Tom Fretch's Page

Tom, 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 daughters journey in the Navy. Thank Melissa for her service for me and thanks again for joining us.

Sincerely, EG

Welcome to Navy Dads Tom, They dont talk as much here as N4Ms but there are a lot of good tips and advice offered on the site, My son had his PIR on Feb 19. He said boot is what you make of it and actually enjoyed most of the experiance. Gas chamber has to be the only thing he really disliked.

Welcome to NavyDads Tom! I'm sure you'll find the site as fun, useful, and educational as I have. Explore the site 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 certainly have! If you have any questions or concerns about your sailor and what she 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 in the family - my son Eric (AM3) returned spring '09 from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and my daughter Kat (MC3) is about to complete her five-year enlistment on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). And Tom this is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Melissa is doing! We do ask that you remember that we talk about the Navy here and we must keep the security and safety of our sailors in mind at all times. On the right 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 and the NavyDads Guidelines link.

As a parent of a sailor currently or soon to be at Great Lakes you'll have many questions about what your daughter is going through. In the Navy Bootcamp group is a discussion called A MUST READ for all New Navy Parents. Take a few minutes to 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 as they address many of your questions and concerns.

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