San Diego Blog Stories

Within this blog you will find everything from Funeral planning for Veterans to Newborn photography. While we capture many events and share as much information as possible, our main goal is to serve others. We currently do that by providing information and curating things that are needed, primarily for our Military community in Southern California.

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From Tattoos to Training: How Recent Changes Policy are Reshaping the Marine Corps | MCRD San Diego, CA | Staff Sergeant  Mary Phaly
San Diego Military, Military Advice, San Diego Military Events, MCRD San Diego, Female Service Member Morning Owl Fine Art Photography San Diego CA San Diego Military, Military Advice, San Diego Military Events, MCRD San Diego, Female Service Member Morning Owl Fine Art Photography San Diego CA

From Tattoos to Training: How Recent Changes Policy are Reshaping the Marine Corps | MCRD San Diego, CA | Staff Sergeant Mary Phaly

2 huge changes for the Corps: Female Recruits allowed at MCRD San Diego and tattoo Full Sleeve policy changes have shaped where Staff Sergeant Mary Phaly is today! Enjoy some policy history and get excited about how this Drill Instructor is trailblazing away! E6 in 6, getting a bachelors degree, martial arts, and more.

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Navy Hospital Corpsman (HM) HCB A School Graduation | Fort Sam Huston | San Antonio, TX
San Diego Military, Military Advice, San Diego Military Events Morning Owl Fine Art Photography San Diego CA San Diego Military, Military Advice, San Diego Military Events Morning Owl Fine Art Photography San Diego CA

Navy Hospital Corpsman (HM) HCB A School Graduation | Fort Sam Huston | San Antonio, TX

Navy Hospital Corpsman Basic (HCB) Graduation Class 200 October 27, 2022

Hospital Corpsman Basic (HCB) program courses are group lockstep. The program provides Navy enlisted personnel with a basic medical knowledge of pre-hospital, inpatient and outpatient medical care within the scope of the Hospital Corpsman. Subjects include Basic Life Support (BLS), medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, pre-hospital care, and inpatient and outpatient aspects of each body system. Outcome-based practice and safety techniques are emphasized throughout the program. The program consists of lectures, group activities, demonstrations, hands-on instruction and clinical practice.

I saw a Facebook post on Monday night - and it changed the rest of my week! My little sister wasn’t going to have anyone at her A School Graduation … Just like when she graduated from Navy Boot Camp in Great Lakes. You may not know but, a decade ago, no one came to my Navy Bootcamp Graduation or A School and I STILL hold bitterness over it - I could NOT let her feel the same way. So, I got a cheap flight and made the trek out to San Antonio to the Fort Sam Huston joint base and got to spend 24 hours with her. I am currently typing this post as I sit in the Denver airport’s USO on their free Wifi to share this amazing memory.

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Mom Reuniting With Son After Deployment | Chunaco Family | USNS Mercy | San Diego Naval Base | pt2

Mom Reuniting With Son After Deployment | Chunaco Family | USNS Mercy | San Diego Naval Base | pt2

Mom Reuniting With Son After Deployment | Chunaco Family | USNS Mercy | San Diego Naval Base pt2

USNS Mercy T-AH-19 is a 1,000 bed hospital ship commissioned in 1986 and currently lay berthed at Pier 1 on Naval Base San Diego, California. Along with USNS Comfort, USNS Mercy provides an afloat, mobile, acute surgical medical facilities when called upon to the U.S. military, and hospital services to support U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.

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Mom Reuniting With Son After Deployment | Chunaco Family | USNS Mercy | San Diego Naval Base |

Mom Reuniting With Son After Deployment | Chunaco Family | USNS Mercy | San Diego Naval Base |

Mom Reuniting With Son After Deployment | Chunaco Family | USNS Mercy | San Diego Naval Base

Deployed Mom VS Deployed Dad…

Lets be clear, deployments are not easy nor are they really comparable. As a female service member I do recall my husband being home with our daughter versus the times he was deployed and I was home alone with her. I was blessed to have never needed to leave my daughter for an extended amount of time; therefore didn’t know what to expect watching LCDR reunite with her son.

Of course, he started getting mad at dad holding him waving at mom ( he was trying to nap haha) right as she was walking up and did warm up. This exact same thing happens when I see dad’s come home. At the same homecoming, another little kid ran up to his mom with a huge embrace! They are each unique and require reintegration to really feel like a family again.

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