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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)

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**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).  

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**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.

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With the N4M website growing in popularity and new billets being added to the IS program we have seen a substantial increase in the number of new members to the IS group. Welcome all of you. We have found ourselves over the past few months answering some of the same questions many times. It is wonderful that families are so involved with and supportive of their sailors, and want to know so much about what they face as they go from Seaman Recruit (SR) at boot camp, to SA (Seaman Apprentice) at Dam Neck, to IS as they exit school.
I hope in this discussion area questions about A school, C school, the Dam Neck Annex, and the Virginia Beach area can be addressed. Let me remind everyone that in the Navy there are basic rules of thumb. First, hurry up and wait...they ask you to hurry so you can sit around and wait. Second, nothing is etched in stone...base commanders change, instructors change, equipment and technology change, rules change, and orders change; that's what the Navy and our National Security need at that given time. Third, please understand that we all have come to this website for support, comfort, friendship and answers; we can not answer things we do not know or that should not be put on the internet.

Please remember that these things are subject to change:

At the time of this posting, when your sailor leaves boot camp if you can meet them at the airport, they will be allowed to bring a cell phone, a laptop, and a small personal music device (iPod or similar). You do not have to face the "kid in a box" again. Although your sailor will have a lot more freedom at Dam Neck, the first several days are busy (actually all their days are) with getting processed into the school, going to medicals to hand them their medical records, finding their way around, and in the meantime being active sailors. They will be put on a duty section where the sailor must remain at the barracks except to go to the school building, get something to eat, or if scheduled for an appointment. I have been told that duty is every fourth day now. If they are on duty, they will be assigned duties to perform, if their duty section leader assesses them and feels that they are not performing up to standard their duties may be reassigned. They may also have to stand watches.
Also, if you were not able to attend PIR or spend time with your sailor after graduation, be aware there is a strict rule that while they are out in uniform they cannot be walking and on the cell phone at the same time. Since they march in formation to and from the barracks and school that cuts into time as well. They will do PT (Physical Training) several times a week, either before getting ready for school or in the afternoons after classes. They must keep their rooms in ship shape because they do get inspected. They do their own laundry and do general cleaning around the outside of the barracks. Do not expect them to answer the phone every time you call just because they are on hold, waiting to class up. They are still kept busy.

Dam Neck is a small base just south of the main Virginia Beach. It has it's own beach as well. The MWR (Morale, Wellness, and Recreation) building has a bank of computers where your sailor can send emails or go online. They also have a projection TV, a room with gaming consoles, a small theater (there is a larger IMAX theater at Oceana, NAS), a coin operated laundry room, pool tables, lounging area, and a very helpful staff. There is a small NEX store (a larger NEX mall at Oceana), and a Chapel which has 2 or 3 services on Sundays, maybe Saturdays as well. There are I believe, 3 softball fields, a track, a walking/running path, tennis courts, and I think I remember some outdoor basketball courts. For those of legal age there is an enlisted club as well I think. A sailor is considered "legal age" on base if he/she is of legal age in his/her home state, is the way I understood it.

Phasing up: The first week at Dam Neck your sailor basically has no liberties. Once they arrive at Dam Neck though they can call, text, email the address to you and you can ship clothing, any small electronics they did not take with them, and some food stuffs. Your sailor will be told to send any parcels certified. I can tell you as other moms can too that what they mean is ship it insured. Certified is for documents and letters. If you send it USPS-insured, it will get sent to the NEX for pick up. If it is not insured, only the minimum postage paid on it, the parcel will be sent to the school building and security will have to have your sailor name off all the items that are in the parcel. Believe me Chris and I had to go through that and if there is food stuff in an uninsured parcel, they give the sailor a big frown. :( They do not like food at the school.

POVs (Personally Owned Vehicles) :
When Chris phased up to being allowed his car on base we checked with Fleet and Family Services at Oceana and they gave us the hours of operation for the Pass and ID office at Oceana. To bring the vehicle on base (or even one visiting on base) a pass must be issued for the vehicle. If it is during the weekend and you are simply visiting, those passes can be issued at the gate but ONLY if the Pass and ID office is closed. Otherwise ALL vehicles must go to the Pass and ID Office. A couple of moms have posted more current information about vehicle registration below. (Sorry I'm having trouble making my Admin tools work properly, or I would paste the links here)

After approximately 6 weeks at Dam Neck your sailor will be phased up to full liberties where he/she can leave when their liberty begins on Friday and remain off base until Sunday night. All liberties are considered a privilege that can be recalled at anytime the Navy decides they need your sailor more. Also if they are scheduled for duty over the weekend they will either have to swap with someone in advance or they will have to remain at barracks during that 24 hours. Plan visits accordingly.

Visits: You may go to Dam Neck and visit your sailor. There are many places available in the Virginia Beach area. They vary in prices, availability, services, etc just like anywhere else. I stayed at the Navy Lodge right there on the Annex and found it very nice. The room was clean, there was a small kitchenette, and more than enough towels. There was also a small play area for younger kids, charcoal grills out back and picnic tables. It was just about a slow five minute drive over to the barracks so Chris was able to leave the room just before midnight and be checked in, in time. He came back over early the next morning. If you are out and about on the base (the MWR, riding around, the NEX, etc) your escort (sailor) must remain with you. Except for traveling directly to and from the Navy Lodge they should be in the car with you also.

School: The school hours and days may vary by holidays, mandatory medicals, Instructor's meetings and things of that nature. Most of the time school begins at 8:00am and runs til lunch break, they march back then to barracks or the galley, have their meal and then march back for the after noon session. On some Fridays they may be excused around lunch time, and those not on duty can usually begin their liberty if they have earned it.
Both A school and C school are very competitive and demand a lot of study time. If a sailor fails a unit they can sometimes retake the test but they will be put on mando (mandatory study time), or they may be put on hold and have to be dropped from that class and wait until another class makes it to that unit. It is not unusual for students to go back to the schoolhouse after evening meal and study until, 9:00, 10:00 or even later at night.
A school is 13 weeks long. it is a general over view of Intelligence specialties and whatever else they learn. (Who knows?) C School is job specific. Near the end of a school a sailor has the opportunity to make his/her "dream assignment" known. The Navy will then release a pool of job openings by the specialty and/or location of the job. The highest ranking student in the class (highest grade average) is allowed to choose first. The second highest gets to choose second and so on. These are only preliminary choices that may be changed later. That happened to my son. He picked DC and the instructors began talking to him about the area and 3 weeks into C school his orders were changed to go overseas. Again, nothing is etched in stone.
Depending on the specialty that the sailor trains in during C school determines the number of weeks that his/her C school will last. One specialty school lasts about 6 weeks, another I believe, lasts about 15 weeks, and then Strike and a couple of other more classified areas train for I think about 8-12 weeks. Those, I am not as sure about since my son starts shutting up on some of it and there is not so much info out there on those couple of specialties. Everything in IS is a "need to know basis" and that's stuff I don't need to know. There is more info on all this in Ellen's discussion about the IS rating in general.

When a sailor completes A school there is a very brief and very informal graduation for them. I understand that when C school is completed the "ceremony" lasts a little longer but still informal. I understand that family may attend. I will post more about this after I attend my son's graduation soon.

The one thing I can tell you is that I asked a few moms whose kids were already out in the field and they have all said that their sailors like what they do. It is a field that is vital to our security and gives them a wonderful background for other jobs after coming out of military service. Please tell your sailors thank you for their service and congratulations, they've earned it.

It sounds as though there are a lot of negatives here but it not really so bad and there is free time. It’s just better to be aware that they are still in the Navy and are basically on the job 24/7. Will post more later about the VB area.

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Replies to This Discussion

Thanks Sherry
Kevin: I graduated boot on Halloween and got there several days later. Other people who were grad and go got there on Halloween. They ended up classing up a week before me. For Thanksgiving I believe we only got that day/ or weekend off I do know we were encouraged to stay at base. The instructors and there families put on meals for sailors who sign up. For Christmas they will have to put in leave chits for the period they want to take leave, its not always approved for the time they want. Last year the first leave period was seven days and was over Christmas. The second leave period started Dec. 27 the and was nine days long and was over New Years. Students are encouraged to take one of these periods to go home. Not all do.
Thanks that is very helpful

kevin
Haven't been on in a while..working..and still adjusting to all the changes being thrown my way. My daugther Vanessa just completed A school and received her orders. She will be stationed in Japan. Of course that sounds exciting to a young adventurous woman like my daughter, but to me it is too far away from home. Like most, she will be deployed probably half of her stay there. Three years seems like forever to me at this stage of my life. She met a young man who she has come to really care about and it looks like he is heading to Hawaii soon.

She is on hold for two months for C school and will hopefully get to come home before she ships out in March I think. I was hoping to go to see for the thanksgiving holiday and wondered if any of you have rented a home in that area. I was thinking of a house or condo so we could make turkey dinner together. This may be the last holiday we have together for a long long time. I thought about flying her out here but she doesn't have a lot of leave time and wants to save it for the spring, before deployment. She says she may have duty if she doesn't take leave, but I thought if we stayed the week, she would most likely get a few days with us.

Money has been a big issue, because she doesn't like the galley food...so it seems most of her check goes for food..and eating out cost a lot. Do any of you know if there is a way to wire them money to the base?

When my son went to Germany, and eveywhere in between about 6 years ago..I thought that was hard...but having my only daughter..my baby girl...so far away for soooo long...I really just don't know how I'm going to handle it. I think that being on the ship and 12 hours on and 12 hours off is going to be harder on her than she imagines. I don't know how to stop worrying about her every minute...does she have money...does she feel alone...etc.. How do I find peace to enjoy my life when she is away? What has worked for you?

Angela
Angela,
Congrats to Vanessa! Wow it does not seem like she's been at DN long enought to be through A school already! There are actually cottages there that can be rented. Have her to go to the MWR and check with the staff there I'm not sure if the cottages are on Dam Neck, Little Creek, or Oceania but MWR has the number to call. You might also be able to find out from Fleet and Family services at Oceania or the Navy Lodge at Dam Neck. I never got as far as checking into them but the folks at the MWR told me about them, and I did at one time have the number, but have long since lost it.
Angela, just as with your son, you will eventually learn to embrace all that Vanessa is becoming. She will make new friends quickly. I so worried about Chris when he left for S Korea but after his first three months, he got a new roommate. It turned out to be one of the guys he went through A and C schools with! The first time she runs low on funds, she will figure out where and how to get money. Like most at DN, hunger motivates them to find a way off base and to the fast food places quickly! Good luck in your search for a place to stay for the holiday.
Angela,
You also will want to be sure to look into the Ombudsman program and have Vanessa to put you on the list after she gets to Japan. They are usually volunteer wives who get basic info on the goings on at the bases. You can call them if she is out to sea and get briefs on general information. They are also another contact besides the Red Cross if there is an emergency back home. Some ships also have a ship's phone where you can call and get a recorded message from the XO or CO of the ship. I've read that whichever base she ends up on over there, Japan is actually an excellent assignment. Carl and Irene's son, Cameron just arrived over there a few weeks ago and has already left port. You might catch up with them sometime and glean a bit of info there. Remember too that orders can (and often do) get changed so who knows....
Mary,
From past experience in the Army and with the State Department I can tell you that the state of Virginia REQUIRES you to register your vehicle in VIRGINIA if you reside in Virginia (even living in the barracks ON BASE) for more than 30 days.
Go here for the most CURRENT Virginia regulations for military personnel:

http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/citizen/military_guide.asp


Regarding vehicle registrations, it says:

"While stationed in Virginia, if you purchase a vehicle, you may title and register that vehicle in your home state, or you may title and register the vehicle in Virginia. Vehicles titled and registered in your name may be driven with valid out-of-state license plates if you are the sole owner. If the vehicle is co-owned and out-of-state plates are used, all co-owners must be active duty members of the Armed Forces. If all the co-owners are not active duty members, the vehicle will need to be registered in Virginia."

Vehicle inspections:

"To ensure your vehicle is mechanically safe to operate in Virginia, it must pass an annual vehicle safety inspection. Trailers with separate braking systems must also be inspected. For more information about Virginia's inspection requirements, contact the Virginia State Police at www.vsp.virginia.gov or 804-674-6774.

Vehicle safety inspection stickers issued for any vehicle that is garaged outside Virginia while its registered owner is an active member of the U.S. armed services will not expire during the owner's official absence from Virginia. Also, active military members who are stationed and own vehicles garaged outside Virginia and return to the Commonwealth have 72 hours to obtain a current vehicle inspection sticker."
Thank you ladies for all the updates on Virginia DOT regulations. That is all very helpful and I will try to get the post edited soon to reflect the changes. At the time that Chris was there, if he was in school, it was a temporary assignment and the rules were different. We were co-owners and it was an easy process, because on the title his name is first and on the registration it was in his name only. North Carolina issues inspection stickers and emissions testing so that was all good too. We are also required to carry insurance in our state as well so that also was not a problem. I had called Family and Fleet Services for my info reguarding what we needed to bring beforehand and I would suggest that due to changes in laws for each state that others do that as well, just to be sure. He did have to go back to the base registration office after 30 days and get a new pass (for I believe 90 days).
Just a Spouse, thank you so much for the link and phone number....very helpful.
Have a wonderful day moms and a happy holiday season.
Mary
Can anyone recommend a cost effective place to stay at Dam Neck for this weekend. We've looked at the Navy Lodge, but wonder about alternatives.
Steve,
We stayed at the Navy Lodge for a night and when we turned our stay into 2-nights, ended up having to go into VA Beach. It's a very short drive from Dam Neck and most hotels/motels this time of year are VERY inexpensive. We stayed at a place right on the beach and only paid about $45.00. (3yrs ago). It had an indoor pool that overlooked a snow covered streetscape so it was AWSOME!!!
Most places will even let you "haggle" this time of year because they need the income!!
Hope that helps!
Steve, We enjoyed the Navy Lodge but I remember being told by someone at the MWR that there are also cottages for rent but I don't have any info on them. If you call Family and Fleet Services at Oceana they can give you the number(s) you need for more info. As Jeano says below, most of the motels are well priced this time of year. You just have to see if there are any special events going on this weekend that might raise the prices.

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