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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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.

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Information

Grad & Go Info

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!

Discussion Forum

Formal Navy Portraits - info, prices

Started by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy. Last reply by lemonelephant Oct 28, 2013. 6 Replies

Here are the packages, prices and important things to know as of 8/26/10: Your recruits picture will be taken in their Navy Blue uniform and these are very nice, professional portraits.  No order…Continue

USO locations at local airports

Started by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy. Last reply by MomOfFutureAM (Ship12Div387) Oct 2, 2013. 2 Replies

Only O'Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW) have USO centers, the airport in Milwaukee (MKE) does not. The USO at O'Hare is located OUTSIDE of the secured area in Terminal 2 above the Delta Airlines Ticket…Continue

Phases of Liberty at A-School

Started by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy. Last reply by MomOfFutureAM (Ship12Div387) Oct 2, 2013. 19 Replies

Liberty is different than Leave.  Leave is similiar to requesting time off for vacation at work, they must submit a chit and have it approved.  Liberty basically means that they have "liberty" to…Continue

G&G questions to send your recruit!

Started by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy. Last reply by JessicaB-Sailor Mom Apr 14, 2011. 6 Replies

This was put together by gigi65 (thanks!).  These are the items you will want to mail to your recruit NOW so they can hand you the answers on PIR day.  They will not know the exact answers until 1-3…Continue

Grad and Go to A School at Great Lakes, Illinois right after P.I.R.

Started by chew92. Last reply by chew92 Jan 26, 2011. 3 Replies

After PIR 1/21/11 my son moved over to his A school at Great Lakes.  He was able to call me to pick him up after he was processed into his new quarters and I met him at the Visitors Center next to…Continue

PIR 09-02 - and GnG Lydias story...

Started by Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours). Last reply by momofcurtis Sep 20, 2010. 3 Replies

Okay - My son is 818 Spec Ops was grad n go.... Here is how it went down... ****foot note on PIR**** - can you say TRAFFIC!!! geeze - I am sooo glad we took the rental car and not the shuttle... we…Continue

Chartered Flight, what to expect....

Started by Lala Ribbon Queen PIR Ribbons. Last reply by momofcurtis Sep 4, 2010. 34 Replies

I wanted to to try and help the families of those who are grad and go with a charted flight. This is a new area and I guess the Navy doesn't charter flights very often. In fact the nice man at the…Continue

Grad and Go

Started by bethe Aug 1, 2010. 0 Replies

Oh Lala, I feel your pain!  I cried when I read your posting because we went through the same thing!  My younger son and I walked all over that entire airport hoping to find my son.  Finally at 0700…Continue

Ratings & Ranks Info

Started by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy. Last reply by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy Jul 28, 2010. 2 Replies

This was cut and pasted from the Navy's own site (see Hoppi's discussion on this groups page). The word "rate" is used in two ways within the structure. First, rate is a paygrade. Enlisted navy…Continue

CNN video on BS-21

Started by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy. Last reply by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy Jul 8, 2010. 1 Reply

Trying to paste the CNN video about BS-21, hope this works! <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="…Continue

Comment Wall

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Comment by Kac46047 on January 25, 2011 at 4:51pm
anyone know if only immediate family can go to the airport?
Comment by Alysia-Redsmom (VQ-4/ATO) on January 14, 2011 at 10:50pm
Just officially finished liberty with my new sailor of graduating class 1/14/11. I'm so proud of him & love him with all my heart.
Comment by Alysia-Redsmom (VQ-4/ATO) on January 5, 2011 at 4:22pm
Yes - we have finally made it to the single digit countdown days and I can hardly contentrat at work....HELP ME!!
Comment by Alysia-Redsmom (VQ-4/ATO) on January 5, 2011 at 1:24pm
That is what we plan on doing too. I printed & mailed the GNG form from above asking for airline, flight and time information to my son. He will fill it out and give it to us after the PIR ceremony. This way if we miss each other we hopefully can still meet up at the USO center in the airport.
Comment by Alysia-Redsmom (VQ-4/ATO) on January 5, 2011 at 10:41am
Thanks for the insight Kathy!
Comment by Alysia-Redsmom (VQ-4/ATO) on January 5, 2011 at 10:13am
Good question Kac46047......

Hopefully once PIR ceremony is over and you have sometime with your rct you can ask them this question too.
Comment by Kac46047 on January 4, 2011 at 8:24pm
I have a question about meeting them at the airport. It says ubove to show ID to the airline and if the aailor is with you.  What if you get there after your sailor has passed through security. are you out of luck then?
Comment by Laura (SHIP07 DIV056) on December 29, 2010 at 12:12am
redsmom thanks for the info.... hopefully he will call and i can ask him :)
Comment by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy on December 28, 2010 at 8:03pm

@ Kathy:  My son is also an IT, so maybe I can help you.  They are actually sent to Corry Station, a small base a few miles from the big base in Pensacola.  My son loved it there, very home-like, friendly and close to the beach.  Being a small base, they phase up for liberty faster.  They also tend to "class-up" faster there too (start their schooling within a few weeks after arriving there).  The classes are self paced, the average person finishes in about 10-12 weeks. Then they may still stay there for a week or so before they move on.  Not all IT's go on to C-school, it depends on their orders.  My son needed to learn specialized things so he could do his job on the ship he will be on.  My son was a GnG, so we had Friday after PIR to spend with him, then met him at the airport at "dark thirty" in the morning.  We were allowed to go through security and sit with him in the terminal until his flight left at 1pm.  Please read the main info on this page, as we want people to remember that although there may be Norms, each sailors experience can be different.

Oh... and join the IT Moms group if you haven't already, there's a wealth of info there too! 

 

@ Angie:  Long time no see!  Hope you are well.  I'm rarely on this anymore, but I am trying to check this page at least once a week.  

 

Happy New Year to everyone!  8 days until we see our sailor in Norfolk.  Lisa/Sobe

Comment by Alysia-Redsmom (VQ-4/ATO) on December 28, 2010 at 10:20am
@Laura grumpy - your son is the only that will know for sure if he is g&g. In your next letter ask him if he is g&g.
It could change either way up to the day before PIR. My son is listed as g&g (PIR 1/14/11) and I continuously ask him if his orders have changed or stayed the same.
Be patient and go with the flow...... :-)
 

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