Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

My son has USAA and he feels he got a good deal and is happy with it, It is about $100 cheaper than when he was home.

Hello to all.

Back to the subject of cars again...For the most part, do all of your Sailors have their own car in Norfolk? My Sailor arrived to Norfolk on Tuesday and this morning she sent me a text to tell me that she feels she might really need to have one.

I am so excited! My son somehow called me from his ship while he on deployment and just told me he made rank!  I havent heard his voice in so long and for it to be good news was so great. He is on cloud 9!

Congratulations Cindy D!!!  My son also advanced.  He sent me an email this morning.  He sounded so happy :)

Jackie D - Congrats to you to too! Love good news!

Congratulations to all those who advanced!

Leach73, I'm with your daughter. I would ask, what adult do you know would move to the largest naval base in the world, adjacent to the most populous area in the state (Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads), with no transportation to the areas where you work, or access to all there is to see and do?  You can't even get to the NEX (shopping, uniform store, dry cleaners, commissary) without a car!  I would also argue that for a single female, it's safer to have your own transportation rather than have to rely on others.  And it's not really fair to depend on others who manage owning a car.  Beyond the practical side of getting to the NEX, Norfolk's McArthur Mall, movies on the weekend etc, it's a wonderful area, and would be a shame not to be able to get around and explore it plus weekend trips to Washington DC, Chincoteague, the Outer Banks…  I have visited numerous times and can't imagine not having a car there, seriously.

Thank you so much Marcy. If I could I would just hug you right thru this computer...but instead I'll send you a ((((cyber hug)))).

I know, that last thing I want her is to feel insecure and stuck without being able to move around. She is not the type that likes to impose on others, much less have to ask for a ride, and plus taxi rides will add up quick. This weekend would have been a good weekend to go since we got MOnday off but even then, we prob. can't get anything done as far as paperwork for it...it would be all too rushed.

Thanks again for your help! it is a God-send!

Thanks! :)  Hey I just spoke to the base Pass and ID office (757-322-2974) and all she needs is that letter, signed by you and notarized, giving her permission to have the car in her possession; plus proof of insurance and registration which you already have.  Why not just type up a paragraph, go to the bank and get it notarized and head there this weekend!?  A little rain forecast but temps in the low 80s :)  You could take the 45-minute bus tour of the base too, I did that with my son when he first got there and it's fascinating!  $10/adult, office right by Gate 5, 757-444-7955, tours 10 am - 2 pm every 30 minutes http://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrma/installations/ns_norfolk/abo...

OMGEEEEE!!!!

Thanks Marcy! I am going to tell my husband as soon as he gets home from work!!! I am so appreciative that you would go thru the trouble of calling to get that info. I know other moms here can benefit from that too if they are in the same boat as I am with this situation. (no pun intended)

hmmm...either we drive two cars so we can leave one for her and drive back or just fly back...let me look into airfares to see what I come up with! ill keep you posted!

That would be so cool!!!  Don't forget Southwest flies into Norfolk :)  Can't wait to hear!  

The only problem with flying is that Norfolk airport is too small to accommodate the volume of people that are traveling. They need to really look at expanding.

Any suggestions for a good place to stay close to the base?

Link to Navy Lodge Norfolk info, rates, photos.

Marcy - Corpsman Mom:  Thanks for the NAVY Lodge info!  Haven't made it yet to Norfolk but now I know where to stay when I do...  :)  Moms have a way of just showing up. he, he

ALNavyMom,

My son said that Portsmouth has a place to get the VA EZPass.

Leach73 - I stayed at the Holiday Inn by the airport when I was there earlier this month. A beautiful hotel with pool, free breakfast coupons for military family to the restaurant, and free bus shuttle to the airport. We also had a small fridge in the room....  It's about 10 mins from base but I needed the airport shuttle because my son had to be at work at 6am the morning I left.

Guess what?

Friday after work we decided to go...we made the 14 road trip on Saturday to take the car to my Sailor. Started off in Illinois and drove thru Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and into Virginia. Perfect weather, no incidents, arrived safely, Thank God. Flew back on Sunday evening, Norfolk to NY to Chicago. The things we do for our kids....gotta love 'em!

Hope to go back to visit her soon...and stay for a few days to get a tour and do some sight-seeing.

I called the Navy Lodge on the way there and they were all booked. I also tried the Navy Gateway, booked as well. I ended up staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hampton. Very nice but a little more than I wanted to spend for one night but seems like most places were sold out already. My daughter was with a friend the night we arrived so we picked her up and brought her to the hotel with us and went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Our flight was at 6pm so we had plenty of time to chill-ax and talk. Feels like it was a dream that we went and came back.

Thank you everyone for your help!

HOOYAH! 

*correction...14 hour road trip. sorry.

Leach73, that's so cool that you made the trip!  Bet she was thrilled to see parents and get a car :)  Yep, I bet the holiday weekend was booked up, oh well next time!  

ALNavyMom,

yeah, you have to remember that they bill you. :) We need to get an EZ Pass soon. I think they are available at any exchange. I know we can get them at the Little Creek base.

Yvonne

Hello again.

Spoke to my Sailor last night, she is having a little bit of a hard time adjusting to staying on the ship overnight. Most nights she says no one really stays there and she feels lonely and she was so cold that she barely slept. She does have a friend that has an apartment off base but there are others that live there and while she did stay there with her one night, she says she wasn't comfortable.

Questions for you - is it common for Sailors to have their own apartment off-base? My Sailor did mention something to me about a housing application that she was going to fill out but that she heard that there is a waiting list.

I'd appreciate any feedback...thanks in advance.

Marcy - yes! she was very happy and appreciative that we took the time to drive the car out to her and of course I was super glad to see her too!

aboun18 - what are barracks rooms? and where are these located?

I have an unmarried sailor in Norfolk. He returned from deployment and has a barrack room. He doesn't spend much time there though because of his work schedule and the fact that he has no drivers license. He tends to sleep on a barge.

Singingbird and Leach 73,

I know it's hard for the sailors living on the ship and hard to find a place to live if the barracks are not available. We have sailors who come over to our house in both situations. We may not be able to offer a place for them to live, but we would love to give them a place to hang out on the weekends. We've been opening our home for the last 14 years to the sailors and soldiers and marines....we feed them, play board games with them, take them to special events in the area and just provide a home away from their own homes that they left behind. We get together on Saturday evenings from 5 to 9 and on Sundays from 1 to 5.

If you think they would be interested, we can pm our phone number to you so they can get in touch with us or we can contact them.

I know that if our children were in the military we would appreciate anyone who would do the same. :)

Yvonne and John Wagner

So I am reading some of the comments and it is interesting how some of our sailors are in the same situations.  My son was staying on the barge when he first got out to Norfolk and also told me a lot of times there was hardly anyone there at night unless it was the duty people.  He has had a base room for a couple of months now and tries to stay there as much as possible.  He does not have a vehicle yet and says those cabs definitely get expensive.  We are down to trying to find the right company to ship his motorcycle out there and then I think he will be good.  Hopefully he will get tired of the motorcycle after the weather cools down and will get a vehicle. 

I know when he was on the barge, he mentioned sometimes missing his supper, and then either took a cab to go eat somewhere, or just held off until breakfast.  But then he was crabby because he was hungry. ha  If I had a daughter staying by herself on the barge at night, I would worry too.  The barrack my son stays in on the base is quite a distance from the main gate, so he doesn't really even do much on the base.  Just stays in his room and watches TV or sleeps.  Sometimes he goes and plays basketball and works out.  He said once that motorcycle gets there, he is going to stay busy.  He will learn though I am sure, that a truck will look way better when it rains or is cold.  His grampa offered to pay half on a truck with him if he would sell the motorcycle.  We don't want him to have it due to the fact that it is his first bike, and is very powerful.  Darn him and his cousin for arranging this deal. :( I will be so worried about him riding out there on the freeway.  He is from a small town and the nearest big city is nothing when it comes to driving.  But no matter where you are, people still do not see motorcycles and that is what scares us the most.  But when you are that age, you just don't seem to think anything will happen to you. Hopefully in his case, he will stay safe and not have any problem. 

from what I hear there is a waiting list for these barrack rooms.

gosh it just makes me sad that our Sailors have to go thru this with not feeling comfortable. Sure my worry level is elevated because of my daughter and most of the time she is alone.

:(

it think that now she is missing boot camp and great lakes. At least she wasn't alone and didn't miss a meal.

singingbird, you are welcome! And let us know if you need our contact number. :)

And CO-TwinSalorsMom is right. If your sailor needs a ride to our house we or one of our other sailors would be happy to pick them up!

Yvonne and John

OK breannarae  first off have someone teach you how to drive that stick. It is not hard. My sailor bought a car that is a stick and he taught himself how to drive it. 

Second maybe you could do little projects and write little letters each day and store them in a decorated box or tied with ribbon (red white and blue maybe) save them for when you can either send them or give them in person.

Breannarae Also join the Sub mom group

breannarae,

I agree with CO-TwinSalorsMom...get someone to teach you how to drive a stick shift. It isn't as hard as you may think. That way you will be able to get around. 

And also try and find some other wives you can get together with and have some friends who are in the same 'boat' as you are. :)  

There are always ways to get around the fact that right now you are stuck. Projects are good! If you have a bike that would be a way to get around things that are close enough for a bike ; not necessarily walk to.

Hope that helps!

Yvonne

CO-Twin -Yes my daughter is a church-goer and I told her to see if she could find a good church to go to on Sundays that is near by the base. Or is there a chapel on the base?

Any ideas? We go to a non-denominational church here in the suburbs of Chicago.

I will let her know about the Wagners. Thanks so much!

singingbird - i will reply to the message that you sent to me. Thanks!!

Leach73  My sailor goes to the Hampton Church. He likes it. Must be close to the pier and barracks he is in? he does go with a buddy.  It is non denominational I think.

CO-Twin, thanks! I will tell my daughter about the Hampton Church so she can look into it and find out service times.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Hi!  I am new to this group.  My sailor is in GL & he received his orders for shore duty in Norfolk.  We are still waiting to hear when he will be on leave to come home first.  I am wondering how he gets to his job & where he will live.  He is single & an E-3.  Are there buses available on base that run constantly?  Are the barracks going to be close to his work?  I guess it all really depends; just being a concerned mom.  When he joined the Navy, I figured all of these things would be taken care of, but from what I'm reading some sailors really require their own car.  Any thoughts?

Thanks NonnaB!  I am frustrated with that news!  I never anticipated him needing a car on base, but I understand since the base is so big!  I honestly thought he would be on a ship, but who knew?  I'm  not sure how we'll handle this & he hasn't mentioned it.  (he probably has no clue yet since he's not there.)  I am also reading about the barracks being full.  Is that going to be an issue for him?  Surely he'll have a place to live when he gets there?  This is very confusing!  Please enlighten me!

seasport--my son just arrived in Norfolk the beginning of May and he ended up buying a car after being there a week.  He is in the barracks and also an E-3, but his chief told him he would be able to move off base so that is what he is planning on doing I believe.  He also had some excitement the other day--got stuck in an elevator for 45 minutes.  You should have seen the pics and videos he uploaded to facebook about that...lol

Oh my!  That's funny now, but probably not at the time he was stuck!  Well, actually, my son is an E-2, not yet an E-3.  My mistake.  This whole Navy thing changes all of the time doesn't it?  It sure keeps me on my toes!