NAPS Parents' Handbook
| Useful Information - For Parents |
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| Useful Information - For Parents |
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However your child got their invitation to join the ranks of NAPS, Congratulations. The Navy, Coast Guard or Merchant Marines wants them. You may have been fortunate enough to have come sometime before Induction Day and gotten the tour. Many of you will arrive at NAPS for the first time on I-day itself. If it's your first exposure to military, you may feel overwhelmed by the process. Take a deep breath. Your child is doing an adult thing and as parents we don't easily give up our role as supervisor and mentor of our own kids. You will survive. They will too.
There's still a lot of time before the next I-day event for parents. Use this time to visit Newport. It's a beautiful place. Your son/daughter may not notice their surroundings right away, but it is the place they will be spending the next year of their lives and eventually they will get to know the area. You can get a head start on them by exploring the vicinity. Visit downtown Newport or take the Cliff Walk. Another popular attraction is a Mansion Tour. Check with Visitors Information in downtown Newport. That's worth a stop. GoNewport.com is a very useful website for information on the Newport area. Be back at NAPS for the talk by the Commanding Officer. He will introduce the faculty and give a pep talk for parents. After a period for questions & answers, your NAPSter (and all the other Candidates) will march into the back of the auditorium in formation. As there are over 300 NAPSters, you may not find the face that you're looking for in the crowd. You will see many shaved heads and if your daughter had long hair, she won't anymore. The students will take their oath and then you will be allowed some time to see them and say your last goodbyes before they form up again out in the field and you will have to drive away without them. If you stick around on base, you can see your
Candidate marching around from place to place pretty much all day long.
A lot of parents actually do stay. However, if students look at their
parents, they get in a LOT of trouble. Since M/C's have really no bearing
the first day of indoc...this is a problem. You may just end up watching
your Candidate getting their very first rating. This is not pleasant for
you or for your student. You might rather watch a little (ie: 15 minutes!),
take pictures and leave. Getting your photos back will be something to
look forward to. Don't kid yourself. This is really hard.
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OK. Here's the reality of Indoc. On I-Day your son or daughter swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and to Serve and Defend the United States of America. Your Candidate is not away at college! Your son/daughter is in the United States Military. Indoc is Boot Camp! Legally, they are not even yours anymore. Now there's a hard concept for mothers! You cannot call them. They will be told what to do, what to think, when to eat, when to sleep... for the next several weeks. They will not have a free moment or be allowed an independent or original thought for the duration of Indoc. Rest assured that NAPS will take very good care of your Candidate. The best way to support your student is with cards and letters. Every Day! Never let a day go by that you don't send some small note to your NAPSter. There is nothing more disheartening than for them to go to mail call and not get anything!. They do not get mail on Saturdays or Sundays. Keep your letters up-beat! Fill each with something positive - news of hometown activities, brother or sisters, family activities, etc. And never pass on bad news that can wait until later. Send postcards, send favorite Sunday comics, send photos of home. Find a new way to say "We love you" every day! My advice for parents - the support of other parents in this forum is great, but take the advice (WebMom's as well) and information as a guide, not a bible. Different people have different outlooks, problems, values, etc. Don't worry if your NAPSter is reacting less positively than other plebes, or if you have not sent them something mentioned on the list of things to get- it is too easy to get worked up over small things. Also, be prepared to experience and share the bad as well as the good - you can send posts to the webpage volunteers to get information privately or you can post and request annonymity. Read a story here
about Indoc from a parent who visited their NAPSter after it was over. NAPS allows students to have cars. In fact, having a car is a great luxury. About a quarter of the students have one. It's a LONG way into town to walk - several miles. The weather gets cold and wet and students long to get off base and see something "normal". No taxis or buses are available on base. Cars are a real asset to student mental health. If they don't have one, having a roommate or close buddy with a car comes in a close second. It's possible to get public transportation by walking to Gate 4 (about a mile) and getting a taxi, but it's not easy or inexpensive. **Motorcycles are not allowed. You will make friends very easily if you have a car. Also, during lunch, EI, and sports period, you have time to go to the NEX, NFCU, uniform shop, etc. If you have a car, you can get much more done in the little amount of time you are given. note: I'm not sure on the official policy about using your car during the weekdays, but as the saying goes...you rate what you skate (you can do whatever you can get away with). About registering cars: Cars must be registered
with NAPS and the base. Registrations and insurance cards must be available
for registering the car. Check with the command to make sure you have
followed all procedures appropriately. You will not be able to register
your car until after Indoc (you won't have a military ID until near the
end of Indoc.) They won't bother your car though until after Indoc, and
even then, you will get about a week before they'll give you any problems.
The base police really aren't very good about checking the stickers on
parked cars. But they are sticklers about obeying the speed limit so drive
slowly. A suggestion about cars if your student will have one - Consider a car cover. The cars are parked in a big open lot right next to the ocean. There is salt spray and full sun all the time. A car cover is a pain to put on and off, but it protects your investment which sits unused 5 out of 7 days. Find a local car shop that your student can use if they have car problems during the year. Visit the repair shop and make sure your NAPSter has their number and address for future reference. Often students haven't had to deal with car repair problems on their own before and in a strange place they can feel overwhelmed with the responsiblity. Breakdowns happen so make sure your student is prepared with a game plan. If a car is not within the realm of possibilities, consider sending a bike with your student. Make sure they have a bike helmet and a very sturdy lock. Bikes are locked outside Ripley Hall and stored in the bilge during the winter months. There are many student who survive without a car or a bike. Cars are not cheap and savings towards future expenses often outweigh the convenience factor. For years students have managed to get by on their feet or with their friends' transportation. Cars and bikes are NOT necessary, but they sure are convenient!
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Mail Address format
The Letter... Sometime during the year you will get a letter that says "I can't do this!" or "I made a terrible mistake!" or "I'm going to die if you don't come and get me!" Almost every student writes one sometime during Indoc and we can almost guarantee every parent will get one eventually. This is the moment when you will have to be your strongest. Your student will write this letter (or maybe sneak away to make a phone call) at the point where he/she will be at their lowest. They will feel broken by the system. At this moment in time, your Candidate's future will literally be hanging in the balance. You should offer encouragement, support, and be more courageous than ever before as a parent. The desperation really will pass. You know they can do whatever is asked and do it better than they think possible. Your job at this moment is to convince them that they can do it. That they have what it takes! That he/she will become an Officer! NAPS knows your son/daughter can do it. They are spending a lot of money on these kids because they believe they're worth it. The Call... Our best advice is to hang tough with them. This is not an easy thing. Do it anyway and remind them that they are loved! |
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Each NAPSter will be assigned an Alpha Number
(ID Number) and a Company and a Platoon Number. Together, the students
make up a Battalion of 3 companies. Each Company is comprised of 2 Platoons
of about 50 Candidates each. Battalion leadership positions are filled
based on demonstrated leadership abilities regardless of actual military
service seniority. Different leaders serve each trimester. The student
officers (Stripers) are responsible for the discipline, supervision and
welfare of their classmates. All NAPSters have equal seniority and authority.
The first trimester stripers are usually Priors. Second and third trimester
stripers are generally academically high scoring NAPSters.
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After Indoc ends (OOORAH) classes begin. It will feel great to get out from under your cadre. Your platoon will have solidified into a well run machine. Finally the cadre is gone. Bliss! At first, classes will be a great relief. Don't relax too much because getting behind can become fatal! This is the basic timetable for your 9 months of academic training.
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Be sure to arrive at the Newport facilies on time. The military does
not look favorably on latecomers! Print the NAPS 