Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

Debbie,

Make sure he has this information...

If our ship is NOT in port, check in with the USO/Military Liaison Counter at the Norfolk International Airport and they can provide you with transportation information to Transient Personnel Unit (TPU). TPU is located at 1683 Gilbert Street, Bldg J-50 (Nimitz Hall), Naval Station Norfolk. TPU's telephone numbers are -445-9201 or 757-444-9290.

Oh, that makes me feel good that my daughter's sponsor will be making sure that she has transportation from the airport to the base.  She will also need help with picking up her stuff from the baggage claim.  When we picked her up, we divided up her stuff among me and my 2 other daughters.

Will her sponsor also help her with telling her what to put on her travel claim?  Is there a link where I can look this up  My daughter is low on funds as the change ticket to home took a big chunk in her account.  What exactly will be paid back to her after her travel claim is approved?  Travel from home to Norfolk?  Shpping of items from Pensacola to home?  I told her to contact the personal property office in Pensacola to have stuff shipped directly to Norfolk, but don't think she sent anything there.

CatMom,

The Navy should have purchased her ticket from Pensacola to Norfolk which she changed to go home then to Norfolk. All she should have had to pay is the difference to add a stop at home for leave, she should not have to buy another ticket to get to Norfolk now. She won't be paid back anything further for her actual transportation because the Navy already paid for the ticket.

She'll get partial BAH (housing allowance) and BAS for the time period she's on leave. She needs to claim any other travel expenses like cabs and things like that. In total my son got around $500 if I remember correctly once he filed his travel claim.

It's concerning that you're asking about paying to get from home to Norfolk as she should have her original ticket from Pensacola to Norfolk and she should have paid to change it  to a ticket from Pensacola to Home to Norfolk. I hope that is what she has? My son had to pay around $50 to change his to Pensacola to Phoenix to Norfolk and that money comes out of their pocket and they won't get it back because it is for leave.

Let me know if any of that isn't clear.

CatMom,

Forgot to address you shipping question.

If she shipped anything herself (UPS, FedEx, USPS) she won't get reimbursed for any of that. She should have went to personal property before she left and had them ship anything she needed shipped. They would have paid for that but they are not going to pay for her to ship stuff herself through the mail or UPS.

Since she is going to shore duty and not a ship she should have shipped everything to Norfolk and hand carried anything she was going to need in her luggage. She should not have had to ship anything home. The people that have to ship stuff home are the ones going to the ship who are not going to have room for all the stuff they had in their barracks which isn't the case for those on shore duty because they will have another barracks room.

Dad of Sailor, I thought it was that when going from A school to the first duty station, the sailor is responsible for getting their stuff there, whether carrying it all in seabags, or shipping what doesn't fit?  

Marcy,

No, not at all...they are authorized a personal property shipment anytime they PCS. My son went to personal property after A School in Pensacola and shipped stuff home (he had orders to a ship) and stuff to Norfolk. The Navy paid for all that.

They don't do that from HM 'A' school, perhaps because it's just 14 weeks? 

If that's changed, good to know!  BTW are you a member of the Arizona group here?

Oh, yeah forgot this isn't the IT forum, CatMom's daughter is an IT which the school is about 9-10 months and is eligible for a personal property shipment. There is a rule about how long they have to be at a location before it is considered a PCS and not just and intermediate stop. If you're not at the location long enough for it to be considered a PCS then they wouldn't be eligible, I can't remember what the actual length of time is though.

My son was told the same thing you said when he got to Corry Station that he had to pay to ship his stuff himself. I told him that wasn't correct and called the personal property office myself and found they were telling him incorrect information. He went to the personal property office and it was easy to have them ship all his stuff for him at no cost.

I just counted and I guess my son was only at Corry Station for 7 months and that was over the Christmas and New Year holidays so I don't know how long others are there. He was eligible for a personal property shipment.

I am a member of the Arizona group but every time I go in there the stuff is really old and didn't seem to have much participation. Have not been in there in a while, has it got more active?

Dad of Sailor,

My daughter didn't even know if she would receive travel orders until the same day of her graduation and she had to pay for the re-routing to California that same day.  I think she does have a ticket from California to Norfolk with her.  So she can't claim for this re-routing because I think if was a couple of hundred dollars or she implied it was pricey?  I'm a little confused.

Wow, you son got $550 back from his travel claim?  If you don't mind, what was that made up of?  We picked her up, so she did not incur any taxi.  I'm unclear what she is able to claim for.

Also, remember when you gave us that Personal Property Office info in the Pensacola group?  Well, I wrote that down and when she got her verbal orders, I email her the info and told her to contact the Personal Propery Office to make arrangements to ship stuff to home and Norfolk.  Some weights we had shipped to her were sent to us via Priority Mail.  She said shipping to us in those boxes saved her money...  So it seems we all have kids who don't listen to us, even though we are trying to save them $$$ (and you are a Master Chief!!)

Re the AZ group, it's like other groups, it just depends :)   I posted yesterday about a Navy Ball fundraiser coming up Sept 14th, a Comedy Night in Tempe.

CatMom, Josh'smom,

Cat...Yes, I know they don't always listen, I have the same problem with my two. Personal property would have shipped the weights to Norfolk (since she is going to shore duty), if she wanted them to come home to you she would have had to pay that herself. Only the people going to ships can send stuff home, those going to shore duty can only send stuff to next duty station.

The $500 he got was for his BAH (housing allowance) while on leave, BAS (food allowance) while on leave. He didn't have to take any cabs or anything so he didn't claim anything on his travel claim other than just filling out the paperwork so they could figure out anything he was still owed.

He/she will be assisted in filling out their travel claim by their admin department. Everyone does a travel claim upon completion of travel regardless if you have anything to claim or not.

She won't get any money for the trip to California as that is leave and taking leave (vacation) is not covered by the Navy. They will only pay from her current duty station (pensacola) to her next duty station (norfolk). Going home on leave to California is out of her pocket just as it will always be when she takes leave.

Josh's...if he was given a plane ticket to his next command he won't get any reimbursement for mileage, hotel costs, gas, food, etc. If he got a plane ticket he told them he was flying and they paid for a ticket to get him to his next duty station. If he told them he was driving and they didn't get him a plane ticket then he will get paid mileage (no gas, food or hotel) from pensacola to norfolk only. He won't get anything for extra mileage and time to detour to Atlanta. 

With that said, they get BAH and BAS for the entire time starting when they leave pensacola and when they check into their next command. Everyone gets this because they are in between duty stations and the Navy isn't providing them food or lodging so they are paid BAH and BAS for this time period. Those that don't have to pay anything and stay with mom and dad and eat at home still get this money paid to them and get to pocket it.

Dad of a Sailor that is right that is how it worked for my son.

You've made me feel tons better with your advice and enlightenment, Dad of Sailor!!  Nice to know she will get a little back to start padding her account again~~  You deserve a HUG!!

ChambosMom,

So your son automatically received the BAH and BAS on his check while he was home on leave?  Did he receive anything additional after he filed a travel claim that you know of?

My daughter just got paid this past 15th and her check should be more than usual with the BAH and BAS added?

CatMom,

Glad that helped. My son got his in his check with BAH and BAS after he reported to Norfolk. He didn't get his while he was home. ChambosMom said her son was home for 22 days so maybe that is why he got it while home, my son wasn't home that long. How long is your daughter home for?

Dad of Sailor,

My daughter will be home for 15 days.  The first day she graduated, but also flew to CA, did that count as a leave day?  I counted that day because she came home on that day.  I want it to slow down please!!

Another question:  HOLIDAY STAND DOWN.  Where can we find out Norfolk's schedule for that?  Also, do all Sailors no matter how long they have been in automatically go home on leave for the whole time?  What happens if they don't have quite enough leave time for the whole period?  Should advance pay BAS/BAH be requested for this time--it's Christmas, after all~~

Sorry so many questions, but I like to know and plan, if at all possible!

CatMom509    Every command has a different holiday stand down schedule.  So it will be whenever her command releases the dates.  Sometimes they do it early, but my husband's command usually does not relases the "offical" leave list until 2-4 weeks in advance.  Also, if they do not have the leave to take... most commands I know do not let them take the leave so they stay where they are stationed and still have duty.  I know when we first moved to every command we have ever been it we usually end up having to stay there that first Christmas.  Leave is never automatic.  It must always be approved.  Even leave they do not get charged for must be approved.  Why on earth would she request advance bah of bas?  It has to be a real emergency for that to happen, and Christmas or travel is very seldom a good enough reason for PSD.   I hate to say it, but you just cannot plan with the military.  So if you guys buy tickets ( either way) be sure they are refundable and or exchangeable.  I hope you enjoy your daughter being home.  And I wish I had better news to give you. 

Hollybear and abuon18,

Thanks so much for the clarification on holiday stand down.  Just gotta wait...as usual...

CanMom,

She will never request "advance" anything to take leave. Leave is vacation and the Navy won't help with that at all. If she didn't have money to take non emergency leave she would have to skip it or get a loan from the bank or possibly Navy Marine Corps Relief Society.

You need to forget about "holiday stand downs" for the rest of the time she's in the Navy as that is kind of an A School thing. Most commands try and slow down during the holidays and offer two leave periods but it's not a stand down. She'll find out what she can do during the holiday from her command once she's checked in and the holidays get closer. 

CatMom:  They have to turn in a chit for Christmas Leave.  If I remember, some were able to go before/including Christmas, and others had to go after Christmas/including New Years.  Like abuon said, it is split.

Also stretching my memory here....but think that my son told me that the day he left his A School base for home DID NOT count as a Leave Day.

Debbie:  When my son flew up there, a sailor from the base did meet him.  He had set that up ahead of time.  Hoping that it all worked out for your sailor!

diannep,

Thanks for clearing up that the day my daughter left did not count as a leave day, so she used 14 days, but will get 5 back because she did RAP duty.

Okay, so I'm keeping in mind, that if she wants to use her leave during Christmas, it will only be 1 week and it could be after Christmas, but before the New Year.  I'll just go with her flow when it gets closer~~

Dad of Sailor,

Thanks for providing the relief society.  I noted it for emergency purposes~~

The NMCRS is a great resource for your Sailor if they ever need assistance financially due to emergencies. They will loan them money with no interest and even have grants for certain things to help Sailors who need assistance. I've known Sailors that got help from them for emergency car repairs, to take emergency leave, etc. There is a office on most Navy bases and have counselors that can assist with a variety of issues Sailors face. Here is their website...

http://www.nmcrs.org/

Yesterday Rick Matheny brought his parents, Tim and Elizabeth, and his girl friend Kristina, over to the house to meet us and to join in our Saturday night activities. Rick is going on deployment so it gave us a chance to anoint him with oil and pray over him; that God would keep him safe, and enable him to do his job well.

Wednesday is also his birthday, so we were able to celebrate together a couple of days early. Rick likes cheese cake so Yvonne made one for dessert. she went out and got a small birthday gift for him: a journal, so he can keep track of the events of his first deployment.

Crystal joined us too; and brought frozen yogurt. As I always say, there's always room for ice cream! :)

Dinner included grilled hamburgers and baked home fries. then we played "Apples to Apples" which is Crystal's all time favorite game! Elizabeth, Rick's mom won the game, and the trophy!

Thanks, Dad of Sailor!  Will share in my other groups~~  :)

John and Yvonne Wagner,

Looks like a great gathering!  I want to point my Sailor daughter in your direction.  Should I give her the link to your page or would you rather be more proactive?  I mentioned you two for her, but am unsure how to actually connect her to you.  She will be in Norfolk later this week.  She just graduated as an IT from Pensacola A school.

Proudmom,

Welcome back to your Sailor son!!

Proudmom, just a gentle reminder that we don't discuss ship movements here per OPSEC guidelines :)