Welcome aboard Richard.
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 4000 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 Steven 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

Greetings Richard! When my son joined the Navy I really had no idea or a clue on what he’s about to partake in besides what I’ve seen on tv and some stories told by relatives and friends. He graduated boot camp on November 18, 2011 at US Navy Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. I am honored and very proud of his decision to serve our country.

From the start I’ve perused recruiter literature from DEP and beyond but I felt that I needed more information to help keep me from worrying too much. I also wanted to hear from real folks on what their experiences were like and what they've gone through. That's when I found this website while searching for answers.

When you get a chance, explore the Groups section and you’ll most certainly find one that matches your interest. Join those groups and from there you can share and discuss information amongst your peers.

I hope you find NavyDads.Com useful and fun with lots of real shared information. Our family extends our warmest thanks to you and your son Steven for his service.

Welcome aboard...

We've had some dads relate the story of going to PIR in uniform and being the first to salute their sailor after PIR....something to consider.....