Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

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.

NavyMom,

The FPO address will always be the ships address regardless if it is in port or at sea. Use that unless your Sailor has told you to use a different address.

Good Morn All..

I've been scanning this site for information on Norfolk C school, anyone know anything or where I can read up on it? Do the sailors get a "sponsor" for moving over to C school? Mine has a car, assume there will be a student parking permit like at Pcola?

Excited about reading what some of your sailors have been doing in Norfolk...my brothers were based in San Diego I've been there many times. Norfolk sounds like it's a bigger and busier base.

Hi BeachBunny, my son will be attending C school in Norfolk, too. He is assigned to the G-2 Division in the Armory on the USS Theodore Roosevelt and his job requires additional training. He has already heard from his sponsor and knows where and when he is to report on NSN. He is also driving to NSN and I assume they will provide him with the necessary documents to park near his ship. He will be living on the ship once he is out of C School.

The USS TR is new to NSN, so there have been a few videos released by the crew to help the new Sailors and crew transition to the base. You may want to check them out. I know they pertain to the USS TR, but the information about the base is good for all of the new Sailors moving there. On YouTube, search for "Theodore Roosevelt Show". There are 2 episodes. Hopefully, they will give you and your Sailor some info regarding the base. :)

Oh...thanks TJCsMom-my sailor will only be in Norfolk for C school until Dec. then heading to Pt Mugu in CA to his assigned squadron.....I haven't found much on C school in Norfolk yet....didn't know about sponsor for the students at this base....I'll look the videos up...thanks...:)))

Hm, I know that a dinghy is sometimes called a dink - could that be it?

dink = fall behind or short for delinquent. Her Chief is telling someone that she is making progress ahead of what is expected of her and they won't have to worry about her being delinquent on her qualifications like a lot of Sailors are. Many don't get qualified in the specified time frame so they have to implement corrective measures for a lot of Sailors, yours seems to be self motivated.

Tonya,

Sorry, I was dink on answering your question. :)

Tell M good job on getting her qualifications knocked out early. 

here are 2 sites that contain navy slang and their definitions

http://www.hazegray.org/faq/slang1.htm
http://goatlocker.org/resources/nav/navyslang.pdf

Cool!  Learned another new meaning for a Navy term!  Since all our Sailors here have made it through their training, there should be no "dinks" here!

He's doing good, ready to get back in port as he doesn't love being underway. I wonder if they have ever ran into one another? I'll have to ask him about it when I talk to him next. E just got his final required qualification and he's only been there for a bit over four months. Says he has guys in his shop that have been there a year and still don't have their quals completed.

Yes, dink is someone that is overdue on a qualification. The dink list is a list of all sailors that have not achieved a qualification in a set period of time. If they have six months to get their damage control qualification and it is now eight months and they still are not damage control qualified then that Sailor is on the dink list.

A rundown of "Dink" from the Urban Dictionary.

Dink

U.S. Navy slang for "delinquent." Specifically, it refers to a sailor being delinquent in his/her qualifications.

Dink does not mean that a sailor is a shitbag (i.e., bad personal hygiene, disrespectful to superiors, etc.). It only refers to the sailor's state of laziness in pursuing his/her qualifications.

You might also hear sailors using "dink" to refer to someone not in the Navy or any armed force. Usually, it will be to comment on someone's (usually a civilian) lack of knowledge about anything Navy-related.
1.
- Chief: "Hey DC3 Swenson, are you qualified for Inport Equipment Monitor yet?"
- DC3 Swenson: "Sorry Chief, I'm still dink."
- Chief: "Dammit Swenson, you've been dink in that watchstation for a year and a half now! Your liberty is secured until you get qualified!"

2.
- Sailor A: Man, I bought this hooker last night and when I said I was in the Navy, she asked if I've ever killed a guy. Do I look like a SEAL to you?
- Sailor B: Sounds like she's dink in her knowledge of what we do, which is drink coffee all day.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Dink&defid=6429191

Do all Sailors--no matter what their rating--have additional qualifications to complete?  Is there a list of the ones specific to IT?  I'm just curious. 

I cannot speak for an IT because my son is an ABH.  An ABH whether or not he has been to A school still has qualifications (quals)  to complete once they hit the boat.  The ABH has probably 14-15 additional quals to complete and that is not including qualifying for Aviation Warfare or Surface Warfare.  This a mandatory requirement now.  It was not when my son joined which was some 8 years ago.  IT probably has additional quals maybe not as many as ABH.  You may be able to find an IT group on here, I know there is one for ABs'.  Hope that helps.

CatMom,

Yes, they all have quals they will have to achieve and IT's have additional certifications they are required to get. Your daughter is on shore duty so I don't know what she'll have to get but the shipboard people need quals for their workcenter, damage control, 3M, etc. Once they get those done they have to start on their warfare designations. Quals never end...I spent 26 years in the Navy and at 25 years I was still getting new quals that became mandatory that we didn't have in the past.

Yes, warfare designations are requirements now.

Welcome green90, is your son a corpsman?

Thanks everyone~~

Yep, my Sailor daughter advised me that she does have additional qualifications to complete within 18 mos.  No problem, she will take care of it!!

Says weather at Norfolk is in between the dryness & heat of So Cal and the oppressive heat & humidity of Pensacola!

Two good groups - Corpsmen Moms & Dads and Corpsman Moms  :) 

what are work ups?  Practicing skills learned in A School?  Looks like a picture taken in the 70's, from someone falling off the pier!

Work ups are underway periods so the ship can get ready to go on deployment. They practice and get certified on things like damage control, pilot qualifications, etc. Every department has things to do to get ready for deployment and these short underway periods are where they work out all the bugs so they can leave for 6-10 months and be fully ready when they leave. It is practice for the underway, not necessarily what they learned in A school but they do get practice in that on a daily basis.