Clay, Welcome Aboard!

My son is an ABE aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in San Diego, Ca. and my family and I couldn't be prouder of him. When he first enlisted 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. I hope this site benefits you and your family throughout your daughters journey in the Navy. Thank Angela for her service for me and thanks again for joining us.

Sincerely, EG

My son is a CTN3 (comp. geek) depending on her rate she may see little or no ship duty. As a CTN it's pretty much a shore based function as the deal primarily with network security, atleast thats about all I can be told. My son is stationed outside of P'cola Fl and he hasn't complained about not dealing with our lovely Lake Erie snow machine at all.

I am betting they will get the time to march around it. I am just glad I didn't have to go to my son's PIR (BC Grad) during the winter.

yeah but I will , induct date of dec 2 9 weeks after is butt cold..... cant they televise? ;)

Welcome to NavyDads Clay! I'm sure you'll find the site as fun, useful, and educational as I have. Explore the site 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 certainly 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 in the family - my son Eric (AM3) recently returned from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and my daughter Kat (MC3) returned last fall from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). And Clay this is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Angela is doing! We do ask that you remember that we talk about the Navy here and we must keep the security and safety of our sailors in mind at all times. On the right side of every NavyDads page is an area we call About This Site. Please take a minute and read through the Operations Security (OPSEC) link and the NavyDads Guidelines link.

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! In the Navy Bootcamp group is a discussion called "A MUST READ for All New Navy Parents". I would suggest you take a few mintues to read through this post as it will do a lot to give you some understanding about what your sailor is learning and why.

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 stop by the NavyDads offical store- Navyoutfitters.com. Show your support for NavyDads by wearing the latest in NavyDads attire. Best Regards- Paul

Which computer field is she going into? My son is a CTN3 and is currently getting ready to "suffer" through another winter in P'cola, FL while we shovel and drive thru lake effect snow falls ................ LOL!

Hang in there Clay, I'm sure the first call you get in about three weeks will be of how much she loves and misses your family.. Tell your wife to gets some rest. Staying up will not change anything. She will need all the strength she has to get thru the emotional roller coaster. There is a light at the end of the tunnel (honest) and it does get better. Were all in the same boat of har to let go of our baby's that are now adults.

Good Afternoon Clay... How have you been? Have you got a letter yet from her? Most of us received ours this week ~ let us know~ :)

be sure to read through Richter's posts (click here) to see that this isn't unsual....she'll make it, you just have to help her be positive and see that the end isn't so far away!!!

Clay,
Send your daughter a B-day card, just make sure it doesn't have music, no glitter or tinsle that will fall out when they open it. I have made some homemade cards and sent them. They can have them but we just don't want to draw any extra attention to them with the music etc. Even if its late she would love to get a card. Mail one tomorrow so the Holiday mail service doesn't delay it anymore. Good luck our prayers are with you and your family

Hey Clay ~ My daughter has been sending our son cards about once a week ~ she makes them in school, and I print them. Nothing Hallmark-ish.. just some pics and a note or two. It is saying that he is loved, and how proud we are of them all for the sacrifice they are making to protect us!

I remember my 19th, 20th and 21st birthday was in the "field" sleeping under the tree's and snow of Germany, in the middle of march .. under snow, ice, wind.. it sucked! No other words to describe it.. well there are, but :) .. anyway.. they are 3 of the birthdays that I remember Most! All my Army Buddies were there with me... it was all of them that we survived many a cold night! And knowing we would get mail when we jumped back into Italy.. it always was something we all looked forward too! :) Hang in there.. .We are all praying for you and your family.. :)

I "celebrated" my 18th birthday in Great Lakes. Getting mail with cards, many of them homemade, got me through it.

Don't know the specifics, but if I had to guess.........it is either 1 of 2 things; 1) there are a some folks that are not meeting expectations physically or 2) (most likely) there are a few real screw-ups in the unit, and right or wrong 1 acts like a fool or really draws the attention of the RDC..........everyone pays the price. They have to learn to work as a team/unit, and some folks need a bit more "encourgement" then others. I was in back before "the PC Police" ran the Army and it wasn't all that rare to see an entire platoon in basic out doing PT at 0300 because the soldier on fire watch fell asleep or other reason found by a DI.

Hey Clay, hope all is well. I think we are all so bust trying to defeat Obamacare that we don't have time for NavyDads or any other website. I for one am tuned to Rush, Mark Levine and Sean Hannity to get marching orders on what to do to fight from our country going Socialist. We will be back of course. Luis

That is interesting information about your daughter's car. Our son graduated one year ago in January and at that point, single ET and FC students were allowed to have their car there. Our son sold his thinking/hoping he was going to Japan but ended up in Hawaii...not all bad! It's nice that you live so close to the base -

Just seen your blog on the government....couldn't agree more!