Sub Moms

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Comment by Laurie7 on March 17, 2010 at 12:19pm

Rhonda8881, my son's at Pearl Harbor too (and very possibly was in sub school with your son). My son is tight-lipped too, and they really should be given their duties. I know it is frustrating to not know what is going on, but us not knowing everything keeps them safer as well as other ships and subs. Just more reason for us Moms to be proud of our sailors. And chances are he doesn't have a lot of time to spend money...

Comment by DebbieRaq (Proud Sailor Mom) on March 16, 2010 at 10:46pm

I would like to know what to expect for BESS graduation? My son hasn't said too much about it and it is coming up in April.

Comment by Rhonda8881 on March 16, 2010 at 7:38pm

JLK,

I hope your son is more forthcoming than mine is. He doesn't tell us much of anything! Although he did tell us when his graduation was at the end of Sub School. Since he has been at Pearl Harbor he says he can't tell us much, you know, silent service, etc. I think he uses that as an excuse to not let us know what he is doing with his money!!! LOL

Good Luck to your son.

Comment by JLK on March 15, 2010 at 4:11pm

Thanks for the information everyone!! He said it was not a big deal, but you know how it is to miss anything important going on in the lives of our children. Hopefully I will be able to go for the final graduation. Thanks again.

Comment by Kaye S. on March 14, 2010 at 4:01pm

This post isn't prompted by any person, it's just me passing along a news article sent to me by my son's command. Sometimes we get tired of hearing the OPSEC (Operations Security) guidelines, but there's always someone new in the crowd who hasn't. Click here for the article's site.

Terror Threats Prompt Navy to Be More Tight-Lipped on Ship Movements
By Ed Friedrich, Kitsap Sun
Posted January 22, 2010 at 8:56 p.m.

BREMERTON —
Normally the Navy gives a heads-up before an aircraft carrier comes or goes so locals can view the spectacle. It’s not much time. Maybe a day. The short notice is meant to safeguard the ship’s movements. But when the USS Abraham Lincoln departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Jan. 13 after a nine-month overhaul, ship officials asked to keep it quiet until they were under way.

“We’re being really careful and not announcing our exact departure or arrival times,” spokesman Lt. Cmdr. William Marks said. The extra caution stems from recent online terrorist threats directed at the Navy. The group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which has been linked to the Christmas Day airliner bomb plot, posted one of them on Dec. 29. It called on Muslims to gather information about Navy ships at sea, how they’re serviced during deployment, whether there are nuclear weapons on board, and about their crews and families.

“Now with the help of God, every American naval vessel in the seas and oceans — aircraft carriers, submarines, and all of its war machines within range of al-Qaida — will be destroyed,” the post stated.

Lt. Nate Christensen, from the Navy’s Office of Information, wouldn’t comment Thursday, but he said earlier statements attributed to him are accurate. “The Navy has been aware of the al-Qaida threats since discovery on Dec. 31, 2009,” he was quoted saying in the Jan. 8 in the Washington Times. He said the Naval Criminal Investigative Service circulated information about the threat throughout the Navy.

Lt. Cmdr. Cindy Fields, spokeswoman for the John C. Stennis, said the ship wasn’t under heightened security, and that information about the aircraft carrier leaving Bremerton on Wednesday could have been made public the usual day ahead of time. “Generally we don’t put out information about ship movements until 24 hours and we still don’t discuss specific times,” she said. “We try not to advertise unless we have to. We’re always concerned about operational security.”

Submarines have never announced their movements except on special occasions.

The recent threats serve to remind sailors and their families to be careful in their communications, particularly now that posts on social networks can immediately go out to the world. “It’s important that the Navy family remain vigilant in not sharing potentially sensitive or secure information by any non-secure means — to include letters, e-mail, telephone conversations or social media,” Christensen said.

Shaun Turner, manager of the Deployment Support Program at the Fleet and Family Support Program in Washington, D.C., listed things that shouldn’t be posted on social media sites:
—Exact employment dates and return dates
—Port of call locations and dates
—Detailed mission information
—References to crew morale or personal problems
—Details of security procedures
—Information about equipment readiness
—Speculation about future operations.

“The main rule is to simply use common sense,” Turner said. “Think before you post. Anything you post on social media, including photos, is instantly available around the world. When in doubt, don’t post it.”

Comment by Christine S. on March 14, 2010 at 1:52pm

We will be at the "A" school grad in Groton on April 8th. Any other N4Ms going to go there??

Comment by siscarrie on March 13, 2010 at 10:41am

Hi everyone, my son's PIR was March 5th, he is still on hold there at GL, for some paper work on his waiver he received. He has been on hold for a week now, does anyone know how long he may be on hold there? His A school is in Groton,CT. He is so ready to leave GL, and start school.

Comment by Laura on March 12, 2010 at 5:52pm

Hi Rhonda, thanks so much for the information, especially the tip about Hartford. I never thought of that airport. We're really looking forward to getting up there and I'm so glad that it's in the summer. Kevin's PIR was in October and it was cold and rainy, ugh. Any information that you can think of would be much appreciated so if you think of something else....lay it on me, lol.

Comment by Rhonda8881 on March 12, 2010 at 5:23pm

Laura,
The graduation ceremony is nothing like PIR. When my son graduated there were 3 classes graduating that day. ET, FT and ST which came to a total of about 35 or 40 graduates. There were 2 or 3 speakers and about 50 or more family members. We sat around visiting with the graduates for about 20 minutes before it started.The entire ceremony lasted about an hour or an hour and one-half. Each class introduced each graduate and then gave awards. The awards were for 1st, 2nd and 3rd highest in class and a couple of others. Then they went back across the stage to receive their "Diploma". Then we went back to the dorm while he changed clothes and we left for the day. It is not "real" formal; some family members were wearing jeans.

We were allowed to take as many pictures as you wanted. And each sailor was made to stand still when receiving their diploma or award so "Mom" could get a picture!!!

We enjoyed our visit tremendously and were pleased with the ceremony. And it was not freezing cold at that time. My son's PIR was Dec. 8, 2006 and Sub Graduation was Oct. 11, 2007. It was much warmer at the sub school ceremony.

If you go, be sure to tour the Submarine Museum and the Submarine there. Mystic Seaport has a museum also that we went to. Can't remember where else we went. We flew into Hartford instead of Providence because it was cheaper and the drive is about the same from both. Our hotel was in New London.

If I remember anything else, I will let you know.

Comment by Laura on March 12, 2010 at 4:05pm

JKL, like you we didn't attend the BESS graduation. We also live to far away. Our son will graduate from Sub School this summer and we plan to go. Can you tell me a little about it. I'd love to have an idea ahead of time. Thanks.

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