Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

anyone got a good mechanic to recommend?

Hi All..are there any places that sailors can go to to celebrate Christmas if they are not going home?Thanks Librarygram

Dad of Sailor,

My husband has one of the AT&T ship to shore cards. There is a 1-800 number located on the back of the card that I call and refill it. All they need is the card number to refill it. Ask your son if there is a 1800 number listed on the back and have him give you that and the card number and you should be able to refill it, or he can as well. Hopefully I am some help! :)

Hello all! So just got word that my son will be going on his first deployment right after Christmas and I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on gifts that sailors may like or need for ship life?

Hi CO-Twin...He says there is nothing listed on the card.

Jmae12 - Yeah, I thought it was that easy but he says there are no numbers on the card at all. I'm wondering if the ones they buy on the ship are actually AT&T ship to shore cards or if they are something else.

Good morning!

My husband and I will be moving to Norfolk in January. I was hoping someone could help me out. This is our first move so im a little lost. Any advice would be so helpful. Also, does anyone live on base? I've printed the forms to apply but I was wondering how the houses were and if they were nice and such.

Jmae, I thought of that but last I checked they only sold them in lots of 25 not the singles like they sold before.

Regardless, he was confused...there was a sticker (with the pin) over the writing on the back of the card that he had to remove to see the number. I guess he's got it figured out now. Thanks everyone for the information.

Oh my gosh! GREAT ideas! Thank you ladies so much! :)

Jmae12, I love the idea of the mattress pad! I hadn't even thought of that. Can we get them the ones with the memory foam to add a little extra padding to the mattress? My son has one on his bed here at home and he loves it.

Navy Motion Picture Service is hosting a sneak preview of "Lone Survivor" this  Dec. 7 at Little Creek, 7 p.m.

For more details on this sneak preview, contact the base theater. For more information on the Navy Motion Picture Service, visit http://navymwr.org/movies.

Liy ter'swife,

Thanks for your advice.  I will let her know about the vinegar wipe!  Oh should she wipe both sides or just the outside of the windows?

How about gift suggestions for our Sailors that have shore duty here?  Something my daughter may not have thought of?  She hasn't asked for anything.  Does a dashsaver for her car make sense?  She just bought her car in August here and it will be her first winter in Norfolk~~  Thanks in advance, friends~

So sad but happy. My sailor will be all alone for Chritmas Eve and Christmas but will be with us a few days after. Doesn't want to be with other people either. I was wondering if any of you have bought blue candles-electric or otherwise, and could make a suggestion to me on where to buy one. I was thinking just an electric candleabra that I could put my own blue bulb in.

What a deal!  

What a deal!  "Operation J.I.N.G.L.E. - Are you living on the ship, barracks, or a single Sailor PPV?  Is your family thinking about visiting Hampton Roads during the Christmas holiday?  Hotel rooms are available in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Dec 23 - 26, 3 nights, for $10 a night.  The entire reservation fee will be donated to the Navy-Marine Relief Society from the Hotel/Motel Associations and Convention and Visitors Bureaus of Norfolk and Virginia Beach.  Contact Loretta Russell, Norfolk Navy Marine Relief Society, 757-322-1175 or email at loretta.russell@nmcrs.org."

I believe I posted a while back that an organization "A Recovering American Soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center in NW Washington DC" would love to get holiday cards for the injured service members.  I thought that I was thorough and looked up the info - but recently when I was digging a bit further I found out that it is a complete hoax.  All of these letters are directly thrown out.  They want to ensure the safety of all our heroes and since there isn't a name on the envelope as to who they are to go to they are not delivered.  I am glad I found this out before I sent my cards.  However, I did provide about 100 cards to Until Every Troop Comes Home Inc. (cards had to be there by Dec 10th) these cards had to be sent unsealed so that each one could be check to ensure the safety of the overseas recipient and to look for hate mail.  They then closed them and forwarded them onto whatever military branch I had selected (or multiple branches)  I apologize for the misleading info that I passed along and I am sorry if anyone submitted a card only  to have your nice efforts thrown away.

@BTsmom-I sent you a friend invite and a message!

Hi everyone, I am new here. My daughter just arrived in Norfolk. She's an AE for Squadron HM14. Right away she wants to buy a car. I thought I read somewhere that there is a workshop available about what to look for when you buy a car…does anyone have advice on that?

They definitely hve a seminar/workshop.  My daughter attended it while they were at sea.  It sounds like it was very informative and she got a lot of good information.  Tell her to check with her shipmates.  Navy Federal CU is also a good resource.

The Fleet and Family Support Center offers a car buying workshop that is really informative.  Have her call the FFSC at 757-444-2102 to get the schedule.

FWIW: my son got the best deal on auto insurance from USAA

And since July you don't even need the permit to enter the base, just an ID now.

does anyone know how long it takes before s sailor can get housing either on or off base.?

Just to be clear, you need a military ID to get on base, or have someone with you in the car who has one :)

Thanks beachmom76 and MoCityMom, I will pass on the info: )

Is there anybody here in Chesapeake who is a dog lover who can help me to be a dog sitter for 2 weeks

Yes. Some of the sailors who come over to our house on the weekends tell us the same thing.   

Yvonne

Catmom-

Are you talking about those silver things you put across the dashboard to keep the sun out....sorry for my ignorance on what you're talking about. :)

Yvonne

My sailor said that getting a barracks is based on when ships leave then it will open up rooms for the sailors that have arrived and are waiting on ship.  He hasn't said anything about showers and such - He probably wouldn't tell me.  The problem may be just certain ships depending on how many sailors have homer or apartments to go to in Norfolk.  I hear the hours for the rec center are limited (since the budget issues) and they are not very convenient for a lot of them.

Oh my sailor coming home from deployment will not be happy. He called the other day and I told him about you guys John and Yvonne, He may be joining you. He has really grown in his faith since joining the navy, much to my delight. 

HooYa  Navy 17 Army 0  It is snowing on the game.

Navy wins, 37-7!

Anyone see a commercial with sailors On a certain ship yelling Go Navy beat Army?  That would have been my boy!!!

Except I was just listening at work and it was too busy and I missed it, so now gotta hunt it down. any ideas? I emailed CBS sports.

Oh fun!  What ship is he on?