I heard from my son on Sunday. He told me there only going to one port on this deployment. He was totally disappointed. He joined the Navy to see the world and get good pay. Well that's just not happening for him. Also he joined because people told him he could retire at 38 (after serving 20 years) and get a nice retirement pay. Well that's not going to happen either. From what I understand there saying he can't collect that "retirement" till he turns 50? What's that all about? Has anyone else heard of this? How hard is it to get transferred somewhere else? He's not even doing his job. They have him take out the trash...?#$%^& I feel his frustration!
LoveDolphins...that IS frustrating for your sailor! I know when my son signed onn...people warned him"Ha...yeah,be careful.They'll promise you the sun and the moon." Keep in mind though that these were civilians who had NEVER been in the military!
Maybe the jobs thing is because he is a newbie?? I think changing rates is probably difficult. Maybe ..hopefully Anti M can chime in here...she is the Navy guru ;)
myhero: my son too is a machinist mate. We went a long time without hearing from him too. Since they left port he has emailed more than in the last several months put together. He says they are crazy super duper busy though. He says: been gone a week and it feels like a decade! I hope you hear from your sailor soon.
lovedolphins, so sorry that your son is stuck w/ taking out the trash! i can't imagine that he'll be doing that forever. as someone else mentioned, it's probably because he's new... when you get a chance, try to watch the PBS special "Carrier". i know you can view it online for free...it definitely helped me get a glimpse into life on a carrier that is out to sea for long stretches of time. touches on everything from what they do, the "dirty" jobs they get stuck with, long distance relationship issues, etc. very interesting!
and from what i've been hearing, a lot of sailors are feeling like this deployment is already dragging...like they've been out to sea forever. so many of them will try to keep busy by working out.
and claudia, your son's schedule sounds a lot like my husband's! he's been here since oct/nov of '08 and leaves next june. i bet you can't wait! this should've been my hubby's final deployment also. oh, and they should be hitting more than one port this year.
and yes, send those drink packets!!! i know my husband loved the lipton "citrus green tea ones" and the propel ones. they WILL use them! :) make sure to keep in mind that they usually use 2 packets per bottle of water, so keep that in mind. :)
and here are a few pics of the yokosuka naval base taken from our balcony ( i know kathy has seen them on my fb). :) and also the most recent "belly shot" of me at 32 weeks! ALMOST THERE! take care ladies, have a wonderful week!
Boy have I haven't been on here in weeks and have missed a lot!! Thanks to whoever posted pics of the ship so awesome! My younger children have been "watching" the ship on Google Earth with their iphones :-). I did not hear from my sailor before deployment, he is the worst about emailing me...and no matter what I always seem to miss every call :-( ABC thanks so much for the base pictures. It is really nice to to see where my son has been spending his time. I also see that you can send care packages still, does this include these Girl Scout Cookies I still have??? We have been closing on a house and moving so they are still stacked in my living room...i really need to get them mailed. Anyone with that information would be greatly appreciated!! Hope everyone is doing well and hearing from there sailors...gonna go check the FB page and the navy times to try and figure out if their emails have changed. love to all!
hi there, mommyto4boys, of course i can send you the pics! mine aren't the greatest. if you want some better ones, i can send you ones that my friend took also. i accepted your friendship request, so if you want to private message me your email address, i can go ahead and send those. :)
Hi everyone! My son CJ has been assigned the G-Dub right out of A school. He went in April and so far seems to like it. Right now of course we have no communication with him. He is a HTFR. Three weeks ago he was moving cargo and split his head open on a low hanging pipe clamp. Needed two staples. We had to call Red Cross two weeks ago and have them contact him as his grandma died. I was impressed they were able to get him a call home within 7 hours. They were already out to sea by then.
I hope to learn a lot and get my questions answered. Thanks!
Okay, saw the wildest thing yesterday on GW's fb page.There was a picture of a sailor fwhose hometown is next to where I grew up in NH. I emailed m son and wrote the sailor's name/rate and hometown. I know,I know with 5500 crewmembers it may NOT be likely that they meet...but how cool would that be??
Just posting a quick introduction. This is my sons first tour on the GW. He still hasn't set up his email yet(UGH), but I did get my first phone call from him night before last. It was so good to hear from him. He already gave me a good sized list of things to send him. We used to talk daily, so kind of feeling like bootcamp again since he's been underway. I was on another GW group, but it was dead, and caught this link on there. Looks like there's lots more activity here.
I dropped into my post office yesterday to pick up a box to mail my sons care package. The guy there handed me a customs form also. He said that I might need to send it with my box. This is not correct is it? It won't be going through any customs, so don't think the form is necessary. My post office is not very helpful or up on things. Thanks for any info.
Thank you Claudia. I didn't realize any of those things. From the official GW Facebook page it sounds like other parents are hearing from their sailors weekly or even every few days. This is his first "at sea." so we didn't really know what to expect. I guess the old adage is true that "no news is good news" then.
Do you know much about this "crank duty" and how long that lasts?
No, I don't have his ship email address. He thought he could continue using his Yahoo account. Last time we talked he was a bit frustrated with his crank duty assignment and not knowing when, or if, he would get to continue his training for his rate.
Was checking my email first thing when I got into work this morning like I do every morning and imagine my surprise when I saw an email from my Daughter! It just made my day....tears of joy this morning :)
I hope all those waiting to hear from your Sailor will soon.
Thanks for the ideas on the care packages. How long does it usually take for them to get a box from us? I am putting a box together now. I am really missing CJ and it seems like forever. He broke his computer falling down some stairs on the ships. (He is so graceful) Anyway I try to keep my spirits up. It is good to hear about your kids. Last time we talked (three or four weeks ago) he said he was hoping for leave in December. Not sure if he can afford it.
BADma, that's great. I just sent you a friend request. Perhaps we can commiserate. Do you hear from your son regularly? It's been 6 weeks since I've heard from mine.
I'll be sending my Daughter her first care package this weekend or start of next week, and am looking forward to getting it all together. I do have a question though...Do they have microwaves or mini fridges or anything like that in their living quarters or do they go some where they are available? I would assume they don't have anything like that in their living quarters, but thought I'd ask to be sure. Thank you for any help :)
Friends and Family Cruise is just one day, unlike Tiger Cruise. I was scheduled to go last Nov. but they cancelled it 3 days before. I went to Japan anyway and had 5 days with my daughter. They were in port for several weeks around that time last year, but you definitely want to find out for sure if they are going to be in port for a while, as it is very expensive, especially for just a 1 day cruise. I did get the personal tour of the GW by my daughter, and it was great to see the base and a little bit of Japan. Just wish I had taken more time to see more.
thingamabob, they don't have either microwaves or fridges in their berthings, but most of them have both in their work area's that they can use.
I just received the MOST amazing email fom my sailor!! This is a kid who HATED writing in HS BUT his imagery was amazing in that email.
I also received a message back from the Ombudsman asking which dep't m sailor is. What does that mean. I included his rate as that is all I know. HELP,please??
I heard from my sailor today! It was so great getting an email from him!! He has been TAD to Cargo for the next three months. He said it is actually fun and he is enjoying the cruise so far. He did say one of the guys was the most annoying person he has ever experienced in his life. I am sure there will be more of those people. Anyway I am so relieved to finally hear from him. This momma can sleep tonight.
Heard from Kelcie that they are having a "Steel Beach Party" for the 4th. Also, because they are at sea for so long, everyone gets to have 2 beers......except for security (which she is). I guess that makes sense, since they are "armed" at all times, but you would think that they would let them have their beers after their shift was over. This is her 2nd "at sea" and the first time they have ever gotten to have beer aboard :-)
Good Morning and Happy 4th of July USS Washington Mommas!! my Sailor Son has orders to join the Bush in Sept. in our local newspaper this morning is a wonderful article about Sailors from our area on board the Washington.
Connie...thanx for sharing that article! Very cool stuff.
WOW....does your son get to change ships because of his length of time served? This is my son's ffirst deployment....so please excuse any 'dumb' questions.
well hello again Mommas! i joined to post and then left the group but now i think i just might stick around with you for a while!! thank you and i couldn't wait to get on to your page to post the article!!
BADma-my Sailor Son is actually at Oceana right now. this week he will finish up with his OJT in the shop and should start the classroom instruction hopefully next week....i'm not 100% sure of the schedule...you know he's 27 and at that age feels no need to fill Mom in with all the details : (
his orders are to join the Bush some time in Sept. after he finishes C school. no dumb questions BADma....heck i'm still learning too!!!
thank you kathy!! keeping my fingers crossed that it all works out that he can finish school in time to join the Bush. he's already missed the "scenic/fun" part where they ported in England, Spain (saw bullfights) and Italy and missed all the grand parties where Rear Admiral Nora Tyson, Commander of Carrier Strike Group 2 came on board....she's a LOCAL gal that we are all extremely proud of!! "our" Nora was born and raised in Memphis!!! Secretary Mabus and the Ambassador to Spain were there too on the Bush!! dang....Sailor Son has missed all the fun!!!!
again Happy Happy 4th Washington Mommas!! i'll drop in again to chat with you if that's ok : )
stephsmom-my son is not the one discussed in the article. my son is still in school and is ATI. the article is about two Sailors from the Memphis area.
Connie, thanks so much for the article. This is my daughters second deployment with the GW, so she's got a few "Steel Beach" parties under her belt. She will actually be leaving the GW in late September. This is the first time that I've heard of them getting to swim in the ocean. Usually, it's blow up pools etc.
Hello, my brother is on the USS GW. I want to send him a package but was wondering if you all knew how long it would take to get there? This is his first tour.
Yep, Mary about covers it all. I have never had any problem with any package getting to Kelcie. We live in California and it usually takes about 10 days, sometimes 14 if they are out to sea. I have never insured anything. I always put liquid stuff like body wash into a sealed ziploc bag in case anything leaks.
Hi Moms, my son is on his first cruise and I don't have an address for him. I got a phone call on Fathers Day but he didn't know his address. He has not responded via email and I'm sure its because he is busy. Is there any way I can get an address for him ( I'd like to mail a package ) or do I have to wait until he gives it to me? Thanks for any help.
Have you all seen the Facebook page for the GDub? They are always posting pictures and such. I love reading about what they are doing. I haven't heard from my sailor again in over a week. I do know he is emailing his girlfriend. Guess us moms are not quite as important! Hope you all are having a good week
CJ'smom.... I check the GW page on facebook DAILY...second thing on my 'to do' list after I am done on THIS page!! LOVE the pix they post.
I haven't had a sailor email for 3 days.He was doing so well staying in touch.Mine doesn't have a girlfriend..they broke up before he left for Japan, in May.
Okay Sue and K....Add me to the jealous group. How awesome for you guys. I tried to do the cruise last year, but it got cancelled at the last minute. Still went to Japan though. You will love it. AND....you get to meet abc and hopefully baby as well :-)
that's fantastic news, katlanta! and yay sue, you are still coming. :) i'll try my best to meet you ladies while you're here...who knows when we'll have another opportunity, right? i have my surgery date set as august 10th, so i'll have to see what condition i am in...hoping for a quick recovery.
katlanta, when will you be out here? i hear mt. fuji's an awesome experience! i'll take my husband's word for it though because i have NO plans on trying to climb that thing anytime soon. maybe you can just do a short climb so you can say you did it and then wait for john like you said. haha. i hear it gets pretty crazy up toward the top when it becomes very hard to breathe. my husband's a lot more fit than i am and he says i could never handle it.
BADma
Jun 20, 2011
LoveDolphins
Jun 20, 2011
Btownmom
Jun 20, 2011
BADma
LoveDolphins...that IS frustrating for your sailor! I know when my son signed onn...people warned him"Ha...yeah,be careful.They'll promise you the sun and the moon." Keep in mind though that these were civilians who had NEVER been in the military!
Maybe the jobs thing is because he is a newbie?? I think changing rates is probably difficult. Maybe ..hopefully Anti M can chime in here...she is the Navy guru ;)
Jun 20, 2011
BADma
Jun 20, 2011
BADma
Jun 20, 2011
Btownmom
myhero: my son too is a machinist mate. We went a long time without hearing from him too. Since they left port he has emailed more than in the last several months put together. He says they are crazy super duper busy though. He says: been gone a week and it feels like a decade! I hope you hear from your sailor soon.
Jun 20, 2011
abc815
lovedolphins, so sorry that your son is stuck w/ taking out the trash! i can't imagine that he'll be doing that forever. as someone else mentioned, it's probably because he's new... when you get a chance, try to watch the PBS special "Carrier". i know you can view it online for free...it definitely helped me get a glimpse into life on a carrier that is out to sea for long stretches of time. touches on everything from what they do, the "dirty" jobs they get stuck with, long distance relationship issues, etc. very interesting!
and from what i've been hearing, a lot of sailors are feeling like this deployment is already dragging...like they've been out to sea forever. so many of them will try to keep busy by working out.
and claudia, your son's schedule sounds a lot like my husband's! he's been here since oct/nov of '08 and leaves next june. i bet you can't wait! this should've been my hubby's final deployment also. oh, and they should be hitting more than one port this year.
and yes, send those drink packets!!! i know my husband loved the lipton "citrus green tea ones" and the propel ones. they WILL use them! :) make sure to keep in mind that they usually use 2 packets per bottle of water, so keep that in mind. :)
Jun 20, 2011
abc815
Jun 20, 2011
jennils
Jun 21, 2011
abc815
Jun 22, 2011
CJ's Mom
Hi everyone! My son CJ has been assigned the G-Dub right out of A school. He went in April and so far seems to like it. Right now of course we have no communication with him. He is a HTFR. Three weeks ago he was moving cargo and split his head open on a low hanging pipe clamp. Needed two staples. We had to call Red Cross two weeks ago and have them contact him as his grandma died. I was impressed they were able to get him a call home within 7 hours. They were already out to sea by then.
I hope to learn a lot and get my questions answered. Thanks!
Jun 22, 2011
BADma
stephsmom...that is neat. CONGRATS!!
Okay, saw the wildest thing yesterday on GW's fb page.There was a picture of a sailor fwhose hometown is next to where I grew up in NH. I emailed m son and wrote the sailor's name/rate and hometown. I know,I know with 5500 crewmembers it may NOT be likely that they meet...but how cool would that be??
Jun 23, 2011
BADma
Jun 23, 2011
ACTmom(ship 11 Div 054)
Jun 23, 2011
ACTmom(ship 11 Div 054)
Jun 25, 2011
BADma
Jun 26, 2011
Amazonmom
My son is on the GW and I haven't heard from him in 6 weeks. Getting worried..... He doesn't respond to email or Facebook poss. Any suggestions?
Jun 27, 2011
Amazonmom
Thank you Claudia. I didn't realize any of those things. From the official GW Facebook page it sounds like other parents are hearing from their sailors weekly or even every few days. This is his first "at sea." so we didn't really know what to expect. I guess the old adage is true that "no news is good news" then.
Do you know much about this "crank duty" and how long that lasts?
Jun 27, 2011
Amazonmom
Claudia,
No, I don't have his ship email address. He thought he could continue using his Yahoo account. Last time we talked he was a bit frustrated with his crank duty assignment and not knowing when, or if, he would get to continue his training for his rate.
Thank you for the info!
Jun 27, 2011
Amazonmom
Jun 28, 2011
thingamabob
Was checking my email first thing when I got into work this morning like I do every morning and imagine my surprise when I saw an email from my Daughter! It just made my day....tears of joy this morning :)
I hope all those waiting to hear from your Sailor will soon.
Jun 28, 2011
BADma
Jun 28, 2011
CJ's Mom
Thanks for the ideas on the care packages. How long does it usually take for them to get a box from us? I am putting a box together now. I am really missing CJ and it seems like forever. He broke his computer falling down some stairs on the ships. (He is so graceful) Anyway I try to keep my spirits up. It is good to hear about your kids. Last time we talked (three or four weeks ago) he said he was hoping for leave in December. Not sure if he can afford it.
Jun 28, 2011
Amazonmom
Jun 29, 2011
thingamabob
Katlanta - LOL @ Clear as mud.
I'll be sending my Daughter her first care package this weekend or start of next week, and am looking forward to getting it all together. I do have a question though...Do they have microwaves or mini fridges or anything like that in their living quarters or do they go some where they are available? I would assume they don't have anything like that in their living quarters, but thought I'd ask to be sure. Thank you for any help :)
Jun 29, 2011
Mollie...Kelcies Mom
Friends and Family Cruise is just one day, unlike Tiger Cruise. I was scheduled to go last Nov. but they cancelled it 3 days before. I went to Japan anyway and had 5 days with my daughter. They were in port for several weeks around that time last year, but you definitely want to find out for sure if they are going to be in port for a while, as it is very expensive, especially for just a 1 day cruise. I did get the personal tour of the GW by my daughter, and it was great to see the base and a little bit of Japan. Just wish I had taken more time to see more.
thingamabob, they don't have either microwaves or fridges in their berthings, but most of them have both in their work area's that they can use.
Jun 29, 2011
thingamabob
Mollie - thank you for the info.
Jun 29, 2011
BADma
I just received the MOST amazing email fom my sailor!! This is a kid who HATED writing in HS BUT his imagery was amazing in that email.
I also received a message back from the Ombudsman asking which dep't m sailor is. What does that mean. I included his rate as that is all I know. HELP,please??
Jun 30, 2011
BADma
Jun 30, 2011
CJ's Mom
Jun 30, 2011
Mollie...Kelcies Mom
Jul 1, 2011
BADma
Jul 1, 2011
CJ's Mom
So two beers - what about our underage sailors. Mine is 19 and I hope he won'
t be having a beer :) I saw pictures from the last steel beach party looked like they had fun.
Jul 2, 2011
BADma
YAY Kathy!! Those emails are like gold,huh?
I've had 2 this week from my sailor...I WON"T delete them.
Jul 3, 2011
Connie(Memphis Belle)
Good Morning and Happy 4th of July USS Washington Mommas!! my Sailor Son has orders to join the Bush in Sept. in our local newspaper this morning is a wonderful article about Sailors from our area on board the Washington.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/jul/04/sailors-picnic-on-...
Jul 4, 2011
BADma
Connie...thanx for sharing that article! Very cool stuff.
WOW....does your son get to change ships because of his length of time served? This is my son's ffirst deployment....so please excuse any 'dumb' questions.
Happy Independence Day all!!
Jul 4, 2011
Connie(Memphis Belle)
well hello again Mommas! i joined to post and then left the group but now i think i just might stick around with you for a while!! thank you and i couldn't wait to get on to your page to post the article!!
BADma-my Sailor Son is actually at Oceana right now. this week he will finish up with his OJT in the shop and should start the classroom instruction hopefully next week....i'm not 100% sure of the schedule...you know he's 27 and at that age feels no need to fill Mom in with all the details : (
his orders are to join the Bush some time in Sept. after he finishes C school. no dumb questions BADma....heck i'm still learning too!!!
thank you kathy!! keeping my fingers crossed that it all works out that he can finish school in time to join the Bush. he's already missed the "scenic/fun" part where they ported in England, Spain (saw bullfights) and Italy and missed all the grand parties where Rear Admiral Nora Tyson, Commander of Carrier Strike Group 2 came on board....she's a LOCAL gal that we are all extremely proud of!! "our" Nora was born and raised in Memphis!!! Secretary Mabus and the Ambassador to Spain were there too on the Bush!! dang....Sailor Son has missed all the fun!!!!
again Happy Happy 4th Washington Mommas!! i'll drop in again to chat with you if that's ok : )
Jul 4, 2011
Connie(Memphis Belle)
Jul 4, 2011
Mollie...Kelcies Mom
Jul 4, 2011
proudsis
Jul 5, 2011
Mollie...Kelcies Mom
Jul 5, 2011
spacetrace
Hi Moms, my son is on his first cruise and I don't have an address for him. I got a phone call on Fathers Day but he didn't know his address. He has not responded via email and I'm sure its because he is busy. Is there any way I can get an address for him ( I'd like to mail a package ) or do I have to wait until he gives it to me? Thanks for any help.
Jul 7, 2011
spacetrace
Jul 8, 2011
CJ's Mom
Jul 9, 2011
BADma
CJ'smom.... I check the GW page on facebook DAILY...second thing on my 'to do' list after I am done on THIS page!! LOVE the pix they post.
I haven't had a sailor email for 3 days.He was doing so well staying in touch.Mine doesn't have a girlfriend..they broke up before he left for Japan, in May.
Jul 10, 2011
smbjboyd
Jul 12, 2011
BADma
Jul 16, 2011
Mollie...Kelcies Mom
Jul 20, 2011
abc815
that's fantastic news, katlanta! and yay sue, you are still coming. :) i'll try my best to meet you ladies while you're here...who knows when we'll have another opportunity, right? i have my surgery date set as august 10th, so i'll have to see what condition i am in...hoping for a quick recovery.
katlanta, when will you be out here? i hear mt. fuji's an awesome experience! i'll take my husband's word for it though because i have NO plans on trying to climb that thing anytime soon. maybe you can just do a short climb so you can say you did it and then wait for john like you said. haha. i hear it gets pretty crazy up toward the top when it becomes very hard to breathe. my husband's a lot more fit than i am and he says i could never handle it.
Jul 20, 2011