phone calls

[rafferty12 ship 11 div 185]

My son went to great lakes on April 6th and I got my 15 second phone call that he arrived safe, I should her from him in two weeks.  I havent received his letter yet but did receive his box.  I received a phone call today which is only 7 days in.  He told me he loved me and was okay, that was it.  This is my question, why was he able to call me only 7 days in?  I am struggling with this one.  Is he having such difficulty that they let him call or has he been doing so well that he earned privilege to call me?

 

[Richelle(Nuke Wife)Ship2 Div929]

They might have asked the recrutes if anyone didnt get in touch with a family member during the first call.

[Richelle(Nuke Wife)Ship2 Div929]

My brother in law said no even though he did just so he coild have one more call

[rafferty12 ship 11 div 185]

hmmm okay, that makes me feel a little better.  I was worried that maybe he was having such a hard time they allowed him to call again.

 

[Pearl Harbor MA]

My sr went in on a Wednesday , I got the I'm here call then on that Saturday I got another call from him. When I asked him how he got a call he said "I guess that my RDC was just feeling generous" It really does depend on the RDC's  they are all different. I have gotten 4 calls, 2 of those were almost an hour long. Some have only gotten the 2 "promised" calls. The hardest part of the journey is not knowing what is going on and how they are doing. It really is "No news is good news!"

[rafferty12 ship 11 div 185]

How long was it when you got the longer calls?

 

[MamaMia]

Calls seem to be very random.  It's possible it was a reward!   There are times when everyone in the division might get a call but your son won't because he's on watch.  Other times ONE person might talk during a meal or something and everyone can loose their calls.  Good news though, after PIR they get their phone back!  I just rang my son's cell and got to chat for 15 minutes.  It's hard to imagine when they're in bootcamp that life WILL return to normal!   Hang in there Mom's! That first two weeks are the hardest and writing lots of letters (upbeat ones!) will help your SR get through all this...and it'll help YOU as well.

[JessicaB-Sailor Mom]

here is the link to the PIR 6/3 group http://www.navyformoms.com/group/pir632011

[teach2(ship 11 div 200)]

What time of day do they usually call? Also, what will the caller id say when they call? The only reason I ask is that my kiddos have all gotten so bad about answering any phone when they don't know whose calling. So unless I can catch all calls- which I know I can't- I don't want to miss anything.

[JessicaB-Sailor Mom]

usually in the evening BUT they can call at any time...id is usually 847 occ is restricted or unknown. usually payphone unless calling for info then is US Government

[ochaos]

As far as phone calls...watch for the "847" area code. Caller ID is usually "payphone" unless they are calling for info then it most likely will be "US Government"

Now, calls are earned and given as rewards and can be shortened or taken away as punishment.

Phone call frequency and length are determined by the RDC...some rcts get to call home almost every week. Some don't get but the standard "I'm here", "I'm still alive" and "I'm a Sailor"...some don't get these.

If you aren't getting calls and the rest of your division is try not to panic...very often rcts are standing watch, taking or making up tests, have other duties to fulfill when calls are being done. Believe you me they would rather be taking to you too but they belong to the Navy now and are working on their schedule.

Just remember..."No news is good news" If anything happens that may delay their PIR, you will be notified ASAP.

Remember also that payphones eat up minutes so if they don't have a lot of minutes left on their calling card you may want to send them another one...but they also can buy one

Don't ever call the number back that your SR calls from if you miss the call.  Some of the phones WILL ring, and may be answered by an RDC; and if an RDC finds out that an SR got a callback, they get in trouble.  So if you miss the call, you just have to wait for the next one.  :-(

Calls seem to be by division, but sometimes if an SR does something really spectacular, they could be allowed a call as a reward, so occasionally individual calls could be allowed.  But they are usually by divisions.

As far as the first call...they are NOT guaranteed to call. Most get 3 calls: the "I'm here" call, the "I'm still alive" call (3 weeks) and the "I'm a Sailor" call (after Battlestations)...some only get the last one, some get all, some get more....depends on the division, RDC and the rct.
Watch for the 847 area code and the id is usually payphone...or it is withheld or restricted.
Sometimes they get a quick info call the first week or two...the id is US Government then.
They all need calling cards...it eats up 30 minutes to just make a call from a payphone....so they need a bunch of minutes. They can buy calling cards at the NEX. If you send them one ...make sure it is activated first (saves time)
When you get your first call DO YOUR BEST NOT TO CRY…your rct will be emotional and most likely will be tearful and if they’re not, they will be if you are and then you’ll waste valuable talking time crying.
Let them talk…they don’t get to talk much at boot camp, have questions and a pen and paper by the phone to jot down what they say. When they call and you hear their sweet voice…everything you wanted to ask will go out of your mind.
If they are upset..just reassure them, let them know that it will get better, it is only a few weeks and after boot camp it is MUCH better. Tell them you love them, yes you do miss them but are looking SO forward to seeing them march through those doors at PIR.
Then, hang up and come on here and cry and shout and be happy that you heard from your rct !!!
In the Navy, "no news is good news." They are allowed to contact you almost immediately if something goes wrong, and if they cannot, the Navy does. It was just over five weeks from the time my son left home and his first call, four weeks is typical.