Countdown to SERVICE ASSIGNMENT

I was one of the lucky ones to get my first choice, naval aviation. Fortunately my whole company had a strong showing today. Was such a treat to see the people I’ve known for 3.5 years finally reach their assignment goals, especially for the most selective communities where even for the top talent it could have gone either way.
 
Kierkegaard said:
I was one of the lucky ones to get my first choice, naval aviation. Fortunately my whole company had a strong showing today. Was such a treat to see the people I’ve known for 3.5 years finally reach their assignment goals, especially for the most selective communities where even for the top talent it could have gone either way.
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Congratulations 🎊🎈🎉
 
Breathing again. DD FaceTimed us with a huge smile on her face. Hard to have a conversation because of constant interruptions from shipmates offering congratulations. Told her we’d catch up later, after she sobered up from tonight’s celebrations.
 
I’m a Baby SWO momma to be. It’s above water for my guy 🚢 💦!!

So excited!!

And the BEST part? Seeing allllll the happy Mids. All the smiles. All the high fives and congrats. Talking g with the roommates who all got their 1st choice as well!!

My guy said “one more check mark towards graduation!!” He is so ready. And I can’t stop smiling 😊
 
justdoit19 said:
I’m a Baby SWO momma to be. It’s above water for my guy 🚢 💦!!

So excited!!

And the BEST part? Seeing allllll the happy Mids. All the smiles. All the high fives and congrats. Talking g with the roommates who all got their 1st choice as well!!

My guy said “one more check mark towards graduation!!” He is so ready. And I can’t stop smiling 😊
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Surface line. Mighty fine. Hoping he gets the best ship in the Fleet and is headed to far away lands. It's hard to describe the feeling one gets when pulling into port. Home port. Foreign port. It doesn't matter. Time at sea is a super dichotomy. In port I wanted to be at sea. At sea I wanted to be in port.

Your son will be a big part of that coming and going.

Make all preparations for getting underway. Now set the special sea and anchor detail. Underway. Shift colors.

Ships take on a new personality when she breaks the bonds of the pier. It's only us and the sea. Men and women operating steel ships of the line. Ships built for war but specializing in maintaining the peace and keeping the sea lanes open. That's what surface sailor and officers do.
 
DS, plebe, reports his firsties had an "excellent" assignment with only one person "significantly missing their mark". I am glad for all of them, and if those that missed the mark take the glass half full approach then I am sure they will do a great job regardless.
 
Devil Doc said:
Surface line. Mighty fine. Hoping he gets the best ship in the Fleet and is headed to far away lands. It's hard to describe the feeling one gets when pulling into port. Home port. Foreign port. It doesn't matter. Time at sea is a super dichotomy. In port I wanted to be at sea. At sea I wanted to be in port.

Your son will be a big part of that coming and going.

Make all preparations for getting underway. Now set the special sea and anchor detail. Underway. Shift colors.

Ships take on a new personality when she breaks the bonds of the pier. It's only us and the sea. Men and women operating steel ships of the line. Ships built for war but specializing in maintaining the peace and keeping the sea lanes open. That's what surface sailor and officers do.
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THAT gave me goosebumps. Same ones I got when he sent me a pic of his first ship sunrise and sunset….

Wow.
 
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justdoit19 said:
THAT gave me goosebumps. Same ones I got when he sent me a pic of his first sunrise and sunset….

Wow.
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I can't imagine any of your kids not excelling in anything they do. Everybody needs a leader. Everybody needs a role model. The term "deck plate leadership" was born on destroyers. I was on three of them. My third ship was an oiler. Lots of fun. Hard working. Hard partying. I deployed on amphibious ships. Gator freighters. Great experience. SWOs get a head start in their leadership education compared to new officers who go on to years of training before getting their first division. They are thrown immediately into the mix and their division Leading CPO will snuggle them up under their wing and keep them out of trouble while allowing the room for growth. The new SWO should latch onto the LPO who knows the sailors better than the Chief in many respects. The second class petty officer work center supervisor who was in boot camp when the new officer was in Plebe Summer is valuable beyond description. That E-5 knows the gear inside and out and is either about to get out or is all-in for a career and about to re-enlist. Soak up that kid's advice as much as anybody on the ship. The new SWO will be in the middle of getting PQS signed off, standing watches, and the mountain of paper work officers have to do. They should stop and smell the smells and talk to their sailors. Get to know them and actually give a darn about what they are saying. I miss those smells and the rumble of the ship's engines under my boondockers. This site and my son's adventures keep me engaged. It's a great life and one that most of us feel privileged to have led.
 
Devil Doc said:
I can't imagine any of your kids not excelling in anything they do. Everybody needs a leader. Everybody needs a role model. The term "deck plate leadership" was born on destroyers. I was on three of them. My third ship was an oiler. Lots of fun. Hard working. Hard partying. I deployed on amphibious ships. Gator freighters. Great experience. SWOs get a head start in their leadership education compared to new officers who go on to years of training before getting their first division. They are thrown immediately into the mix and their division Leading CPO will snuggle them up under their wing and keep them out of trouble while allowing the room for growth. The new SWO should latch onto the LPO who knows the sailors better than the Chief in many respects. The second class petty officer work center supervisor who was in boot camp when the new officer was in Plebe Summer is valuable beyond description. That E-5 knows the gear inside and out and is either about to get out or is all-in for a career and about to re-enlist. Soak up that kid's advice as much as anybody on the ship. The new SWO will be in the middle of getting PQS signed off, standing watches, and the mountain of paper work officers have to do. They should stop and smell the smells and talk to their sailors. Get to know them and actually give a darn about what they are saying. I miss those smells and the rumble of the ship's engines under my boondockers. This site and my son's adventures keep me engaged. It's a great life and one that most of us feel privileged to have led.
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More goosies!! Several things you said are exactly what my Mid articulated to me about why he wanted SWO.

BTW…a GOOD dinner tonight ♥️

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justdoit19 said:
I’m a Baby SWO momma to be. It’s above water for my guy 🚢 💦!!

So excited!!

And the BEST part? Seeing allllll the happy Mids. All the smiles. All the high fives and congrats. Talking g with the roommates who all got their 1st choice as well!!

My guy said “one more check mark towards graduation!!” He is so ready. And I can’t stop smiling 😊
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congratulations!!!! so happy for you and your boy!!!
 
Devil Doc said:
I can't imagine any of your kids not excelling in anything they do. Everybody needs a leader. Everybody needs a role model. The term "deck plate leadership" was born on destroyers. I was on three of them. My third ship was an oiler. Lots of fun. Hard working. Hard partying. I deployed on amphibious ships. Gator freighters. Great experience. SWOs get a head start in their leadership education compared to new officers who go on to years of training before getting their first division. They are thrown immediately into the mix and their division Leading CPO will snuggle them up under their wing and keep them out of trouble while allowing the room for growth. The new SWO should latch onto the LPO who knows the sailors better than the Chief in many respects. The second class petty officer work center supervisor who was in boot camp when the new officer was in Plebe Summer is valuable beyond description. That E-5 knows the gear inside and out and is either about to get out or is all-in for a career and about to re-enlist. Soak up that kid's advice as much as anybody on the ship. The new SWO will be in the middle of getting PQS signed off, standing watches, and the mountain of paper work officers have to do. They should stop and smell the smells and talk to their sailors. Get to know them and actually give a darn about what they are saying. I miss those smells and the rumble of the ship's engines under my boondockers. This site and my son's adventures keep me engaged. It's a great life and one that most of us feel privileged to have led.
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Great advice Doc. Thank you.
 
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