Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

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.

To TJCsMom...will keep your son my prayers & yourself. I have a window that I've designated my Navy window. It has helped me over the last 4yrs.

So my son has become friends with his sponsor, which I'm thankful for.  He had bene in Norfolk for almost two wks now and finally got off the ship this weekend with his sponsor to see the city of Norfolk.   My son hung out with him and few others on Saturday night and then went to the mall yesterday and did some shopping and sight seeing around Norfolk.  I'm so happy he was able to get away from the ship for a bit...I can only imagine what life is like when your living-working on a ship  ( he hasn't complained at all about it, but it has only been two weeks).   I'm only a 8hr drive away from Norfolk and will be planning a  long weekend maybe in Nov. to drive down there,  my son said I will love it there. 

GoldnG8r,

Did you include the whole 9 digit zip code of the ship? All mail is being returned from FPO and APO addresses if you don't put the entire 9 digit zip code. Did they give a reason they were returned?

TJCsMom,

Traveling mercies of safety and protection for your Sailor son!!  Praying for him~~

We had a sailor from the Iwo Jima, and three sailors from the USS Ross over for dinner Sunday. We enjoyed having them over Saturday night for our game night too.

On the menu was spaghetti, salad, and home made Italian bread. Crystal brought pineapple and raspberries. Then for dessert it was Apricot Lattice Cake and coffee and tea. Kari helped Yvonne in the kitchen.

Cody challenged me to a game of chess. Now, you have to realize, I haven't played chess in over thirteen years! But it was a good game. Cody almost let me win...NOT! He pounced on my queen the first chance he got after a move I didn't see. :(  After that it was all down hill. Yea, Cody won!

John and Yvonne

John and Yvonne,

Thanks for giving my son, the chess and Skip Bo champion, a real home to hang out in twice this past weekend.  The pics on your BlogSpot are cool.  Everyone should check them out.

Blessings to the two of you!

We will be going to Norfolk in the near future. I saw that there are several Navy Lodges. Which one is the best? We are looking for a safe area. We are still on a hunt for an apartment. The search is truly overwhelming. Thanks.

kikid, I've stayed at and recommend this one on Hampton Blvd.  It's remodeled and really nice, close to the base, and the Navy police roll through/keep an eye on it ~ http://www.navyformoms.com/group/norfolksailorsfamilyfriends/forum/...

I've stayed at the Gateway Lodge on Little Creek and found it not so nice, and the a/c went out - in July :(

kikid70 - if your son is looking for an apartment - my son has to leave his. Its five minutes from base - right by the ocean.

NavyMom2013, It was a pleasure to have your son over this week. Looking forward to seeing him again maybe this weekend and can't wait to taste that dessert!

Proudmom, we would be happy to have your join us when he ports up! And thank you for your kind words and prayers...

John and Yvonne Wagner,  thanks so much.  I will let my daughter know about you when they return.  She is on a short run now with her ship but I just love reading about the fun and good eats you all are having.  Sorry, I'm so late replying but haven't been on in a few weeks.

Does anybody know if Virginia Beach or Newport News is closer to the Norfolk base?

About 30 minutes away

CatMom, Virginia Beach is adjacent to Norfolk but it depends on where one is located, as VB covers a large area.  Newport News is across the river.  If you're talking about  commute, you have to be mindful of delays due to bridge and tunnel traffic.

Thank you Marcy & CO-Twin~~

My daughter is looking to buy a car (after only 5 days at Norfolk!) and we are directing her to go to CarMax.  We also told her to get pre-qualified by NavyFED or USAA--is that correct?

CatMom-CarMax uses car-fax, they will show her the report car for any car she is looking at....they check the car out and 10 day return no questions asked and have a 30 day bring it back and they'll fix anything policy plus offer extended warranties on used cars...Yes, she really needs to be careful buying a used car from a "private party", as singingbird said, she could end up with a flood car... USAA is insurance...NavyFed would be her finance...:)

Hi Everyone.  I have a question and maybe someone has experience with this.  My son rented a furnished room.  He's been there about 4 months and loves it.  Now he has deployment orders and has to break the lease.  He sent his landlord a copy of his orders and he seems fine with it until now.  He doesn't want to return his security deposit - which he told him (verbally) he would if he got deployed.  Wants the last months rent plus an extra months rent. Is anyone familiar with the rental laws in Virginia?  I told him to go to the Jag office and talk to them. He is just going crazy trying to get everything in order for his deployment.  Help if you can.  Thanks!!

Have him check his lease for a "military clause"...that clause will spell out the agreement with the landlord....