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:
Events
**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:
**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
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
Badge
Weather driving to Chicago in October?
I was looking at flights for me and my husband and 2 of my teenage boys for 10/20 PIR date and they are pretty high coming from Texas. If I were to drive would I be hitting any "bad" weather snow, ice, tornados. I have driven to Florida but never up. I know weather is unpredictable so I don't expect to accurately know but maybe soneone has driven this route before during this time of the year?
Views: 334
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by sambam32 on
-
I'm very familiar with Chicagoland area and the most you'll get is rain.
-
-
Permalink Reply by tutorlady on
-
@NavyMamaB I grew up in Rockford, IL - 90 miles to the northwest of Great Lakes. Mid October is "usually " very nice fall weather. Cool but you should not encounter inclement weather at that time of year. How are YOU? Are you near any of the horrible flooding that has devastated the Houston area?
-
-
Permalink Reply by NavyMamaB on
-
Hi tutorlady thank you so much for the info. No, I am in North Texas but we are definitely praying for our neighbors and sending any help we can. We have donated water and clothes to the victims of Hurricane Harvey.. Such a terrible situation all the way around.
-
-
Permalink Reply by JennBNavyMom on
-
Yes @NavyMamaB are you safe from the chaos of Harvey? I wonder if the boys even know about it. If they do and there are boys from affected areas my heart breaks for them.
How long of a drive? I'm looking at flights tonight so I know what we're getting into. -
-
-
Yes, we are in North Texas but still too close to home to not feel the pain it has caused. My SR called on Saturday 8/26 pretty much sounded like a scripted call but he said we were told to call our families because we hear there was a disaster in Texas and I just wanted to make sure yall were ok. I told him yes we were fine and not to worry it was more towards the Gulf Coast which is where we took our family vacation before he left for boot camp. He said ok bye I said I love you and he whispered I love you too.
It is terrible. There are so many fundraisers and functions going on to raise money. I donated at work and will be attending a charity event tomorrow all for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Thank you so much of thinking of Texas! Our drive will be 14 hrs and 50mins with no stops so I am estimating it will take about 16 to 17 hours, I will be traveling with my husband, my 15, 16 and 7 yr old sons and my mother. Flights so far have been more than 800 dollars. A rental van or full size SUV is about 500-600 not including gas but unlimited mileage. I am still struggling with was is more cost efficient.
Any advice is welcomed!
-
-
-
I meant to say men AND women. But he's still just a boy to me.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Chipmunk on
-
NavyMamaB - We drove from Oklahoma City to PIR 8/25/17 - it was a 12 hour drive for us. We left after my husband got off work on Wed - around 5 pm (I was hoping for 4 pm but I was still waiting on my sailor call and just not quite ready to go!!) and drove as far as Lebanon, MO - stayed at the Hampton Inn so that I knew we had a substantial breakfast, Thur morning. Left just after 8 AM for the rest of the trip - we had packed a lunch and stopped at a rest area in IL, I guess I should have set the timer, because we were longer than we had intended to be, but I was relishing in the memories of childhood travels. Our original intention had been to avoid toll roads, but we wanted to make it for the Meet n Greet that Sarge hosts, so took the tolls. Thankfully, I found an IL map left at the rest stop, because Google Maps wasn't directing as well as we are use to, and I am a "Map fanatic". So, I stayed calm, feeling in control.
You should have beautiful weather that time of Oct driving up I-44 - You will be more likely needing to be watching for rain, and possible forest fires - but not likely. We don't often have tornados that time of year and not likely to have snow and ice that early, at least three MO, and others have commented on IL.
I grew up in Rolla, MO and so we stayed there on our return trip at the Pear Tree Inn,(Drury Inns) because I found the cheapest AAA rate, on Saturday - but the hotel was nice and the staff wonderful, another full breakfast. - It is a remodeled older hotel so they only have double size beds.
In GL we stayed at the Red Carpet Inn. It is not the newest motel and we had the second floor, again double beds. No coffee maker in the room, but they did have refrigerator and microwave as the rest of our hotels, but with the discount they gave for the PIR weekend, we stayed two nights there for about the same price as our night at the Hampton. They only have a continental breakfast, but that was fine since we left at 6:30 AM for PIR. (We thought we had shuttle reservations - their shuttle was free- but when we went to check in they did not have our name down. - so we set plan B in hand and drove, which worked out for the best after all.) - We spent Saturday night there, however, with our sailors flight out for A school, we ended up leaving very very early in the morning and didn't have breakfast. I honestly, am glad that we didn't spend more money for an expensive motel at GL. We were very close to RTC for returning our sailor who only had a couple of hours with us, Flannigan's was next door, and I didn't feel bad leaving early with no breakfast.
I realize this is more than you were asking for, but If you take your time and make sure you stay rested while traveling, and beforehand, then you should find the weather agreeable enough to drive. If it looks like rain and storms, just give yourself extra time for driving. Our children have had flights delayed this summer due to rains and storms and put themselves a day behind schedule. I honestly was glad we had driven up because we could make decisions based on our sailors schedule and not based on a plane ticket. It was also a lot cheaper for three of us to fly as you have discovered as well.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Kraftinkat on
-
Do you really have to wait the day before graduation to know if he's going to be graduating? What about ones thst need to make travel arrangements
-
-
-
Kfaftinkat - hopefully one of the veterans will chime in or someone on your PIR group, but the instructions we had in our form letter was to make refundable airline flights, and so that was another reason we chose to drive. It is my understanding that "no news, is good news", but not all divisions complete battle stations at the same time in a training group from my understanding. It is also my understanding that everyone passes through battle stations, they just may have to go through it again, with another group and then they will probably be sitting in the balcony instead of on the main floor - they will be very tired!!!
I believe there is more information about this in the PIR discussion forum. - If there is a reason your recruit has been detained, I believe you are more likely to know that before they enter their last week of bc, but I don't know for sure. I just wanted to make sure we had our call and knew for certain that we had confirmation - It is what got me searching the internet and finding this website.!! - I had made our hotel reservations as soon as I had the form letter and the other main reason I booked where I did. When I called and talked to the lady on the phone, she assured me they were very use to cancellations and I had until 24 hours before to do so, I believe. The same with our motel on the way to GL.
And it was two days before graduation when I found out. Sorry, I can't be of more help than that. Just relaying my experience. But that not knowing is what tends to put most of us moms on "pens and needles", and anxiously awaiting any news.
-
-
Permalink Reply by bellagirl on
-
We drove from Houston in mid March and all was fine. We saw snow on the ground, but no road problems.
-
-
-
@Kraftinkat - The PIR Reference group on this site is VERY helpful. Many people get the "I'm a Sailor" call several days before PIR - we got ours nearly a week before. It depends on how many divisions are graduating and when your sailor's divisions goes through Battle Stations. Always remember that "no news is good news". Also, I would definitely join the PIR group on this page that corresponds to the date your sailor is graduating - if you have not already done so. There is a ton of helpful info there. I found this site about 6 weeks before my sailor shipped to RTC and it was a LIFESAVER!!
Definitely make hotel reservations as hotels can fill up quickly. We stayed at Navy Lodge due to the proximity to base and the reasonable rates. Sailors are allowed to visit the Lodge on PIR weekend - or at least they could when we were there. (Most hotels allow for cancellations if needed).
We chose to make the drive - it was a 12 hour drive, but it was cheaper than flights and we didn't have the expense of car rental and had the flexibility of leaving when we were ready to.
If you are able to, attending Sarge's Meet and Greet on Thursday evening will give you a TON of helpful information and you will be able to meet parents of other sailors in your sailors division. It is free but you do have to RSVP on line. All that info is here: www.mynavytaxi.com
I realize this may all be "repeat" info to you, but since my sailor's PIR was just 6 weeks ago, I remember the stress and the nerves.
Best wishes to you and to your sailor!!!!!
-
-
-
@ Chipmunk - if you are able to attend Sarge's Meet and Greet on Thursday night, you will receive a lot of helpful info. I texted him at 5 a.m. the morning of PIR with a last minute question and he graciously answered me. All of that info is on this link - http://www.mynavytaxi.com/events.html
Best wishes to you and your sailor!
-
© 2024 Created by Navy for Moms Admin.
Powered by
