Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

These are the things we are worried about.  He really wants to get a truck when he comes home for Christmas break.  But we do not want to worry about him driving back for 14 hours when he heads home.  It would be his luck the weather would be horrible.  If he had a friend driving with him would be one thing, but alone would worry us to death. 

My brother lives out there and could go with him to look at vehicles except he is in Bahrain right now.  He won't get back to Norfolk until the middle of December.  He did tell me the other day on the phone that if he got a contract, he was bringing it back to the base for the financial person to look at before signing anything.  How very sad and disgusting that our kids are giving their life for this country, and some of these dealerships find it acceptable to rip them off.  Makes me sick!  That is why it would be better for him finding something here at home.  We will see though.  Thanks for your advice and information ladies. Have a great Thanksgiving week!

Amanda and Tracy, we all live not too far from each other.  I live about 15 minutes southeast of Springfield.  I guess you two can sympathize with the long drive out to Norfolk. Wish it was 8 hours instead of 14 so that we could go visit our son more often.

Navy Fed told our son to come in the week before he comes home and get a pre-approval check to bring home with him. That would be the easiest way to do it.

HuffyMom- We are 25 minutes north of Effingham, 15 minutes south of Shelbyville. We just made 14 hour trip home last night, and it makes for a long day. There are 4 of them coming this way for Christmas, but he won't be riding back with them. I think his girlfriend is going to make the drive back with him, then fly back. I'll be a nervous wreck until they get there.

Congrats June! That's awesome!

Huffmom another mom here has a daughter there and her daughter skyped her parents while at the car lot and on a test drive. I thought that was pretty cleaver. 

Congrates June on your daughters achievement

Yes Amanda, I had heard if your car is registered in VA, you have to have it inspected every year to renew your sticker. That's another reason our son is buying his car at home and getting Illinois plates.

Huffymom, my son purchased and registered his car in Virginia.  The safety and emissions inspections are easy - you can get it done at local garages and dealers that offer the service - and it's kinda good to know your sailor is driving a car without problems.   This is the Virginia DMV's "Military Guide" for active duty personnel with answers about purchasing, registering and insuring a car: https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dmv206.pdf  

For renewing registration annually, the personal property tax is waived if your sailor not a Virginia resident, just have to provide the latest LES statement to the DMV.  

If your sailor is willing, there is a 1 1/2 hour class called Car Buying Strategies offered once a month by Fleet and Family Support Center, 757-444-2102, next class Dec 5. noon-1:30 pm.

AAA has a car buying service if you're a member - this is the page for the Norfolk/Mid Atlantic area:  https://aaamidatlantic.truecar.com/main.html

CC0727, I remembered that someone else was asking about brakes last month so I scrolled back and found it and the recommendation  :)  Here it is -

Comment by Lizb on October 17, 2014 at 6:22pm

 Comment by Trevor's mom on October 17, 2014 at 7:34pm

abuon18 - thanks! My sailor told me that she will be going to one on the 18th. She had me send her a dress and shoes from home just in case she went shopping for something and didn't find anything. She is happy that she will get to dress up and feel girly.

Leach73, I recall when my son attended the USS Iwo Jima's holiday party at the Norfolk Marriott Waterside - quite the event!  An ice sculpture of the ship, wine glass memento, dinner, music, the works.  This gal posted about it with photos too - http://www.homeiswherethenavyshipsus.com/2010_12_01_archive.html

Yes! my daughter mentioned something about it being at a Marriott hotel.

Sounds like it should be fun! I know she can't wait to get all dressed up and fancy.

How cool for her!  Tell her that Navy moms want a full report!! LOL

My son has his tomorrow night he is looking forward to it taking his fiancé 

Merry Christmas, all you moms out there! Our hope is that your sailors will be able to go home and be with you and your family for this wonderful holiday! But, if any of them won't be able to, and don't have any plans, they will definitely be welcome at our table in our home for Christmas dinner. 

Yvonne and John

I am curious about something.  Is it normally last minute that the sailors find out their holiday time off has been approved?

HuffyMom23, it depends on many things including when they submitted for leave, so yes, it can be without much notice.

I believe he submitted it in plenty of time, but they were all waiting to hear from what he says.  Thankfully he is catching a ride halfway home and we will have to go pick him up about 6 hours from here.  I can't imagine trying to figure out what a flight would have cost a week before his leave should start, or when one would have been available. 

He is driving his dads old truck back to Norfolk as his father just got a new one last week.  He loves that truck so it is all working out great.  It will just be a long drive back to Norfolk  and he will have to shave a few days off of his leave. :(

As always Marcy, thanks for your information. 

HuffyMom,

When your son gets back to Norfolk, we would be happy to invite him to join us on the weekends with the other sailors who come to our house. Let us know if he would be interested. Check out our page on this site. :)

Yvonne and John

disonn63 (Stefan'smom), my son used Pep Boys (both on Military Hwy in Norfolk, and in Portsmouth) for oil changes on his Hyundai, and when he sold it the Carfax showed a record of all the oil changes he had done - which was good since it showed how religious he was about it!  :)   Apparently Pep Boys has a relationship with Carfax which shows up under Service History.

Can someone let me know if a sailor has to ask permission to get married.

A sailor doesn't need permission, but there are procedures to follow.  The number for the legal assistance office on base is 757-341-4489 and they can answer any questions.  

(by procedures, I mean for the spouse to receive benefits etc)

Good morning everyone! Merry Christmas! I just need a minute to vent and wanted to do it where everyone would understand.

I spoke to my son yesterday and he told me that he wouldn't be getting his Christmas boxes until next week. They were delivered to base last Friday. His command apparently let so many people take leave that there isn't anyone to go to the post office and pick up the mail. Also, their supply people are so busy they don't have time to check out a duty car to the admin people to go get the mail. They are busy. They have a bunch of deployments coming up in the new year but I don't understand not making getting the mail a priority this time of year. It's just really upsetting to me and I don't understand. 

Thank you for letting me vent!

Our son will be leaving tomorrow to head back from his Christmas time off.  We sure feel like this leave has flown by and hate to see him leave already.  He is driving his fathers truck back to keep for the next year.  We have been really worried about him driving over 14 hours by himself.  So his father is going to ride with him and my daughter and I will follow them.  We have decided to drive half way with him so that he will have a shorter drive by himself.  We can stop and get a room in West Virginia and then he can drive the rest Monday morning.  I truly wish there would have been someone to ride back with him. 

Now when he gets back he has to start commuting back and forth to Newport News until February.  Since he is not sure where he is going, he wants to get back in plenty of time on Monday to find out.  We will feel better once he gets back to the base. I hope everyone who had a son or daughter home for Christmas had a wonderful time or is still having a wonderful time.  Happy New Year everyone!

Happy New Year Huffymom!  Sounds like good plans all around.  He'll be fine with part two of the trip I'm sure, and it's so smart to allow time to get settled and familiar with the commute, rather than arriving last-minute.  Yes the time flies, doesn't it??  Let us know how your travels go!

My son will be getting married and moving off the ship in May. Is there somewhere he can check on base for apartments that will be coming available? He's never looked for an apt before, so I want to make sure they don't get a bad deal.

I would go to navy housing, I have a wife friend who got a really nice house that she loves.

They plan to do that, but usually there is quite a waiting list, so they were going to get an apartment in the meantime. Is the list not that long in Norfolk?

How long will it take to get her dependent processing done so they can apply for housing? We were going to move them out right after the wedding, but if they can possibly get into housing right away, maybe they can find something temporary. I sure don't want them to have to put first and last down on an apartment if they don't need to, then have to find away to move into housing right away. What temporary options are there? Even somewhere like Navy lodge will get expensive after very long.

The links and contact information here may help too - CNIC Norfolk Housing Services

rysmom - yes, this group covers the entire area in and around Norfolk including Newport News and the bases in Virginia Beach (Little Creek, Dam Neck, and Oceana).

Forever proud - my son has been in Norfolk for almost a year now.  We ended up driving to Hurricane, WV Sunday and stayed alnight.  Then we all got up Monday morning and went our separate ways.  Our drive was longer so he got home about 2 hours before us.  

  He got back in time to get a haircut, a few groceries and directions on where he was suppose to go for work on Tuesday.  He said it took him 4 trips to get his truck unloaded.  My mother fixed him up a care basket.  She made him a fleece blanket and pillow to keep in his truck.  She also packed all kinds of goodies.  I had 2 brothers that were in the Navy when I was growing up, so she knows all about those care packages.  She has really missed my son and hated to see him leave. 

How long has your son been in Norfolk?

Happy New Year to everyone! 

Oh my Forever proud I totally could see my Nuke twin doing that. Totally funny.

LMAO!!!  Guess they had to learn the hard way!