Welcome to NavyDads Sandy! 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 she 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 just returned from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and my daughter Kat returned last fall from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). And Sandy this is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Molly is doing!

As a parent of a sailor currently or soon to be at Great Lakes you'll have many questions about what your daughter is going through. Thanks to one of our members we have two excellent videos that you can access from the Video area on the NavyDads.com main page: New Bootcamp 1 of 2 and New Bootcamp 2 of 2. These videos will answer many of your questions and concerns and will give you a better understanding of how the United States Navy transforms our children into sailors!

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 sailor's PIR more enjoyable.

Finally, when you get a chance please be sure to check out the Daughters and Their Dads group. It is a great place for us to brag about our girls. And Sandman---- thank you for your service and sacrifice for our great country. Best Regards- Paul

Sandy, Welcome Aboard! I found navyformoms in searching for answers to my son's future. I just knew there 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. I hope this site benefits you and your family throughout your daughters journey in the Navy. Thank Molly for her service for me and yours as well. Thanks again for joining us.
Sincerely, EG

Welcome, Sandy. Thank Molly for serving her country for me. My daughter is a CTI. There is a group for cryptology techs you may want to join.

Tony

I know this is kinda off-topic Sandy, but This is a Link to an article my daughter Kat wrote for the Lincoln's paper about efforts to bring some closure to some Vietnam vet families....the effort continues to bring them all home.

Sandy - I read your post on boot camp group and noticed your daughter is in the 900 division. You'll want to find out what the title is that she referred to. My son Dan was AROC - assistance recruit petty officer in charge of 907 in January. This role had him calling the cadence as they marched, get the lines and ranks "dressed", etc....the stuff you mentioned. When we got to PIR we were shocked to find him and the RPOC and one other guy out in front of the entire assembly of 1000 sailors, and he was the one hollering out the orders to line up the 10 divisions. It was an incredible experience for us - one I'll never forget.

Hi Sandy - I saw your post on the Boot Camp Group. My daughter went in on June 8 and is also a CTR. We got two calls from her last week: one for some background check information, and the other on Friday. On Friday, she said she had passed her swim test and some initial phase of security clearance, so she got to make a 5 minute phone call. Luckily, I was on afternoons and was home when she called at about 9 am, as were my wife and younger daughter. It was nice to hear that she seems to be doing ok - it made us feel better and not worry so much. She did sound "quieter" than when she left. She confirmed that her PIR is Jully 31 (Division 267). Anyway, with our daughters just 2 weeks apart in time, and in the same rating, it will be interesting to compare notes. Mark

Sandy - that makes sense. Danny's division was the "staff" division. You probably know this, but at each PIR, they usually have the 900 divisions from the graduating class as well as the next two classes perform....and they rotate it so there are three sets of responsibilities, one set performed by each of the three respective 900 divisions. The split is something like "staff", band/chorus and rifles/flags - or something roughly like that. Bottom line is your daughter was selected for the 900 division - then selected as the second in command of that group of 90 sailors. She has something the Navy likes. PIR is a thrill - and worth the heartache of missing your kid for the 8 weeks of bootcamp.

Sandy - My wife received a nice 20 minute call from Karen today on her cell phone. She was at work but able to take the call. I guess she tried to call me, too, but the call didn't go through. (I have to drive through a cell phone dead spot.) Anyway, she said she is doing great in her PT, and carries a flag at the front of her group when they march. She said she'll get to carry it during PIR also. She said she's adapting fine, and life there is getting easier. She's in week 4 of BC, and is looking forward to the start of weapons training this week. We also got some letters last Wednesday, which was great! She loves getting mail and pictures. She said she's only be singled out for "yelling" once - for having pineapple on her fork! Not sure what that's about, but she seems to have retained her sense of humor, which made us feel better. We haven't heard any more about security checks or anything, but I know that's coming at some point. I've got to reserve our lodging for PIR this week. Best wishes to you and Molly. BTW, we're Cardinal fans despite our proximity to Chicago. Some years I have to take guff from the Cub fans, but most years... NOT!

Karen's PIR is July 31. Molly's is a week or two prior, if I remember correctly. I don't have any idea how often the CTR classes start up, but it seems possible they might be together.

Sandy,

My Son KD is in DIV 836 PIR 24JUL. We're flying in late PM 22JUL.

Regards,

M

My Son is in div 936 and grads on 7/24. He plays the Tuba. We're arriving on 7/23 around 2pm. 2 weeks to go

I have a daughter grad on 7/24/ 09 she 255 division ship 03 she been on ship staff for about 2 or 3 weeks now .she pass her test but fell the firing range test on 9mm. pass on the shotgun she on
g-n-g I will see her in Gulfport went she get there Hope they all pass So the Dads can see there
baby ( Both of my got wrap around there finger) girls got away to do that to dads

I so agree with you, there should be no politics on this site. Navy4Moms completely did away with political and religious groups. Of course, some people are complaining about free speech but you've got the whole internet to do that. This should be about our sailors.

Thank you so much for your service. You must be so proud of your daughter!

Hi Sandy, Chicago is going well, unless you want a menu with healthy options (snicker,snicker). They know how to tie on the feedbag here. If the weather holds we're doing a night cruise to shoot some architecture and watch a weekly fireworks show. Yes, she's a cutie. She just sent me her new address in P-cola and said she might be there longer than anticipated due to waiting to "Class up". I thought of doing the same as you and taking her car to her but she wants to fly back to visit with friends also. She has a pretty big church family that's waiting to see her. BTW, my Uncle John was a Tunnel Rat in 'Nam. Scary stories there! I have a couple of photo's of the choir that I need to clean-up a little and then I'll forward them to you. I'm not sure if Molly is in there or not. Most of the time their back was to my section.

I couldn't agree more. Most of Holly's "A School" is safety training and such. It's only 4 or 5 weeks long. According to Holly they use OJT to teach them how to work a carrier deck. Being a greenshirt is a tough job but I don't think it takes all of the high tech training that other jobs require. Holly said she plans on being a career sailor but if she does decide to get out when her enlistment is up (8 years) Industrial Safety is very good speciality to have. The refinery where I work has quite a few people in that job and it's a pretty sweet (And well paying) gig.

We still haven't heard anything more as far as Karen's background check or interviews with neighbors or anything. Have you?

Hi Sandy. Yes, we're heading up tomorrow as soon as I get home from work. We'll probably leave here at around 5:30 or 6. Karen has passed everything now except her Battle Stations, which starts in about 20 minutes. We'll probably get our call while we're on our way up to GL. Karen is absolutely thrilled at this point - she's just loving the Navy. It's thrilling for me to read her letters and know she's so happy. I think she's happier right now than she's ever been. It's just great! I just got off the phone with my dad giving him an update on her progress. I'm trying to work it out so that he can meet us for lunch on Saturday or Sunday in Chicago. He lives in NW Indiana, near my sister- and brother-in-law. They're going to drive up one day for lunch with us, and I'm hoping he can hitch a ride with them. He's 90 years old and a WWII vet (bomber mechanic in the South Pacific). He exchanged letters with Karen during BC a couple of times and is really proud of her. I know he would get a big kick out of seeing her in uniform.

Sandy - Karen called last night to say she leaves for Pensacola early tomorrow morning. We were hoping for another call tonight, but haven't received it. I posted some pictures on my page from the weekend. We have a family picture we took on the wall there at the train station, very similar to yours. PIR was awesome, and the whole weekend was just great. We did get to have lunch with my dad at one of the famous pizza places in Chicago on Sunday. Karen's best friend from BC was alone because her family had already left for home, so she went along which was great. We got to hear double the BC stories, and it was nice to learn how much the sailors in their division looked after one another. Karen is really pumped about starting A school. I hope she doesn't have to wait so long for classes to start that she loses her enthusiasm. I've watched some of the posts on the Pensacola A School group, so I'm aware that there may be long delays. We haven't heard anything more on security clearance, so I guess that's still to come. Anyway, Karen should arrive down there tomorrow morning sometime. Once she calls with address info I'll let you know.

Oh, and you were right. She was very emotional after BS. That was on the 30th, which was her 19th birthday. She became a sailor on her birthday! A better present than I could ever give her.

Just wanted to say howdy you have a real cool home page and welcome home.

Rex

HOOAH !!

That is a great idea. My son as well will be going to Pensacola. Did your sailor get time over the weekend to spend with the family before shipping off?