Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

Some quick thoughts - 

Janelle, yes you need a car!  Navy Lodge is great if your sailor can check you in.  Good rates, nice rooms, safe too.  It gets booked up and PCSing sailors get priority, so reserve early if that's your choice.  Info about it and nearby hotels:  Navy Lodge info  

Tracy - Homecomings are the best!  Be sure you're on your Ombudsman and Family Readiness Group lists, they will get you prepared in time, including what you'll need to get on base (you'll need their info plus photo ID).  You can contact them now with your questions, they won't mind!  No limit on number of people.  You don't actually get to go onto the pier itself, but wait outside the gate that leads to the pier.  There may be a VIP tent, music, and of course a crowd!  You can order "free" military welcome home banners from buildasign.com (I say "free" b/c you pay for postage, and it goes way up the closer you get to the date you want it, so don't procrastinate!).  Or make your own poster, lots do and the DIY ones are so cool, plus you can tell your sailor to look out for hot pink or yellow or whatever.

This Cox 11 story of USS Iwo Jima's homecoming in Dec 2012 gives a great feel for a homecoming, and of course comes with a Navy-mom tissue alert  :)

Also in re bag chairs, yes you could do that.  The pier gate where you wait is right by the parking lot; and It can be quite a while before your sailor finally comes off the ship and through the gate.

Hi Tracy. 

I believe our sailors are on the same carrier.  My son was on a carrier for his last deployment as well.  We were allowed onto the pier to wait.  probably because there were so many people.

It is a very long day.  Folks started lining up at 6:00am outside the pier gate and waited for hours before we were allowed to go to the pier.  Outside the pier gate there is the food tent with tables and chairs.  The port a potties are outside the pier gate as well.

Inside the gate, on the pier, there were bleachers set up, tents for moms with newborns, a band, and lots and lots of people.  Bring a chair just in case you don't get a bleacher seat.

It's fabulous when the carrier turns the corner and heads in to dock.  Everyone is so excited!  Then you realize that it takes quite a while to secure the carrier and put the gangways in place before anyone departs the ship.  It was almost an hour before the first sailor got off the ship. 

But it's still fun because the sailors are on the flight deck and every outside access they can get to, waving at the crowd.  One sailor even unfurled a banner with a marriage proposal on it!

They get off the ship a group at a time.  New dads, officers, then by rank high to low.  It made it a lot easier to spot our sailor.  fabulous time!  Bring a camera and a video recorder!

Amanda, are you looking for an apartment or a house? Renting or buying? we'll keep our eyes open. 

yvonne and john

Amanda I agree with Abuon, and a referral to a good Realtor is priceless, hope you follow up!  Virginia Beach and Chesapeake cover a large area, so it's helpful to have someone knowledgeable to narrow down to the good places.  There's also a Facebook group to join called "Navy Home Search" where there is some good networking; don't know if this link will work if you're not a member but here it is - https://www.facebook.com/groups/137720826328215/

Hi Amanda.  I will be relocating to Virginia as well, due to the hubby's job.

A friend who lives there told us to stay South of Interstate 264 and East of State route 13.

She also told us that if we want to avoid jet noise, look at the direction of the runways to determine the flight paths.

Like the other folks said, we heard a lot of good things about Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.  I'm looking forward to no more hellish Winters!  Last year's was brutal.

It's up to him (or you) to arrange and pay for any personal travel while on leave.  Regarding the car you'd have to check the Virginia DMV for their grace period between purchase and registration.  I would think whoever stores it would require registration and insurance?  The phone number for the Norfolk NEX long-term/deployment car storage is 757-445-1492.

If anyone's planning a visit in October, "Fleet Fest" at Naval Station Norfolk will be held from 9 am - 4pm on Saturday Oct. 18.  It's open to the public and includes ship tours, displays, live entertainment, a car show and a chili cook-off.  Ships open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm are aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) and guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez (DDG 66).   A Navy 239th Birthday Concert by the U.S. Fleet Forces Band aboard the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt will start after the tours.  

My parents, that live in North Carolina, have found my sailor a used car to purchase.  Would it be best to title & register the car in his home state of Texas?  For insurance purposes, wouldn't it be best if it's in my name?  He is 22 & if he has his own policy, his premiums will be outrageous.  I believe if it's on my policy, I will have to have it registered in my name, but not sure I want to do that either.  This is all very confusing.  Any advice is appreciated. 

Seasport, you may be surprised that having the car in your sailor's name isn't as expensive as you think!  Most sailors bank with either USAA or Navy Federal because they are so military-friendly.  Why don't you or your son contact them, give them the specifics of the car to be purchased and get an insurance quote from them?  My son opted to register his car in Virginia and has had his insurance with USAA for the past few years; it has been surprisingly reasonable and other moms here have said the same about Navy Federal.  

These are links to the Virginia DMV Motor Vehicle Military Guide http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/pdf/dmv206.pdf 

and to the Virginia DMV Military FAQs:  http://www.dmv.state.va.us/drivers/#military_faq.asp  

In Virginia, "Any person who is active in the military is exempt from taxation if his/her home of record is outside of Virginia pursuant to the federal Service Member's Civil Relief Act."  You have to provide the Virginia DMV with a current LES each year when it's time to renew registration.

Hello all! My husband and I have been in the area for a while now, but I just got around to joining this group. 

You're welcome Seasport :)  Keep us posted.  Bet your sailor will be happy to have a car!  

Welcome Hoshizora!

BTW, for any sailors interested, there's a kayak clinic at the base Sailing Center & Marina coming up this Saturday...

God Bless your son, B-Ready! I'm glad that you found peace and I hope he does too!

B-Ready: So happy to see this update and read that your son is home and doing so well! I have thought of you both so often and continued to pray. Be well my friend. 

Fun and challenging event coming up!  The annual Grunt Run is happening in Chesapeake on Saturday October 11.  I've attended this and it's awesome, with some running in teams, some wearing costumes, everyone had a blast!  Music and food afterwards and you're done by noon, enough time to get to the beach and wash off the mud :)  Share with your sailor so they can register!

B-Ready - So glad to hear your son is doing well. I have thought about your family often. I hope and pray his future is a great one!

Hi, my name is Amy, my son is stationed at Norfolk. Its been four long years he has been gone now. We are very close, and he does not get out til April. I will be flying in to see him in Dec. Where is a good place to stay?

Navy Lodge - handy, nice, safe,mini-Nex off the lobby, fridge and microwave in rooms (full kitchen in larger suites) and can't beat the rates, with continental breakfast included.  Just be sure to reserve as far in advance as you can.  Navy Lodge Norfolk information

Good news following the helicopter crash today in the Gulf of Aden while carrying personnel to USS Mesa Verde - 17 Marines, eight sailors, and all 25 recovered with only minor injuries among them.  Thanks to the Navy and Marines for the vital "helo dunk" training they provide to Marine Expeditionary Units prior to deployment.  Bravo Zulu to them all! 

Yes and it looked like a destroyer that it was landing on. Good outcome to a near tragedy. 

CO-TwinSalorsMom, the Mesa Verde is an amphibious transport dock that transports Marines to and from land by air or landing craft, and can carry up to 800 Marines in addition to her regular crew.  My son has had the "helo egress" training (aka "helo dunk") designed to prevent what happened in a similar event in '99 in which 7 died, 11 survived.  This is video of the '99 helo crash, terrifying. 

How long does it take for a Sailor to get a room? My daughter has been there for a few months and is still sleeping on a ship and everything she owns is in her car. She is #1461 on the waiting list for a room & why does it take weeks for her to get her mail? I sent her a package 3 weeks ago and she still has not received it.

Soccermom2 - that is a bummer that your daughter is that far down the line to get a room.  My son went out there last January, about the middle of the month.  He was in a shipyard sleeping on a barge for a bit, but must have hit it lucky. 

I am pretty sure he had a room on base by March.  I know other guys in his division were waiting longer then he did.  So I honestly think he just got lucky.  We waited until he got a room on base before we mailed him extra clothes and that.  I wish her luck in getting a room sooner! 

My son is on the Porter , its hard to find others who have sailors aboard that ship 

I was fortunate, and not only got to see my son for a few days, we went on the family day excursion with the Roosevelt a couple weeks ago. That was so incredible. If your ship does this you have to go. 

Navy Mom Deanna. I just heard about the Fleet Fest for Oct. 18th too! I would love to go but yes, have to wait til I hear back from my Sailor to see if this will be a good time for us to go.

Have you been getting emails from your Sailor? My daughter arrived to Norfolk in May.

Melinda - how about you? any word from your Sailor?

Kathy - yes I agree! N4Ms has been the best source of support for me since the beginning! I think I can say the same for all of us!

Thanks!

Yes, this is the age of texting! John and I have found that when we want to find out who is coming over to our house on the weekends, we have to text them and they respond. Phone calls? Very seldom do they answer and in a lot of cases they haven't set up a voice mail. For those of you that don't know who we are, my husband is a retired Navy Chaplain and we have been in Norfolk/Virginia Beach for 14 years, inviting sailors(and Marines and Soldiers) to come over to our house on the weekends to have a place to hang out, play board games and of course we feed them! :)

I am very lucky to met John and Yvonne Wagner here in the group.  They adopted my son and they were picking him up  from the base every Saturday and Sunday.  Yesterday they celebrated my son's birthday which is 9/11 and Yvonne prepared filipino foods for him.  I really appreciate them reaching out for my son.  Thank you John and Yvonne.  I will definitely see you in January once my daughter arrives VA for her A school.

May our good LORD rain blessings on you John and Yvonne! Thank you for being there for our sailors.  :)

Does anyone have a sailor in Norfolk who is from Michigan or a nearby state? We live in Michigan and my son wants to come home in October for about 10 days. He has his own vehicle and we are trying to see if anyone would be interested in carpooling home with him!  

John and Yvonne, you both are the most fantastic people! I love that my son has a safe place to go off base! Thank you for taking care of my son! We are so blessed to have met you!