This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.

FIRST TIME HERE?

FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO GET STARTED:

Choose your Username.  For the privacy and safety of you and/or your sailor, NO LAST NAMES ARE ALLOWED, even if your last name differs from that of your sailor (please make sure your URL address does not include your last name either).  Also, please do not include your email address in your user name. Go to "Settings" above to set your Username.  While there, complete your Profile so you can post and share photos and videos of your Sailor and share stories with other moms!

Make sure to read our Community Guidelines and this Navy Operations Security (OPSEC) checklist - loose lips sink ships!

Join groups!  Browse for groups for your PIR date, your sailor's occupational specialty, "A" school, assigned ship, homeport city, your own city or state, and a myriad of other interests. Jump in and introduce yourself!  Start making friends that can last a lifetime.

Link to Navy Speak - Navy Terms & Acronyms: Navy Speak

All Hands Magazine's full length documentary "Making a Sailor": This video follows four recruits through Boot Camp in the spring of 2018 who were assigned to DIV 229, an integrated division, which had PIR on 05/25/2018. 

Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)

Boot Camp: Behind the Scenes at RTC

...and visit Navy.com - America's Navy and Navy.mil also Navy Live - The Official Blog of the Navy to learn more.

OPSEC - Navy Operations Security

Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind.  In the Navy, it's essential to remember that "loose lips sink ships."  OPSEC is everyone's responsibility. 

DON'T post critical information including future destinations or ports of call; future operations, exercises or missions; deployment or homecoming dates.  

DO be smart, use your head, always think OPSEC when using texts, email, phone, and social media, and watch this video: "Importance of Navy OPSEC."

Follow this link for OPSEC Guidelines:

OPSEC GUIDELINES

Events

**UPDATE 4/26/2022** Effective with the May 6, 2022 PIR 4 guests will be allowed.  Still must be fully vaccinated to attend.

**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.

**UPDATE 7/29/2021** You now must be fully vaccinated in order to attend PIR:

In light of observed changes and impact of the Coronavirus Delta Variant and out of an abundance of caution for our recruits, Sailors, staff, and guests, Recruit Training Command is restricting Pass-in-Review (recruit graduation) to ONLY fully immunized guests (14-days post final COVID vaccination dose).  

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:

RTC Graduation

**UPDATE 8/25/2022 - MASK MANDATE IS LIFTED.  Vaccinations still required.

**UPDATE 11/10/22 PIR - Vaccinations no longer required.

RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021

Please note! Changes to this guide happened in October 2017. Tickets are now issued for all guests, and all guests must have a ticket to enter base. A separate parking pass is no longer needed to drive on to base for parking.

Please see changes to attending PIR in the PAGES column. The PAGES are located under the member icons on the right side.

Format Downloads:

Latest Activity

Navy Speak

Click here to learn common Navy terms and acronyms!  (Hint:  When you can speak an entire sentence using only acronyms and one verb, you're truly a Navy mom.)

N4M Merchandise


Shirts, caps, mugs and more can be found at CafePress.

Please note: Profits generated in the production of this merchandise are not being awarded to the Navy or any of its suppliers. Any profit made is retained by CafePress.

Navy.com Para Familias

Visite esta página para explorar en su idioma las oportunidades de educación y carreras para sus hijos en el Navy. Navy.com

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Great Lakes A School Q&A

Information

Great Lakes A School Q&A

The purpose of this group is to allow family of new sailors assigned to school at Training Support Center Great Lakes a chance to voice questions to a Student Division Commander

Location: Great Lakes, IL
Members: 2332
Latest Activity: Mar 12

Discussion Forum

What happens after ASchool?

Started by SailorMom18. Last reply by Phoenixmom Feb 13, 2019. 1 Reply

BECC Info?

Started by adubz33. Last reply by SuBHuni34 Nov 29, 2018. 9 Replies

Comment Wall

Comment

You need to be a member of Great Lakes A School Q&A to add comments!

Comment by Allison on November 1, 2017 at 4:23pm
Butterball. FC is a long A school, and they often experience long hold periods on top of that. Some are there for well over a year, nearly two depending on those hold periods between classes.
Comment by Butterball on November 1, 2017 at 3:26pm

AntiM, can you tell me if being at school for FC is a long one or a short one? I have no clue, trying to figure out how long my son will be home, he has only told me that Mass Exit is 12/22 so far. Never was very good with relaying me details. Thank you in advance for all the information you send us.

Comment by Phoenixmom on November 1, 2017 at 2:30pm

WOW that is amazing I just Love asking you questions I love your Answers. I just printed so I can study it. LOL!

Comment by Anti M on November 1, 2017 at 2:01pm

I was lucky I didn't need to learn this in boot camp as entirely new material, dad was a Masterchief!

Comment by Anti M on November 1, 2017 at 2:00pm

Phoenixmom, that makes perfect sense.  The rating is the specific job they learn at A school, he will be an Electrician's Mate once he finishes school.. The FN is his paygrade of E-3, Fireman because he is in the engineering ratings family.  Once he finishes school, he will be an EMFN.  If he makes E-4, he becomes a petty officer and be an EM3 (Electrician's Mate petty officer third class).  

It makes more sense if you group the nine enlisted levels in threes.  I will use Fireman for the example because that's what your son is. (Yes, everyone is called an SR Seaman Recruit in boot camp).  

The first set is the junior sailors
FR (fireman recruit) = E-1

FA Fireman Apprentice) - E-2

FN (Fireman) = E-3
(The pattern is the same for Seaman, Airman, Constructionman)

Next are the Petty Officers. I will use EM for the example.

Electrician's Mate Petty Officer Third Class  = E-4
Electrician's Mate Petty Officer Second Class  = E-5

Electrician's Mate Petty Officer First Class = E-6

The higher they advance the more "class" they have is how to remember that.  If you don't know their rating, you can just say Petty Officer and be correct.  

There 's the three levels of chief.

EMC = E-7 Chief Electrician's Mate

EMCS = E-8 Senior Chief Electrician's Mate

EMCM = E-9 Master Chief Electrician's Mate

That's it, three sets of three.  

Rank is for officers is why I use paygrade, rating is their job, rate is the combination of their job and paygrade.  You will hear rate and rating used interchangeably, that's okay unless you;re taking a Navy written exam, LOL.

Comment by mom of two on November 1, 2017 at 1:23pm

ugh.......my brain hurts thinking about it!!!!! lol.........Thank you all for the information....extremely helpful!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Phoenixmom on November 1, 2017 at 1:17pm

ok I know he will be a EM for sure but his rank right now is a FN does that make sense?

Comment by Phoenixmom on November 1, 2017 at 1:13pm

I think we all learn something new everyday, Navy life isn't easy to figure out. I'm just a mom who want to be in the Loop to make sure things roll right for my son, but actually he has it covered (I Hope) that what he tells me at least. Me and My Eldest Daughter Getting some goodie boxes ready to ship to him, anyone else doing any of the sort?

Comment by Anti M on November 1, 2017 at 1:12pm

ATT for electronics, Common Core Strand for engineering ratings.  If they're an FN, they're probably going to go through Strand.  Sorry for the mix up.  It's something I know, but I forget now and then.

Comment by Anti M on November 1, 2017 at 1:10pm

Okay, I looked up the EM rating card, because as an old ET, I know that program better.

The EMs do not go through ATT, they go through a two part Engineering Core program to prepare them for A school.  That adds 8 weeks.  (I knew they had some type of prep school before A school!).  Yes, in general, EMs take about six months to get through the program.  Plenty of time to earn back some leave days if they use if for the holiday.

https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/enlisted/rating_info_cards/em.pdf

 

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