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 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:

RTC Graduation

**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:

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

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* Halfway Boxes & Mail Drops

Written by Kaye S. Kaye S.

Halfway Boxes & Mail Drops

A "halfway box" or "halfway package" is taken with the ship when it leaves home port.  The sailor gets to open it on Halfway Night, which is usually a night of fun to celebrate being halfway back home.

A "mail drop" occurs when personnel or supplies are taken to the ship while out, and personal mail is allowed to go with.  The sailors open these items when received.

Each sub's Ombudsman will give you the rules for either of these.  In the past, I've been allowed to fill a shoebox, or a gallon ziploc bag, or sometimes only an 8x11 envelope which had to be flat.

The Ombudsman should tell you the restrictions, her deadline for receiving it, and the address(es) to which it may be sent.  Be cautioned though, sometimes she won't know what's possible until too late for moms out-of-state to get it there (has happened to me twice).  You might be able to work a deal with her where you send her a pkg now (with non-perishable treats, etc.) that she'll hang onto until it's needed.  Then you can replace that pkg with another for the next time.  But, that depends on her ability to store them, how long she'll be the Ombds, etc.

Idea:  An easy, convenient way to get your sailor cruise goodies is to send him a gift card to the NEX.  You pay no shipping and he'll get just what he wants.  PX stores (Army / Air Force) and NEX stores are run by AAFES - go to their website, http://www.shopmyexchange.com/.  In the blue band at the top of the page, place the cursor on "Community," then click on "Support Your Troops."  You'll find the page for ordering calling and/or gift cards redeemable in any NEX worldwide.

 

 

Suggested Items for Halfway Boxes

NOTE:  Always send items that are individually sized and/or wrapped, when possible.  Check with your ship's Ombds before sending chocolate; some Commands do not allow it on board.

 

15-in-1 game set

Air fresheners (Stick-ups, F'breeze, etc.)

Altoids or mints

Baby wipes

Batteries (AAA, AA, and D)

Beef jerky & Slim Jims

Board games 

Boot socks

Candy (Twizzlers, gummy items, Skittles, Sour Patch, jaw breakers, jelly beans, & stuff that little boys like!)

Canned air to blow dust out of electronics 

Canned chicken salad

Canned microwavable foods

Cereal bars / granola bars 

Chap Stick / Carmex

Chewing gum (guys tend to like fruit flavors)

Coffee singles

Cookies (anything little boys like!)

Deodorant 

Dice and dice games

Dips in individual-sized cans

Disposable shower towels 

Dominoes

Drink mix, sized for one bottle of water (Gatorade, Crystal Light, etc.)

DVD movies 

Favorite TV series on DVD

Flashlights (small, penlight size)

Foot massager

Foot powder 

Hacky-sack foot bags

Hand lotion

Hand warmers

Hard candy, wrapped (Jolly Rancher, Werthers, Life Savers, etc.)

Hot chocolate

Stick-on heating patches (Icy Hot, ThermaCare, etc.)

Inflatable seat cushions 

Ink pens, retractable, NO CAPS (Zebra F-301 Originals, black ink, are highly prized & about $2.00!)

Instant oatmeal packs

Knot-tying book & two 24" lengths of rope

Koozies (the kind that flatten – to keep cans cool)  

Little Debbie snacks

Magazines (must not have sexual content) – cars, sports, woodworking, photography, music, etc.

Non-refrigerated microwave food (pasta bowls, Spaghettios, chili, soup, etc.)

Microwave popcorn

Mouthwash

Muffins

Music CDs

Newspapers (just send the section he likes)

Notepads of paper (5x7 legal pads are good)

Nuts

Paperback books (or send a gift card for his electronic reader)

Peanut butter

Pillows (camp sized in a stuff bag or inflatable)

Pillowcases (nice when homemade, with fabric chosen especially for your sailor)

Playing cards

Poker (electronic handheld)

Pop Tarts

Pringles chips

Puzzle books (Crossword, word search, Sudoku, etc.)

Ramen noodles 

Razors

Rice Krispy treats

Sewing kit 

Shoe laces for gym shoes and boots 

Shower-to-Shower body powder

Smoked oysters and sardines (in cans)

Snack mixes (Gardettos, Chex Mix, etc.)

 

Spices (crushed red pepper, steak season, etc.)

Squeeze butter 

Stress relief squeeze balls 

Sunflower seeds

Toothbrushes & toothpaste

Tootsie Pops & Tootsie Roll midgets

Trial sized bottles of shampoo or shower gel

Underwear 

Video games (know what system he has)

Vitamins

Ziploc bags (for keeping things airtight, watertight, and fresher)

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