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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.
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- Graduation Info
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Our PIR Experience 06/05/2015
I totally understand what you are going through, my SR just graduated Friday and is in A school in Pensacola. I saw a post about letters, Write! Write! Write! I encouraged family and friends to write as well. I wrote a letter or sent a card everyday. I thought of it as keeping my son company. We just returned home from GL yesterday and while it is still fresh, I want to share our experience with you all. First of all, please do whatever you can to attend PIR, IT IS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE!! We flew into to Milwaukee, for us it was cheaper (flight with Southwest) and less traffic driving from Milwaukee to Great Lakes. It was a 40 minute drive to GL, no traffic. Traffic in and out of Chicago can be terrible! We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lake Forest, 10 minutes from the base. They offer a Naval Graduation discount...ASK FOR IT when making the reservation! Not sure of other hotels who may have a similar offer. We have an EZ Pass for tolls and used it with our rental car. We used Budget, they have the I-Pass in their vehicles if you need one. We drove through two tolls between the hotel and airport. Sarge's Meet & Greet was pretty cool, get there early! We did not stay until the end. We were exhausted and had to go by Walmart, which is across the street from Sarge's M&G. Do a trial run to the base going down Buckley to Ohio St gate and a trial run taking the shortcut. We arrived at the gate early on PIR morning (before 6am), didn't need to use the shortcut. Process getting on base and parked was a breeze. They did open the doors before 7am...which was awesome! Division signs are posted so you will know where to sit. Bring your camera, iPad, phone, etc. You will want to record and take pictures. After the ceremony, the family is able to visit the exchange to eat, shop, and purchase more pictures. We took our SR out to eat (15 mins from base) and hung out at our hotel. It was laid back and relaxing. My SR was excited about being off base! We took our SR back to base and drove him to the chapel (that's as far as we can go). At 1:00am Saturday morning, we made our way to Midway airport to spend those last few hours with our SR before his flight out. It's great to walk them all the way to the gate and watch them board. Always have your ID!! Please feel free to ask any questions, I'm sure I left something out. Enjoy the journey!!
Views: 843
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by jaysmom on
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Christina, so your son left at 1 am? Friday night/ saturday morning? How did you get to go to the gate with him? What time did he have to be back on base Friday night?
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Permalink Reply by ChristinaNavyMom on
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Hi jaysmom! He had to be back at 8pm Friday night. We left our hotel at 1am, got to Midway at 2am. His flight left at 8:30am Saturday. We showed our ID and was given a gate pass, we still had to go through security.
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How soon after graduation did he get to go with you? Did he have to go check in or do anything first?
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Right after they called liberty we left with him!! If your SR will be staying in GL for A school, he/she will have to check in first.
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Permalink Reply by kelly on
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Thanks for sharing! Watching them go through the gate at the airport sounds like a tearfest.
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Hi Kelly, it was a tear fest, lol! It was harder dropping him off Friday night and watching him board the plane Saturday, than it was watching him leave for boot camp.
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Yes, I can imagine that will be harder. My SR graduates next Friday....the 19th!!! Sounds like we will have a similar experience as he goes to Pensacola as well. I am really hoping for a later evening flight but probably not going to happen. I still don't understand why they have to go so early to the airport.
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We were hoping and praying he would fly out Sunday, but.....not our call! I didn't understand why they were dropped off so early, but I see now. It's a lot of sailors to check in, process and send through security. Also, to get the families through security. We went through security around 4:30-5:00am. The USO reps take the sailors through check in and security by groups in order of departure time.
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Did you arrange to meet him at a specific place at the airport? Then did you just hang out until time for him to go through security? You were able to go through security as well? Thanks for the info. Just wondering how to coordinate when and where to meet him at airport since he will not have his phone until we give it to him at the airport.
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Kelly, My SR told us what time he was being transported to Midway airport. We parked in the garage nearest baggage claim, when we walked in it was a sea of white uniforms. They were sitting their on their sea bags waiting for directions. Yes, we were with him until he boarded the plane.
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Permalink Reply by MidwestMomNancy on
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Thanks so much for sharing your PIR experience; I'm all choked up!
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