Welcome to NavyDads.com boilerdad! I'm sure you'll find NavyDads as useful, educational and informative as I have. Please explore the site and make some new friends. Read the discussions and add your comments. Browse through the postings in the various groups or start a new one. If you have any comments, questions or concerns about your sailor and what he is going through...be sure to post them! In my experience someone here can answer your questions or concerns or can point you in the direction to find out. I'm blessed to have two sailors in the family - my son Eric (AM3) was stationed on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and just re-enlisted, and my daughter Kat is a Navy vet and was stationed on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). And boilerdad this is a great place to brag as well! So join in, get active, and be sure to let us know how J is doing! Please remember that we talk about the Navy here and we must keep the security and safety of our sailors and the fleet in mind. On the right or starboard 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 for some guidelines as to what we should not talk about in a public forum.

As a parent of a sailor currently or soon to be at Great Lakes you'll have many questions about what your son is going through. In the Navy Bootcamp group is a discussion called A MUST READ for all New Navy Parents. Read through this post as it will do a lot to give you some understanding about what your sailor is learning and why. And be sure to check out the videos available in the Bootcamp Group as well.

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. Best Regards- Paul

Welcome aboard Boilerdad!  You are in the right place at the right time!  There is no coincidence as you already know.  So July 7th is the big day, you must be very excited and maybe sad because your son is leaving home (just temporary) and also you most be very proud that he will begin a new page in his life as a US Navy sailor!  A few reminders that will help in the separation day.  The night before MEPS, when he is staying at the hotel (it may not happen this way, depending on the recruiting station) you can have dinner with your son at the hotel (free).  The next day, make sure that you go to MEPS early in the morning so you can be present during your son's "Enlistment Oath" (camera ready) and I promise you that it will be very emotional for you!!  From there to the airport and the final hug for the next 8-9 weeks!!  Talk to his recruiter to let him know that you would like to be present at MEPS.  Let me know after, how did it go!!  Hooyah!

Welcome aboard Boilerdad.
I would like to take this time to point you in some of the right directions. For starters if you haven't had the time take a look at the right side of any page you click on. There you will find some useful information for you. The links under the about this site will help you with how this site got started, navigation, PIR, About us, community guidelines and some links to some of the groups that beginners with a lot of questions will find very useful. There is also a link called Navy Enlisted Ratings, this link will take you to a brief description of the rates (jobs) in the Navy that you can find your sailors rate and find out some information about the rate that they are in.
First and foremost though we are all here for the same reason. We are curious about what our young sailors are getting into and for more information about the rate or job that they will be doing for the next 4-6 yrs of their lives. I know when I first got here I had lots of questions and there was not a lot of people on this site but they all were either going through the same thing or had been through it and had sailors out in the fleet. Now this site has grown to over 2000 members, Dads, Moms, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, sisters, brothers, girlfriends and boyfriends. Don't be afraid to ask questions of members in here because somewhere along the way we have all had the same questions and asked. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this site with various years of experience in the NAVY either on their own account or through their Sailors.
Again welcome aboard and BRAVO ZULU to you and your son J on his enlistment and please thank him for me for making the choice to defend the freedoms that my family, this country and I have and enjoy.
Navy dads Co-admin Tim