Our niece has joined the Navy and it's not going as well as expected

seadoug

seadoug

Well-known Member
Location
Texas
First, thanks for letting me share.

My youngest niece is 18 and recently joined the Navy. She is incredibly bright and self-sufficient (even if I say so myself). She chose Seattle as her home base and thought she would be living in barracks. However, she has been advised she will be given a monthly stipend to live in an apartment. Many of you may have been very independent at that age but she has lived at home up to now and is virtually lost. Not to mention, Seattle is one of the most expensive cities in the country.

My SIL, who recently recovered from breast cancer, and her husband are now on a well-deserved cruise. She can't enjoy herself due to the situation. So Hubs, being an outstanding brother and uncle, did some research and found her an apartment. The challenge is, it is not furnished and she only has an air mattress and her suitcase. He is leaving for Seattle on Tuesday to spend a few days with her and buy furniture, cooking items, bathroom items, etc. I'm not joining him due to costs. He's done all the research about what grocery stores are in the area. We've visited Seattle several times, so he has a good feel for the city. He has been speaking with her, and she feels so relieved that he will be assisting her.

I can't imagine being 18 y/o with nothing and being told I needed to get an apartment. I got my first apartment at 22. My father helped me and my parents gave me enough furniture and other items to get started. I know she will have a successful career in the Navy once she get settled! Thanks again for letting me share, and wish us luck!
 

That’s a lot for an 18-year-old to shoulder right out of the gate, and I’m glad she’s got family in her corner. The Navy gives young sailors a crash course in independence, but they don’t always ease you into it. One minute you’re in a structured training environment, and the next you’re handed BAH (Basic Allowance Housing) and told to navigate one of the most expensive cities in the country. It can rattle anyone.

Your niece sounds like she’s got the brains and the grit to find her footing. Right now she just needs what every new sailor needs when the learning curve gets steep ... steady voices, a little guidance, and someone who shows up. Your husband stepping in like that is exactly what makes the difference. She’ll remember that long after the apartment is furnished.

Tell her from an old Chief: the first months in the fleet are the hardest, but they’re also where you learn what you’re made of. She’ll settle in, she’ll grow, and she’ll be just fine. And once she’s squared away, she’ll look back on this with more pride than stress.

Wishing your husband safe travels and the two of them an easy time getting her set up. She’s off to a solid start, whether it feels like it yet or not.
 
My 17 year old niece went off to University a decade ago. I remember the tears...the home sickness...etc.

But she gutted out those first few months and last year passed The Bar and is now a full-fledged Lawyer!

There can be a happy ending to all of this...with a bit of tlc and patience. 🤗
 
Jules said:
Doug, don’t waste money buying new items, especially for the kitchen. Check out the thrift stores. She doesn‘t need much. It’s amazing what you can find at these places. It’s only temporary. Wishing her the best.
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Thank you! Checking out Ikea for furniture and thrift stores for items like lamps, plates, etc. SIL is shipping her car to her and we are packing up things from our house like towels, linens, etc.
 
I'm glad to hear that she's getting help from the family but I never heard of such a thing. I finished boot camp (admittedly back in the early 50's) but was immediately transferred to a unit (a ship in my case). Fellows that went to a training unit were given military barrack on base. No one was "cut adrift" to shift for themselves.
 
DaveA said:
I'm glad to hear that she's getting help from the family but I never heard of such a thing. I finished boot camp (admittedly back in the early 50's) but was immediately transferred to a unit (a ship in my case). Fellows that went to a training unit were given military barrack on base. No one was "cut adrift" to shift for themselves.
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Yep, something doesn't completely add up for me but not going to press it. I don't know of any Navy facilities in Seattle. Most active U.S. Navy bases in the Pacific Northwest are not directly in Seattle but are part of the Navy’s footprint in Puget Sound.

I was stationed in Everett (just north of Seattle) and found an apartment there. Seattle would have been too long a commute to the ship. I could have lived aboard ship but I was a single E5 and had just qualified for the opportunity to have my own place in town and receive BAH ... slept on an air mattress at the apartment when in home port and not on duty. Could toss everything in that apartment in the back of my little Ford Ranger truck inside of within about 30minutes. Housing isn't permanent when in the military. Well, depending on military branch and circumstance I guess, but that's the exception.

When in the Navy and looking for an apartment, the first place to check is with the command's Navy Housing Service Center. The Navy Housing Service Center (HSC) at various installations, maintains a current database of approved off-base housing options, including homes, apartments, and townhomes. They assist service members in locating suitable rental properties in the local area.
 
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Jules said:
Doug, don’t waste money buying new items, especially for the kitchen. Check out the thrift stores. She doesn‘t need much. It’s amazing what you can find at these places. It’s only temporary. Wishing her the best.
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Absolutely, I'd hazard a guess that she will get told to move before long, so stuff that's easier to ditch might be advisable.
 

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