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

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

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:

RTC Graduation

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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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.)

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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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My son left for bootcamp on Wednesday and I've been crying off and on ever since.  I feel so lost not beling able to call him, FB him or contact hm in any way.  I never thought it would be this difficult.  I'm really struggling. I'm not worried about his safety, just feel so disconnected, like he's gone forever.  He is my firstborn too, maybe that's it?   I don't know, but he reached this milestone that I feel like I wasn't prepared for.  Anyone else feel like that?

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What a Valentines Day!  Husband was on business trip so I took a temp job with a florist on Monday and Tuesday delivering flowers.  I had never done that before, but the house is just so quiet these days.  I put in ten hours on Monday and was pulling out of the florist store yesterday at 7:30 p.m. with my third batch of deliveries when my phone rang and it was my son from boot camp.  He had left January 24th.  He said he had ten minutes to talk so I pulled over into a store parking lot and we got to talk about the food (he said he liked it and he was eating a lot), the PT (he said it hadn't been too hard yet but that was going to change today), getting used to being confined (that was hard, especially the frosted windows and not being able to see outside very much).  He said that from what he understood that it was to get them used to being on a ship.  I'm sitting in a car full of flowers talking to my son on the other side of the country.  I am so grateful to modern technology.  He said he loved getting all the letters and that he had written a bunch but that they hadn't been allowed to mail them until last week so I should be getting them anyday.  He said he was going to be a flag bearer at graduation so that should help us easily pick him out.  Yeah!  So his time was up and he had to say goodbye and he got choked up.  He's 18 years old and far away from home.  So, I'm a little blue today but I got to talk to my boy so that's okay.

Becky, I am sure you got choked up too. It sounds like he is doing really well. If you have gotten your form letter, you'll know when his PIR date is. Join that group. Here is a link to the list of PIR groups. There is a chance the group for his date has not been formed yet. It will. We have a wonderful group of ladies who will guide you through Boot Camp.

http://www.navyformoms.com/forum/topics/groups-listed-by-pir-date

So happy you got to talk to your son!  :)

 

 

Hi JT's Mama,

Thanks for your replies, sorry it's taken me so long to respond, still getting used to this site. Anthony called me today and i was so surprised. It was heart melting to hear his voice. i don't think i would have heard from him if it weren't for him needing medical records from yrs. past. Just the same it was a blessing to hear his voice.

Hi Marlena,

My son Anthony just left for Great Lakes, IL this morning, 2/15 and I ditto everything you said above. I anticipate with apprehension on arriving home and looking into his bedroom, empty like my heart. I've held it together pretty well so far, but I  foresee balling my eyes out at that empty bedroom. Anthony is my firstborn (only son) too. A mom's heart falls hard when your child leaves the nest for the first time.  I feel exactly like you :-)

Hi Rose, I left a comment on your page (click MY PAGE) on the above menu bar. The comment contains a link to the Survival Guide for N4M Newbies

When you get a chance, look at the videos (you'll get a pretty good idea what he'll be going thru in the next 8 weeks), review the other information. You'll see a sample form letter. Links to other groups (Boot camp moms, PIR Information Reference, etc) are all there. The better informed you are, the easier it will be - a little :(  It's OK to be emotional.

Hi Marlena,

Just keep your chin up and please expect it to be completely normal that you bawl your eyes out!!  My daughter left on Jan. 24th, and now I cry when I get her letters, but remember always, that this was her dream and us as mom's are here to stand behind them, and wow, are we ever proud!!!!

 

Mom's heart falls hard :(  

I will pray for you and hope you find comfort in knowing how proud he will feel come graduation!

 

You should try to concentrate on your other kids. Don't neglect your self, your husband or friends. Take some time and reflect on the tremendous job you have done as a parent to have a son qualified for the Navy.  Hang in there.

My SON left on Feb. 15th,2012 and its been the hardest 4 1/2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got that 10 sec phone call I'm here, you will get a package in a couple weeks......... Bye......... The 1st night.. But I can not stand not hearing his voice!!!!!!!! I find myself calling his cell phone..... Is that dumb or what, just to hear his voice..... He is 20 and has been away here and there so its not that he is away its that I feel so diconnected not being able to get a text or call..........

 Does anyone know any other way to get his address cuz the recruiter said I could call him in a couple days and he would give it to me and I did that and LM but haven't heard back!!!!!!Ugh...

My daughter is starting week 4 of boot camp.  Have heart, you WILL hear from him.

I started receiving a letter from my daughter after about 3 weeks in AND got a phone call!!(0:

No, not weird to call his cell phone, I even text my daugter every once in awhile, just cuz it makes me feel better(0:  Yes, this has in fact been the hardest time in my life as I have NEVER had to go this long without seeing or hearing my daughter, but like we all say on this website, the greatest gift we give them right now is the support and love for them(0:

Before you know it, you will 4-5 weeks into it, and the days will start to go faster.  I CONTSTANTLY watch the clock.  I actually love that she is 3 hours ahead of me, because I know that when my work day is over, her day is coming to a close also - sounds kinda weird, but I am a bit more relaxed about it all at night than during the day.

 

Thank You, for for your kind words.......................

 

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