IMPORTANT: Revised Community Guidelines and Policies!

[Navy for Moms Admin]

Updated 10 July 2009
Message from Rear Admiral Robin Braun


N4M Members,

As I mentioned in my previous message, we have been conducting a very thorough review of the Community Guidelines to ensure we continue to provide our members the most rewarding experience possible while respecting the freedoms our Sailors serve to protect.

As you know, the purpose of NAVYForMoms.com is to bring together Navy parents and the parents of recruiting-age young men and women to discuss the multitude of leadership, training, and career opportunities our Navy offers and the great pride Navy parents have in their children. NAVYForMoms.com exists to allow families an open forum to discuss what life in the Navy is really like.

Today, I am pleased to announce the completion of this review and the adoption of new Community Guidelines for the NAVYForMoms.com website.

The goal of the new Guidelines is to facilitate open discussion without compromising the purpose of the website, namely the exchange of information relating to service in the Navy. As I noted in my previous message, your personal freedoms are extremely important to the Navy and my hope is that these updated Guidelines provide the best possible balance between the defense of those liberties and the integrity of the website.

I encourage everyone to review the revised Community Guidelines and to become familiar with acceptable use on the NAVYForMoms.com website. The new Community Guidelines may be reviewed here.

I would like to draw your attention to the discussion of off-topic posts and the need to keep discourse civil. These rules are intended to ensure that members get the quick and useful answers to their Navy-related questions in the friendly and collegial atmosphere that has come to define NAVYForMoms.com.

Please know that NAVYForMoms members’ suggestions played a critical part in the revision of the Guidelines, and we will continue to rely on your honest feedback as we strive to provide the best possible user experience.

As always, I would like to thank you for your continued support of the Navy family and our men and women who serve our great nation.

Rear Admiral Robin Braun, USN
Commander
Navy Recruiting Command

[Debby]

And just for the record.. I have one who returned from Iraq early this month and one who left for Iraq 2 weeks later.. I feel very strongly and passionate about our freedoms I have two who have been to Iraq multiple times fighting for that...

[Debby]

Isnt it funny how a passionate debate can sway one's thoughts... when this started I was of the mindset that "this is this forums right to do this" then I read more and more of the posts... Reglion and politics under fire.. some saying they were glad they banned those forums because its about mom's supporting moms.. well if thats all its about then why do we need all these different forums? Why a PIR forum? why so many ship forums? because we have so many different interests? I mean if its only about Mom's supporting Mom's then lets get rid of all forums and just have 1 large kumbya type forum? I said in my very passionate post that I will fight to my dying breath for everyones right to speak up.. whether you like the changes dont like the changes we ALL have the right and never once did I say any different... Again I will not let my son's down, and those in my family who went before them defending my constitutional rights by not speaking up for what I believe in...

[Debby]

I remember getting off work and a group of us went to the local pub to watch the premier of Thriller on MTV.. I was such a geek I watched that video so many times I was able to do the entire thriller dance...

[Debby]

Inga i am part of the afgan/iraq mom's... My house has been a revolving door of deployment.. the last time I had my son's together was I think 4 years ago.. My sailor son came home ...2 weeks later my soldier son left and next May when my soldier son is due to come home from Iraq (but we just found out they may now be sending him to Afganistan from Iraq with now a 17 month tour) ... my sailor will deploy for Iraq in about May I have lived this rollercoaster and somedays are better than others but I have taken friends advice and concentrating on my wellness.. my mental state suffers daily but I am doing better with that too ..with that said.. I go there to read and to be of support for Mom's who are about to embark on what I am living. I cry with them and I laugh with them My sailor is a RIverine.. they run missions they get shot at.. there's no difference from what they do as to what the Marines are doing over there.. and I would urge any Mom to see my videos on my page if they want to know more... My soldier runs missions and is in the same amount of danger and if anyone out there thinks Iraq is safe needs to start listening to the men who are there and NOT what the gov't tells us.. roadside bombs are still going off IUD's are still flying... and my sons are still in danger everyday... I know we all love our kids and I am not saying my kids in more danger than yours or trying to gain any sort of sympathy but oh how I would love to have my son on a ship right now.. maybe I could sleep at night... Maybe eating wouldnt be a struggle... This is why I am passionate about this subject and this is why I fight for everyone regardless of view or belief to be allowed to share it here... some concentrate on their religion to get them through.. some on politics but taking these resources away from the mom's here could be taking away someones life line... when your in pain you want to be with those who understand your view points and if you dont want to get involved in a heated political or religous debate go do another forum...

[TexasDocMom]

Our sweet friend Debby, your words put right back in the middle of it. Just like Inga's quotes from our moms with kids in Iraq/Afghanstan group. I come home late from work, and check my notifications, and if there is one from that group, it has to be read and answered. There's always someone home there, we don't let each other sit up alone.

All parents of military personnel are afraid for their children. The level it hits when your son or daughter hits that sand or those mountains cannot be explained to anyone who hasn't felt it. Smart moms on this board are afraid of it, afraid of finding out they can't handle it....and yet we do. Some better than others. I know one mom whose son deployed and returned with mine that still has physical repercussions, her body hasn't quite got back to normal. Right now I bet the parents of those sailors on those two ships between us and the North Koreans aren't sleeping any better than you are. I think of them every single day. Having a child in a war zone sucks, whereever it is.

By the way, I explained to my teenage grandkids that are 2 years apart, there will be no both of them enlistting at the same time, I can't do it, and their mom can't do it. Women like you and McNavy that have had two, even three kids repeatedly deploying are my freakin' heros.....I'm thankful whenever I see your fingertips on our boards, because I just worry so about you guys. And I know your kids do as well. And appreciate that you have place to share your passion and love of country, including its politics, with other people who know your pain and appreciate your words.

Have a good day today, Debby, I hope the weather is clear and sweet where you are, and you can get out in the fresh air. Everything's gonna be all right.

[TexasDocMom]

Cathy are you a member of the group Moms with Kids in Iraq/Afghanistan...on it there is news feed with latest updates from the warzones. Inga's post above is compilation of many posts by many moms...not one mom....

My son was better at the beginning with working to get on the phone or email, when it was "boring" he had a tenedency NOT to get in touch...when I figured that out, I was a lot better. Maybe your son is like that too...who knows? men are stupid sometimes ( did I say that?)....

Join our group if you are not a member! always someone home there...

[TexasDocMom]

Moms with kids in Iraq/Afghanistan group , just click on that....it's for anyone with kids in a war zone...

[Navy for Moms Admin]

Please read message from Rear Admiral Robin Braun posted on the Main Page

[TexasDocMom]

It's all the same Steve's mom. Freedom of Speech is freedom of speech. The First Amendment doesn't name one topic more "free" than another!

ADN, your post is very interesting. I would be very interested in participating in any '"samples from a given website" Since this mess has started, I've been stalked again, and now vile posts are being posted on a blog in reference to Navy For Moms , with the insinuations being that not only am I posting this trash, but my sailor son as well, which is nonsense. The owner of that blog, a "Navy Mom" on this site, says she is cutting/pasting those vile, nasty posts and posting them on other Navy and military sites, referencing, again, my sailor son as the author. I would be extremely interested in finding out exactly who and where these posts are coming from and if, as I personally suspect, they are all coming from the same person, most likely the owner of that blog.

Going after a sailor by a so called Navy mom is totally unacceptable. He is a good man, with a good Naval career going, and this woman hates me so much she wants to destroy him.

This isn't about politics, freedom of speech or any normal cause, this is about hate in its purest form. She has to be stopped. Thank you.

[TexasDocMom]

All of that is in place, thank you. The DA's office here has an active cyber stalking section, there was a murder here when some nutcase made good his online threats last year. My daughter works in that office.

This is occurring on another site, as poorly as this site is administrated because of lack of staff, I know the things this person is posting would not be tolerated for a second. My son is not a "new" sailor, he's well established and moving forward in his career. He's an Iraqi war vet, and good guy. He doesn't,nor does any sailor, deserve the kind of trash that this person seems to think he does. I think it's about control, this person has lost control over here on this site, and thinks she can hurt people she perceives as enemies there. I could care less about the actual location site of that blog, but I am concerned about any new sites where she decides to cut/paste it and what verbage she may add about my son or me, particularly my son!! These people are naming our whole names and locations on these web sites. Proof that we have been stalked if you ask me, they know my grandchildren's names, all types of things about my location. And as you well know, Steve's mom, there have been personal threats about "showing up on TDM's doorstep and showing her a thing or two."

As to your personal comments about me and prayer, I would have to ask to see those posts. I believe strongly in the power of prayer, all prayer, be it Buddhist, Christian, Protestant, Muslim, Morman or Pagan, whatever...I think the good Lord isn't picky about religion , He just hears our prayers.

I think one reason that the political talk got so out of hand is the mentality of people like this one posting on the other blog, she did the same thing here and people in her groups condoned it, so that encouraged her to continue. If her groups would step up and do the right thing and either seek some professional help for her or let her know she is out of line by her actions, perhaps she would stop. Perhaps.