Welcome to NavyDads Rick! I'm sure you'll find the site as fun and useful as I have. Explore and make some friends, add your comments to a discussion or two, read the postings in the various groups-- even start one or two. I have! If you have any questions or concerns about your sailor and what he is going through...ask! I'm sure someone here will have the answer or can point you in the right direction to find out. I'm lucky enough to have two sailors- my son Eric is almost two months into a seven-month cruise on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and my daughter Kat just returned from her seven-month cruise on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). And Rick this is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Phillip is doing!

Be sure to spend some time in the Bootcamp group- there are many questions and answers available to help you understand what your sailor is going through. And as PIR draws closer, be sure to spend some time going through the PIR-Tips, Hints and Helps group- we’ve tried to assemble some tips and suggestions to make your sailors PIR more enjoyable. Best Regards- Paul

Rick-- be sure to spend some quality time in the Bootcamp group reading the various posts. The first three weeks at Great Lakes is a totally different world for your son and you'll be stressing about not hearing from him....that is totally normal...and you'll have to deal with the "box" when it arrives...and teh various moods, etc.. There are a lot of folks at NavyDads that can give you advice about what is going to go on...avail yourself of the members and if you ahve concerns or questions, be sure to ASK!

Rick, Welcome Aboard!. I found navyformoms in searching for answers to my son's future. I just knew their had to be a site for dads like n4m's but I was wrong. So I started this site so us dads would also have a place to call home. I'm new at this and I hope this site will benefit fathers that come behind us. So jump right in share concerns, join groups, share info, and show off your sailor. I'm so glad to find out their are so many proud navy dads just like myself. Thank your son for his service for me and thanks again for joining. Sincerely, EG

Be sure to watch the videos: New Bootcamp 1 of 2 and New Bootcamp 2 of 2 (links on Main page)....it'll give you a very good understanding of what your sailor is going through....thanks to Ron for adding those awhile ago!!

Congrats- you've started a journey that will be educational and transformational. You've received "the call"- don't expect to hear anything now for a couple of weeks....it's a tough time for parents, and when you do hear again your sailor may sound somewhat down--- typical.

Your recruiter should have his division number for you...once you get that start writing!!!! And keep writing.....it's a lifeline to home. There's tons of links and helps on NavyDads...explore....also some in Daughters and Their Dads.....and remember, a bunch of us have been through this...myself twice! Use the site to answer your questions and concerns.........Paul

I've added a link on the Main Page under Helpful Links to Great Lakes RTC Division Addresses so you can start mailing those letters to your sailor.

Rick my son just gradutate from GL and during his time he got one phone call 15 minutes about 3 weeks into and we got another call after battlestaions about 20 minutes and that was it. He told me that the RDC's they had told them that making phone calls home made them week and he didn't believe in giving them. I hope your child's RDC has a different attitude

Waiting for the first real phone call is hard but, when you get it you will never leave your phone… you will be hoping for the second call. The call is like a drug, a good drug... I ended up forwarding all the calls from the home phone to my cell phone every time I left the house (don’t tell my wife, she thought I was being stronger than her).

Our son is in Pensacola now. He started A school last week. In some ways it is easier. He has his cell phone and he can call when he wants to, for the most part. We are hoping to have him home for Christmas but as of yet we don’t have travel dates for him… so tickets are getting harder to get…. So in some ways it is harder (and hard for him to, school is fast an furious).

As for going into Philips room, it took a long time before my wife or I could go in our son’s room, both of our boys left within a few weeks (one for the navy and one for college). It truly is a grieving process. To give you an idea: my son put a “shrine” on his bed, things that had special meaning to him, things he linked with the family and good times at home… to this day it is still undisturbed…

All I can tell you is it will be a ride, high highs and low lows, but keep in mind he is safe and well cared for. He will have some bumpy time but keep positive in front of him and support him and he will be fine. I think it is the constant unknown that is hard on mom and dad. I can say we learned to pray harder than we ever have before…