Navy Daughters and their Dads

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Comment by Scott Karneth on September 24, 2013 at 9:41am

HooYah indeed!!! Congrats Jason! It seems like just last week when I got that call. And now I am heading to San Antonio for my '"little girl's" graduation from A-School! Soak it all in and enjoy the moments!

Comment by Jason Wagner on September 23, 2013 at 5:29pm

Got the call! She's a Sailor! HooYah! She sounded amazing. Was so grown up. She said there is no doubt she did the right thing by enlisting into the Navy. She was so proud of herself, she didn't know how to express it. *big sigh* Now, onto PIR and then A-School. Such a great day!

Comment by Jason Wagner on September 12, 2013 at 11:42am

Got 2 letters from Savannah yesterday! They as a Division are doing very well on their inspections and their tests. They now have 2 flags and once they have completed their Divisional flag she will be the Stick to carry it. In addition to the flags, they have earned a Pennant for their Scholar flag. She LOVES being Stick!! She said their Chief is very proud of their accomplishments and how they are coming together/along. They did the Marlinspike (not sure which day) and did well in that. She said Hell week wasn't really hell, just ridiculously busy but that she had fun going through it. Also said that live fire for weapons training was awesome and that the PT has been easy for her (she called it her bit*h). She's working with a shipmate, who is actually the same rate as Savannah, to help them with their PT score. She's getting to church if she's not standing watch, her favorite things at basic are sleeping and the chow, and her least favorite is the bickering that still goes on. She sounded REALLY good in the letters. One of them was a "questionnaire" that we wrote and sent for her to fill out and send back. She wrote little comments all over it giving us additional info on the questions was answering. One of the questions was "In regards to boot camp I feel that I am doing: a), b), c), and d) was "I own this mutha" - she circled D. Man, it was so good to hear from her! 15 and a wake up!!

Comment by Ric Pallson on September 7, 2013 at 1:15am

Same here - but 5 + years ago. After PIR - and after Power School -- she just wanted to chill out and eat not-navy food and maybe walk along the beach.
I've kept all her hand-written letters from that early Navy time.
Now, if she re-enlists, she'll be one of those instructors at A-school or another specialty school, helping other guys daughters learn how to live and prosper in the Navy.
What goes around comes around.
I'll never forget the stress - on her family - and her - during that first year.
But now -- it was all very much worth it.

Comment by Chris H. on September 6, 2013 at 3:25pm

Our daughter wanted to do the same things after PIR.  Eat, sleep and catch up with emails and friends via her cell and laptop.  No "Navy" talk - she'd already had eight weeks of that.  Remember, too, they will have instructions about when/if they have to report/call for instructions, they're to be accompanied at all times, etc., etc.  And "being" is a nice thing, especially if you can sleep in a real bed.  LOL!

Comment by Thomas Mazzaccaro on September 6, 2013 at 3:17pm

After PIR we had all kinds of plans, but all our daughter wanted to do was have sushi for lunch then go back to our hotel where she could put on an old pair of sweat pants and a favorite t-shirt that we brought for her and talk to her friends from home on her laptop.  I think I remember she even took a short nap before she had to get back to the base for her watch.

Comment by Jason Wagner on September 6, 2013 at 2:25pm

Hey Bill - thanks man. Good heads up on the skype'ing and great tip for graduation weekend. I remember that feeling. Especially when I went back home on leave for the first time. Everybody wanted to do stuff and go places. I wanted to sit on the couch and just, "be". Thanks again.

Comment by Bill Jimenez on September 6, 2013 at 1:18pm

Jason, I so remember where you are right now. Going into hell week I had no idea how my daughter would handle it, and she came through it with flying colors. Still, every day was stressful for me wondering and not hearing. Even so, she did so well I was stressing over nothing. I also understand your feelings about doing "family" things without her. Took a while before we could do that, and then this past weekend, with Cassie in A School, we did something foolish...we skyped her in to a family party. She was able to see and speak with everyone but it made her really homesick so I felt bad afterwards.

Recommendation for graduation...a lot of the kids got really overwhelmed off base. Lunch was fine but then we went to the big mall in the area and the noise and colors, etc were too much. They just seemed to want to go someplace quiet to share time with the family before going back to base.

Comment by Jason Wagner on September 6, 2013 at 12:00pm

continued from below - I'd rather her write a quick few sentences and then get back to business, than take a bunch of time trying to accomplish the impossible task of updating me on everything she's done. She'll be able to to that when we see her in a couple of weeks at  graduation. I'd rather her better herself and her division. 

I'm so glad she has her priorities straight also. Even as busy as she is, with all that she has to do, she put God first by making time for church on Sunday, then she honored her family by writing us that quick note, and then she got to work. 

I am so proud of her and the woman she is becoming. And watching this all unfold, makes my heart ache even more. I miss her terribly, and I hurt into my core this week. But I know, that where she goes, God has great plans for her, and that by being her father, I was able to be a part of those plans. And with that, it is well.

Thanks for listening, guys. 

Comment by Jason Wagner on September 6, 2013 at 11:53am

Got a letter from Savannah yesterday. That was great b/c it's been a rough week not having her around. This past long weekend was weird doing family things without her. We went to the movies with our son and when I bought tickets online, I was at the "review order" section before I realized I was about to purchase 4 tickets when we only needed 3! I had to laugh, but it just made me realize how ingrained she is into my soul. There has been a couple of other little things during this week that we have done for the first time without her and it just kind of brought back how real this really is. I know that this will come and go for the next few years, (my Dad told me that my Mom STILL has a rare moment about me leaving and I left 23 years ago!) but right now, man, has it been a rough week.

So needless to say, I was really looking forward to getting mail from her this week. I ran to the mailbox yesterday, and when I saw only one letter (we got 4 from her the week prior), my heart sank! Then, when i opened it up and it was all of about 6 sentences, I felt like I had just got punched....

BUT, and this is a big but (heh, heh, I can only think of the movie Despicable Me with the Minions on the copier, giggling and saying, "Butt"...someday I may actually grow up), BUT, in this letter, it was quality, not quantity, and for that, I am thankful. Here is the letter: 

"Hey Mom, Dad, and Ethan, I'm sorry but I really don't have time to write. I love you all more than everything. I have to go. Church was good today. My boots are shiny *smiley face*. Hell week is next week. Rev @ 4, Taps @ 8. Should be good. My ankle still sorta hurts but I'm off LLD and I'm doing good. No pain no gain. Love Savannah - Sorry for the short letter"

We totally read this that she is doing fine. She rolled her ankle getting out of the top bunk a few weeks ago. She was trying to gut it out but the swelling wouldn't go down so she went to medical and was put on LLD on 26/8, and was removed from LLD 29/8. We were/are very proud that she tried to gut it out originally, but had the guts to go to medical when she knew it wasn't getting better, and now that she is gutting it out. Unless it was something that she really bought into, she's always been a person who, when things get difficult or she is met with adversity, she has a tendency to back off. That does not seem to be the case here so we are proud that she seems committed to this and is giving it her all. And in telling us about Hell week, and that it "should be good"?! Holy crap, who's kid is this! It was good to hear her say things like that. It let us know she is having "fun".

We love the fact that she is making time for church. Our faith is a pretty big thing in our house. We by no means are perfect, but that's what makes our faith in God and his love so important. But the community of our church is also huge, and we are glad that she is carving the time out of her ridiculously busy schedule, to meet with a church community.

Her comment about the boots stems from me giving her spit shining tips in my letters to her. Spending 8 years in the Marine Corps taught me a thing or two about shining boots. So, that was her way of letting Dad know that she "heard" him and that she's got it covered. Again, I had to smile.

I know, from boot camp experience, that if she doesn't have time to write, it's because she is prepping, studying, helping, practicing, and is basically just being determined and committed to what she is doing. And for that, I am so incredibly proud of her and I completely understand that any letters we may get from this point will probably be to the same tune. Heck, that's assuming she DOES write any more. And honestly, I'm ok with that. - to be continued

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