Nov 14, 2017
M's mom
sueb,
Probably wouldn't hurt to send Christmas packages to the ship in early December soon after deployment. You never know how long it will take to reach him, so if you don't want it to be late, I'd do it sooner rather than later.
When my son was deployed on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, packages took anywhere from only one week to over three weeks to get to him. It just depended on if his package made the weekly or whatever shipment from the fleet post office. If you use the "large" size US Postal Service flat-rate boxes, (size 12" x 12" x 4") there is a military discount of a few bucks off the postage if it's going to a FPO or APO address.
Nov 14, 2017
M's mom
Helomom,
Sounds like you had a wonderful trip to Italy! I've always wanted to see Rome, and Pompeii. I'm jealous of your retirement, too! My hubby just retired, but (I never thought I would say this) I'm only 60, so alas, I'll be working a few more years!
My son thinks he wants to go for the career in the Navy, because he likes what he does in intelligence. Hopefully, his next assignment will be stateside, since he's been on a long ship deployment and then 3 years of foreign duty. It will be nice to have him and D-I-L closer to us, but after that, I may hint that he try for Europe, so we can visit and take the grand tour!
Nov 14, 2017
Barb
Mailing address
Our contact is the Command Master Chief of the ship and we will be mailing everything to him.
CMDCM Andrew V. Frederick
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71)
Unit 100250 Box 03
FPO AP 96632
Finally, please do not mail anything before next week. As mentioned before, the Command does not have the storage space to hold gifts. Thanks to everyone for all of your help!!!
I think they are supposed to say Navy for Moms Holiday Project on all sides of shipping carton.
****Another thing i forgot to mention for anyone that has never mailed a package to a military address. You must have a customs form for each package. ****
Nov 15, 2017
Helomom
Nov 17, 2017
redheadlass
Just introducing myself to the group. My DS , who is 25, who has been working as an aerospace engineer for the last 3 1/2 years, has decided he wants to join the Navy and become a Naval Aviator. He has applied to OCS and has handed in all of the required paperwork but he still has to have his physical. He was hoping to be considered for the February 2018 board but now that the physical has not been completed he will probably not be considered till the following board in 2018.
Dec 24, 2017
topdog1p
Hi and welcome rousse54. your DS sounds similar to my son's path to OCS. He worked as a mech. engineer in the PNW after college then made to the choice of joining the navy. He said persevere in getting paperwork and appointments with the recruiter is key. He too experienced delays but finally did get his date to go to OCS to be a Nuke. Good luck on this next adventure and looking forward to hearing DS has a date at OCS.
Dec 24, 2017
NYNancy
Welcome rousse54! My DS applied to OCS for pilot when he was 26, but he was enlisted at that time. Your DS needs to graduate from OCS prior to his 27th birthday. Looks like the deadline for the uponing board is Feb 16th. He should get on his recruiter everyday and do whatever takes to get the physical done and his package complete. I wish him all the best!
Dec 25, 2017
M's mom
Welcome rousse54. Unfortunately, the military is very much "hurry up & wait." With my son it was "wait, wait, wait,....now HURRY UP!!!" He was accepted to OCS in 2012 right before his college graduation, but was told that there would not be a spot for him at OCS for about a year! He was weighing his job options, not thinking he would be able to get a very good job if he was honest with a prospective employer that he would be leaving for the military in a year. We were on a family vacation, as a last trip before his job search, when his recruiter called him and said he had to report to OCS in six weeks!!!! It was a very unexpected whirlwind to get all of his stuff ready, memorize all the required Navy info, and try to get into OCS physical shape in just a few weeks, when he had been thinking he had a year!!!
They have to learn to roll with whatever their orders are and whenever. As others have posted, part of the game is showing the recruiter how badly you want it. They want to see the perseverance and drive. Gone are the days when the recruiters would pursue the candidates. Now the candidates must show the Navy that they really, really want it, and they have the Right Stuff. Tell your son to keep at it, and good luck to him!
Dec 25, 2017
redheadlass
Thanks, everyone! He has been on top of his recruiter but the recruiter tells him right now is a very busy time and MEPS is processing a lot of people. I am fairly certain he will miss the February 2018 board and be considered for the next Naval Aviation board, whenever that is!
Dec 26, 2017
Glenni
Rousse54, welcome, and I wish your son the best of luck. My son is studying aerospace engineering at Auburn in the NROTC program. He also hopes to become a pilot.
Jan 8, 2018
redheadlass
Thanks, Glenni for the warm welcome. Good luck to your son. My son did not make the Feb. 7 aviation board deadline as he is still awaiting his physical with MEPS. They are asking for additional information from him. But hopefully he will get that all done and be considered for the next board which I believe is in May 2018.
Jan 8, 2018
BoomMom
Anyone have a son or daughter scheduled for January 15th start at OCS in Newport?
Jan 8, 2018
TriciaM
Hi rouse54.
the hurry up and wait never stops. My DS got caught in the after effects of 9/11 with all the reserves coming back in and using all the training time for them. After two uncertain years of waiting, the do I get a full time job etc,My DS finally got to OCS in Pensacola. Now 13 years later he still files Jet Jockey carrier style and is also doing a stint at the same time in the big place on D.C. got in 3 Masters Degrees to so the wait is worth it.
Jan 8, 2018
topdog1p
Congrats BoomMom on having a LO heading to OCS. Time has flown bye since my LO was there now over 2yrs ago. If you have not joined the OCS page here is can be another great place for info. If you are facebook join the officer training command newport. They will post pictures of the classes. It was so fun searching pictures trying to spot a glimpse of your LO. There should also be a fb page for your LO's class it will look something like Navy OCS class xx-18 friends and family.
Jan 8, 2018
CindyN
BoomMom - You might also want to ask on the "OSC Graduate Moms" group. You will find "To be", current and past OCS family members in both groups. Best of luck to you and your son/daughter!
Jan 8, 2018
Glenni
TriciaM, you mentioned that 13 years later your son is still flying. That is awesome. My son has said that they have been told most pilots only get 1 actual flying tour of duty unless they are really outstanding! That was a little discouraging to him, and he has considered the Nuke route (they're also pressuring him towards the Nuke program), but at this point he really still wants to fly. So it is encouraging to read that about your son!
Jan 9, 2018
TriciaM
Glenni,
I will agree my son is an outstanding aviator (I get a quick reminder when I just say he is a pilot, he is a Navy Aviator!). There are others also so good luck to your son.I have flown with my son before he went in so do know he is an born aviator. He is an Embry Riddle grad so started flying there.
Jan 9, 2018
Glenni
Tricia M,
Embry Riddle was my son's second choice. We visited the campus and were very impressed!
Jan 11, 2018
PA Navy Mom 1st
Don't want to brag but where else but here to do it. My Navy Aviator just finished qualifying on the HS Truman and received "Top Hook" . We are so happy he just made it and the icing on the cake to boot !
Jan 11, 2018
M's mom
PA Navy Mom: You are rightly justified in bragging about your Top Hook son! Of course you should be very proud. Congrats to you and your aviator!
Jan 11, 2018
Glenni
That is awesome PA Navy Mom!
Jan 13, 2018