Questions about bootcamp during the holidays

[mln1]

Hello everyone,

My daughter leaves for bootcamp November 9th.  This will be the first time she won't be home for the holidays.  I was just wondering what happens during Thanksgiving and Christmas??? 

Just wondering,

Maria

[Brenda Sue]

My son left for boot camp on December 19th (bummer)!! This year will be my fourth Christmas without him home!

I am not sure what happened there - but I do know that I got a long phone call on Christmas day.

[mln1]

Hi Brenda Sue,
Thank you, a long phone call will be great to get!!!
:-) Maria

[Arwen]

On Thanksgiving and Christmas recruits are given the morning off to relax, write letters, study or go to church. They return to training after lunch, then get a traditional holiday dinner. The half-day they do spend training doesn't count, they usually spend the day practicing their marching, making beds or having practice inspections.

Most divisions will NOT get a holiday phone call. Recruits get three "guaranteed" calls, one the night they arrive (the "I'm here" call), one at the end of their third week of training (the "I'm still alive" call) and one after completing Battlestations 21 in their 7th or 8th week (the "I'm a sailor" call). All other calls are earned. If they just happen to earn a call for performance, or one of their scheduled calls happens to fall on Thanksgiving or Christmas, you may get a call. It's rare for a division to earn a call in their first few weeks, so I wouldn't count on a call for Thanksgiving, but Christmas may be possible.

You may NOT send holiday gifts, unless its a gift card that fits into an envelope. Do NOT send musical holiday cards or cards in colored or decorated envelopes! Some RDCs will harass recruits who get mail that "stands out." The RDCs want to be home with their families during the holidays, not babysitting recruits, so they may have a pretty bad attitude.

[mln1]

Hi Arwen,
Thank you very much for this information. I will be hoping that she will earn a phone call on Christmas day and maybe even on Thanksgiving. I really like the gift card idea. Do you know if there is a military type ??? gift card you can buy that she could use there. If not is a visa type gift card okay and is there a limit on how much the gift card can be since there was a limit on how much money she should bring when she got to boot camp???
Thank you again,
Maria

[Anti M]

I think they are limited on the amount in BC. You could send her a handmade "coupon" for the gift card you can give to her when she graduates.

I was in BC for the holidays. Old boot camp, down in Orlando. Yeah, didn't do much, had a great meal. I don't know if the old adopt a sailor program is still in place, it is for senior recruits who can go to a meal with a host family or a dinner hosted by an organization such as a church or veteran association. Pre-approved hosts only. Anyone know if they still do that?

We didn't have calls that day, but I couldn't call anyone anyway... my folks were working in Saudi Arabia. We were both ""isolated"! The one time I did get a call, I couldn't reach anyone at all. Very depressing.

I went to church just to listen to the choir, and I don't go to church, ever.

[mln1]

Thank you, I will probraly save all her gifts until we meet for graduation and send her a nice card and a few pictures.

I hope she goes to church.

[michaelg]

My S.R. scheduled to graduate 12-3-10. I have been informed that he will be allowed to spend the day with us. We have faxed the forms he sent us. We pick him up at 0800-0900, and he is to be back in quarters 2000 that evening(Thanksgiving Day). We are quite excited, and THANKFUL. I understand that his division/ship is doing quite well, so this might have something to do with this. Paperwork was for 'adopt a sailor', so I believe this is the same.

[radtech]

Have a wonderful time.

[Eberd]

First reply ever here, my daughter also graduates 12-3-10. How do I go about getting info faxed to me about that day? Im excited to have bought airline tickets & reserved a room but am wondering if she get's to share the room with me for a few days after graduation or not. Do you know if your graduate will have a few days of leave afterwards?

[Kathy]

Hello Eberd, My son graduated last Friday 11/5. They dont get leave, they get liberty. which means they have to report back to base each evening. (time to be back is determined by their RDC). want to get them back early. my son had about a 30 min walk back to his ship. so we got him back at least 45 min early. He said if they are on time they are late. also, if they are late they may lose liberty for rest of weekend. go to web site: recruit training command and click on families, then graduation. lot of info on there. Best wishes.

[Gulf Coast Mom]

There is a NEX (navy exchange) gift card available at their site. In boot camp, she will not have a need for it - but may be nice to have to spend after PIR or when she is at her first school. I think the minimum amt is $25. up. The nice thing about them is that for an additional fee (@$5.00) you can send a card also. There is a huge selection - you can chose the card and message "as is" or change the message, ink color, font, etc. I did not send one during training, but have used since. The main thing you can do is send her lots of mail - a letter and or card everyday so that she will have something there for mail call. Start now buying cute card - the 2/$1.00 at Dollar Tree or the inexpensive ones at Walmart. Before my son left, everytime I went to a store with cards I looked - I sent a welcome to your new home for the first one, then thinking of you/ encouragement/have a good day, etc. There are some cute cards just for younger kids - I sent them too. I sent a card each morning, then wrote a letter at work and put it in the post office on my way home each day. This will be her link to the outside world. Good luck to you and your daughter. Join the PIR group once you have the info - it helps to "talk" with others going thru the same things you are.

[mln1]

Thank you, the card idea is a great idea. How soon are they allowed to recieve mail once they arrive at bootcamp? Is there a NEX website to purchase gift cards??