NavyDads Admin (Paul)'s Comments

Thanks for your comments Paul..i appreciate them. My son as been ordered to serve on the USS Paul Ignatius. I was wondering how i could get in touch qith any other parents who's son's and daughters are alos going to be on there. Also, the commissioning ceremony is said to be during the week of July 21-28. How can i find out when the date of the actual commissioning is. My son doesn't seen to know bit he's not exactly someone that will go and ask questions. 

Wow...Thanks Paul! I've got a lot to digest. Thanks AGAIN.

Thanks, Paul for the Welcome Back,

I discovered Navy Dad's back in about 2012.  At the time I too was trying to learn as much as possible about the Navy.  My son went right from Waukegan straight to sub school in Grotton. My wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary at the Groton Townhouse with our son as it was his graduation from sub school.  

My wife and I had a pretty elaborate vacation planned, but we both decided his graduation from sub school was such a milestone, we felt it more important.

My son has been through quite a bit.  A lot he does not talk about because he holds true to his requirement for secrecy, but I do know he has lost 3 shipmates and had a bunkmate attempt suicide.  

So, After 3 funerals and the bunkmate incident, I was actually surprised that he re-upped again.  In these incidents the Navy seemed to do a good job of making sure everyone got the support they needed, contrary to some of the things you see and read in the news. 

We had a long talk and he simply told me that he loves the Navy, so he re-upped and has changed to the surface fleet and he seems to be liking it a lot.

I'm proud of my son; both of them, his brother served in the Marine Corp and after 4 years used his veterans benefits to become an electrician.

Anyway, I could write a book on my son's journey as well as my Marine son, but for now, I will simply say: "Thanks for the welcome back".

Thom

Thank you for your introduction, history and warm welcome Paul. You provided some great tips and links to help us navigate, learn and understand my son's and our journey. He is graduating this Friday, letters have been flowing frequently between us and he is PUMPED! All the best, Bob

Or, better yet:  Any port in a storm....

Ahoy there! Grew up constantly hearing nautical terms; Mom - Navy Brat; Dad - Marine. Uncles all military pilots.  Heavy weather here in DC area.  Battening down the hatches. Storm warnings..... Time to weigh anchor and shove off.  God speed....  Peter S. ADAM

Thanks for the welcome, Paul!

Tyler just went back to Newport R.I. for a couple more months at Officer Candidate School (OCS). He recently graduated from UCSC with a degree in Electrical Engineering and has been in the Nuclear Propulsion Officer program.

His OCS class had a break for the Holiday's.  My wife and I will be fly out from California for graduation on March 1st.

I look forward to exploring this site and getting to know some folks!

Best,

Dennis

Thanks for the warm welcome Paul. We live in Mesa in the Phoenix area. Just starting to explore the site and will definitely reach out to y'all if we have any questions.

Paul,

Thank you for your response. Interesting to hear that your son Eric will be an instructor in P’Cola. I was raised there. My son shipped out yesterday for Great Lakes, and it was very emotional for his mother and myself. I look forward to his journey and the sailor he will become. My father was a recruit at Great Lakes in 57’, from there it was off to N.A.T.T.C school Norman, OK. and Memphis, TN. (AMH2). After that he was assigned to squadron VFP-62 @ NAS Jacksonville, and NAS Cecil Field. He was then assigned to squadron VT-3 Red Knights @ NAS South Whiting Field. From there he was assigned to “Westpac/ Vietnam deployment” 1964 with VF-151 aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43) . When VF-151 returned from deployment they joined USS Constellation (CV-64) 1966 and returned to South East Asia theater. He finished his service at NAS Miramar. I am very privileged that father will join me for PIR @ RTC late DEC, or early JAN (TBD).

Thank you for the message and the information, it will definitely help with knowing what to expect over the next 8 weeks.

Thank you for your email. I look forward to reading and learning more about the Navy as my daughter just got started. 

Thank you for the welcome!

My son shipped on 8/2 and we received the initial phone call and his personal belongings. However we haven’t received any additional letters from RTC. We have terrible mail service and don’t want to miss graduation notifications or his mailing address/ ship number. Can anyone tell me at what point we should be notified of these things?  Thanks in advance!

Thank you for the welcome, Paul! I work for Lockheed Martin and we do most of our work for the Navy so I am not a complete fish out of water when it comes to the Navy, but I am sure this site will help me learn many things that I am unaware of. Thanks again for the welcome.

Thanks for the greeting and welcome.  I am a second gen. U.S. Navy, my Dad was a SeaBee station at Pt. Mugu, and my son is a sailor fix'in to start boot camp.  He had 2 Uncles in Air Force both deceased.  I'm happy as everything with him going into the Navy.

Thanks for the welcome, Paul.  I appreciate you sharing the OPSEC link.  With so much information to absorb, we often don't think of things that are so obvious and it's nice to be reminded.  I look forward to meeting and sharing with other Navy families here.

Drew

Thank you both for the quick acceptance and insight you've offered.  I wish I would have found this site prior to my son's PIR.  He's just bagan A school and I think I'm more excited than he is.  I did review the OPSEC link, I get it.  I too am very proud of my son.  He is the first in my immediate family to serve our country.  Thanks agin guys............KEV

Paul,

Thanks for the welcome information.  I have been a member of the FB page for sometime, but only learned of the website today.  The web site is loaded with great information, congratulations.  I hope to be able to spend more time on it and learning.  I do feel like a “veteran parent” as our daughter has been active duty (including training) for almost 2.5 years now and will soon complete 2 years overseas in Yokosuka and be home around the end of this month for a brief week before she moves on to her next permanent duty station.  She will be home for the first time in 27 months! So we are very excited though we did go over to Japan and had the chance to spend some time with her over there and meet the exceptional group that she works with.  Makes one incredibly proud to know that your child is working and spending time with such talented and clear thinking people.  I should note that even as. JAG officer she spent almost 5 months deployed at sea last summer, three of which were on a guided missile destroyer, so her overseas experience has truly been well rounded.  

Again, thanks for putting together a great web site.

Nick Padway

Paul, thank you very much for the information, links and sharing your personal story.  I appreciate the time and energy devoted to making this site available and welcoming to those of us new to this experience!

Stan