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Sent to BC with out a calling card!
My husband and I never got him a calling card before he left for bootcamp! I am honestly terrified that he will get the chance to call home, and not be able to, or that by the time he buys a calling card and activates it he will be out of time to call us. Has anyone had the experience, and how did it go if so?
Views: 349
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ColoradoMom Nuke ET on
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My son DID have a calling card. But, something got messed up and it didn't work when he tried to call home. He ended up borrowing one from another SR. They all look out for each other. Don't worry about it. I think they all realize they'll need some way to call home and they know the calling cards are at the NEX.
Deep breaths! Do not be terrified. He will find a way to call you. You don't need something else to be concerned about at this point.
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Permalink Reply by FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW on
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They usually will not get to make their first phone call (if it is granted) until about the third to fourth week they are there.
They can buy a calling card at the NEX (Navy Exchange) which is near the phone bank. So if he needs to call home before then for Security Clearance info ( IF he has a rating (job) that requires clearance. This is usually strictly a business call) he should be given the opportunity to do so. As far as funds to purachase one...all the recruits are issued a NEX card with $150.00 on it (this does come out of their pay) to take care of their necessities during BC.
As a last resort...recruits can make a collect call but this only works if the recipient has a land line.
It takes about two to three weeks for recruits to even receive their first batch of letters. This is because of "P" days ( they are in temp housing) then when they get to their Ship an MRPO - Mail Recruit Petty Officer (in BC they have 15 or so Recruit Petty Officer Positions)has to take and pass a Federal course to be able to handle the mail. This could take a week or two.
So,that being said... you have time to mail him one. :-) They are usually activated when you purchase it. Get one ready with the most minutes you can find...the pay phones eat up about thirty minutes with the first use.
I hope someone who has been in your shoes can come along and share their experience with you!
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Permalink Reply by Jessica on
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Are you sure it will get to him? I have been told by the recruiter "Only letters and pictures". I will have to find them and try. Just hope it gets sent back to me if it never gets to him. If everyone hasn't figured it out yet, I worry A LOT! lol I cannot help it though, my husband did a great job of taking care of his family, and I didn't have to worry about much when he was here. Now I don't know what to do with having to all of a sudden worry about everything. Still trying to come to terms with the fact that he is gone, and will be for 3-5 months. The most we have been apart was 5 days. Thank you again to everyone who responds. Not sure what I would do if it wasn't for this site sometimes. I'm sure I will be asking plenty more questions. Hope it doesn't bother anyone.
FTLW - Thank you :0) You have posted and tried to help with everything I have asked or been worried about so far.
Colorado - It's nice to know that they help each other :0) I knew they were learning a new way of life, mainly being based on team work, but it is good to know that it extends to things of this nature.
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Permalink Reply by Fishingurl04 on
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I have heard the same about purchasing them at BC. My husband took one with him.
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Jessica - Yes...I sent a debit card to my son and he received it. Many have sent calling cards to their recruits. Don't worry about the questions...this is all new and that is what we are here for!
Hey did you join the PIR 05/11/2012 group?
Here is the link:
It starts with Division 141 so it should be the TG that your hubby is in! See you over there!
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I still haven't recieved the box or any forms in the mail. Starting to make me sad, but I don't know his PIR date or permanent address yet :0(
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Permalink Reply by Brenda on
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We didn't either and our son still called home...they can get them there.
Brenda from NC
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Permalink Reply by Not Da Mama on
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I know this will sound cold, but try and not worry about the calls. Keep your cell phone ON YOUR PERSON for the next couple months, just in case, but I only got 3 calls in 2 months. The I'm here and safe, 30 second call. A nice 20 minute call during his 5th week, and the I'm a sailor call after BS21, his voice was so bad I could hardly understand him. That was it. You can order an ATT card from their military calling card site and they fed ex it to them. It came in a big official looking envelope he was afraid to open at first....was the hit of the division...he used 20 minutes of it during his 5th week call.
Letters are what kept him sane, regular daily letters. I got his address in "The Letter" during his 3rd week and his first letter during his 4th week asking why we hadn't written him. I wrote a daily journal for 3 weeks and mailed him a 9 page book as soon as I got his address, which he got the day after he wrote complaining. After that I wrote and mailed daily. Every day they had mail call...he had a letter. I got 6 letters from him...they too are precious.
During the 12 hour chat we had at O'Hare after PIR, he told me several times how much the upbeat and encouraging letters from home helped him cope and gave him somethig to look forward to every day at mail call. If you do get a call, cherish it, they are rare. My son is now at A school in Goose Creek and using the 300 minutes on the other 3 phone cards I send him in BC.....which he could have bought at NEX. My advice is Write daily, Pray, and keep your phone ON YOUR PERSON. Good Luck Jessica.
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I agree with Not da Mama....letters are what kept him and us going. We only got 3 phone calls in addition to the "I'm here" one. I also agree with her about keeping your phone on and with you at ALL times....and be sure to answer if it has an 847 area code.
At first, he could only send letters on Sunday so he would write 3-4 one page letters (with the date on them) throughout the week and mail them in one envelope. By the 5th week, they could mail them on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well. We would all take turns writing him so that he would get a letter every day. He said the encouraging words and upbeat tone of our letters were a great help to him. That is something we all tried to do. Although I did tell him I loved and missed him, I never went on and on about how much we missed him or how sad it was at times because we didn't want to make him feel bad or homesick.
I can't believe we were just at his graduation this past weekend. It was so nice to see him again and we had a great time. The graduation was a wonderful experience for all of us. We are so proud of all he has accomplished and impressed with how the Navy trains its young recruits. We are now beginning a new time of waiting until we can see him again...maybe the middle of July? Thankfully, he can call and email us during this phase of training which has already been a huge blessing. It's also been a great comfort to be able to lift our son up in prayer before the Lord and to know the Lord is watching over him at all times.
Brenda from NC
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Thank you Not da mama, and Brenda :0) It's been hard waiting on something to come in the mail. Nothing so far and it has officially been a week, the longest I have ever been away from him. Everyone else has recieved everything and im stuck wondering why I haven't. I keep my phone charged, loud, and beside me at all times. I hope when I get home today there will be a box in front of my door and a letter in the mail :0) I woman can pray anyway! I have prayed, and cried more in the past week than I have in years! Hope everyone else is getting along great, and I wish everyone the best!
--- Jessica D.
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Jessica...call the recruiter for the address. If you can get the ship/div # we can figure out the rest of the addy and also his grad date...that way you can join your PIR group
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