This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.

FIRST TIME HERE?

FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO GET STARTED:

Choose your Username.  For the privacy and safety of you and/or your sailor, NO LAST NAMES ARE ALLOWED, even if your last name differs from that of your sailor (please make sure your URL address does not include your last name either).  Also, please do not include your email address in your user name. Go to "Settings" above to set your Username.  While there, complete your Profile so you can post and share photos and videos of your Sailor and share stories with other moms!

Make sure to read our Community Guidelines and this Navy Operations Security (OPSEC) checklist - loose lips sink ships!

Join groups!  Browse for groups for your PIR date, your sailor's occupational specialty, "A" school, assigned ship, homeport city, your own city or state, and a myriad of other interests. Jump in and introduce yourself!  Start making friends that can last a lifetime.

Link to Navy Speak - Navy Terms & Acronyms: Navy Speak

All Hands Magazine's full length documentary "Making a Sailor": This video follows four recruits through Boot Camp in the spring of 2018 who were assigned to DIV 229, an integrated division, which had PIR on 05/25/2018. 

Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)

Boot Camp: Behind the Scenes at RTC

...and visit Navy.com - America's Navy and Navy.mil also Navy Live - The Official Blog of the Navy to learn more.

OPSEC - Navy Operations Security

Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind.  In the Navy, it's essential to remember that "loose lips sink ships."  OPSEC is everyone's responsibility. 

DON'T post critical information including future destinations or ports of call; future operations, exercises or missions; deployment or homecoming dates.  

DO be smart, use your head, always think OPSEC when using texts, email, phone, and social media, and watch this video: "Importance of Navy OPSEC."

Follow this link for OPSEC Guidelines:

OPSEC GUIDELINES

Events

**UPDATE 4/26/2022** Effective with the May 6, 2022 PIR 4 guests will be allowed.  Still must be fully vaccinated to attend.

**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.

**UPDATE 7/29/2021** You now must be fully vaccinated in order to attend PIR:

In light of observed changes and impact of the Coronavirus Delta Variant and out of an abundance of caution for our recruits, Sailors, staff, and guests, Recruit Training Command is restricting Pass-in-Review (recruit graduation) to ONLY fully immunized guests (14-days post final COVID vaccination dose).  

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:

RTC Graduation

**UPDATE 8/25/2022 - MASK MANDATE IS LIFTED.  Vaccinations still required.

**UPDATE 11/10/22 PIR - Vaccinations no longer required.

RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021

Please note! Changes to this guide happened in October 2017. Tickets are now issued for all guests, and all guests must have a ticket to enter base. A separate parking pass is no longer needed to drive on to base for parking.

Please see changes to attending PIR in the PAGES column. The PAGES are located under the member icons on the right side.

Format Downloads:

Navy Speak

Click here to learn common Navy terms and acronyms!  (Hint:  When you can speak an entire sentence using only acronyms and one verb, you're truly a Navy mom.)

N4M Merchandise


Shirts, caps, mugs and more can be found at CafePress.

Please note: Profits generated in the production of this merchandise are not being awarded to the Navy or any of its suppliers. Any profit made is retained by CafePress.

Navy.com Para Familias

Visite esta página para explorar en su idioma las oportunidades de educación y carreras para sus hijos en el Navy. Navy.com

Badge

Loading…
My boyfriend graduated from boot camp a few days ago and we just found out that he will be stationed in Japan. I support him all the way but I'm pretty sad. I need some advice on how it will be and just any information at all from anyone who has a loved one in Japan or overseas. I just need some support.

Views: 153

Replies to This Discussion

We just spent 3 years stationed there. I know it will be hard on you, being apart from him, but it's really a great place to be stationed. There are a lot of amazing things to see, and while I would NOT suggest you trying to move there without command sponsorship, I WOULD encourage you to try to go visit while he's there. There are several bases in Japan, the majority of them are in an area called the Kanto Plains (sort of like us saying here something is in the Midwest or down South or in New England...) Most of those bases are around the Tokyo area, but there are other bases spread out in other parts of Japan.

We were up north in Misawa but we've been to several of the other bases there. If you don't mind me asking, which one is he going to? I might be able to give you more specifics as to what to expect depending on where he's going.
I will have to ask him when he gets out of school today. I do not plan on moving there but I do want to visit him. How does that work? I'm just a little overwhelmed because I don't know anything about Japan or how to visit him. Plus I'm guessing it will be pretty expensive so I know it will only happen a few times. He said that after two years he can request to come back. Is that likely at all?
I forgot to add, for almost the last year we were there, we were kind of the reverse of what happens with a lot of people... We were in Japan, but our son had left for boot camp then his school and stuff - so our young, single Sailor was in the States sending us stuff we couldn't get there in the mail (lol - we put money in his account and he would make a Walmart or mall run when he got the chance)

Once he gets there, do you know if he'll be on a ship or on shore duty? What part of Japan? We have several bases there.

His American cell phone will not work, he'll need to buy a Japanese one and get a plan there.  You guys can download free texting apps.  He can also Skype when he can get to Wifi hot spots, so you should both have laptops with webcams.  If he's on a ship, he can email using his military address (most of the time).  He will also have snail mail.

They do earn leave, but they have to pay for their own trips home.  Getting to take leave for more than a couple weeks can be difficult on a ship, so planning trips to the US is tricky.  You can go visit, but it is super-expensive.  Get a passport anyway, don't wait.  

So we will be able to talk on the phone and Skype often? He just got done with boot camp so I'm ready for more than just snail mail.

Pretty often, but then, I don't know if he's ship or shore.  That will make a huge difference. If he's on a ship which deploys, your communications will be quite limited except when he's in port.   Also, if he has to go to a public place to Skype, it may not be daily.  There is a 13 hour time difference!

Two years?  His orders might only be for two years.  Two or three is usual.  He can't request to transfer back to the US as far as I know. 

It can happen for rates with extremely short A schools.no A school... BM is one, undesignated seaman another.  Sometimes the short training rates even get their orders during boot camp.

RSS

© 2024   Created by Navy for Moms Admin.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service