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Navy For Moms

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

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**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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Graduation Info
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Printable PDF – 2.0 MB

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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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DEP-Leavin' for bootcamp in August

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This group is for N4M members that have a loved one leaving for bootcamp in August...I will leave the year open so that even future Deppers leaving in the month of August of any year can join...Lets share stories, information, concerns, and questions

Website: http://www.navyformoms.com/group/deppersinbutnotyet
Members: 746
Latest Activity: Jul 22, 2022

Hello everyone and welcome to the Navy!!! This Group was started for the loved one of DEPpers leaving in the month of August (although everyone is welcome).......What year you say? Well ......any year!

We are an extension of the group DEPpers/Future Sailors....in, but not gone yet- see the link above.

If you haven't been there, go there now....There is a ton of information that you will need and are probably dying for....like what to send with them to Boot Camp and BC videos! :)

So if you have general information and comments that will be helpful and/or encouraging for ALL new DEP/Future Sailor Moms, then leave it in that main DEPper/Future Sailors Group, but if you have August ship out issues/questions etc., need specific information, (or have some to share) or just want to talk to someone that is where you are, with a Recruit leaving for and arriving in BC in August, ...then this is the place to be. :-)

Remember, don't "miss 'em while you're with them!" :) Make the most of every precious moment together before they leave. This will be a big transition for both of you! We'll be here for you every step of the way...
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Things to do in the last month before your future sailor leaves (Click on the link.)

Once your recruit has arrived at RTC, the next stop here is to join the group Boot Camp for Moms (and loved ones) Hangout and ask questions in this group until your form letter arrives.

***New news just out today (9/25/19) from the US Navy Recruit Training Command FaceBook page:

Attention families and friends of RTC: Previously, upon arrival to boot camp, recruits would box up their civilian belongings and ship it to their choice of destination. Our new procedure now has those boxes being stored locally and will be returned to the recruits the day before graduation. The new procedure went into effect this week beginning with Div. 409 in Training Group 52.

Approx two to three weeks after your recruit arrives you will receive the "Form Letter". The form letter will include their Ship# , DIV #, their mailing address, PIR date, and the Security Access Form. The Security Access form needs to be completed and sent back to your recruit ASAP. Keep this letter in a safe place, it has the information you will need.

The date that is on the form letter is the official date for your Recruit's Training Groups PIR (graduation), Things can always change for an individual Recruit (due to illness, injury, failure to pass a final test etc.)! So, we always recommend that you plan, if possible, to purchase Refundable or Exchangeable plane tickets.

After you have received the form letter, join the group for your recruits PIR. There you can ask questions about PIR, training, hotels etc.Those groups will be posted in the Boot Camp for Mom's group.

Thanks for joining us. We hope you will realize you are not alone, and will soon make new friends, plus feel supported and encouraged! :)

**It is very important that your future Sailor be physically fit prior to shipping to the RTC (these are new standards beginning 1/1/2018) and that he be able to pass an initial run test. See Navy Sets New Physical Fitness Standard to Start Boot Camp. "The initial run standard is evaluated on the 1.5 mile run of the first Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) at boot camp. The initial run standard for male recruits will be 16 minutes 10 seconds and 18 minutes seven seconds for female recruits."

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You need to be a member of DEP-Leavin' for bootcamp in August to add comments!

Comment by FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW on July 19, 2012 at 1:40am: Comment by JessicaB-Sailor Momon June 19, 2012 at 6:12am

What they can take:

Send phone #'s and addresses in his/her wallet....believe it or not they do forget #'s

Here's a list of things that are allowed:

Just bring the clothes on your back

Wallet with ID, SSN card, stamps, (small, plain wallet…boys and girls!)

, bank info

$25 cash

a pocket bible…I sent a Sailor Bible, putting a letter for him to find later and a self addressed stamped envelope with a few pieces of paper in it for the first letter home.

a small religious medallion can have small photos in wallet

plain wrist watch

an ACTIVATED calling card (usually activated when you buy them but ask) with at least 500 minutes. The payphone eats up 30 minutes or so just to connect.

Comment by FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW on July 19, 2012 at 1:40am: Comment by JessicaB-Sailor Momon June 19, 2012 at 6:12am

Here is a great boot camp video I would like to share with all of you. It gives a idea of what your recuits are going through, If you have been around the NavyforMoms site you may have already seen it. If not check it out. This one is fairly old...there are newer ones as well.

http://www.navyformoms.com/video/navy-racks-boot-camp

Comment by FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW on July 19, 2012 at 1:39am: Comment by JessicaB-Sailor Momon June 19, 2012 at 6:11am

Females: you need to get your hair cut BEFORE you leave for boot camp. It cannot be touching your collar. You cannot wear barrettes, scrunhies, etc. So must be out of your face. They may cut it again at boot camp but at least it won't be a huge difference. Males: Cut all facial hair. It won't make any difference about your hair cut-it'll all be shaved off. Make sure your rct knows what phone # to call. Many tell them to call the home # and then forward the calls to their cell phone if they have to leave. Most phone books have the directions in the front. Ours says to *72, wait for the tone, dial the # calls are to be forwarded to..then you have to answer your cell phone ( or whatever phone the calls are to be forwarded to)to activate call

Comment by FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW on July 19, 2012 at 1:39am: Comment by JessicaB-Sailor Momon June 19, 2012 at 6:11am

Some Tips from a Shipmate · KNOW the 11 General orders. · KNOW all of the details pertaining to rate/rank recognition. · Learn how to make a rack (bed) with 45 degree corners. · Practice ironing military creases in a long sleeve, button down, collared shirt (which would be similar to the Utility shirts issued in Boot Camp) · I strongly suggest reading the Bluejacket's Manual. Pay particular attention to Damage Control, Seamanship, First Aid, Uniforms and Grooming, and History. · Memorize the phonetic alphabet. · Attend all DEP meetings! · Stay fit (or get fit). Jog, do push-ups, sit-ups, etc., The PT is not hard, but if you're in shape, it can be fun. At least advance to E-2 by completing your DEP PQS. You may not care now, but I'll tell you, it sure is nice to graduate with a couple of stripes on your sleeve, instead of nothing. And, of course, it will help you out down the road

Comment by FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW on July 19, 2012 at 1:35am: Hello! I am going to post several posts by JessicaB SailorMom...she is off the site for a while but has vluable info for DEPpers. No need to "fix" something that "ain't broke"!

Comment by FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW on July 19, 2012 at 1:33am: Thank you Always "Icognito" for soming back to help lend support!

I was a "baby"veteran when you went through! Just had my own PIR experience a month or so earlier!

Comment by Always "Incognito" on July 17, 2012 at 10:57pm: Hello Dep Moms/Wives/Girlfriends... Seasoned Sailor Mom here. Just wanted to reach back and send a few words of encouragement as you get ready to make final preparations to send your Deppers but soon to be "sailor recruits" (aka SRs) off to BC. Not sure what any of you can take from this but here goes........ My sailor daughter PIRd in July of 2010 (nearing the anniversary date this weekend)......... WOW, really?   LOL

I can laugh now but back in those first couple of weeks of BC I thought the world clock had actually stopped......everything seemed to take forever. Information, letters to and from home, 1- 3 minute phone calls, the half way mark battle stations, and then PIR.   But what made it all easier to deal with was finding the PIR group on N4M as soon as I got my SRs information. The women in our group were amazing.... we bonded and helped each other along the experience. We shared parts of letters to help each other stay more informed about the happenings at BC.   Within the PIR group I found about 5 others with SRs in my SRs division so often when my daughter wasnt sharing some specific thing that was happening to the division as a whole, someone else's SR did and that was great!   It also helped that an admin from Navy Affairs would monitor the board and would jump in and answer questions that we were posing when nobody really knew the correct answer.

Well, a lot has changed since my daughter first left for BC..... she is now an IT3 (aka Petty officer 3rd class/PO3) stationed in Hawaii. She was able to have her pick of where to go for her first duty station because she scored high in her A school. Yep, when she first got to Hawaii, they put her to work shoveling mud out of a parking lot that backed up after a torrential downpour. She told me she was covered in mud from head to toe, she was exhausted and as much as she wanted to cry and quit, she was thinking this is NOT going to beat me so she kept shoveling as fast as she could!   Her chief came over at the end of their time doing it and he yelled at her "<called her by last name> You shovel shit better than any SA I have ever seen, you just earned yourself a day off, you don't have to come in tomorrow!" She also had to dig through trash (yes with maggots crawling around) and fish out recyclables and just about every nasty job you can think of but at some point MOST of them end up having to do some of that and its good for them, took me a day or two to stop crying over that and realize this is part of the journey. It will toughen her up.

She is currently on shore duty for at least another 18 months. We are just not sure after that... such is the navy. I find most of our navy conversations are very limited, and things she can discuss often have so many acronyms in them that I feel as if she is literally speaking a foreign language! LOL She cant say a lot about her rate but I do get hear funny stories about "Taco Bell Challenges" ... stories about her dog and stories about interesting things to see and do on the island. I am looking forward to visiting her there soon.    The Navy will work their tails off at BC no doubt about that but they will also take good care of them and keep them SAFE! The one thing that helped me a lot during that BC time was this "Well, at least I know exactly where she is and I have an excellent guess as to what she is doing right now" LOL Take care!

"Incognito"

Comment by Steven'smom on July 15, 2012 at 7:32pm: sounds like you had a great party Arkansasmom!! It's wonderful when family and friends can gather in show of support and love. My son's send off party is the 21st. I'm cooking for 120 people. I don't think they'll be that many but with him being a firefighter, who knows how many firefighters and their families may show up. He also graduated from high school in June so I am sure there will be a lot of classmates there. Thanks to facebook, an invitaion can spread to alot of people. He only has 1 1/2 weeks after his party before I have to let him go.

Comment by Arkansas Mom ship02 div948 on July 15, 2012 at 5:11pm: Awesome, thank you Faithsmom, my name is Karen and I just sent you a friend request.... Glad to know someone else with the same date as my son... Where is your daughter going after bootcamp? My son is going to Pensacola FL...

Comment by Arkansas Mom ship02 div948 on July 15, 2012 at 4:25pm: faithsmom, thats awesome you had a send off party for your daughter, I know she will carry all those well wishes with her on to the next step of her journey... I try not to count down the days till my son leaves but its really hard not to! Seems the weeks are flying by.... He leaves on Aug 14, so we are going to have a send off party for him at a park here in town on Aug 11th.... Hoping it won't be too hot but he is really excited about getting to hang out with friends and family before he goes.... Am so thankful for this site, so many questions answered and tons of support here...