NROTC

Cheryl - I hope everything turns out fine for your daughter.  I was down at Tulane a couple of weeks ago visiting my son and thought about you both.  I'm assuming she's still home with you where you can get her exactly what she needs? 

HelenP - ditto!  These are our kids, we want them all safe, healthy and happy.

Beautiful pictures! Prayers for Luke and a speedy recovery.

Lukes mama I hope everything goes well with the surgery and recovery.  

Lukes mama that is so great to hear. 4-6 weeks will fly by. What a Christmas present.

Auburn U. NROTC MIDN, Marine Corps Ball 2011 (My Randi is the 1st one from Left!)

Love seeing all of the pictures. The pictures of the mids who were able to wear such pretty dresses, how wonderful! Thank you all for posting them.

Prayers for a speedy recovery for Luke's knee.  So glad the surgery went well.

I love seeing all the pictures, they are great.  So, now i just gotta share a couple of our pictures from MU Fall Ball, finally!!  It was a lovely, fun evening w/ our two older kids.

top ... me, 3/C ds, 1/C dd, hubby

bottom ... 3/C ds & 1/C dd

Hard to believe she's a 1/C already.  She's filed her "duty preference" for which hospital she wants to be stationed, she has to decide soon who she wants to "commission" her & who she wants for her "first salute."  Crazy

a day and 1/2 before the fall PRT my daughter catches a bad cold! She failed the run (1.5 mile) by 4 seconds (13:34) and 3 sit-ups! At least she did more push-ups than required and she cut her run down from 15:40!

Awww, Lori, i'm so sorry to hear that about PRT.  The improvement in her run should definitely tell the Unit something!!  my best ...

Great pics!!!!  Lori,  do the female mids get to wear dresses!!!???  My daughter would be all over that!!!

@June, yes the female MIDN get to wear formals while the males all sported their SDBs. Civi males who escorted female mids were supposed to be in tux. Originally, they told the female mids that if they didn't bring a date they would have to wear their uniforms, but they weren't serious. My daughter didn't have a date and still wore her gown, though she did buy 2 tickets.

My daughter was invited by a friend to a ball at another unit and her Lt, told her she could wear her uniform if she wants to,.....She was like are you kidding??!!  She is proud to wear her uniform but being able to dress up is way more fun!!

Everyone has their opinions.....I think they should have to wear their uniforms if they are performing any duties during the ball,  however, later on when it becomes a party.....I just know my daughter would love to wear a gown!!!

Don't know about males, but female military personnel don't have to wear military uniforms at all military functions.  Women are allowed to wear ball gowns & dresses on some occasions.  Our 1/C went to the Navy Nurses Ball at Great Lakes a couple years ago & most, if not all, of the females were wearing nice dresses or gowns.

At their Unit the Staff just keeps avoiding the subject by telling the girls that want to wear dresses that either every female MIDN wears a dress OR every female MIDN wears a uniform.  So, uniforms it has been since everyone has one of those!! -- Definitely much easier.

I think a compromise might be in the works where they wear SDBs in the fall at the Navy Birthday Ball & then wear gowns in the spring at the Senior Ball.  The Senior Ball doesn't have the formality or Naval history, it's just more of a party to honor the 1/C MIDN. 

some of the AU 4c MIDN proudly sporting their SDBs before flag detail for the homecoming game last Saturday! My Randi is in the one in the middle. 

Oh Pattie

Please know that we are all so very sorry to hear that his concussion turned out to be a serious one. The professors seem to understand the difference between "the dog ate my homework" types and the kids who have earned their understanding.

What do they have him doing? Any idea of a timeline for him yet?

You are all in my thoughts. Take care of yourselves.

Pattie -- prayers prayers prayers your way 

So sorry to hear the sad details about the concussion.  Hope & pray recovery is full, that his continues to be well & he can continue in the program.

@Pattie and Cheryl, praying for your families! So sorry these young sailors are having these health challenges! I pray for restored health and complete healing, thanking the Lord for His mercies along the way- like understanding professors. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

what Lori4629 said x2

Good Luck to your daughter NavymomBarb. My son has been approved by his Dr. for full activity after his shoulder surgery. Now we have to apply to BuMed to get off Medical Leave of Absence and get his scholarship reinstated. They gave him a 6 month LOA and he is applying early, so the paperwork has to be perfect. It's very nerve-wracking sometimes.

Spent the day bumming w/ our 2 MIDN.  We had a great time.  Sure am gonna miss them when they go back to school this weekend.  :[ 

I just returned from leaving my son at the airport to return to school. I miss him already. He got his hair cut before leaving (and wishes he could grow a beard to shave. lol).

CherylwithaC I hope they figure it all out for your daughter soon.

I hope all you got to spend a little time with your children. It was so great having the hubby home for my two weeks off!

NavymomBarb, That is so awesome!! Thanks for sharing it and the encouraging words for us...glad to hear that it does get better!  Our kids all work so hard!

Huge congratulations to NavymomBarb and daughter Taryn!!!

Forgive me, but I need a 'safe' place to vent and rage for a moment. I know my fellow ROTC moms can understand. I've got a son in NJROTC as well as my daughter in NROTC. My son has worked so extremely hard while in high school. All he has EVER wanted to do was be a Marine. The time and dedication he has put into his JROTC program is unbelievable. He's the academic commander and placed 3rd in the national academic meet, tied for 10th academically at Navy Nationals the past 2 years (as a freshman and sophomore), led his academic team to be in the top 1% those years as well for the SecNav exam, he has won or placed in every academic competition he's been in since his freshman year and he recently led his team to their 3rd consecutive Area 8 title. That's not to brag, though I am extremely proud of him, but to explain that he has worked his butt off and has a proven track record of being on of the best in the nation in regards to NJROTC academics. The point of my rage is that the Area 8 manager, a Commander, has accused my son's team of cheating and threatened to take back their trophy because other teams have complained that they don't want to come to meets that my son's team is at because they answer the questions too fast and beat them by too many points. There is ABSOLUTELY no basis for cheating allegations and my son takes the Navy core values VERY seriously. The complaints from these other school is just ridiculous and I am so mad I could spit nails! How could an area manager threaten cadets who are working so hard to be the best just because other schools don't like being beaten? Shouldn't he be holding them up as an example to follow? My son has his team over after school on Friday evenings and studies with them. They go to school early and practice, they stay late, they give up holidays and weekends. Not to mention this Cdr impugned MY integrity as well, since I was chaperoning that meet. We had an objective escort with us the entire time and she vouched for us, as well as the host school. I REALLY want to read this Cdr the riot act and tell him he should be ashamed of his failure to lead these young men and women, but my son is applying to the USNA and for the NROTC scholarship and this Cdr could make waves for him; but then with cheating allegations out there how do I know he won't make waves for him anyway? What should I do? Should I confront him or leave it alone? I am sooooo mad right now!!!! 

Thanks, Pattie. I will certainly keep your son in my prayers!

My son's SNSI and the principal from his school have gone to the head of the NJROTC program, bypassing the area manager, and we are waiting to see how/if he will resolve this. I just can't help feeling like the Cdr owes my son and his team a formal written apology so that this nonsense never comes back to haunt him. This Cdr needs to be removed as the area manager.

Lori,   Your anger is very understandable but PattieH gave you some good advice.  Go at this professionally and after you have calmed down.  My question is.... where are the officers in charge of your son's NJROTC?  Are they responding to this?  Also, if the reason you put below is what the CMDR told you.....seems that is the real reason and not cheating.  I would definitely talk with the leaders at school including the principal whose school has something to lose in all this.

It is too bad that we continue to "dumb down" everything.  I had a similar problem in my son's Scout troop over his Eagle project and a leader acting on his own agenda.  I went to the Scout Master of the troop and talked with him.  They took care of it in a "round about" way which was not totally satisfying but basically took care of the problem.  As much as you would like to tell this person off, when it comes to the military, I agree with Patti.

Patti....Prayers for your son.  May he recover soon.  A severe concussion takes a while to heal and you want to be sure he is ready to go and not push it.

Anyone headed to South Bend for the Flying Irish ROTC Basketball Tournament next weekend?? 

The ND basketball tournament IS competitive and IS fun!!  Both our MIDN play, girls team & guys team.  So, we'll be going to at least 6 games.  Last year both their teams made it to the playoffs, so we had 10-11 games in 3 days.  Fun. 

Hi, all!!  So proud of my MIDN & how they did at the ND bball tourney.  Son's team made it to the playoffs & daughter's team won the women's bracket!!

We're doing well.  DD is ordering uniforms & prepping for graduation and becoming an Ensign.  Pretty awesome.

MIDs home for break!!!   :]   :]   :]

Helomom -- congrats to your DS, that is great news.

NROTC BQ in April...

My son mentioned the Batalion BQ it is set for April 28th at UT in Austin.  He is a Freshman.  This is the first thing we have been invited to besides the swearing in at begining of the year.  Can anyone tell me if this is a big deal that we should try to attend.  He invited us when he was home spring break but didn't make it sound like it was a big deal.  Austin, TX is 10 hours away from our home so we are trying to decide to go for a one day event.   What do you think?   He said it didn't matter when we said we probably wouldn't go but since have gotten and email invitation to his batalion BQ with tickets to buy.  Anyone out there know anything about Batalion BQ's for Freshman NROTC units.

My experiences ...

I don't know about BQs or about UT, but i do know we were "invited," but "not encouraged" by our MIDN to attend everything/anything at the Unit during her freshman year.  Then, we were encouraged to hang around/attend things her sophomore year.  Then, when our second MIDN was a freshman we were encouraged to keep our distance again.  Now that they are a senior & a sophomore they want & don't mind us around [respectively] at most everything  haha

MU's Unit has a spring ball which we will be going to on the 30th.

Sorry i wasn't much help.  Too bad your MIDN isn't a girl -- she'd probably tell you straight out if you should come or not!!

Dyanne-

My daughter's unit did not have very many activities that were open to parents so whenever there was something that was- we tried to attend.  One mom in her unit said to me once that her son had mentioned one of those events in passing (she had a son) and they weren't going to attend.  Then, at the last minute she told me she had thought about it and decided that since her son never really mentioned anything that this might be a pretty big deal to him- so they went-  and they were really glad they did.  Maybe you could call the ROTC office and find out "quietly" from the admin. if a lot of parents will be attending?

10 hours is a long way but you never know.  My daughter is a Sr. now and looking back I'm glad we grabbed all the opportunities we could :) (but our drive was 4, not 10).

Dyanne-

    Do they have an awards ceremony with the BBQ?  DS's unit has an awards ceremony in April.  Last year, when he was a freshman, he got the Founders and Patriots award (which is a big deal), as well as a bunch of other awards.  We didn't even know about the ceremony!  This year, DS said that the CO asked if we would be attending.  We are close by (2 hours away), so you can bet we'll be there. (Hoping and praying for a scholarship!)) If it were me, if I got a formal invitation from the battalion, I would make every effort to attend. 

I think it depends on the Unit and the kid. My son's Unit does not have a BBQ, but it does have an awards ceremony in April. As a freshman, he received an award, but we were not notified. Subsequently, my son has told me that the only thing that I should plan on attending is his Commissioning at the end of his Senior year.

Just from a wife's perspective.Every NROTC unit is very different. My husbands unit has a very poorly attended BBQ, its not mandatory so no one goes. Our ball is basically the social event of the season. We do not invite his family out because one its in Oct. and we see them every Nov. but mainly its because My husband and I love having the night out at the Navy ball. Getting dressed up we stay at the night in a hotel. We normally are with the group who take out the General or Admiral to the bars post dancing. We like the night out together. 

My husband will graduate next year his parents will be there for graduation, commissioning, and the wetting down. We'll make the wetting down very special  its a 4 hours drinking event so I'll have a limo picking up our guests (family). 

Tell me more about "wetting down"...I've never heard of this. 

Wetting down is a tradition that happens when some one gets a promotion. So going from an OC/Midshipman to an Ensign or anyother promotions on the way up. They are supposed to have a party for and spend their first months increase in paycheck on the party. So 2012 they have 13 people participating in the wetting down each person put a certain amount towards the tab at bar . Its a huge deal here all the families of the newly commissioned come out, the 21 year old and older NROTC people come with their dates. Its very fun. Not all NROTC's do this but its a very common military tradition. I know the one year I worked at a Mexican restaurant near the Airforce base here in Tucson, we had about 10-15 wetting downs in just a mere 12 months.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetting-down

Navy Ball this Friday evening!!  Excited to see our MIDs again :] 

Their Unit has a Fall Birthday Ball & a sprint Senior Ball, and an Awards Ceremony each semester, but we have never been able to attend the awards.  They also have a Sr Mess Night w/ the Unit Staff.  Just the MIDN, no dates, and like at other Units it is before commissioning.  The parents are welcome to attend any competitions they participate in, tho we aren't "officially" invited.  There were at least 9-10 sets of parents at the ND ROTC basketball tournament a few weeks ago.  It was really fun; all the MIDN & staff & parents  went to a great family type Italian restaurant together Sat. night.   So neat to be w/ all of those there in that type of atmosphere instead of the formality of the Balls & Ceremonies & such.

Oh, Cheryl, i'm so sorry!!  What a bummer.  I agree, medical discharge is prob the best solution, but that doesn't make it easy or nice.

You'll be in my prayers.