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Angela
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- Temecula, CA
- United States
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I was recently talking to my recruiter and he said that women had to take feminine products along with them..? Is this true, I would have thought that the Navy would issue out these products...
Also, since I have read all your stories, all I plan...
I didn't read through all 19 pages of this forum, but I thought I would add what my husband left for bootcamp with, what came home, and why we didn't send some things.
1) My husband left wearing clothes he didn't want to keep (because he was told ...
No they will issue her glasses in boot camp she has to wear those glasses the whole time shes there. I would advice on waiting to send the disp contacts when shes at "A" school.
i dont kow they let me keep my skives, tooth brush and tooth paste. Anything else other than that dont take besides your wallet. They take you to buy everything your first day there.
Forgot to say..that this is the area my 21 year old daughter went in to...
Look into IS (intelligence specialist)...my daughter is shy...but strong...you can do whatever you set your mind to doing...you just have to be dedicated.
I think they were two topics..stephanie....and just got jumbled.
The nex card is issued and the money comes directly out of their paycheck..just like the uniforms etc..They will use it to get things they may need while they are there. You can pur...
Haven't been on in a while..working..and still adjusting to all the changes being thrown my way. My daugther Vanessa just completed A school and received her orders. She will be stationed in Japan. Of course that sounds exciting to a young adventu...
We have some time - next summer - before Caleb leaves but wanted clarification on something. I know they will recieve a NEX card to use and it will be taken out of their paycheck. I saw where someone suggested paying the overdraft fees or working ...
thanks for your idea, i wrote the addresses and his email info inside the front cover of his bible. and i went through our fav verses and wrote lil notes. i draw a little monkey face on all the bottoms of my letters to all my kids, and i went thro...
If my daughter has contacys will she get to keep them
AMEN!
I'm sorry I've been away and didn't read this sooner. This is a time of change for us as parents and it is very natural to grieve. I caused my own self more grief ..trying not to grieve..lol..
I agree I think when they are at college..we can talk...
Good and correct advice...this is their only connection to the outside world and the highlight of their day!
Angela
This will pass with time like most things. This forum was very helpful to me during this stage of my sailor career. Keep busy and write lots of letters...that helps both you and your child. He will be ok...
Big MOM TO MOM HUG
Angela
Being fit prior to leaving is helpful, but they will all work together daily to gain the endurance they need. They walk everywhere there so that is a begining. It is tough, but my daughter although fit is very small and she told me at the end ther...
Profile Information
- About me:
- Mother of 6 ...ages..10-28....5 boys and 1 girl...who will be shipping off to boot camp on the 20th of March.
- I am here to support or represent my:
- Son/Daughter
- Stage of (Sailor’s) Navy Career?
- Enlisted
- When I heard “Navy,” I:
- Needed to learn more about it
- Through this Navy experience, I now believe:
- It was positive and maturing. Our relationship has grown stronger.
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Comment Wall (21 comments)
- At 11:43pm on July 3, 2009,
wvmom2Kayla said… - Hello Angela, I just joined N4M. My daughter leaves on tuesday for BC. I am excited and anxious. She is trying to avoid the family right now. Her dad did the same thing right before deployments. I hope to get to know you better since you have a daughter in the Navy.
- At 11:23pm on June 3, 2009,
Hoppi aka Angie said… - Angela: LOL I read what Mary said that I can be gruff and pessimistic, LOL! I think that is funny as I do everything I can for our Sailors to get what they want :~} Sometimes my Sailors don't like it that I am so straight forward.
Congrats on your soon to be Sailor! After your Sailor PIR's if they are on hold on the boot camp base, they will not be allowed to have any items they where not issued in boot camp. So she will not be able to have cell phone, lap top, civi's, etc...
If she happens to fly out while you are here, you can meet her at the airport and give her those items.
Is that what you where looking for ?
- At 3:18pm on June 3, 2009,
Mary (Chris' mom) said… - Angela,
I hope Hoppi can give you the answers you are looking for! The bike is mine. Chris refuses to get on one, he hates them and does not like for me to ride. I've seen some pretty cool looking trikes. I agree they don't look as "bad" but if it get's you riding!... My Suzuki is an 800cc but it only weighs just over 400lbs. Now if I drop it I have to have help getting her up but just to lean in etc, that's all momentum and centrifugal force, not muscle.
You will cry when you see her at PIR...You will cry again when you say good by. I cried when I dropped Chris off on Saturday night, not knowing for sure that I would see him at the airport on Sunday. Gosh...I'm crying now thinking about it. He just looked so lonely and pitiful walking back to the barracks in the snow that night. He cried to, so if Vanessa starts crying, tell her it's normal. It may not be acceptable to a sailor but it is normal all the same. Have fun while you can though, that's the important thing.
She will have a lot to tell you and she will want to know stuff from home. It is wonderful that you are able to go. I've got to leave for class will talk later!!! Take care!
Mary
- At 11:45pm on June 1, 2009,
Mary (Chris' mom) said…
- Angela,
I'm sorry I was not clear enough about Angie. If you go to the top of the page, there is a blank search box. Just type in Hoppi and it will take you to all the discussions she has been on. You can click the picture there beside her name and it will take you to her page. Just put your questions on her page and even though you will get a message saying that she is monitoring comments, she will get back to you. She is very informative. She seems a bit gruff and pessimistic, but if you are nice in how you word your question she is actually very nice in return. Her actual job is a career counselor but she also does some overseeing of some type on one of the "ships" at GL. Good luck and I hope she can give you an answer. Just remember to tell her that V. is on hold for a few days there, not attending school at GL. It may make a difference I don't know. I think as long as she is out of bc though she is allowed to posess those things.
Mary
- At 6:58pm on May 31, 2009,
Mary (Chris' mom) said…
- Oh Angela! I know you can't wait! How has V. been doing? I was just telling a g/f earlier that it's funny how they all hate bc, but then once they are out, it's like they don't remember for several days how to make a decision on their own. They need that couple of weeks break to emotionally readjust.
I have a couple of suggestions for you. If you are not staying in Chicago until she leaves, try to get a hold of Hoppi at this website. She works at GL on the school side (not the bc side). Put a comment on her page and ask her what V. can have while she is on hold over there. She should be able to have a cell phone, iPod, and laptop if I remember correctly but that may only apply to the sailors going over there to school, I'm not sure about the ones on hold. Tell her she is going to be on hold for a few days there and then you already know from our group that she will be allowed to take those items with her to DN. She should be able to tell you about the Temp. Holding Units at GL.
As far as the grad pack/pass you have a couple of options I think. You could ride with the ex and outlaws. Call Spring Hill, I think they have a shuttle that will drop you at the gate so you would only need your ID to get into the base. They will ask for her Div. # and her name and they will check you off on the grad list. You show ID and walk on. It is a few blocks walk to do it that way but it's all level sidewalks. (I suppose, it was 6 inches of snow when Chris PIR'd) But if you go that route then you'd have to take a shuttle back to Spring Hill to get a car to go anywhere. You may have anywhere from an hour to a few hours to wait for her or come back and pick her up because she will have to get her seabag at her ship and get checked out of the bc side, go across the street to the school side and get checked in over there before she can leave for the afternoon/evening. You can also see if there is anyone else at the PIR site that you could ride with from Spring Hill Suites. I'm almost certain there will be someone else from that group staying there. As I said the pass is merely to get the car on the base. For you personally, you only need ID and to have your name on her list or someone's list.
A mom from Texas and her husband did not want to drive from the Navy Lodge in the snow so we picked them up and took them in our vehicle. Another mom was in a similar situation as you but she and her ex did not get along at all so Chris added her and her husband to his guest list so they could get on base but they took a shuttle to the base. I'm pretty sure she stayed at Spring Hill also. I'll call her and see.
Do check with Hoppi (aka Angie) on her page about the electronics, so she can at least have her cell phone those days she is on hold. That will make you and her both feel a lot better. If not then get back with me and I'll give the addy at the school so you can ship them the same day she leaves GL and she will have them by the end of the week. :)
Have a great evening and enjoy planning your wonderful weekend!!! Keep us posted pleeease!
Hugs,
Mary
- At 8:14am on May 9, 2009,
Mary (Chris' mom) said…
- Angela,
Your husband is right, your letters will get to her but use the address that she put on her most recent letter. Your letters will get to her faster by using that one. There are a few reasons why she may not respond the way you anticipated.
Chris was never, and now is not again, big on writing letters but in bc that's where they draw a lot of their strength. Usually in the first couple of weeks they "find religion" and do a lot of soul searching. As they become a part of the Navy family they take on a certain kind of "distance" and if Angela goes into one of the Intelligence field it will get a little worse by the time she gets out of school. Her RDC may also be holding back the letters until Sundays when she has time to read them and time to write back. Some RDCs will not have mail call because a few are not following orders. At bc if one misbehaves, they are all punished. That's the way it is. It teaches team work, self discipline, and reliance on the Navy to provide everything for them.
She may not have had time to read them either or it may be that she is so involved in everything going on there that she just wants to let you know about her. Also by the time they get to her and she writes back is often a two to three week time lapse. During her next letter she may address some of your comments. Believe me, if she was expecting letters and did not get any she would let you know. Chris found it very hard to respond to everyone with so little time. He wrote to me all but one week. That week, he sent very short notes to grandparents and friends who had written to him while he was there. I also told him not to write the last week that he was there because I would not get it until after I had left for PIR. I told him to take that day to rest up for battle stations.
Save all the things that were sent back in the box as she will be able to have them after she gets to school. I'm glad you became proactive about venting the frustration that we all feel when we open the "kid in a box". I believe that was one of my hardest days while Chris was at GL (of course Christmas was really the hardest). My FedEx driver does not even deliver my packages now. Nowadays, he puts them on the porch, knocks on the door, and then runs! lol He does not want to see me cry again! lol
Now that Vanessa has written to you, you will probably get a letter from her each week. It's not guaranteed but usually around week 4-5 they sometimes get a call home for a few minutes. If her division does very well on an exam or drill or inspection then they may earn an extra phone call. Chris' division had some real hard nose characters and he only got to call home if it involved his security clearances. After battle stations he was able to call for about 20 minutes and then found a few minutes later to call one grandmother for about 10 minutes. Oh and he did get the five minute call on Christmas Day.
Your daughter will learn a lot about herself as she goes through bc. You helped to instill those values and virtues in her that will help her to stand out among the others. I'm glad she was chosen for color guard. Chris would have loved to have done that but he did not know he had to talk to his recruiter to get into the 900 division. The one joy of being a female at bc! It's an almost automatic thing for them to go into a perfoming division. But great for her for color guard! Go Vanessa!!!! Have a good day and keep us posted.
Navy Hugs,
Mary
- At 8:42am on May 8, 2009,
Mary (Chris' mom) said…
- Angela, How's it going for you? Are you getting to hear from Vanessa about once a week? Maybe you will get your grad pack this week? If you have any questions about the grad pack, let me know. As with anything in the Navy nothing is etched in stone until they are on the plane but the grad packs seem to be pretty accurate. There will be a paper that has her name and Division number on the outside and it says something about invitation to graduation. One of the first things inside it is a basic schedule for Friday. Under the schedule for the weekend there will be a paragraph and it may start out like, "Division leaves Sunday", if you see that, then she is not grad and go unless there is a last minute change in plans. From what I was told during our training groups discussions was that if they were grad and go then the weekend schedule only showed a Friday schedule and underneath it said, "This division is Grad and Go". So far, I've only heard of two IS folks being Grad and Go. As I said nothing is etched in stone as you will find out.
My son's orders at the beginning of C school were to go to DC. This week, they changed his orders and told him he is going to S. Korea after C school. Tell her to make sure she hangs onto ALL written orders, contracts, guarantees, etc. They work with them whenever it is possible but remember the order of the day is national security and what the Navy needs right then.
It will all come together and will be fine. From what I understand, everyone who has gone to IS school loves the job and she will have a choice in subspecialty so that helps too. Good luck and we look forward to you being in the IS moms discussions too.
Mary
- At 4:07pm on April 29, 2009,
Mary (Chris' mom) said…
- Angela, Are you doning better now? I know you still miss her, possibly even more than last week, it will get better by the end of bc. Have you gotten any "extra" calls, like for names, addresses or such for clearances. That was the one time I was glad Chris was unorganized. He was told to make a call home twice because of his security clearance stuff. Feel free to rant any time you wish. I know how it all is. Keep her makeup etc. She will be able to use most all of it when she gets to school.
Have a good day and I hope you find some peace with the situation soon.
{{Navy Hugs}}
Mary
- At 8:46am on April 23, 2009,
Mary (Chris' mom) said…
- Angela,
I went through all that when Chris left. So many things I wish we had done before he took off. Now that he is almost finished with school I can look forward to trying to do one or two more things with him while he is home on leave. It will get easier once she gets to school and has her cell phone, laptop, iPod, etc. She is going to Dam Neck right? I believe I got her confused with one of the guys who is going for CT training at Monterey after BC. I'm sorry. I did not mean to confuse you. We also welcome in the Cryptology folks as their rating is similar.
V. will progress quickly if she is going to Dam Neck. It's a small base, almost nothing but training going on there and the sailors and folks who instruct and support the students. The food is crappy there. She will love the food at Great Lakes (she will get tired of the eggs for breakfast). My son goes to the commissary and buys groceries to make quick meals in the barracks. He still has to pay out for the galley but says it's worth it to not have to eat the food. Look forward as much as possible to her going to school and beyond. Boot camp is so emotionally draining for the entire family. Take one day at a time, only worry about that day. Don't feel guilty about having some fun while she is gone because it will give you something to write to her about and might make her laugh or smile.
She is a beautiful girl (I saw her pic up there) and needs to smile at boot camp. Keep sending the letters so she knows she is loved, there are many who go through boot camp never getting even one letter from home. Tell her little things that are going on in the world so she does not feel so isolated and "out of the loop" when she gets out of basic. (They are not allowed TV, music or any entertainment while at bc) Newspaper clippings of national events, and world events are good too. Especially when our sailors are fighting pirates, going into Iraq, and other areas. It's good to keep them informed. Sports scores are also good to send. Events from her high school or church so she keeps up with friends. By the time you get all that stuff together a couple of times each week, the weeks will fly by. (Not really, but it helps)
I have a class this afternoon so I've got to get off here and get my unemployment signed in for this week. Feel free to drop in on me anytime with any concerns. Have a wonderful day Angela.
Navy Hugs,
Mary
- At 1:23am on April 22, 2009,
Mary (Chris' mom) said…
- Angela, I'm sorry I'm so very late getting back to you. Today was my birthday and I had company over for dinner and then we went to find ice cream for desert but everything was already closed. I got back on and one of our moms who has not been feeling well seemed to us to be a bit worse today so I got tied up in trying to call a few others to see if anyone had her number so she could be checked on. It turns out that no one does so we can only pray she will be alright.
I'm so sorry your son may have a difficult time with the transition of your daughter enlisting. It is not easy on anyone and especially younger children. Just think how he will beam with pride though, the first time he gets to show a picture of her in her uniform, to someone. Try to help him understand that what she is training to do, is VERY important.
Another Mom told me when Chris first left for GL that it is much like the grieving process following a death. There will be times of uncertainty, times of resentment, times of guilt, and times of utter loneliness, but it will get better. I'm not sure that it ever gets easier (if so, I can't wait for that time) but it does get better. Believe me, boot camp really IS worse on the family than the recruit.
She may cry every time she calls home or she may never cry. My son cried every time he got ready to hang up, especially Christmas Day, but I usually started crying when I would see the number on the caller ID! They truly are kept so busy that they don't have a lot of time for dwelling on it. They will also talk amongst themselves and in the process release a lot of emotion.
I thought they might would kill my son because he's always been so scrawny but he has actually gained 16 pounds since mid November! The next hard part for you will be "the box". It's as though someone tore your heart out to open it and find your kid but no kid in it. I believe my FedEx dude thought he had brought me an urn full of cremains. I saw Chris' writing and started crying before he even handed the box to me. Hmmm..I've not seen that driver in a few months!
You will begin to find humor in things that she says about boot camp. If you've not done it already there was a discussion about "letters from boot camp" at one of the boot camp pages. Some of them are hilarious. When you feel down, go read a few of them. You'll be crying from laughing so hard.
Your daughter will be going to Monterrey or P'cola/Cory Station for "A" school? Most of our folks went to Dam Neck for school (IS rating). The ratings are very different and yet the characteristics of the ratings are very similar. One of our Moms (Anna) had thought many years ago about re-enlisting as a Crypt, but decided to get out and have a family instead of re-enlisting.
I know I've gotten wordy (as usual for me) but I do want you to know that you are welcome at our group and we will do our utmost to comfort you and help you any way we can. Take care and I hope to hear from you soon. Keep us posted as you get letters or those rare but so special calls. G'night.
Mary
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