Hi there!

Welcome and congrats on being a Navy Mom...it is a proud moment as well as a scary one as I am sure you are very well aware of.  My son is very happy with being AIRR - he is an AWS-3 now and in San Diego.  He just graduated FRAC back in August and will be going out on deployment in the new year.

He went to BC in mid-February 2019 and he completed everything (NACCS, RSS, FRAC and SERE) by the end of August 2020.  He does like it, he is very confident and has matured a lot.  My son is young he just turned 20 last week and he was always the kid who surprised us and he has done very well and surprised us more than we could ever imagine.  With AIRR depending on if your son is AWS or AWR they will have different types of jobs that are all related to the helicopter and SAR (search and rescue).  It is a very strenuous pipeline, the physical requirements are very difficult but doable.  I was able to attend his BC graduation which I know a lot of parents are missing out on.  It was a great moment and he was exhausted!  There was a snowstorm in Great Lakes when we were there so we got an extra day with him...He graduated on Thursday and left for Pensacola on Monday (it can be any day after they graduate).  We were able to visit Pensacola and the Base.  It is typical dorm type living..when they get there from BC they have "phase up" in order to leave the barracks, have their rooms neat, and will work a cleaning detail until they complete everything.  once they phase up they can wear civilian clothes and come and go as they please.  Pensacola Beach is beautiful, the area that surrounds the base is a litte run down but Perdicho Key and the beach are a lot of fun.  If possible visit him for his RSS graduation - which is an extremely difficult school.  My son's class started with 22 and only had 11 graduate.  After RSS which was in August there was (I don't know if they still do A School) his was 10 weeks I think...anyways he left early November 2019 (right before the mass shooting thankfully) and headed to San Diego - AIRR will usually go to Norfolk or San Diego.  

San Diego is beautiful but expensive!  He started FRAC after Christmas _ January 2020 and finished end of July 2020 - same type of barrack living actually his was like a hotel room.  He just moved to a nice barracks and only shares his kitchen - he has his own room!  He has a car on base which my brother brought to him from Texas.  Where he is he access to parking.  A car is a great thing to have because Ubers get expensive and there is a lot to do (there was before Covid) so having a car makes it easier for sure!   He completed SERE school last month which he said was the worse experience of his life but also the best.  

I don't know if you are on social media (Facebook) but there are great groups on there.  The Navy Recruit Training Command will have a page just for your son's PIR date and there is also a Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer group which is amazing!  Lots of support from other parents because your friends "won't get it" if they are non-military.  I hope this helps and I wasn't too long winded!  I am hoping to go to Cali before Christmas because my son will probably not be home this year for the holidays.  We were lucky and got him for 2 weeks last year.  Good luck to your son, and to you!