AECF - FCs and ETs

My ET son just got on his ship after C school in time for the hurricane!  Haven't heard from him, but know he's glad to be finally "home"

Weather & travels...my FC & his sister (USAF wife) made the drive safely from SD to McGuire AFB in New Jersey and now are looking forward to Frankenstorm.  So I am listening to Nightline & hear that Norfolk has sent 24 ships out to sea in advance of the storm, no big deal, regular operating procedure right? Except that my FC was planning to leave Sunday for his report date of 10/31.

So I pick up the phone & call him Me: "Honey, you might want to call your contact number in the morning & ask them what they want you to do, I don't think riding out a hurricane in a Cooper Mini is the safest option"; FC: "Okay ma..."

Then my daughter informs me that my SIL is going on special storm assignment to Charlotte on Sunday & she will be riding out the storm on her own, "Mom, how do you prepare for a hurricane & a snow storm at the same time" she askes me...huh, ya got me babe.

Serenity NOW!!! Love being a military mom ;-)

If he reports in while the sea is out unexpectedly, they just put him in the holding barracks.  But yeah, dont' travel in a Mini is a storm.  Unless you want to fly....

Thanks Anti M, knew you'd make me laugh! They re now aware that he is in NJ & he is waiting for further direction...more phone calls to come. Correction: Charleston (not Charlotte) for my SIL...moving planes out of the way of harm

your son is correct goldng8r.  they were going to send them out but decided to let all but one (don't know why only one) ride it out and those that are aready out are going to go around the storm.  if this was a higher category, i think 3 and up, they do send them out and usually get the planes out too.

looks like the storm is not so bad in VA worst is going to hit NJ and NY

I'm visiting in Williamsburg, VA, not too far from Norfolk, but more inland.

NO STORM here at all today.  Rain sprinkles and NO wind at all.  Advisories said to stay inside, so I did, but for no good reason it seems.

anyone here have a FC on the Fitzgerald?

navybluemom,

what ship is your son on?

The rest of the story...my FC hung out with my daughter in NJ to ride out the hurricane together. He made it to the Monterey last night after a VERY long drive. "Mom sometimes I was only going 10 mph...and then it was stop & go...", now that is bound to extend a normally 6 hour trip just a bit. Thankfully there was nothing more than flickering power, high winds & driving rain where they were.

Tonight's phone call was a riot. He is exhausted after yesterday's drive & was sitting in his car charging his phone with his Kindle charger because he left his at my daughter's house. Got to hear about his first day, questions he was asked before his brain had a chance to fully engage, the fox he saw both last night & tonight, the description of his rack and his opinions & thoughts on the future.

What tickled me the most was the reaction of shipmates to the fact that he has been in for 23 months now & is just getting to the fleet, along with their amazement over all the experiences he has had in the interim during holds.

I do know that they will be going on a short run after Christmas and then a 6-9 mo deployment around his birthday.

This is so cool, now I'm getting excited!

Enjoy the Homecoming Mary!

My son heads out to Virginia to start C school in less than 2 weeks.  His original orders said early January with leave over Christmas.  Mothers plan and the Navy laughs!  He's sick to death of being on hold in GL so I'm happy for him.  I am a Navy mom and I just roll with the waves... (repeat as often as necessary until I believe it :-))

Anybody have any experience with thier sailor "cross-decking"? Chrissy wants to transfer to another ship and has a friend who will trade with her. Her ship is going to be forward deployed to Spain next year and she wants to stay in the US.  I am wondering what her chances are that she will be approved for the new ship.

Cross-decking experiences can vary wildly, so much depends on the individual ships.  Most of the time it goes smoothly, especially if it doesn't cost the Navy a dime.

Ok Thanks

Aloha all,

My husband is currently in BC and his PIR will be on Nov 30th. Does anyone know if my husband will be able to spend the night with me during liberty/PIR weekend? Or will he be required to report back or stay on base each night? Just thought this is the perfect place to ask since this is a AECF group and many of you have gone through PIR weekend :) 

Mahalo,

Marianne

He cannot spend the night, sorry.  He does have to go back each evening.

Oh no :( I've already purchased tickets for us to see the Bulls that Saturday. Thank you so much for responding. I guess I will have to sell the tickets. Do you know what time their curfew is?

10pm

and you can pick him up around like 7 in the morning

Thank you aguerrero11!

Be aware they can change the curfew times if even one new sailor messes up.  Stay flexible.

That is true that happen to us and she couldn't go to the airport with me.

Another FYI..when my daughter graduated and I brought her that

first night there was quite a line of cars at the gate so you might want

to be a little

early!

Hi all, I just received an email from a friend who's an ET. I asked whether or not my husband will be able to stay overnight with me during liberty weekend (PIR). Here's what she said:

"Graduation weekend is different. It's automatic overnight, but he'll
still have to check into his BEQ and they'll give him a lib brief and
call back info. He just has to call his BEQ those 2 nights by a certain
time, basically phone mustering. They have to account for him Friday and
Saturday night. On Sunday he'll have to be back on base since Monday
will be his official big day of starting at Great Lakes ;)
(After checking in with the BEQ on Friday they usually "march" the group
to the front gate where the mwr office and visitor center is to meet
back up with their family."

msmariannem - I would be careful counting on that information as that has not been my experience. My husband is an ET, graduated from BC 2/3, and he was not allowed to stay overnight with me during PIR weekend. I have not heard of anyone being allowed overnights. Sorry...

Hi tiffanyk2010, you're right. I just received several responses from my husband's PIR group and they said things have changed and Sailors are no longer allowed to stay overnight with families during PIR liberty weekend. Thank you.

Sorry msmariannem  :(  It stinks, I know.  But trust me, it will be so good to see him at all, it won't even really register.  My hubby and I had plenty of alone time at the hotel to just be together.  Even sharing him with his family.  It really was a great weekend.  :)

The overnights stopped a couple years ago, so there are ETs out there who don't know it has changed, and the old info is still floating around the internet.

If you have a military ID card then you can drive them on base to their ship which saves them the walk and gives you extra time with them

Take a bus or taxi you can get on the base faster.

If you have a car and want to drive, there is a parking lot right across the street from the gate where you wait to go in for PIR.  It is the train station and there is a machine where you pay $3 to cover the whole day.  Get there early to get a space there are about 50 or so spaces. Also do NOT use the regular roads to get there. the lines are Loooong.  There is a way to go around and come in from the other direction.  while the long line is waiting at the light to turn right to go to the gate, you can come in at the other side of the light..where NO ONE goes in...and make the LEFT turn ahead of all those waiting in line.  EAsy.  Try to attend the welcome party given by Sarge the nite before PIR. he gives good directions from all hotels as to lots of short cuts around the base and which gate you need for what pick up..where to park to miss the crowds.  After PIR when you are going to the school base ( not PIR base) you hang to the left lane when all the cars are again waiting to turn right into the base  There is a 2nd entrance to the parking lot and you will go right in no waiting. None of us new to town know that without having been told.  Also tell your sailor to meet you by the BIG ANCHOR in the parking lot.. not at the main gate where hundreds of sailors who all look alike in uniform are all trying to find family. Sarge has all the good info!! Our PIR was Oct 5.

Oh Yeah... it is COLD standing in line waiting to get into the gate for PIR. Lots of warm clothes, scarfs, gloves, hat, long underwear, etc. Walk way down the walkway straight down to find the entrance.  You may pass another crowd standing outside at a building along the way. They have already been thru stop one.  You go on down and enter the front of the building. Have ID ready and the name of your sailor. You must be on the sailor's list of 4 unless they have extra room after all the list-guests go in.

Comfy walking shoes girls!

They're stopped letting the extra guests in.  One more new rule.  They can wait in the visitor's center I think.

My daughter just got her orders to go to Dalgren Va, does she need to find housing and buy a car before she get's there?

Son (ET) finally got orders to his first overseas post and will be home for Christmas - but will not give me more info than that!  Now I have a zillion questions about cell phones when they are gone etc....any suggestions on where to learn this stuff?

Odi... where overseas?  I know that in Japan they either buy new phones or use other plans and apps for free texting.  US phones may work overseas, but the roaming charges are killer.  

Odi, my kids are in Guam, and before they left, we set up a magicjack - it works through the computer, and they can get a US phone number that they can take with them wherever they go.  They sell it at Radio Shack, and a bunch of other places, and it's about $100 to buy, with the first year free, then $30 a year after that, or another $100 for five years.  In Guam, the cell phone service is all local, and none of the big companies had a plan which covered it.  Depending on where he ends up, it might be a good bet to set one up so he always has one number that will follow him wherever he goes.

He is going to Bahrain - anyone with experience in that area?