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Comment by CatMom509 on June 28, 2013 at 6:14am

For those of you looking for a special gift for your SR-soon-to-be-Sailor, please check out www.pirgifts.com .  They have Challenge Coins, which are a military tradition.  Craig, who is one of thei administrators on Navy for Moms, designed the ones that are connected to the ships at RTC.  The name of your SR's ship is right next to the ship number in the Discussion section.  When you click on one of the coins, you will be taken to a page where there is a video about Challenge Coins.  This would be a special gift especially connected to their Boot Camp days!  Another really sharp coin is the Core Values one in the section where 70 other coins are available--it has cut outs and a diamond cut beveled edge.  These coins are no longer given out by the Navy to the Sailors, so it is up to friends and family.  My Sailor daughter thought hers was "cool" when I gave it to her after PIR!

Comment by CatMom509 on June 28, 2013 at 6:14am

Lala,

So great that everything good with your Sailor daughter.  Hope they are accommodating her in her special condition!

Comment by Lala Ribbon Queen PIR Ribbons on June 27, 2013 at 11:18pm

I just got off the phone with my daughter/Sailor and she is still doing well and on her way to work the night shift. She said to tell everyone thanks so much for the thoughts and prayers. I am so happy she and baby are well :) 

Congrats to those who got calls and letters this week :)

Remember for those family members who can't go to PIR they can now watch it on their computer. So, family members who come with you or who stay at home can see it as it happens. :) I am going to try and watch part of it tomorrow morning just so I can see how it is done. I wish they had that when my daughter had PIR. My mom would have loved to be able to watch it.

Comment by Proud mom 2013 on June 27, 2013 at 8:04pm

I got one as well!!! It is so good to have some contact...

Comment by radar granny on June 27, 2013 at 5:26pm

I got one, too!!  Yippee!  So happy! 

Comment by D❤Navy on June 27, 2013 at 4:37pm

Got a letter today! Ship 12- div 268

Comment by Michelle on June 27, 2013 at 4:30pm

Received letters from both of my SR's today. Div 266 & div 936,,, time is dragging by for this mamma!! Can't wait for some hugs!

Comment by CatMom509 on June 27, 2013 at 4:21pm

Hi Friends!

     "You hem me in -- behind and before.

      You have Your hand upon me.

      Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

      too lofty for me to attain."

                                           Psalm 139:5-6

Comment by CatMom509 on June 27, 2013 at 4:21pm

Thanks for the info on how meaningful Challenge Coins will be for our Sailors, Craig!

Comment by Craig on June 27, 2013 at 9:51am

Hi all,

Some of you have messaged me wondering if it's proper for a parent to give their sailor a challenge coin...and how to do the "Secret Handshake", here it is:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28663038#28663038

Here are my thoughts as a sailor....

To me, boot camp is a major accomplishment. In 8 short weeks, the Navy will return to you a mature and capable young man or woman that will have the foundation to be a leader. They will have the ability and knowledge to be a successful person in life. To me, this is an honor for me, as a parent, to see my sailor's life change. You too, will soon realize that for 18 years or so you have been the "referee" in your sailor's life. You were the rule setter and the penalty enforcer. But as your sailor's life changes, so will yours. You will now become the "cheerleader" for them. You will watch and cheer as they work their way through the advancement system, the qualification standards, and simple things like just folding their towels correctly. You will stand and scream at the PIR as their division enters, and you will stand and cheer as their ship enters San Diego or Norfolk after a deployment. I have decided it is far more important for me to be a cheerleader than a referee. I don't waste my time on the sadness, I focus my feelings on the positive things that will help my sailor. When I show my sailor that I am proud of him, it goes a lot further than an award that the command "might" officially recognize him with. I am his "cheerleader".

Many people will say "but they didn't officially earn the challenge coin". Let me tell you, no coin is officially documented on a sailor's page 4 entry in their service record. It's only the sailor that will remembers when, where, and the reason for what the coin was given. If you did receive a coin from a command, which only the sole honor recruit gets, and you happen to lose it, the only way besides begging the command to give you another (which they rarely do) is to buy it. So does that cancel out the spirit of the reason you receive the coin? No. You received it for something you accomplished. Whenever my sailor pulls that coin out, he immediately remember how proud I am of him. It's ever lasting.

Now let me ask, after PIR you go into the Navy Exchange and buy the mementos from boot camp that your sailor wants. You might buy a Navy Boot Camp water bottle, maybe a glass, patch, or hat that has "Great Lakes Navy Boot Camp" on it, or maybe even a t-shirt. But what item do you think will stand the test of time? It will be the challenge coin that your sailor's grandson or granddaughter will hold up and say "What is this? What does it mean? How did you get it?" That is when the grandfather or grandmother (your sailor) will get a warm smile on their face and will proudly tell them about what it was like to be a sailor.

Just my thoughts....

 

Craig

NavyDEP.com

PIRGifts.com

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