DEPLOYMENT

[LLS]

Hello everyone, (anyone!!! lol)

I was a reluctanct Navy mom.  I didn't want my only child to join the service. Thus far, the experience has been promising. My son went to The Great Lakes, where he was Yeoman for the duration of boot camp, ranked up to E3, and was nominated recruit of his division. He completed A-school there as well. He's now an EM.  He scored nuke level on his asvabs (sp).  He took and passed a test while on the ship too. I am very proud of my son.

He has been very happy during this time, especially during bootcamp. I'm not so sure about being on a ship though.  He made port in Singapore where he celebrated his 20th birthday!!! I welcome the opportunity for my son to see the world and be educated. No doubt about it.

However, I'm going to be honest. I worry when I don't hear from him.  I feel powerless to have my son in the hands of our government (I love my country and am proud to be a natural born citizen). I just worry.  What if something goes wrong and I wont' know about it for months?  What other forms of communication is there? I'm afraid if something happens I won't able to get to my son. And, Military courts scare the crap out of me! Seriously.

I have a job (a good one), a dog (chihuahua), and have signed up to run a 13 mile marathon (Yes really).  I'll get a man eventually.  I just want to know what I should do in the event of an emergency.  And God willing, that won't happen.

Advice please...

Thanks.

Blake's mom, Loy

[Coach Shelia]

Hello Blake's Mom! Sending prayers and well wishes your way today and forever! Never feel like your alone when you don't hear from your Sailor. I'm so proud of our son! He was deployed within less than 10 days after finishing A School last year. He's seen more beautiful places that I'll never see. It's taken me time to not worry, but it gets easier. Promise you that! We've raised The Best of The Best! Keep coming on this website! We're here for you, and we encourage each other, and understand how you're feeling Navy Sister!

[Winston]

Good morning! There are a lot of people on here in the same boat - LOL, literally and figuratively! When ours went to bootcamp at 18, he wrote ONE letter and that was it. We got the holiday phone calls but not hearing for literally weeks - I wandered if he was still alive at times :) Ours is on deployment too, I email him weekly, he doesn't reply but he gets all the news from home - even the silly irrelevant stuff and I attach pics of his animals. I use Facebook messaging and we use FB phone when he is in WIFI at port - when it works. But we got one call in port recently that we chatted, it felt like he was around the corner - and the best part.......its free, no calling cards. Obviously the messaging is not live, but at least you can be in touch, when he can get online. The Red Cross is how you will get bad news, but that's not going to happen! Send him packages, I do, just make sure you duct tape the box very well inside and outside, and I mean really well and pack tight. Things our son has asked for

a new towel; nice soap (!!); mac and cheese tubs; noodles; quick cook oat packets; nuts; Mio type juice drops/ sachets; gum; tinned fruit; and just recently, actual printed pics from home - I presume to put up in his locker. Chocolate is an issue, but I've sent it, just double pack it in case it melts. He said no candy, just food! Pack separate boxes for hygiene items - the smell will permeate everything. And ziploc what you can separately, if something leaks, it won't spoil everything.

Your sailor will be fine and is fine, they work very hard, ours has mess cranking for the next 90 days, working like a dog with very little sleep, but he keeps positive. All we can do is send motivating letters / packages. The hardest part is realizing that the Navy owns him now, he's made a great choice in life and for his future, keep being that busy, super proud Navy Mom!! 

[Bandit1998]

My grandson is serving aboard the submarine USS Buffalo.  He is currently underway for his first time.  Don't know for how long, but am anxious to hear how he likes it knowing he is underwater.  He was really excited about going.  When he got to Hawaii on Nov 15, his boat was on deployment so he had to wait awhile for it to come in so he could meet everyone.  He said they were all a great bunch.  I just know he is going to love being in the Navy and seeing the world as he serves his country.  I wish he could have attended the Pearl Harbor Dec 7th celebration this year.  He would have been so very proud. 

[Kim]

Email is the best way to communicate when they are underway.  Sometimes it is taken away for security reasons, but they still receive emails from you.  If you are on the ombudsman's list you will receive emails when that happens. 

"No news is good news".  They will contact you right away if something major is wrong with your sailor.

I will share 2 stories:

1.  My sons ship underway.  A mom on N4Ms had a heart attach.  She posted that she was worried that her son would find out through facebook in port.  I emailed my sailor.  He is bad at answering my emails.  But, he immediately went to the Chief Mess.  The captain was informed and that sailor was on a special satellite phone with his mom within the hour.

2.  Another underway.  There was a 'man overboard'.  Procedure is outgoing emails are stopped during the search.  The captain sent an email to the Ombudsman and she forwarded to us the information and that the family was informed.  We communicated on N4M and facebook page for the ship.  The mom of the missing sailor posted that their family was visited by the navy within hours.  The ending was sad.  The family kept in touch online and setup a way for us to watch the funeral online.   A N4M that I knew from a previous ship that my son was on lived in the same town.  She attended the funeral and gave the parents a hug from all of us.

[Bandit1998]

That is so sad to hear.  It just goes to show that being in the Navy means being a member of a FAMILY and if anyone in that family is hurting, the rest of us hurt also.

It is nice to know that the Mom who had the heart attack got to talk to her son before he found out some other way.  Hope she is doing well.

[Bandit1998]

I am new to the Navy.  My grandson just finished his schooling and is now proudly serving in Honolulu aboard the USS Buffalo, SSN 715.  How do I contact that ombudsman to get on the list?  

[Anti M]

You can contact her on Facebook.  Usually the sailor will need to verify the relationship, for security purposes.

https://www.facebook.com/ussbuffalo.ombudsman?fref=ts

[LLS]

Thank you everyone for your love, prayers, support and responses. GO NAVY!!!