Parents of A School Sailors in Pensacola

Did you check for a facebook page for them or ask on the Norfolk group...:)))

My sailor is leaving Pcola soon after being there for 7.5 months...found his new squadrons  facebebook page and most ships have facebook pages too....you don't have to have a facebook account to view the page...

My son will be coming to Pensacola for at least the first year as Air Rescue Swimmer from RTC.  He will go to Pensacola the week of our before Thanksgiving.  Can anyone tell me how Liberty would work around Thanksgiving?  We are more than happy to go there to see him around  Thanksgiving; just wandering what time we may have with him, if any.

He will have INDOC and processing to go thru and be in phase one for liberty. On Thanksgiving last year they did have a special meal for them. Students didn't have the weekend off, still have muster, duty and watch to do. He may not know much until he gets his schedule and INDOC class done...do you live close to Pcola?

Hi ALNavyMom! Have you joined Moms of Aviation Rescue Swimmers yet? We would love to have you! :)

My son is in Pensacola waiting for A school to begin.  He seems to like the duties and the base.  I've joined so I can have a little better insight to his life there.  I would like to know what I am allowed to send him so I can feel more connected and he knows we are thinking of him.

Anything legal...:)) I sent many care packages.....Is he at Corry or NAS?? I sent dried fruit, granola bars, protein mix, squirt guns, sunscreen, beach towel, jerkey, magazines, books, homemade cookies and salsa, nuts, microwave popcorn, gummy candies, wipes for cleaning, gift cards for subway and olive garden...just be careful on the vitamins, OTC meds some rates have different policies on what they can take.....:)) When you ship anything to NAS send the tracking number to your sailor. They have to walk over to the mailroom and it helps if they know which day and if the package is there. Mailroom closes at 2 M-F...If shipping USPS, you can have tracking alerts send to your sailor, just register the tracking number on USPS.com. Have fun packing those goodies up...:))

My son finished Aircrew school in July. He is on hold for AWAT school and then has his AWS A school. My question is will he still be there at Thanksgiving? I would like to buy a plane ticket to see him. I haven't since PIR on May 31. The longer I wait to buy a ticket the more expensive they become. Thoughts?

It's not really written down anywhere, on the other Pcola A school group, there's a link in the discussions that has some information..most is current...depends on which base there's four bases in Pcola and they have different procedures and rules for the bases....Do you know which base??

The other Pcola group:

http://www.navyformoms.com/group/sailorsinpensicolaflforaschool

Wanting to go visit my son in Florida and stay at the Navy Lodge, does anyone know how that works as far as me getting clearence to go on base?

Easy...show ID at the gate..tell them your staying at the Navy Lodge...it's a open base, there's the Navy Museum, lighthouse, golf course all opened to the public....the training areas and barracks are off limits for the general public...:0

Have your sailor call the Navy Lodge as they are your sponsor, have the sailor go and show ID and pre-check you in...:))

This is for the mom's visiting at A school in Pensacola, bring a car or rent one at the airport, it is a big base and everything is far, the Navy lodge is on base but is far away from the barracks. :)

Thank you all for the info! It looks like a really nice place!

NAS is a big base..golf course, cemetery, Navy Museum, Navy Lodge, Navy Gateway, marina, runways, barracks, many, ,many training facilities, NEX, movie theater, PT areas, jogging trails,beach, lighthouse, galley, courtyard of colors RS swimmers pools big sidewalks for marching to class...lots there and spread out....aviation training areas on big, they have to have room for the planes...working base to for pilots flying to make their monthly hours and quals...blue angels practice base..warm weather and warm waters...most sailors are there for many months..if you can visit there...:)))

Navy Gateway is closer to the barracks...Navy Lodge is on the beach and by the Navy Museum...yes, you should have a car to get around, even Pcola city is spread out....Corry base has a bigger NEX, Commissionaire, Sailor Auto Shoppe(for working on their cars) and Medical facilities for veterans....

My son graduates on 10/18 then to Pensacola for A-school.

CONGRATULATIONS KAY!!

kay-Conrads on the upcoming PIR....                                                                   What rating is your sailor going to Pcola A school for?

Thanks! I don't know his rating, he hasn't told me. All I know is aviation electronics. 

What base do Air Rescue Swimmers typically go to in Pensacola?

NAS base is where the training facilities are for rescue swimmers, we have a couple of RS moms on the other Pcola group, don't know if they follow this group, it is an intense long but rewarding training program...

Assuming he gets transferred on time due to the Shutdown, he will go to Pensacola the weekend /Monday the week of Thanksgiving.  Is there somewhere on NAS base we can stay and see him that soon over the Holiday weekend?

I sent your question to a mom who had a sailor at Pcola during the holidays last year....here's a link on the how the government shut down affects the Navy:

http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2013/10/01/what-we-know-now-about-the-g...

Oh..sorry met to answer the other question..on base is two places to stay at NAS, Navy Gateway and Navy Lodge...you should book soon...plenty to do on base, you with a new sailor he maybe be limited to when he is available but you can meet at the NEX  or Navy Museum and have lunch or in between muster calls...

Good to hear the mail room is not closed at NAS... maybe there's wrong information on the other Pcola site..... They all have barrack support but get excused from it when they have volunteer work....that's probably why she was put back on barrack support??

My son is also at NAS.  His text last night said the commissary and mail room were open.  Even though he was told he would most likely have a 4 month hold for classes (AT-I), he started classes yesterday (arrived P'cola on 9/15).

I wrote my senators and congress yesterday.  Hoping they get this ridiculous situation resolved soon!

Andrewsmom----that's great to hear!! WOW...that's a fast hold for him for ATI, that's great for him....good to hear that...:)

ALNavyMom-heard from the mom that had a sailor there last Thanksgiving, she said: Last year they got the day off and there was some type of dinner for the sailors. The rest of the weekend was just like normal. If your sailor has duty they will be working.

They have always been on hold...what class?

So my son finally started classes Wednesday for AM. He told us there may be a four month hold due to the Washington ridiculous situation but thankfully it wasn't so since he has been there since August 19th waiting to begin.

Two month hold sounds about right...many are told 4 when before the DC mess, that turned into the two months..which is great...new routine and a busy sailor..:)

Always on hold in Pcola...sailor will have to check their for when class starts some get weeks notice or day or hours...classes have to be formed with Marines, Air Force and Navy...just how it is there...Corry has less hold times then NAS...which base and what rating is your sailor?

Not sure where to ask this, but I was wondering how to address a letter to my sailor.  Just like in boot camp we were given examples of how to address mail to our SR's.  Can someone give me an example here, or where I can go to see an example?  Thank you

She's in A-school now, in Pensacola.

Is she going to Corry or NAS....they both have mail rooms...

Rate..her name....IT Mary Jo Smith

street address.....1234 Barracks Way

City, State, zip.....Pensacola, FL 12345-5623

They have too walk over to the mailroom, each base they has different mailroom hours.....

What is Corry or NAS?  I'm still learning.

Pcola has actually 4 bases there..the most popular are the training bases Corry and NAS for A school:

Naval Air Station Pensacola is located in the southwest part of Pensacola on the water.  It is a huge base and is open to the public.  The National Naval Air Museum, a National Cemetery, and many historical buildings, including Fort Barrancas, and a Light House are located on the base.  NAS Pensacola is proudly the Home of the Blue Angels.  The Angels perform 2 shows a year here in Pensacola in July and November (4^th of July and Veteran’s Day).  If you are planning a visit to Pensacola, consider visiting at those times.

Center for Naval Aviation and Technical Training (CNATT) is a major tenant on this base. It registers more than 98,000 students from USN, USAF, USMC and the USCG as well as numerous foreign countries into more than 719 courses.   It’s two largest schools are Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) and Naval Aviation School Center (NASC).  The NATTC is responsible for the following rates  ABE, ABF, AC, AD, AE, AG, AM, AME, AO, AS, AT, AW, AZ, AND PR  just to name a few!!

NASP Corry Station is located a few miles inland from NAS Pensacola.  Its major command is the Center for Information Dominance (CID). 
It is responsible for more than 16,000 students annually from the Navy,
Army, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.  Primarily IT and CT ratings will train here.  Corry Station is a much smaller and more compact base.  Sometimes the rules for Corry vary a bit from the rules for NAS Pensacola.

Thanks BeachBunny for the info

Yup...:)

Oh...forgot to edit that write up.....the blue angels are on furlough right now, so no shows, but they do practice and take off quiet often...best place to watch them is the top of the lighthouse...:)) You can see the whole runway and they flash right by you on the light house..but....cover your ears...:))

Thank you for the information, my daughter is ABH, so I guess that means she is in NAS.  Is that the case even if she is on hold?

My son is done with A school he's coming home for a visit, was so nice to be in this site everybody is very helpful. Thank's to you all I could make it. God Bless you all for all the help!!

When on hold there's other classes the sailors take,many muster calls, barrack support, duty rotation( 3 days every 4th weekend) and barrack support. learning the big base, room inspections(scheduled and surprise) and PT..plenty to do, still working on learning the Navy way.

Congrads llvmysailor...enjoy your visit....warms our mom hearts..:)

Yip..phase one has lots of limits...which base is he at? There's four bases there....they have muster call (several times per day), barrack support shifts (which can be 6 hours long), duty watch weekend (three full days, rotation every 4th weekend), INDOC class and lots of PT.

Dan's Mom as far as I know there are no restrictions on phone calls, my son text and calls us frequently. They just have to be on their own time.