Parking on graduation day

[colorado]

Hi


Our son is graduating from boot camp. We were told we need a parking pass for the graduation. Where and how do I get that? I went to the US Navy website and could not find it there. We are coming into Great Lakes from out of state. I also read a suggestion to take the shuttle. Great idea, but...What shuttle? Where?  HELP!

thanks!

[Brenda Sue]

It is NOT a parking pass - you will not even GET on base without the gate pass. Once you are on gate, I double dare you to park anywhere besides where they tell you to!! :)

OK - I've been to GL twice. The first time was before N4M's and did not know one thing! The parking lot is CRAZY that Friday!! The second time we took a "shuttle" from the hotel!! MUCH FASTER and EASIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I STRONGLY suggest taking that "shuttle" from your hotel for the Friday ceremony. You will want to drive on base the rest of the weekend but for that morning ceremony TAKE THE SHUTTLE!!!!! All it is is mini-vans that come by the hotels and fill up with people all headed the same place - $5 a person (I think). Then, after the ceremony - same thing - the minivan's are lined up and waiting - you just jump on one and when it fills with people headed the same direction - $5 a person again - off you go!! The driver's know short cuts to get you on base much faster. If you drive on it takes at least an hour to go through all the security stations. Shuttle - 15 minutes!!

TAKE THE SHUTTLE to PIR!!!!!

[Arwen]

It is a parking pass. You need the password from your son's form letter (the one you recieved in the first couple of weeks) and go to this website to download it.

I did not need mine to get on base, I gave mine to my parents, who were driving my grandparents on-base. If you take the shuttle from your hotel to the gate, all you need to do is give your name to the people at the front gate. They will check your ID against a list of approved guests, and you walk from there to the MCPON Hall, where graduation happens. It is a shorter walk from the gate to MCPON Hall than from parking to MCPON Hall. Taking a car to PIR is a pain.

You will need the pass to drive on base for the rest of the weekend if you want to pick up your recruit in your car. We didn't bother, we took the shuttle from our hotel to the base each morning, then took the train or taxi to Chicago. It was MUCH cheaper than driving and paying for parking. Same deal, the shuttle let us off just inside of the gate, and we met our new sailor at the NEX (convenience store/food court/arcade), which is the first building inside the gate.

[Lolocurtis]

So if your name is not on the list.your not getting in for the graduation?

[ebigirl]

There is handicapped parking available to those of you who have handicapped license plates or placards. If your flying into the Great Lakes and renting a car, MAKE SURE you bring your handicapped placard with you in your CARRY ON LUGGAGE. You will need it for your hotel parking lot as well as for PIR.

Hang it in the rear-view mirror BEFORE you actually get to the gate. Someone will direct you to the handicapped parking lot with no trouble at all. You STILL need the parking pass also!!!

Lolocurtis: My only experience with PIR was this time last year. My son's PIR had 12 divisions and the place was PACKED!! I have heard that 12 is considered a large PIR...Get there EARLY if you have more than 4 people that are on the list that want to get in. We were on base, parked and in the drill hall at 7AM. I knew that my son's division was the very first in the door, so we found seating without a problem. They will have the division numbers marked in front of the bleachers as you come into the drill hall. It is the same division # that you have been sending mail to.

[Lolocurtis]

Thankyou

[rbaileync]

Which hotel were you staying that shuttled throughout the weekend? Thank you, for any information.

[Brenda Sue]

Almost every hotel in the area will call a shuttle for you. They are just mini-van -taxi's. They pick up a whole group of people from the same place going to the same place.

[Georgia]

Please help me! I found the gate pass but can't print it off. Also it wouldn't let me enter the SR name, ship and division.

[Georgia]

Thanks I thought I was suppose to type in the SR, ship and division.

[Sailor's Mom]

Hello, all -- I just printed our gatepass and did not have any difficulty.  However, just curious, does that small box that is automatically checked in the lower left hand corner of the page and says:  print to file (or save to file) need to be unchecked?  I'm asking this, because last week I literally spent an hour or more working to print off a pdf form for college transcripts and it would not print at all until I noticed the small box, unchecked it, and then the forms printed easily.  So, today, I unchecked the small box (I think it says print to file) and had no trouble printing the form.  Enjoy your day!

 

[Sailor's Mom]

ps -- thank you all for the helpful information;  I thought we were 'good to go' and then read over the discussion.  Now I think we are a bit closer to being 'good to go'.  Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!

[proud navy mom]

go on bootcamp website under graduation your child should have given you a pass word to enter to retrieve your gate pass