B'sNukeMom, glad to hear that Marti is doing well. It may just be her "new" normal, not uncommon with older dogs. Give her lots of hugs and snuggles. My old Boxer girl had the dog form of Alzheimer's, talk about a challenge. We love them though.
My foot is out of the boot but the doctor said to act as if it were still broken, no impact, be careful walking. He'll see me again in a month for more x-rays and I will eventually need surgery but hopefully that can wait until after ski season. Went out first thing Saturday morning and got a good pair of tennis shoes which I now wear to work. Sorry your hubby is still dealing with the boot. It will help him in the long run with healing. Tell him to hang in there!
My daughter is presently in bootcamp. Has 7 weeks to go. She then will be going to Goose Point. I have heard lots of stories about just how intense Nuke School is. Any info I could get would be very much appreciated.
My son said A school was not to bad. He actually graduated with distinction (3rd in class) He is now on a 2 month wait for power school to start. They say each school gets harder. They still need to do all things with mandatory study, laundry, inspection and physical training. Hope this helps
There are three ratings for Nuclear MM, EM, and ET, your daughter will be given her rate in about the 6th week or so of BC. This rate is based on various factors that the career counselor will take into account when deciding where to place your daughter but the biggest is generally the needs of the Navy.
Jana, welcome! My daughter has completed Nuke school and is out in the fleet. Her thoughts on the schools are that they are intense but if you study and stay focused it's no big deal. She said each school is different in it's focus and content so you have to adjust as you start each one but that comes quickly. Remember, once these kids finish school and go out in to the fleet they have to qualify all over again and continue to do so for the life of their career so school never really ends. My daughter is happy with what she does and has made some wonderful friends.
Welcome to our newest member ~ Jana! I see you've already jumped right in ;-D Be sure to read the ***NEW MEMBERS*** info at the top of the page and take a look at the Pages (14) to the right under the member profiles. You'll find lots of good info there. Yes, the school can be intense - there will be ups & downs but just continue to encourage your daughter and be a sounding board for her. The program isn't for everyone - and that's ok. No matter what happens at the end of the day it isn't the end of the world!
JayDee - ugh - didn't realize that after all this you still will need surgery on your foot :( I hope it doesn't give you too much trouble during ski season!
Welcome, Jana! I would agree with what the others have said about the schools. It can be intense but the navy wants them to succeed. My sailor has been in the navy for over 8 yrs. I think the most important thing for you as a mom to remember is that your job is to be a cheerleader and sounding board. Some sailors are fairly frequent communicators during this time but some are not. Try not to be broken-hearted if you don't hear from your sailor as often as you like. Just be encouraging and tell her to just do her best. That's the best advice I got.
Hi Jana. My son is in A School at GC currently a little over half way through. We just got to visit him for the weekend. Yes it is an intense program. The Navy has high standards and expectations, but views them as assets to be cared for and works hard to make them succeed. When he talks about the "kids" that are having problems they nearly always seem to have rebellious streaks, discipline problems, and don't really want to be there from what I conclude. If your grades are poor then your mandatory study hours will increase and thus the program will feel more intense. If you are doing well you will have less mandatory study hours and the program will feel less intense. The best suggestion I can offer is to encourage her to stay focused and work hard so you don't get off to a bad start. It's always harder to make up ground.
That said with 7wks left of BC focus there. Thus far I would argue BC was a more demanding and intense time for my son than A School has been. He currently enjoys a lot more freedom at GC. Kind of an understatement really. BC has no freedom. He's loving A School by comparison. But my son likes rules and structure.
Johanna - My Nuke is my only child, sadly. He has a 5 year old sister and just learned about a brother who is a year younger (both his father's kids). He wasn't organized or introverted. He was a pretty hyper kid.
I often think, oh, he doesn't communicate well anymore and he used to be so talkative, but then I remembered that when he'd go to his dad's in the summer, it was pretty much radio silence and when we spend time with him even now, he's pretty talkative. So I guess he hasn't really changed in communication. In person, he'll still be in charge of the conversation and from a distance, pretty quiet. That realization actually helps me be less sad. :D Yay!
pandalvr - I know how you feel! Empty nesting is so hard!! I know it's hard for everyone, but at least most people have other kids to think about after the first one goes. We're just one and done and too young! LOL! My son moved to his dad's for his senior year and then did DEP there. That first year, I thought I wasn't going to make it. I was preparing myself for one last year but I didn't get to have it. :( We moved across country (for hubby's health), so at least I wasn't surrounded by my son's world anymore, but I missed all of his senior year stuff. Then, people my age are still sending their younger kids to kindergarten this year...heck, my sister, who is only 3.5 years younger than me is due to have her "last baby" tomorrow!
JayDee - I wasn't looking for details that can't be shared. I was just hoping to know when his off times are so I don't wake him up with a notification, but he can just silence the phone when he's sleeping. :D
Anmarie - Prototype is a consistent work week for the first 7 weeks, but long days. I didn't try to communicate during the week. My son is past that now, (that went FAST) so the schedule is going to be consistently crazy, to get ready for ship life. I'm glad they do that, though. In the Files of the FB group, there's a sample Proto schedule. My son said to message him any time and he'll respond when he's able.
DannysDad, did you guys end up finding some fun things to do?
Had my kiddo home for Labor Day weekend - it's nice that GC is within driving distance! :) PS is going great so far, makes my heart happy to see him doing so well....he attended the briefing the other day for the Academy, so we'll see what happens!!
BigSky we had a good time with our son. It was far too short. We did some fun things. For me the highlight was going to Patriots Point. We spent 5.5 hours there and were exhausted by the end. There were other things I wanted to do, but will have to save for the next trip. And we spent a lot of time shopping with him for shoes. New running shoes. New casual shoes. And new boots... apparently the brown ones are more comfortable than the standard black ones.
All that said I think it was the simpler things he enjoyed best. Just watching TV and eating together seemed big on his list. Things he never did with us at home. In fact this whole "Navy experience" has made him much more communicative/talkative and brought us closer together even though we are farther apart.
Sadly we only got Pizza once. Takeout from Stoners on Saturday. Ordered way too much and had leftovers for Sunday. Funny enough when we got to GC on Friday he didn't want pizza he wanted to go somewhere more upscale. How I've forgotten what it is like to be young because he wanted to go to Texas Road House. Don't get me wrong we eat there. It's just that I would have like something... well... better, given that he was in his dress whites and I was ready take him wherever he wanted to go. I guess I should have been happy he didn't want to go to Sonic... that was what he wanted for lunch on Sunday! That said I would not likely go back to the TRH there as the service/food was not up to the standards of other TRH. But the pizza from Stoners I enjoyed. Reminded me of my college days.
Yep I hear you - looking all fancy in his dress whites - a nice dinner would have been in order! Too bad TRH didn't live up to it. I'm glad at least the pizza was good!
I’ve been reading through the posts from this week and I know there are a few who have sailors in T track. Our sailor is currently in T track on a vigorous watch schedule with additional things to do before heading back to BEQ. The snapshot he gave tonight was not good. Not sure if he hasn’t been able to get into a routine yet or is just flustered. He hasn’t done laundry in 2 weeks and is skipping dinner in lieu of sleep. He was second guessing his decision to pursue ET tonight. I keep telling myself he’ll be ok but the calls are getting worse. I just pray all of them that are on this roller coaster ride don’t lose sight of the the end result.
Jana, after A School they do a few weeks of TTrack while waiting to class up for Power School. Its various jobs from cleaning to standing watch at the gates, whatever needs to be done. My daughter spent quite a bit of time escorting civilian vendors and maintenance to restricted areas so they could do their thing.
Submom....I'm sorry your son is struggling a bit. I hope it gets better soon. This navy journey is so tough. I have such respect for all of our sailors.
Submom, each phase is different, help him remember that and continue to be his cheerleader. Worst-case scenario is that this isn't for him but thats just one door closing and another one opening. Chances are he'll perk up after Power School starts. Hang in there momma
RebeccaJ and JayDee659 - I know he’s got this. As a matter of fact he’s excited for PS to start. His big issue is the monotony. I know he would allow himself a 1/2 day of freedom on the weekend during A school to recharge and he doesn’t have that luxury right now. I just have to continue praying. Thanks for listening
Submom, this is probably a good introduction to life in the fleet. There can be a lot of monotony while they're at sea. At that point they just have to deal with it.
SubMom - I just saw your note. T-Track was hard on my son as well. Mostly, he got frustrated that on the hours they were suppose to be "off" they still had to muster up, etc. It was difficult to figure out sleep time. And they also do various hours on/ hours off. I think my son said they were changing some of that so your son might be in that pattern change as well. Remind him that it doesn't matter if he was ET, EM or MM they are all in this together and as for Nuke, I think I reminded my son that this was good training for the fleet and at least they get to have a taste of it, whereas the other rates don't necessarily.
I actually spent two of his early morning watch times where he was getting up early in the morning, setting my clock to get up and call him as an extra alarm. I know that sounds like a helicopter mom, but he was always the one to get by with only a few hours of sleep and his first time to oversleep came during T-Track. Once he figured out what had gone wrong with both his clock and his phone and fixed it, he told me he didn't need me to call. I think it was because he actually got about 5 extra min. of sleep if I didn't call him!!!
I, too, called our daughter early some mornings, not in T Track but while she was in Power School. It seemed to help her start the day. She uses video games to help her get through the monotony, but the sleep deprivation is really hard. She went to Medical and got several suggestions from staff there about getting better sleep and relaxation. She's not a "New Age" type at all, but uses the techniques they taught her all the time now, says they really help even with psyching up for tests. Might help your son. And BTW: she passed her PS re-test, is now in Prototype!
SubMom - he's got this! T track will be over soon and then he'll be busy with power school. I'm sure the monotony is hard after being busy with A school. Hang in there and continue to encourage him ;-D
SailorsLIMom - glad to hear your daughter took advantage of some of the suggestions from medical - even better that they might be working! BZ to her on passing her PS re-test and moving on to proto. Did she stay in GC or did she go to BS?
Thx for asking B's NukeMom! She's in BS, so happy to be closer to home. Us, too. Because of the tight scheduling, she (we) had 5 days to drive up from GC (has anyone met Hwy 95 lately? ugh), find an apartment, and sleep on the floor in air mattresses. But she's happy and well.
B loved BS and we really enjoyed visiting there. Got to visit twice - in the months of April and January and it was beautiful (albeit a bit cold!) both times. We sent his brother to visit him in August during the racing season and he took him to see the ponies run. They had a good time! Nice that's she's closer to home - lucky you!
I haven’t posted for a while. My son had a great time at CORTRAMID (Career Orientation for Midshipmen)this summer. He loved his time on the sub and got to do some really cool things that he can’t tell us about. However, aviation week really sealed the deal for him that he wants to fly a helo. He had the opportunity to go with a small group to meet with a high ranking nuclear officer. He basically learned that if he goes for an interview to become a Nuclear Officer and is selected, even if that isn’t his first, second or even third choice, he WILL end up being a Nuke. So, although he is still thinking things through, he feels like he will probably try to resist any pressure to go for the interview.
General comment: While our sailor was in the pipeline, I read one nuke mom's advice about the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, exercise and rest. I so agree! I told our nuke, waffles from the Waffle House and Subway sandwiches don't work. Salads, fish, that heavenly local shrimp, that's the good stuff for the brain.
One more tip (which our nuke won't do) is the benefit of that relaxing type of yoga. It takes awhile to get good at letting go of stress, but it could make a huge difference. There are videos online that take you through it.
Cheering on your nuke is invaluable. Lots of prayer really helped our nuke also.
My son has made it through the pipeline! Just graduated PT yesterday! What a grueling adventure- so proud of all the accomplishments! PT was a hard experience, made worse because the car we'd helped him get turned out to be more lemon than car, and he had that stress to deal with as well. My advice to all, make SURE your child has a GREAT functioning vehicle for PT.
So proud for your son! My son just had his first week of indoc at Prototype. He said waiting for the van to take them the rest of the way is the time killer when getting where he needs to go. Did your son say anything about that? What is next for him?
momterp I talked to my son today. He said they do have a plan in place if the storm comes towards them. We’re in FL so we’ve been through a couple but it’s different when you aren’t with them. Praying that it turns north sooner than they are saying, the track has me nervous.
Noabre2025, we do earthquakes but not hurricanes here in California so it definitely makes me nervous! I trust the Navy to have a good emergency plan but it surely adds to the stress for our sailors to have that to deal with in addition to their studies.
Ladies in regards to the hurricane I can assure you that the Navy has a plan. My daughters Power School graduation and wedding were canceled a couple of years ago when a hurricane came through. If it looks probable, they will be evacuated in an orderly fashion. Don't worry.
Don’t worry ladies, Command will take the appropriate measures. NNPTC was evacuated last year out of an abundance of caution right after my son arrived. He volunteered to go home rather than go to the evacuation site. Hubby and I drove over night all night to pick him up in time. Then had to drive him back a few days later.
Noabre2025 - I feel ya on the earthquakes. I will take an earthquake over a tornado any day. When we get warnings it freaks me out. I guess it is just what you are used to.
momterp - I forget J probably wasn't there yet when they had to evacuate last year. K got in on it. They erred on the side of caution as far as evacuating. It did cause a few graduation dates to be pushed out a week. K's grad was the first one that was back on time after the evacuation. They had school a couple days that they would have otherwise been off to get back on schedule.
For anyone in BS I have to give a shout out to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream in Saratoga Springs. They delivered a birthday cake to my son yesterday and when they realized that he was nave and had charged a delivery fee the owner called me to let me know they would be refunding the delivery fee and thanked me for my son's service.
Hi ProudofK, our daughter is newly arrived in BS. Last week at the tail end of a yard sale, she found a few things but couldn't fit them all in her car. The sellers, who have a son in the Navy, offered to give her everything for free AND to deliver it to her apartment. She paid them some $$ anyway, but how nice and supportive it was to meet them--and have their help with the delivery!
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
JayDee - how did things go at the dr for your foot? Are you out of your boot now? My hubby is not enjoying being in his boot at all!
Our Marti Girl is doing better. She's still not back to her old self but she may never be.....
NickSydmom - I'm sure your daughter will do great but yes, the worry is there. That's what we're all here for....hang in there!
Sep 5, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
CoTwin - wow - from Navy to Air Force - that's exciting - good for him!
Sep 5, 2018
JayDee659
B'sNukeMom, glad to hear that Marti is doing well. It may just be her "new" normal, not uncommon with older dogs. Give her lots of hugs and snuggles. My old Boxer girl had the dog form of Alzheimer's, talk about a challenge. We love them though.
My foot is out of the boot but the doctor said to act as if it were still broken, no impact, be careful walking. He'll see me again in a month for more x-rays and I will eventually need surgery but hopefully that can wait until after ski season. Went out first thing Saturday morning and got a good pair of tennis shoes which I now wear to work. Sorry your hubby is still dealing with the boot. It will help him in the long run with healing. Tell him to hang in there!
Sep 5, 2018
Jana
My daughter is presently in bootcamp. Has 7 weeks to go. She then will be going to Goose Point. I have heard lots of stories about just how intense Nuke School is. Any info I could get would be very much appreciated.
Sep 6, 2018
pandalvr
Do you mean goose creek, sc
My son said A school was not to bad. He actually graduated with distinction (3rd in class) He is now on a 2 month wait for power school to start. They say each school gets harder. They still need to do all things with mandatory study, laundry, inspection and physical training. Hope this helps
Sep 6, 2018
Chipmunk
Jana - Welcome!! As pandalvr mentioned, your daughter will be going to Goose Creek, SC to the NNPTC http://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/NNPTC/
There are pages to the right with information and you may also find my discussion useful.
http://navyformoms.ning.com/group/nukemoms/forum/topics/nuke-a-scho... - this has more comments that I added along than what is in the pages to the right.
There are three ratings for Nuclear MM, EM, and ET, your daughter will be given her rate in about the 6th week or so of BC. This rate is based on various factors that the career counselor will take into account when deciding where to place your daughter but the biggest is generally the needs of the Navy.
Sep 6, 2018
JayDee659
Jana, welcome! My daughter has completed Nuke school and is out in the fleet. Her thoughts on the schools are that they are intense but if you study and stay focused it's no big deal. She said each school is different in it's focus and content so you have to adjust as you start each one but that comes quickly. Remember, once these kids finish school and go out in to the fleet they have to qualify all over again and continue to do so for the life of their career so school never really ends. My daughter is happy with what she does and has made some wonderful friends.
Sep 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Hi all - Happy Thursday!
Sep 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Welcome to our newest member ~ Jana! I see you've already jumped right in ;-D Be sure to read the ***NEW MEMBERS*** info at the top of the page and take a look at the Pages (14) to the right under the member profiles. You'll find lots of good info there. Yes, the school can be intense - there will be ups & downs but just continue to encourage your daughter and be a sounding board for her. The program isn't for everyone - and that's ok. No matter what happens at the end of the day it isn't the end of the world!
Sep 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
JayDee - ugh - didn't realize that after all this you still will need surgery on your foot :( I hope it doesn't give you too much trouble during ski season!
Sep 6, 2018
NancyJo (NNPTC)
Welcome, Jana! I would agree with what the others have said about the schools. It can be intense but the navy wants them to succeed. My sailor has been in the navy for over 8 yrs. I think the most important thing for you as a mom to remember is that your job is to be a cheerleader and sounding board. Some sailors are fairly frequent communicators during this time but some are not. Try not to be broken-hearted if you don't hear from your sailor as often as you like. Just be encouraging and tell her to just do her best. That's the best advice I got.
Sep 6, 2018
DannysDad
Hi Jana. My son is in A School at GC currently a little over half way through. We just got to visit him for the weekend. Yes it is an intense program. The Navy has high standards and expectations, but views them as assets to be cared for and works hard to make them succeed. When he talks about the "kids" that are having problems they nearly always seem to have rebellious streaks, discipline problems, and don't really want to be there from what I conclude. If your grades are poor then your mandatory study hours will increase and thus the program will feel more intense. If you are doing well you will have less mandatory study hours and the program will feel less intense. The best suggestion I can offer is to encourage her to stay focused and work hard so you don't get off to a bad start. It's always harder to make up ground.
That said with 7wks left of BC focus there. Thus far I would argue BC was a more demanding and intense time for my son than A School has been. He currently enjoys a lot more freedom at GC. Kind of an understatement really. BC has no freedom. He's loving A School by comparison. But my son likes rules and structure.
Sep 6, 2018
WonderGeekWoman
Johanna - My Nuke is my only child, sadly. He has a 5 year old sister and just learned about a brother who is a year younger (both his father's kids). He wasn't organized or introverted. He was a pretty hyper kid.
I often think, oh, he doesn't communicate well anymore and he used to be so talkative, but then I remembered that when he'd go to his dad's in the summer, it was pretty much radio silence and when we spend time with him even now, he's pretty talkative. So I guess he hasn't really changed in communication. In person, he'll still be in charge of the conversation and from a distance, pretty quiet. That realization actually helps me be less sad. :D Yay!
pandalvr - I know how you feel! Empty nesting is so hard!! I know it's hard for everyone, but at least most people have other kids to think about after the first one goes. We're just one and done and too young! LOL! My son moved to his dad's for his senior year and then did DEP there. That first year, I thought I wasn't going to make it. I was preparing myself for one last year but I didn't get to have it. :( We moved across country (for hubby's health), so at least I wasn't surrounded by my son's world anymore, but I missed all of his senior year stuff. Then, people my age are still sending their younger kids to kindergarten this year...heck, my sister, who is only 3.5 years younger than me is due to have her "last baby" tomorrow!
JayDee - I wasn't looking for details that can't be shared. I was just hoping to know when his off times are so I don't wake him up with a notification, but he can just silence the phone when he's sleeping. :D
Anmarie - Prototype is a consistent work week for the first 7 weeks, but long days. I didn't try to communicate during the week. My son is past that now, (that went FAST) so the schedule is going to be consistently crazy, to get ready for ship life. I'm glad they do that, though. In the Files of the FB group, there's a sample Proto schedule. My son said to message him any time and he'll respond when he's able.
Sep 6, 2018
bigsky21
DannysDad, did you guys end up finding some fun things to do?
Had my kiddo home for Labor Day weekend - it's nice that GC is within driving distance! :) PS is going great so far, makes my heart happy to see him doing so well....he attended the briefing the other day for the Academy, so we'll see what happens!!
Sep 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Saw this on B's FB page the other day:
Sep 6, 2018
DannysDad
BigSky we had a good time with our son. It was far too short. We did some fun things. For me the highlight was going to Patriots Point. We spent 5.5 hours there and were exhausted by the end. There were other things I wanted to do, but will have to save for the next trip. And we spent a lot of time shopping with him for shoes. New running shoes. New casual shoes. And new boots... apparently the brown ones are more comfortable than the standard black ones.
All that said I think it was the simpler things he enjoyed best. Just watching TV and eating together seemed big on his list. Things he never did with us at home. In fact this whole "Navy experience" has made him much more communicative/talkative and brought us closer together even though we are farther apart.
Sep 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Awww DannysDad - sounds like a fantastic visit! Did you end up getting pizza?
Sep 6, 2018
DannysDad
Sadly we only got Pizza once. Takeout from Stoners on Saturday. Ordered way too much and had leftovers for Sunday. Funny enough when we got to GC on Friday he didn't want pizza he wanted to go somewhere more upscale. How I've forgotten what it is like to be young because he wanted to go to Texas Road House. Don't get me wrong we eat there. It's just that I would have like something... well... better, given that he was in his dress whites and I was ready take him wherever he wanted to go. I guess I should have been happy he didn't want to go to Sonic... that was what he wanted for lunch on Sunday! That said I would not likely go back to the TRH there as the service/food was not up to the standards of other TRH. But the pizza from Stoners I enjoyed. Reminded me of my college days.
Sep 6, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Yep I hear you - looking all fancy in his dress whites - a nice dinner would have been in order! Too bad TRH didn't live up to it. I'm glad at least the pizza was good!
Everyone don't forget to wear your RED tomorrow!
Sep 6, 2018
SubMom
I’ve been reading through the posts from this week and I know there are a few who have sailors in T track. Our sailor is currently in T track on a vigorous watch schedule with additional things to do before heading back to BEQ. The snapshot he gave tonight was not good. Not sure if he hasn’t been able to get into a routine yet or is just flustered. He hasn’t done laundry in 2 weeks and is skipping dinner in lieu of sleep. He was second guessing his decision to pursue ET tonight. I keep telling myself he’ll be ok but the calls are getting worse. I just pray all of them that are on this roller coaster ride don’t lose sight of the the end result.
Sep 6, 2018
Jana
What is T track?
Sep 6, 2018
JayDee659
Jana, after A School they do a few weeks of TTrack while waiting to class up for Power School. Its various jobs from cleaning to standing watch at the gates, whatever needs to be done. My daughter spent quite a bit of time escorting civilian vendors and maintenance to restricted areas so they could do their thing.
Sep 6, 2018
Rebecca J
Submom....I'm sorry your son is struggling a bit. I hope it gets better soon. This navy journey is so tough. I have such respect for all of our sailors.
Sep 6, 2018
JayDee659
Submom, each phase is different, help him remember that and continue to be his cheerleader. Worst-case scenario is that this isn't for him but thats just one door closing and another one opening. Chances are he'll perk up after Power School starts. Hang in there momma
Sep 6, 2018
SubMom
RebeccaJ and JayDee659 - I know he’s got this. As a matter of fact he’s excited for PS to start. His big issue is the monotony. I know he would allow himself a 1/2 day of freedom on the weekend during A school to recharge and he doesn’t have that luxury right now. I just have to continue praying. Thanks for listening
Sep 6, 2018
JayDee659
Submom, this is probably a good introduction to life in the fleet. There can be a lot of monotony while they're at sea. At that point they just have to deal with it.
Sep 6, 2018
SubMom
JayDee659 - you are so right! Have a good evening.
Sep 6, 2018
JayDee659
Submom you too. Have faith all will be well.
Sep 6, 2018
Chipmunk
SubMom - I just saw your note. T-Track was hard on my son as well. Mostly, he got frustrated that on the hours they were suppose to be "off" they still had to muster up, etc. It was difficult to figure out sleep time. And they also do various hours on/ hours off. I think my son said they were changing some of that so your son might be in that pattern change as well. Remind him that it doesn't matter if he was ET, EM or MM they are all in this together and as for Nuke, I think I reminded my son that this was good training for the fleet and at least they get to have a taste of it, whereas the other rates don't necessarily.
I actually spent two of his early morning watch times where he was getting up early in the morning, setting my clock to get up and call him as an extra alarm. I know that sounds like a helicopter mom, but he was always the one to get by with only a few hours of sleep and his first time to oversleep came during T-Track. Once he figured out what had gone wrong with both his clock and his phone and fixed it, he told me he didn't need me to call. I think it was because he actually got about 5 extra min. of sleep if I didn't call him!!!
Help him to keep the end in site!
Sep 6, 2018
SailorsLIMom
I, too, called our daughter early some mornings, not in T Track but while she was in Power School. It seemed to help her start the day. She uses video games to help her get through the monotony, but the sleep deprivation is really hard. She went to Medical and got several suggestions from staff there about getting better sleep and relaxation. She's not a "New Age" type at all, but uses the techniques they taught her all the time now, says they really help even with psyching up for tests. Might help your son. And BTW: she passed her PS re-test, is now in Prototype!
Sep 7, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Hi all - Happy Friday!
SubMom - he's got this! T track will be over soon and then he'll be busy with power school. I'm sure the monotony is hard after being busy with A school. Hang in there and continue to encourage him ;-D
SailorsLIMom - glad to hear your daughter took advantage of some of the suggestions from medical - even better that they might be working! BZ to her on passing her PS re-test and moving on to proto. Did she stay in GC or did she go to BS?
Sep 7, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Sep 7, 2018
SailorsLIMom
Thx for asking B's NukeMom! She's in BS, so happy to be closer to home. Us, too. Because of the tight scheduling, she (we) had 5 days to drive up from GC (has anyone met Hwy 95 lately? ugh), find an apartment, and sleep on the floor in air mattresses. But she's happy and well.
Sep 7, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
B loved BS and we really enjoyed visiting there. Got to visit twice - in the months of April and January and it was beautiful (albeit a bit cold!) both times. We sent his brother to visit him in August during the racing season and he took him to see the ponies run. They had a good time! Nice that's she's closer to home - lucky you!
Sep 7, 2018
SubMom
Thank you all for your wisdom. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
SailorsLIMom - BZ to your daughter- that is wonderful news!!!
Sep 7, 2018
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Sep 7, 2018
Glenni
I haven’t posted for a while. My son had a great time at CORTRAMID (Career Orientation for Midshipmen)this summer. He loved his time on the sub and got to do some really cool things that he can’t tell us about. However, aviation week really sealed the deal for him that he wants to fly a helo. He had the opportunity to go with a small group to meet with a high ranking nuclear officer. He basically learned that if he goes for an interview to become a Nuclear Officer and is selected, even if that isn’t his first, second or even third choice, he WILL end up being a Nuke. So, although he is still thinking things through, he feels like he will probably try to resist any pressure to go for the interview.
Sep 7, 2018
Buzzbeck
General comment: While our sailor was in the pipeline, I read one nuke mom's advice about the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, exercise and rest. I so agree! I told our nuke, waffles from the Waffle House and Subway sandwiches don't work. Salads, fish, that heavenly local shrimp, that's the good stuff for the brain.
One more tip (which our nuke won't do) is the benefit of that relaxing type of yoga. It takes awhile to get good at letting go of stress, but it could make a huge difference. There are videos online that take you through it.
Cheering on your nuke is invaluable. Lots of prayer really helped our nuke also.
Sep 8, 2018
Rime
My son has made it through the pipeline! Just graduated PT yesterday! What a grueling adventure- so proud of all the accomplishments! PT was a hard experience, made worse because the car we'd helped him get turned out to be more lemon than car, and he had that stress to deal with as well. My advice to all, make SURE your child has a GREAT functioning vehicle for PT.
Sep 8, 2018
Anmarie
Rime,
So proud for your son! My son just had his first week of indoc at Prototype. He said waiting for the van to take them the rest of the way is the time killer when getting where he needs to go. Did your son say anything about that? What is next for him?
Sep 8, 2018
momterp
For those who have sailors at Goose Creek, looks like bad weather could be headed their way later this week! I hope they all stay safe!
Sep 8, 2018
Noabre2025
momterp I talked to my son today. He said they do have a plan in place if the storm comes towards them. We’re in FL so we’ve been through a couple but it’s different when you aren’t with them. Praying that it turns north sooner than they are saying, the track has me nervous.
Sep 8, 2018
momterp
Noabre2025, we do earthquakes but not hurricanes here in California so it definitely makes me nervous! I trust the Navy to have a good emergency plan but it surely adds to the stress for our sailors to have that to deal with in addition to their studies.
Sep 8, 2018
JayDee659
Ladies in regards to the hurricane I can assure you that the Navy has a plan. My daughters Power School graduation and wedding were canceled a couple of years ago when a hurricane came through. If it looks probable, they will be evacuated in an orderly fashion. Don't worry.
Sep 8, 2018
3B'smom
Don’t worry ladies, Command will take the appropriate measures. NNPTC was evacuated last year out of an abundance of caution right after my son arrived. He volunteered to go home rather than go to the evacuation site. Hubby and I drove over night all night to pick him up in time. Then had to drive him back a few days later.
Noabre2025 - I feel ya on the earthquakes. I will take an earthquake over a tornado any day. When we get warnings it freaks me out. I guess it is just what you are used to.
Sep 8, 2018
ProudOfK
momterp - I forget J probably wasn't there yet when they had to evacuate last year. K got in on it. They erred on the side of caution as far as evacuating. It did cause a few graduation dates to be pushed out a week. K's grad was the first one that was back on time after the evacuation. They had school a couple days that they would have otherwise been off to get back on schedule.
For anyone in BS I have to give a shout out to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream in Saratoga Springs. They delivered a birthday cake to my son yesterday and when they realized that he was nave and had charged a delivery fee the owner called me to let me know they would be refunding the delivery fee and thanked me for my son's service.
Sep 8, 2018
momterp
ProudofK, thankfully we bought our plane tickets for graduation from Southwest so we’ll be able to change them if needed.
Please tell K happy birthday from us! Hope he got to enjoy his day a little bit even with all the busy schedule!
Sep 8, 2018
SailorsLIMom
Hi ProudofK, our daughter is newly arrived in BS. Last week at the tail end of a yard sale, she found a few things but couldn't fit them all in her car. The sellers, who have a son in the Navy, offered to give her everything for free AND to deliver it to her apartment. She paid them some $$ anyway, but how nice and supportive it was to meet them--and have their help with the delivery!
Sep 8, 2018
Chipmunk
Rime - Congratulations to your son!!!!
Sep 9, 2018
NickSydmom
Sailorslimom I love hearing stories of the generosity of the American people when it comes to our military. It warms my heart.
Sep 9, 2018