NUKE moms

MomofJoseph - That reminded me of my trip to GC for my sailor's A school graduation. My youngest son and I drove out for the graduation. My sailor's class had taken a trip to the USS Yorktown, so he was able to show us around the ship also and especially enjoyed telling us about different things in the engine room.   

I also mentioned to Proud Momma in the discussion above to visit the online visitor's information for Charleston, SC. 

Visitors | Charleston, SC - Official Website (charleston-sc.gov)

I don't know if they have updated their parking information properly or not, but when we were there, they no longer had free parking as I recall along the main street down through Charleston. (I forgot the name off the top of my head.), So be prepared for parking meters. I think they take cards now. 

The other thing is walking around in the evening by the shops along the Slave Market area, there are only a couple of public restrooms, and we had a hard time locating them with my husband's GPS. But there is a motel that is part of an indoor shopping gallery. We were told that even though the shops were closed, we could go in at the entrance to the motel, and then to the right of the desks there were public restrooms still available, maybe until 9 - 10 PM. Again, I do not recall. Most of the little shops do not allow for public restrooms, only the restaurants for paying guests. 

MomofJoseph - Thanks for the info! I've heard that Patriot's Point is a must-see, so we'll definitely be doing that. Congrats on your son's home purchase. That's a big move!

Chipmunk - Thanks for the heads up on public restrooms in Charleston. Our favorite thing to do on vacation is eat, so while we're out and about we'll try to stop at multiple eateries, as necessary, to take advantage of their restrooms! :)

joe-mom - There were a couple of yummy ice cream shops down by the market but as I recall, those did not even have public restrooms! 

Welcome to our newest members ~ Proudmomof2 and BraysNukeMom!

Please be sure to read the ***NEW MEMBERS*** info at the top of the page.  Lots of good info there.  Also take a look at the Pages (20) to the right under the member profiles - be sure to hit "view all".  And the discussion forum above has some good info too - be sure to read Chipmunks "Nuke A School Daily Schedule".  And of course, feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Proudmomof2 and BraysNukeMom - Welcome to our group!! We are glad you are here. Please come introduce yourselves and let us know where you are in this Nuke journey. 

My son is actually finishing out his last months of his enlistment. It is hard to believe! He is an ETN2 who chose not to do the Star reenlistment, but did choose to marry a Navy gal, who has reenlisted. 

Do not hesitate to ask questions, we have members active in this group with many different scenarios with their Nukes and what they are doing. 

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

C just started in her 3rd trimester! Wow, this is going fast - easy for me to say lol.  We head to MI on the 9th for the baby shower on the 11th.  Can't wait to see B&C and to help finish up little Oli's nursery.  I've got so much stuff to take with, gonna have to take an extra suitcase!

Good morning fellow Nuke moms! So, after weeks of silence, I finally heard from my son last night. It was just a text, but it was something. Not great news, though. He injured his knee before Christmas but didn't think it was very serious. So it sounds like he pushed himself too hard and has now re-injured it. He was planning on applying to STA-21 but has now been disqualified from that program because of the knee issue. Because of all this, he's been really down - so down that he started going to counseling. This is out of character for him, as setbacks usually just roll off. He now realizes he's vulnerable, which in a way is a good thing. He's focusing really hard on school right now (graduates "A" school in 3 weeks). I'm just worried about him because there's nothing I can do to advocate for him and don't know how this injury will affect his status moving forward. I'm still kinda new to the Navy world, so I'm not sure what to expect. Do any of you more seasoned moms have experience in this area? I'm grateful for any information or suggestions you have to offer. And please say a prayer for my boy. He has LOVED his short Navy journey up to this point - felt like he really found his place - and I hope that will continue. Thank you all!

joe-mom - I am sorry to hear that your son has been disqualified from the STA-21 program, but I am glad to hear that he has sought out counseling on his own. That is a good thing! I do not have any experience with my sailor having an injury like yours and recuperating, etc, but my understanding with the military, it is important to get all medical things documented and looked into, as you never know the ramifications down the line for things such as disability or such. 

I don't know if you wrote him a note, but now that you have this knowledge of what things he is dealing with, you have something to write about. He may not want you to dwell on it, but you can at least open the dialogue of conversation, such that you appreciate him confiding in you, and that even though you can't change the outcome of his circumstances or choices, that you can support him with your love and prayers. Open communication and honesty helps that to be a lot easier and lets you not be as worried, when he just does not say anything at all. 

After learning about the development of a person's frontal lobe, and that it often is not until the age of 21 or so, when they can start to identify the long-term ramifications of their actions or choices, it has sort of become a "joke" in our house. And when things happen where any of us, but especially our children do something that we are like, "what were you thinking", it helps us to laugh and say, "I guess your frontal lobe wasn't working very well. But next time...." Hopefully, we learn from our mistakes and sometimes we have to go through things to make us wiser and stronger for the next thing around the bend. But while we are in the midst of that trial, knowing we are not alone, can be the biggest comfort and support. 

Thank you, Chipmunk. As always, your wise words and grace are a huge help to me. I've written several letters to him but held off on mailing anything because I wanted to give him a little more time and space. Glad I waited, because now the tone of my letter will be very different! Love the "frontal lobe" jokes.

joe-mom - My children have all done things that they regret or feel like failures over, because they made choices or said things they regretted. I have as well. Learning to grow through those and gaining more experience, is just part of life. I have had to learn how to be gracious with myself and my children both. 

Chipmunk - Amen to that!

Happy Thursday!

joe-mom - I am sorry to hear about his knee injury and I hope they are able to take care of it.  It's good to hear that he recognizes he needs to talk with someone - nothing wrong with that at all.  Unfortunate that he won't be able to apply to the STA-21 program but just remind him it's not the end of the world.  

Hopefully everything will work out in the best possible way.

Thanks, B's! We'll keep sending him positive feedback and let him know we're always here for him, when he's ready to share more. It's hard being on this side of things...

joe-mom, don't know how physical injuries will affect his journey but my son went through some obstacles which turned out for the better. As moms we want them to be the best they can be which still rings true but we also want them to lead a happy life. Prayers being held up for your son, may he turns this obstacle into a new found strength that will  benefit him in his Navy journey. God Bless him with quick healing and peace.

NWM - Thanks for your encouraging words and prayers. Not stressing too much yet... I know God has a plan for him and that everything will turn out the way it's supposed to. Hoping to chat with him this weekend and learn more about his injury and how the medical staff is handling it. 

joe-mom, I am crying as I am reading about your son and reading these encouraging responses.  I have been praying for you and praying that you would hear from your son.  It breaks my heart that he is disqualified from STA-21, but I can't help but feel proud of him for several reasons: 

1)  He was disqualified because he got injured and kept going.  That is nothing to be ashamed of.  (How often do I wimp out at the least discomfort - I'm impressed with someone who pushes through pain!)  And there are a LOT of worse things he could have been disqualified for.

2) He sought counseling!  That is such an amazing sign of strength to admit that you need help.  What an amazing son you have!

3)  He is working hard to finish A school strong!  He could decide to give up and quit trying, but I am proud of him for buckling down and working hard!

You have an amazing son, and I can't wait to see the amazing things God does with his life!  BNMH!!!  

MomofJoseph - I can't thank you enough for your message. I'm so encouraged by what you, and all of these wonderful women, have offered. Navy Moms ROCK!

Good Morning Everyone!! 

I hope some of you were able to talk to your sailors this weekend. Saturdays were usually a good time for us. My sailor was usually doing his laundry in the BEQ and able to face time with his little brother. The rest of the time, he was often studying. 

I hope all who might have been in the paths of the bad storms last night are okay. My husband looked at the map and it went all the way from OK to SD!  I also know there is snow and ice in areas as well. 

When my son was at GC his first year, he flew back from Christmas vacation and then they had an unprecedented snowstorm!!! We had no snow while my sailor was home at Christmas, but he got to play in some when he got back to school. 

He also went through two hurricane evacuations, so if anyone ever has concerns, don't hesitate to ask questions. 

I had 8-10 inches of snow at my house. VERY unusual! It was the second highest amount ever recorded at our airport! I don't know how to drive in snow (and neither does anyone else in this city), so I've been cooped up at home since last Wednesday. I'm eager to get out today and get some errands done.

I'm looking forward to my trip to GC to see my son graduate power school (on the officer side) on St Patrick's Day! Anyone have any good ideas for a gift? He will be going onto an aircraft carrier after prototype.

PacNW and 99maui - Congrats to both of your sailors! I'm glad you're both able to be there for the graduation. Safe travels and enjoy your time in GC.

My son is also graduating on Mar 17th!  (Lord willing, of course!  Still has those finals to pass like 99maui said!)  We haven't decided what gift to give him, but it will either be cash, or something for his house.

MomofJoseph & Q's Momma - Congratulations on your sons' achievements! Q's - my son will be graduating A school with your son. Wish we could go, too, but we're planning a visit to Charleston in June. Can't come soon enough!

Congratulations to all of you with sailors graduating!! May they finish their courses strong and steady!!

I just want to encourage you to remember to share with your sailor how much you appreciate the effort and hard work they put into studying and doing their job. For my son, one thing he said, was he just wanted to know he was appreciated for his hard work and diligence. I realize this is also his "love language" but it can still be easy to be overlooked for doing something right, when so often they might feel like all anyone is paying attention to is if they are doing something wrong. So, just a reminder that we are the ones to just say, "thank you, I appreciate your hard work, and diligence!"

It is so exciting how many in the group are having graduations on Mar 17th.  I didn't realize that they do Power School and A School graduations on the same day.  I am curious about how crazy parking is going to be!  :-)  When we were there for A School graduation, it wasn't bad, but they only had one class of about 30 to graduate.  (My son says that usually A school grads have 2 or 3 classes that graduate together.) 

Hi all - Happy Monday!

C is officially at 30 weeks now (as of this past Saturday) and we head out on Thursday to MI for the baby shower!  I can't wait to see them and celebrate little Oli!

I just wish the weather would warm up a little bit lol!

B'sNukeMom - Enjoy the baby shower!! I know how excited you are!

Thanks Chipmunk!  Yes, I have an entire suitcase FULL of stuff that I'm taking - and that's not counting all the things I've had shipped there directly lol!

LOL!!

Good Morning!

There are many things that I have learned over the last years with my sailor, that I wish I could share openly but I do my best to stay mindful of our public group. So, please don't hesitate to reach out to me privately, especially if you have an ETN. 

All of our sailors represented here by this group are intelligent and gifted, they would not have been selected as some of the cream of the crop. However, I have learned a little more than I did 6 years ago, and that is my sailor is not the only one that is cream of the crop in the Navy. Many other fields have those same sailors, but their jobs, while intense at times, are still not the same as our sailors. We are all proud of our children, but the Nuke field is not always the best fit for everyone that starts out in it and that is okay. Some of my friends whose sailors rerated are much happier with their new job than they might have been with a Nuke rate, which is a blessing. We need sailors who are good at their jobs and who are interested in their jobs and perform any job to the best of their ability in the Navy.

As moms/ loved ones, we are here to encourage, but also to appreciate and acknowledge our sailors and their hard work. We are all proud of them and what they do, but I have to stay mindful of the difficulties they face and be understanding. It helps me when my sailor or my sailor gal share things with me, so I understand the workings of life, especially on a ship at times. Not every child will do that, so here are just a couple of things - if you did not know them already. 

Nukes are always first on, last off the ship. - Meaning when they go on underways or deployments, the Nukes have to be on board, ready for their watches maybe a day or two before the other sailors have to report. And most likely, they will not be the ones getting off the ship first at a homecoming greeting!

They have their own watch bill - Their watch schedule does not coordinate with the rest of the ship. They generally have duty days more often than other rates on the ship, and their work hours might be longer. This can also affect their opportunities for eating hot meals, or time to stand in line for chow. 

They do not interact much with the rest of the ship, and most likely, you may never see pictures of them on your FB groups and you for sure will not see their work area. The closest you might come to that, is to visit the USS Yorktown when visiting your sailor in SC (at least that is what mine did, after they had a field trip there as well.) - Recently, this phrase was shared with me, "We often forget the Nukes are even there, or part of the ship, even though we could not move without them. They are a ship within a ship."

We have the privilege and opportunity to encourage our Nukes, to listen to them, to understand their struggles, to offer them wisdom and advice. As they move through the Pipeline and encounter struggles and trials these are all things that prepare them for the course that is set before them. Some struggle with A school & PS, others with Prototype, but in the end, they are all Nukes, and they have a job to do, and our fleet and our Navy depends on them! 

We are here to help you navigate not only being a Navy Mom / loved one - but also a Nuke Mom / Loved one!

Chipmunk, thank you so much for this info! Incredibly helpful.

joe-mom - You are welcome!! Those of us who have rolled through the waves with our sailors can forget at times how new and unfamiliar this path is for many of our newer members and their sailors. You don't always know the questions to ask, and we don't always know what to say. Encouraging communication is helpful but even that doesn't always happen. I do have an advantage that I have a DIL with a different rate than my sailor, despite the fact that the recruiters tried to get her to go Nuke, and there are things that she shares with me that I would have never gathered from my son. Her situation prior to Navy was also a lot different and her perspective on staying Navy is different as well. But then again, she has also had to learn, when my son is out to sea or on the ship, her plans matter not one iota!! 

For example, my son's ship was still out to sea over one of the holidays. She had made plans to visit her family and knew when the ship was to return. Well, the RTP (Return to Port) date changed, it affected her plans of being there to pick up my son after he got off the ship, but she had to be okay with him having to call an Uber possibly or getting a ride with a friend. Because as she said, "I can't constantly live my life and change my plans just because the ship may or may not be back into port." - Yes, we all have to learn flexibility, but so do our sailors. Life goes on, and sometimes we have to make plans without our sailors, so that hopefully another time, we can make plans with our sailors. It is hard on us, but it is also hard on them as well. If we keep that mindset, there is give and take on both sides, which includes communication, it helps out in the long run. 

Chipmunk - thank  you. My son just got his “ soft orders”. (H e is expected to graduate in may from prototype) I have questions but will look up his boat before the questions start.