Seabee Moms

RobinM, I sent you a message also and have put your name on the list to keep updated.  Thank  you. 

I have a question, does anyone know if a Seabee is allowed to wear a cross on his neck in addition to the dog tags they wear?  Is it permissable? 

I am pretty sure it has to be on the same chain as the tags. I say that as some Sailors, they went to the Mall after PIR and had to buy a new cusp to go over the clasp on the tags. Kayla's had a large cusp already so she was able to add hers. I think they even let them during BC. I was going to ask her and I forgot. Just have him see if it fits over the clasp, if not you will have to take it to a jewlers and have that replaces. I do know they can wear a bracelet (well females for sure.

My son's cross (crosses) kept breaking, so he had one tattooed onto his shoulder.

Daves'sSeaBeeMom- that is what Kayla wears. It is the Celtic Trinty. Means both for her... Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as well as for Mother, Daughter, and Grand daughter.

She took this a step farther, she has an ascending Dove on her shoulder. I could have flipped. She said, I know the Spirit is with me always, now I can see the spirit and visual is great also. Wow.

She also has the female form of  her father tatted on her foot in Irish, and a Orchid with the words above it in Irish... saying is beautiful friendship.

My understanding next may be a cross, she wants to find a Celtic cross that she loves.  

oh the tattoo's!!! She has a Psalm written out on her ribs!  She makes me crazy. She has a friend in her battalion that has a tattoo on her arm/wrist. Kayla loved it and now has the very same. I guess I should feel flattered. So should our other Seabee mom. I fear soon, she will have no visiable space, with the exception of what can be seen from the uniform. This is a different generation. My mom is much a church goer, she told my kiddo that when she leaves this earth, her body stays here and only her soul goes onto Heaven. Thanks mom!! Liberty to add more "ink". She says nothing is in poor taste and many are about her spirituality. I have 2. They are basically the same thing. Just in a different area. 4 dragonflies on my calf for my 4 children and one (danty) on my shoulder for myself. I am not getting anymore that I can say.

I have seen some very masculine Trinity's on some sites. Look for the male version. It may be almost the same or the very same. It is the 2 triangles/ovals (cant remember off hand). She loves hers, she does want a cross, has to be one she approves of, she is not into the normal straight cross.

Dylan was also a PO in the Sea Cadets.  He said he'd like to help out too when he was older.  I will mention that to him as well.

So excited for the upcoming homecoming!!

Happy 4th to all!!

My son is in 7 as well and loves hanging out with Denise's son. 

He is working on inventory this week for FEX, which is "18 days Mom, so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me, but I don't know the exact date it starts". 

Fex at PH is almost 4 weeks long. I am not sure why the difference of time. They live in tents and live as theough they are deployed. My understanding this was to ready the battalions for deployments. Even Non Seabee's go on this.

Kayla moves squads on the 7th. This is driving us crazy. She has now put in for her lve twice and will have to do this again. She said each time she was told it would be ok.... he says just another thing ya have to do in the Navy! Now she has to have approval from Air Det. lol

She is now not sure when she will do her FEX. Her actual squad is doing FEX this week, but since she will not be moved until the 7th after they lve this will change it and she will go once they get things together.

She is actually excited about going. Live Fire she said they were in Barracks, they ate MRE's while doing this also. She says they are not bad, not great but not bad.

Yep Denise, I saw that about Dave's mom.  I posted that so she would know there are more of us on her.  How was your visit with Michael besides too short?  My son keeps forgetting to check on his chit yet wants to come home in Sept.  I hope he gets it together before FEX so I can get his plane ticket.

To all sea-bee Moms, I'm new and helpless, thanks for the support and the service of your children!

Heros in the making!

cudawn, Thank you.  I will let him know.  He drove down there from Ohio and he did stop and sleep at a rest area and then drove the rest of the way. 

Kttsong-he will have to get his vehicle inspected by someone before he is allowed to travel. Anything over 250 miles and the car has to be checked to make sure it's safe and he will only be allowed to travel 8 hours at a time....that's the requirement by the Navy but typically no one follows the 8 hour rule. When my husband and I traveled to Texas we had to get the truck looked at and all they checked were the tires to make sure they had enough tread on them. So it's not really a huge inspection but it was mandatory for us.

Dave's mom-my husband is in Japan and legal drinking age there is 20. They are allowed to drink 1 drink per hour, no more than 3 drinks a night. If they go out to the clubs or bars, they are ALL required to be out of them by midnight. They can still be out on the town, just not in the bar. Most of them probably don't follow this rule. My hubby has had a drink or two while there, but feels he has more important things to do than drink. So it's not a regular occurance. He does turn 21 while he is there, though, so he may go out and have a few that night lol. As long as he has fun and stays safe while doing so, I tell him to enjoy the experience of being in a different country!

Thanks for the welcome.  Denise and Cudawn.  Do you remember if your Sailors were able to use their cell phone and computers as soon as they got to Port H or if they had to go through a Phase or two first?  I'm wondering if our communication will get better once he is there.  Also, we only live 55 milels from PH and my son had mentioned that if he can get liberty he would like to come home and get his car.  Any info on having a car on base while in A school?

I should mention that Devin is also enlisted as a reserve CM.  Are either of your son's reservists?  Thanks for the info.  Right now I am on pins and needles.  Not sure but his Battle Stations is either tonight or tomorrow night, the last letter he wrote was from the 8th and they still didn't know for sure.  Thank you for your help so far I'm sure I will have many questions.  Oh, just thought of one.  Devin is under the impression that their housing at PH is dorm style, not like the compartment style at boot camp; is he right?

I have too son's one very sloppy the other very neat....Luckily Devin is my neat one so he should have no problem with keeping his room clean, should be use to it even more after Bootcamp.  I am glad he had correct info about the dorms, he sounded excited about that.  CM is something totally new to him.  Never seemed to be much interested in working on vehicles...just wanted to be a Seabee so badly that after a year of waiting for other jobs in construction area he decided he better take the CM job.  I am hoping he absolutely loves it.  He is not really a "book" learner...more of a "learn by doing"  I hope there is a lot of hands on training in A school.  He can do the book learning, just struggles more with it.

My son took the reservist job because it was available...do you think they will allow him to switch to full active enlistment? 

Dave's SeaBee Mom.  Do you remember how you were notified and how far in advance?  I would hope that if this were the situation we would have already been told.

Either way i'm praying for a call (or even an updated letter) tomorrow to let us know what is going on.  Not yet use to the Navy Way of communicating

Kayla has had some sloppy room mates also.... lol

She now has one that takes Kays dishes in her room and leaves them for weeks (until inspection) and Kayla is pretty funny about not having dishes laying around.

Kayla was able to call me the very same day she got to A-school, and has not slowed down too much. She however is a girl and they seem to call home more. She also had her laptop from day one. She was able to go off base about 2 weeks into A-school, she had a friend in AF A-school (same place in TX) that just had to sign her out and back in. Then about 4 weeks after the start, she was able to leave base in civies and go to the mall or whereevr (as long as it was not further than they are allowed). He will do well. She is a PH now, but this is her base, she is being deployed in Oct-Nov.

It is worth it, they find freedoms are great and most work hard to keep them.

She is a CE. She loves it and I too, thought will she like it? Construction and the like are in her blood. I just never would have guessed that her being an electrician would have been a job choice for her. lol

I do have to say my son surprised us.  He had told us he probably would not write.  After his first letter I told him mail from him was as important to us as getting mail is to him.  He has written 9 letters and I am hoping for one more tomorrow.  He was sad that his friends didn't write very often.  I told him not to hold it against them.  They are younger, it is summer and they are off doing late teen/early twenty's type things and don't realize how much it would mean to him to get a letter.  He's 24 but if situations were reversed I know he would be the same way.  I don't think he realizes that he has matured and his friends haven't.  He has made good friends in Boot Camp but they will soon go their separate ways also.  Hoping he will make good lifetime friends in A school.

Denise:  I am glad to here that.  My dad is a WWII vet (POW & Purple Heart) he had  four friends in boot camp, 1 unfortunately was killed in battle and two he lost touch with but the one he stayed close to. Although separated when my dad was wounded they managed to get back together when the war was over.  My parents and Georges family both lived in PA. but not close to each other. My parents moved to CA in 1955 but would take trips to see them.  George passed away two years ago.  It tore my dad up.  He told me he was closer to George than he was to his own brothers.  I have wonderful memories of sitting on George's back porch in PA and listening to the two of them talk.  That is what I mean when I say I hope Devin makes some lifetime friends in boot camp or A school.  Men don't always find that kind of bond with a friend.

My prayers are with all you have Sailor currently deployed.  I know I will be there some day and right now it scares me so I tell myself not to worry until it is time to.

Today I got a letter from my son.  After spending half the day "hugging the white wishing well" due to nerves I find out Battle Stations is tonight instead of last night.  So another night and day of waiting for "the phone call" 

My son was sad in his letter and drew a big sad face on the page.  He got his /departure from RTC orders.  He PIR's this friday 7/22 but he doesn't leave for Port Hueneme until 7/30.  Looks like he will do some of his classing up at RTC.  I am now confused.  We had planned on spending the day with him Saturday at the airport and being able to hand over his Cell phone, ipod, razor and a few civvies but now won't have the opportunity.  He is really upset!  Oh well, It is what it is and nothing we can do but it is sad.  I am hoping for a change of orders because even his RDC has told him everyone is usually gone by Monday. 

WE HAVE A SAILOR....HOOYAH!!!  Devin said he should get his final orders on Thursday so we will know more then.  I am just going to take everything with us and if I need to will bring it all back home and send it to him later.  I'm retired postal worker so will definitly insure it! :-)    Oh his division may get Hall of Fame and he was excited about that.    Here is my newest question... he said that when he gets to A school he will have more basic training.  Five weeks Marine Warfare training.  Do you remember your Sailors doing that.  He didn't seem too concerned, just one more hurdle he wasn't aware of.  I could understand it though with Seabees being "boots on the ground".   Leaving in the morning for PIR so if I don't come to this group for awhile I haven't disappeared just going to be happy with my new Sailor  Thanks for your help ladies!