Imformation On Intelligence Specialist

[HMraz87]

Hello All

 

My name is Heather Mraz, I am a new Navy Wife and im so nervous what me and my little family will be experiancing soon. My husband is going to be a Intelligence Specialist..Does anyone know anything about this? What will my hubby be going through? As his wife, what will me and our 3 year old be going through while my hubbys gone? How hard is this going to be for us? We've bee married for 3 years and we are committed to whatever we need to go through for him for his dream to be in the Navy. Please if anyone has any advice about anything that will help me get through this would be greatly appreciated!!

[sailorwifenmom]

I used to be a CTT, my husband is a CTR, and our son is going to school to be a CTN.  They aren't exactly the same, but they're in the same sort of field as the IS rate.  Because of the nature of their job, it's not something that can be discussed a lot over the internet, but I can tell you that it's a good field for him to be getting into. 

As far as what you and your little one will be doing, it's really going to depend.  IS's have a pretty good rotation as far as shore duty goes, so that's a good thing.  But even when he's on a ship (and it's out) or when he's deployed, there's still lots for you to do, and I would encourage you to get involved.  There are play groups, there are Family Support Groups (especially when they're gone) that have activities and socials, as well as provide a support network for you (where you can meet other spouses and swap child care, etc).  There's classes you can take of all sorts:  for you, you could take college classes (there are programs that help pay for college for spouses of Jr Sailors - look into MYCAA), there are also tons of "fun type" classes that are offered through MWR and Fleet and Family, depending on where you are (everything from ceramics to conversational Japanese, again, depending on where you go).  There's also classes and activities through MWR and Youth Services for your little one (everything from sports to dance to gymnastics, music classes, swim, etc - again, depending on where you go and what they have available). 

There are employment opportunities if that's the direction you want to go and are a bit flexible (as well as child care, both with the Navy Child Development Centers and with certified Home Daycare providers), and there are LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of volunteer opportunities for spouses that can keep you busy, give you a chance to meet people, and build various skills.  These could range from anything from helping with the Red Cross to Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, with the base Chapel, teaching a class (paid or volunteer) through the MWR or Youth Services programs, volunteering with the FRG's, etc. etc. etc.

I promise, you won't be sitting there all alone with nothing to do, unless you want to be :-)

[HMraz87]

Hello sailorwifenmom,

 

Thank you so much for the imformation that you have provided for me as for what me and our child would be going through. it sounds like we def wont be bored when he will not be with us. It all sounds great and exciting. Do you know what he would be going through boot camp and/or A school? How long is A school? Will he go through C school? Can we go with him? Where will be IS A School? Will he deploy right away? How is the rotation? Thank you so much for answering my questions and you are helping me so much with my anxiety with this decision my husband and i have decided to do.

[sailorwifenmom]

Boot camp is going to be hard, but keep in mind, it's only a couple of months, and as hard as it is, and as dumb as it might seem at that time, there are reasons for what they do.  A schools for IS's is in Virginia.  You won't be able to go with him to that (at least not "officially" or on the Navy's  money).  I know that by the time he gets out of boot camp, you're going to want to be with him, but I would encourage you to not do that, unless he's authorized to take you.  A school has to be 180 days of instruction for the Navy to authorize a Sailor to move their family there.

As far as a C school, etc, I'm sorry, but there's really no way someone can answer that, even aside from OPSEC issues.  So much is going to depend on so many things.  He could go to shore duty, and they could send him on a deployment right away, or he could be there an entire tour and not go.  He could go to a ship that's just gotten back from deployment, and is heading into dry dock, or he could go to one that's getting ready to head out in a month (or even go to meet one that's already underway). 

It really is a very fluid thing, and there are too many variables to be able to answer some of the questions, but I can tell you this, there are a LOT of resources out there for families and spouses - you just have to reach out for it.

I know that boot camp and A school can be hard to get through for the Sailor, and for the family who is trying to adjust to this whole new way of life, but you CAN do it!  And, once you get to your first duty station, I would STRONGLY encourage you to take a COMPASS class, or a Navy Spouse 101 class, or whatever your base might offer as far as that goes.  (Go to the Fleet and Family Service Center and ask them about it), and also, have your husband get the phone number for your Ombudsman when you get to your first base, and then give them your contact info and you'll do fine :-)

[sailorwifenmom]

Oh, btw, as far as wondering if this is a good decision for your family, hopefully this will make you feel a little better about it, here's some of the things our family has done over the years, that we would never have been able to do if not for the Navy and where they've sent us...

We've lived all over the world, seeing so many beautiful places that a lot of people don't get to see - as a family, we've lived in Alaska (on an island in the Bering Sea), Newfoundland, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, back to Maryland, Washington State, and now Japan. 

We've been to an Inaugural Parade in DC, we've gotten to go on family cruises on a cruiser and on an aircraft carrier, my kids have gotten to spend a week, sailing from HI to San Diego on an aircraft carrier, doing a Tiger Cruise with Daddy.  Our daughter (in 12th grade) is getting ready to go to South Korea for the 3rd time in 3 yrs with her school (twice for music for a week, once for a week for a soccer tournament).  We've gotten to climb Mt. Fuji as a family, we've gotten to explore a lot of Northern Japan, the kids have gotten to go to more places in Japan with their school, etc.  Our daughter got to go to Australia with friends over Thanksgiving, where, among other things, she got to go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

I'm not saying these things to try to be like, "oh look how cool we are" or anything like that, I'm just saying that, if it hadn't been for the Navy, we probably wouldn't have gotten to do ANY of these things.  It really can be great, as long as you stay flexible and open to new things :-)