Anyone with a daughter leaving for bootcamp on September 28 in CA? Or anywhere else?

[Diana(PO3/IT3)]

Hi all, I was just wondering if there is anyone in this discussion group with a daughter leaving for BC the end of this month.

[Lisa (Olivia Div 09-Ship 331)]

My daughter has been in BC 5 weeks now!  I got a call from her last week.  She is doing great!

 

[Diana(PO3/IT3)]

That's great to hear Lisa! My daughter just finished up a week long road trip visiting friends. Now, it's sorting-throwing out/packing to keep/packing to ship time. I saw the 'look' in her face today that said, "Oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into....?" She enjoyed seeing her college buds in northern CA and I think wishes she didn't let that option go. But, once she is finally on that plane with everyone else and into the groove, I think she will love it. We, too, had the 'hair dilemma....her's was thick and to her waist. She had a talented friend cut it 2 weeks ago. It's adorable on her so we're happy to have done it ourselves rather than see all that beautiful hair go in the barber shop.  I hope your daughter continues to enjoy...you're halfway through now! Keep us posted on what going on...

[Lisa (Olivia Div 09-Ship 331)]

Hi there,  Not sure what your first name is and I didn't want to great you as Aubrey's Mom!  Hate to tell you this, Aubrey will still get a hair cut.  I know, I know -- Olivia couldn't believe they cut it again.

A little something to think about while you are preparing...Olivia will be doing A school in Pensacola so we packed her box that I will send down to FL after she ships plus she prepared some clothes to take in her duffel since I will see her at graduation.  If you are flying in for the graduation from CA, prepare a second suitcase with Aubrey's clothes that she can stuff in her duffel for A school and then mail the box after she gets to A school. 

 

Let me know if you are planning on attending graduation.  I live in Chicago now right by aquarium and Field Museum.  Would love to meet up with you.  The newly graduated sailors are allowed free access to most of Chicago's activities. 

[Diana(PO3/IT3)]

Hi Lisa....I'm Diana :-)  Yes, I'd love to take you up on the offer to meet when I come up. I'm predicting our PIR to be either the Friday after Thanksgiving or the following week. In any event, since we are traveling from CA, we plan to make it a family time and explore even after Aubrey has to be elsewhere. I'll be in touch the closer it gets.

My daughter will be attending A school in FLA as well. Sounds like she is about 2ish months behind your daughter's schedule. What position/job did your daughter sign up for? Do you know what kind of A school training she'll have yet?

 

Yikes on yet another haircut. It guess it is what it is....it's just hair and will grow back fine when the time comes. As busy as they'll be, I'd imagine one less thing to mess with at O dark thirty in the morning will be a blessing :-)

[cajunldr(ship 03 Div 086)]

Just a heads up. You will not be able to hand them anything to put in their duffle at graduation, they are not allowed to bring anything back to the barracks with them other than their portraits. Even when they get to A School, they cannot have street cloths until they reach a certain week there.

[Lisa (Olivia Div 09-Ship 331)]

I guess I'll be mailing it then.  :-)  but its a good idea to get a box ready before BC.

[Diana(PO3/IT3)]

Thanks for that information cajunldr....I had read that somewhere that nothing was to come back in with them after fam time on PIR day.

[Lisa (Olivia Div 09-Ship 331)]

Hi Diana,

     Olivia's A school is avionics tech.  I am not sure which particular she is going into.  I sent you a friend request.  We can chat further.

Best,

Lisa

[Janie (Ship11~Div.59 Alumni)]

Hi Diana. Please tell Aubrey good luck and hang in there. Boot camp is not going to be easy. My daughter has been through bc, A & C schools already, all at Great Mistakes aka:Great Lakes. lol She is now stationed out in Everitt Washington and serving on the USS LINCOLN. The Lincoln is an aircraft carrier and she is having fun. They are on their second deployment and the third will be for 7 months.

Your daughter will be traumatized the first couple weeks, its normal. You as well will have many emotions and will go through them all at any time, don't feel bad that is normal too Mom. lol My daughter had left the beginning of December so it was around the Holidays that killed us! Her first brief phone call was Christmas Eve and I missed it. I cried all night through church services, dinner and all the way to bed. 

When I went out for PIR February 4th, 2011 I talked to a lot of her fellow division mates and they all said the first week from the moment they stepped off the bus was a nightmare. They blocked most of out of their minds and memories.  Just remember that they break them down but rebuild them back up to be stronger and a better person! The person you have now will be very drastically changed when you see her at PIR. EVERY parent will tell you that they were shocked and impressed by the change in their child. The best thing your daughter can do before bc is to start working out, run, and do push ups and sit ups. Her physical shape will be very important. 

 

Mom my best advice I can give you is to stay positive and when she calls be very supportive to her. Let her know how proud you are of her and tell her just to do her best. Thats all one can ask for. If you can find a page here for your moms with sailors that all have the same PIR date, join that group. One of our Navy moms made a page for PIR and the few of us that joined that page have now built such a sisterhood bond that we are now having a weekend get together in Witchita Kansas next September 2012. We Moms went through bootcamp together with our kids, stayed together on our group page through their schools and spilled over to facebook and have our own little group page there. We feel as if we are Moms to each other Sailors and our homes are now open across this country to all our sailor kids. I can't tell you how much we supported each other through the highs and lows of our kids careers so far. Its been very rewarding. Find your page or make one yourself.

 

I will say be ready for the "BOX". THAT was one of the most traumatic  thing I had to go through. To this day when I talk about it I cry. Your recruit will have to pack up all her items that she wore or took out to Lakes. When that box arrives and you see everything in it except for your child, well I guess I don't have to tell you what I felt. I call it "a kid in the box without the kid!" Very traumatic for me as well as other moms said the same thing.

It might help you to do what I did. As soon as they get there, the first week is processing and they will be sending a form letter home stating their address. As soon I got this I took a bunch of cards and envelopes and pre-addressed them and stamped them and sent her a letter every week. Having these done ahead of time also helped in her brother and my husband to send some too since the work was already done for them. Just remember your recruit will not have much room to store anything so send small cards or letters, don't do big envelopes. Send her a couple small pics of the family or her pet and send STAMPS! It helps them so they can send you a letter in return.On sundays she said she would go to church, then they had some brief time to wash and fold clothes so they would write letters  while waiting for their laundry. They don't have too much free time and they will spending a lot of time sitting on the floor in their ships (barracks). They are not allowed to sit in chairs in their sleep quarters.

 

One of the best and therapuetic things I did for myself was to write daily to my daughter. Every night before bed I would write what I did for the day, all the feelings I had about her, any thought that would pop into my head. Before she came home for leave after all her schooling and before reporting to the Lincoln I typed up all that I wrote and put them into a hand made journal  and gave it to her when she came home. She read it everyday at night, we sat and talked after she was done and she expressed how special it was and she will save it forever. She was sad when she would read how hard it hurt missing her but she said she hurt in a good way because it was over and we made it through. Funny how fast they grow up in bc.

 

I'm sorry if I have rambled on, there is so much I could share with all new moms as well as I am sure there are some that could do the same for me. However I have yet to meet or have anyone do it for me. If there is anything I can do to help or share with you, feel free to contact me.

[Lisa (Olivia Div 09-Ship 331)]

Janie, you pretty much summed up the experience quite well.  When I got to you sentence about "the box" I cried.  I received a phone call from Olivia (Ship 09-Div 331) a few weeks ago.  It was so good to hear her voice.  I have not had another call since then.  Its hard that she is away but her letters sound very positive.  She said it has not been easy and is looking forward to graduating and seeing everybody.  I live in Chicago and view lake Michigan.  When I look out the window at the lake I'll think of Olivia and wonder what she is doing now.  In one of her letters she wrote that they do not get to go out side much.  I thought they did so I'm not quite sure what is going on.  She graduates Oct. 7.  So we're on the count down.

When would you suggest the final letters should be sent?  I thought I read that it can take up to 10 days to receive letters -- I'm trying to time out when to send a final BC letter to her.

All the best,

Lisa

[Diana(PO3/IT3)]

{{{{{{Lisa}}}}}}}} Won't be long now!! Your PIR date is just around the corner. How exciting! I love the vision you have of being able to see across the lake. I'll be relying on you when I get ready to make my travel plans to Chicago for our PIR late November/early December. I'm excited about that - love cities and haven't been to Chicago in 25+ years. Should be a lovely time to hang with my girl and her brothers if even for a day.

[Lisa (Olivia Div 09-Ship 331)]

I'm looking forward to meeting you.  Aubrey's time will fly by too.  They keep them pretty busy.  It's the mom's that feel like the time goes by slowly!