Patriot!!

Aaron was worried about Patriot. Bryce has been Patriots voice since Aaron has been away. He loves him dearly. It actually scares me the way they play together. Bryce never wants me to put Patriot in our room.  

Back to School Birthday Beach Bash!!!

Alec's wanted to have a bunch of boys spend the night for his 13th birthday! With Aaron away, I said no way. I suggested a beach bash. Alec debated and agreed, only if he could invite the entire sixth grade from last year. I said yes since it was the end of the summer and all the kids would be going to different schools. It was a blast and a great turn out.       

 What a great group of kids, I love them all!

This is Holi Color. It was a huge hit. If you are looking for a fun activity email me and I will explain. Or  google Holi Color or Holi Powder.  

Thank you Mr. Davis for bringing the watermelon & entertaining the little guys. 

Chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes!

We said no gifts!!! I cried when Alec opened this. How thoughtful and it means so much to our family.  

He's 13! That was the fastest 13 years ever!

The beach bash was such a hit we are going to make it a tradition until the kids graduate! Aaron will join us next year and it's sure to take the fun to a whole new level. Thanks to everyone that helped me. I couldn't have done it without you!     

LOOK OUT COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN

BABY BRYCE has arrived! Today was Bryce's first day of 3year old pre-school. He is going to the same school Alec did and even has the same teacher, Mrs. Young. We love her, I'm praying she still loves us after a few hours with Bryce. She has assured me the kids are different for her. Yesterday we visited the school so Bryce could check out his classroom and the playground. Within minutes he was letting the other kids know what STAR WARS character they would be for the day. He will be going on Tuesday's and Thursday. I snapped a couple of photos and ran as fast I could. These couple of hours are a much welcomed break.        

19,588 applicants, 3500 selected and Aaron is one of them!!!

       I have attached a great article that explains the Chief Petty Officer Selectee process. I had know idea until Aaron was well into the fight.  The Navy emailed me a 60 page PDF document titled Guidelines for the Spouses Wife.  He has two sponsors that have reached out to me as well as their wives. Like I said we had know idea. They wanted me to know what to expect from Aaron over the next few months; basically he would be tired, irritable and it would be rare for me to hear from him.
     Aaron spends his time away from his normal job (the mission), working on CPO Selectee obligations. Sleep is rare. It doesn't matter that he is deployed. The entire United Sates Navy selectees go through the same steps and process at the same time.

A message from Aaron:

Five weeks down, six to go. The pace is mind numbing. The ‘training’ is like trying to get a drink of water from a fire hydrant! I had no idea the tradition and history involved. I will not be the same person when this is over. According to our instructors this will never be over. The induction is the easy part. Once we earn our anchor and are genuine Chief the adventure truly begins, the mentoring and growing of the junior enlisted will be placed firmly on our shoulders

 Navy Announces Newest Chief Petty Officers

Story Number: NNS110804-11 Release Date: 8/4/2011 11:18:00 AM 0 Comments   Font Size: A A A 2 0

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW) Maria Yager, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- More than 3,500 Sailors were selected to join the chief petty officer ranks when the Navy announced the results of the fiscal 2012 active duty chief petty officer selection board Aug. 1. "This is just the beginning for those selected, starting a new journey in their military career," said Navy Personnel Command Force Master Chief (AW/SW/NAC) Jon Port. "Much more will be expected of these Sailors as they step into a role of greater responsibility." The board convened June 20 to review the records of 19,588 selection board-eligible candidates. The board was charged with reviewing pertinent sections from candidates' official military personnel file, including performance evaluations, awards and any correspondence the candidate submits to the board. A precept instructs selection-board members to seek the best and fully qualified candidates, and instructs the board on which factors they may consider and which factors they may not consider when evaluating candidates. "The most important selection criteria item is sustained superior performance in difficult and challenging leadership positions throughout their career but especially over the last five years," said Port citing the precept. "That is the biggest item which determines selection." Other factors the board considered include: • Educational, personal and professional development • Competency and skill information • Anti-terrorism and force protection • Language, regional and cultural experience • Naval Special Warfare and Navy Expeditionary Force experience • Special duty assignments: • Collateral duties • Overseas and arduous duty Additionally, the board was directed to give consideration to candidates who have displayed superior performance while serving in individual augmentee, Global War on Terrorism support assignments or overseas contingency operations assignments. After the selection board reviews the records of all eligible candidates and selects the best and fully qualified Sailors based on the precept, their results are forwarded to the chief of naval personnel for final approval. "Selection to chief petty officer is a significant milestone that begins early in a Sailor's career," said Port. "Junior Sailors on the deckplates can look at the factors for selection as a guide; study, achieve excellence personally and professionally, diversify your assignments and seek additional duties that will broaden your experiences and contribution to the Navy and your shipmates." The precept is a written order signed by the chief of naval personnel, providing general and specific guidance to the selection board. It may be reviewed in its entirety in the enlisted selection board section at www.npc.navy.mil. The active duty chief petty officer board is the largest selection board conducted in the Navy and typically lasts four weeks. For more news from Navy Personnel Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/npc/.

Take a walk in Baby Bryce's shoes....

          Well Baby Bryce's shoes, he's three and his daddy has been away now for three months. He was ok with the first couple of weeks and maybe even the first month. But after three months our funny strong willed child has become difficult. He asks for his Daddy daily. He is very concerned with Alec going away to camp; he has been away off and on throughout the summer. When I'm away at work he will ask “is my mommy coming home?” When I return he lets me know how much he misses me, and then proceeds to slap me for leaving. He's angry! He has a paddle with his name on it. His world as he knew it for the first three years has changed.

     Yesterday was a hard day for all of us. Bryce refused to go to sleep the night before then came to my room at 5:00 a.m. He wouldn't take a nap. I tried everything. He was whinny and miserable all day.  Alec had a softball game with Scouts, my plan was to wear Bryce out at the park then bring him home for bath and bed. I wasn't going to cook. 

     I told Bryce if he was good at dinner we would go to the park. I was hoping to eat outside at the Fish Company but it had just rained, we opted for a table inside. We were sat at a booth; Bryce and I sat on the side with no one sitting behind us. He was for the most part good; he hadn't screamed and was entertaining himself with the crackers. They make great train tracks. When our food had arrived a gentleman was sat behind us. As we were paying our bill, Bryce started rocking in his seat, I of course told him to stop and thought I was on top of the issue. He started again and the grumpy old man behind me yelled knock it out. I'm so mad I didn't knock him out. I have worked in the restaurant business my entire life. I would have sent Alec out with Bryce, before I let Bryce ruin his meal. Bryce stopped rocking and I started crying. I was so mad at this man. When we got to the car I asked Alec if I should go back in and tell this grumpy old man this little boys dad had been away for three months now and had many more to go. I understand lots and lots of kids have gone through deployment and Bryce will survive, but in his little mind his Daddy is gone. Perhaps knocking the man out may have not been the right solution maybe I should have asked for him to pray that I have patience with this little boy. Patience so that I don't continue to lose my cool and scream and yell. 

     

    

CANDY GIRL!!!!

Aaron sure does know me!!! I love CANDY! This was such a fun surprise. The card said to share,  so Alec and Bryce both had a couple of pieces. Bryce had his first candy necklace. Thank YOU Aaron!     

Thank GOD for GREAT Friends!

This is a message I received from the Davis Family.

Alec had a great 4th of July. He did a 4 mile hike with a 20 foot waterfall to slide/jump off of. Then dinner outdoors with another creek to play in. We shot off lots of his fireworks, (they were really good ones). Now we are heading out for a day of whitewater rafting. The weather is beautiful, hope you have a great day!

 I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the Davis family. They have always been a blessing to our family.  I would never consider a vacation without Aaron, yet I hated for Alec not to have a summer vacation. He loves their mountain house and being outdoors. Cameron (Wesley's older brother) leaves for college this fall; he has been a great role model for Alec.

Bryce and I decided to keep with tradition. We met Melissa and Makennah at the beach. The beach wasn't too crowded and the sea breeze was just right. I wish we could send the sea breeze Aaron’s way. With a cooler full of snacks we stayed for three hours. It was very relaxing and Melissa's chicken salad sandwiches were delicious. Melissa pulled Bryce around on the little boogie board, as you can see in the pictures he LOVED it.  I think it took us 45 minutes to get back to our car, because Bryce was amazed at all the people riding bikes and the festivities on First Street.      

I took my camera but didn't take any pictures, shame on me. My mom came over to watch Bryce so I could run to Bone Fish for a bite to eat. They had a band playing and my good friends and Outback customers were there. I wish I would have went earlier so that I could have chatted longer. I had a quick bite to eat with Staci. The food and atmosphere could not have been any better. 

Laura Glover invited us to St. Augustine to see the fireworks with her AWESOME and ENTERTAINING family. Bryce was excited to see his friend Will. The weather was perfect and the breeze kept the bugs away. The boys were able to run and play before the fireworks. I'm so glad we didn't have to see the fireworks by ourselves. 

Since Bryce is three he wasn't sure what the fourth of July was all about. He only relates fireworks to Sea World and Disney. I explained to him it was America's birthday. When we first saw the Glovers he was excited to tell them his mom was going to make a huge Star Wars cake. In his mind if America was having a birthday, America needed a huge Star Wars cake for all these people at the party. It was obvious he was a Star Wars fan, he did his Darth Vader choke for everyone. To top off the evening the fireworks were being shot off to music. Yep the Imperial March was one of the songs. Bryce was so excited. 

Aaron is the family land navigator. I got lost going back to the car. This is not my department,  It's Aaron's. I never pay attention, I'm always with Aaron. I parked on a street off of San Marco. As we left our car I read the street name so that I would remember it. All the streets are named after a Saint and resemble each other. No big deal, just six blocks out of the way. I found it, eventually. Hey Aaron and Alec, Guess what? I was lost!!! 

I Love the Fourth of July

I love this holiday because I love the country I live in. I like the way we as a nation celebrate July 4th. Our family tries to keep it simple. Our tradition is a morning trip to the beach, afternoon nap, BBQ dinner out and to the beach for fireworks. I will try and keep with some of the tradition, but with Alec and Aaron away it will not be the same.  Alec is in North Carolina.  

    

 

Bryce helped me hang this ribbon. He was so cute and happy to be doing it for his dad. I asked him if he wanted his sign to say THANK YOU DADDY OR MISS YOU DADDY, you can see he was very proud. He misses his Daddy so much!!!!!!   

Fathers Day 2011

Reflections from the Water June 2011

MARITIME EXPEDITIONARY SECURITY SQUADRON TEN (MSRON 10) is an Echelon V Staff responsible for planning, training, strategic concept, intelligence dissemination, and logistics support for three Boat Detachments, three Security Detachments and a headquarters staff with sensors and advanced communications capability.  MSRON 10's mission is to provide rapidly deployable Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) support to Navy ships, aircraft, and DOD assets.  MSRON 10 is proudly manned by Navy Active Duty, Reserve Sailors, alongside U.S. Coast Guard Sailors. 

The above paragraph is the official explanation of MSRON 10. Let me explain it from the perspective of the water. We are responsible to maintain the protection of assets vital to the United State’s interest in the region. We do this by means of presence, patrols, and escorts. I have completed almost two months on mission assigned to my boat crew. The schedule is demanding and the days long and hot, but very rewarding. When we are not on mission it is maintenance and cleaning. In my eight year in the Navy I have never been on a ship or boat. I am adjusting well and enjoy the new challenges. I have been working hard to complete my qualifications and be a beneficial member of the team. I learn more every day. I am proud to be a member of an outstanding Squadron and am certain we will continue our success till the mission is completed.

Life as a local

"Life as a local"

One month has already passed. Upon reflection the time went by very quickly. I have adjusted and I'm in a routine.

MSRON 10 is the only military presence here. Our footprint is extremely small and designed not to attract attention.

Only when I am operating on the water do I wear the uniform. We have been instructed not to even have uniforms in our rooms. We wash them on station. The uniform never leaves the OP area.

While among the populous it's civilian clothes. I try not to speak in public so my American accent doesn't give me away.

On the rare occasion that locals ask about me I use this as a cover story; "I am a Canadian Lumberjack Executive here to recruit deck hands from the port to my company. The hardened deck hands are perfect fit for my companies very demanding lumberjack work." So far that story has been very effective. I receive blank stares as a response. The locals don't know to much about lumberjacks!

The locals have been respectful, as have I. The most awkward is in the hotel elevator. The doors open and it's filled with 'white robes'. I just nod and wait for the next one.

I have tried the local food. The only word I could understand was 'chicken'. Whatever was in it, sure was tasty! Plus I had some kind of fruit drink.

If I don't feel like local food I can run right next door to KFC. We all know how I feel about KFC. This place is a long way from home, but it will do for now.

Missed Milestones

When experiencing a deployment, missed milestones is probably the hardest part. Although I sure do miss all of Aaron's yummy cooking and all his hard work around the house, not having him here for these special occasions is the hardest part. When I complain to Aaron he always puts my in my place by saying the victims from 911 would do anything today to just be alive. Aaron's good friend Bobby's wife delivered their second child on the last deployment, I guess I shouldn't complain. I think Alec understands. 

Aaron you would have been so proud today.  

NO NEWS...

Blog post need pictures, these photos our courtesy of Google images. These are the same boats Aaron's working on. He has been instructed not to take any photos. Aaron emailed me late Friday and said he was going on a special mission and he was excited. I'm glad he's excited because this means he's happy. I'm not even sure if he's on a boat, he may be traveling to one of the other locations his unit is stationed. They're split between three location. For now I can keep wondering. But as his email said 

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS! 

IT'S MAIL TIME

Aaron received his first care package from home. Aaron wasn't sure if he would ever get it. The packages are routed through NY.  Since he is in a place with no US military base it makes the mail system a challenge. If we sent them directly to the country he is in it would cost a fortune. Aaron said that for some reason, today, it doesn't feel so hot. I guess thats one thing that hasn't changed from many wars ago, MAIL DAY is still a welcomed treat from home!!!!!

Deployment made a little easier!!!

She's the one that sacrifices the most!!! Because of my mom I'm able to continue to work during Aaron's deployment. My business requires long hours on Saturday's, she arrives at 7am and will stay until midnight. This is after her own work week. She never say's no. 

The best part is she loves it. She loves them so much!!!!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MIMI!!!!

Times Have Changed

 

During Aaron's last deployment we had email and the occasional phone call.  We now have SKYPE. Times have changed. I have heard stories about waiting for a letters to arrive, waiting for a long time. We have been able to connect twice on Skype. The challenge is the time change difference, oh and a good internet connection. Aaron is eight hours ahead. Which is typical, because he's always early and Im always late. Bryce was able to talk with his Daddy and see him at the same time. Alec was at school. We'll keep trying to get Alec & Aaron together and I bet it will be a shorter wait then at the mailbox.   

Aaron's thoughts on the killing of Osama bin Laden

On September 11^th 2001 the world changed. For me personally it was a life changing event. It lit a fire in my soul that has never stopped burning. I will not over-inflate my role in the death of Osama Bin Laden. I was miles away from the operation. I have never, nor will I ever, meet the operators that carried out the mission. But I am related to them. They are my brothers; brothers-in-arms and fellow Navy shipmates. I am proud member of the branch of Service which finally closed this chapter.
 I miss my family. I miss my home. But when my grandchildren ask,”Where were you when Bin Laden was killed?” I will answer with a proud smile, “On station, I was on station.”                OS1 (EXW) Berrier, James A.
“Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts." President George W. Bush, September 12^th 2001

"The United States has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.” Former President George W. Bush, May 2nd 2011

First Impressions....from Aaron

First Impressions

What has jumped out at me first isn’t the locals and their attire, not the dirt (that’s right, dirt, not sand) that’s everywhere, or not how modern the city can be in spots. It is the smells. Every place has its very unique smell, some pleasant and some dreadful.

Don’t misunderstand me. Jacksonville has its array of smells, from the sea foam at the beach to the coffee factory downtown. There are some not so pleasant smells also, everyone knows I have been responsible for a few. But here the aromas are different.  I know it sounds silly, but they are "foreign". I had no idea there could be new smells.

While walking outside a hint of sweet flower floats by. Enter a building and it’s the fragrance of some kind of spice. Get on the bus and I don’t even want to know what that smell is.

The short of it is if I can notice the smells things are bearable. I am slowly settling in and getting adjusted. Thanks to everyone for their well wishes and prayers. It humbles me to know that so many people have concern and an interest. 

Thanks again.

OS1(EXW) Berrier, James A.

Easter 2011

Saturday afternoon we dyed Easter Eggs with our neighbors Sammy and Tyler. Have you ever dyed eggs with a three year old? Bryce decided the little gadget that comes with the eggs was to complicated. His tiny little hands would be much easier. Needless to say it was a mess and Bryce and I ended with a big fight. He crushed one of the eggs in his hands and his fingernails are still stained. 

 The older boys were very creative and tried to help with Bryce. 

Next year lets have a contest and dye the eggs while Bryce is napping.  

The Ertrachter's invited us over for a Easter morning egg hunt and breakfast. One of their traditions is Easter bunny cinnamon rolls. YUMMY!  

They hide 24 white eggs and one golden egg for Bryce.

 I think this picture says it all. You can even see his stained finger nails. He enjoyed hunting for the eggs, 

but I must say he enjoyed all the toys in Taylor's room, especially the big R2-D2. 

   

Taylor and Alec each had six eggs to hunt. David is showing them what color they need to find.  Of course their eggs were a little more challenging to find. 

It was not an easy task wrestling Bryce into his car seat.  He did not want to go home. It was nap time and not just for Bryce.  Our original plan was to join our neighbors for a 1:30 lunch, well I didn't think that out very well. That is Bryce's nap time. He's hard enough to handle at a restaurant, much less during nap time. Alec was able to join them for lunch and some afternoon fun at the water park. 

Thanks to all of our wonderful friends!!!!  

Boots on the Ground

Everyone,

Boots on ground safely.  At this point there are tons of questions and no answers. We are in a ‘hotel’ for now.  It was 23 hours to get here. It was 15 hours flight time.  My body clock is extremely screwed up now. We have a meeting in the morning. Hopefully we will get into a rhythm quickly.

I need a power transformer. My laptop needs it to charge. No real word on how the internet is going to work. It might be some time till I get a message back out. Always remember ‘no news is good news’.

Aaron

Compose

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Deployment day has arrived. We have been waiting for this day for months. Aaron began his active duty in January so that he could prepare and take classes. No matter how long you have to plan and prepare your never really ready. Aaron boarded the plane today with about 250 others, some of which he deployed with five years ago. I talked with other wife's and watched many children waiting to tell their mommy or daddy goodbye. I kept telling myself, I'm not alone. For some reason I thought since I have traveled down this road before it would be easier this time, it's not. Saying goodbye was hard. 

The time of departure day changed from Wednesday to Friday then from early morning to late evening. The Davis Family invited Alec to go to Islands of Adventure on Friday. When the departure day changed, we had to make a decision, should Alec stay and see Aaron off or go have some fun.  We decided it would be best for him to go have some roller coaster fun, after all he's 12.  Aaron was able to see Alec off at 6:15 AM then he reported to NAS to check in. After he checked in he was free for the day and needed to return at 3:00 PM.                        

 By the look of that smile we made the right choice. Thanks Matt & Peggy!  

Aaron rushed home so he could help Baby Bryce hunt easter eggs. It worked out perfect.  He spent the day with Bryce then said goodbye when he put him down for his afternoon nap.    

I drove Aaron out to NAS for his 3:00 muster. I was able to hang out at the unit for about an hour. This is like one of the boats Aaron will be working on. I'm sure we can look forward to many more pictures of the boat in action.  

   They finally started boarding the plane at sunset, destination Maine. I talked with Aaron around                  Midnight and they were getting ready to take off, next destination Shannon, Ireland. At this point I will wait for a email.    I don't know when he'll be back again ...

The Why

      The dynamics of this deployment are a little different this time. When Aaron deployed five years ago it was just me and Alec. Alec was in first grade although he was very young, I believe he understood what was going on. This time we have Bryce and at three years old he keeps saying Daddy's going away for a long time, two weeks. He just doesn't understand. I hope this blog will help me journal the experience and   I can have the blog printed as a scrapbook. With my busy life I love the idea of taking care of two things at once. Please check in on the blog, you can leave comments for Aaron and the boys. Aaron leaves tomorrow for the Middle East and I promise you he will be away for much longer then two weeks.    

Pre-Deployment Road Trip

Our last weekend before deployment we ran to Sea World for a little R& R. Thanks to Sea World's Salute to the Hero our family enjoyed free tickets. Although with Baby Bryce I'm not sure we had much R&R. Aaron told Bryce he was going to throw him to the polar bears if he didn't shape up. Bryce came home and told everyone that "daddy was going to throw me to the polar bears".  He even remembered the bears name was Johnny. Our friend Wesley joined us and Alec sure was happy to have a roller coaster buddy. If you have never had the opportunity to ride a roller coaster with Aaron, watch this video to see what your missing out on.