AECF - FCs and ETs

@chew92 when did your son get his orders to C-school??

WhiteClay- Hi! i saw your name over on this site. I'm on the Vinson site where you are. Glad your son got SD for C school. My son loved C school there and now he's stationed there for the next 4+ years.

Hi all. My SR is set to PIR next week 1/13/12! Hooyah!!

I have a question with regards to cell phone, lap top, ipod. Can I bring those to PIR & give them to him over the weekend? I know he should have liberty Sat & Sun.

Based on what I read here the June "A" school graduation they told him is really tentative. Like if there were no holds?

Jackie-congrats!

Good morning all,

Hope everyone is staying warm.  Chiming in on what you can take to a PIR, like Connie we packed up all that gear and when our son checked into his new home - he asked can I have and they said SURE.  But things change or it may depend who is on watch when they check in so my recommendation has alway been take them but be prepared to bring them home.   

Connie is right there are lockers available very inexpensive that you can rent on base so they can access their items when allowed but I don't remember the specifics of them.  Perhaps someone has used them and can post that info (?)

Contacts can be worn at the PIR, we mailed a set to our son the week before and he got them into to be able to smile big for his PIR photos :-)

Can't wait to hear more about this pilot program for the FCs.  Our son will be hitting his four year mark in February and they have tried different pilots over the years.  My hubby was an FC during the 80s and 90s...you don't even want to hear about some of THOSE pilots!!!   LOL

Mary, my son is doing a Pilot FC CWIS program in Dam Neck.

moms, I have a question. My son is almost done with C school in San Diego and I want to get him a nice gift. I was looking at a watch. Like a navy watch.. do they have anything like that?  or does anyone else have any other ideas. He is an FC

Yes, Jackie, Chrissy said she knows your son. She said he works very hard, he deserved the capping. You should post the story on the ship's group, not much activity there.

alwaysdaddyltlegirl. My son is stationed there for (C)school. There is a big school at Dam Neck for CWIS weapons system. The CWIS is a big Gatling Gun. It's nick name is R2D2. Dam Neck is a pretty small but nice base. My son likes living there. The base is right off of Virginia Beach. I think your daughter will be very happy at that base. The instructors a great. The living quarters are different than at Great Lakes. There are only 2 Sailors per room. The barracks are like small apartments.

Hope everyone had a very Happy New Year's Day! Just now catching up and enjoying reading all the posts I missed over the past couple of weeks!

alwaysdaddyltlegirl...I believe Dam Neck provides training and development for the Aegis Combat System, and also other shipboard combat systems like the CWIS (Close-In Weapon System) which uses that big radar-guided 20mm Gatling gun mounted on a huge swivelling base. I think that is the gun Sandy said they call R2D2 !!!  Our sailors do have a sense of humor!

Renie... gerber tools make great gifts for our sailors....multi pocket tools....flashlights, etc. Sometimes our sailors could even use really good work gloves with non slip features so they can work wearing them.

Worried about Japan?   Join the Japan moms, get your questions answered early.

He'll have to get a different phone, ours don't work there.  

Good morning all,

Life is getting normal again after the holidays.  Standdowns are over, public schools in our area returned today, traffic is a nightmare and another year awaits us.

alwaysdaddylittlegirl, did she tell you if she is going to CIWS, there are other C schools at DamnNeck.  She will love being so close to VA Beach and it is a nice (smaller) base.

sciteacher, we lived in Japan and treasured our time there.  Our son was born at the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka and his first choice for orders would have been Japan but he is in Hawaii.  Nick has been there a few times on deployment and loves it.  He is starting to look at orders now and if Japan is available - he's going.  Otherwise he will stay with his ship in Hawaii.  Great experiences for those stationed there and when they are deployed they see some great ports.  Often their deployments are not as long but they are more frequent.

Hubby was on a plane last year and in the seat next to him was a recruiter, who recruits candidates exclusively from the military.  He did share Nukes was the in first demand, Aegis FC was the 2nd highest demand.  HOWEVER with that being said with all the technical training and hands on experience all FCs and ETs have a solid future ahead - they won't be shooting missiles but their experience is very transferrable and in demand.  Our son is an Aegis FC but his dad was non Aegis and he has always been nicely employed as have all of his former FC cronies  :-).  Many of your sailors are years away from making that life changing decision to reenlist or go civilian but I predict they will be in good shape which ever direction they decide to take.  

Here's to a great year ahead for both you and your sailors!

Hey there is a polywog visiting King Neptune;s court tomorrow. Looking forward to pictures.

What?

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjob1/a/mt.htm

Missile Tech, a submarine rate.  Does just what you think they do.

So has anyone recieved orders to C-School yet? MY BF finished A-school right before stand down && graduated BC March 17 2011. Just wants to know if an ETs recieved orders and if so. where to?

gmansmom....yes, after PIR his title will be SA. When he graduates A school he will be FC.

Congrats!

HisLadyB07....just as a reference...our ET sailor graduated A school the end of Sept. 2011, and received his C school orders the end of October 2011.

He reported to San Diego on Dec. 2 for C school, and will be there until March. Then he goes to Norfolk, VA for a little longer, then out to fleet on the USS Germantown.

Hope your BF receives his orders soon!

Actually, after A school he'll be an FCSN and when the advancement cycle gives him the contractual advancement, an FC3.

Anti M....Yup...how'd I forget that? Shows that right on the A school certificate! 

Applies to ETs as well... ETSN.

Thanks for keeping us straight!

Hey, easier for me to remember, LOL.

Son completed A school last night! So do I not address it SN? He sounded like it would be a month before he officially advances.  What is petty officer indoc?

Just use whatever you were using, and he'll tell you quick enough if you're wrong!  He's probably an SN now, You can use FCSN (or ETSN) and not be too far off.

Petty officer indoc teaches them the rights and responsibilities when they advance up to E-4, petty officer third class.  

Thanks Anti M

Anybody have kids in the 5th Fleet? They were in the news last night. I don't know if Chrissy is in that area, but she maybe near it. Her ship is actually on an independent mission, not part of a big fleet.

Sounds about right.  He can request to have you as his liberty buddy, immediate family can do that.

Vickyrun, often when a DDG is on an independent mission they will meet with a strike group and support their efforts for part of their deployment.  Nick's ship goes out independently but each deployment they have caught up with one of the groups.  Don't have anyone in the 5th fleet but we do know many well trained sailors that are part of the 5th.

How is Chrissy liking her first deployment?

gmansmom, Immediate family is allowed for phase I liberty.  Girlfriends are not.

Thanks Mary, but I don't think she wasin the area of queston. Because she said she made Shellback yesterday. Does that  mean she crossed the equater?

She is half-way thru her deployment. Not sure how she is doing but last time we chatted she seemed to be having a hard time. She won't admint it, but she does this thing where she won't talk about the Navy and trys to focus on me.

She is happy whenever she can call her son. He said he wanted to "help her fight the bad guys".  

gmans - I called Sarge at 847 212 0246 and it was better than renting a car in Great Lakes. he picked us (and my service dog) up at airport - got us everywhere early and when he was booked, had Mark from Guernee step in whom was equally wonderful

Yes, call a taxi, many good ones in the area. Be sure if you are in Chicago and going out to Great Lakes to call a suburb taxi as the city taxis charge more to go out of the city.

I googled Shellback, there is a hazing ritual along with it. That is why she said she had a sore throat and sore knees.

At least they've toned down the hazing!

I used to live in Iran, and the people are lovely and decent.  Most of them do not hate Americans.  When they ousted the Shah (who was no saint), it opened the door for the fanatics to take over. People are people, politicians are the problem!

Bravo Zulu to Matt and all the ship's crew. 

My ET son is traveling today to C school at Norfolk.  His sponsor has not contacted him and doesn't know if there is a shuttle from the airport.  Anyone know how to best get to the base from the airport around 5:00 tonight? 

Proud Navy Mom of two sailors - can I ask when your ET son finished A school?

Odi, his PIR was 5/2010, graduated from A school 4/2011. 

When R signed up for the Navy on July 1, 2010, he was told there were no positions for FC until March 1,2011.  He graduated BC April 29, 2011. Once he got up there and we learned all about the holds, I just knew that something would change and the hold time would be shorter for him. Haven't given up hope either.   I don't understand it and am sure I never will.  How do they choose who will get orders next?  Is it a seniority list, do they go by grades? Do those dream sheets mean anything? If FC's changed rate when they offered it, after Christmas stand down, does that open up a possibility for them to move up the list and reduce hold time?  Just wondering!!   We had a young man from our area leave for BC Jan. 8th for FC.  So, I really don't understand.

I understand what you are saying!  Try this one on for size...my other son is in the Reserves.  He wants to go full time and has been trying to change over for the past 2 years.  As I understand it, they are still hiring in his rate (Seabee) but they have not taken any Reservists over to full time for 3 years.  He has been told that he should join the Army if he wants to go full time!  Fully trained with many hundreds of thousands of Navy dollars of training!  Go figure.

My son's PIR was Jan 2011 and as an ET stayed at Great Lakes for ATT and A school until January 2, 2012.  He is at C school in San Diego for a month until 2/1/2012 when he joins his ship at Little Creek, Virginia (amphibious). I never had any expectations as to when schools started or completed.  Son seems satisfied so I will be too.