AECF - FCs and ETs

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For families that have a loved one serving the Navy as an FC or an ET. This is the place to share and learn more about their jobs and schools.

For subs - look for the SECF group.

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Vickimed(AECF-ET)

Tina, As far as PIR goes they enjoy having their phones and laptops so they can call their friends and check facebook and emails. Some even will play their games. In most cases though you will have to bring it back home with you and mail it to him in a couple of weeks.Clothes that you may want to bring is just clothes that they might like to put on to lounge around in in the hotel room. When they leave the room they must have on their uniform. Just a reminder for them if you bring them their cell do not let them use it while they are out.They don't want them to be walking around with a cell phone to their ear or checking text etc...

Jun 25, 2011
WhiteClay Ship 2 Div 913

@Tina - if he's staying at GL bring anything he might want at A that can fit in a small locker (12' X 24" X 12" I'm guessing). We took laptop, quilt (handmade by good friend's mom), favorite tshirts, shorts, fave jeans. He'll probably want to get a new phone, unless "old" one had Internet capability. You can rent a storage locker for $35/month, but he probably will be able to get the stuff before the month is up. There's a locker place close to the base, run by a former RDC, and we took our son Sunday morning after grad before church, and he picked the stuff he wanted to keep from the box I packed. I used the box that his clothes came in from boot, thought it was fitting and kind of funny. I definitely didn't cry when I opened it, just explored the contents, found the phone 2 days later in his boot, and washed the stuff. I'll try to find the link for you for the Lock & Go. They will mail your recruit a postcard good for $10 off a month's rental if you want.

Jun 25, 2011
Elizabeth

so take phone or not lol. i heard we can give them there phone on friday after they have checked in and they can keep it! and if there school is somewhere else we can give it to them at the airport. wht type of bag should we put there clothes in and stuff

Jun 25, 2011
WhiteClay Ship 2 Div 913

I looked up Lock & Go and it looks like they aren't in business anymore, but I'm sure there are others nearby. Anybody have personal experience with small lockers near GL A school side that are inexpensive?

Jun 25, 2011
Tiff'sMom (Sharon)

Great pics Helen :)

Jun 26, 2011
WhiteClay Ship 2 Div 913

@ lizzy - if your fiance is AECF he won't be going to the airport because A school is across the street at Great Lakes.That's why the storage locker rental for one month can be helpful, especially if you live far from GL. Ask him what items he'll want you to bring for A school. I'm assuming his parents are going too and will have a car while there to transport you all to check out stuff. After you leave and he is allowed off base liberty he can take a taxi with a liberty buddy to the storage place and get his stuff. I'd take his phone & charger etc to grad, and he can get a new one later if he needs to.

Jun 26, 2011
Vickimed(AECF-ET)

I thought this was kinda funny today. Chris has been home on leave this past week before leaving today to drive his car to Dam Neck for C school. Now a year ago he left to join the Navy with just the clothes on his back and even those got sent home after he got there. Today he packed his little Honda Civic with 2 sea bags a very large suitcase and a 4ft x 4ft box that he had mail home before leaving GL.Not to mention his laptop which was in a separate case. I just thought how funny all the stuff he had acquired while being in GL this past year.

Jun 26, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Vickimed, LoL, that is funny you mentioned that about your son. I was just talking to my son yesterday. He said that when he comes home on leave. He has lots of stuff for me to store at home for him. I asked him how much "stuff" do you have. He said well, I have a really big suitcase, plus my Sea Bag. I also have big sub-woofer speakers and various electronics. Not only that, but tons of DVDs.

Jun 26, 2011
Elizabeth

yeah the ship is small my cousin was in the navy and she had pictures lol.

Jun 26, 2011
Elizabeth

i just wanted to give him his phone after he gets everything done with getting settled with his school on PIR.

Jun 26, 2011
WhiteClay Ship 2 Div 913

@ Angie - do you know why the Lock N Go storage place closed? My son used it for about 2 weeks. He took a van to the big NEX off base, then walked across the street to get his stuff. Just wondering..they seemed really nice!

Jun 26, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Connie, Oh no, it is the guys who have the "Stuff." Remember we are talking about a bunch of techno geeks. I know I will be storing my son's Ham radio and other gadgets & gizmos.

Helen, my son has done just that. He downloaded all his music on to a external drive. My hubby is downloading tons of movies for him too.

Jun 26, 2011
Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

Hi all,

For those that worry about what fleet life may be like - I started my morning on facebook to find that my FC had a little fun on Friday night. When deployed the ship has MWR night and Nick was Bingo winner. He is now the owner of a new ipad :-)

Jun 27, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Mary, Love the photo!!! Your son looks like he is having tons of fun.

Like the ipad too :)

Jun 27, 2011
Odi_Ship09_Div140

Izzy - we took our sailor his cell phone. He knew what he was allowed and when. He bought a new laptop once he was settled into ATT and pays for a portable connection. It was a great feeling once he had a cell phone!

Jun 27, 2011
Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

Moral of the story, deployments can be long and boring but the ship(s) do alot to make it bearable.

I am just so delighted the ship has a facebook page as my son would NEVER send photos or tell us that he's been playing...bingo!!! LOL

Jun 27, 2011
ProudGMBarb

Mary,Proud Mom of Nick...oh...what a fun pic! Certainly makes ya smile and lighten the heart a bit! Thanks for sharing.

Jun 27, 2011
NukeWife

Hey Everyone!

My husband is an ET and has been through school and is now on the USS Eisenhower.. any questions feel free to ask :) have a great night!

Jun 27, 2011
CDanielleR

@Tina & Lizzy: My boyfriend graduated in April and we bought him his laptop & his cell phone for him to take to ATT school. We also brought him underwear & tanks. He came home for Memorial Day weekend and filled up his seabag with regular clothes & shoes because he was Phase 2 Liberty by then.

Jun 29, 2011
ProudGMBarb

Happy 4th of July to everyone! As we bless all military personnel and our country and celebrate the freedom we enjoy, let us also take a moment to reflect and celebrate our individual freedom and the freedom of people around the world and how we all interact. Here's a July 4th prayer to consider (feel free to substitute wording to your own personal beliefs):

...The freedom to be who I am and to express my thoughts and opinions is one of God's greatest gifts to me. Yet freedom of spirit is a gift that is meant for every child of God, and I can celebrate my own freedom by praying for and affirming the freedom of people around the world.

In my prayers, I pray that all people from all walks of life let go of judgements about the beliefs or customs of others that are different from their own. Instead, I see people the world over embracing he diversity that God created and finding the beauty in a variety of cultures.

I celebrate my freedom and the freedom of people around the world by encouraging others to express their individuality. I celebrate freedom for all through my loving actions, thoughts, and prayers. Amen and Happy 4th!...

Jul 3, 2011
ProudGMBarb

Luv1031...Congrats to your sailor and to you too! Be proud! Wishing him all the best in his next step of his Navy career. May he be happy, successful, and stay safe!

Jul 5, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Luv1031, congratulations to your son. He looks so happy there with his certificate. I hope he enjoys San Diego.

Jul 5, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Ladies!!! I am sooooooo happy!! I got a text this morning from my son. He just got orders this morning. They are to Dam Neck, VA for 177 days of school for CWIS mk15 mods! I will get more info tonight when I speak to him.

Jul 7, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Luv1031, He does not look dorky. Guys just don't like getting their photo taken. LoL

Jul 7, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Jodia, I am happy for my son. Dam Neck will be great for him. What are the living quarters/barracks like. Are they the same as in GL?

Jul 7, 2011
Vickyrun

Congrats Luv1031 and Sandy.

Chrissy is on hold again, this time in Dahlgren, VI. No orders. I thougth they got orders after C school. But then it is the Navy.

Jul 7, 2011
R'sproudmom

Luv, I love the pic of your son.

Sandy, I am soooo happy for your son. Since I live in VA., I would love for R's C school to be here. But, if he is sent to SD, we can take a trip or two out west. Never been to CA.

Jul 7, 2011
ProudGMBarb

Sandy....Big Congrats to your son...it's great to hear / read the happiness in your voice! He must be so excited! Keep us posted!

Jul 7, 2011
Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

Luv, what a great photo of your son. He has every reason to smile after finishing up his A and C school and of course heading to San Diego makes many sailors smile! Congrats to him!

Vickyrun - Do tell! Chrissy has finished C school and she's on hold for orders?!!! Things are always changing but Nick picked his six weeks before school even finished. But as a mother speaking - the longer they sit in school even if it is on hold, the better your communications can be. Cause the next step is to the fleet and they often means deployment and as I sit here and wonder just what the heck my son is doing today and what country might he be in...sitting in school sounds good to this ole' mom!

I do know a few fleet sailors that are waiting for PCS orders as well, it's time for them to move on to a new command specifically shore duty and orders are simply not flowing. They have been seeing the orders just a month before they PCS -

Sandy - woohoo off to the beach your son will go! One of the C schools that my (old) FC hubby went to was DamNeck, I stayed in Michigan while he was at that school but would go for long weekends. He would go to school and I would spend the day at the beach...I didn't mind that C school at all!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Jul 7, 2011
Vickimed(AECF-ET)

Sandy@ Congratulations to your son. Moving on and leaving GL is great.Chris got to Dam Neck about 2 weeks ago and he is enjoying it.Alot of his running buddies from GL got the Norfolk area also and they are starting to arrive. It is funny to watch the chatter on facebook as this group talk about getting back together. After the winter in Chicago he is just enjoying the warmer weather. Of course after this it is Everett Washington for him.He really likes the fact that he has his car and can go where he needs with out having to pay to take the train or a cab. If you son is taking his car just remember it needs to be titled and insured in his name for him to register it on base. Chris drove in on Sat. around 6:30 pm and got his quarters right away. Said they were a little smaller than GL and there is not alot of room for extra stuff.Congrats to you son again.The next big step.Everything they have learned so far has been general but now it becomes their specialty.

Jul 8, 2011
Vickyrun

Yes that is correct, Mary.

Chrissy has been in the Navy for 2 years and 2 months and has yet to step foot on a ship, Anq.

Jul 8, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Vickymed, my son is looking forward to moving on with his Navy life. He reports in September. My son wants to by a clunker for while he is there. My son has a car here at home but it is an 1967 Ford Mustang. It seems like my son is going from one clunker to another, LoL. It needs lots of repairs. I hope there is public transportation on base.

Vickyrun, I hope Chrissy gets orders to be on a ship soon.

Jul 8, 2011
Vickyrun

A 1967 Ford Mustang! That is a classic car that deserves tender loving care. What color is it? I've always wanted one. I had one for one day, the body was warped so my husband returned it.

Jul 8, 2011
Deb (FC Mom)

My 1st car was a 67 Mustang...I loved that car!

Jul 8, 2011
ProudGMBarb

I think we all could get a smile and chuckle for the day from this:
"Waffle Wedded Wife"
http://www.flixxy.com/wedding-ceremony

Jul 8, 2011
ProudGMBarb

There are 71 new photos on TSC FB page of the July 8 "A" school grads. Just in case any of you might be interested!

Jul 8, 2011
WhiteClay Ship 2 Div 913

I think they are letting go ones that have been in awhile and not advanced, or had mediocre evaluations? That's what I recall from discussions a couple months ago on here. There will always be a need for new recruits due to retirement etc., so maybe it's like when they give early retirement incentives to teachers? just a guess.

Jul 9, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Lynne, Yes, I read the article. I think it is stupid for our government to do this. This is going to raise the unemployment rate even higher. There are no jobs for these Sailors to go to. The administration we have now hates our Military.

I am annoyed!!

Jul 9, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

WhiteClay, I had heard that too.

Jul 9, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

I think we need to let go politicians. We have too many and they are useless.

Jul 9, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

navyblumom, I spoke to my son this past week and asked him if he was worried about being let go. He said that the Navy goes through cycles of letting people go. He seems to think that in a few years things will be better.

Jul 9, 2011
Anti M

Angie has posted about this for months now, it isn't new today. They're looking at petty officers who have not advanced or are not excelling. There has to be a balance of senior and junior sailors in all rates, so just curtailing new, junior sailors won't work. The recruitment quotas ARE down. The ones in C school are not in the target range. Rumors abound in school settings. The Navy is looking at letting go of the ones who are merely good and not great, to make room for the younger sailors to advance. Permission To Stay was in place to try and resovle this, but it was not drastic enough. The projections for readiness are made ten years in advance, so it isn't like they can put the brakes on the Navy manning train in a few weeks or months.

Yes, it cycles up and down.

Jul 9, 2011
Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

Good morning all,

I married my FC 26 years ago and now we have an FC son who has been in almost four years. It took me years to understand that FireControl did not mean they were ...fireman for the Navy!

Hope everyone is well!

Jul 11, 2011
R'sproudmom

Mary, I know what you mean. The day R came home and told us he would be Fire Control, I said "you don't even hang out at the fire dept". We live in a very small town and a lot of locals end up there to pass the time. So many Navy terms and abbreviations to learn. I still have to start at 12 noon and count up know what time he is talking about whenever we are talking on the ph.

Jul 11, 2011
Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

Haha R' - I'm STILL slow on the military time!

Had to share --- look what I found on facebook - Our ship has a page there and they are being so sweet to the families this deployment.

Our son is on the right - holding that thingy!

Jul 11, 2011
R'sproudmom

Mary...What a find!!!! It's hard to describe the feeling whenever you see them, whether it's in a picture or in person. I can imagine that feeling was multiplied 100x's when you came across this. I'm sure you will have an awesome day

Jul 11, 2011
Deb (FC Mom)

Mary- excellent use of the technical term "thingy" works in all applications...gave me a big grin as it's something I would say. Great pic!

Jul 11, 2011
Sandy's_sailor son

Mary, what a good photo of your son. He looks so content in his job.

"Thingy" should be a term in the dictionary.

Jul 11, 2011
jacqueline-rn

I'm okay with military time because I work in health care and we use it there too. I even knew that FC didn't have much to to with fires. However I am the rocket scientist that spent five minutes trying to figure out what the Navy was doing in South Dakota (no oceans, no Great Lakes). I did eventually figure out that SD stood for San Diego not South Dakota but it took me awhile.

Jul 11, 2011
ProudGMBarb

Mary....Thanks for sharing that great pic of your handsome son! What a good find!

Mary, Connie,Jacqueline...I'm chuckling about the "Fire Control" thing! You are right, most people automatically relate it to fire fighting. I think they should come up with a different title..maybe something like "Weapons Control"... but I don't think they'll want to hear what I have to say!!! LOL.

Jul 11, 2011