Navy Wife for McCain Palin

Proud to announce who gets your vote? 

Say it with this great T-shirt. Navy Wife for McCain Palin in Red White and Blue with matching Nautical Stars. Available in Juniors, Womens, and Plus Size T-shirts. Also available in a V-Neck, Speghetti Tank, Tank Top, and Hoodie.

$26.99

Register to Vote CONUS or OCONUS

In the CONUS you can visit your State's Election Website. Most sites now have the ability to fill out and print your voter registration online and mail it in to the address provided on your printout.

You can use this PDF Postcard Form and Guide no matter what state you are in. Or visit your State's Voter Registration site. I've complied a list of links for each state below. 

Alright Here We Go...

ALABAMA, ALASKA, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO,

CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING

That took some time to compile, but if it helps one person register to vote it was more than worth the time :)

Finally,

If you are OCONUS (Outside the Continental United States) a great place to get started would be the Federal Voting Assistance Program.  

All military units have voting assistance officers, and each American embassy or consulate can help U.S. citizens exercise their rights to vote.

LT Jason Watkins is the Navy's Service Voting Action Officer He provides assistance concerning unique questions and/or problems for navy personnel and their families that is covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

Contact your local installation Voting Assistance Officer. If you are unable to obtain information locally, contact the LT Jason Watkins, (901) 874-6647,DSN: 882-6647, Option 5, toll free: 1-866-827-5672, Option 6 or Fax: (901) 874-6844, DSN 882-6844

Another valuable resource is the 2008 Election Center on Military.com

September is National Preparedness Month

“National Preparedness Month is an important reminder about each American’s civic responsibility to prepare for emergencies,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

Are there recourses specifically for Navy Families? What is Operation Prepare?

Operation Prepare, a fleet-wide education and awareness campaign on emergency preparedness, provides Navy family members with valuable tools and resources to help them be more prepared in the event of natural disasters. 

Operation Prepare provides emergency preparedness tools and resources online at www.cnic.navy.mil. From facts sheets on various disasters—natural and manmade hazards, fast-spreading diseases and terrorist events—to planning forms and an emergency supplies checklist, preparing for all types of emergencies has never been easier. All materials are tailored for the Navy and are consistent with information from myriad sources such as the American Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security.

Helpful Links~

American Red Cross
(www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_239_,00.html)- Preparedness guides and information for home, school, work, and community.

Preparing Makes Sense, Get Ready Now
Downloadable brochure with checklists and printable forms

Regional Information available on the CNIC (Commander Navy Installations Command) Website

Naval District Washington

Mid-Atlantic

Midwest

Northwest

Southeast

Southwest

OCONUS

Japan

Korea

Hawaii

Guam

Europe

Singapore

Southwest Asia

Meet the DC Skate Team Allstars & Wee Man from MTV & Jack ASS

Check out the First Annual Subway Feast Saturday June 14th from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the San Marcos Civic Center Plaza. Watch the DC Skate team allstars featuring Danny Way & Colin McKay as they perform live demonstrations….NFL Players Shawne Merriman & Jacque Cesaine will be signing autographs and hosting the event to show their support of our troops as well as special guest Stan from MTV & Jack ASS – Wee Man. Come for Live music, food & fun with all proceeds going to benefit "Freedom Is Not Free" a foundation….. aiding wounded service members, their families & the families of the fatally wounded. Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for active military, and children under 12. Tickets include admission, a 6" subway sub & a 21 oz drink. Pick up your tickets at the new Drucken Subway location at 133 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road in San Marcos. Tickets also available the day of the event.

For more information call 858-525-2596

FREE tickets to Sea World, Busch Gardens, Sesame Place...

We take advantage of this every year :) We simply show up at Sea World with our Military ID Cards and they give us our FREE tickets! As far as I know you may visit one park for free once a year. SeaWorld is in our neighborhood so that is where we go, but you can get a free ticket for ANY of the Anheuser-Busch Theme Parks.

~Anheuser-Busch is honored to salute the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Throughout 2008, members of the military and as many as three direct dependents may enter any one of Anheuser-Busch's SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Sesame Place parks with a single-day complimentary admission.

Any active duty, activated or drilling reservist, or National Guardsman is entitled to free admission under the Here's to the Heroes program. He or she need only register, either by clicking here and submitting his or her information or in the entrance plaza of participating parks, and show a Department of Defense photo ID. As many as three direct dependents of military personnel also are entitled to free admission. Dependents may take advantage of the offer without their service member, though an adult must accompany minor dependents, and dependent ages 10 and over must present valid dependent I.D.

Official Site for Hero Salute

Win a Miltary Dream Wedding

Planning on getting married? Enter the Military Dream Wedding Contest, for a lucky San Diego-Area Military Couple E-6 and below who has served in the Middle East!

The winning couple and up to 50 guests will be treated to a full-featured, all-inclusive ceremony and reception on Sunday, January 25, 2009.
The total value of the wedding package will exceed $25,000!

The wedding
will take place on Sunday, January 25, 2009.

The ceremony
will be held at Saint Francis Chapel, located on the South side of Balboa Park next to San Diego Museum of Man, at 4:00pm.

Map & Directions
Chapel website

The reception
will be held at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park from 5:00pm - 9:30pm.

Map & Directions
Art Institute website: panoramic view

The menu
will include a 3-course meal with hors d'oeuvres tray provided by Personal Touch Dining

Hurry! Your entries need to be submitted by July 31st, 2008.
With the winning couple notified on or before August 14th, 2008.

For more info visit their website... Military Dream Wedding

Chick-fil-A Military Appreciation Night

Want to eat free at Chick-fil-A? Show up between
5pm and 8pm on THURSDAY JUNE 12th
at the following Chick-fil-A's with your military ID
and you and your immediate family eat for FREE!

Sports Arena (Unit #02014)
www.chick-fil-a.com/sportsarena
3570 Sports Arena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110-4919
619/758-1555

Eastlake Terraces (Unit #01514)
www.chick-fil-a.com/eastlaketerraces
2089 Olympic Parkway
Chula Vista, CA 91915
619/482-6719

San Marcos (Unit #01959)
www.chick-fil-a.com/sanmarcos
587 Grand Avenue
San Marcos, CA 92078-1234
760/736-8105

Quarry Creek (Unit #01507)
www.chick-fil-a.com/quarrycreek
3475 Marron Road
Oceanside, CA 92056
760/720-9199

One more note on H.R. 5658

TRANSPORTATION OF FAMILY PETS DURING EVACUATION OF NONESSENTIAL PERSONNEL.

Section 406(b)(1) of title 37, United States Code, is amended by inserting after subparagraph (H), as added by section 632, the following new subparagraph:

‘‘(I) In connection with an evacuation from a permanent station located in a foreign area, a member is entitled to transportation of not more than two family household pets, including shipment and the payment of quarantine fees, if any. As an alternative to the provision of transportation for the pets, the Secretary concerned may reimburse the member or provide a monetary allowance under sub paragraph (F) if other commercial transportation meansare used. A member is not entitled to transportation underthis subparagraph for horses, livestock, or pets weighing inexcess of 150 pounds or for animals that the Secretary concerned determines are exotic pets or endangered species.’’.

More FYI on H.R. 5658

I read through bill H.R. 5658 and here are some of points of interest...

• Introduced by Rep. Ike Skelton from MO (D) & Rep. Duncan Hunter from CA (R)
• $124,500,000 for the refueling and complex overhaul of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (home port VA). It is the 1st increment in the planned three-year funding.
  
• Applicability of a previous Teaming Agreements between Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Newport News with contracts to build 30-ship Virginia Class submarines.
• Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, a new breed of focused mission ships. Designed and built by a team led by Lockheed Martin -- will help the U.S. Navy defeat growing littoral, or close-to-shore, threats and provide access and dominance in coastal water battle-space.
• Increased maximum authorized payment or reimbursement amount
  for temporary lodging expenses from $180 a day to $290 a day.
• Bonus and Special Pay Extensions. Some include, Aviation Officer Retention Bonus, Asignment Incentive Pay, Reenlistment Bonus for Active Members, Enlisted Bonus, Special Pay for Nuclear-Qualified Officers Extending Period of Active Service, the Nuclear Career Accession Bonus, and the Nuclear Career Annual Incentive Bonus extended.
  
• Increased weight allowance for transportation of baggage and household
  effects for certain enlisted members. Effective October 1, 2008.

  {paygrade-with dependents/without dependents}

  E–9 13,500 /15,500

  E–8 12,500 /14,500

  E–7 11,500 /13,500

  E–6 8,500 /11,500

  E–5 7,500 /9,500

• Chiropractic health care for members on active duty who are entitled to care under section 1074(a) of title 10, United Stated Code
  
• The military department designated as the Department of the Navy is redesignated as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.
• $1,401,553,000 for the National Defense Sealift Fund.

2009 Pay Raise Approves House

The House Armed Services Committee approved H.R. 5658. The bill authorizes a 3.9 percent pay military pay raise in addition to $70 billion to support ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during fiscal year 2009. A detailed summary of H.R. 5658 as reported by the House Armed Services Committee is available.

For an E-4 with four years' military service would receive an increase of $79.86 a month. For an O-4 with four years, it would be $189.25 a month. Find your proposed pay for 2009.

Free Phone Cards for Military

Created by the VFW, Operation Uplink is a unique program that keeps military personnel and hospitalized veterans in touch with their families and loved ones by providing them with free phone cards. To learn more about how you can help support Operation Uplink and our heroes abroad, go to: http://www.operationuplink.org.

Operation Uplink: Let Freedom Ring


Know someone that would like to learn about VFW Operation Uplink? Help spread the word by sending an e-mail message.
Tell A Friend
(will take you to www.operationuplink.org)

2,530 pounds of mail...

On average an Aircraft Carrier receives about 2,530 pounds of mail in a single day! Just thought I would pass on a little info and some news to me about shipping care packages to our loved ones underway.

Be sure to scroll down to see what the United States Postal Service does for us.

A few tips & ideas for your care packages.

• Breakfast bars. Granola, cereal and power bars, cliff bars
• Glade Stick-Up
• Blanket from home.
• A big fluffy towel
• Instant coffee. You can get it in many different flavors.
• Powdered Hot Chocolate
• Calling cards
• Pictures of you
• pictures of family
• Zip Drive with a "Mix Tape" of MP3s
• Send pocket electronic games. About $10 each
• Make and send a miniature scrapbook
• Prepackaged Brownies & Rice Crispie Treats
• Snack mixes like Chex Mix
• Nuts - Cashews, peanuts, etc.
• Pretzels
• Rolls of quarters

ALL items which contain liquids and pastes (even in cans), put in a zip-lock bag, and a second one up-side-down from the first one. If an item can leak, it will.

Did you know that you can send the Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Box for a FLAT RATE, regardless of weight? PACK IT FULL! Its that same price to ship a box full or cotton balls or a box of magazines and books :)

~Plus you can go to USPS.com and get a pack of 10 empty boxes delivered to your home for FREE! If you're anything like me, every little bit helps :) Unloading three children to go in the Post Office to get one box then going home filling it and taking it back... Ya, one less errand is always welcome here :)

From the site...
Introducing a quick, easy, convenient and NOW 50% larger way for you to ship Priority Mail packages to military personnel serving overseas. The Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Box features predetermined rates regardless of weight (domestically) or destination, similar to our other Flat Rate products.

Some key benefits:

• Only $10.95 when used to send to APO/FPO addresses; $2.00 less than our domestic pricing.
• Box features the “America Supports You” logo and APO/FPO addressing block.
• The U.S. Postal Service offers free Package Pickup from your home or office at a time and place convenient for you. To schedule Package Pickup and for other pickup options and availability, visit usps.com.

Reagan Strike Group and American Idol have something in common...

There are more than 7,000 sailors on the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan and the six ships in its strike group! There were 7100 fans in the audience last night at the American Idol Finalle.

Not sure of the exact quote but on the American Idol finale last night, David Cook mentioned that he was singing to 7000 people. That is still LESS than there are in the Ronald Reagan Strike Group! And that crowd was huge! It really opened my eyes to all the families that are going through the same thing we are.

I wish strength, courage, and happiness to all of my fellow Reagan Strike Group Families and to all our families with a loved one deployed!

USS Ronald Reagan & Stike Group Leaves for 6 Month Deployment

More than 7,000 sailors, 5,000 of them aboard the Reagan, are serving on the ships. Navy officials have not announced where the Reagan Strike Group is heading, but the deployment is scheduled to last six months.

The carrier strike group includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville; guided-missile destroyers USS Decatur, USS Gridley and USS Howard; guided missile frigate USS Thach and fast combat support ship USNS Rainier.

Excerpt from NBCSandiego.com

~Sorry I've been MIA (but I'm sure those of you who have done this), you can understand that we were spending our last moments together before my Husband left on his WestPac. This is our 4th Pac together, one as a Newly Wed, one Pregnant with twins, one with 2 toddlers & a baby and finally this one, with 3 toddlers. Our 4th Pac in 7 years together, it feels like we just got back from our last deployment last year with the USS John C. Stennis.

While this one was the hardest yet to say goodbye, I am optimistic that this deployment will be the easiest. I am back down in San Diego by a really great friend and my Brother. I have a sitter (my brother's girl friend), and I DON'T live out in the middle of nowhere. Another bonus positive is that the twins are old enough to be in activities (ballet & piano).

Usually WestPacs find stir crazy women leaving for road trips and vacations to see family across the country, but I really love being here in San Diego. At this moment I can think of another place I'd rather be. I am a woman and have the prerogative to change my mind if I like so I may make a trip or two to AZ and if I REALLY feel like being adventurous I could take the kids to CO or TX, to see family and friends.

I channeled my energy yesterday with designing a few new items for the Navy Pride Store. A shirt that instead of saying Navy Brat (I've always disliked that term), I designed one that says Navy Princess. I also designed license plate frames for the USS Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for stopping by :)

ANOTHER April Desktop Calendar

I had to make another one LOL. I was inspired, I couldn't help it. So here is my second attempt. This time I used Shabby Princess' Promise Free Kit and Ida's Calendar 2008 and a template from Racketty Scrappety. Saved in PSD layers so all you have to do is place you pictures in, save and load up your new desktop background. It is the standard 1028x768 pixels made to fit most monitors beautifully, but I am biased.

Preview

Here is what I did with it...
If you like it you may download it here.

April Desktop Calendar

Alright so this has NOTHING to do with the Navy but I had to share... I put together this desktop background for this month (APRIL) and I just couldn't keep it to myself...

Here's how I used mine...
pics from Easter on the beach (Woods Cove) with the kids & my SIL Janet

I used the Festival free kit from Shabby Princess, Ida's Calendar 2008, & template from Rackety Scrapety. It is a layered PSD file so all you have to do is insert your own photos. Oh yea, it is made to fit most monitors {1028x768} Download it here.

Slideshow from the Shop

Made a slide show with some of the items you can find at the
Navy Pride Store. Stop by and look around if you get the chance.
http://www.cafepress.com/navypridestore

Carrier Lincoln leaves on 7-month tour

The aircraft carrier deployed Thursday from Everett, WA where they are home ported and came on down to sunny San Diego to pick up their air wing and another 1,500 crew members. They are headed toward the Persian Gulf to support the global war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 3,600 crew members are expected to be gone for the standard six to seven month deployment.

~~~Good Luck and God Bless to all the crew and their families that are left behind.

~~~ Please stay safe!

We are up and running again!

Its good to be back :-) Missed writing my little blogs. The trusty old PC is now set up in the main living space of our place. Its actually kinda nice to be back on the ol' PC. Keys are a little clunky and its nice to be back on Windows XP and Mozilla. {The laptop had Vista}

TTYL

Laptop + Coffee = Fried Laptop

Sorry about the lack of posts in the past few days. I (not the kids believe it or not), spilled my coffee on the laptop the other day. I tried to keep faith that after it dried out it would work, but no. Its a goner. I do have a personal computer, but it is secluded away from the rest of the family in a room full of boxes, children's clothes, and other random stuff we don't want the kids to getting into. We call it "the office". So as I type I have a baby gate across the doorway of "the office" and I can hear the kids quietly watching Micky Mouse Clubhouse.

I'll keep you posted, (as much as I can).

Take Care,
~Steph

My Sailor Is My Hero

What a great way to tell everyone how proud you are of your sailor!
With "My Sailor Is My Hero" across the chest with a Nautical Star on the front AND on the back. Available in pink, 100% fine jersey cotton.

Find it (and more navy pride wearables) here.

Tax Information for Members of the Armed Forces

Just some FYI to help you through this years tax season...

Questions & Answers on Combat Zone Tax Provisions — Military Pay Exclusions, Deadline Extensions and Miscellaneous Provisions for Qualifying Taxpayers; Employers.

Also be sure to read ~
Publication 3, Armed Forces' Tax Guide, it addresses a wide range of issues that may affect members of the military:

• Online — browse the publication to find specific information;
• Portable Document Format (PDF) — download a copy to read later or print select pages;
• Hardcopy — order a paper copy by calling 1-800-829-3676.

Source Internal Revenue Service United States Department of the Treasury (Offical Site)

Helping Families During Military Deployment

Being a part of a military family can be a challenge. This bilingual DVD kit is designed to help military families with children ages 3-5 cope with feelings, challenges, and concerns experienced during various phases of deployment: pre-deployment, deployment, and homecoming. The kit includes a DVD featuring the beloved Muppets from Sesame Street, and a parent/caregiver magazine and poster. Created through a partnership with Sesame Workshop and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., with additional support from the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH) and the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

Individuals requesting single copies may order online through Military OneSource, or they may call 1-800-730-3802. Military organizations requesting bulk orders may order by phone or e-mail at MOSEmailAConsultant@ceridian.com. In your e-mail, please include the following information: your full name, the shipping address where you'd like the DVDs sent, and the Branch of the military you are associated with.

The Sesame Street video and parent/caregiver materials are also available for download at http://www.sesameworkshop.org/tlc

Navy To Sink 15 Decommissioned Ships

By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writer Posted : Monday Feb 25, 2008 9:47:25 EST

The majority of the ships the Navy plans to sink — 11 vessels of the 15 — are auxiliary ships. These ships will be replaced by T-AKE dry cargo and ammunition ships. The Lewis and Clark-class T-AKE ships replace three auxiliary ships: the Kilauea-class ammunition ships, the Mars-class combat stores ships and — when operating with a Henry J. Kaiser-class oiler — the Supply-class fast combat support ships.

Read more here.

USS Enterprise CVN-65 '06

Really great video I found on Youtube.com

Fellow Navy Wife Blogs... Slightly Salty

http://slightlysalty.wordpress.com/

Found this site while I was searching around on Milblogging.com. Def worth checking out :)

Navy Missile Likely Hit Fuel Tank on Disabled Satellite

WASHINGTON (NNS) --
The missile fired from a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific Ocean that hit a malfunctioning U.S. reconnaissance satellite late yesterday likely accomplished its goal of destroying the satellite's toxic fuel tank, a senior U.S. military officer said here today.Preliminary reports indicate the SM-3 missile struck its primary target, which was a tank full of toxic hydrazine rocket fuel carried aboard the 5,000-pound satellite, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference. "The intercept occurred. … We're very confident that we hit the satellite," Cartwright said. "We also have a high degree of confidence that we got the tank." -read more

Navy.mil

The Official Website of the UNITED STATES NAVY

Story Number: NNS080221-06

Release Date: 2/21/2008 12:58:00 PM
By Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service

Breast Cancer PetitionUrge Congress to stop "Drive-Through" Mastectomies!

This is a bit off topic for the Navy Pride Blog but it is imperative we get the word out about this important issue.

From a nurse:
I'll never forget the look in my patients eyes when I had to tell them they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I remember begging the Doctors to keep these women in the hospital longer, only to hear that they would, but their hands were tied by the insurance companies. So there I sat with my patients, giving them the instructions they needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn't grasp half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened look spoke louder than the quiet 'Thank You" they muttered.

A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a Mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure.Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important .. Please take the time and do it really quick! Please send this to everyone in your address book.

If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times. Please consider taking the 30 seconds to go to vote on this issue and send it on to others.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require Insurance Companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.Lifetime Television has put this bill on their Web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on.

PLEASE!! Sign the petition by clicking on the Web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number.

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php
This takes about 2 seconds.
PLEASE PASS THIS ON to your friends and family, and on behalf of all women,
THANKS.

USS Augusta Inactivated After 23 Years

"With stealth, persistence, agility and firepower, fast-attack submarines like Augusta are multi-mission capable – able to deploy and support special force operations, disrupt and destroy an adversary's military and economic operations at sea, provide early strike from close proximity and ensure undersea superiority."
(exerpt from military.com)

FACTS ~
USS Augusta (SSN-710), a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Augusta, Maine. (There were 3 other ships named USS Augusta that were named for Augusta, Georgia).

Her keel was laid down on 1 April 1982. She was launched on 21 January 1984 sponsored by Mrs. Diana D. Cohen, and commissioned on 19 January 1985, with Commander Thomas W. Turner in command.

The Soviet Navy claims that on 3 October 1986, Augusta, commanded by James von Suskil, collided with the 667AU Nalim (Yankee-I) class ballistic missile submarine K-219, commanded by Igor Britanov, off the coast of Bermuda. The United States Navy states that K-219 was disabled by an internal explosion.

Beginning in July 1987, Augusta began service as trials boat for the BQG-5D Wide Aperture Array (WAA) passive sonar system and carrying the prototype BQQ-10 ARCI sonars, which incorporate off-the-shelf computer components, allowing easy introduction of modular upgrades.

In 2003, the USS Augusta was one of a handful of submarines participating in Tomahawk Strikes against Iraq in the opening of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The boat successfully launched missiles against all assigned missions leaving the theater with 100% completion.

The USS Augusta underwent extensive maintenance during 2006 to prepare for six month deployment in 2007, which began in March and completed in September.

Augusta was homeported in Norfolk, VA before heading to Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, VA.
(some of these facts were found on wikipedia)

Postal Service Offers Military Discount

If you send a package to a servicemember after March 3, 2008, you can take advantage of the new flat-rate box from the Postal Service that is 50 percent larger and delivered for $10.95 to any APO/FPO address, which is $2 less than for domestic destinations. The new priority mail large flat-rate box (12" x 12" x 5-1/2" or 800 cubic inches) will be available in post offices nationwide beginning March 3, 2008, but customers can begin ordering them Feb. 20, 2008 at the United States Postal Service website at (http://shop.usps.com/) usps.com/supplies or by calling 800-610-8734.To find more deployment news and resources, visit (http://www.military.com/deployment) The Deployment Center.

Navy tasked with destroying satellite

By Gayle S. Putrich - Staff writerPosted : Thursday Feb 14, 2008 20:22:30 EST

The Navy will attempt to shoot down an unresponsive spy satellite before it enters the Earth’s atmosphere because of concerns that the rocket fuel on board could harm people when it crashes, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

The Navy has been working on software modifications for three weeks and will deploy three Aegis-equipped ships to intercept the 5,000-pound National Reconnaissance Office imagery satellite somewhere in the northern hemisphere of the Pacific Ocean in the coming weeks, said Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Cartwright refused say which ships will be deployed or where they will go to fire. The Navy has three cruisers — the Shiloh, the Lake Erie and the Port Royal — equipped with ballistic missile defense capabilities, and 15 destroyers.

Cartwright said a “window of opportunity” for an attempt to shoot down the satellite with a ballistic missile will open in two to three days and is expected to last as long as seven to eight days. If the first shot misses, the Navy will have two backup missiles and as long as two days to make a decision on a second attempt. The goals are to destroy the hydrazine rocket fuel and to push the satellite on a trajectory to land in the ocean, Cartwright said.

“If we fire at the satellite, the worst is that we miss. If we graze the satellite, we’re still better off because we’ll bring it down sooner and more predictably,” he said. “The regret factor of not acting clearly outweighs the regret factors of acting.”
If it is not intercepted, the satellite is expected to hit the atmosphere sometime in early March. The path it would take as it tumbled through the atmosphere would be “very, very unpredictable and impossible to engage,” Cartwright said.

Read more here.

Brief History of Navy Tattoos

The United States Navy has the longest and richest military tattoo tradition. The anchor symbol has become one of the most easily recognizable tattoos in the world. The sailors introduced the practice of tattooing to the other military branches in the early 1900's when they would return from voyages that had literally taken them around the world. As the sailors traveled to distant places and saw that the art of tattooing was alive and well, they began to create tattoos that represented who they were as a group.

(exerpt from EzineArticles.com)

These boxers feature a girl on an anchor with a 'U.S. Navy' ribbon on her resembling a classic navy tattoo and have a 'U.S. Navy' banner on the rear on a blue background.



U.S. Navy - Tattoo Girl boxer shorts

Also found the same print on some lounge pants...

U.S. Navy - Tattoo Girl Lounge Pants

print detail...

2009 Military Pay Raise Proposed

2009 Military Pay Raise Proposed President Bush's administration has released his 2009 National Defense budget request. The administration is requesting an across-the-board raise of 3.4 percent in basic pay for all military personnel. If approved, this pay raise will go into effect on January 1, 2009.

Here are some common examples of what a 3.4 percent pay increase would mean:

• An E-4 with more than three years of service now earns $1,949.10 per month; that would rise to $2,015.40 a month
• An E-7 with more than 10 years of service now earns $3,263.10 per month; that would rise to $3,374.10 per month.
• An O-3 with more than six years of service now earns $4,763.10 per month; that would rise to $4,925.10 per month.

View the pay charts here. (Navytimes.com)

Quote-Worthy

Any man who may be asked…

What he did to make his life worthwhile…

Can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction,

"I served in the United States Navy."

President John F. Kennedy August 1, 1963

Do Your Taxes for FREE!

Did you know as an active duty Navy family you can get your taxes done for FREE?

The military-based VITA (Volunteer Income Assistance) Program sites provide free tax advice, tax preparation, return filing, and other tax assistance to military members and their families. The Armed Forces Tax Council (AFTC) which consists of the tax program coordinators for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard oversees the operation of the military tax programs worldwide and serves as the main conduit for outreach by the IRS to military personnel and their families. Airmen, soldiers, sailors, marines, and guardsmen and their families worldwide get tax preparation help at offices within their installations. VITA sites provide free tax advice, tax preparation, and assistance to military members and their families. They are trained and equipped to address military specific tax issues, such as combat zone tax benefits and the effect of the new Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) guidelines.
(source-Military Onesource.com)

Many installations and some larger commands offer the Military Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. To find a VITA site near you call a Military OneSource tax consultant at 1-800-730-3802, or contact the Legal Assistance office at your nearest installation.

Getting the Most for your Grocery Dollar

We went to the new Commissary on 32nd Street in San Diego the other night, and I loved it! Much improved over the commissary that we visited when we were stationed here the last time. As always they have great prices (they had whole ORGANIC chicken for 59cents a pound!). It is HUGE. Most of the isles were so wide that you could easily maneuver 3 shopping carts through them. Not to mention the beautiful produce, and the best meat counter I've ever seen at a commissary. It was great to walk out of with nearly a cart full of food for $92 bucks! Something I haven't been able to do anywhere else in San Diego.

Here's an bit from Military.com wrote up on the new website.
~ The Defense Commissary Agency's (DeCA's) new and improved website at commissaries.com is a great way for commissary shoppers to discover their benefit and stay connected to what's happening in their commissary wherever they are stationed. The website includes a new section that promotes health and wellness and an "Ask the DeCA Dietitian" section where customers can exchange comments with the DeCA dietitian and other users. The website also lists what is on sale in the "Savings Aisle" under the "Shopping" tab. Customers can print a list of all items on sale at their local commissary and find Internet coupons on the "Links" page. The "Kay's Kitchen" section also provides lots of quick, easy and nutritional recipes.

Give Mommy A Break!

This is TOO cute! Find it here. At the cafepress Navy Pride Store. This design is available on bibs, t-shirts to fit infants, toddlers, & kids. Two types of sweatshirts, and a cute baseball jersey style Tee.

Helping Out in San Diego

Today there are nearly three quarters of a million children under the age of five years in military families, the most since World War II. When a family member deploys, the whole family "deploys" requiring equal parts of sacrifice and courage .
(Cuba Gooding Jr. from PBS special: "When Parents Deploy")

With several hundred thousand service members and with more than 20,000 military families in San Diego, SDMOM (San Diego Military Outreach Ministries) is busy helping with urgent needs, personal caring and household and food assistance.

SDMOM mostly serves the junior enlisted military family, typically headed by a 18-23 year old, with young children, away from home, and trying to survive in our expensive economy on a low salary while struggling with high debt and the family stresses of deployment.

Please take a moment to visit thier website and show your support to this wonderful charity.
www.sandiegomom.org

Navy Life Right @ Home

Funny email I recieved from Hubby the last time he was underway :)

Here are a few suggestions on how to experience the real Navy life, right in the comfort of your own home.

• Buy a dumpster, paint it gray and live in it for 6 months straight.
• Run all of the piping and wires inside your house on the outside of the walls.
• Pump 10 inches of nasty, crappy water into your basement, then pump it out, clean up, and paint the basement "deck gray"
• Every couple of weeks, dress up in your best clothes and go the scummiest part of town, find the most run down, trashy bar you can, pay $10 per beer until you're hammered, then walk home in the freezing cold.
• Perform a weekly disassembly and inspection of your lawnmower.
• On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays turn your water temperature up to 200 degrees, then on Tuesday and Thursday turn it down to 10 degrees.
• On Saturdays, and Sundays declare to your entire family that they used too much water during the week, so all showering is secured.
• Raise your bed to within 6 inches of the ceiling.
• Have your next door neighbor come over each day at 5am, and blow a whistle really loud and shout "Reveille, Reveille, all hands heave out and trice up"
• Have your mother-in-law write down everything she's going to do the following day, then have her make you stand in the back yard at 6am and read it to you.
• Eat the raunchiest Mexican food you can find for three days straight, then lock the bathroom door for 12 hours, and hang a sign on it that reads "Secured - contact OA DIV at X-3053"
• Submit a request form to your father-in-law, asking if it's ok for you to leave your house before 3pm.
• Invite 200 of your not-so-closest friends to come over, then board up all the windows and doors to your house for 6 months. After the 6 months is up, take down the boards, and since you're on duty, wave at your friends and family through the front window of your home...you can't leave until the next day.
• Shower with above-mentioned friends.
• Make your family qualify to operate all the appliances in your home(i.e. Dishwasher operator, blender technician, etc.)
• Walk around your car for 4 hours checking the tire pressure every 15 minutes.
• Sit in your car and let it run for 4 hours before going anywhere. This is to ensure your engine is properly "lit off".
• Empty all the garbage bins in your house, and sweep your driveway 3 times a day, whether they need it or not.
• Repaint your entire house once a month.
• Cook all of your food blindfolded, groping for any spice and seasoning you can get your hands on.
• Have your neighbor collect all your mail for a month, randomly losing every 5th item.
• Spend $20,000 on a satellite system for your TV, but only watch CNN and the Weather Channel.
• Have your 5-year-old cousin give you a haircut with goat shears.
• Post a menu on the refrigerator door informing your family that you are having steak for dinner. Then make them wait in line for at least an hour, when they finally get to the kitchen, tell them that you are out of steak, but you have dried ham or hot dogs. Repeat daily until they don't pay attention to the menu any more they just ask for hot dogs.
• In the middle of January, place a podium at the end of your driveway. Have you family stand watches at the podium, rotating at 4-hour intervals.

The Navy Cafe ~ Forum

Joined today. Seems like a great group of people.
I'll let you know how it turns out.

The Navy CafeNavy Forum

Navy Wife's Prayer

Small post today. Found this and wanted to share it.
Take Care.

Navy Wife's Prayer

Author Unknown

Dear Lord, give me greatness of heart to see,
The difference between duty and his love for me.

Give me a task to do each day,
to help pass the time while he is away;

Give me the understanding, so that I may know,

That when duty calls he must go;

And, Dear Lord, when he goes out to sea,

please bring him home safely to me.

The Navy Mamas

Hi NavyMamas~

Just wanted to blog a bit about the Navy Mamas and what's new with the Navy Mamas Message Board.

Being a Navy mom comes with its own unique differences. We have deployments, new duty stations, and living far from family and friends, just to name a few...Thier forum is a casual & friendly place to to find support, encouragement, advice & friendship with other Mamas who can relate. Are you a Navy Mama? If you are, we would love to have you join us.

Have you visited the yet? Did you know that you can add personalized photos and/or animations to your avatar? How about adding some blinkies to your signature line! The possibilities are endless :) Swing on by the next time your online. http://navymamas.aceboard.com/ Would you like to help get the word out about our group? Word of mouth is our best ally when it comes to letting other moms know about us. We have a new easy to remember email just incase you run into a mom or a friend that would like to know more about us. (NavyMamas (at) gmail (dot) com)

FYI~We're not just in Washington Anymore! We have Mamas in California Colorado & Hawaii too! Thanks for making the Navy Mamas a great group to be a part of!

Take Care,
~Stephanie Online Moderator

Showing off Your Kitchenaid

This is so COOL! Found this today and I just had to post it...

Hubby got me a Kitchenaid for a Westpac Survival Gift when he came home a few years back and I l-o-v-e, love it! It sits a top my fridge under its tan cover with brown trim. The cover alone is worth it being hidden away. Can you imagine if this bad boy was sitting out? My Kitchenaid IS this gun metal grey (like I said, it was a gift from a MAN), but the description says it would look great on any of their colors. I am SOOO getting this :)

~Description from Amazon~

With this SHARK PLANE on your mixer, it gets tons of attention like your mixer should! Notice the nice color bleed, the pin stripping, and smell of envy it creates!

Features
~Inspired by the Flying Tigers, this is a Navy Shark plane from 1942 with exhaust, bullet holes, squadron stripes, pilot ID 154, and 3 Zero planes downed.
~The kit is a total of 30 different decal pieces (15 pieces mirrored left and right). Overall length on the sheet is 9 x 8.25 inches
~Custom painting at a shop costs around $150, save money and time with this high quality kit.
~Five year outdoor color durability ink process on 5 mil thick (0.005") high quality vinyl.
~Custom designed for quick and easy application on all sizes of KitchenAid stand mixers.

Flying Tiger Shark Plane Decal Sticker Mixer cover Kit red, white, navy blue, and black, designed to fit all KitchenAid stand mixers, including Pro 600, Artisan, Ultra Power, 4, 5, 6 qt quart mixers, without accessory interference.From FlameKA.com

Oh yeah I almost forgot its $19.95. Find it here.

Reduce/Reuse/Recyle

So we all know about the three R's right? Reduce Reuse Recycle. I'm thinking we all have a pretty good idea about the recycle part but what about the other two?

Paper or plastic? How about NEITHER! Both paper & plastic consume energy and generate waste. A simple way to Reduce AND Reuse is to, bring reusable bags like a sturdy canvas tote to the grocery store, dry cleaner, bookstore, mall, and wherever else you go. Just say "no, thanks, I don't need a bag, I brought one of my own." and your well on your way to knocking out all three R's more often :)

Check out this neat product that not only helps the environment, but its cute too! This 100% cotton canvas tote bag has plenty of room to carry everything you need when you are on the go.

The Proud to Protect Totebag can be

found at the Navy Pride Store for $15.99

Welcome to Our New Blog!

Just a quick little post to welcome you to our new blog. I hope to post here often to bring you the latest news about the Navy Pride Store.

Thanks for visiting!