AECF - FCs and ETs

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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  • Vickyrun

    My daughter liked snacks from Nutsonline: http://www.nuts.com/

  • Vanmom2013

    okay seasoned moms.  question for you.  How long does a Sailor stay at Indoc?  I have read that it could be days or months until A school actually starts classes.  Thanks much.  What about mail?  to Indoc in GL?

  • Vanmom2013

    Thank you for your answers.  In speaking with my daughter yesterday, she indicated that there are more FC's than there is demand currently - she went on to say that she thought she would be at GL for about 18 months.  She also mentioned something about "long haul" FC.  I know what that means for me - as in "long haul truck driving" but I haven't heard in before applied to the Navy - anyone have any thoughts on this?  Thanks Much and have a good day!!

  • Anti M

    Only thing I can think of is the C schools for FC are quite long.

  • Vickyrun

    All I can think of is that the total training for FCs is quite long.  It was two years before my daughter got on a ship. That is why she had to sign up for six years, orginally.

  • Vanmom2013

    Good Morning All:  does anyone know how long is ATT?  Is it based on the specific time as in it lasts 4 weeks?  or is it based on how quickly the student learns the material?

  • NerdyNavyWife

    @Vanmom2013: My Husband is finishing ATT this week, and he is an FC.  ATT for him was 10 weeks. 

  • Vanmom2013

    Thank you for the information.  Right now she is still in Indoc - will she physically move to a different mailing address once ATT starts or will she keep her current location?

  • ellen0502

    Vanmom2013, Your SR will most likely move ships after ATT.

    FCs are currently in night school from late afternoon/early evening until approx 11pm, and are the vampires on base, not the day walkers (what my son and his buddies called each other while in school). :)

    They do try to house the  ATT, and A School students together by rating to not disturb each other. I understand MidRats is was the best meal of the day/night. :) 

  • NerdyNavyWife

    She will keep the same location she is at right now through ATT, but once she is done, she will comp and move to another ship for A school.  

  • Vickyrun

    There are so many stages of the training BC to C school plus all the holds in between ( Hurry up and wait) New Moms, Don't worry so much about how long each stage is, just think of it as 2 years of college.

  • Vanmom2013

    I am assuming that my daughter will text or call me if / when she starts ATT school.  Friends and Fam want to send small items.  Read where some of the sailors have started ATT this week but want to make sure I send stuff to correct address .   Ugh I know she is busy and tired but I won't send anythng until I know for sure.

  • Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

    Hi all, hope everyone is well.

    Two year average for schooling is the norm for an FC, some might be a tad faster or longer depending on any holds and what C school they end up at.

    For any that have sailors deployed in the Middle East, I am living in fear with you. With our son having six years behind him, we have lived thru a few deployments and this is the only one that has concerned me.. It is not cool, hearing/seeing our ships on the news. May they all remain safe and come home soon.
  • Vickyrun

    Honor, Courage, Commitment. Our sailors are strong , smart, well-trained, and will come home safe. Don't Fear, Light a blue candle and pray, Mary.

    "Courage is being sacred to death --- but saddling up anyway" John Wayne 

  • Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

    Thanks VickiRun, I agree completely - but I am still in knots.

    Kate, your son must of went in about the same time as Nick, he has been in for six years as well. I believe they are taking the 1st class test today. I know another sailor on the Stockdale, she is a different rate. I know a number of families that have already bought airline tickets for the tiger cruise - are you going to Hawaii?
  • Vickyrun

    I understand, Mary. I will keep you and your son, his ship and all our sailors in that area  in my prayers.

  • Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

    Hi all,
    Luv, when a ship decides to offer a tiger cruise, they send out an application (ours was 12 pages long) you must be physically healthy, pay for your food on the ship, provide your own transportation to the ship and have a sponsor. Males cannot sponsor female guests and vice versa. So if you have a son, he might ask one if his female shipmates to be your sponsor. They can only have so many tigers on board at a time so you submit an application and they select from those that met the requirements. Due to the costs - generally they can accommodate most applications. Our ship was due to meet the tigers in Hawaii and then sail for seven days back to San Diego. That is all on hold now due to Syria.

    We had not planned on doing the tiger cruise, my hubby slept on a Naval ship for 10 years...he has no desire to do that again! Also our son's last ship was in Hawaii so we know there are a few folks he wants to see there so we are planning on being on the pier - whenever that maybe!

    Thanks Vickyrun, I have never felt fear like I do with this deployment - so hope I am over reacting!

    Kate, Jake went in four months after Nick. Depending on how long he was an FC2 will determine when he is eligible to take the first class test. There is a 36 month wait before they test.

    When Nick was looking at his re-enlistment options, last year one of the FC chiefs that taught at Dahlgren while Nick was a student reached out to him and asked if he would consider moving to San Diego as he needed him for a new ship -- DDG 110. So after three years in Hawaii, he decided he was ready for a new challenge and he moved there in December, knowing they had a very long deployment planned - their maiden deployment, so new ship and shipmates too. I worry about some of the shipmates (and families) that have never deployed before - this is a tough one to get your sea legs on!

    We have officially received an email from the CO that our ship's homecoming date is on hold as they have been asked to stay in the region and should the need be there - they are proud and willing to accept the task.

    Yep, hating this deployment!

    Sigh
  • Vickyrun

    Hi Mary, Navy Hugss to you. Hoping our brave sailors come home soon.

  • MartiB_TX

    Just got back from spending a week with my sailor daughter and her family. Had so much fun exploring Chicago. She was able to trade a duty day with someone so she could spend time with us. She will graduate A school in November.
  • Vickyrun

    I am glad that you had a good time, MartiB_TX

  • MartiB_TX

    My daughter will finish A school for ET in November.  She is working on getting a BEQ right now - do they apply for bachelor housing this far before going to C school - I don't think she even knows where she will be going yet.  She currently lives ashore with her family.  Would she have to do this if she is unhappy with her current roommates when she has duty?

  • Anti M

    I'm not sure what you mean with your question.  I assume her family isn't moving for her C school, so that means she will reside in the barracks (BEQ).  No way possible for her to "apply" for such a room until she gets orders, and then usually you just report in and get assigned a room in the BEQ.  Roommates are a gamble, some are simply awful.  Basically, you suck it up if they are.  Honestly, a roommate swap may or may not be simple.  I've been places where they allow room changes, at others, I had to request to talk to the CO (unusual circumstances).  Getting permission to live ashore would only happen if her family followed her to the new school.  Students rarely are given permission to rent offbase if not accompanied.  

    There are a very few ET C schools which are not located at big training commands, and she might be placed in something like Gateway Suites on base... but she can't arrange even that without orders. 

  • MartiB_TX

    Anti M thank you for trying to answer my question. I did not understand my daughters rant about her beq. I thought she was trying to change something with her living environment but really her rant was about her beq being slow about processing a chit. I finally got hold of her but got concerned when others started telling me their interpretation and then I couldn't get in touch with her.
  • Anti M

    Thanks for the explanation!  I was very confused.   Yeah, sometimes the chain of command at the BEQ can be slow as molasses when it comes to signing chits.  I've had more than one get lost on someone's desk.  The're supposed to be done in a certain amount of time, but people being human and fallible, can mess up.  It is very frustrating.

    I hope she gets it resolved.

  • MartiB_TX

    Thank you Anti M -my DTR is talking a whole new language and I don't speak military, lol.
  • Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

    Gasping this morning as the helicopter from my son"s ship crashed this morning with five aboard, we do not have details as of yet and can only pray that the five missing sailors are all safely retrieved.

    This deployment is now 251 days old, nerves are frayed, morale is challenged and its just time for them to come home!
  • Anti M

    Oh Mary.  Hugs.  I hope they find them all.

  • Odi_Ship09_Div140

    Mary - I have goosebumps. Any news?

  • Anti M

    So far, three found alive and "stable".  Still searching for the other two.  

  • Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

    I cannot imagine what that wife is going thru. We celebrated that they found three of the crew - hoping good news awaits the other sailors.

    Thanks four thoughts and prayers, this crew has been together for 252 now, this cannot be easy on them.
  • Anti M

    When the news reports slowed down, I knew the Navy was talking to the families before releasing information. So sad.

  • Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

    So very sorry MarineWife about your friend, the ship has not released the names yet but I cannot imagine the pain she is going thru.

    We did get an email from the ombudsman to say all communications are cut due to the investigation. The stress has been high for many since they entered that region and this weekend certainly compounded the concerns. How sweet it will be to hear their voices or even an email from DDG 110.

    Thanks for everyone's kind thoughts and prayers - the families of the missing certainly need them and I am sure the crew does as well.
  • Vickyrun

    Sad news, the names were released today: May they Rest in Peace.

    Fallen Navy Pilots were Family Men

     

  • Anti M

    My heart aches for these families and all their loved ones.  

  • Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

    Hate rumors, hearing so many different stories as to when our ships will be back. Just know a lot of disappointed families had tickets to meet the ships in Hawaii this week ---- so ready to see them again.
  • Anti M

    Do be careful with the speculation here online.  Even rumor and guesses are OPSEC violations, and should be limited to private discussions.  

  • Anti M

    Wasn't talking about defining the act, talking about your speculation ... that definitely falls into OPSEC.  

    " I am thinking by december now given the time it takes to sail back to San Diego. Lets hope its November,"

    Just don't speculate.  Might seem like nothing to you, but little dabs of nothing add up.  I used to have a TS clearance, the Navy pounded this into my head and heart.  

    A refresher:

    ✓ Donʼt speculate about future operations.

    ✓ Donʼt spread rumors about past, current or future operations or movements.

    ✓ Donʼt discuss deployment or homecoming dates (including Tiger or Family Day Cruises)

    ✓ DO assume the enemy is always trying to collect information.

  • Anti M

    I want to add I truly appreciate your effort to be positive and helpful, and hope you understand my passion for safety and security.  Thank you.

  • Vickyrun

    Thanks for the reminder, Anti M., "Loose lips sink ships"

  • MyKidIsInNavy

    Hopefully this is some awesome news we got today....Sailor should be headed to C school in either San Diego or Norfolk (I think he said)...I was so excited to hear this thinking he was headed off for 3 years sooner.....wooohoooo   Now to learn about C schools...:)  help???  and thanks  What a whirlwind this all is

  • Mary, Proud Mom of Nick

    Today was supposed to be homecoming day :-(
    266 days later - still waiting
  • Anti M

    C school teaches a sailor a specialized skill or a system related to their rate.  As an ET, I had a number of C schools over the years, from 4 weeks to six months long.  I forget if your sailor is an ET or an FC, as FCs tend to have much longer schools overall, up to a year. This means some C school orders are issued  "en route" to a new command, other C schools are long enough they are stand alone orders with no follow on orders.  

  • RebeccaProudWife

    question for you experienced FCs or FC relatives...how often did you move/changed posts? 

    Asking because some of the spouses have moved several times (almost once a year) and others stay at the same post for years (even for the whole enlisted time). I'm looking for personal knowledge, not just 'needs of the Navy' answer.  :) Thank you for sharing

  • sallyg

    Mary, I hope homecoming day will be soon.  I know it must be difficult waiting and waiting.

  • Anti M

    When the sailor is on training, A school, C school, you can expect to move frequently, even less than a year apart.  After that, it is more like every three years for accompanied moves from one PCS duty station to another, four years if they can extend a tour.  The big exception is if the ship changes homeport, sometimes that includes an unexpected move. There's not really a way to know if that's going to happen, and it isn't overly common.

  • MyKidIsInNavy

    Mine is ET comms....has orders to Japan, but waiting to now find out if C school is in SanDiego or Norfolk....and he said about 90 days or so for school....give or take...:)  we know how that goes...lol

  • duhhuh58 Ship 10/Div 267

    My one daughter was an ABH on a carrier. After A school she spent her entire career in Norfolk. My other daughter is an FC and after 2 years of school and holds she will spend the next 3 years in Japan
  • RebeccaProudWife

    Thank you ladies for the info.

  • Vickyrun

    Rebecca, my daughter moved 3 times during training, then was assigned to a ship. She stays with that ship's homeport unless assigned to another ship. She will have to move when her ship is forwarded deployed to another homeport.

    It is my understaning that the Navy is much different then the Army, when my Dad was in the Army we moved every 2 or 3 years. But in the Navy they can stay with the same ship for longer, the family stays at the homeport while the sailor goes out to sea. 

  • Anti M

    When my dad was in the Navy, we moved every two years. When I was in, a lot depended on the duty station, but for singles is was two years, married was three years and there was often the option to extend to four years.  Now three and four years are the norm, with extensions, it can be five years.  It builds unit cohesion to not shift sailors around too much, and it is better for the family to stay put.  I manage to live in the same house in Japan between my orders, then my husband's shore duty in the same place I was, and then his sea duty out of the same port!   Nine years in one place.  I'd already been there once, so added up, I spent 12 years in Japan.  Homesteaders!