Nuke School Charleston

I was going to book the Villas, but I found out you have to book the whole weekend 3 days when comming in for graduation. My son wants to leave to come home right after graduation. He hasn't been home in a year and a half. I guess I will book a hotel room instead.

CindyLou...how awesome he's coming home! I'm jealous! :)  I'm hoping to go up Memorial Day weekend to see my son--he's on T-track. Of course, the Villas are completely booked up so I have to find somewhere else. We're both working on it.

Suebal, I wish he was coming home, I was talking about my plans for his graduation, but I forgot to mention it isn't until July. I still have a long wait.

to looking to go visit there nuke sailors i suggest you visit a website called airbnb.  You can book apartments or house for much less than the cost of a hotel room.  

We rented a house on homeaway.com when we attended our son's PS graduation.

I've used both homeaway.com and vrbo.com.  We got a house on Isle of Palms last October for when my son graduated PS, and we've got one in NY for a week in June.  My sailor son isn't sure how much time he'll be able to spend with us, but I told him we can meet him whenever he's free.

question---once they graduate from A school, are they allowed to return home for a few days .  my son is scheduled to graduate on july 13th.  we were going to try to find a place to rent for the week, but didnt know when or if he could come back home with us that weekend?  would appreciate any advice.  this is all new to us. 

we were hoping to rent a place in charleston.  but our son may want to come back to his home  town directly after graduation .  so not quite sure.  any suggestions on nice places to stay, preferrably near the beach for the rest of the family.

I did not go to either of my son's graduations at Goose Creek he said don't bother because I am coming home on leave right after graduation anyway, which he did.  He is a frugal and practical person like his mom LOL.   He graduated power school last month and is on grad hold now.

But, we did go down there  near the end of May on a  weekend last year it was great.  That is a good time to visit.  It is still VERY HOT and humid by that time of year to be forewarned.  We stayed at the Wingate hotel on the university campus, great rooms and it includes hot breakfeast buffet for everybody.

We had a great time but we stopped at a Mexican restaurant and took his buddy out to lunch, but while we watched a movie afterwards his leftovers -- fish tacos -- were in the car trunk.   Well you can guess what happened by that evening, he at it he got sick and  Sunday morning called up we did not see him on Sunday.

Ozzie's mom, your son should know pretty quickly when he can take leave after A School. Have him check with his SLPO. Most of the sailors fly home after the graduation. The sooner he can get his leave in writing, the more likely that he will find cheaper airfare...

Hi, my son is in A-school at Goose Creek. His PIR was 4/20/12.We are looking forward to making a visit to Charleston soon. We have a motor home. Does anyone know of a good camp ground close to Goose Creek that is a clean, safe place to stay for motor homes?

there's a campground right on base, by the Villas.  I don't remember the name of it though.  I know there are some moms who have stayed there before.  Post something on the Nuke moms page too.  Someone will know.

Foster Creek RV Park and Villas, my in laws were just there and spent three days (well one full day and a coupld of partial days due to watch duty). They said they were very close. They are retired military and were able to meet him on base.

hello all!

mercedesmom----foster creek rv park is really close to base.   it is a nice quiet one.  we stayed at the villas, which are right next to the park, for easter.   

Thank you all for the information on the camp grounds. :)

Check out Short Stay NRA . It's @ 30 minutes north of Goose Creek.  Very nice setting.  Went to Citadel NROTC sailing regatta there two weeks ago.

good morning everyone!!  ITS FRIDAY!!

i wish everyone a bright, beautiful and blessful day!!

good morning all!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL!!!!

My son arrived at NUKE school last weekend and is waiting for enough people to begin classes. So excited for him!

welcome crazyd!!    good luck to your son!!!

He says he finally gets to start classes next week. He's been so ready for this experience for so long that the doing nothing but clean for the last week has been a drag!

im glad to hear your son will be starting classes next week    he will be kept busy  between classes and study hours     my son said it is a good idea to relax on the weekends   he usually goes to see a movie on the weekends.

crazyd925, congratulations on classing up quickly. He'll be pretty busy with A School & learning the "Navy way" with school work. He will get used to the "hurryupandwait".  My son was on T-track (between A School and Power School)for about 2 months. Grad Hold (between Power Scool & Prototype) seems to vary widely. My son was disappointed that his grad hold was only 2 wks long (he would have prefered 2 months after Power School), but several of the MMs have been on grad hold for longer than 5 months... 

good morning everyone!!

rachel---you could still go down for a visit at thanksgiving.    your son has a good attitude about the navy.   he goes with the flow.  

i believe they get leave for christmas.  you can ask others, but i believe school closes for christmas and new years.  my son got ten days leave during a school.

This is a great article about helping your sailors and their wives, husbands, & kids readjust after a deployment.

http://likeitfortime.com/2011/05/06/reintegration-its-more-than-com...

anyone else have a family member in the july 13 A school graduating class in charleston, sc.?

what is T track. if i understood my son correctly, he said he will  be on T track after he graduates from A school.  just trying to figure things out and was hoping to go to visit him

thanks for the info.  still trying to learn all the terminology.  my son grads from A school in july, but doesnt get to come home until mid august.  i was hoping to connect with some other moms who have kids in this class, but no luck yet,

My husband is getting ready to graduate BC and fly to Charleston afterwards, can anyone tell me if I can meet him at the airport in Charleston when he arrives or if he will have time to see me If I drive there?(even if only on base) I can't make his PIR, not with and 18 month old baby. Last I talked to him he said he would arrive and have 2 weeks (app) before A school started.

hello all!!

juanita---how soon were you thinking?  my son and his fiance are getting married between power school and prototype because they usually have time from school then.

liza----i dont think you will be able to see him at the airport.   maybe there is a wives group here that might be able to help you.   i know they dont start classes right away, but they do have meetings (i guess thats what you could call them) and they have to do things to phase up.   someone here might have a better answer for you.   just trying to help.

Thank you so much everyone for your help! I think I will drive there when he gets there, as it will be the weekend and deliver his cell. I can't move to be with him yet until we get this darn house rented out, which is why I was hoping to see him before his school officially started.

My son graduated from BC at GC on June 1st 2012. He is now in SC getting ready to start A school. He is an EM. Does anyone else have a Sailor out there going into A school in SC and is an EM. If so I would love to know and stay in contact with each other and see if we can help our Sailors if we can.

hello all!!

juanita----i sure you two will figure out a good time.  good luck!!!

mercerdesmom----yes there are!   if a sailor doesnt make it through nuke school, the navy will help them find another job.    they dont give up on them!!!!

Don't want to burst any bubbles about "what happens if Nuke school is not a good fit" but there are those that, while extremely intelligent, just can't get the hang of learning at the pace required to get through the pipeline - MOST are re-rated into something else, but not always something they would have chosen on their own.  In the end, most that get rerated do enjoy the less stressful life of the new job.  But not all are particularly fond of the job the Navy picked out for them but somehow make it work for them.  At the same time, there have been those that are told there are no other jobs available and are sent home, discharged from the Navy.  As a mom that has watched a lot of both, I am not sure there is a rhyme and reason to how they choose but it is not evident.

hello all!!

thanks penny for your info.  i am glad you were able to help. 

mercerdesmom--sorry i gave you wrong info.   i have more things to learn too!!

Thanks for the info!

Penny, you might want to remove your name name from the earlier post since this is an open site...

I'm not sure who it was on here but someone was talking these material rag that is filled with beads to keep cool. I am not a sewer but would love the info again and the measurements on what to buy. What are these beads? And where do you get them?

Thanks.

hello all!!

alicia----no, she still lives at home.    after they get married, then she is moving down with him.    

I believe they have to be E-5 before they are paid BHA with the exception of Prototype where there is no choice but to live off base.  The only exception to that is if they are married.

good morning all!!

alicia---my son will be graduating from power school in july.   they are going to live one base.  i believe if they are sent to ballston spa for prototype, they live off base.  i really dont know much about off-base living.

I haven't been on Navy 4 moms since PIR, back in March, son is in class 1224 M/T still in A school currently doing "digital". Anyone else ? He seems super busy and stressed out.

LuvMySailor, I copied the info in the cooling rags.  I think the beads are from a floral dept of the craft store.  I will look up the pattern. 

@Alicia24 -  They typically fly out on Saturday after PIR.  They could leave anytime that day.  They may leave for the airport just after midnight and fly out a few hours later.  They may arrive at the airport a little later and be there all day taking an evening flight out.  When my son PIR'd, the Nukes left in groups throughout the day on Saturday.  There was one group that didn't leave until Sunday morning. There is no one airport that any sailor leaves from.  You need to be prepared for various airports at any time of day on Saturday and possibly Sunday.  Your SR won't know until right before PIR.  We didn't find out when Sailor was leaving until after PIR.

@alicia, all I can offer is what my experience was, don't know how typical it is. My son was taken to the Chicago airport at 4 am and didn't fly out until around 7pm, we just stayed at the airport with him most of the day until he left. The USO was really nice to them. I agree with CM, your SR won't know until right before PIR, and we didn't find out until after PIR, congrats to your SR  and good luck with it all.

Talked to my son tonight. He sounds good but this whole weekend has been about studying, studying, studying. He is in class 1237MT. Anyone else have a sailor with my son?