Gate Pass, PLEASE HELP!

[JosephD]

My wife is graduating in less than three weeks (may 18th) and i have been trying to stay ahead of everything to avoid any last minute problems. I've been trying to get to the gate pass website (http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/upcoming_grads.asp) since her 2nd week at boot camp and I keep getting a message saying "you have reached this page in error". The webpage says to change the ending from .asp to .html and I have tried that but nothing works. I've searched online for solutions but cannot find anything that has helped. Is any body else having this problem? Am I doing something wrong? Please help.

[hds27]

Yes! This as well.  Still go super early even though they don’t open the gates, because the line to get in is LONG!!! Traffic is crazy.

[JosephD]

That actually makes a lot of sense, is it a long wait to get out of the train station afterwards, I'm looking for our family to get as much time with her away from stressful situations like an hour in the car to get out of the parking lot. Thanks for the advice.

[Chipmunk]

JosephD - this has been addressed, but the gate pass is no longer needed, do see if you can get your tickets the day ahead, and you will need those tickets with you, when you return your wife to RTC. - Be sure to look at my discussion in BC Mom on PIR Weekend when flying out of GL.

My son graduated Aug 2017 and we were going to take the shuttle from our motel to PIR. However, there was a mix up and so we went ahead and drove taking Sarge's shortcut. We were there about 6:30 AM, as I recall and did not have much of a line to wait getting in and easily found a parking place in the garage on RTC. Since we had to wait at RTC for my son to get his orders finalized so he actually flew out that weekend, we did not have to wait for the line of cars leaving after PIR.

I will say, return your wife early, my son wanted to be back on RTC by 7:30 PM (1930 hr) - this will vary, but when we were leaving the line into RTC was very long and Sarge told us they were not allowed to be dropped off and walk back onto RTC. I was glad we had taken him back early like he asked, spent a few minutes with him at the parking lot near the RTC NEX to say good bye, and the next morning at the airport he said he had barely reported back when he said he would return.

The main thing is, know the accurate information (I have heard of others receiving a form letter with the gate pass info that is not longer valid, since they made the change - so this was an unfortunate fluke), make sure you have tickets, ID, car registration / insurance (may or may not need it- but have it), seat belts on and then be very early, so you can make adjustments for anything that needs to happen based on what information your wife might give you. My son is a Nuke as well and we had no idea he would not be released immediately after PIR. That isn't to say your wife won't but I had to be the most flexible in my life that I have ever been that weekend.

It is easy to panic - that is how I found this site -  but just enjoy your weekend.

[JosephD]

Thank you very much, that was something that I hadn't even thought of yet, I'll hate to take her back early but I wouldn't want to get her in any trouble. And again thank you to everyone that chimed in to help me out. Y'all are awesome!

[Chipmunk]

Joseph D - If you didn't find it, hopefully this will link you to my discussion that I wrote out explaining some of the scenarios that can occur after PIR with sailors leaving out of GL to their A school. Especially to GC.

What PIR weekend may be like for those flying out of GL

With regards to getting back early, you are correct, you don't want to do anything to make your sailor late. My son takes all commands very literally and they are being taught that on time is late. They should be ready for muster at least xxx # of minutes early. With my son, he had an unusual circumstance, that those who got held in THU didn't have to deal with and those that had their orders, at least by the day before PIR, didn't have to deal with. But my son had to traipse back and forth across RTC I don't know how many times to get various items signed for his paper work to be approved so that he finally had his orders in hand to fly out of GL on Sat.  He then still had to get medical to sign off or something and still had to have his RDC approve his liberty. As it turned out, his RDC had already left and so the Quartermaster, I think, of his ship gave him his actual liberty approval. (He was not actually released for liberty after PIR like most of the sailors).  This was about 4:20 PM the day of PIR and we had sat outside the NEX with only a couple of glimpses and at one point, when he had the orders, ( my husband taking a picture of the flight info, thankfully!!), us finally having our son for liberty. He had told the QM he would report back at 8 pm (most of the others didn't until 9 pm). So, we returned him by 7:30 pm,  he found a few from his division at the parking lot, they didn't know for certain the time to return,  but my son finally headed back to his Ship. They may not run in the Dress uniform, and it took almost 20 min. normally, and he got back about a minute till 8 pm. He wasn't late, per say, but according to what he had promised the QM, he barely made it on time. They are told they will lose all liberty privileges for I don't know how long if not back on time. Then the transport to the airlines are very early in the morning. (I don't post the times.) and we were at the airport with him for 6 hours before he flew out. He was in Charleston, SC, before we got out of Chicago, having left the airport and eating breakfast!!

I  only found this site about 2 weeks before PIR, and nothing I read about those flying out of GL, gave me any indication of what my son went through both the Thursday before PIR (he spent one night prior in THU, as I understand the story then packed all of his stuff back over to the ship to sleep there on Friday night) and the day of PIR. That is why I try to share to stay as flexible as possible, and be ready for your sailor to take the lead on how they want to spend their liberty. I know as a spouse it is even harder to be separated than it is as a parent, but this is still their time.

I don't know anything about married sailors flying to their A school and where they go after arriving at the airport in Charleston. My son flew to GC with about 2 groups of at least 6 sailors each going to GL and they acquired a transport to take them to NNPTC.

It is my sincere hope that everyone whose sailor will fly out of GL will have a scenario, exactly like is spelled out in other information on PIR weekend, but that is just not the case. And while the sailors themselves don't like being in THU (Temporary Holding Unit), I know some of the moms who are happy they are, because then they have the weekend with them, much like those whose sailors stay in GL for A school. So, sometimes what is a problem for one, is a blessing for another. Keep your perspective, and my hope is to prepare you for any number of possibilities and then know that it ultimately is the Navy way and that may be something totally different than any aforementioned option.

Stay strong for your self, your wife and if you have children for them.

[JosephD]

Thank you for pointing me to that link and giving everyone that info. I screen shot the whole thing last night and have read it through twice already. I want everything to go as smoothly as I can help it go. Your I formation and experience will help that tremendously.

[Chipmunk]

JosephD - you are welcome!!  Keep in mind that my son's PIR was last August and so we did have to deal with the Gate Pass, but did not have to deal with the tickets.  Feel free to share any experiences that you have at PIR as well, every situation is different and new rules can easily change the logistics.