Tom B's Comments

Andrew is still in Hawaii with his squadron. He is progressing through his qualifications and working on his "yellow shirt" on the flifgth line.
Andrew missed the E-4 cut off by a few percentage points. There were not to many po3 promotions as the avaition ratings as a group are very fully satffed and the competation is pretty stiff Navy wide.
We will be with out Andrew this holiday season, but we hope to visit him in the spring.

Andrew is getting ready to take the E-4 exam in a few days. There is a lot of competition in the Aviation ratings due to the amount of young sailors choosing this career path so it requires a high score to get promoted due to the number taking the test.
He likes his job, the work, and most of his coworkers.
Some one got the bright idea to rearrange the barracks in to squadrons. Andrew was sent to a different building. Through the move he met some new friends and is out doing some new things.
A couple of Marines through activities at Chapel are being deployed to the Middle East.

Hi Tom,
I ran across a comment that you made. I haven't been in contact with you lately. What is Buck up to theses days?

Hey You!! How is your Sailor doing?

Tom Andrew is finding that the Navy holds the common trait of all jobs. A few really great days, a few really bad days, with everything else in between these two. He is steadily progressing in learning his job.
Andrew as bought a car. A Chevy Cobalt 2008 clean with 7200 miles on it.
His leave is approved for him to be home for his brother's high school graduation at the end of June. We are looking forward to having him home for a few days.

ENJOY! PIR is one of my favorite memories of Andrew. Delete Comment

Tom, so gonna look for you and Rebecca and "mom" at the meet & greet -- can't wait to meet everyone! Cheryl (Melissa's mom) is making us name tags--look for me, just Michele (Michael's Mom DIV 167). I am so proud of our boys and cannot wait to meet everyone...

Sound like you have a PIR in a couple of days...SAFE TRIP. It is worth the trip.

Congratulations Tom on your new Sailor, you and Rebecca must be soo proud!! Just a few more days to PIR, I can't wait -- I'm already packed. LOL You and Rebecca will be coming to the Meet & Greet, right? I just can't wait to meet everyone in our little support group -- i would've been lost all these weeks without everyone.

The last of our divisions go through Tuesday night, so just one more night of worry and waiting for our group!!! yeah!!

Hi Tom, Buck goes to Battlestations tonight right?? Me and all the ladies are praying for the kids going in tonight...

My son Michael went today and he is a US NAVY SAILOR -- Awesome!!

Be sure to let us know as soon as you and Rebecca hear from Buck...

Go Navy!!!

Tom,
Good to hear from you again. I'm anxiously counting the days. I can't wait to see my son Carl and how he's grown up in the short time. You said that you son has Battlestations on Thursday. Is that tomorrow, or next week? We usually get our letters here in Washington on Thursdays, so I should get one tomorrow and know more information. The last letter that I received seememd real positive and upbeat. Hope all is well with your son as well. I believe that we are staying at the same hotel as you. We get in there on Wednesday. My grandmother lives in Louisville, so we are flying from Seattle to there on Monday and staying with her for a couple of days and then will drive up to GL on Wednesday. Hope to explore the are on Thursday and hopefully by then will know that he is graduating. Talk to you soon! Carl

Tom, come join us!!! We welcome all that love and support our recruits!!! Please invite all the other Dads and loved ones with the same PIR. We are a little chatty and wild, but welcome all...

Michele

Tom,
What is the latest on Buck? I know that the Diver's training is very demanding both physically and the amount of class room material the give the students. I know when I took the course in Key West it was the hardest 4 weeks of my life.

Thanks, Tom for the information. My son is in division 167. we are going to bring our 11 year old to see his brother pass in review. We think it would be great experience for him and he is so proud of his big brother. I know it is a gamble about getting in, but we would rather try than leave him home. We will see. I hear some people are getting together at Flanagan's on Thursday evening for drinks, food, etc. We are planning to be there.

Tom, Thanks for the comment. He is in division 169. I was just browsing for hotels as we are coming from Washington State. Any suggestions? Carl

My son went in on Feb. 25th, I believe he also graduates on April 24th. Did your son also enter on the 25th? My son is in div 923, ship 6, which div is yours in?

Tom B. in regards to our fifth person, it was no big deal. At the gate they just waved us through to a small parking lot, where they checked everyone's IDs, then we went to the larger parking lot. When we got to MCPON Hall, where they process you through, we said we have another person not on the list, will they have to wait? The guy checking us off just said no keep him with you and gave him a hand stamp. He is a foreign exchange student and showed his passport and they didn't even seem to mind. Our graduating training group was only 8 divisions though and that may make a difference. I see yours is ten so you probably will be able to get in. If the person has to wait, you're not that far from the drill hall where they graduate and you have to walk right back by there to the parking lot.

Caitlin is getting settled in in Monterey and can't wait for the classes to start on March 26th. What will your son be doing after Boot Camp?

Thank God for those old chiefs. They made it all work. Some how they seemed to get the men and officers to work together.

Tom
I believe that the Navy is turning out sailors better able to function in the fleet. Some of the best training I ever had was at the Sub School in New London after I was in the fleet about 3 months. It applied to what I needed to become a better functioning crew member and watch stander. The "hands on' was the key. Several of our chiefs were training as watch standers as newbie nonquals were trained to stand the helm and the planes at the same time. It made a big difference to train under our own chiefs.