William Plato Henson JR's Page

there is a lot of info about separations and re-enlistment possibilities at this link:http://www.navydads.com/group/ship5formerlyship17

pay close attention to his paperwork and codes.....as far as the Navy fixing it...I'm sure the thought is "if it can be surgically fixed why wasn't it before enlistment?"

you'd have to ask N4M....we have NO connection with them whatsoever......

Welcome to NavyDads.com William! I'm sure you'll find NavyDads as useful, educational and informative as I have. Please explore the site and make some new friends. Read the discussions and add your comments. Browse through the postings in the various groups or start a new one. If you have any comments, questions or concerns about your sailor and what he is going through...be sure to post them! In my experience someone here can answer your questions or concerns or can point you in the direction to find out. I'm blessed to have two sailors in the family - my son Eric (AM3) was stationed on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and just re-enlisted, and my daughter Kat is a Navy vet and was stationed on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). And William this is a great place to brag as well! So join in, get active, and be sure to let us know how Nolan is doing! Please remember that we talk about the Navy here and we must keep the security and safety of our sailors and the fleet in mind. On the right or starboard side of every NavyDads page is an area we call About This Site. Please take a minute and read through the Operations Security (OPSEC) link for some guidelines as to what we should not talk about in a public forum.

As a parent of a sailor currently or soon to be at Great Lakes you'll have many questions about what your son is going through. In the Navy Bootcamp group is a discussion called A MUST READ for all New Navy Parents. Read through this post as it will do a lot to give you some understanding about what your sailor is learning and why. And be sure to check out the videos available in the Bootcamp Group as well.

As PIR draws closer, be sure to spend some time going through the PIR-Tips, Hints and Helps group- we’ve tried to assemble some tips and suggestions to make your sailor's PIR more enjoyable. Best Regards- Paul

Welcome to NavyDads !

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William, I don't know why the recruiter would say that you would have some time after boot camp. After boot camp typically they all go to their respective "A" school. Sometimes they leave the very same day of PIR, some don't go till the next day. But I'm pretty sure they never get to go home for any length of time. Plan on spending the weekend in Great Lakes. You will at the least get to spend the day on Friday after the ceremony. Be sure to join in the boot camp group and the PIR group where you can hook up with others to share information.

Welcome aboard William. As many of us, you are a father that has a child who decided to join the Navy to do something good with their lifes. Behind they are leaving a father (and the rest of their family) full of pride for the decision that the child has taken but at the same time sad and confused because a beloved son or daughter is no longer at home every day. I'm telling you, you're not alone. We are all in this together, and we share the love and pride for our children but also we share the pain of separation from them too. I have found a lot of support in this Navydads group, it has been a big bless for me. In just a few weeks after my daughter left for bootcamp, i had already learnd a lot of the stuff of what she was learning to become a sailor, i also shared a few laughs and a few tears with some of the members and it made me felt better. Anyways, I just want to say that everything is going to be just fine..you will adapt (not really..i still miss my daughter until it hurts..lol) but really in the next 8 weeks is going to be a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions and at the end..you will see a son who has turned into a man...a US Navy Sailor!!! Oh, by the way..get used to the change of plans with the Navy..one day is one thing the next one is another thing..it's just part of the military. I saw my daughter only for a few hours on her PIR..then 3 more months without her..very sad but at least I saw her in uniform. 3 days after and for my surprise..someone knock on my front door...when i open that door..that beautiful princess of mine was standing in front of me!!! And she had a 7 days pass!! HOOYAH!

Welcome aboard William! When my son first enlisted, I was a little scared and worried for him. Not coming from a military family at all, I had no idea what to expect. What I found out was that he had made the most mature decision of his life! I found lots of answers to my questions right here on NavyDads.com.

I have one sailor in the family - my son Stephen is an AWO2. (Air warfare systems operator) He is a Petty Officer 2nd Class and flies in the P-3 Orion sub hunter. Currently he is with VP-45 in Jacksonville, FL. Currently he’s on his first deployment in the Mediterranean. This is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Nolan is doing!

We do ask that you remember that we talk about the Navy here and we must keep the security and safety of our sailors in mind at all times. On the starboard side of every Navy Dads page is an area we call “About Us.” Please take a minute and read through the Operations Security (OPSEC) link and the NavyDads Guidelines link. Also check out the FAQs at the top of the pages, and also on the starboard side. There is lots of information there as well. Also be sure to check out the “Navy Dads Tutorial” in the FAQ section. It’s a short video that will help you to navigate around the site.

Also be sure to stop by the NavyDads official store- Navyoutfitters.com. The Navy Blue tee shirt with the NavyDads.com logo is my favorite! Again, welcome and we’ll see you around the fleet! GO NAVY! HOOYAH!

Best Regards- Jim

Not a problem William. I only hope that you find what answers you are looking for ok this site. If not don't be affraid to ask. Someone on this site has been through the same thing it had the same question.

Welcome aboard William.
I would like to take this time to point you in some of the right directions. For starters if you haven't had the time take a look at the right side of any page you click on. There you will find some useful information for you. The links under the about this site will help you with how this site got started, navigation, PIR, About us, community guidelines and some links to some of the groups that beginners with a lot of questions will find very useful. There is also a link called Navy Enlisted Ratings, this link will take you to a brief description of the rates (jobs) in the Navy that you can find your sailors rate and find out some information about the rate that they are in. First and foremost though we are all here for the same reason. We are curious about what our young sailors are getting into and for more information about the rate or job that they will be doing for the next 4-6 yrs of their lives. I know when I first got here I had lots of questions and there was not a lot of people on this site but they all were either going through the same thing or had been through it and had sailors out in the fleet. Now this site has grown to over 2000 members, Dads, Moms, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, sisters, brothers, girlfriends and boyfriends. Don't be afraid to ask questions of members in here because somewhere along the way we have all had the same questions and asked. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this site with various years of experience in the NAVY either on their own account or through their Sailors. Again welcome aboard and BRAVO ZULU to you and your son Nolan on his enlistment and please thank him for me for making the choice to defend the freedoms that my family, this country and I have and enjoy. Navy dads Co-admin Tim