STA-21 Officer's Program
We are reaching the halt of our fourth dimension hither inwards North Carolina. My hubby has been working on his mechanical engineering marking every bit part of the STA-21 "Officer's" program. I've made many civilian friends here. During this time, most of them bring been uncertain almost what his active duty condition has meant ("Will he go deploying soon?") or what happens 1 time nosotros motion ("So he'll deploy when you lot instruct to South Carolina?"). I idea I would practice a recap of his schedule the past times 3 years for boyfriend STA-21 wives too a summary for all the civilian friends nosotros bring made, assistance spread some awareness of what it agency to go a country of war machine family.
My hubby has been enlisted inwards the Navy for ix years this summer. We bring been married for the in conclusion vi too a one-half years. During that fourth dimension nosotros bring non done a deployment. We bring done 2 Change of Homeports, 1 tour inwards shipyard where his submarine had a consummate overhaul, too countless underways too fast cruises. I fifty-fifty stayed amongst my parents for a lilliputian over vi months shortly afterward our oldest was born because his schedule was thence intense. When nosotros lived inwards Hawaii, he was gone nearly 75% of the fourth dimension nosotros were at that spot betwixt underways, fast cruises, too but full general boat life. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fast cruise is when the boat "pretends" to go underway, inwards layman's terms. They run too exam for certain systems inwards grooming for existent underways. (Note: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 submarine is called a "boat." Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 surface ship-- air arts and crafts carriers, destroyers, etc-- is called a "ship.") If he had non been picked upwards for the STA-21 program, he would bring gone on deployment, which, for his boat, would arrive at from 5-6 months. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when he got picked upwards too "got out of" deployment. He was less than thrilled having spent the past times span months doing all the go for deployment without getting the direct chances to instruct on it. Not exclusively practice deployments offering "exotic" port calls, but they are neat chances to instruct qualifications completed. The other big departure betwixt our college life hither too existent Navy life is duty days. On a boat, duty days hateful spending the black on the boat, the frequency depending on what duty rotation they are on. If he is on 2-section, every other black he stays on the boat, consummate amongst go days earlier too after. If he is on 3-section, every 3 nights. 4-section is every iv nights. While on a boat, they practice non go 9-5 jobs, peculiarly since he was a nuclear mechanic inwards the engine room (where everything goes wrong-- at least, that's how it felt to me! lol!). He has musters, sometimes shift work, sometimes but long, long, long hours-- too duty days. We bring non done a proper shore tour yet, thence I'm non for certain of the differences betwixt the hours too duty days. From talking amongst my girlfriends, it actually depends on the shore tour. (Note: Sea tour is when you lot are attached to a boat. Shore tour is the "break" between bounding main tours. These shore tours vary past times duty assignment-- too they tin give the sack actually vary.)
All inwards all, nosotros were on his offset boat for 3 years earlier coming to North Carolina, where we've been for 3 years. Our side past times side motion this August volition go our 3rd PCS (Permanent Change of Station, which agency you lot are moving on orders). Altogether, this volition brand seven moves since marrying my sailor:
My hubby has been enlisted inwards the Navy for ix years this summer. We bring been married for the in conclusion vi too a one-half years. During that fourth dimension nosotros bring non done a deployment. We bring done 2 Change of Homeports, 1 tour inwards shipyard where his submarine had a consummate overhaul, too countless underways too fast cruises. I fifty-fifty stayed amongst my parents for a lilliputian over vi months shortly afterward our oldest was born because his schedule was thence intense. When nosotros lived inwards Hawaii, he was gone nearly 75% of the fourth dimension nosotros were at that spot betwixt underways, fast cruises, too but full general boat life. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fast cruise is when the boat "pretends" to go underway, inwards layman's terms. They run too exam for certain systems inwards grooming for existent underways. (Note: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 submarine is called a "boat." Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 surface ship-- air arts and crafts carriers, destroyers, etc-- is called a "ship.") If he had non been picked upwards for the STA-21 program, he would bring gone on deployment, which, for his boat, would arrive at from 5-6 months. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when he got picked upwards too "got out of" deployment. He was less than thrilled having spent the past times span months doing all the go for deployment without getting the direct chances to instruct on it. Not exclusively practice deployments offering "exotic" port calls, but they are neat chances to instruct qualifications completed. The other big departure betwixt our college life hither too existent Navy life is duty days. On a boat, duty days hateful spending the black on the boat, the frequency depending on what duty rotation they are on. If he is on 2-section, every other black he stays on the boat, consummate amongst go days earlier too after. If he is on 3-section, every 3 nights. 4-section is every iv nights. While on a boat, they practice non go 9-5 jobs, peculiarly since he was a nuclear mechanic inwards the engine room (where everything goes wrong-- at least, that's how it felt to me! lol!). He has musters, sometimes shift work, sometimes but long, long, long hours-- too duty days. We bring non done a proper shore tour yet, thence I'm non for certain of the differences betwixt the hours too duty days. From talking amongst my girlfriends, it actually depends on the shore tour. (Note: Sea tour is when you lot are attached to a boat. Shore tour is the "break" between bounding main tours. These shore tours vary past times duty assignment-- too they tin give the sack actually vary.)
All inwards all, nosotros were on his offset boat for 3 years earlier coming to North Carolina, where we've been for 3 years. Our side past times side motion this August volition go our 3rd PCS (Permanent Change of Station, which agency you lot are moving on orders). Altogether, this volition brand seven moves since marrying my sailor:
- To New Hampshire when nosotros offset got married
- To my parents' trouble solid afterward having our offset born
- To Hawaii-- PCS #1
- To North Carolina (our 2-bedroom apartment)-- PCS #2
- To a 3-bedroom storey inwards North Carolina
- To our trouble solid amongst a fenced inwards backyard inwards North Carolina
- To South Carolina-- PCS #3
This volition go our offset PCS where he is moving amongst us. All the other times he was underway. I am thence glad he is moving amongst us because this is our offset motion across reason lines amongst three children. Our oldest was the same historic menstruum our twins are immediately that nosotros are moving away-- a lot has changed these past times 3 years!
After graduating inwards August amongst his mechanical engineering marking (which he got inwards 3 years, a stipulation of the STA-21 program), my hubby volition go commissioned every bit an officeholder inwards the Navy. He volition too thence bring to consummate 3 Navy schools: Prototype sounds similar it volition go much to a greater extent than fourth dimension consuming than SOBC. Power schoolhouse is roughly vi months long, every bit is prototype. SOBC is 10 or 12 weeks long too inwards Connecticut. We are moving to South Carolina for him to instruct to ability schoolhouse too at that spot is a direct chances he tin give the sack consummate epitome at that spot every bit well. However, they may ship him to upstate New York for prototype. We would motion amongst him if that happens too it may go adept matter because nosotros would go closer to him spell he went to SOBC. I cry back SOBC is an unaccompanied motion for him (meaning the Navy volition non motion his identify unit of measurement there). Even if they do, I take away heed they volition exclusively pose the identify unit of measurement upwards at the "chalet," which is a hotel room. We volition observe out to a greater extent than details almost where he is going to epitome every bit he gets closer to completing ability school. The side past times side yr or thence for us volition go really "wait too see."
Once he completes ability school, prototype, too SOBC, he volition instruct orders for his offset bounding main tour every bit an officer. At some betoken nosotros volition pose inwards a asking for our tiptop 3 choices. We've done some chatting almost where nosotros would desire to go stationed. Our listing waffles betwixt wanting to go inside driving distance of family, traveling abroad spell our kids our thence immature too flexible, too his dream boat assignments. I don't know what nosotros volition finally pose downward when nosotros practice pose inwards our asking or the types of assignments available when the fourth dimension comes; I besides don't know how loyal the Navy volition go to honoring those requests. From chatting amongst my friends too reading Navy married adult woman forums, it sounds similar they practice their best to award those lists, but every 1 time inwards awhile line the "for the needs of the Navy" menu too ship you lot where they want. :)
My local civilian friends bring asked me how I experience almost moving, if I bring any trepidation about starting over inwards a novel identify or if I'm used to it. I felt really nervous moving here, away from the back upwards of the country of war machine community. I wrote a weblog postal service called "Making friends" almost the subject. Now that we've been living psuedo-civilian lives for the past times 3 years, it makes me distressing to cry back almost what nosotros are "missing." Our friends hither are settled. They bring houses they ain too schoolhouse districts picked out. They bring neighbors they excogitation on living side past times side to for years too years. It makes me cry back of my childhood too how our children's childhood volition go really different. D had lived inwards 3 dissimilar states past times the fourth dimension he was two. On 1 hand, I am really excited to instruct dorsum to that sense of community offered past times boyfriend country of war machine families and, on another, I am distressing to unopen this chapter of our lives. We bring enjoyed our identify unit of measurement fourth dimension hither too the friendships nosotros bring made.
Both my hubby too I volition go very glad to bring his bachelor's marking behind us. Don't instruct me wrong-- nosotros bring absolutely, 100% loved having identify unit of measurement fourth dimension (and getting a suspension from boat life). I bring loved-- loved, loved, loved-- a reprieve from duty days. But nosotros had a huge pay cutting coming hither amongst the STA-21 program. It was besides exceedingly stressful for him balancing identify unit of measurement life too his college career. We had to extend his contract to come upwards here, committing ourselves to the Navy until 2018. If he couldn't instruct his marking inwards 3 years, if his grades slipped, if whatever worst representative scenario happened, he would instruct sent dorsum to the fleet at his former charge per unit of measurement too fulfill his contract. I can't imagine putting myself nether that storey of stress-- a mechanical engineering marking inwards 3 years amongst a identify unit of measurement of 5 (a married adult woman too 3 kids) summation the threat of beingness sent dorsum to the fleet if you lot failed.
While his Navy schedule has non been demanding hither (he PT's twice a calendar week too has a 1 time a calendar week Navy lab inwards the evening), I've institute myself sometimes struggling amongst his schoolhouse schedule. It was much easier beingness agreement of a schedule imposed on him-- twenty hr go days on the boat followed past times a duty 24-hour interval versus 2 classes inwards the morning, studying all afternoon, too coming together upwards amongst a grouping to consummate a projection inwards the evening. There were many days nosotros argued because I wanted assistance amongst sick kids too he needed to instruct some reading done. There were many times nosotros argued over finances. There were many times I felt like, "If I can't bargain amongst this schedule, what am I going to practice when nosotros instruct dorsum on a boat? What are nosotros doing this for?" His senior yr was really, actually difficult. He had grouping projects inwards almost every marking during the autumn semester too his senior pattern projection due inwards the trammel semester. Our twins' offset yr was busy, but senior yr was the hardest to instruct through for us. Thankfully nosotros were both willing to scroll upwards our sleeves too go on our marriage. We've communicated our thoughts too feelings too bring come upwards out on the other side of this every bit an fifty-fifty improve team.
All inwards all, the fourth dimension hither flew by. For us, the offset yr was a huge adjustment. We were getting used to living nether 1 roof without duty days too underways interrupting our time. The minute yr nosotros had twins too that was a big adjustment, going from 1 kid to 3 children summation hubby's schoolhouse schedule. The 3rd yr was his senior yr too was an absolute whirlwind. We bring no regrets how nosotros spent our identify unit of measurement time, but even thence experience similar nosotros should bring explored our local expanse more. We've lived inwards North Carolina for 3 years too bring made it to their beautiful beaches once. We alive inwards prime number BBQ land, but stick to 1 eatery (a very, really adept eatery at that). I suppose at that spot are ever those "I wishing nosotros had..." when you lot are a country of war machine identify unit of measurement too preparing to PCS.
I've written a few weblog posts almost our fourth dimension hither inwards North Carolina--including why nosotros moved thence much locally-- too the STA-21 program. If you lot would similar to read them, hither are the links:
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