Welcome to
Navy For Moms

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

Add an Event

**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:

Graduation Info
PDF – 2.7 MB
PNG – 2.3 MB
JPG – 3.4 MB
Printable PDF – 2.0 MB

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

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

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Comment Wall

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

Comment by donnab on July 21, 2014 at 12:10pm: Coming to Great Lakes to visit my son. the Navy Lodge is booked does anyone know of a hotel near the base that is nice to stay in? (safe area and clean)

Comment by Anti M on July 19, 2014 at 10:20pm: Over Christmas there is a holiday stand down. They can take leave, the schools sit them down as a group and walk them through putting in the request chit. The dates are released close to the holiday. Never try to guess and book a flight too early, more than one mom has gotten burned jumping the gun (although you can usually guess from a calendar). Never book a flight departing before noon, the shuttles are crowded and thousands are checking out at the same time.

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday, Friday is not. Taking leave is less common for that four day weekend. Many do not have enough leave on the books for T-day, and Christmas, and going home after A school. They earn 2.5 days each month, for 30 days each year. They can't combine leave and liberty, so no juggling weekends with leave days. They must "budget" their leave for the time off they desire most.

Comment by cuka3305 on July 19, 2014 at 4:14pm: Do they get the opportunity during the holiday, Thanksgiving and/or Christmas to come home during A school?

Comment by Navy Nates Mom on July 15, 2014 at 7:24am: Thanks for all the info about having a car at A school. I guess I get to garage an extra car for awhile!!

Comment by Janai'sMom on July 14, 2014 at 3:14pm: Hi Navy Nates Mom and Becca,
When my daughter was at GL A School, they did not allow cars, nor did they need one. They have taxi's all the time at the entrance to the base (sailors often share cabs when going anywhere) and the Metra (train) station is right at the boot camp base. The Metra is a convenient and inexpensive way for them to get to Chicago. My sailor told me often that a car would have just been a hassle, because going anywhere they want to go is so convenient.

Comment by Anti M on July 14, 2014 at 2:27pm: Every training command may have different rules, and those can change. Cars were allowed when I was at GLakes, but now they are not.

Comment by Navy Nates Mom on July 14, 2014 at 10:30am: Thanks Anti M.

Comment by Anti M on July 14, 2014 at 9:10am: No, they cannot have cars. Married sailors with permission to Live Ashore with a spouse can, but not the single guys. Some bring their cars and keep them off base, but that can be expensive.