So, I'm about to graduate A-school Thursday then off to Norfolk. I'm going to be there until about Sept where my boat (USS Oklahoma City 723) will be heading up to Portsmouth, NH for dry dock?

Can anyone give me any tips on what life is going to be like? Duty included? Will I be able to get qualified? Or, will I better yet, be able to go on another boat to get qualified there?

Thanks!

If it is anything like it used to be, I feel sorry for you, kid.

There has never been a boat ever, that didn't suffer in dry dock. It's no place for a fastboat sailor, and no place for a boat. Let's hope OKC gets whatever she needs done and puts to deep water fast. Drydock is harubble! Buncha retarded watches, buncha brass, buncha yardbirds and shore monkeys up in your hootie, and all the khaki clad mafia is sweating bullets because they have no control of anything, and you know what that means? Because they don't have control of their normal details, they start choking the life out of you! to make up for it. Extra duties, no control of the situation, extra scrutiny, and endless busywork and meddling.

That's why, any bubblehead worth his fish will tell you the place to be is on patrol, forward deployed. Sure, you miss beer, women, and assorted other good times, but you get to do your job, and you have some control over your work and can focus on things that really matter, like quals. (It's really hard to qualify and make progress on the cards when in the docks or the yards, trust me!) Refit and drydock sounds good on paper, but rememeber this: Proximity to liberty, women, beer, and all the good things in life incurs a great cost, for some strange reason I never could figure out. I mean, Stumpy tried to tell you the causes of why it's going to blow san2 to be in dry dock/refit, but not why it has to be that way.

It's like beer from a can always tasting two degrees cooler than beer from a bottle. I don't know why, it just IS.

My advice, kid, is volunteer for every operation you can with other boats. That way, you can make some progress on your cards and get away from the madness a while. Does wonders for your self esteem and sanity.

LOL Stumpx.
My friends husbands on the OKC, their authorizing the families to move too I think she said they are planning to be there for awhile.
She said like a year to 18 month lol

quote:

Originally posted by Darryl79:
Or, will I better yet, be able to go on another boat to get qualified there?Thanks!

It is entirely possible that you will be sent to another boat to qualify. My guess is that decision is based on whether your rate is undermanned or overmanned, the thinking being that the Navy has a greater need for a qualified (name your rate) than an unqualified shipyard worker.

What happens after you’ve qualified on another boat, can’t say; we haven’t got that far.

Hey this is Aganger79swife's friend she mentioned

R you gonna be hanging around Norfolk till they get back or are they gonna fly u out?
As of before they left they were on a 4 section duty (thankfully) um hours depend on your rate. Some nights Agang got out like 3 hrs after everyone else and others ST's got out really late. Most of the guys arent too bad though to be honest. A few of them are well "special" but for the most part they are a pretty good group of nerds....if you like D&D, WoW, or <enter name of video game here> you have gotten the right boat. lol I have met very very few who were not involved in some form of gaming.
I am thinking you'll get sent out to qualify with a boat probably outta groton (just a guess that it'd be groton) my hubby is qualified but there is talk of him being loaned out to another boat outta groton for a deployment/ half a one while we are there.
On paper it is written as us being there for 1 year-18 mnths but most of us are just assuming it'll be closer to 2 yrs....

BTW whats ur rate?

Hey there.

I don't know how they will transfer me yet? Do I just check-in with the command, then muster each day like I did here in Groton, then they'd get something for me to do while the boat is away?

I still have to call the boat and let them know I'm coming, I know, bad. I also need to find the number actually.

I'm an FT btw. 4 section duty would be grand! I have heard that is rare, but anything is possible it seems lately.

As far as gaming goes, I am a console gamer, not very good at it, but I have a 360 and quite a few games, so its fun to turn it on every once in a while.

So, you are thinking it's going to be in dry dock for about 18 months or so? Wow. The boat's schedule only shows 'til the end of the year.

Hubs did "four months" in NH, so they didn't transfer families. I put the time in quotes, because the union workers tend to blow off work there so they can get overtime authorized and make more money (they frequently show up to authorize work packages at 1600 and want crew support). Boat pulled out after 9 months in NH........

If they don't transfer families, everyone lives in the barraks. The rooms aren't too bad if you get a single (as all PCMs on the NR1 did). But the other boat that was up there unaccompanied only let chiefs and above have single rooms. The Navy lodge there is decent. If the boat is SCHEDULED to be there for less than 6 months they won't move families, regardless of how long it really is. If the official schedule says longer, they will. It all goes off what it says on their official schedule, not what everyone knows is reality.

Winter up there is frappin cold!!!! It is a pretty area overall, though, and not too far from Boston. Hit up the lobstermen when they pull in.. SOOOOO yummy and fresh!

Since you're not decomming you will be working a lot to be done on time. As much as shipyard workers like to blow off work, the Navy tries to push the pace so they don't pay overtime.

Guys on the original crew of the Virginia were flown from Groton down to Kings bay to qual subs on the USS Wyoming

Did 2 drydock upkeeps during 6 patrols...
Yes being in drydock SUX like was stated above
But, You will get a chance to see things AND learn things from a different prospective.
ie so that is exactly what the inside of a ballast tank looks like. Or there really is an anchor on this sewer pipe!! Chances are you being new you might even get to paint it! Oh yea and that wee bit of chain its hooked up to also. It is a great chance to learn your boat.
Granted you are going to be busy to fire watches and all that. But the learning opertunitys will be there also.

Sludge

quote:

Originally posted by Darryl79:
I'm an FT btw. 4 section duty would be grand! I have heard that is rare, but anything is possible it seems lately.
So, you are thinking it's going to be in dry dock for about 18 months or so? Wow. The boat's schedule only shows 'til the end of the year.

4 section duty is great...he never comes home on duty nights which suck but they are less often and he gets 2 weekends off a month so thats amazing!
if the schedule says to the end of the year that is so not what has been told to the wives by the command....We had a predeployment/pre change of homeport meeting back in April I think it was where the CMC, new XO I believe, and the CO all said that it was scheduled for 1 year to 18 mnths.....so IDK to be honest I am hoping for 18mnths or longer since I hate VA and dont want to come back here for long

Wish I could help ya with advice on the check in part of it but when hubby got here this was his first boat and we had only been married oh 3 weeks by time he had to report so I knew well nothing and didnt ask anything.... good luck

quote:

Originally posted by catherine0830:
Winter up there is frappin cold!!!!

actually I dont think the winters in that area of Maine/New Hampshire are much worse the the Winters in Groton...or so I have been told by girls who have been there w/ their hubbys that I went to High School with.....

But yeah that whole shipyard workers blow it off for overtime....I see it here all the time. I work at a shipyard in Norfolk and OMG some of these Union workers are LAZY AS F&^k! I cant believe that they can get away with some of the crap they pull!!! I am so NOT looking forward to that part of the shipyard experience

quote:

Originally posted by 13217857:
so IDK to be honest I am hoping for 18mnths or longer since I hate VA and dont want to come back here for long

Ha ha bet they send ya back Ill send ya a post card from Kings Bay when we get back there this fall cause I love ya soo much and all LMAO
I cant wait to leave Norfolk shore was Nice Norfolk sucked LMAO.

quote:

Originally posted by AGANGER79S_WIFE:

quote:

Originally posted by 13217857:
so IDK to be honest I am hoping for 18mnths or longer since I hate VA and dont want to come back here for long

Ha ha bet they send ya back Ill send ya a post card from Kings Bay when we get back there this fall cause I love ya soo much and all LMAO
I cant wait to leave Norfolk shore was Nice Norfolk sucked LMAO.

keep rubbing it in man just keep rubbing it in :-P

quote:

if the schedule says to the end of the year that is so not what has been told to the wives by the command....We had a predeployment/pre change of homeport meeting back in April I think it was where the CMC, new XO I believe, and the CO all said that it was scheduled for 1 year to 18 mnths.....so IDK to be honest I am hoping for 18mnths or longer since I hate VA and dont want to come back here for long

Yeah, I should clarify that the schedule ONLY showed to the end of the year, nothing past that, not necessarily just the dry dock?

As far as winters are concerned - I am from Florida and S. Cali so, I've never experienced WINTER before. So, Groton was a rude awakening for me, I can't imagine NH would be much worse..lol

quote:

Originally posted by Darryl79:
As far as winters are concerned - I am from Florida and S. Cali so, I've never experienced WINTER before. So, Groton was a rude awakening for me, I can't imagine NH would be much worse..lol

Oh you wont be alone in hating the winter. My hubby is from NC and only went through a warm winter in Groton and thought that was bad muahahahaha I plan on posting his first experience with a snowblower/snow shove/ or heck a first real snow storm on Youtube for all to enjoy...My family mostly lives in CT so they are all waiting to see how he handles this


And to be honest...I dont know 100% but from what my mother said (she lives in the town next to Groton) the winter this year wasnt too bad. Snowed a bit more then my last one up there (05) but not too bad.....

quote:

Oh you wont be alone in hating the winter. My hubby is from NC and only went through a warm winter in Groton and thought that was bad muahahahaha I plan on posting his first experience with a snowblower/snow shove/ or heck a first real snow storm on Youtube for all to enjoy...My family mostly lives in CT so they are all waiting to see how he handles this

And to be honest...I dont know 100% but from what my mother said (she lives in the town next to Groton) the winter this year wasnt too bad. Snowed a bit more then my last one up there (05) but not too bad.....

I've been here since the end of July, so I've seen hot, humid summer and "cold winter", which it only snowed probably, 5 or 6 times, and it didn't appear to be that bad?

quote:

Originally posted by Darryl79:
I've been here since the end of July, so I've seen hot, humid summer and "cold winter", which it only snowed probably, 5 or 6 times, and it didn't appear to be that bad?

I was just going by what my mother said....I know my last winter up there it snowed in April....didnt stick but it did Snow...hubby was not happy about that one

quote:

actually I dont think the winters in that area of Maine/New Hampshire are much worse the the Winters in Groton...or so I have been told by girls who have been there w/ their hubbys that I went to High School with.....

They never lived here then. We got 119 inches of snow this past winter. I'me about 40 miles west of Portsmouth and it was the second snowyest winter on record. Usually this time of year we're about 10 degrees warmer than its been. I blame Al Gore.

quote:

Originally posted by GerryRM3:
I blame Al Gore.

So does dad! !

Seriously though. I can say from experience NH is colder than Groton (the winds up there suck)

quote:

Originally posted by catherine0830:
Seriously though. I can say from experience NH is colder than Groton (the winds up there suck)

quote:

Originally posted by GerryRM3:
They never lived here then. We got 119 inches of snow this past winter. I'me about 40 miles west of Portsmouth and it was the second snowyest winter on record. Usually this time of year we're about 10 degrees warmer than its been. I blame Al Gore.

Maybe I should of also mentioned these girls are not the brightest crayons in the box lol

I have only been to that area in the summer so I have no personal experience with the winter. All I can say for sure with 100% confidence that a LOT of people are not going to be too happy this winter... it is too warm in VA so going from one extreme to another is gonna suck for them

Personally, I did two drydock tours with both my boats..And YES! THEY SUCK!..lol...I've never been swamped by more small busy work and paperwork EVER! Don't get me wrong...PNSY is a great area...Kittery is a quaint little town, but OMG! Listen, you'll get there and the "engineers" will snoop all over the boat and conjure up this HUGE list of shipcheck hits...And the WHOLE time you are there, you and yours will be attempting to find and fix em...Arguing with the shipyard to fix the ones you aren't capable of fixing, and attempting to get others written off till next time...The paperwork is a huge stinking pile of mess...And the watches you stand are so pointless, you'll think your brain will fall out of your head...Trust me..it'll be an experience...Enjoy.

Went thru a dry dock in 70's with a fast boat , wasn't all that bad . Our Chief had us up to speed as to what to expect and in the proper frame of mind about watches we would be standing . Just don't gundeck stuff you feel is piddly , and stay awake for the watches . I guess going in with the thought " If thats what you want me to do today , Oky Doky then " It prevents a fair amount of stress for you , also helpful if you can attenuate some of the higher levels of logical thought during times of paperwork but still not be stupid you'll do fine