PIR DEBRIEFING

[Sassafras Proud Mom of a Sailor]

INTRODUCTION: A place for parents and others who have attended PIR and graduation weekend to share comments, suggestions and ideas that will hopefully make it easier and more enjoyable for other familes who are preparing for their own PIR events.

 

WHAT TO DO: This is an 'interactive' forum, with each person encouraged to start new topics (by posting your comments in the 'blank' at the top of each page) -and- respond to individual posts (by clicking 'reply' on that particular post).

 

ALSO: Over time, I will be organizing some of the posts herein as a sort of 'guide' which will be static -- that is, there will be no new posts to that discussion... thus it will not actually be a 'discussion' but more of a factual and flowing narrative that takes the reader, moment by moment, through happy hours of PIR, covering the basics with good recommendations about what to do, what not to do, and how to do (or avoid) doing it.

 

To get started on this process, it would be very useful to hear from you regarding which posts and/or particular information do you think should be included? Sincerely, I look forward to hearing from you and transcribing our collective wisdom for those who will attend PIR soon.

 

 

 

 

[Bell (ship 9 div 077)]

thank you so much for information SassafraProudmomof a sailor!

[Mom-to sailor-Alli_Div950-10/29]

He will get the weekend -- at least that is what they usually get. They have to be back on Sunday night and every evening. My kid crashed on the bed on Friday and didn't want to DO anything but veg. Saturday we went into Chicago and had a  fun filled day. Sunday, again a fun day. Monday they will move their stuff "across the street" to the main base and get themselves ready for school.

[mutchler]

My dad wants to come to graduation but he can't walk  too far. Is there any way for us to get there without walking real far?

[wonderwoman79]

We just got back from the 2/11/11 PIR. What an awesome event, although it was one of the biggest. This graduation had 14 sections...last week I hear was just 4. There were 1000 graduates each allowed 4 people so you can imagine the congestion. Besides that, we were so excited to see our son, it was a pretty emotional event. Unfortunately, he was a grad-n-go, but he was allowed liberty from the end of the ceremony (about 11:00 a.m.) until 9 p.m. We stayed in Gurnee at the Key Lime Cove on the first night, I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone. If we would have had more time with him, I would have stayed another night and brought him to the water park. We stayed the night before graduation with our 4 year old and she did the build-a-bear, colored a t-shirt, played in the arcade and the water park and we ate at on site at the tiki-type restaurant....all perfect timing in this cold, long winter. We weren't sure how much time were going to have so we ended up staying another night because we were so tired from the long day and I wasn't going to lose one minute with him. We ended up getting a hotel at the last minute in the Comfort Inn across from Gurnee Mills mall. Again, for the price (about $70) it was well worth it. We took my graduate to the Mall for the day, ate at Joe's Crab Shack in Gurnee and the again at the Rain Forest Cafe. He couldn't wait to eat restaurant food again. One recommendation, I checked prices online  for Key Lime Cove, and then called in the reservation which saved me abut $30. I got the idea from another poster on here and here again is the site: http://www.keylimecove.com/

Hope this helps.

[Sassafras Proud Mom of a Sailor]

Sounds like you have a phenomenally good time. What a great synopsis!!! Thanks so very much for sharing. (((hugs)))

[Mama G]

Thanks for all the info.  Wish I had read it before we left for last weeks graduation but at least I'll know if there's a next time.  Before we got there my son wanted to go to the mall but after we arrived all he wanted to do was veg out at the hotel.  If I had known all that was near the mall, it might have made a difference.  Thanks again!

[Sassafras Proud Mom of a Sailor]

Thanks for sharing, Mama G. I totally relate. There was so much we 'could have' (and probably would have) done during PIR weekend, if only we had known about it before we got there. I wonder, how could more families be better informed? Where should information be posted and/or how should it be distributed in order to 'get the word out'...???  Ideas??? (((hugs)))

[BunkerQB]

There is the PIR Reference group. The discussion are organized like a library. Please review the information here in this discussion - perhaps if you find something that can be added to the PIR Reference Group - go ahead and create a discussion for that.  BTW, I had summarized some of the feedback from this group on lodging but I have been too busy to track subsequent responses.

Here is the link.

http://www.navyformoms.com/group/pirreferenceinformation

[Sassafras Proud Mom of a Sailor]

Thanks, BunkerQUEENBee!!! The PIR Reference group library is excellent! Great way to organize things. I will, as time permits <smile>, do my best to contribute to the colating. Still, I am curious about 'how' moms find their way to this information resource? In fact, I've been trying to recall just exactly how I was introduced to it... if I just sorta stumbled on it while googling for info about Navy bootcamp... or if I came upon a reference to it in a Navy brochure... If anyone reading this recalls how they found this site, I would be very appreciative to hear about it... THANKS!!!! (((hugs)))

[BunkerQB]

Navy For Moms wasn't created until Mar 2008. We were ignorant of anything related to Navy life (for him as an officer, for us as a Navy family when my son went off to OCS in Dec '06. Sometime along April of '08, my husband saw a TV ad and told me about it. Now I think it's mostly from people googling a topic, from recruiters or other moms with recruits that they meet at the recruiters.

[Terry (ship 12, div 096)]

We stayed at the LaQuinta Inn & Suites on Lakeside Drive off of Half Day Road in Bannockburn which is about 8 miles south and a very easy drive to and from the base. There are also a couple of ways to get to/from if you are aware of them (Garmins are a good thing sometimes). The rates were $69 a night, but that was for 5 of us. If it was for 1 person it would have only been $59 a night. There were 2 double beds with a sitting area. The couch in the sitting area folded out. The room was clean and very nice. Had a small frig with micro and coffee machine. Bathroom was very clean and spacious. If I recall correctly someone else on N4M said that they had just remodeled not too long ago.

 

Be sure to request a non-smoking room! We had an incident on Sunday afternoon. We were in our room and both my oldest daughter and I could smell cigarette smoke. When I checked with the front desk, he said that smoking was only allowed on the 3rd floor, and not on the 2nd floor. He would have been glad to move us to another room at the other end of the hall away from the smoking, but we decided not to. I think someone was smoking on the 2nd floor as it disappeared after I heard a couple leave their room, but who knows. So if you're really sensitive to smoke definitely let them know in advance.

 

They had breakfast every morning. Weekdays was 6:30 to 9:30 and on weekends 7 to 10. They had several different cereals with milk, yogurt (Yoplait strawberry banana), apples, apple juice, coffee, OJ, bagels and 2 different different types of bread for making toast along with cream cheese/jelly/butter, blueberry or banana nut muffins, and make your own waffles with syrup.

 

Someone was always at the front desk. We needed extra towels because of 5 of us there, and if we didn't catch the maid, the front desk was able to do it without a problem. They also had a place called Flatlanders listed on their keycard, and you could get 20% off the meal. Very good place to eat!!! Wide variety of American foods and it also has it own small brewery. Six of us ate there for under $100 after the discount and tip of 18% added in. We all had sodas and a beer, an appetizer (artichoke/spinach dip with blue tortilla chips), ribs (pork and beef), Texas burger, sliders, brisket, and a cranberry chicken salad. Had lots left over! You could definitely split a meal between 2 and still have plenty to eat.

 

We went to the Field Museum as our son wanted to see Sue, the most complete T-Rex, as he is into dinosaurs and wants to be a paleontologist. We went shopping for his laptop and miscellaneous items he wanted to get and then we just spent time at hotel visiting. It goes by fast. Too fast almost.

 

If you have your insurance and registration with you you can go and get a pass to take your son/daughter back to their barracks at night so that you don't have to drop them off at the front gate. And then you can get back in the following day to pick them up at the barracks so that they don't have to walk up to the front too. Plus, if you see any others that are walking and it's chilly outside pick them up and give them a ride to the gate! They are quite appreciative of the ride and staying warm for a few more minutes. Just be sure that either both parents go to get the pass so that either of you can take son/daughter back in. Otherwise, only the person who goes to get the gate pass will be allowed to do this. And you do have to go in the building/barracks to sign them out/in.

 

Also, make sure that your recruit gets their pictures pick up from the Photographic NEX long before graduation. Our son didn't have time, or didn't make the time, and by the time we got to pick them up they were closed. That particular NEX is only opened Mon-Fri 9-4. GRRRR!!!! Now ds has to wait until next week some time to be able to pick them up, and he's got to mail them instead of me bringing them home. Oh well, at least someone will learn from my experience on this.

 

Sitting at the top of the bleachers was an excellent idea! Just try to sit in the middle of the building supports so that you can see in both directions - depending on where your division is. We sat where the sign was and it turned out that the division was more to the right of us. This was fine for us as we could see our son the whole ceremony. Of course, it helped that he was one of the tallest ones there in his division. LOL A camera with a good zoom lens is great. I got picture of him sitting at the top of the bleachers with him being in the back row of the division.

 

Now off to hunt out how I can get a copy of the dvd of the PIR as son didn't get this and I'm hoping we can still get one.

 

I can't think of anything else to add at this time. Hopefully there's info here that someone can use. Or if I can answer a question, I'll try.

[Kathy from Texas HMDA]

Our PIR date is 4/29, question I have is it an automatic Grad n Go if the Sailor is not in A school at Great Lakes?  She says her papers said San Diego (which I don't know of any A school there, my guess it was San Antonio).  She will be going to med corps.

 

We want to book flights now so we get best price (not paying for refundable, 1k vs 320).  Didn't want to stay late on Sunday if she were an automatic grad and go because she wasn't in IL for training.

 

Any insights would be welcome.  Thanks.