first letter

[Mom of 2]

My son left for BC last Monday so about 9 days ago. How long before the first letter usually arrives?

Also I see where they have graduation dates listed by division, how do I find out what division he is in?

I'm just really  missing him.

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

Hi Heidi - you should receive the first letter in about 9-14 business days.  That letter will have his PIR (graduation) date.  Once you receive that letter you can join his specific PIR group.  In the meantime you hurry up and wait!  Start writing letters to him now and # them in the corner.  Once you get the official letter then you can mail out all your letters.  Keep your phone handy and answer ALL calls because you just never know when it might be him!  But also remember that no news is good news!  

If you want to try and guestimate his PIR you can count 9 Fridays from when he left - so you could be looking at 4/3/2020 PIR but it could be a week either way.   

There's lots of info on the main page of the boot camp group (answers to common questions) that will give you timelines of what is happening in boot camp.

Hang in there!

[Phoenixmom]

Hi Heidi and Welcome this site I am posting will give you an Idea as to when the form letter will be sent. You stated he has been in for 9 days now so that means on the 5th Business day he did his first PFA, this site will also explain. See Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) and Fitness Improvement Training (FIT). 

These site will also give info as to what occurs when arriving.

• Arrival and What Happens at RTC
• Ship/Division--How it Works
• These site will give info on calls and letter writing the Do's and Don'ts
• Phone Cards and Phone Calls
• Letter Writing & Fun Stuff/Questionnaires to send to your Recruit
• I help out on Boot Camp Moms please come Join!

[Mom of 2]

Thanks Phenixmom and B'sNukemom, you all are great! thanks so much for the info.

I do agree with your saying B'sNukemom I don't think it gets easier we only get stronger. Everyone  keeps telling me it will get easier, you will get use to not talking to him....I don't see this kind of worry going away anytime soon....although I hope it does. That was the perfect thing to send to me right now because I fell like no one understands me.

Phenixmom - thanks for all the links they are very helpful. I am just really ready to hear from him.

[Phoenixmom]

Hi Heidi, I was the same way. start writing your Letters so that way when you do get an address you can start mailing your Letters. And as for no One understanding that is an Understatement, because I had that problem as well. and You will find that no one will especially family. Here are some apps that you may be interested in.

USPS Informed Delivery - Sign up and receive an email from the US Postal Service showing what mail you will be getting each day (if available in your area).  

Informed Delivery®

See https://www.sandboxx.us/

 

[Mom of 2]

Phoenixmom - I had not know that was possible. I will check into doing that.

All this exta information makes me feel better for some reason.

[Chipmunk]

Heidi,

It is a BIG deal to a mom to send a son or a daughter off to the military!! Even those of us, who may have "handled" it better, still sense a deep loss and separation. We moms are here for you, because we have been there and know it is tough, but you can get through it. 

My advice is stay busy, start a project if need be to occupy your brain time, pray a lot, and finally, the advice from my mother when my husband was away from home in the military. It is harder on them than it is on us!! So, write the encouraging notes, with lots of positive affirmations, quotes, song lyrics, anything to help them get through the fact that they are in a new environment, with people yelling and maybe even cussing in their face. 

Big Navy Mom Hugs!

[Mom of 2]

Chipmunk - I do need to find a hobby or something to occupy my time. Right now all I do is playout his day in my head, I don't even know what is day is like but for some reason I sit here and do this everyday. I have already started my letters, I have a stack awaiting a address to send them to...

He enjoys the funny sayings online sometimes its funny road signs or just little jokes, I printed a few - nothing inappropriate , do you think it is ok to send those to him? It's printed on regular paper? 

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

By all means you can send him little jokes, funnies.  There are also some fun questionnaires that you can send - they are listed on the front page.  They make it easier for your SR to respond to you - they can just check the boxes rather than having to take time to write.  It's a fun little change.

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

Here's the link for some of the questionnaires (since I see some of the others aren't working):

Boot Camp Questionnaires

[belovedbyHim]

Heidi-- First of all Welcome to the roller coaster!!  You have the information that B'sNukeMoM provided. Remember DO Not count Saturday or Sunday as you are counting the days.  Most Recruits have 9 Fridays from Arrival to PIR. (Lots of reasons why that could be shorter by a week or longer).  Your Form letter is likely to arrive this week or more likely next week and that will give you the PIR date so you can join the right group.  You are not alone and it's ok and normal to really miss them!! This first great silence is the hardest because we are not used to it.  It doesn't get easier but we adapt and learn that No News is Good News!  Write down a list of all the things you want to ask him and keep it near your phone at all times.  You never know when you may get a call.  If you haven't already, Watch the videos,  "Making a Sailor" on the left side of the screen.  They will give you some insight as to what they are doing at BC.
Welcome again and feel free to ask any and all questions!

[Chipmunk]

Heidi,

I see B'sNukeMom shared with you about the funnies and the questionnaire. My son wrote, but he always said he only had about 10 - 15 min. to write, since they are only allowed to do so on Sunday. My sailor is #4 of 5 children and we were planning two weddings the same summer he went to BC, one a couple of weeks before he left and the 2nd one the weekend before his PIR!!

Needless to say, I had more things to do than I had time to get done, as normal and I told my son that those 8 weeks in the summer were going to go by a lot faster for me, than they would for him! And that was true!!

Be sure to look at BelovedbyHim's information and the videos on BCMom with regards to what things they may be doing. I did not have that information, but my husband found something similar elsewhere on the internet and that helped me a lot. I did not even know about this site until I was trying to find out more information on PIR. I only had the BC website to get information from and it has been updated since then!!

[Tory]

Heidi, mine left the same time. What state are you in? I’m in CA.  I’m hoping the letter arrives sometime this week so I can get the letters sent I’ve been writing. I’m anxious to hear how things are going. It’s the not knowing that is hard. I have no doubt he is doing well it would just be nice to know what he’s doing. :)