Welcome to
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

Add an Event

**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

Latest Activity

Deb liked BlueMom11's discussion Our home officially became an empty nest on March 29th

Thursday

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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DEP-Leavin' for bootcamp in May

Information

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

Website: http://www.navyformoms.com/group/deppersinbutnotyet
Members: 412
Latest Activity: May 29, 2024

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

If you have May 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 May, ...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."

Discussion Forum

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

Comment by ReneeBC on January 22, 2012 at 12:46pm: Mrobnson> There are so many companies to choose from...If you type 'Navy mom shirts' into Google you will have several sites and shirt options to choose from.

On another note, I don't post much because we seem to be just be waiting. No questions at the moment, just quietly getting our ducks in a row for May, just day-to-day stuff, and waiting, waiting, waiting. However, yesterday my husband and I went to the Indianapolis Home Show, and while we were there we purchased a new flag pole w/ flag. Since it came with a two-flag clip, we chose the U.S. Navy flag as our second flag. The only one remaining was on display, whch they lowered, folded and gave to me. When they handed me that flag an immediate lump formed in my throat and the tears just streamed down my face without warning. [sigh] Now, I know for certian I'm am going to be a complete messy this summer at PIR.

Comment by Shelly on January 11, 2012 at 6:49pm: Thank you so much for sharing your ideas. The letter writing station is great. I didn't think of invites, so thats so good too. Another question for anyone, I was thinking of getting t-shirts Mom of Sailer, Dad of Sailer, etc. Does anyone know where I can get these? I just want to show my son, in any way possible, that I am very proud of him and his decision to join. Thanks a bunch!!

Comment by ReneeBC on January 11, 2012 at 3:10pm: Great ideas! I love the letter writing station. Thank you so much for taking the time to share.

Comment by navymommo on January 11, 2012 at 12:07pm: That sounds wonderful too!

Don't forget to plan to have good music!

Comment by Britt<3Corpsman Wife on January 11, 2012 at 12:05pm: Thanks for all of the wonderful ideas!! I am going to have to share them with my husband and see what he thinks. He has his heart set on having a pirate themed party. Lol The theme of it doesn't really matter to me, I just want him to see everyone because it will be a long time before he comes back home.

Comment by navymommo on January 11, 2012 at 11:42am: There are lots of ideas about parties if you go back in the history on this site. We had a navy themed party. Got great invitations from Marci Davies at PatrioticPapers.com She is fantastic and the invitations were beautiful. We had a buffet with all his favorite local foods and loads of tables and chairs with blue tablecloths and white candles with gold stars on the tables.Depends on how formal you want to be- we had red and white carnations in vases. we got a navy flag which now hands in his room. We had a letter writing station. We took a photo frame and wrote instructions- please jot a note to ________ and we will mail it to him when we get his address. Mail is SO IMPORTANT when they are in bootcamp. We supplied notecards and envelopes. We had enough responses to this that we had at least one note to mail everyday that he was in GL. May people asked about gifts. We encouraged NEX giftcards, phone cards, and visa cards ( for use after bootcamp) He got a beautiful engraved bible and a navy miraculous medal (they are allowed to have them). I got thank you notes with a prewritten note and he added a personalized couple of sentences, helped him stay organized and got these out quickly. (he only had 5 days between the party and his ship date)

We had a sheet cake that had an anchor on it. There are lots of Cake ideas on the site. We also had a tray of his favorite dessert (chocolate covered strawberries) I found york peppermint pattie m&ms in blue and white and we put them around the house (they were GONE!)

A friend took photos all night and we printed these photos out and sent them to him over the time that he was at bootcamp. Warn him that you want to do this and to SMILE because the guests also asked for these photos.

Lastly, after he left, we made a kodak photobook of his swearing-in at meps, and photos of his party. Gave one to his grandparents, and had one on his desk when he stopped home after A school. He loved it!

Let me know if you have any questions.

Comment by ReneeBC on January 11, 2012 at 11:36am: navymommo> I would love to hear abt your party ideas, if you don't mind sharing!

Comment by Shelly on January 11, 2012 at 8:37am: I thought about a leaving for boot camp party. I am sure a lot of people would love to come see him before he heads off. What kinds of things did you do for your party. One thing I know, if we do one it will involve steaks, my son is a fan, big time. My husband is good with the grill.

Comment by navymommo on January 9, 2012 at 11:31pm: we did get a poa, and we talked about finances. got a bank account set up (you can do this ahead if you use usaa)

Enjoy every minute! There is a real info drought time when they go to boot camp. SO talk about everything that is important to you and your family before he goes. Be sure to tell him how much you love him and will think about him every day. Most of all, tell him how much confidence you have in him, and his work ethic and value system! AND get him to clean his room before he leaves!

It is also fun to plan a "leaving for boot camp" party. let me know if you are looking for ideas for this. Ours was a blast!

Comment by Shelly on January 3, 2012 at 7:49pm: My son leaves on May 1st. He will spend the last month at home. He is now living in another city. We will enjoy the last month with him before he starts his new life. I am excited for him. I am sure that I will cry, its in my nature. What are some of the things I should be talking to my son about? Should I get POA for him or do I need to? Not sure about some of these things. Thanks for any help I can get.