Confused about the number of guests for PIR

[wes30240]

My apologies if this has been answered elsewhere...I did look...

My son got sidetracked into Ship 5 so I had a chance to talk to him a few times. He said there was a misconception about the number of people that could come on base. He said the names on the list were the people that could come into the graduation hall.

He said you could bring all the people you wanted and they would be in a separate area watching via closed circuit, etc.

We already have 4 (divorced family) but I would like to bring his sisters.

Since Chattanooga, I am curious if that is right (or was ever right).

[CryptoDad]

From the RTC Facebook page, 08/12/2015.

Additional guests for Pass-In-Review (graduation)

Depending on the number of divisions graduating, each recruit is allowed four guests when the Training Group contains 12 divisions or less or three guests when the Training Group contains 13 or more divisions. Children age 2 and younger do not have to be on the access list and do not count against the three or four guests. Veterans and active duty members must be on the access list and count as one of the three or four guests. We treat all recruits equally and there are no exceptions.

We do offer an overflow area for extra guests in our chapel at Recruit Training Command (RTC). However, this is not intended as an open invitation to bring several extra guests as our #1 concern is the comfort and safety of our staff and guests on our military installation. We offer the overflow area as a courtesty to the extra guests, however, there are limitations which one may wish to consider when deciding whether or not the chapel option is for them.

To make it absolutely clear, there is not a limit as to the amount of extra guests you can bring to the chapel, but please consider the following information and keep in mind that we have very limited staff to accommodate extra guests, so we please ask to keep your extra guests at an absolute minimum. If this courtesy gets abused by those attempting to bring an excessive amount of extra guests, restrictions will be put in place. Again, please respect our request to keep your guests to only a few.

• Children younger than 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older and they cannot be left alone. All guests must have a photo I.D. just as the guests on the access must have. If you do not have a photo I.D., you will not be allowed to go to the chapel.
• There is no guarantee that space will be available as there is a capacity limit in the chapel.
• Extra guests will check in at the visitors center and wait in a holding room before being escorted as a group to the chapel which is about a 1/4-mile walk. Those having difficulty walking may wish to reconsider going to the chapel as we do not provide any type of shuttle service , and the use of wheelchairs is limited as the wheelchairs are also used by guests in the drill hall. If you cannot walk far distances, then the chapel option may not be for you.
• Once inside the chapel, guests are not permitted to leave until the conclusion of the ceremony as they are not allowed to wander around our restricted base unescorted during the ceremony.
• Guests are required to remain in the Chapel A (the main chapel area) and main foyer area.
• Chapel staff is unable to accommodate any guest needs, requests or complaints.
• There are no vending machines available in the chapel and food and beverages are not permitted (except for bottled water), inside the chapel. Those with small children may wish to keep this in mind in addition to the fact that they will be sitting there for up to three and a half hours. The earlier you arrive, the longer you will be waiting.
• While we do offer live streaming of the ceremony, there is no guarantee that it will be up and running. Should the system be down due to technical difficulties, the extra guests must still remain in the chapel until after the ceremony has concluded when they will then be escorted back to the visitors center.
• If your recruit is staying in Great Lakes for "A" School, the extra guests most likely will not even see the recruit until after those recruits have checked into their new barracks on the main base immediately following the ceremony. That check-in process takes a few hours and the recruits will not be ready to be picked up until mid-afternoon. They will then have the remainder of the weekend for liberty but must return to the base each evening. If this is the case for your recruit, you may wish to consider remaining at your hotel as many offer viewing of the live stream in their lobbies making it much more convenient for extra guests to remain there as opposed to coming onto the base.
• Recruits are not allowed to "borrow" seats from another recruit as plans often change and a recruit that expected no guests on graduation day may suddenly learn that his or her family can attend; only to remember that they have given their seats away to another recruit. Recruits also are vouching for the guests they invite onto the base and to list another recruit's guests — of whom they do not know — heightens RTC's security risk as well as that of the recruit who vouched for them. Recruits are informed of this rule and are expected to abide by it. Please do not ask them to disobey the orders given to them by asking them to add another recruit's guests.

We respectfully request that everyone please consider the above points closely in deciding whether or not to access RTC as an extra guest.

[wes30240]

Thank you VERY much for clarifying this. I do have one follow up question - I would like to bring my recruit's 13 year old sister - as she isn't driving yet, she doesn't have a photo ID. What is acceptable for her ID?

[diannep]

School photo ID is fine. If she doesn't have that, then social security card or birth certificate.  You may want to take these as backup anyway.

[Tini]

You have been extremely helpful and clarified this whole confusing situation for me. My daughter would have been devastated to not see her sisters and brother on her big day! Thank you! I love this website!!

[lemonelephant]

Yes, guests are listed under the recruit's name and division number.

[JulieTimsMom]

Thanks so much for sharing this.  My sailor's best friend (currently deployed in Kuwait with the Air Force) would like to surprise him by attending PIR.  We were struggling to figure out the 'surprise' part.  This is the perfect solution.  Very excited!

[Sherblond]

Spoke briefly with my SR today, just called to get security info.  She is scheduled for PIR 1/15 -- she said her brother who is active duty Navy is supposed to wear his uniform.  Does that mean he would automatically get in and doesn't need to be listed on list of 4 for access to the ceremony?  I asked her, but she had to go, so I didn't get an answer.

[CryptoDad]

Sorry, but no, he will still count towards the 4 guest limit,

[Kellis]

What does that mean that he got sidetracked to ship 5?

[lemonelephant]

Ship 5 is for SEPS where recruits are sent to be separated and sent home, but some are successful in appealing the separation and are put back in another division and go on to have PIR.