Raymond Matchke's Page

Welcome to NavyDads Raymond! 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 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 in the family - my son Eric (AM3) recently returned from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and my daughter Kat (MC3) returned last fall from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). And Raymond this is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Alex 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 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! In the Navy Bootcamp group is a discussion called "A MUST READ for All New Navy Parents". I would suggest you take a few mintues to read through this post as it will do a lot to give you some understanding about what your sailor is learning and why.

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 stop by the NavyDads offical store- Navyoutfitters.com. Show your support for NavyDads by wearing the latest in NavyDads attire. Best Regards- Paul