Anyone heard yet on NROTC Summer Cruises/CORTRAMID?

I believe the USS Mobile Bay (heard from a source other than DS). The Surface week is different this year - they spend one day on a ship, with no overnight. I don't really know the motivation - something about changing up the type of training to experience more variety. I haven't spoken with DS for 10 days so I don't know much!
 
... so he will be on different types of ships each day? Is that what I am understanding? Or he's only on CG-53 one day; and the rest in port?
 
I think it was more like getting exposure to different "specialties" in SWO. There was only going to be one day underway, but they will probably tour other types of ships. During Aviation week they toured an aircraft carrier.

I will know more a) after DS calls or b) after DS returns home!
 
DS returned from San Diego on Saturday. We had a houseful of family staying with us for the weekend so haven't had much of a chance to catch up with him. I do know this much. He LOVED sub week. He thought he wanted to be a submariner and now he knows for sure. He enjoyed the culture and the camraderie of the crew. He "hung out" for 5 hours in the nuclear reactor room on the sub talking with the officer and enlisted on duty. He has aways been interested in nuclear power so he already knew more than the average person, but he also had his first nuclear engingeering class at school this spring which helped him converse with them. He knows he has a lot to learn and is very excited about it!

Surface nuclear would probably be his second choice, since nuclear engineering is his major. He did say he was surprised by the variety of opportunities in the Surface community and would be happy in any number of those options. He also knows he will go where the Navy needs him.

All in all a fabulous experience (even with the sequester impact which reduced some of their learning opportunities).
 
jiller59 said:
He enjoyed the culture and the camraderie of the crew.
Click to expand...
Very neat! Suppose there is certainly, definitely something special about those in the Silent Service.

Does he have a preference as to what type of sub he'd like to serve aboard (fast attack, missile boat)?
 
Thompson said:
Very neat! Suppose there is certainly, definitely something special about those in the Silent Service.

Does he have a preference as to what type of sub he'd like to serve aboard (fast attack, missile boat)?
Click to expand...

Ballistic missile - he said he thought he would prefer the routine and more dependable schedule (3 months at sea, 3 months shore). There probably were other reasons, but that's all I remember :biggrin:
 
jiller59 said:
Ballistic missile - he said he thought he would prefer the routine and more dependable schedule (3 months at sea, 3 months shore). There probably were other reasons, but that's all I remember :biggrin:
Click to expand...

Glad he enjoyed his cruise. That's awesome. There is something exciting about subs and nuclear power!

I've been fishing in Canada this past week and drove straight through from upstate NY to central NC yesterday (I waved at Clarkson from the Ogdensburg bridge but I doubt he saw me). DS flew from Columbia SC to Norfolk via Atlanta yesterday to start his cruise. He called me from the USO while having milk and cookies. Ironic that we would start the day so far apart, both be in the Norfolk region at the same time, and yet not see each other. Weird. Of course he's excited. He should arrive San Diego July 13.
 
My son just got back from Pearl Harbor and loved it as well. His comment was "other than hitting my head 1,592 times, it was great!" :wink: (He's 6'3"). Like Jiller's son, he's far more convinced now that he wants subs (with surface nuclear also a second option if necessary). However, he's definitely of the "Fast attack is super cool" option - I'm sure that would change down the road if he someday wanted a more stable family life but for now he's all in the bachelor mindset!
 
marciemi said:
I'm sure that would change down the road if he someday wanted a more stable family life but for now he's all in the bachelor mindset!
Click to expand...
That might change too if he gets any taller!! But that's great that he likes subs.
 
marciemi said:
My son just got back from Pearl Harbor and loved it as well. His comment was "other than hitting my head 1,592 times, it was great!" :wink: (He's 6'3"). Like Jiller's son, he's far more convinced now that he wants subs (with surface nuclear also a second option if necessary).
Click to expand...

Fortunately for DS, he is 5'9"; didn't mention ever hitting his head:thumb: Surface Nuclear is his 2nd choice as well.

Tell me about Pearl Harbor - what training was that?
 
He's a rising junior so this was their 2/c summer cruise - theoretically their "enlisted" cruise where they were supposed to operate as a junior enlisted member of the crew to see what that life would be like. I really think it was more of a "just make subs appear cool" to them demo but it obviously worked. I also thought it was kind of classy that we got a letter in the mail yesterday from the sub commander addressed to us parents telling us that they'd enjoyed having him onboard and showing him sub life and giving us his email to contact him if we (or our son) had any questions.

He also had a great time in Hawaii - they spent the first couple nights in a hotel on Waikiki beach, went snorkeling in an inactive volcano, went surfing, and visited the Arizona. Can't beat that!
 
marciemi said:
He's a rising junior so this was their 2/c summer cruise - theoretically their "enlisted" cruise where they were supposed to operate as a junior enlisted member of the crew to see what that life would be like. I really think it was more of a "just make subs appear cool" to them demo but it obviously worked. I also thought it was kind of classy that we got a letter in the mail yesterday from the sub commander addressed to us parents telling us that they'd enjoyed having him onboard and showing him sub life and giving us his email to contact him if we (or our son) had any questions.

He also had a great time in Hawaii - they spent the first couple nights in a hotel on Waikiki beach, went snorkeling in an inactive volcano, went surfing, and visited the Arizona. Can't beat that!
Click to expand...

Nope! Can't beat that! And thank goodness he wasn't snorkeling in an active volcano! :biggrin:
 
marciemi said:
He's a rising junior so this was their 2/c summer cruise - theoretically their "enlisted" cruise where they were supposed to operate as a junior enlisted member of the crew to see what that life would be like. I really think it was more of a "just make subs appear cool" to them demo but it obviously worked. I also thought it was kind of classy that we got a letter in the mail yesterday from the sub commander addressed to us parents telling us that they'd enjoyed having him onboard and showing him sub life and giving us his email to contact him if we (or our son) had any questions.

He also had a great time in Hawaii - they spent the first couple nights in a hotel on Waikiki beach, went snorkeling in an inactive volcano, went surfing, and visited the Arizona. Can't beat that!
Click to expand...

Wow! Did he have any input into his assignment? From my reading, I thought all rising 2/C were assigned surface enlisted.

Love your tagline!
 
Thanks kinnem. :wink: I couldn't think of the right word but figured you guys would know what I meant. My husband keeps saying dormant but that sounds to me like it could come to life at any moment!

I know he got to request community (subs vs surface vs. aviation, although he said that pretty much no one would get aviation) and then put in for where they wanted, but were told that there was absolutely no guarantee of getting any of their choices. He got his first choice though of community and location so they must have a little bit looked at it! (He chose Pearl more because he'd be guaranteed Fast Attack than for the actual location, although that turned out to be great).
 
DS just returned home from his summer cruise. He was here for 15 minutes before heading out to see his girlfriend for the evening. Hoping to hear more sea tales later tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime I'll be modeling my new USS Ashland cap in the mirror for myself! :biggrin:

Highlights I'm aware of so far: M16 expert qualification, M9 marksman qualification (he has only shot twice previously in his life), Color Guard Rifleman for some burials at sea, Inducted into the Trench Club (transited Panama Canal). Best taco ever from a street stand in San Diego.

He was unimpressed with the midshipmen from the Academy who were aboard. They failed bunk inspections twice because Academy guys refused to make their bunks. They went out of their way to break/circumvent rules. One (a minor) tried to come back aboard ship in San Diego while drunk, dropped his ID in the sea, and broke both arms while diving to retrieve it. At best, I would think this guy is in deep deep do-do when he gets back to Annapolis. He did say a couple of them were actually good guys.

Overall he loved it and said he learned a lot, especially about weapons, as his running mates were gunnery mates.

Hope everyone else had excellent cruises. I'm hoping to hear some reports when your midshipmen return.
 
kinnem said:
Highlights I'm aware of so far: M16 expert qualification, M9 marksman qualification (he has only shot twice previously in his life)
Click to expand...

Wow! Sounds like your DS had a great trip. He will probably have lots more sea stories he will share over time.

Curious on his qualification. Was he shooting off the ship or did they get to San Diego and then up to Pendleton?

Glad to hear he had a great time.
 
USMCGrunt said:
Wow! Sounds like your DS had a great trip. He will probably have lots more sea stories he will share over time.

Curious on his qualification. Was he shooting off the ship or did they get to San Diego and then up to Pendleton?

Glad to hear he had a great time.
Click to expand...

Hi Grunt! He did it aboard ship while underway. I'm assuming the target(s) were also aboard ship or otherwise attached, but what do I know. He had one day in San Diego before catching his flight home. He got a cheap hotel room with some other midshipmen and they went to Sea World and who knows where else. Haven't had time to ask all my questions yet! :biggrin:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top