We had short notice for my husband’s first deployment. He was sent as a “rider” on a submarine with a different homeport. All the deployment arts and crafts were already done in the preceding months by the families usually assigned to that sub. Fortunately, one of the amazing spouses across the country gave me some [...]
The dreaded underway. Whether it's a full fledged deployment or a season of sporadic underways (to learn the difference, check out our acronym guide), I think we can all agree it's never easy when your partner goes out to sea. And I'd like to say it gets easier overtime, and perhaps it does. But it [...]
Story subitted by Stacie For many spouses, we dread the detailing process. If you’re new around here, the “detailing process” begins when a sailor receives his or her orders and ends when they report to duty. Orders are arranged and received from a detailer. The “slate” provides a snapshot of available jobs and duty stations, [...]
So, your sailor has orders to Pearl Harbor! You might be feeling excited about living in Hawaii, or nervous about being far away, or anxious about all the things that have to get done in order to get there. Or maybe you were like me, and you are feeling all those feelings at once! It [...]
Ok, how many of you have faced that love/hate relationship with refreshing your email inbox during deployment? I know I have! Even when I know that communication is down and the boat has gone “dark” for a mission, I still find myself refreshing my inbox...just to see if anything happened to come through from my [...]
Every command has a spouse of a sailor designated as the ombudsman. The ombudsman is a liaison between the command and the sailors’ families. He or she is an incredible resource in navigating all things Navy. Here are a few facts about ombudsmen: It is always good to save the ombudsman’s contact information just in [...]
A halfway box is a care package that you put together for your sailor prior to their departure on deployment. This box will be delivered to the boat (typically in coordination with your FRG) before the boat leaves. Your sailor will get to open it during halfway night festivities on the boat. This celebration marks the halfway point of deployment and gives sailors a chance to kick back and enjoy some small comforts from home.
While some states continue to reopen businesses and lift travel restrictions, many are experiencing a new in-flux of COVID-19 cases. Here in Washington state, face masks are required 24/7 in public. For the Navy, the latest guidelines restrict sailors, for the most part, to work and home. We've heard every command is slightly different with [...]
While some states continue to reopen businesses and lift travel restrictions, many are experiencing a new in-flux of COVID-19 cases. Washington state is now requiring face masks, while Connecticut is enforcing a 14-day quarantine for many out-of-state visitors. For the Navy, the latest guidelines restrict sailors, for the most part, to work and home. These [...]
