This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.

FIRST TIME HERE?

FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO GET STARTED:

Choose your Username.  For the privacy and safety of you and/or your sailor, NO LAST NAMES ARE ALLOWED, even if your last name differs from that of your sailor (please make sure your URL address does not include your last name either).  Also, please do not include your email address in your user name. Go to "Settings" above to set your Username.  While there, complete your Profile so you can post and share photos and videos of your Sailor and share stories with other moms!

Make sure to read our Community Guidelines and this Navy Operations Security (OPSEC) checklist - loose lips sink ships!

Join groups!  Browse for groups for your PIR date, your sailor's occupational specialty, "A" school, assigned ship, homeport city, your own city or state, and a myriad of other interests. Jump in and introduce yourself!  Start making friends that can last a lifetime.

Link to Navy Speak - Navy Terms & Acronyms: Navy Speak

All Hands Magazine's full length documentary "Making a Sailor": This video follows four recruits through Boot Camp in the spring of 2018 who were assigned to DIV 229, an integrated division, which had PIR on 05/25/2018. 

Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)

Boot Camp: Behind the Scenes at RTC

...and visit Navy.com - America's Navy and Navy.mil also Navy Live - The Official Blog of the Navy to learn more.

OPSEC - Navy Operations Security

Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind.  In the Navy, it's essential to remember that "loose lips sink ships."  OPSEC is everyone's responsibility. 

DON'T post critical information including future destinations or ports of call; future operations, exercises or missions; deployment or homecoming dates.  

DO be smart, use your head, always think OPSEC when using texts, email, phone, and social media, and watch this video: "Importance of Navy OPSEC."

Follow this link for OPSEC Guidelines:

OPSEC GUIDELINES

Events

**UPDATE 4/26/2022** Effective with the May 6, 2022 PIR 4 guests will be allowed.  Still must be fully vaccinated to attend.

**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.

**UPDATE 7/29/2021** You now must be fully vaccinated in order to attend PIR:

In light of observed changes and impact of the Coronavirus Delta Variant and out of an abundance of caution for our recruits, Sailors, staff, and guests, Recruit Training Command is restricting Pass-in-Review (recruit graduation) to ONLY fully immunized guests (14-days post final COVID vaccination dose).  

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:

RTC Graduation

**UPDATE 8/25/2022 - MASK MANDATE IS LIFTED.  Vaccinations still required.

**UPDATE 11/10/22 PIR - Vaccinations no longer required.

RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021

Please note! Changes to this guide happened in October 2017. Tickets are now issued for all guests, and all guests must have a ticket to enter base. A separate parking pass is no longer needed to drive on to base for parking.

Please see changes to attending PIR in the PAGES column. The PAGES are located under the member icons on the right side.

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Latest Activity

Navy Speak

Click here to learn common Navy terms and acronyms!  (Hint:  When you can speak an entire sentence using only acronyms and one verb, you're truly a Navy mom.)

N4M Merchandise


Shirts, caps, mugs and more can be found at CafePress.

Please note: Profits generated in the production of this merchandise are not being awarded to the Navy or any of its suppliers. Any profit made is retained by CafePress.

Navy.com Para Familias

Visite esta página para explorar en su idioma las oportunidades de educación y carreras para sus hijos en el Navy. Navy.com

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Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks (PACT) Program

PACT stands for Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks. There are three different PACT programs--S-PACT, E-PACT, and A-PACT. Sailors in the PACT program have training after BC and do not go to an “A” School since they are Undesignated Sailors, meaning that they do not have an actual rating to train for yet. It is a great program for those individuals who are unsure what specific career field interests them at their initial time of enlistment. It also offers apprenticeship training in a rating that may not be available at the time of enlistment, which allows a future Sailor to ship to BC sooner than if s/he were to wait for ship date for a particular rating to become available. Every rating belongs to one of the three areas in the PACT Program and has credentials related to them. Those in a PACT program often know where they will be going for their first duty station before leaving BC. These assignments are based on the needs of the Navy. See https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/enlisted/pact.htmPlain Talk - Career Waypoint-PACT and http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2015/08/20/6-things-to-know-about-pact-program/ for more info on the PACT programs.

There were some changes to the PACT program that took effect on 1 June 2018. You can read about those changes in https://www.navycs.com/navy-jobs/pact.htmlhttps://news.usni.org/2018/05/31/navy-speeds-pace-sea-going-apprenticeship-program, http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/deptStory.asp?issue=3&dep=6&id=105482, and https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/community/pact/Documents/PACT%20change%20FAQs.pdf.

Beginning 1 June 2018 those signing contracts for one of the PACT programs will have a three-year active duty commitment. Those who were already in the fleet or in DEP prior to that date will have a four-year commitment.

S-PACT or SN-PACT

S-PACT (Surface Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks) is another way of saying Undesignated Seaman. (https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/enlisted/rating_info_cards/spact.pdf and https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/LaDR/s_pact_e1_e3.pdf have more information on the S-PACT program.)

If your loved one is in S-PACT, after BC, s/he will go across the street to TSC for 3 to 4 weeks of training (it could be longer if s/he has to wait to class up and begin the training and is in Holding). It is 16 days of actual training. Surface Common Core (SCC / S-PACT) Description in the Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes Facebook Page will have additional info for you. See the info about staying in GL within PIR Day and Liberty During PIR Weekend to help you plan your weekend following PIR and plan to leave late Sunday or on Monday if you are able.

Although your Sailor, may be a Seaman Recruit (SR), Seaman Apprentice (SA), or Seaman (SN) (and you would use those initials when addressing letters) depending on his/her contracted rate, other Sailors will refer to him/her simply as “Seaman.”

You may wish to join Undesignated...What's Up With That? and/or PACT Moms (clickable links) to learn more.

You can see which ratings are in S-PACT by looking for the ones listed under White/Navy blue (black) stripes in E-1, E-2, or E-3? How did that happen?.

See https://navydads.ning.com/forum/topics/s-pact-surface-seaman-professional-apprentice-track for more information.

E-PACT or FN-PACT

E-PACT (Engineering Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks) is another way of saying Undesignated Fireman. (https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/enlisted/rating_info_cards/epact.pdf and https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/LaDR/e_pact_e1_e3.pdf have more information on the E-PACT program.)

If your loved one is in E-PACT, after BC, s/he will go across the street to TSC for around 6 to 7 weeks of training (it could be longer if s/he has to wait to class up and begin the training and is in Holding). It is 32 days of actual training. See the info about staying in GL within PIR Day and Liberty During PIR Weekend to help you plan your weekend following PIR and plan to leave late Sunday or on Monday if you are able.

Although your Sailor, may be a Fireman Recruit (FR), Fireman Apprentice (FA), or Fireman (FN) (and you would use those initials when addressing letters) depending on his/her contracted rate, other Sailors will refer to him/her simply as “Fireman.”

You may wish to join Engineers, Undesignated...What's Up With That? and/or PACT Moms (clickable links) to learn more. 

You can see which ratings are in E-PACT by looking for the ones listed under Red stripes in E-1, E-2, or E-3? How did that happen?.

See http://www.navydads.com/forum/topics/e-pact-engineering-fireman-professional-apprenticeship-track for more information.

A-PACT or AN-PACT

A-PACT (Aviation Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks) is another way of saying Undesignated Airman. (https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/enlisted/rating_info_cards/apact.pdf and https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/LaDR/a_pact_e1_e3.pdf have more information on the A-PACT program.)

If your loved one is in A-PACT, s/he will go to Pensacola for one week of INDOC and about 4 to 5 weeks of training after BC (it could be longer if s/he has to wait to class up and begin the training and is in Holding). It is 23 days of training. Your Sailor will most likely fly out the day after PIR, but may fly out on Sunday due to flight availability issues. Plan to leave on Sunday if you are able. See the info about flying out for training within PIR Day and Liberty During PIR Weekend to help you plan your weekend following PIR.

Although your Sailor, may be a Airman Recruit (AR), Airman Apprentice (AA), or Airman (AN) (and you would use those initials when addressing letters) depending on his/her contracted rate, other Sailors will refer to him/her simply as “Airman.”

You may wish to join Airman Family and Friends and Undesignated...What's Up With That? and/or PACT Moms (clickable links), to learn more. 

You can see which ratings are in A-PACT by looking for the ones listed under Green stripes in E-1, E-2, or E-3? How did that happen?.

See http://www.navydads.com/forum/topics/airman-an-professional-apprenticeship-career-track-pact for more information.

Information for All

While at RTC, your recruit may have a reclassification meeting and meet with the detailer and be offered the opportunity to sign a new contract for a rating or to continue with the current contract. This opportunity does not happen for every recruit who enters boot camp within the PACT program since contracts only become available when another recruit becomes ineligible for a contract for some reason. Sometimes several contracts are available to choose from and sometimes only one contract is available that the recruit qualifies for when the meeting occurs.

If your recruit has orders to a particular ship/sub before the end of BC, which often happens for those in the PACT program, a NavyRackPack is a great gift. Go to http://www.navyrackpacks.com/. Email Pat and she will let you know which one to order and if that vessel has authorized its use. My Sailor said his was "awesome."

Following training, your Sailor most likely will go home for about 10 days of Leave before s/he heads to his/her first duty station where s/he will be an Undesignated Seaman, Undesignated Fireman, or Undesignated Airman. Your Sailor will be at his/her permanent duty station (PDS) for 24 months. Encourage your Sailor to do RAP or HARP duty with a recruiter while home on Leave before reporting to the first duty station and get credit for 5 days of unchargeable Leave. Be sure that the recruiter signs off and sends in the paperwork. This is especially important for those in the PACT programs since they may go in the hole on Leave if they do not do RAP or HARP duty since the training time for the PACT programs is so short that they often only have 7.5 days on the books when training is over. Travel to and from this leave is paid for by the Sailor (or the Sailor's family).

Effective 1 June 2018, PACT Sailors will be designated based on their selection of a
prioritized job in a rating for which they are qualified. PACT Sailors will be able to directly communicate with their detailers and Enlisted Community Manager (ECM), for prioritized jobs matching their abilities and designation desires. Twelve months from their Projected Rotation Date (PRD), Sailors can apply for designation using C-WAY-PACT. This is twelve months into the assignment to the command and your Sailor will still have twelve months at the command. This will enable Sailors to apply for jobs for which they are qualified and job openings that have Fleet prioritization to fill key billets. If your Sailor has an interest in an area that s/he is not assigned to, then s/he should take opportunities to learn more about that while at his/her first duty station so s/he will be prepared when the negotiation process begins. Your Sailor may need to retake the ASVAB to increase his/her scores in order to be eligible for a desired rating. PACT Sailors willing to obligate service (OBLISERV) to complete the sea tour for their new rating, or a minimum 24 months of additional sea time, whichever is greater, may be authorized immediate advancement to E-4 with commanding officer approval.

Those in the PACT program may find themselves with duties and working in areas that are different from the ratings that are for their program at times based on the needs of the command (for instance, one in the A-PACT program may be assigned AO and GM duties), but they will have some duties with at least one of the ratings that are for their program. While in the fleet, s/he will be assigned whatever job is needed within that field and receive on-the-job-training (OJT) at his/her PDS for the next two years on several jobs. As stated above, after twelve months, your Sailor will meet with the detailer or ECM and discuss which ratings s/he is qualified for so that the Sailor can begin OJT for that rating. The rating will take effect within 90 days of PRD, giving them (and their Command) a full PACT tour. See http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/community/pact/Documents/PACT%20process.pdf.

The PACT Sailors will either be conditionally advanced to E-4 based on the OBLISERV or they will attend their desired "A" School before advancing to E-4. PACT Sailors who do not select or earn a designation (rating) by the end of the 24 months will continue in PACT for the final year of their three-year commitment. See https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/community/pact/Documents/PACT%20change%20FAQs.pdf.

The above information is provided by lemonelephant, the mom of a retired Sailor.

Updated 07/27/2018

Comment

You need to be a member of Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones) to add comments!

Comment by lemonelephant on December 15, 2017 at 10:32pm

Kelz89, He will have about 3 weeks of training after he classes up. The time in HOLD waiting to begin training has been 0 to 4 weeks recently for those with an A-PACT contract. It has seldom been longer than 4 weeks. He MAY discover his first duty station while in BC and he will be home after training for about 10 days before going to his first duty station.

Comment by Kelz89 on December 15, 2017 at 2:31pm

Not sure if I will get a reply on this seems like everyone has not commented here in awhile. My husband signed on as A-PACT so he could ship out ASAP. He is currently in bootcamp and I know he won’t be attending A school but will still have an additional 3 weeks of training in Pensacola. I’m a little confused though because I’ve been reading so many mixed replies so I was wondering if anyone can tell me from experience how long he will actually be gone after bootcamp?

Comment by lemonelephant on October 26, 2017 at 1:42pm
tntmomma, you are very welcome.
Comment by tntmomma on October 26, 2017 at 9:51am

lemonelephant - Thank you for the information.

Comment by lemonelephant on October 26, 2017 at 1:58am

tntmomma, she may or may not be able to go home for a week of the holiday stand down; it has gone both ways for the new Sailors. She will not have Leave for the entire holiday stand down if she is able to take Leave, but would have either the first week or the second week of the stand down so she may or may not be home for Christmas.

If she takes Leave during the holiday stand down, then no, she will not be able to take Leave before reporting to her first duty station. The holiday stand down is one time when Sailors are permitted to go "in the hole" on Leave and those in the PACT programs sometimes do go "in the hole" a few days before reporting to their first duty station since they may not have accumulated 10 days of Leave before finishing their training, but yes, RAP duty helps with that for those who are able to do that, but those who take Leave over the holiday stand down sometimes lose the opportunity to do RAP duty.

BTW, she will have training, not "A" School.

Comment by tntmomma on October 25, 2017 at 4:58pm

My daughter is in boot camp now and selected the S-PACT rating before she left.  Her expected graduation is 12/8/17.  I'm guessing that with the holiday standdown during her A school, she'll come home, if possible, for all or part of it.  Since A school is so short, will she also get 10 days of leave in addition to the holiday leave before being sent to her first duty station?  I know she will go in the hole during the holidays and will definitely not have enough even with RAP to be home for 10 days.

Comment by lemonelephant on June 21, 2013 at 11:03pm

meli_gz, whatever he signed up for is what he will have for the next couple of years. It's Fireman, but it's not fireman like one would think of in the civilian realm, it's more of engineering, but yes, I agree he's probably S-PACT. Yes, he should be able to tell you which program he enlisted with. His recruiter can also tell you.

Comment by meli_gz on June 21, 2013 at 10:46pm

Ok, so for what I read. He could be in the S-PACT, because I have never heard from him any interest in fireman or aviation. Could he change his mind in BC and choose to be in A-PACT? Or he is already assigned to one option ? Do you think he will be able to clear this doubt in the letters?

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