GUNNERS MATE (GM) TRAINING AT GREAT LAKES

[Vee, Michael's Proud Grandmother]

The purpose of this forum is designed to inform those parents of sailors who aspire to the rate of GM. It is intended to aide parents with what to expect once their sailor graduates boot camp (BC)..also known as PIR, and moves to the A-School side of the base. Questions will be answered by the family of sailors who are training to be GMs. If we don't have the answers, we will get them for you.

Please introduce yourself if your sailor is in the GM rate and provide background on your sailor so that we can get to know you. If you have specific questions about these ratings, and you ask them here, Will and Hoppi will be able to answer your questions. This will help all of us because the answers won't disappear pages down in the general forum.

I want to give Gary T. credit for this great idea; he just hired me as his secretary to put it together. So, jump in and we hope this will be helpful to all of you.

[Jamie Trammel]

Sounds like my son. He is finishing A school pretty soon. Started weapons training this week and expects to be done by mid Nov. Went in DE, finally got to leave for boot camp on Feb. 23, 2009 and after his PIR and grad on 4/17/2009, he went across the street to School. My son's name is NIck too! They may know each other because my Nick is a GM too! He expects to gradate as a Petty Officer, 3rd class (has college and started as an E-3). My Nick hope to make it home my xmas but said something about the command he is in now may not release him so soon. What is up with that? LIke your son, my Nick went to school, put on hold for a month, went to school, put on hold again........you know the story. Nick graduated from the U.S.S. Hopper, Div. 165 in April.

[Gary T]

Jamie, here's wishing the best for your son Nick. I am happy to hear he is in A-School. The real excitement will come during his final week when they choose assignments. The selections are made by class position. Please let us know when he does. It is exciting to follow a sailor through his career. Vee's grand-son and my son will be on the same ship in Pearl Harbor Hi. Hopefully both will train for V.L.S. together. Tell Nick to study hard choose his assignment wisely. Any questions don't hesitate to ask. Gary T.

[Jamie Trammel]

Well he picked his orders and I am not happy. Nick will be training as a Riverine, the Brown Water Navy. He is graduating A school a week from Friday and will come home for a little while before going to Mississippi for a month and then to Camp LeJune to train with the Marines. He is at the top of his class and said he got to pick orders but something tells me that the Navy dangled $$$ in front of him and that's why he took the position. The Riverines were started in Vietnam and these guys are in the thick of it. I'm not sure he fully understands that he is going to boot camp with the Marines. He is strong and very determined but I have that gut feeling that something isn't right. Can Orders be changed? I say that for me not for him because he is really excited about this. I really was hoping that he would get on a ship or be stationed in a place like HI at least that was the plan before he enlisted. I just can't understand this assignment. I had no idea the Navy even had such a thing.

[Jamie Trammel]

Thanks Michele. I'll have to ask Nick if he knows her. Nick is a Gunnersmate what is Sammi?

[Mary D]

Hi Jamie! My son was in Divison 165, PIR 4/17 and is in A school now for GM. Maybe they know each other-David Doshay is my boy.

[Jamie Trammel]

I'll have to ask Nick. Nick is graduating a week from Friday and is top of his class. He got his assignment as a Riverine, not good.

[Bill S.]

Greetings, Bill Sick here. My son Brett is a Gunners Mate E-3 currently in his sixth week of A school at this posting. 06/29/2009. Brett left for boot on the 13th of Nov. 2008 and had his PIR on the 9th of Jan.2009. His first stop was the USS Franklin for INDOC and hold for 17 days. He moved to the USS Enterprise on 01/26/2009 and then completed his SCC course on 02/11/2009. The next day he moved to the USS Decatur and was on hold for 12 days and moved to the USS Cole on 02/24/2009 where he was on hold for 42 days. He began his ATT training on 03/26/209 and completed that course on 04/21/2009 and remained on hold for 35 days until beginning A school on 05/26/209. Brett's class was the second to start the new pilot program with instructor based learning. Prior classes were self paced but took to long to complete. The thinking with the pilot program is to move them through faster and give them more hands on when they get to their duty station. His target date to graduate A school is the 3rd or 4th of August 2009.

One thing parents should and must understand. These young men and women will have a difficult time adjusting to the mundane chores that the Navy requires of them. It is to instill order and comradeship among them. There will be times they may be depressed and wondering what the hell they are doing there. It is our job as parents and significant others to remain upbeat and positive for them at those times. They WILL get through it with your love and support. And once the classes start to move they will become excited and eager to get to Fleet or their duty station. Some rates move faster, some slower. The GM rate is one of the longest course studies and will typically have them in GL for 5 to 7 months, depending on the holds of course. There is a HUGE support base for our sailors and there is always someone eager to help. As you can see by this site there are two of the biggest supporters that are always here to answer any question or address any concern you may have. Will and Hoppi go above and beyond to help everyone. And, they will always find the answer if they don't already know it.

This site is all about family. If you are here, you are family, simple. We are here to help. No question is stupid or weird. Ask away. Godspeed to our Sailors!!

[Vee, Michael's Proud Grandmother]

Good evening, Bill....Thank you for your great post here. You deserve a Key Lime Pie now for all your efforts. I'm so glad Brett is doing well and was classed up to A school so quickly. That's wonderful and I know he must be happy to be on his way. The new pilot program sounds like it might just be the way to go. I guess time will tell. How did Brett get to E-3 so quickly? I'm not too knowledgeable about moving through the ranks. Thanks for any insight you can give me, and have a great evening. YES! Godspeed to our Sailors!!!

[Mary D]

Thanks so much for the encouragement! My son completed PIR on 4/23/09 and is still waiting to start his actual A school for Gunner's Mate. He has expressed his frustration, and I have tried to encourage him, but I will up my efforts knowing that he is not alone and that his is not an unusual case.

[Vee, Michael's Proud Grandmother]

Hello Mary, so glad to have you with us. No, your son is not alone on his "hold" time. He is about 2-1/2 months behind Michael and may have a ways to go before classing up for A school.. Don't get discouraged and keep encouraging him. The kids do get frustrated but we can't give up on them. Stay on the main site with all of us for the support you need and the answers to all your questions. If there is anything I can do to help you, please do let me know. Again, welcome to our unique little Navy family. Have a wonderful weekend! Vee

[Mary D]

Thanks Vee. By the way, my son's name is David. I am not discouraged, but I know David is. I plan on sharing with him what I found out here so it will hopefully help him. I try to let him know that "this too shall pass."

[Bill S.]

Brett got his orders! He reports to Damneck Va. on Oct 17th for C school and reports to his ship on April 15th 2010. Cool. He is currently a Yeoman on base working for the SDC's as a runner and file clerk. He no longer has any duty other than standing watch! No cleaning or dog duty and he is ecstatic about that. So now I have to wait for his departure date so I can go pick him up and he will have about 7-10 days before he leaves for Va. with his wife to set up camp. This should be fun. I will keep in touch. TTYL Godspeed to our Sailors!!