Ron Jones's Page

Ron, the hardest part of boot camp for me was the "Not knowing" and the "No contact." I filled my time by writing letters. I wrote 23 letters, averaging about 1 every 2 days. I rambled on and on about nothing. My Sailor said he really appreciated the letters and shared some of the funny stories about work. I can tell you following PIR, my Sailor graduated 6/7, it's an entirely different experience. We've talked on the phone every day and exchange text messages regularly. Share every day info, encourage him constantly, share your experiences from boot camp. You may not have liked it, but you remember it and I would bet you even laugh about some of the stuff now. My Sailor had good days and bad, as they all do, this is an experience of a lifetime and maybe only age and life experience allow us to have that opinion. the funny is this "The older we become, the smarter our parents become." He will appreciate anything and everything you have to offer.  

Ron, Jarad has the inner-strength and character you have instilled in him growing up. He can overcome this and find his inner-strength for the upcoming PFA. My Sailor (Graduated 6/7) was also sick during boot camp, inner-ear infection, chest cold and pink eye. He was SIQ 1 day and LLD 2 days. Our children are resilient and capable. Jarad will succeed and make us all proud. 

Ron, eloquently written! I am positive every dad on this site shares those same feelings. As I have tried to tell people, it wasn't that my son was joining the Navy that led me to tears when he departed but rather the reality that he is about to become an independent man no longer under my care. When you are accustom to a way of life for 18 years (or 23 in the case of my son) this is not an easy matter to deal with. As a matter of fact, I would say it is the most difficult thing I have had to deal with thus far as a father! However, we know this was the right thing for our sons. The Navy will make them strong, productive, well respected men of our country. The military is one of those paths least traveled in life and we can be proud of our sons/daughters for serving this great country. But in spite of rationalizing all this, it still hurts in the recesses of our hearts to let go. But you know what? It's because we were there for them for all those years and love them! Think about how many kids grow up without fathers. I will take the pain of separation knowing that my son knows how much I love him and how proud I am of him as opposed to knowing I abandoned him at an early age. Stay strong! We are indeed a family and there for each other!

Ron, thank you for expressing yourself so eloquently. I said goodbye to my SR on April 10th and boy howdy, it was hard. One of my co-workers summed it up for me this way when I told him I felt lost without my boy. He said your not lost, you're without. Lost means you don't know your way. Without means you've done your job and it's his time to shine through all the hard work and dedication you have instilled as a father. That made me cry too.   

Ron, Welcome Aboard!

My son served as an ABE aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in San Diego, Ca. and my family and I couldn't have been prouder of him. I created NavyDads when he was in boot camp in hopes that this site would better inform new Navy Dads and Navy Families that followed behind me. I designed, built, and launched NavyDads.Com June 18, 2008, two days before his Navy graduation. I then launched the "Official Store" of NavyDads, "America's Navy Family Store", NavyOutfitters.Com in 2009.

NavyDads provides the best community for learning about Navy life for everyone but particularly the parents. We are a place for sharing experiences with others that have gone through and are going through the same thing as you. We give you real-time information from others going through it, the sense that you're not alone and the opportunity to help another along.

So jump right in, share concerns, join groups, share info, and show off your Sailor. I hope this site benefits you and your family throughout your Sailors journey in the United States Navy and I thank them for their service. I wish them the best in their travels and I'm glad you've found us.

Sincerely,
Elmo Moore

Ron, Welcome to NavyDads. My Grandson joined the Navy and went to Boot Camp in February, 2008. He Graduated and received his Trident in Oct. 2009 and is now with his Team. When I joined this site I knew nothing about the Military. It’s really helped me understand what to expect and has relieved some of my worries.

Be sure to check out our Groups. We have several Groups for PIR and Boot Camp, plus Groups for the different Rates like Navy Nukes, Master at Arms and Special Ops. Also Group for different Ships and Bases. Check to see if your State or area has a Group already formed to locate others in your area. There are general interest Groups like: Care Packages,
A School for Dads, NASCAR for NavyDads and the book of acronyms and ranks. We’ve also added a Spanish language Group.

Also check us out on Facebook just search for Navy Dads.

We are a big family here and you can find answers to most any question or concern regarding what’s in store for your recruit. You will find members that are new to the Navy along with those who have Loved Ones who’ve made the Navy a career. We like to hear about your recruit; the good times, the concerns, and we welcome questions. I think you will find our members are a big family and everyone wants to help others understand what to expect and hear about the progress of your recruit.

Please feel free to ask questions.

Again Welcome and keep us updated on your recruit.

HooYah US Navy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome aboard Ron

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, P.I.R., 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 6000 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 Jarad 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 Admin Tim

Greetings Ron! When my son joined the Navy I really had no idea nor a clue on what he’s about to partake in besides what I’ve seen on tv and some stories I've heard from friends and relatives who have served in the military.

However, I'm so honored and very proud of his decision to serve our great country.

From the start, I’ve perused Navy and recruiter information online and beyond but I felt that I needed more peace of mind to help keep me from worrying too much. I also wanted to hear from real people who've been around the block and others to share knowledge and experience throughout this entire journey.

That's when I found this website while searching for answers...

We're all in this together and I hope you too will find NavyDads.Com useful with lots of real shared information.

Don't forget to check out our Groups section and join a group that shares your interest. Please keep us posted on your sailor's progress via status updates, discussion forums, blogs and photos...

We do have an ABE group on here hope you could join us:
http://www.navydads.com/group/aviation-boatswain-s-mate-ab

A Warm "Thank You" from our family to your son Jarad for his service!

Welcome Aboard... :)