JustSayOohRah

USS Geturasstomayport

Back in January 2009 the Navy posted their decision about homeporting a carrier in NAVSTA Mayport, Florida. There was even a website created to keep the public informed. They said in the aforementioned “decision” document that “…the projects necessary to create the capacity to support CVN homeporting could be completed as early as 2014. No CVN homeport change will occur before operational, maintenance, and support facility projects are completed. Selection of the CVN to be homeported at NAVSTA Mayport would not occur until approximately one year prior to the ship’s transfer to NAVSTA Mayport …”

I found it interesting to read the following from the Navy’s “decision” document:

The number of ships homeported and the average net daily population would decrease between the 2006 baseline and 2014 due to decommissioning of the conventionally powered aircraft carrier, USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV 6 7 ) , formerly homeported at NAVSTA Mayport, in 2007. In addition, between 2006 and 2014, homeported ships and personnel stationed at NAVSTA Mayport would also decrease due to: 1) the scheduled decommissioning of 10 FFGs currently homeported at NAVSTA Mayport and 2) the downsizing of the Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC). With the Preferred Alternative, between the 2006 baseline and the 2014 end state, NAVSTA Mayport’s net daily population would decrease by approximately 1,600 and the number of homeported ships would decrease from 22 to 12.

So – remind me again why the Homeowner’s Assistance Program won’t help my family? My husband wrote about this also on his blog.

My husband received orders to the JFK – which moved us to Mayport where we bought a house because the detailer said “Oh – they aren’t going to decommission the ship!” – we planned to be there three years. Two months later my husband was chosen to serve as an I.A. (Individual Augmentee) and was shipped to Iraq for 7 months. During this time the JFK was decommissioned (actually – about a week before he came home). My husband was given new orders and we listed our house for rent (since we saw that none of our neighboring houses were able to be sold). Short story made long – we had a tenent for about a year; she signed a new contract for another year then broke it. Our house has been empty since late December 2008. The house which we paid $185,000 for three years ago is now on the market – for a short sale since it’s close to being foreclosed on – for $135,000.

From what I understand – there are a LOT of military families in the same situation as us. I want to know why the military isn’t doing more to help it’s members! We didn’t have a choice – we had to move. Period. By decomissioning an aircraft carrier the Navy moved close to 1,000 people out of the Jacksonville / Mayport area. I am not lying when I say almost every other house on our block was Navy and was for sale.

So – either someone buys my house (3408 International Village if you are interested! *wink*) or the bank forecloses. OR: the Navy moves it’s ass and puts a new carrier at Mayport.