Welcome to NavyDads Thomas! 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 he 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 Thomas this is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Bryan is doing!

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. 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.
And Thomas- thank you for your service to our great country! Best Regards- Paul

ps- I was born in Reno and raised just outside of Tahoe City !!

Thomas, 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 sons journey in the Navy. Thank Bryan for his service for me and for yours as well. Thanks again for joining us.

Sincerely, EG Delete Comment

Hi Thomas,

I noticed the photo you posted today of your son with the VBSS team.  I just wanted to share with you that my son is also a member of his ship the USS Howard (DDG 83) VBSS team.  The Howard also participated in the CARAT (Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training) exercises this year in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.  I have some great photos as well of the exercises that I obtained from the CARAT Facebook page. Also, wanted to let you know that I started a group here on NavyDads for members with VBSS Sailors.  There's only a couple of us in the group, so there hasn't really been much activity.  But, would love to see that change.  And, there is also a group called "Destroyers" if you have any interest. 

Good luck to Bryan!  The Howard crew along with my son are on the down hill side of a 6 month deployment in the 7th and 5th Fleet AOR and are counting the days until they return to their home port in San Diego.