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This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.

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RTC Graduation

RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021

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Grad & Go Info

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A place to ask questions or give answers to those who have recruits that are a G&G or who may be a G&G

Members: 144
Latest Activity: Aug 16, 2023

When I heard my son may be a Grad & Go, I had a ton of questions. The first one was: What the heck is a Grad & Go?? Now that I've experienced it, I wanted a place for N4M users to come and post questions and hopefully get some answers. Every recruits experience will be slightly different, but there are lots of "norms" that we can share with you that will answer a lot of questions. Remember, there are no stupid questions!

So, what is a G&G? It's a recruit that leaves boot camp before PIR weekend is over to travel to their A-School. They usually fly out on a Saturday, but occasionally on a Friday. This means a limited time to visit with them when you come out for their graduation. Some G&G's are just moving across the street because their A-School will be at GL (Great Lakes). If they are required to move over before PIR weekend ends, they are called a G&G. These two types of G&G's can be quite different, each with it's Pro's and Con's. If they have A-School in GL, but don't move over until after Sunday, they are not considered a G&G.

How do we plan our travel if we don't know? I can only share what others have shared with me. Most everyone made plans as if their recruit was not a G&G. That's what my family did too, and we loved our decision. We flew out Thursday, flew back late Sunday. We enjoyed our Sailor until he flew out Saturday afternoon, then we went and checked out the Chicago area on our own. If you are driving, it's a little easier to change hotel plans a few days before, but flight changes cost $$.

Can we meet them at the airport? YES! The Navy uses all three local airports (O'Hare, Midway and Milwaukee) to transport new sailors to their A-School city. You are allowed to meet your new sailor at the airport and visit with them there. You can even request a special pass from the ticket counter so you can go through security with your sailor and sit with them at the gate! "Most" airlines allow this and they do this free of charge for military families/friends, as long as you have an ID and if your sailor is there with you. You can have a lot of fun at an airport (great food too)!

What if they tell us they are on a Chartered Flight? The charter flights are cheaper for the Navy to use than commercial airlines, so they may be using them more and more. The cost of the flight is pre-determined by the exact weight of everyone and everything onboard. This includes the recruits' seabags. If the parents were to meet the recruits to hand off laptops and other items, now the weight of everything aboard has changed and that may not allowed. Because it's a chartered flight, obviously no one is allowed to go out to the plane to meet their recruits as the plane is not at a regular gate. I know it sucks for the families, but the transportation is all about cost efficiency and isn't concerned about families unable to meet the recruits. This made sound harsh, but the Navy is like other departments in the goverment and needs to keep costs down. New Sailors are not allowed leave and do not have to be granted liberty after bootcamp. Yes, it is customary to receive Liberty after bc, but just know that it's not a right, it's earned.

SEND YOUR RECRUIT THE G&G QUESTIONS POSTED IN THE DISCUSSION AREA TO THEM NOW SO YOU WILL KNOW THE INFORMATION BY PIR DAY!

Can we give them their cell phones? That depends. If you are meeting them at the airport (whether you pass security gate or stay in front lobby), then YES, you can give them cell phone, ipod and even their laptops (don't forget to pack all the chargers/cords!). As long as they can carry it onboard the plane, they can take and keep these items with them at A-School. They "check" their big 55lbs sea bags in with the airlines, so they have no carry on except their manilla envelope (their orders). If you had too much fun shopping at Gurnee Mills Mall that weekend, they are allowed to have a small backpack or gym style bag - but be sure it's a solid dark color (Black or Navy Blue), free from adornment if possible. If they are a G&G over to Great Lakes for A-School, they can have these items AFTER they are processed into that base. In other words, once they call you to pick them up after moving over, then you can give them their "toys". I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, but it has been noted by many recent N4M members that those who are a G&G to Great Lakes ONLY, and that move over to A-School on that Friday right after PIR, only those families they are allowed to keep their new sailor with them all weekend. Once they have actually completed the move on Friday (takes 5-7 hrs), you can pick them up and have them overnight for the entire weekend!!! They may have to muster (roll call/check in) over the weekend, but otherwise they have liberty. There is NO OTHER situation that I am aware of that allows a new sailor to stay away overnight after PIR. Those who are G&G's that are flying out that weekend are NOT allowed to stay overnight with their family, they must go back to RTC (boot camp) that Friday night.

The HARD FAST RULE IS: Your new Sailors can't bring anything back with them to boot camp. They are considered to be in bc while they remain on the RTC (Recruit Training Command) side, even if they have already graduated. Handing them money or a debit/credit card is okay, because they are allowed to have their wallets at boot camp, but you can't give them their cell phones or anything else if they have to report back to boot camp that night. Wait until you see them at the airport!

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Comment by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy on August 6, 2010 at 8:58pm: Good question NukeMom & CathyJ: The bus leaves at 2am to head to the airport. If they are NOT on a chartered flight, they are dropped off in front of the "departure" area and recruits get in the ticket counter line to get their boarding pass and check in their seabag. They are AT the airport, but not BEHIND security yet (they need a boarding pass to do that). So you can find them in the ticket area. Our son arrived an hr before us and was still waiting by the ticket counter area for us. The important thing is to COPY, PASTE and print the "G&G Questions to send your Recruit" and mail it to them now. Had my son completed this the night before and handed it to us at PIR, we would of been at the airport at the same time as him, instead of an hour later! (he didn't know which airport he was flying out of, forgot to look before grad ceremony!).

Comment by NukeMom/MM/USSMichigan on August 6, 2010 at 8:38pm: thanks for the info above, but one question. If my SR goes to the airport at 2am and he's inside already by the time we get there.... the adivce above says we can get a pass to go to the gate as long as our sailor is there at the ticket counter with us. Am I reading this wrong? If he's inside and I'm outside, how does that work?

Comment by Mississippimom on August 4, 2010 at 9:31pm: our PIR was 7/23,sailor was a G&G. We had all day after grad until 8pm, but we brought him back to base at 7:30 to be safe. Saturday we joined him at airport. Flight was delayed 45 mins and left at 11. He had to be up at 2am and leave base early, I guess this was to avoid delays with the insane traffic around airport. We caught up with him at 7am and several flew on same flight to SC.

Comment by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy on August 3, 2010 at 7:42pm: imparis - I I just heard from a Mom who had a sailor graduate over the Fourth of July holiday, PIR date was Thurs 7/1. She said that G&G's flew out on Friday and Saturday, and there were a couple (just a couple) who flew out late Thurs night - which is very rare. But what she did say was that those sailors who were not G&G got the entire weekend for liberty (not overnight), but they had Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun, and some even got Monday - a chit was required for that day. I wasn't present, so can only go by what one Mom told me this morning. Hope this helps.

Comment by Deborah (CTT son) on August 3, 2010 at 6:17pm: Pat - you're the best. Thank you !! I'll go over there and join that one. Never can get to much information.

Comment by imparis ship7 div 289 9/2 on August 3, 2010 at 6:00pm: OK thinking logically then if G&G is on Saturdays normally with a Friday PIR then because of the holiday week end it would seem that G&G would be Friday because it would be hard to get seats on a plane for Saturday because of the three day weekend for normal people. Does this sound right. I was so worried that I did not stop and think about all this.

Comment by Deborah (CTT son) on August 3, 2010 at 4:15pm: Pat - thank you!!! I hope that you are correct. I've been stressing about this Grad N Go thing!

Comment by Deborah (CTT son) on August 3, 2010 at 8:49am: Good Morning Everybody! I'm up brght and early today!!

Hoppi - I sent those questions to daughter and got answers back. So I could use your help again, please.

Are you a Grad N Go - No
Are you considered an "undesginated" Airman? Yes
If yes, which one are you? Seaman
Do you have follow-up orders to your first command? No, not yet

So, since she states that she isn't "Grad N Go" does that mean that she will be staying in GL for her A School?

Comment by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy on August 2, 2010 at 11:41pm: FYI: A lot of recruits are told that their bus to the airport leaves at 2:00am on Saturday, but often (not always) they are told a day or two before PIR that it won't leave until 5:00am. So be prepared for the worst, hope for the best and keep all options open!

Comment by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy on August 2, 2010 at 11:38pm: hopeful: Yes, that is very possible that those sailors you described are NOT G&G, as most recruits fly to their A-School after Sunday, not PIR weekend - it's pretty standard and happens every week.

stephanie: It's very rare that a recruiter has access to that info, and he should of reminded you that until orders are in writing, they are not set in stone. I am pretty close to my son's recruiter, and I was "begging" for info on when my son's flight would leave and he really tried to help me!!! If your son is Div 282, his PIR isn't until 8/20, that's more than 2 weeks away. Here are two scenarios: One - his group is on a chartered flight, which is why the time is so early in the morning & why "possibly" the info is known so soon OR Two - he is a normal G&G on a commerical airline, will probably leave early in the morning and have an early flight or a late morning flight. There are other scenarios that fit too. The good news is: You get to spend approx 8-9 hrs with your son on Friday (10:35 they cry "Liberty Call", he's yours until he has to be back around 8pm). AND.... you may also have several hours with him on Saturday morning at the airport - dependent on him not being on a chartered flight.