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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.

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

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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.

Format Downloads:

Graduation Info
PDF – 2.7 MB
PNG – 2.3 MB
JPG – 3.4 MB
Printable PDF – 2.0 MB

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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.)

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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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DEP-Leavin' for bootcamp in July

Information

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

Website: http://www.navyformoms.com/group/deppersinbutnotyet
Members: 808
Latest Activity: Jun 27, 2023

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

If you have July 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 July, ...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 Fitness Standards"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 37 seconds for female recruits."

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

Comment by dozy on April 8, 2014 at 3:47pm: Being a control freak this is messing with me ;-) As soon as tax season is over I need re-read some of these forums (this is the first forum I've ever belong too) so I get lost sometimes. Thanks for all the great information..

Comment by kathyn4kids on April 8, 2014 at 8:42am: He won't know when he leaves for A school until the last couple of days in BC (Tues,Wed Thurs before PIR). If he doesn't call you before PIR then you won't know until after you see him immediately after the ceremony. I didn't have any clue so I planned an entire weekend at the hotel along with a list of potential activities. I "winged" it so to speak!

Oh yeah one thing to keep in mind, they still cannot have their cell phones at Great Lakes even though they graduated. I gave my son his at the airport while they were waiting for departure from Midway Airport.

As far as his final orders, they won't know where they will be stationed or what ship they will be assigned to until the last week in school.

This is another set of unknowns that drove me crazy. The Navy likes to keep us guessing :-)

MEPS is what they refer to for every part of pre-boot camp processing up to and including the hotel they stay at before they do their final swear in/last day as a civilian.

Comment by dozy on April 7, 2014 at 4:09pm: WOW..so much information, thanks to all. This is a pretty hectic time (i'm in taxes/estates so I can't breath for another week :)

My son is going to be an electrical mate. He told me he's not sure when his A-school will start after PIR. I'm not sure how much time we should be scheduling to be with him after graduation. When do you find out where he'll be stationed & what his ship is?

As for MEPS - didn't they do that already?

Comment by Sierrascrapper (ETN2) on April 4, 2014 at 8:06pm: Thanks for such details Kathyn. It's helpful to read first-hand experiences. My son hasn't left yet, I was sharing what I had learned so far.

Comment by kathyn4kids on April 4, 2014 at 11:27am: Even though PIR is a long ways away...

The PIR date is what Sierrascrapper said, 8-9 Fridays from start. However, it is only an approximate date because they can be delayed a week or more for miscellaneous things: poor testing, injury, illness...It is a 'rite of passage' that they will get sick with bad cold or pink eye while they are at Great Lakes! It's nerve racking for them because if they miss a test of some type they have to make it up & there is no guarantee when the make up is... this is an example of how illness might cause a week's delay. Be sure you know cancellation policy of the hotel before you book for this reason. Also, reserve a room early, official PIR weekend & one week after, to increase the chances of getting what/where you want. Just be sure to cancel the non used reservation. A number of hotels offer a free shuttle service to PIR. We took a mini van cab from the hotel just for ease & personal convenience. It was $3 per person (didn't charge my sailor on return trip from PIR). This was worth it to us because the cab driver gave us his cell to call when we were ready for him to pick us up....no traffic, no crowds 100%STRESS free! I do not recommend driving yourselves to PIR it's incredibly busy. Just an FYI, that city has cameras at every intersection that takes pictures of potential red light runners!

After graduation ceremony, it is a nice opportunity to shop at the duty free store and experience a part of the GL base. You won't be able to see his/her ship (their barracks) on base though. You'll witness recruits marching on the grounds so it kind of gives you a feel for a part of what your kid looked like/did as a recruit. If you didn't open an account with Navy Federal Credit Union prior to their departure, you have the option to open one that day in person. In the store, especially, the lines are long but it moves rather quickly so don't be intimidated by the crowds. There is a duty free store off base that has some very nice deals but you need an active/retired military person to make purchases.

Keep in mind that their leave time might be the same day as PIR. Some SR have a delay right after graduation & won't be available for family time for a few hours. Some leave very early Sat & the other luck ones leave Sunday. The sailors don't know until the week of graduation when they leave - (in my case) meaning we didn't find out timing until after graduation ceremony. What day they depart probably depends on what career they chose /school they go to. If you are fortunate enough to have an extra day with them, plan a relaxed no time constraint day activity. They have to stay in uniform the entire time so plan accordingly. I saw higher ranking military personnel walking through our hotel, so they do check.

GOOD LUCK!

Comment by kathyn4kids on April 4, 2014 at 11:26am: The night before their flight/drive to GL, they have to report at MEPS by a certain time. Departure is very early the next day so I would encourage them to try to sleep. You can go to the airport & wait with them if you want but I said my goodbyes right at hotel drop off time because I didn't want to seem clingy or see me cry. We wanted to send him off full of pride & confidence... it was his first endeavor completely independent of us. On my end, I was a mixed emotional basket case. Happy & proud yet nervous cuz he left the roost! It was a fast 18 years & whether I was ready or not it didn't matter. After he left, I read everything I could about this BC experience - it helped a lot. It gave me a sense of connection but because I couldn't talk to him it still made me feel 'lost' because what he was actually experiencing was unknown to me. It's a big adjustment. It's been awhile since that day & all went/is well. As with everything, this too shall pass.

Their first week at GL is a lot of sitting for them as a group. They are getting medically evaluated & vaccinated, dental & the like... not too much in the form of PT this week... Expect your child's 'Box" in the mail soon. It'll contain everything they couldn't keep - which is pretty much everything! I had him wear clothes that he could disgard so he didn't have to pay for shipping. Don't bother with stationery, stamps address books cuz they cant keep em! They have to purchase stationery there.

The last week at BC they have free time because they technically graduated! You'll hopefully hear more from your SR during this time! Speaking of phone calls... don't be disappointed when you read on this site that a parent heard from their recruit & you didn't. It all depends of various things but you will hear from them. Give out their address to anyone willing to write because they WILL BE homesick & they NEED that home connection! Stamps are expensive on base so tell them buy a limited amount. Once you get their address you can mail them more. Along with that first letter send them a two month calendar (months they're there) and a list of addresses of people they might write. Don't expect a lot of letters from your SR because they are exhausted & might choose sleep over writing.

Comment by Sierrascrapper (ETN2) on April 3, 2014 at 8:12pm: This link might help you find a lot of useful links all in one place:

http://navyformoms.com/forum/topics/survival-guide-for-navy-for-mom...

Comment by Sierrascrapper (ETN2) on April 3, 2014 at 8:09pm: Once you know what rating (job) your son will be doing, you can join the group for it. You will learn so much information from them and they will be your support group that you can relate to a lot. Here's the link:

http://navyformoms.com/forum/topics/groups-listed-by-navy-job

Comment by Sierrascrapper (ETN2) on April 3, 2014 at 8:07pm: This group will have LOTS of information for you. I haven't joined the group yet, because I kinda wanted to wait until he actually leaves for BC. But...I have gleaned plenty of info from it. There are links to the right side of the page that are REALLY helpful too. Check them out, here's the link:

http://navyformoms.com/group/bootcampmoms

Comment by Sierrascrapper (ETN2) on April 3, 2014 at 8:04pm: This link is VERY useful to help you prepare for everything before your future sailor leaves for BC:
http://navyformoms.com/forum/topics/things-to-do-in-the-last-month-...