NavyDads CoAdmin Jim Gramza

Male

South Bend, Indiana

United States

Profile Information:

Your Sailor's First Name (Please Do Not Post SEAL Names)
Stephen
What Is Or Will Be Your Sailor's Rating (Job Classification) - ex. ABE, AM, GM, etc
AWO2
Describe A Little About Yourself (your IP address/location will be checked::
Proud dad of a veteran! Working stiff just trying keep my head above the water line!
What Brought You To This Site:
other
What Were Your Feelings When Your Sailor Joined The Navy:
Very proud!
What Is Your Relationship With Your Sailor
Dad
Please Share: How Did You Find Us?
Word of mouth.

Comment Wall:

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  • Greg Schueller

    Thank you very much sir.  Have a great day!

  • Natasha Jones

    Thank you for the warm welcome and all the information. I am reading and learning so much from this site its amazing. Thank you again.

  • Mack McGhee

    Thanks for the welcome Jim! Also, please give my thanks to your son for his service.

  • Drew Taylor

    Thanks for welcome, Jim!  I'm glad I finally joined.  It's definitely been a tough first week. I agree, though.  The more information I see about the process, the more confident I become with his decision to become sailor.

  • Natasha Jones

    Good Evening/Morning...I have been searching for a link to R.S.V.P. for the Sergeants Dinner...cant find it. Is it too late. My son invited me and one other guest and we'd love to come. Been reading about the past ones and the consensus is that all had a great time. 

  • RYAN J RICE

    Thank you for the kind words and encouragement!!

  • David Dieterle

    Thank you for the welcome, Jim! I work for Lockheed Martin and we do most of our work for the Navy so I am not a complete fish out of water when it comes to the Navy, but I am sure this site will help me learn many things that I am unaware of. Thanks again for the welcome.

  • Bob Wayne

    Thank you for your email. It will be an interesting journey.

  • Joe Garcia

    Thank you sir! She just finished Basic this past friday. She is now at Pensacola for A school.
  • Tom J

    thanks Jim, I have learned a lot from this site.  It has been very helpful knowing what my son is going through!!

  • Peter Lee

    Thanks Jim.  I am very excited for him.  I know he has prepared himself for this both physically and mentally.  We have many family members that are former military, including myself and both his grandfathers.  Although he is the first in the family to join the navy and an officer to boot!  We are all so very proud.  He started on Sunday 9/23.  Is this where I can ask specific questions...such as graduation date?...or is there another forum that would do that?  The video was nice lining out the 12 week course...made me feel better having an idea how things would go.  thanks

    Pete

  • Marty Muehlegger

    Thanks Jim.  I appreciate the add.  

  • Jaime Caldwell

    Yes, he is being sent home soon...possibly before the 31st is what he was told...From what I hear it's going to be a pain to be able to re-enlist...I hear it's going to depend on if the recruiter wants to deal w/ it or not...Any advice is greatly appreciated...what should we do when he gets home?  Go straight to doctor?  Is it my doctor or a Military doctor?  Do we go straight to recruiter?  

  • Tyrone J. Thomas

    Thanks for accepting my request Jim!!  I'm looking forward to meeting other military dads and I'm sure it will ease the process for me!!

  • Dax Eaton

    Jim, thank you for the information and support. I joined NavyDads yesterday while we were waiting for my son's swearing-in ceremony at HOU MEPS. I look forward to PIR in late DEC or early JAN (TBD).

  • Jeff Staggs

    Thank you for accepting me. I’ve very proud of my daughter and not having a military background I hope to better understand her life in the Navy. 

  • Maureen Plant

    Thank you Jim!  This has been a remarkable journey for our son John.  I look forward to learning more about the process and experience of others.

  • Mark Engel

    Thank you for the warm welcome!  I’m very excited and proud that my son joined the Navy. I have no doubt it’s one of the best decisions that he has made and that it will be so good for him and his future. Honestly, I’m a little jealous of him. I’m super excited to go to PIR in December and see my boy after his time in training. 

    Thanks again for induction into Navydas. Go navy! HOOYA!

    Mark

  • Dennis Valdez

    Thanks for the welcome, Jim!

    I look forward to exploring the site!

    Best,

    Dennis

  • Luis Figueroa

    Thanks all for welcome. Surprised didn't learn of this group till now.  My son (AW) left RTC thanksgiving weekend for Pensacola and was finally classed up for NACCS and starting next week.  He can't wait to find out his final rate. He would like AWF or AWS "Dry". Have a lot of questions so looking forward to hearing the experience of other seasoned Navy Aircrew Dads with Airman in Pensacola.   GO NAVY!

  • Richelle Horner

    Thank you, and you hit the nail on the head!
  • Bret W. Davis

    Thank you Jim for the kind words. I am very proud of him. Looking forward to hearing from him in a couple of weeks or so.

  • Stacey Land

    Thanks for the add, Jim. Since I, too, have no military experience, I feel like I’m in the dark. However, I have found a wealth of helpful info on this site already.  Thanks to your son and all your family for his service and your sacrifice. Thanks for your support of all us newbies!

  • Allan

    Thank you 

  • Robert Marshall

    Jim, thank you good Sir for your reply, your outreach and your welcome.  It is certainly a new journey and between you, Paul and Navy Dads I feel I am getting caught up to speed.  My boy Christopher and I have had letters flowing regularly while he is in boot camp, graduating on Friday. Thank you, your son and your entire family. God Bless - Bob

  • Victor G Baumzweig

    Thanks so much for reaching out and the warm welcome Jim! We are are very excited about this new chapter in all our lives!

  • Thomas Case

    Thanks, Jim,

    It's pretty coincidental: After my son told me he re-signed again I was cleaning out some stuff in my bookmarks and re-discovered Navy Dads.  

    Once I stumbled upon it I remembered what a great support resource it was when he was in boot camp.  Simply scrolling through and reading others who had the same questions I had was a big help.

    Now that my son has announced an intention to make the Navy a career, I have taken Navy Dads out of the depths of my bookmarks and placed it front and center on my bookmark bar.

    Thanks again for the welcome back.

    Thom

  • Thomas Case

    Thanks, Jim

  • Will R Santillana Jr

    Thank You for the warm welcome Jim!

  • David A

    Thank you Jim!

    I have a counter on my phone that now says 4-days before boot camp!

    I am excited for him and sad he is leaving after 18+ years

    This Sunday we will be celebrating with friends and family.

    Thanks for the welcome,

    David

  • Bob Barbaro

    Thanks Jim..we friend requested them..waiting for a response. Heading to the commissioning  ceremony in July..should be exciting 

  • James Dale Wilson

    This morning our son phoned home to wish his mother a happy birthday. In our brief conversation he mentioned a Tiger Cruise coming up for the Stennis (CVN-74), and I'd sure like to know more about that.

  • Bernard Jonathan (Jon) Anders

    Thank you very much for your warm welcome.  Speaking of past lives; I too had a brush with the Marines back in the Vietnam era.  My draft number was  at the top of the list & I thought  don't just get drafted, join an outfit  you want to be in.  I passed the Marine tests (height by 1/2 inch) and was all set to report the next week.  Then they stopped the draft & i yielded to the chorus of ALL of my friends urging me not to become a monster., so I did not report.  Regret that now.

    I am very proud of my son and the choices he's making.  Week before shipping, he was nervous/scared, but knew that it was the right path at the right time, so went ahead.

    He is in Dicv 934 and from what I hear that may mean that he may not march in at graduation..   Any clue about that?

  • Rich Tate

    Thank you, Jim. I was beaming with pride when he made his decision to join, and only got nervous about a week before he shipped off. The not knowing how he is doing is unsettling, but we have to let them go sooner or later. Taking it one day at a time.

  • Robin Lady

    Thank you, Jim.  I still kind of shocked right now, to be honest.  I read many of the discussions on this page including all of the information about separation on this page and on the boot camp page.  I mailed a letter today that requested Michael sign a HIPPA form.  I have not called legal yet or the separation administration office.  I am hoping Michael will call tomorrow so I can get a little more information from him.  Do you recommend I call either one of them to get more information?  Thanks again, Robin

  • Robb Middleton

    Thank you! I’m nervous for my son, but am sure he’ll do great. My father was also Navy, a hospital corpsman during the Vietnam era, serving in the Mediterranean. Long family line of service members in the military, reaching back to the revolutionary war.
  • Timothy M Osborne

    Thanks Jim, 

    I am happy to join this group.  I am a proud Navy Veteran and Gullf War Veteran, so when my baby girl took an interest in Navy JROTC 5 years ago, I was excited.  She embraced and excelled in this program over 4 years in high school, and has been Pro Navy since she started.  The fact that she chose to follow in my foot steps is the greatest honor to me as a parent.  She enlisted early in her senior year of high school, and left for basic training on June 19th.  She will PIR on August 16th, and I am one proud Dad.  I'm sure Great Lakes will look very different than it did when I was first there some 36 years ago, but I can't wait to go back.  My son also serves, but he is in the Army National Guard, and is also a police officer, so the military pride runs deep in our family. All of our young men and women in the Armed Forces make great sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy and too often take for granted.  I am proud of, and thankful to each and every one that serves.

  • Freddie trent

    Thank you and im.looking forward to keeping up with him and enjoying the experience 

  • Blair Blinkhorn

    Thank you Jim.  Not just getting started as we've been through PIR, A School and now my son is in his Reserve capacity, resuming college next week.  He will have a two-week deployment in a while and then a longer one later on.  As a Seabee, he's land-based.

    Appreciate the welcome.

  • Bob Crawford

    Jim,

    Thank you for reaching out, it's been lonely here with my son away at Basic Training. I am grateful and somewhat overwhelmed by the support that I have received in just my few short days of signing up. I'm so happy that I did. I feel like that I have new family members. Thank you for your words in easing me into my new family.

    Bob Crawford

     

  • Anne Marie Janosko

    Hi Jim.  Thank you for responding back. I have mixed emotions on my son leaving. I just spoke to him and he should be in silverdale, WA tomorrow. I will check out this site for sure.  Have a good evening.  Anne

  • Brian Lee

    Thanks Jim

    My son Ben is my first. My dad a Vietnam era Vet I never served. 

    I’m new to this and worry but an so damn proud. Bens PIR is set for now for Oct 25. 

    Thanks again

    Brian 

  • Matthew Bagley

    Jim thanks so much.  My son Connor is my first military son.  My oldest son is in college.  Two of my uncles and one grandfather were in the Air Force.

    I never served.  I was a police officer for 25+ years just recently retiring and now working for our county prosecutor.  

    All is good but I do miss him already!!!

    I'm going to take some time and delve into your website.  I already read about the taxi to graduation.  Great stuff.  He graduates sometime in November and stays in Great Lakes fro his A school.

    Thanks for sharing about you and your family!!

  • Matthew Bagley

    Appreciate it Jim. Best job in the world despite where society is today. It was just time for me to move on. No regrets and not a bad thing to say about it. 

  • Estell Tabor

    Thanks for the welcoming. So much has changed since I served. I do have a few questions for you about the AWO rate. Did your son like it. Was school hard? What kind of job opportunities did he have after his enlistment? The last ? Is kinda my big one. The job seems really cool. Did he purse his degree while serving? What are good degrees to purse that are job related? Sorry so many ?’s

  • Edsel Miranda

    Your enthusiastic welcome and comments are greatly appreciated. 

    Thank you , 

    Edsel Miranda,  "Ed" to you all.

  • Sean Baldwin

    Greetings! Thank You for the Welcome. So far I have enjoyed your site the information has been Great.

    Sean

  • Marjorie S Bradbury Laing

    Thank you, this has been an extremely educational and informative site and I so appreciate all of the time, thought, and effort put into creating it.  Thank you for allowing me to be a member as my child starts his Navy journey.

  • Jack Stebbins

    Thanks Jim for the reply.. Yes, our Son is new to military and we are very hopeful he will adapt ok... I must admit it's been harder on my old butt than I thought it would be, but at my age (66) I'm a big boy now and will adjust. Ryan and I are very close.  God Speed,  jack

  • Steve Janss

    Thank you for the welcome, Jim!  I look forward to taking a more thorough look around.