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Hello all :)

My SR's PIR is on 9/14, which means it's time to start packing! =D

I've been told that it's good to bring civilian clothes for him so that I can just give it to him over the weekend instead of having to ship it to him later. I understand that he won't be able to wear any of it until he phases up to the appropriate level, but it would be nice to give him his stuff when I see him that weekend instead of having to ship it to him later. 

How much clothes should I bring him? I'm not sure how much space they get to store clothes. 3 or 4 outfits worth? Boxers? Socks? Jackets/coats? Shoes?

His A-school is 17 weeks so he will be in GL at least until mid January (probably longer depending on when classes actually start for him) so I'm guessing it would be good to bring warm/winter clothes..?

Thanks for the help!

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Replies to This Discussion

You are correct that when your SR moves to phase 2 he will be able to wear civilian clothes on base.  It is good that he is staying at GL so you will be able to hand them over to him to bring back to his ship.  Just keep in mind he will need to be able to pack it and bring it to his next assignment.  By October it will start getting colder in Illinois so jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirt, shoes, sock and boxers will be great.  I guess we will need to bring my son a coat soon but we will have to take it back home before he leaves for his next assignment since he is going to try for the west coast.  My son has bought a few t-shirts at the NEX that he likes.  Also, you are probably aware you will be able to give him his phone, laptop, Ipod, etc when you see him too.  My son has some extra time after school to play games and watch movies.  You will be able to go to his ship with him to sign him out during the day.  We have been able to bring our car on base and park in the Mcdonald's parking lot.  He won't have to carry it very far by himself.  I love the fact that we have been in his ship lobby and can now picture where he is living.  Let me know if you have any other questions.

Do you know how much should I bring him/how much can his storage area hold? 1 or 2 shirts? all his boxers and socks? lol i have no idea! I guess I could always just bring a bunch of his stuff and he can pick what he wants to take/keep with him (given that he's allowed to)? And yes, he has already written in his letters that he wants me to bring his electronics! boys... haha

My son originally was sent to Charleston, SC for nuke school, so we only gave him a few items. He bought the rest down there.  That didn't work out and he is now in Gunner's Mate A school at Great Lakes.  I think my son must have 3 pairs of shorts, several T-shirts and underwear and socks.  I assume he only does laundry once a week so he must have 7 pairs of each.  It all has to fit in his locker since nothing can be left out or they will not pass inspections.  My bigger concern is him carrying it all on the plane once he gets his assignment.  He will probably give us some of it back.

One thing I am learning is nothing is really consistent, so I guess you really need to have your SR tell you if he can have clothes after he moves across the street to A school after PIR.  If you have room in your luggage, bring it along and he can tell you want he can't have.  It will save in shipping costs because that can get quite expensive.

They can't wear it until phase 2 so it might be several weeks before he can wear it.  The 4 guys failed their inspection so instead of going to phase 3, he is back to phase 1.  Quite a bummer for me because I wanted him to have weekend liberty to spend some time with us before he leaves after graduation.  We live about an hour from Great lakes.  Oh well, I am learning we can't plan anything ahead of time because of the changes in phases.

i hear ya on the can't-plan-anything-ahead-of-time thing =/

thanks for sharing everything though! :) i know it's practically impossible to plan ahead but it's always nice to get an idea of what to kind of expect!

My son was unable to keep anything we took when we attended PIR, however we knew that before going.  We did take underwear, T shirt, sleep pants, contacts, cell phone, and laptop for him to use during the weekend.  I have heard of some families that took all then rented a space to store it for several weeks, then I have heard some sailors that were allowed to keep it.  Guess it is different for all.  It was about 10 days before we shipped all to him. Hopefully you will get a couple of calls between now and PIR and he will be able to tell what to bring.  

was you son staying in GL for A-school?

He will only be able to have those items when he moves over to the "A" School base...normally they move over the day of PIR..but sometimes, they don't move over until the next week. 

 

So be prepard just in case you have to take the stuff home.

Sometimes their bodies change during boot camp, so some of his things might not fit anymore!  As for a coat, I'd wait, he can always get one at the NEX and may want something new for his new life.  

Basically they have one large locker.  Think about wardrobe size with three or four smallish drawers.  And they must carry everything all at once of they change rooms and when they transfer.  Keep it light and minimal.  

Hi My Grandson graduated 8/31 and moved over to A-School at Great Lakes Gunner's Mate. Interesting to read you messages. He is anxious to get his civies on. So glad he is at GL. We are only 2 hours away. Best of Luck to all the New Sailor in the New life. Last week was so awesome..... What a day..... Love being and Navy Grandparent...

If he's staying in Chicago for the winter, I'd suggest taking him a couple sweaters or hoodies, perhaps some double insulated socks as well. Keep in mind, once they're done with A School they'll be moving elsewhere, although my son sent us a big box of stuff once he left Chicago for San Diego. You'd think they'd want to travel light, but apparently they just load up on Sea bags. My son left Chicago with two sea bags and a gym bag full of stuff.

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