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:

OPSEC GUIDELINES

Events

**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:

RTC Graduation

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:

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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.)

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Visite esta página para explorar en su idioma las oportunidades de educación y carreras para sus hijos en el Navy. Navy.com

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Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Information

Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

To everyone with a loved one at RTC or soon to be there, we say, "Welcome!"  To those who are sticking around after PIR to help those who are just beginning this awesome journey, we say, "Thank you!"

**BEGINNING OCTOBER 5, 2023, RECRUIT GRADUATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED EVERY THURSDAY (NO LONGER ON FRIDAY), EXCEPT FOR THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, WHEN GRADUATION IS ON WEDNESDAY.

This is a place to talk, ask questions, and share stories. It is our desire that this Group will provide the information, encouragement, and support you need while your loved one is at RTC in Great Lakes. Enjoy your time here and feel free to Comment and join in the Discussions. Be sure to check out the "Pages" to the right, located under the pictures of the Members, especially OPSEC and PERSEC (Making Changes to Your Profile), (Click "View All" to see all of them.)

Please, if you no longer want to be a part of N4M's consider NOT deleting your profile as everything you have ever posted will disappear when you delete it .  You can leave a group but don't permanently delete your profile!

Members: 13262
Latest Activity: 17 hours ago

Answers to Common Questions

The Navy has updated their Cell Phone Usage (4/2024).

Read the article here on personal cell phones for call homes:

Personal Cell Phone Use for Calls Home

This link gives you a breakdown of the training schedule at boot camp.

BASIC MILITARY TRAINING SCHEDULE

New in 2022: Navy to lengthen Basic Military Training

Navy to lengthen Boot Camp - Navy Times

Are there any official RTC sites?

Yes, check out https://www.facebook.com/NavyRecruitTrainingCommand and http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/. They will have lots of information for you. https://www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining also has items at times.

https://www.facebook.com/ASBPGreatLakes has pics of some of the recruits who give blood while at RTC. Those donations occur about 2 weeks (10 to 16 days depending on the division) before PIR.

You may also find pics in https://www.navy.mil/viewGallery.asp.

RTC will stream PIR live at http://navylive.dodlive.mil/ beginning at 8:45 am CST on the day of PIR for those who are unable to attend in person. (Once PIR has passed, you will be able to see the video at https://navylive.dodlive.mil/. If the one you want is not there, then click on a PIR video and then change the date in the URL to the date you want. You will have to change both the numerical date and the written out date in the URL. For example, if you want the video for the March 3, 2017 PIR date, then change https://navylive.dodlive.mil/2019/08/23/navy-recruit-graduation-august-23-2019/ to https://navylive.dodlive.mil/2017/03/03/navy-recruit-graduation-march-3-2017/.)

 

Can recruits take anything to BC with them?

Recruits should go with what they have on their backs, their cell phones, and not much else. Effective August 2022 Recruits can bring their own (approved) running shoes.  (See Things to Do in the Last Month Before Your Future Sailor Leaves for RTC.)

 

What will the first day be like at BC?

See Arrival and What Happens at RTC and Ship/Division--How it Works.

How long is the "I'm here!" call and when will s/he be able to call again?

See Phone Cards and Phone Calls.

 

I got my recruit's address from the recruiter. Can I trust it?

Double-check the address the recruiter gave you against those at 

RTC Division Addresses, but we strongly encourage you to wait on the form letter before sending mail to your recruit since the address provided by the recruiter prior to that can be wrong up to 11 business days or more after the recruit's arrival if the recruit failed the first attempt at the run and then passed (or failed) the second attempt and was ASMO'd to a different division (or to SEPS) or if RTC needed to move recruits for some reason. Sometimes a form letter is not mailed by accident and if it has been at least 3 calendar weeks since your recruit arrived at RTC and you do not have a form letter, then you can call the recruiter and get the address and mail letters to your recruit since the address in the system should be the correct one at that point, but be sure to double-check the address here Ship/Division--How it Works

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**NOTE: There is a virtual graduation for your Sailor that you can watch on the RTC FaceBook page.  It is posted the FRIDAY after PIR.

RTC Facebook Page - Graduation

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When will the Form Letter come and what is in it?

The form letter will arrive in your regular mail around nine to fourteen business days after the recruit's arrival at RTC since it is not mailed until a division’s 1-1 Day of Training, which takes place after your recruit has taken and passed the run portion of the Baseline PFA, which is on or about the fifth business day after arrival (later if the division that your recruit was tentatively placed in upon arrival did not fill until a later date). See Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) and Fitness Improvement Training (FIT)The brochure that is included from MWRGL about hotels and other things is at Travel Guide . The form letter includes your recruit's address, so now you can mail out all the letters you have been writing. There is more on this in Letter Writing & Fun Stuff/Questionnaires to send to your Recruit.

The form letter will also tell you the date of PIR, so you can start making plans for your trip. There are many hotels in the area and there is information in the grad pack and on this site about them. If you fly in, renting a car will make your life easier. Also, if you are flying, some airlines, such as Southwest, will allow you to change your flight without a charge if something happens, so you do not have to book refundable tickets.  ** EDITED - LIVE PIR's RESUME 8/13/2021**

UPDATED TRAINING SCHEDULE (6/2022 - Thanks to belovedbyHim)

The Expected timeline will look like this:

Day 0 -- Travel, Arrival and "I'm Here" scripted phone call

Week 1 Day 1-7 -- Arrive Onboard RTC and begin P-days (P-days- Initial Processing Days) including 2 days of P-hold (Weekend)

Day 8 -- Begin training and mail form letter out. Look for it to arrive around 1-2 weeks later
Week 2 -- First week of Training including PT and Swim Qualifications
Week 3 -- Marlin Spike - (Line handling- How to tie up a Ship to the Pier) , First inspections and tests (Dental May be this week or next... Not Confirmed)(Form letter/ Personal letters usually arrive this week) 

Week 4 -- Confidence Chamber & Fire Fighting training
Week 5 -- Fire Arms Training    

Week 6 -7 -- More training, Drilling (Flags and Marching).

Week 8 – Battle Stations (done prior to final PFA). Your SR will call home to say they are a Sailor but they still have to pass final PFA in order to graduate.

Week 9 & 10– Warrior Training (Life skills) and Final PFA


Approx 10 Fridays from Departure they will have PIR!! If you can go you will be amazed at the change that happened in just 10 short weeks. For the time being they are also still Live Streaming the PIR ceremony.

Once you know your recruit's PIR date, be sure to join the group for that date. PIR groups are posted on the Comment Wall below once they are created. 

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®

How long should I plan to stay in the Great Lakes area?

Arrive at least the day before PIR so you can pick up your ticket/s for PIR and also attend Sarge's Meet and Greet if you wish to do so.

If your Sailor's "A" School or training is in GL, then plan to leave late Sunday or on Monday. If your Sailor will be flying out, then plan to leave late Saturday or on Sunday to have the most time with your Sailor. (This may need to be adjusted if PIR is not on Friday.) See Saving Money PIR Weekend and PIR Day and Liberty during PIR Weekend.

**UPDATED LIBERTY RULES - GL - AUGUST 2022**

Here is a link from Great Lakes regarding their Updated Liberty Rules during PIR weekend, effective August, 2022. (Thank you Amy for sharing this with me.)  I'll post it in a few different places.

Updated Liberty Rules for GL - August 2022

SARGE'S MEET & GREET  - BACK AS OF 3/18/2022

Plan to arrive the day before PIR so you won't risk missing PIR and go to Sarge's Meet and Greet from 4pm to 8pm the evening before PIR at the Lakehurst Event Center (go to http://www.mynavytaxi.com/events.html to RSVP). Sarge has a taxi service and he is a wealth of information. His cell number is 847-212-0246. His Meet and Greet and services have been getting great reviews. Find Sarge on N4M as OldSarge.

 

Who can attend PIR?

RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021 

Your recruit will indicate the names of up to FOUR guests who will be permitted to receive tickets and attend PIR. RTC may change that to three guests if there is a large TG. Children ages 2 and under do not need a ticket to attend PIR, but a copy of the child's birth certificate may be presented in order for the child to attend PIR. The names of the guests will be listed on the Security Access Form. Your recruit will send the Security Access Form with the form letter and it will need to be completed fully and returned to your recruit. if you do not receive the form letter, then you can download the Security Access Form and complete it and send it to your recruit, but your recruit has the final say on who will attend PIR.

ALL GUESTS 3 YEARS OLD AND OLDER MUST HAVE A TICKET TO ATTEND PIR, INCLUDING MILITARY GUESTS (ACTIVE DUTY, RESERVE, RETIRED, VET). No extra guests allowed, no exceptions.

GUESTS SECURITY ACCESS FORM: If you are going to be attending the graduation ceremony, you will need to fill out the security access form, which is included with your form letter. Return the form to your recruit according to the instructions. 

ONLY YOUR RECRUIT CAN CHANGE THE GRADUATION CEREMONY ACCESS LIST: Your recruit will be able to make changes to the access list throughout training. The last opportunity to make changes will be the week before graduation. If there is a change to be made to the access list (such as a name spelled incorrectly, name-swap, etc…) please communicate any changes to your recruit by mail. Recruit Training Command staff cannot change these names or release the names of those on the list. Please do not call for additional seats!

The form can also be downloaded by anyone from the website, but only the recruit has final say-so as to who will be invited. Those names are submitted and those names will be printed on tickets. All of those guests attending must be present with ID to pick up the ticket in person. No exceptions, no swapping of tickets, no changing of names during final week of graduation.

If you are attending a graduation ceremony, you MUST personally obtain your ticket, you cannot pick up tickets for others. Tickets will be distributed at the Recruit Family Welcome Center, located inside the Navy Exchange Burkey Mall, Bldg. 3452, 2650 Green Bay Road Great Lakes, IL 60088 

Additional information on ticketing is also available at www.bootcamp.navy.mil. (See http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/faq.html#grad_ceremony.)

Once you receive your ticket, please DO NOT lose it, as this will be the only ticket you will receive. These tickets are not transferable and are serialized to each graduation attendee. If you do not have a ticket, then you will not be permitted access to the base.

The Recruit Family Welcome Center will be open on the following days and times: Thursday [10:00 AM to 7:30 PM], and Friday [5:30 AM to 8:00 AM]. ***Certain federal holidays may require adjusting days and times. Please refer to the command website for those specific updates***

Please plan accordingly so each person listed can check in to receive a ticket for the graduation ceremony. Again, if you don’t have a ticket you will NOT be allowed entry to the base. Tickets will only be issued to those guests who the graduating recruit has verified will be attending. 

Driving on to base.

Driver’s license, vehicle registration, proof of insurance or rental car agreement and graduation ticket must be ready to present to security at access points. Everyone in the car ages three and over must show their ticket to graduation. If someone in the car over the age of two does not have a ticket, they are not allowed through the gate, no exceptions.

  • NO cell phone usage while driving on base! 
  • Seat belts are required for all drivers/passengers at all times
  • Motorcycle drivers/riders MUST have proper protective clothing/equipment such helmet, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and over the ankle hard-soled boots.
  • Recent graduates are prohibited from operating motor vehicles, including motorcycles, and are NOT allowed to be a passenger on a motorcycle.

See Bootcamp.Navy.Mil for the Frequently Asked Questions.

What will happen PIR weekend?

See PIR Day and Liberty during PIR Weekend

http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/graduation.html and http://www.navyformoms.ning.com/custom/media/downloads/N4M_PIR_infographic_web.pdf.

S.O. Contract:

Moms whose sons have an S.O. Contract headed to BUD/S there is a group for you.

It is called, BUD/S and SQT (Stages of a S.E.A.L.)

Interested:

Send a friend request to NavyMom(J) for more information.

(Click on the highlighted links.)

Be sure to check out the Pages to the right (under the pictures of the Members) for additional information. (You will need to click "View All" to see all of them.)

Donna is no longer active on the site. Several others who have begun this journey before you are here to help. (Donna, we are forever thankful that you started this group that continues to help so many.)

Discussion Forum

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Anyone from VT? Or NH?

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PASS Class Guidance?

Started by legoNavymom03. Last reply by B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet) Dec 18, 2023. 1 Reply

PIR Weekend Experiences - Post Covid

Started by Chipmunk. Last reply by Chipmunk Oct 11, 2023. 19 Replies

Comment Wall

Comment

You need to be a member of Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones) to add comments!

Comment by ILNavyMom2010 on April 16, 2010 at 11:12pm
fishmom - Almost forgot...Congratulations! You have a new sailor!
Comment by ILNavyMom2010 on April 16, 2010 at 11:09pm
diannep - I'm off to PRAY HARD before I hopefully fall asleep for several uninterrupted hours. And you're right. She can do this. She CAN do this!
Comment by ILNavyMom2010 on April 16, 2010 at 10:52pm
Rebecca4 - It seems like a long time ago that we received our first letter from our daughter. And checking my calendar it was just a little over 3 weeks ago today. I guess there are different challenges at each stage of the game. The first 2 weeks my daughter was gone the weather started to change for the better and I was wondering how it could be that the plants were blooming & the sun was shining, but my heart was breaking because I missed my daughter terribly. Not that I don't miss her now, but it just got less painful because I knew she had made the best decision of her life by joining the Navy.

You will be getting a letter or phone call before you know it. And don't kid yourself....you know a lot already. : )
Comment by ILNavyMom2010 on April 16, 2010 at 10:36pm
Thanks to all of you wonderful moms with your words of encouragement for Me. I hope that soon I will be able to pass it on with words of wisdom for another mom that might find herself at this stage.

I will add a few words of my own to that card tomorrow morning and then mail it knowing that I've done my best to encourage Her.

She is actually finishing up week 3 if I am still counting correctly. My husband keeps reminding me that this was to be expected at some point. I guess it just caught me off guard since she hadn't really complained before.

Again, thank you all so very much.
Comment by diannep on April 16, 2010 at 10:16pm
fishmom: Great analogy with the labor story! And loved the RDC who was the meanest and hardest on your son being the one who congratulated him first. That says it all right there...
Comment by diannep on April 16, 2010 at 10:14pm
Il NavyMom: Your daughter's words are verbatim what I read in a recruit's recap of boot camp on the web. That he/she will think they can do nothing right, nor can anyone else. My son and I talked about that alot before he left in Nov. Maybe you can write her that this is where most are right now. The first 2 weeks are very hard (remember, this doesn't count the first week of processing so this would be actually weeks 2 and 3 to you). It starts getting a bit better after that, but still tough. The tearing down stage is so so hard. Keep encouraging her...tell her that "this too shall pass." And it will...she will be in a new stage...feeling better about herself. Don't let her stay down...misery loves company, and she probably isn't realizing that she is not alone in the torment she is taking. Remind her that A School is a whole different story...not like this with the teardown. I know it is so hard for you and her dad to hear her like this...but know that this is so part of it. PRAY HARD, encourage her, and remind her that you know she will do it! My son too told me that he could do nothing right...everything he did was wrong...at this point in bc. But he did it, and just graduated A School. She will DO IT! She will!
Comment by Rebecca4 on April 16, 2010 at 10:12pm
Hang in there IL Navy Mom. That is so difficult but the encouraging card will be nice for your daughter to receive. And, ColoAustin'sMom is right - what can we say? We don't know what they are going through and just being honest but letting them know we love them I hope helps. Of course, what do I know? I haven't even got my first letter yet!
Comment by fishmom on April 16, 2010 at 10:10pm
ILNavy mom, the best way that I can explain it to you is through something we moms understand all too well. Remember when you were in labor, ready to give birth, and you hit that point where you just thought "I am done, I just cannot do this another minute"? Well, that's where your daughter is. And I can assure you that she WILL get through this. The RDCs are very adept at reading the Recruits, they do this for a living, remember? They know what she can handle. Soon, they will be building her back up. Probably even now things are looking up for her. My son told me that the RDC that gave him the hardest time was the one who gave him his cap when he had his post Battle Stations ceremony. And he said to him "You did a good job Son. Congratulations". They're not heartless. They're making them strong. I'll send up a prayer for your daughter tonight. That she feels encouraged and that she has someone to encourage her in her Division. And one for you too. It's so hard for a momma's heart to know that their baby is struggling. We understand.
Comment by ColoAProudSailorMom on April 16, 2010 at 10:09pm
IL NavyMom2010- You can do whatever you need to do to help your kid!
Comment by ILNavyMom2010 on April 16, 2010 at 10:05pm
Mikey's Mom - Thanks for including us in your prayers. I trust that the right things to say to my daughter will come to me. Maybe it was my mom's intuition kicking in today, but I was at the store just before I came home and read her letter, and for some reason I picked up a "Words of Encouragement" card. Nothing fancy, but just something to say hang in there and don't give up. We usually don't buy cards from the store.

ColoAustin'sMom - Can I quote you verbatim and pretend like those words came to me all on my own? : ) I guess that would be plagiarism.
 
 
 

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