Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

Hi, my name is Linda, I just joined the group. My son just got his orders and will be in Norfolk soon. He just graduated A school and I'm waiting for his call to pick him up at the airport for his leave.

LindaD,

What command is he going to in Norfolk?

Welcome, Sam was in your dons Ship and Div, his twin is stationed out of here, he presently is out on Deployment. 

GwenB, under the N4M guidelines it says, "• Don’t Solicit for Products, Services, etc.:...This includes, but is not limited to, the following:...• Promoting your own Web site/blog or a Web site or online support group which you represent" which could apply to your question.  

Just my two cents (and nothing against your group!) but I am happy with N4M as it's managed and maintained by the U.S. Navy/Navy Recruiting Command, vs. FB groups.  With so many risks (OPSEC being one) associated with social media, I feel more comfortable with N4M and its controls - with the Facebook exception of command-sanctioned, private FRG and Ombudsman groups. 

A few questions for anyone that can answer them for me...First,  my son is living-working on a ship, he has no car, does the Navy provide shuttles on the base and ports for these sailors to get around if they need to go somewhere one base (like the Nex)?  Second..my son said he is exremely bored while on the ship off duty...he said they have no tv's on this ship to watch,  now I know it's not  a hotel by all means,  but if your expected to live and work on these ships,  I would think that they would consider one tv on board for those that can't leave.   I'm trying my hardest to keep this boy positive right now and I know when he buys a car this will all get better for him,  but until then this is going to be rough for him.  He is a kid that likes to be doing something all the time,  the down time is so boring for him now.  I'm not much help to him,  I have no idea what services there are for Sailors on base with no car that are assigned to ships.  Anyone with any ideas I can throw at him,  it would be appreciated, I know some of you have probably had Sailors in the same situation at one point.   

Kim Ship 03/Div233, I posted earlier in the USS TR forum about some videos on YouTube. They were put together for the new Sailors coming to NSN for service on the USS Theordore Roosevelt, but they offer lots of information about life on the base. Maybe you could watch them, or direct your son to them, so that he can learn about all the activities going on at NSN. There are all kinds of sports teams and activities, there are sound rooms for playing music, TV rooms for just watching TV, and a room full of computers. There is a bowling alley on base and a movie theather. Check them out on YouTube. Search for Theodore Roosevelt Show. There are 2 episodes. I can't help you with the shuttle service question, because I don't know about that. My son will be there next week, but he has a vehicle. What ship is your son on?

TCJsmom...Thanks,  I will look at those videos you suggested..the biggest problem right now is transportation from the ship.  He loves sports and would love to be involved with things on base,  he is very outgoing kid,  but he has no car to get around,  so that is why I was asking about shuttles from the port to different areas on base.  He reported last weds to duty,  so it hasn't been a wk yet,  he has met some friends,  but they don't stay on the ship.   I'm hoping for him to come home in a few weeks if they are not out to sea,  so we can get him a car,  that seems to be the biggest hang up right now.  My son is on the James E. Williams ( Destroyer),  so it's a smaller ship then the aircraft carriers with much less convenience on it shall I say. 

TJCsmom...I know what you mean about the car situation.  He was just home for two wks and I guess in the back of my  mind was lets wait for a car since you will be on a ship,  well little did I know.  I have heard that the base is huge, and regret not doing this car thing while he was home.  :(    One thing at a time I guess,  I was so caught up on him getting to his duty station, not knowing how difficult if would be without a car.  Ha   My godson was stationed in Norfolk and bought a car there,  but they had advised us not to buy there,  for sometimes they take advantage of our Sailors when selling them cars.  :(   So I will have to start looking for some cars back home and see what we can do for him soon.   I guess until then,  he will have to  hike it,  which I'm pretty sure that wouldn't bother him so much since he is used to all the walking he has done already.    He was in Meridian, MS for his schooling,  so that base is pretty small and he had some friends out of bootcamp that were there with him,  so they would catch cabs all the time and split the bill,  much easier while he was in school.  This is huge adjustment for him..He loves his ship, liking his job...but just bored when not on duty.  What ship is your son assigned to? 

Good morning ladies!

kim, I see you've discovered the biggest problem with Norfolk and for the life of me I can't figure out why the largest Naval base in the world isn't more Sailor friendly.

Unfortunately there isn't a base shuttle. There is a city bus service that comes on base but it doesn't work as transportation around base because it only comes to the piers on weekends and only goes in one direction. My son tried to use it when he first got there (he didn't have a car either) and only got to ride it once and it didn't take him where he needed to go. We ended up buying him a car a couple weeks after he got there because he couldn't get anywhere without walking miles around the base which is no fun when you're carrying your laundry or other things.

Tell your son there is a recreation center at building C-80 which is by the piers where the ships are tied up and isn't a bad walk. There is a NEX mini mart near building C-80.  There is a better recreation center at building C-9 but it's a bit farther and a longer walk. My son would make the trek over there every day because they had free internet, tv, games, food, etc. The NEX is a long walk but my son did it several times in the weeks before he got his car just for something to do.

All ships have TV's and I'm surprised your son can't find one to watch. He needs to ask around see if maybe he just doesn't know where it is located yet.

The first couple of weeks on the ship are the hardest on new Sailors as they are overwhelmed and don't have a bunch of friends that can show them around. It will get better I promise.  He might not love being on the ship (like CO-Twin's son does) but he'll come to tolerate it (like my son does) and get things fingured out.

A car will make a big difference an allow him to get around so it probably won't be too long before he's talking about needing a car.

Let me know if you need more info.

Good Morning,

I'm from Missouri and my sailor is in Norfolk. I am so glad that Dad of Sailor is here for some info. Its a blessing.  What I have been reading is hard to imagine. 

Kim, my son will be on the USS Theodore Roosevelt. One thing I thought was cool, is fishing is allowed on the fishing pier, right near the boats. You do not need a license to fish on the pier. If your son could get to the NEX and purchase and rod and reel and some bait, he could fish, if he likes that kind of thing. I hate to hear that he is bored, because that was one of my fears for my Sailor.

Kim, my son is my baby and I feel for you. He has been in the Navy for a year. I wished I could be in his pocket so I can see what's going on. But you know I had to let him go. And he has been doing awesome. Now, I know it was hard for him at first. (he will never tell me) But I BELIEVE God and prayers are key. ( just saying). It was so hard for me but he has made me realized he can do very well. I am so proud of him. Keep the support and most of the love.

!  

They never have "free flight standby" on commercial airlines. There is the Air Mobility Command which operates military aircraft that are flying around the country as part of their mission that your Sailor can attempt to get on at no cost. The problem with this is that when a Sailor is limited to 10 or so days of leave they can burn up many of those days trying to catch flights going to where they want to go as you can't make reservations on these flights.

Again, there is no flying free on commercial flights ever and they will pay exactly what you and I pay using orbitz, expedia, etc. There is a military rate but you'll find it is often times more expensive than what you can get on the travel websites. On advantage if you pay the military rate is they will often times let you make changes to the ticket for no fee's while the regular tickets have to pay a change fee for any changes to the ticket.

Is that what you were asking?

I know it seems overwhelming, but Norfolk really is an awesome place to be based and there is so much to do in the area!  My son was based in the area for his first five years in the Navy and I've visited many times.  Yes, a car is a must - but how many adults do you know with a full-time job in a large city who don't have one?  :)  The base has a class called "Car Buying Strategies" - go here and scroll down to it for the schedule:  http://www.cnic.navy.mil/content/dam/cnic/cnrma/pdfs/FFSC/Signal_Ja...  There are plenty of reputable major car dealers in the area; beware of some independent car lots such as these on Naval Station Norfolk's "Off Limits List": https://www.facebook.com/NavalStationNorfolk/posts/10150962807263494

The Navy works closely with USAA and Navy Federal Credit Unions, so they are good to use to purchase a car, and they have car buying assistance programs too.  Once the car buying process is started, if there is any need for legal advice (this goes for housing/rental agreements too) the Navy's Legal Assistance Office is there to help at 757-341-4497. 

Bookmark and share http://www.discovermwr.com/navalstationnorfolk/ and look at the top of the page under "Things to do!"  

There are road races (5k and up) every weekend, it seems, a mix of Navy and non-Navy - http://www.roadracerunner.com/races/runningcalendar.aspx?state=va&a...

And your sailor can point the car north to Washington DC (2.5 hours) and stop at Quantico and the Marines Museum on the way; rent a kayak and camper for very little from MWR at Little Creek and go south to North Carolina's Outer Banks ... so many choices.   

The Navy's private beach at Little Creek is great and just minutes away!  Same for Oceana; and there is horseback riding next to Oceana too that is only available to active/retired military.  

On base, Building C-9 is a great recreational center, and there is an information desk as well as a table covered with flyers for upcoming activities.  There are sailing classes offered periodically at the base marina also.

Great information Marcy, thanks for the work in that.

One clarification on USAA and Navy Federal Credit Union...these are civilian operations and have nothing to do with the actual Navy. I had a mom message me asking who the "superior officer" was at NFCU that she could talk to about a loan her Sailor was denied. There are no military members running NFCU and your Sailor will have to apply and be credit worthy just like any other civilian financial institution. Both USAA and NFCU are very military friendly and understand military members so working with them is often easier than dealing with other financial institutions. I've banked with both of them for almost 30 years and even though I'm now retired from the Navy I still use these two solely for my banking needs.

You as parents of Sailors makes you eligible for membership at Navy Federal Credit Union and I highly recommend you check them out as they have great financial products and their customer service can't be beat.

Marcy...and Dad of Sailor,  All this info is so good to have.  It is overwhelming for me right now,  yes he is 20 will figure most things out himself, I can only give him advice that on certain situations that I recieve on this site.   Right now the priority is a car.  I really think once he has transportation around the base and town,  he will love it there.   Marcy,  I have been told that the Navy is great in assisting the Sailors with car buying, and yes, he does his banking through the Navy Credit Union, so we will start there.   Sheesh, overwhelming a bit right now,  but it's all new.  No different then if he was away at college with no car.  I can not wait to take a trip there to see his ship and the base...I do believe that will be very soon,  it's only an 8 hr trip for me.  Thanks again for all the info,  I will pass it all on to my Sailor! 

Navy Federal Credit Union website...

https://www.navyfederal.org/

Denise...My Son came home in his uniform ( he had to wear his uniform of the day off the base)  and when he went back to his duty station he wore his civi clothes.  They are told to wear civi clothes on a commericial flights,  they don't want our Sailors to stand out on flights for safety reasons. 

Dad of Sailor- Thanks for the credit union details.  When he applies for his car loan,  we will of course check the Navy credit union for their rates..I work at the VA Medical hospital in Cleveland and belong to the credit union here and found out that their rates are sometimes way better then the average bank rates.  We will have to do our homework on that. 

Marcy,  Thanks for all those links.  Very helpfull, especially knowing about all the cool places he can vistit on the weekends when he has his car.  My son thrives on staying busy,  so I'm sure once he has his set of wheels, he will take full advantage of all the cool things on and off base while in port. 

Yes ditto on the info. Thanks.  I passed it along to my twins.

NAS Pensacola is a pretty large base, too. Getting around there was hoofing it or taxis. But my son did it for a long time. Then when I was there for his Strand graduation, we decided to just look at some dealerships and of course, that turned into buying. Thankfully, we had already done our homework on the kind of vehicle he wanted, what we could have gotten it for here at home, and he had already been to Navy Federal to prequalify for a loan. So, once we got the car down to the price we needed it to be, we bought it there. Dealing with Navy Federal for the financing and USAA for the insurance was the easiest thing and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and efficiently they both worked with us, even over the phone. Just a thought when you get ready to help your Sailor purchase a vehicle, check with them first. USAA also provides financing for vehicles, so check with them as well, when you’re shopping for financing. And the best part, the car payment and the ins will be deducted from his paycheck (both broken up over the 2 checks each month) before he even gets it.

Glad to be of help! :)   Kim, you're going to love your visit there!  I didn't even mention  the Norfolk Tides (the Baltimore Orioles' AAA team) and their stadium on the Elizabeth River; or the $1.50 ferry between Norfolk and Olde Towne Portsmouth; or the wide range of festivals; or sunset cruises...etc etc!

Dad of Sailor, yes USAA and Navy Fed are military-affiliated, but NOB does "work closely" with USAA and Navy Fed; Legal at Naval Station Norfolk has their representatives present on one of their boards, all in efforts to prevent financial abuses of our Sailors.  This is per the Chief I spoke in Legal while getting the phone number.

(those are all links, check them out - I wish I was there right now!)  :)

Marcy, thanks for all of that great information on things to do around base and the Norfolk area. I'm printing it out now. I'm putting together a folder for my son with different info that I've gathered here...this information, the maps from Dad of Sailor, and some other tidbits....for him to take with him when he leaves for NSN next week. He may never look at it, but I'll know I sent him with it. :)

Too funny, I sent my son a 1" 3-ring binder with stuff like this when he first got there :)  

*Whoops!  I meant to type NOT military-affiliated about the credit unions.  So calm down Dad of Sailor LOLOL

Just another FYI, I just got this message back about the latest "Off Limits List" - "Ma'am, I am currently updating that list as I type this -- I will provide to you as soon as it is updated."  I'll post it here when I get it!  

BTW, does anyone else remember the first time you were called "ma-am"?  Not a good day LOL  Now I love it when a Sailor says it :)

Yes I was 22 years old and a kid I used to babysit was working at the local grocery. I was horrified. 

Marcy, I knew what you meant. ;)

Yea, THANKS Marcy & Dad of Sailor!!

Shortbecky.....That is awesome your son was able to do that while on deployement.  I was going to wait till after my son's first deployement, but have realized now that he is in Norfolk, it will have to be sooner then later at this point with a car.  All the info from everyone has been so helpful.   I know my son is 20 and on his own now,  but I still feel the need to help out, this is all new to him and when it comes to finicial decisions,  I want to make sure his money is well spent and he is not taken advantage of by anyone in any way.  I guess that is what us mom's do very well...ha! 

Marcy~  I'm called Ma'am all the time.  I work at the VA Medical Center and get that alot by my patients.  Something I do not like at my age,  but I'm used to it.  Ha 

Thank you for the warm welcome. I've joined 3 groups that pertain to my son's service right now. We are from Pittsburgh, Pa.; my son's home port will be Norfolk; he is an Engineman (Navy Snipe) assigned to the Truman.

I'm waiting for his call to tell me when he'll be home on leave until he reports to Norfolk to go to his ship.

Hi all, I just got the call I've been waiting for; I'm picking my son up on Friday.

Jmae12 have you joined the ship's group yet?

Hello all...my sailor got his orders today...he will be heading to Norfolk for C school starting there Oct 6th...grads Pcola A school top of his class as a honor grad on Sept 9th...just thought I'd pop in here and check this group out...looks like I know several of you already....:)))

Hello and welcome to the norfolk group, always nice to already know a few of us.This group is pretty active, friendly and helpful. Dad of a sailor has lots to help with. He recently posted two maps of base which you might find helpful.

Hi LindaD, I grew up in Butler County, about 45 min north of Pittsburgh.  I now live in York co. My daughter is on the USS Gettysburg, part of the Truman strike group.  My son is on the USS Enterprise, currently being dismantled.  He lives in Yorktown as the E is in the shipyards.  My daughter's homeport is now Mayport, FL.   She was on Truman a couple weeks ago for training for the job she does on Get.   She said is is a nice ship and people are friendly and helpful.  She even talked with the admiral!

Jmae12, yes, I'll see you there too.

Hi Colleen in PA, my goodness the things we have in common: my son was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be able to serve on Big E (he's a major trekkie), and my sister lives in Cranberry.

HELlllooo BeachBunny!!

Now you can explore another part of our country!!

For the ships that are in dry dock, where do the sailors assigned to those ships get their mail?  The only address my son has is an FPO address and I don't think that one is what he should use until at sea.