And YES as Green2Blue said - Your sailor is your best first hand knowledge of information. My son shared with me that they have their entire schedule for PS mapped out with tests, PT, etc. so there should not be any reason they don't know what to expect when, or able to share that with you. Granted things change like their PFA time this week, but it helps me when he shares a test day so I know to be praying for him, but also I am more conscientious of his time and not bothering him.
Which is why I also trying to send my Priority Mail pkgs on Tues or Wed from my location so they arrive in GC on Thur or Fri to be processed in the mail room so he can pick them up Fri - I think Sat, although he forgot so had to get it Monday right after class.
Nukelukesmom and SubMom - thanks for sharing the pictures! Looks like a fine group of sailors you got to spend the weekend with Nukelukesmom. And SubMom - I'll bet your heart was happy seeing your hubby and son spending some time together <3 Love it!
B’sNukeMom - I love the piggy and cow pictures. And yes I loved every minute of our mini vacation!!
Question for everyone- is there a page for Navy Dads? While visiting our son my husband mentioned a few times that he wished there was a forum/group for Dads. Thanks and I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!!
And speaking of fathers, now that it is officially June 6th my time, I would just like to take a moment and honor my father, a WWII Army Air Corps veteran who passed away, three years ago today - when we remember D-Day. I wasn't able to make it back home in time to be with him in his final hours (I was waiting in a parking lot while my now sailor was taking an SAT subject test) and things had happened so quickly for my mother that she had not called until the morning, despite my father having gone to the hospital the night before. Thankfully, she was able to get back to him in the morning. And I am thankful that I was with her last January when she passed. NancyJo - I know your children are still grieving and your family continues in my prayers.
CO-Twin - that is a better black bear picture than the one I managed to get when we were out west several years ago.
CoTwin, that bear is way too close for comfort for me! Wow, you were in the wilds. Yikes! Nice photo of your son. He's striking quite the attitude. LOL Nice looking fellow. I know you are proud of your boys, as you should be.
Chipmunk, thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it. Also thanks for mentioning June 6 as a commemoration of D-Day. Every time I see news reels (I'm a YouTube freak) I shudder at the horror of what the brave folks went through. How did the civilians cope with Germans in their houses and yards, building bunkers, only to have their neighborhoods bombarded, and gunfire echoing while they cowered finding what safety they could? Can you imagine trying to safeguard your children? If anyone has not seen "The Longest Day", an old star-studded movie about D-Day, it's worth the watch. The greatest generation indeed.
My sailor is in GC in their home, only to find that their belongings can't be delivered for 2 more weeks. Wha?!? It's been in storage since the movers dropped it off about 3 wks ago. At least they have their washer/dryer, and somehow folding chairs and air mattresses. Ever resourceful, they'll be fine. <sigh>
I feel for our sailors doing PT in the heat. Ugh. I guess that's part of making them tough. It gets hot in the boat too. Stay cool, Sea Sisters!
@CoTwin - that looks like a black bear cub. Black bears are smaller and less aggressive than other bears, but mommy bears can be a different thing. I'd only take such photos with a telephoto lens and a hiking companion that I know I can out run if a bear is chasing us!
@NancyJo - I remember doing a lot of crazy things when we were young and getting on our feet, moving around, etc.. It builds character!
SubMom - in addition to the Dads website there is also a group on here "Dads on Mom.....com" . It's not very active but perhaps if your husband joined and started posting they could get some activity going again. DannysDad you might want to join that page too.
Hi everyone!! I am finally getting back on here since my son's graduation from A school on 5/25. It was so great having him home for 10 days!! That trip to the airport is always tough but I feel like I'm learning to deal with being gone, it's just the leaving that is hard. I try EVERY time not to cry!! I haven't been able to do it yet!!
Graduation was amazing!! I loved getting a tour of the base (as far as we were allowed to go) and meeting my son's new friends!!! We had an awesome dinner at an Italian restaurant with 17 people! I loved those sailors and their families. My head was spinning trying to listen to every conversation!! I absolutely loved the banter back and forth regarding their experiences with the practical exam! It was an experience I will never forget!! He is making friendships that will last a lifetime!
GreentoBlue- It was great to finally meet you. Dinner was great and thanks so much for the picture of everyone at Thursday nights dinner!! I absolutely love that picture. I'm seeing there are others on this site who we will share the Power School experience with!! Yay!! I'm excited. I hope you enjoyed your time at the beach!! We went into Charleston and had a great time walking around and seeing the city and SHOPPING!!
Chipmunk- Thanks so much for the info you provide. I love being a couple months behind you because you answer so many questions before I even get to ask them. You are my go to person for information.
I found out that although my son doesn't necessarily share a lot of information with me. I really have to ask a lot of questions. When these guys and gals get together they can surely talk!! LOL so there is no excuse for them not to share!! I will certainly be reminding him of that fact as time goes on. LOL!!
I checked the NNPTC facebook page and I don't see pictures posted from the 5/25 graduation just yet. I will continue to check. Hopefully soon.
Welcome to all the new members!! I love following all the conversations. I can't comment on all conversations but I love keeping up with everything going on.
Love that, B'sNuke. Here's some trivia for you. In the pic you see the soldiers leaving a landing craft called a Higgins boat, invented by a fellow named Andrew Jackson Higgins from my old stomping grounds in NE. There is a memorial to him there complete with soldier statues making their way across the sand from a boat. Dwight Eisenhower said "Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us." Any video from D-Day you can see the Higgins boats unloading soldiers on the beach.
Wow, KayCee, you gave me a start there when I thought you were that close to that bear! Great photo!
B'sNuke, you, as usual, are amazing. Great resources. I had to chuckle at the Higgins article. It says he loved bourbon and told Life magazine "I only drink while I'm working." Boy, I wish I could get away with that. That's the time I wish I was drinking. Once I'm home the urge to be inebriated passes. ;D
Had a great time in GC with my sailor this past weekend. We drove from Southern Wisconsin down to Knoxville (stayed overnight) and then continued on to GC the next day. What a beautiful drive thru the mountains! We stayed at the Wingate by Wyndham... which was close to base and very nice. It is darn hot there in the south! We spent a day down at Folly Beach which reminded me of spring break with the "bumpin" music and the rooftop bars. The beach area was pretty packed but we had a lot of fun in the water. The next day we spent down in historic Charleston. We ate at a fantastic BBQ restaurant and then walked around thru the market and finally down the boardwalk.
Great trip! Can't wait to go again next fall for A School graduation. My son bought a motorcycle while there and it was fun to have him take me for ride!
The Hammer. ..that just sounds wonderful! When mt son was there we also went to folly beach (I prefer Kiawah ), but it was his choice. We had so much fun! I love downtown Charleston. Your trip sounds amazing. These times with our sailors during school is priceless. Thanks for sharing!
I enjoyed downtown SC. My favorite boutique was called Simply J's. They had many local made things there with a navy theme. I bout an anchor shirt and a purse.
Afternoon everyone!! I am wearing my red although only the air around me knows it, since I am at home alone. But I am making headway on getting my database put together. ACCESS seems to have a Lookup Wizard that the only info I found on it was from a recent Microsoft tutorial! Who'd o'thunk! So, I have my relationships building with tables now and I am just laying out the schematics to make sure it is all going to import data correctly.
So my apologies to all of my friends who I have not chatted with. MoMom so excited for possible road trip after all. Kaycee and CO-Twin loved the Bears, hope you enjoyed your vacations. NNLori, Green2Blue and all of the others so happy for your trips to GC and graduation.
Tell your sailors, keep up with the running, sit-ups, & pushups through T-track. And PS, well my son is passing tests so far, some higher scores, some lower and lots of studying, very little free time so I get the no communication bit now. But when they call or text during the middle of your nap, you take it in stride. I had goodnight texts from both of my boys last night so I was one happy Momma. - Well my week went by way too fast, so back to the grind - Enjoy the weekend.
Chipmunk: Our sailor's scores were the same way, up and down, depending on his interest in the topic for the week and the instruction. Your sailor can reach out to instructors I am told, although my nuke did not do that much. I told our nuke to focus on the long term goal, and do not worry about other people's scores, which everyone can see. Your nuke will persevere in the end. It takes all kinds of different people to make a successful team. God has a plan for each sailor, no 2 are alike.
Buzzbeck - Thank you. Yes, my son reached out to the instructors during A school, I know, so I am assuming he is doing what he can for PS as well. He called this morning after being out for a run with another classmate and we had a nice visit.
Proudofourson: A good gift idea is a G-Shock watch. Our son loved his. I found it on line. There are different models. We got him a black one with the screen lighting up in blue. Multiple time settings, so they can maintain Zulu Time as well local time or home time.
Graduation dining idea in Mt. Pleasant: There are 2-3 restaurants on Shem Creek. Deck dining or inside, right on the creek (estuary at that point). When the shrimp boats come in, they clean their shrimp and toss the scraps overboard, and every wildlife creature shows up to eat. Egrets, dolphins, you name it, it's amazing to see. There is a wetland boardwalk along the south side of the creek where you can watch it all.
Kbpoohbear-I am right behind you. PIR in two weeks then GC. I have only been lurking on this site partially because I didn’t want to jinx anything, partially because it’s overwhelming, and partially because I am still trying to manage these last two weeks! My SR is ready to move on and get to Charleston. We are all counting down the days! Can anyone tell me what is the best way to navigate around this site now that we are almost there? Where should I start? Thanks!
Kbpoohbear - so excited for you and for your son!!!
Nursemom - We are glad you have been lurking on the NukeMom site and I am sure that it is overwhelming, especially when you have been just wading through the weeks of BC. Our site has many members from various aspects of Navy life with their sailor on here.
If you know your SR's rating you might want to share it, then maybe some other moms with that rating will friend you and take you under their wing - so that you can ask them questions about what to expect in the pipeline.
The first part of the discussion is also one of the pages to the right, but as my son was moving through A school and then T-Track this last fall > summer, I have added more information in the discussion. Keep in mind that things are always subject to change, so the best source of information is from you sailor.
If you click the View All under the discussion section above, it will open a new page that gives you a search box to search for topics of previous discussions where you might find some answers to things you are wondering about. You may post your questions in the discussion or here in the comments section. Be sure to have your email notifications turned on for Nuke Moms group. You will see comments posted and able to delete them even if you can't post to the site, but it is the best way for me to know that someone has posted, asked a question, or replied to something I shared.
Thank you, Chipmunk. I will try to get to these sites. I don’t know his rate. I know he wanted to be ET but I heard you don’t always get what you want, so...When I find out I will post. Was hoping for a call this weekend but doesn’t look likely anymore :(
Our sailor said they are getting a new instructor for the last 2 months of A school. He's a bit leery as this instructor is "tough as nails" and some in the class are not taking heed. Hoping for the best for all the sailors in class 1823T!
Kbpoohbear - woohoo - can't wait for you to get the "I'm a Sailor Call"! Keep us posted ;-D
Nursemom - yep, there's lots of info on here - just take it a little at at time - the pages to the right have plenty to keep you busy (don't let any of it scare you!) and of course the discussion forum above has some interesting topics. And feel free to ask any questions you may have too. The important thing is to provide support to your sailor - be a sounding board and remind them that no matter what happens "it isn't the end of the world".
I finally took some "me" time on Sunday - hung out by the pool (it was wonderful!) and was able to read the book "Fatal Dive: Solving the WWII Mystery of the USS Grunion" which I had talked about before (I had met a gentleman who had been involved in the research a while back while taking my mom to a dr visit). Sad story but worth reading.
Oh, B'sNuke, what a great picture. Doesn't it feel good to know our kids have found that special someone that makes them happy? They are both so cute.
My goodness, I read the Wikipedia account of the USS Grunion. What a heartbreaker! Books like that are so unsettling. I'm glad you got some "me" time. We all need that occasionally. And isn't true that sometimes we need to recover from vacation! Glad you are home and back on board. ;D You were missed. <3
Good luck to all of you expecting new sailors. Hooyah! You're still in the beginning of the journey, and you will be amazed when you see your kid again after boot camp. It really does change them, but in a good way. Don't worry about the instructors at A school. None of them are slouchers and I think the sailors can freak themselves out. "Just keep up with the work and do the best you can." B'sNuke is right that it's not the end of the world if it's harder than they thought and isn't always a perfect success. We moms become super cheerleaders and that's what they need. We can't do it for them and one of the things they are learning is independence. That's a learning curve for us too. We learn to let go. Oh, we're always Mom and send boxes and letters, but they are learning to stand on their own 2 feet. Stick around and we will help you through it.
My sailor (son) has been in GC since 5/26 just hanging out waiting for a new ET A-school class to start. Anyone else have experience with this situation? His wife arrives early July to start work so it's getting close to crunch time. No knowledge or encouragement to share with him to get through this particular pause in his progress. Think he sees his fellow GL mates going forward in their classes and earning freedoms while he's stuck. Know it has to be frustrating.
SSCM - not to worry. This is not unusual at all. Unfortunately, the Navy runs on its own schedule (and it is often at odds with civilian schedules). Tell him to enjoy this period. Once A school starts he will be very busy.
SSCMs - My son was INDOC (boy, I had to stop and remember what it was called!!!) for over a month when he got to GC waiting for his ET class., and that included a hurricane evacuation. There were some ET's who actually classed up from his PIR but not my son. He was single, so that didn't bother him as much with not earning privileges. Also, he piped up in their class time and was assigned to organize the "M&M" closet, so he was actually able to have his cell phone on his person and could call me.
I would highly recommend you encourage your son to get his UI's (Under Instruction) done so that he isn't having to train for those once he classes up. I believe I mention those in the discussion above, Nuke A school daily schedule - sailor's perspective. If he has a wife, it is better to get those UI's done sooner rather than later, when they have to be qualified a few weeks before A school graduation. UI's are trainings in different areas of NNPTC to stand watch when they are on T-Track after A school before PS. They have to stand about 15 different watches for training, I believe so squeeze it in now instead of later.
Also, encourage him that even though some of his shipmates from GL have moved on there were be others to arrive that he will become friends with and it is a continuous shuffle game, or hurry up and wait, no matter what place you are at.
Good information. Thanks for those responses @Chipmunk @3B'smom. I believe he's already started the UI portion. He mentioned week one he had signed up to learn watches. Wow, a month wait? Definitely Navy schedule.
Chipmunk
And YES as Green2Blue said - Your sailor is your best first hand knowledge of information. My son shared with me that they have their entire schedule for PS mapped out with tests, PT, etc. so there should not be any reason they don't know what to expect when, or able to share that with you. Granted things change like their PFA time this week, but it helps me when he shares a test day so I know to be praying for him, but also I am more conscientious of his time and not bothering him.
Which is why I also trying to send my Priority Mail pkgs on Tues or Wed from my location so they arrive in GC on Thur or Fri to be processed in the mail room so he can pick them up Fri - I think Sat, although he forgot so had to get it Monday right after class.
Jun 5, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Hi all - Happy Tuesday!
Jun 5, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Nukelukesmom and SubMom - thanks for sharing the pictures! Looks like a fine group of sailors you got to spend the weekend with Nukelukesmom. And SubMom - I'll bet your heart was happy seeing your hubby and son spending some time together <3 Love it!
Jun 5, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Welcome to our newest member ~ SallyCG!
Please be sure to read the ***NEW MEMBERS*** info up above and of course, feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Jun 5, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
You all know how I love my cows - here's a cute little cow we saw while on vacation <3
Jun 5, 2018
NancyJo (NNPTC)
I love the cow! Bwaahahahaa
Jun 5, 2018
SubMom
B’sNukeMom - I love the piggy and cow pictures. And yes I loved every minute of our mini vacation!!
Question for everyone- is there a page for Navy Dads? While visiting our son my husband mentioned a few times that he wished there was a forum/group for Dads. Thanks and I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!!
Jun 5, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
SubMom - there is a Navy dad’s page. I’ll post the link in the morning when I have computer access.
Jun 5, 2018
CO-TwinSalorsMom
Here is a not so little actually fellow I saw on my camping trip.
Also my son texted me this picture. He has been on deployment.
Jun 5, 2018
Chipmunk
B'sNukeMom - I've got you covered. - Here you go SubMom - The Dad site: https://navydads.ning.com/ and this one is the same site - http://www.navydads.com/ -- Seeing their main picture post
And speaking of fathers, now that it is officially June 6th my time, I would just like to take a moment and honor my father, a WWII Army Air Corps veteran who passed away, three years ago today - when we remember D-Day. I wasn't able to make it back home in time to be with him in his final hours (I was waiting in a parking lot while my now sailor was taking an SAT subject test) and things had happened so quickly for my mother that she had not called until the morning, despite my father having gone to the hospital the night before. Thankfully, she was able to get back to him in the morning. And I am thankful that I was with her last January when she passed. NancyJo - I know your children are still grieving and your family continues in my prayers.
CO-Twin - that is a better black bear picture than the one I managed to get when we were out west several years ago.
Jun 6, 2018
NancyJo (NNPTC)
CoTwin, that bear is way too close for comfort for me! Wow, you were in the wilds. Yikes! Nice photo of your son. He's striking quite the attitude. LOL Nice looking fellow. I know you are proud of your boys, as you should be.
Chipmunk, thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it. Also thanks for mentioning June 6 as a commemoration of D-Day. Every time I see news reels (I'm a YouTube freak) I shudder at the horror of what the brave folks went through. How did the civilians cope with Germans in their houses and yards, building bunkers, only to have their neighborhoods bombarded, and gunfire echoing while they cowered finding what safety they could? Can you imagine trying to safeguard your children? If anyone has not seen "The Longest Day", an old star-studded movie about D-Day, it's worth the watch. The greatest generation indeed.
My sailor is in GC in their home, only to find that their belongings can't be delivered for 2 more weeks. Wha?!? It's been in storage since the movers dropped it off about 3 wks ago. At least they have their washer/dryer, and somehow folding chairs and air mattresses. Ever resourceful, they'll be fine. <sigh>
I feel for our sailors doing PT in the heat. Ugh. I guess that's part of making them tough. It gets hot in the boat too. Stay cool, Sea Sisters!
Jun 6, 2018
DannysDad
@CoTwin - that looks like a black bear cub. Black bears are smaller and less aggressive than other bears, but mommy bears can be a different thing. I'd only take such photos with a telephoto lens and a hiking companion that I know I can out run if a bear is chasing us!
@NancyJo - I remember doing a lot of crazy things when we were young and getting on our feet, moving around, etc.. It builds character!
Jun 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Good Morning all - Happy Wednesday!
SubMom - in addition to the Dads website there is also a group on here "Dads on Mom.....com" . It's not very active but perhaps if your husband joined and started posting they could get some activity going again. DannysDad you might want to join that page too.
http://navyformoms.ning.com/group/dads-on-moms-com
CoTwin - I agree - that bear is a little too close for comfort! Love the picture of your son - looks like deployment is agreeing with him.
NancyJo - oh my - 2 more weeks without their belongings?!? That's not good. Although it doesn't surprise me :-/
I'll have to check out "The Longest Day". I know my husband would really enjoy it.
Jun 6, 2018
NNLori
Hi everyone!! I am finally getting back on here since my son's graduation from A school on 5/25. It was so great having him home for 10 days!! That trip to the airport is always tough but I feel like I'm learning to deal with being gone, it's just the leaving that is hard. I try EVERY time not to cry!! I haven't been able to do it yet!!
Graduation was amazing!! I loved getting a tour of the base (as far as we were allowed to go) and meeting my son's new friends!!! We had an awesome dinner at an Italian restaurant with 17 people! I loved those sailors and their families. My head was spinning trying to listen to every conversation!! I absolutely loved the banter back and forth regarding their experiences with the practical exam! It was an experience I will never forget!! He is making friendships that will last a lifetime!
GreentoBlue- It was great to finally meet you. Dinner was great and thanks so much for the picture of everyone at Thursday nights dinner!! I absolutely love that picture. I'm seeing there are others on this site who we will share the Power School experience with!! Yay!! I'm excited. I hope you enjoyed your time at the beach!! We went into Charleston and had a great time walking around and seeing the city and SHOPPING!!
Chipmunk- Thanks so much for the info you provide. I love being a couple months behind you because you answer so many questions before I even get to ask them. You are my go to person for information.
I found out that although my son doesn't necessarily share a lot of information with me. I really have to ask a lot of questions. When these guys and gals get together they can surely talk!! LOL so there is no excuse for them not to share!! I will certainly be reminding him of that fact as time goes on. LOL!!
I checked the NNPTC facebook page and I don't see pictures posted from the 5/25 graduation just yet. I will continue to check. Hopefully soon.
Welcome to all the new members!! I love following all the conversations. I can't comment on all conversations but I love keeping up with everything going on.
Jun 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Jun 6, 2018
NancyJo (NNPTC)
Love that, B'sNuke. Here's some trivia for you. In the pic you see the soldiers leaving a landing craft called a Higgins boat, invented by a fellow named Andrew Jackson Higgins from my old stomping grounds in NE. There is a memorial to him there complete with soldier statues making their way across the sand from a boat. Dwight Eisenhower said "Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us." Any video from D-Day you can see the Higgins boats unloading soldiers on the beach.
Jun 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Thanks for the trivia NancyJo - here's an article I found about Higgins - fascinating!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/06/06/d-days...
Jun 6, 2018
KayCee
I saw this bear this weekend on a girls trip up to Vancouver, BC. It was enclosed however, and the pic is taken with a tele lense :)
Jun 6, 2018
NancyJo (NNPTC)
Wow, KayCee, you gave me a start there when I thought you were that close to that bear! Great photo!
B'sNuke, you, as usual, are amazing. Great resources. I had to chuckle at the Higgins article. It says he loved bourbon and told Life magazine "I only drink while I'm working." Boy, I wish I could get away with that. That's the time I wish I was drinking. Once I'm home the urge to be inebriated passes. ;D
Jun 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
hahaha NancyJo - I often get the same urges when I'm at work and they too pass once I'm home ;-D Funny how that works!
Jun 6, 2018
The Hammer
Had a great time in GC with my sailor this past weekend. We drove from Southern Wisconsin down to Knoxville (stayed overnight) and then continued on to GC the next day. What a beautiful drive thru the mountains! We stayed at the Wingate by Wyndham... which was close to base and very nice. It is darn hot there in the south! We spent a day down at Folly Beach which reminded me of spring break with the "bumpin" music and the rooftop bars. The beach area was pretty packed but we had a lot of fun in the water. The next day we spent down in historic Charleston. We ate at a fantastic BBQ restaurant and then walked around thru the market and finally down the boardwalk.
Great trip! Can't wait to go again next fall for A School graduation. My son bought a motorcycle while there and it was fun to have him take me for ride!
Jun 6, 2018
Rebecca J
The Hammer. ..that just sounds wonderful! When mt son was there we also went to folly beach (I prefer Kiawah ), but it was his choice. We had so much fun! I love downtown Charleston. Your trip sounds amazing. These times with our sailors during school is priceless. Thanks for sharing!
Jun 6, 2018
CO-TwinSalorsMom
I enjoyed downtown SC. My favorite boutique was called Simply J's. They had many local made things there with a navy theme. I bout an anchor shirt and a purse.
I also enjoyed She Crab Soup.
Jun 6, 2018
CO-TwinSalorsMom
I was not that close to the bear, I used zoom.
Jun 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Oh CoTwin - I love the She Crab Soup!
Jun 6, 2018
Freebird
Hey The Hammer. What class is your sailor in? I was there also this past weekend visiting mine.
Jun 6, 2018
SubMom
NancyJo - thank you for suggesting the movie and the history lesson on the Higgins boat!
B'sNukeMom and Chipmunk - thank you so much for the website information for my husband.
NNLori - So glad you had such a great visit. I am right there with you when it comes to crying. I am a hopeless blubbering baby!
Jun 6, 2018
KayCee
NNLori and Green2Blue - the pictures from A School graduation 5/25 are now posted on the NNPTC fb page :)
Happy Friday Jr. Everyone!
Jun 7, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Hi all - Happy Almost Friday!
Jun 7, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Hey Patti - what's the latest on your son? DD214 issued finally (officially)? Has he shared his plans?
Jun 7, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Don't forget to wear your RED tomorrow!
Jun 7, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Jun 8, 2018
Chipmunk
Afternoon everyone!! I am wearing my red although only the air around me knows it, since I am at home alone. But I am making headway on getting my database put together. ACCESS seems to have a Lookup Wizard that the only info I found on it was from a recent Microsoft tutorial! Who'd o'thunk! So, I have my relationships building with tables now and I am just laying out the schematics to make sure it is all going to import data correctly.
So my apologies to all of my friends who I have not chatted with. MoMom so excited for possible road trip after all. Kaycee and CO-Twin loved the Bears, hope you enjoyed your vacations. NNLori, Green2Blue and all of the others so happy for your trips to GC and graduation.
Tell your sailors, keep up with the running, sit-ups, & pushups through T-track. And PS, well my son is passing tests so far, some higher scores, some lower and lots of studying, very little free time so I get the no communication bit now. But when they call or text during the middle of your nap, you take it in stride. I had goodnight texts from both of my boys last night so I was one happy Momma. - Well my week went by way too fast, so back to the grind - Enjoy the weekend.
Jun 8, 2018
Buzzbeck
B'sNuke: LOVE the cow!
Chipmunk: Our sailor's scores were the same way, up and down, depending on his interest in the topic for the week and the instruction. Your sailor can reach out to instructors I am told, although my nuke did not do that much. I told our nuke to focus on the long term goal, and do not worry about other people's scores, which everyone can see. Your nuke will persevere in the end. It takes all kinds of different people to make a successful team. God has a plan for each sailor, no 2 are alike.
Jun 9, 2018
Chipmunk
Buzzbeck - Thank you. Yes, my son reached out to the instructors during A school, I know, so I am assuming he is doing what he can for PS as well. He called this morning after being out for a run with another classmate and we had a nice visit.
Jun 9, 2018
Buzzbeck
Proudofourson: A good gift idea is a G-Shock watch. Our son loved his. I found it on line. There are different models. We got him a black one with the screen lighting up in blue. Multiple time settings, so they can maintain Zulu Time as well local time or home time.
Graduation dining idea in Mt. Pleasant: There are 2-3 restaurants on Shem Creek. Deck dining or inside, right on the creek (estuary at that point). When the shrimp boats come in, they clean their shrimp and toss the scraps overboard, and every wildlife creature shows up to eat. Egrets, dolphins, you name it, it's amazing to see. There is a wetland boardwalk along the south side of the creek where you can watch it all.
Jun 9, 2018
Kbpoohbear
My son is in the final week of boot camp. BST then he is a sailor. Then off to Goose Creek. Hooyah!
Jun 10, 2018
Nursemom
Kbpoohbear-I am right behind you. PIR in two weeks then GC. I have only been lurking on this site partially because I didn’t want to jinx anything, partially because it’s overwhelming, and partially because I am still trying to manage these last two weeks! My SR is ready to move on and get to Charleston. We are all counting down the days! Can anyone tell me what is the best way to navigate around this site now that we are almost there? Where should I start? Thanks!
Jun 10, 2018
Chipmunk
Kbpoohbear - so excited for you and for your son!!!
Nursemom - We are glad you have been lurking on the NukeMom site and I am sure that it is overwhelming, especially when you have been just wading through the weeks of BC. Our site has many members from various aspects of Navy life with their sailor on here.
If you know your SR's rating you might want to share it, then maybe some other moms with that rating will friend you and take you under their wing - so that you can ask them questions about what to expect in the pipeline.
Two things I would start with is: *Your Sailor's Schedule Upon Arrival to GC, in the pages to the right, then work your way down through those, the other suggestion is my discussion above:Nuke A school daily schedule - sailor's perspective
The first part of the discussion is also one of the pages to the right, but as my son was moving through A school and then T-Track this last fall > summer, I have added more information in the discussion. Keep in mind that things are always subject to change, so the best source of information is from you sailor.
If you click the View All under the discussion section above, it will open a new page that gives you a search box to search for topics of previous discussions where you might find some answers to things you are wondering about. You may post your questions in the discussion or here in the comments section. Be sure to have your email notifications turned on for Nuke Moms group. You will see comments posted and able to delete them even if you can't post to the site, but it is the best way for me to know that someone has posted, asked a question, or replied to something I shared.
Jun 10, 2018
Nursemom
Thank you, Chipmunk. I will try to get to these sites. I don’t know his rate. I know he wanted to be ET but I heard you don’t always get what you want, so...When I find out I will post. Was hoping for a call this weekend but doesn’t look likely anymore :(
Jun 10, 2018
JayDee659
Nancy Jo, after watching Carriers At War, there was a show about DDay. They focused part of it on the Higgins boat. Made me think of you.
If you ladies missed Carriers-at-war you can watch it in the Smithsonian Channel website Excellent series
Jun 10, 2018
SubMom
Our sailor said they are getting a new instructor for the last 2 months of A school. He's a bit leery as this instructor is "tough as nails" and some in the class are not taking heed. Hoping for the best for all the sailors in class 1823T!
Jun 11, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Hi all - Happy Monday!
Kbpoohbear - woohoo - can't wait for you to get the "I'm a Sailor Call"! Keep us posted ;-D
Nursemom - yep, there's lots of info on here - just take it a little at at time - the pages to the right have plenty to keep you busy (don't let any of it scare you!) and of course the discussion forum above has some interesting topics. And feel free to ask any questions you may have too. The important thing is to provide support to your sailor - be a sounding board and remind them that no matter what happens "it isn't the end of the world".
I finally took some "me" time on Sunday - hung out by the pool (it was wonderful!) and was able to read the book "Fatal Dive: Solving the WWII Mystery of the USS Grunion" which I had talked about before (I had met a gentleman who had been involved in the research a while back while taking my mom to a dr visit). Sad story but worth reading.
Jun 11, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Got a picture of B&C over the weekend. So nice to see them looking so happy now that they are together <3
Jun 11, 2018
NancyJo (NNPTC)
Oh, B'sNuke, what a great picture. Doesn't it feel good to know our kids have found that special someone that makes them happy? They are both so cute.
My goodness, I read the Wikipedia account of the USS Grunion. What a heartbreaker! Books like that are so unsettling. I'm glad you got some "me" time. We all need that occasionally. And isn't true that sometimes we need to recover from vacation! Glad you are home and back on board. ;D You were missed. <3
Good luck to all of you expecting new sailors. Hooyah! You're still in the beginning of the journey, and you will be amazed when you see your kid again after boot camp. It really does change them, but in a good way. Don't worry about the instructors at A school. None of them are slouchers and I think the sailors can freak themselves out. "Just keep up with the work and do the best you can." B'sNuke is right that it's not the end of the world if it's harder than they thought and isn't always a perfect success. We moms become super cheerleaders and that's what they need. We can't do it for them and one of the things they are learning is independence. That's a learning curve for us too. We learn to let go. Oh, we're always Mom and send boxes and letters, but they are learning to stand on their own 2 feet. Stick around and we will help you through it.
Jun 11, 2018
SSCMs
My sailor (son) has been in GC since 5/26 just hanging out waiting for a new ET A-school class to start. Anyone else have experience with this situation? His wife arrives early July to start work so it's getting close to crunch time. No knowledge or encouragement to share with him to get through this particular pause in his progress. Think he sees his fellow GL mates going forward in their classes and earning freedoms while he's stuck. Know it has to be frustrating.
Jun 11, 2018
3B'smom
SSCM - not to worry. This is not unusual at all. Unfortunately, the Navy runs on its own schedule (and it is often at odds with civilian schedules). Tell him to enjoy this period. Once A school starts he will be very busy.
Jun 11, 2018
Chipmunk
SSCMs - My son was INDOC (boy, I had to stop and remember what it was called!!!) for over a month when he got to GC waiting for his ET class., and that included a hurricane evacuation. There were some ET's who actually classed up from his PIR but not my son. He was single, so that didn't bother him as much with not earning privileges. Also, he piped up in their class time and was assigned to organize the "M&M" closet, so he was actually able to have his cell phone on his person and could call me.
I would highly recommend you encourage your son to get his UI's (Under Instruction) done so that he isn't having to train for those once he classes up. I believe I mention those in the discussion above, Nuke A school daily schedule - sailor's perspective. If he has a wife, it is better to get those UI's done sooner rather than later, when they have to be qualified a few weeks before A school graduation. UI's are trainings in different areas of NNPTC to stand watch when they are on T-Track after A school before PS. They have to stand about 15 different watches for training, I believe so squeeze it in now instead of later.
Also, encourage him that even though some of his shipmates from GL have moved on there were be others to arrive that he will become friends with and it is a continuous shuffle game, or hurry up and wait, no matter what place you are at.
Jun 11, 2018
Chipmunk
I forgot to mention that was just last Fall 2017 when my son was INDOC and I know of others, especially ET's who have had month long INDOC's as well.
Jun 11, 2018
SSCMs
Good information. Thanks for those responses @Chipmunk @3B'smom. I believe he's already started the UI portion. He mentioned week one he had signed up to learn watches. Wow, a month wait? Definitely Navy schedule.
Jun 11, 2018