Survival Guide for Navy For Moms Newbies

[BunkerQB]

THIS DISCUSSION WAS CREATED FOR THOSE WITH A FAMILY MEMBER AT OR PREPARING TO GO TO NAVY BOOT CAMP.

The single most important site to bookmark on your browser is the Recruit Training Command  website – the official website from the Navy containing information for recruits & families. Here you'll find the phone number/email for the Public Affairs Office, FAQs, mission statement for the Recruit Training Command, the history of the program. Here is where you will find the graduation dates for various Training Groups and the link to print your pass for parking at graduation (call PIR Pass In Review).  Many, many of your questions will be answered if you study the information on this site. 

Recruit Training Command - Main Page (clickable link)

Note items on the MENU bar, such as ABOUT, RECRUITS, GRADUATION, etc.  The RECRUITS page of the site displays "Prepare Yourself" and "What To Expect."  Under GRADUATION, You'll see 8 sub sections.  The sub sections contain pertinent information regarding PIR. 

      Recruit Training Command - Facebook Page  (clickable link) to see photos
      of current recruits at RTC

      GRADUATION STREAMING LIVE  (Clickable link) Watch our recruits graduate
          at 0845 Central Daylight Time on scheduled Fridays

STEP 1 - JUST FOR YOUR RECRUIT - A SPECIAL WEBSITE. Your recruit should study this fantastic power point presentation (the four PDF files) made by Craig, a N4M member. He was in the Navy himself and has a son in the Navy.  He has a website JUST for the recruits. If your son/daughter is struggling with getting answer, this site may be for him/her. Craig put together the PDF files and found the diagram of the barracks. He is a wealth of information.

       NAVY DEP.com (clickable link)

In the PDF files below, you'll see maps of the Recruit Training Center at Great Lakes, the ILL area, photos, diagrams, a list of the addresses of the "ships", - a great overview of the beginning processing days.  It will take you from the beginning when your recruits arrives at Great Lake to the end of processing days - you will feel like YOU have been processed too. This link opens up a PDF file. You can print a hard copy. If you are downloading this for the first time - it may take a minute or two (depending on the speed of your computer - possibly longer - be patient). You can also save this file to your own hard drive for future reference. But don't worry it'll always be here.

THE VIDEOS AND THE PDF FILES WILL A LONG TIME TO DOWNLOAD (THE FIRST TIME). It'll look like nothing is happening. Be patient. I would recommend printing these four files and putting them in a binder. It'll be a great way to show family and friends what your recruit will be going through.  

Boot_Camp_Processing_Days_P_days.pdf   (71 pages)
Aerial_View_of_Camp_John_Paul_Jones.pdf (23 pages)

Battle_Stations_Part1_of_2.pdf  (71 pages)

Battle_Stations_Part2_of_2.pdf  (69 pages)

STEP 2 - BOOT CAMP VIDEOS from P DAY to PIR

NEW VIDEOS. These were found on the official Recruit Training Command website as of Aug 2014.

OVER VIEW & FACES OF THE NAVY (YouTube)    Approximately 25 minutes. 

PASS-IN-REVIEW (PIR), Boot Camp Graduation  Approximately 2 minutes.

Navy Boot Camp - What To Expect  Again another very brief over view.

BOOT CAMP - TIMELINE AT A GLANCE.  

The YouTube videos below are essentially the ones featured on the RETURN TO BOOTCAMP series (which the Navy is no longer promoting) - but I found the links. BunkerQB.

1. Welcome to U. S. Navy Bootcamp - P (processing) Days - YouTube 13:35 minutes
2. Reveille - YouTube - 1:43 minutes
3. PT Physical Training - YouTube - 2:02 mintues
4. CNN Video - IDEAS - YouTube BattleStations 21 3:53 minutes
5. Battle Stations 21 YouTube - 7:55 minutes

STEP 3 - COUNT DOWN TO DEPARTURE DATE.  Click on the link below to a separate discussion listing all the of things to do the last month before your loved ones leaves for boot camp. 

    Things to Do in the Last Month Before Your Future Sailor Leaves for the RTC

STEP 4 - GET INVOLVED. GET CONNECTED.  BE PART OF A GROUP (Navy For Moms Groups that is). Preparing for PIR and other stuff. Don't do this alone.

1. Find some groups to join. Start with the Navy MEPS & DEP Families group (if your recruit is waiting for Boot Camp), the Boot Camp Moms group (if your recruit has started Boot Camp already), your geographical group (your home town).
   
   Navy MEPS & DEP Families (clickable link)
   Boot Camp Moms (clickable link)
   
   
2. Along with the two above groups, you should join one of the following depending on when your sailor recruit is leaving for Boot Camp.
   

   Leaving For Boot Camp in January              Leaving For Boot Camp in February
   Leaving For Boot Camp in March                 Leaving For Boot Camp in April
   Leaving For Boot Camp in May                    Leaving For Boot Camp in June         
   Leaving For Boot Camp in July                    Leaving For Boot Camp in August         
   Leaving For Boot Camp in September          Leaving For Boot Camp in October         
   Leaving For Boot Camp in November           Leaving For Boot Camp in December  

3. THE FORM LETTER:

   You will received this form letter (from RTC) soon after your sailor recruit starts boot camp. This form letter contains four important items.

   • Your recruit's SHIP # and DIVISION # (Ships which are their barracks are also named, like USS Triton, USS Reuben James. See diagram above. Don't confuse these with the real life actual Navy vessels in service).
     Just below that is his address. USE THIS address - not the one that you might have gotten from the recruiter previously.
     
   • Further down, you'll find his graduation date. This is his PIR (Pass In Review) date.
   • Next, you'll see the password you will need to download the parking pass for PIR (Does not apply to PIR dates beginning October 6, 2017.)
     
   • Finally, you'll see the four names your recruit has listed officially as his guests. (4 per recruit, limit could be 3 guests if the divisions are large - see the Family Guide above)
     NOTE: IMPORTANT. SINCE OCTOBER 2012, RTC'S POLICY CHANGED. NO EXTRA GUEST ALLOWED. Do not try to put your extra guest on another recruit's list. Your recruit can get in trouble.
     
   • If you are lucky, you'll find a very brief note from your recruit. There is not much room to write, so don't be disappointed if the letter is short - this will be the first written communication from your sailor recruit. 

   Click HERE to see sample of the form letter.

4. If you have an address (either from your recruiter or from your form letter), start writing, use plain regular letter size envelopes - the two addresses may be different - don't panic - it'll get there - use the one your recruit gives you in the form letter as soon as you get it. Number your letters - your recruit may get them in bunches and out of sequence.

5. When you get the form letter, find the Navy For Moms group associated with that PIR (Pass In Review or Graduation from Boot Camp) date and join it. You will meet all the other moms/dads/wives/gfs with loved ones graduating on the same date (always on a Friday) - click below to see list of PIR groups. The number of divisions and the division numbers are also provided. You will be bonding with this group for approximately eight weeks. We have a core group of fantastic "veteran" moms who have taken moms, dads, wives, fiancees, gfs with new recruits through this roller coaster ride called Boot Camp from the beginning right through PIR. These veteran moms create the PIR groups and are just fantastic.
   Groups Listed by PIR date. (clickable link)                                                                                      
6. A word about printing the parking pass. You need the PASSWORD to print the parking pass.  KEEP THIS FORM LETTER in a safe place. I would recommend making several copies and/or scanning it and saving a pdf file on your hard drive. If you are using Internet Explorer (and you can not open up the link), download Mozilla Firefox (free - will work) and use it to print your parking pass for PIR. Parking passes are normally available about one to two weeks prior to the actual PIR date. The link below will direct you to the page where you can get your parking pass. Click on link, scroll down. Look for "Get Gate Pass." Parking passes will no longer be available beginning October 6, 2017.
   
   Parking Pass For PIR (clickable link) 
   
   There will be no parking passes for PIR date beginning October 6th, 2017
7. Next join this group to prepare for PIR. Read through the many topics. Your questions should be answered (such as hotels to stay? shuttle from hotel or take car? what to wear?  which airport to use? Sarge's phone number, ordering photos & dvd, etc.). Don't forget you might be able to go to the airport with your SAILOR after PIR and keep him/her company until his/her flight departure. Take any opportunity to spend more time with your sailor.
   
   PIR Reference Information Group (clickable link)
     
8. If you know where your sailor is going for A school or his rating, check for groups listed by Job Rating. Later, If you know what ship he has been assigned to, check for groups listed by name of his ship - the active ships out on the Fleet (the real thing) not the bootcamp barracks named after ships. Looking for a local group or special interest group to join?  We have tabulated lists for those too.
   
   GROUPS: Listed By PIR Date (clickable link)
   GROUPS: Listed By Name of US Navy Ships/actual US Naval Vessels (clickable link)
   GROUPS: Listed By Navy Job/Ratings (clickable link) and companion 
        Ratings, A School Locations & Links to Groups by lemonelephant
   GROUPS: Geographical By State (clickable link)
   GROUPS: Listed By Special Interest  (clickable link)

STEP 5 - Get to know the Navy For Moms site.  Just underneath the big blue Navy For Moms masthead, you will find a menu bar with a bunch of tabs. The tabs you will quickly become acquainted with will be "MY PAGE", "EVENTS", "FORUMS", "GROUPS", "BLOGS" and "CHAT"

1. My Page - this will take you to YOUR PERSONAL page. Here you will find a summary of all comments you have posted, comments others have posted on YOUR page, summary of your activities in Forum Discussions, Blogs. On your personal page, you'll find a list of discussions you created or participated in as well as blogs that you have created. You can personalized the appearance of your page or add a PLAYLIST.COM box to play music. Check this on a daily basis - you may find a friendly welcome from one of us.
2. Events - you can used this function to set up a meet and greet for any purpose. Just click on this tab and click +ADD.  Typically, there is a PRE-PIR (meet and greet on Thursdays at the Ramada Inn. The Ramada Inn hosts the meet and greet - they don't set it up - it's up family members within associated with each graduating class to set up this event. SARGE also host a meet and greet. Your PIR group will be able to give you info on both. Many groups use this to set up their meet and greets. You can make this a public or private event. People can RSVP. The creator of the event can send out a message to attendees without having to "friend" all the member first - this is very convenient for the organizers. 
3. Forums - under Forums, you will find a number of Discussion categories (16). This is the place to go for discussions posted about a wide myriad of topics. Under "How To Do Stuff On N4M" you'll find master index lists of groups formed on this site. For example, there is a list of groups associated with PIR date, ships, job rating and special interest. When you click on Forums, you'll see "My Discussions" just underneath the menu bar - this is a summary of all the comments you have posted.
4. Groups - here you will find all the groups that have been formed since the beginning. You can view the display by "Most members" (default), "Most active", "Latest" and "Latest activity".  In small print, just above the Featured Groups, you'll see "My Groups" - click on this to access a summary of groups that YOU belong to. If you start a group, you can choose to make it private or public. You can change it from one to the other after it has been created to hide or display the comments posted.
5. BLOGS - blogs are like diaries - you can post anything (within the N4M general guidelines). This is not a great place to post request for information. Blogs are not organized. They come and go in sequential order by date.
6. CHAT - "To chat or not to chat?" If you are familiar with chat, it's a great place to meet and catch up. Everything is in real time. The program only keeps so many lines of the dialog. If you need a quick response, someone may be there to respond with a quick answer or link. Everything is at a fast pace and in simplified computer-chat language. Occasionally, a new mom will find chat difficult to adjust to because a number of conversations going and any responses to her questions are direct and in short hand form. CHAT is definitely a fast paced environment. A new mom looking for gentle support should try one of the groups first or post in the Forum Discussions. But if you are looking for a quickie answer, there is usually someone around who will respond with link. It's not fair to ask the people in CHAT who are in one or more conversations to stop, slow down to accommodate your pace. Once you get up to speed, jump right in.

          KEEP THESE TIPS IN MIND ON USING THIS SITE:

• If you are getting too many email notifications, just click "STOP FOLLOWING" located just underneath the input comment box or go to Settings, then Email to set your default parameters for email notification. If you are inundated with email notifications to your regular email addresses, you can control when you get an email notification. Just remember to check you personal page, you inbox if you turn off your notifications.
• Look at your status box on the upper right - with INBOX, ALERTS, FRIENDS, SETTINGS. Just underneath that will be a line with invitations from others to attend events or join another group.  Go to "HOW TO DO STUFF ON N4M" category under FORUMS and look for the discussion relating to this various topics, such as composing a message to a friend, sending out a friend request, changing your username, password.
• With any group, there are discussions added by members. The list displayed may not be the entire list (group admins can set the number to display). Be sure to click "View All" under the Discussions (on the right just under the displayed list of discussions).
• If you are connected on CHAT, you'll hear a beep, beep-beep every time a member in CHAT posts a comment. Disconnect from CHAT, the beeping will stop. 
• DO NOT USE YOUR REAL FIRST & LAST NAMES as your USERNAME. For your sailor recruit's privacy and your privacy, input something that can not be used to identify your sailor recruit. Additionally, do not use your email address.  If you have done so and wish to change it, simply click SETTINGS and follow the instructions. Be sure to click SAVE.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I am indebted to the many "veteran" moms, dads, wives, fiancees, girlfriends who have been on this site and have contributed so much to the site's success and to the information that I have gathered here. In particular, I would like give a special thanks to the ladies who run the the Boot Camp Moms group, PIR groups & the Navy MEPS & DEP group. There are people in many areas who have contributed hours and hours - maybe even hundreds of hours in the Forum Discussions, to Blogs and in Chat. For an all volunteer site, it has been amazingly effective.

This guide is an on going project, please feel free to make suggestions. We will revise this periodically.  Please note - if someone out there would like to revise/rewrite this or take over, please feel free to give it a shot. Just call me. BunkerQB

[Angies Auntie]

I just got back from a graduation and I have to say the Sarge's Shuttle was great for those that are not renting a car.  He was always able to get us where we was going and in a timely manner.  Also, he had lots of great advice for us and for our Sailor!

[BunkerQB]

Thanks for stopping by and letting us know how your are doing. Good luck to you and your sailor. Thank you. Please drop in and browse the discussions periodically/regularly - a word of advice here and there will mean so much to the new new people.

[truluv6491 (ship02 Div907)]

My son graduated 11/1, Ship 09 Div 417..he is currently in A school... I Need help...

On my way back home from graduation I lost his graduation pictures at Midway Airport. I have called Lost and found, State Police at the airport, USO at the airport and to nothing.

Does anyone know if I can have them reprinted or has anyone seen a post anywhere about lost grad pictures.

HELP:(

[BunkerQB]

Call number below.

Navy Exchange Photo Lab Bldg.7626
2601 East Paul Jones St.
Great Lakes, Il 60088
Phone number 847-578-6205 Mon- Fri from 7:30am to 4:00pm CST.

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

Oh that is so sad, however all is not lost, you can call the NEX on base and have them redone.

[BunkerQB]

Xmas/Holidays are coming - maybe some one will make the effort and return them.

[gglove]

do I print a parking pass before I get to great lakes?

 

[BunkerQB]

http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/upcoming_grads.asp

The above is the link to the RTC's page on upcoming graduation. Note the link to Graduation Streaming Live in case you want to pass this link to family/friends who won't be at the graduation.
                         http://navylive.dodlive.mil/

Under Divisions Graduating By Training Group, you'll find updates on number of divisions for each group, number of guests permitted and a link to "GET GATE PASS" - normally the gate pass is available several weeks prior to the graduation date. Hopefully you did misplaced the form letter which has the password for printing the Gate Pass.  My suggestion would be to print several passes and save a copy of the pass in a pdf format. Send yourself an email with the pdf format as an attachment. If you have a smart phone, you can access from anywhere. Most hotels can print out a pdf file if needed for a fee. As a precaution, I suggest to families to scan their form letters and save a copy to their hard disk. When I travel, I carry a bright orange plastic folder (with flap - called a pocket folder) - I have extra copies insurance card, auto registration, insurance cards, road side service card, driver's licenses, credits with phone numbers to call in case of stolen or lost. Some will have duplicate electronic files on their smart phones. I do NOT include anything with my social security numbers. You can figure out a folder solution most compatible with your bag, keeping in mind that you'll have to haul around that bag wherever you go.
Good luck.

[BunkerQB]

HOPE THIS HELPS.

You might check in w the RTC site on a regular bases and check in w your PIR group too. BunkerQB.

Week 1

Mail:
 Recruits will mail home a letter with their address in the first week of training. Unfortunately, neither RTC nor your local recruiter can give you their address any sooner because of the Privacy Act; only your recruit can give you their address. But once you have it, start sending those letters!
 Once a recruit arrives onboard their ship (barracks),they will begin receiving their mail, usually around week 2-3.Please don‟t be alarmed if your recruitwrites home asking why they haven‟t received any mail when you‟ve been mailing them consistently since you received their address. Because the recruitsmove around in their first couple of weeks at BootCamp, it takes a couple of weeks for the mail to catch up to them. Don‟t be alarmed; they will get their mail!
 While you can write to your recruit every day, they can only write to you a few evenings each week and while they are on “holiday routine,” meaning Sundays and holidays. We know it‟s hard, but please don‟t sit near your mailbox waiting for the mail each day. Just keep writing to your recruit, and they will write back when they are able.
 And now that you have that address, why not include family photos; a funny snapshot of their pet; or newspaper clippings of their favorite sports team or comics? Recruits can receive anything that can fit into a standard-sized envelope, and pictures and news from home might help ease some of their homesickness as well.
 Resist the urge to send a care package or write on the outside of the envelope. We know you want to send your recruit their favorite homemade chocolate chip cookies, but recruits cannot receive these (they‟ll be thrown away). Also,remember that the envelope will be seen by their RDC, so putting stickers or writing all
over their envelopes might make them uncomfortable.

Phone calls:
 The most important piece of advice here is tomake sure that your recruit has a phone card! Many cell phone companies no longer allow collect calls, so if you want to hear from your recruit, make sure they have one with sufficient credit.
 Recruits are given a very short phone call (approximately 15-30 seconds) when they arrive to let you know they‟re safe. This will help alleviate some of the anxiety as you‟ll hear from them immediately and know they are safe and sound.
 Recruits are given phone calls from time to time throughout training as a reward for outstanding performance. There is no set schedule and no way to know when or if these calls will come. The best thing to do is go about your normal daily routine and keep writing to your recruit.
 Recruits are also given a phone call when they fail a training requirement, or become injured or ill, which could delay their graduation. Unless you receive this phone call (not in a letter, but in a phone call), you can assume that everything is fine and going as planned.
 The final call you‟ll receive from your recruit is the call letting you know they are no longer a recruit, but a Sailor in the World‟s Finest Navy! This call comes their final week of training the morning after they pass Battle Stations-21. This is an emotional call for the Sailors and their families. If you‟d like a heads-up on when the call may come (so you can make sure not to miss the moment), please ask your recruit when they will run Battle Stations-21. Unfortunately, again,
neither RTC nor your local recruiter will be able to give you this information, only your recruit.

For the most up to date guide, please use the one on our bootcamp.navy.mil site. http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/pdfs/FamilyGuide_v_2011-05-27.pdf

:Processing Week. Once you arrive you’ll be given Navy-issued clothing, be taught the right way to fold and store your new belongings, and make your bunk (bed). You’ll receive complete dental and medical exams, if you need a haircut, that’ll happen too.

As the week progresses, you’ll knock the days down conditioning, swimming, marching, drilling, and most importantly attending Navy classes. Everything you do from week to week is designed to prep you for what lies ahead. You will push your physical limits and achieve higher performance levels than you ever thought possible. In the Navy, you’ll be judged for who you are and how you prove it.

Honor. Courage. Commitment. Three words that before Boot Camp probably held little meaning. Here, they’ll become words you’ll live by. These Navy Core Values will become the ideals you and your fellow shipmates live by. What you make of this experience makes you.

Week 2.This is a confidence-building week. As such, you’ll be going through the confidence course — a course designed to simulate shipboard situations that you could encounter in an emergency. Be sharp because your life and the lives of your fellow shipmates depend on it. If you haven’t already caught on, teamwork in the Navy and especially in Boot Camp is a driving force.

Week 3.Reality check: This week, you’ll board a land-bound training ship. Everything will be hands-on — something your Recruiter told you the Navy is big on. Here’s the proof. You’ll learn everything from ship nomenclature to first aid techniques to semaphore (signaling with flags). All the real-world lessons you’ll need to survive in the Navy world. Classroom studies will focus on Customs and Courtesies, laws of armed conflict, money management, shipboard communication, Navy ship and aircraft identification, and basic seamanship.

Step up for the first of two physical training tests — curl ups, sit-reaches, push-ups and a 1.5-mile run. Good luck — but if you don’t pass the first time, your Recruit Division Commander will work with you to ensure you do next time. That’s because success is everybody’s goal in the Navy — not just yours.

Week 4.Weapons fire: heads up! If you’ve never fired a weapon before — this week you’ll get your hands on a M-16 and a 12-gauge shotgun. When you’ve proven you know how to properly use both, you’ll graduate to the live-fire range. This is where it gets really interesting.

Keeping the end in mind, graduation pictures are this week as well as your second academic test on everything you’ve learned to date. This is about the time you’ll feel as though you’re flying through Boot Camp. It’s all good — because there’s so much more adventure awaiting you after Boot Camp.

Week 5.This week is all about you. Where you want to go, what you want to do, and how fast you intend to get there. So you find the shortest distance between where you are and where you want to be. If you’re feeling a sense of accomplishment for making it this far — good for you. That means that 180-degree-life-change your Recruiter told you would come — has come.

Week 6.Shipboard damage control and firefighting. Two of the most vital skills you’ll need on board. You’ll learn to extinguish fires. Escape smoke-filled compartments. Open and close watertight doors. Operate Oxygen Breathing Apparatus and carry fire hoses. No pressure: but your life and the lives of other shipmates depend on you mastering these skills. One more test, and perhaps, the most challenging of all: the Confidence Chamber. Inside the Chamber, you and about 100 other recruits will line up, put on a gas mask while a tear gas tablet is lit. You’ll be ordered to remove your mask and throw it in a trash can while reciting your full name and social security number. Relax. Every Sailor before you has mastered it — and so will you. Because if you didn’t know it before, you know it now: You have what it takes. You are Navy material.

This week you’ll also have to finish the confidence course — as a team. This is when and where your newly developed self-confidence and self-assurance shines. “If they could only see me now.” You suddenly find yourself thinking that a lot.


Week 7.Battle Stations. Boot Camp’s ultimate test. Here’s an exercise of 12 different scenarios incorporating what you have learned during the previous weeks. You and your team will be graded on your ability to execute the required tasks.

Successful completion nets you the ultimate reward — a U.S. Navy ball cap. The cap that tells the world you’re no longer a Recruit, but a full-fledged Navy Sailor.
This is pivotal. This is where you and your Commanding Officer recognize what you’ve always known: You were destined to do something extraordinary. For you. For your family. For your country.

You’ve done it. You’ve proven to yourself and to the world you’ve got what it takes. Your future is now in full motion.

Week 8.Graduation in your dress uniform. Pass the mirror. Stop and stare. Recognize that person? You should. Stand tall. Walk proud. You are a Sailor in the U.S. Navy. After today, your family and friends will envy you. Strangers on the street will thank you. Your Navy family will always have your back. Savor this moment. Not everybody makes it; not everybody should.

[BunkerQB]

You are welcome - good luck to your recruit.

[BunkerQB]

If you run out of things to say, try some of these "Pearls of Wisdom" (link to discussion posted in the Sub Moms group). You can copy and paste onto a MS Word file or just remember the link is here.

http://navyformoms.com/group/submoms/forum/topics/pearls-of-wisdom-...

or Top ten lines from bootcamp

http://navyformoms.com/forum/topics/1971797:Topic:856292

[Traysea]

Thank you for posting all this information! It's so helpful, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now. My son just left for boot camp yesterday so you can imagine how I feel at this moment. Thank you once again for all the information.