Comment

Comment by Lala Ribbon Queen PIR Ribbons on July 8, 2013 at 4:35pm

Wow Icebaby'sMom, You also have a lot to deal with. Traveling is not as bad as you think even though it can be scary when you aren't used to it. Do you have any family members or friends who might be able to go with you? Then you would be more comfortable and may even feel better about taking the baby. 

Comment by CatMom509 on July 8, 2013 at 3:48pm

Hi Friends!

     "My dear brothers and sisters,

      be strong and immovable.

      Always work enthusiastically

      for the Lord, for you know that

      nothing you do for the Lord

      is ever useless."

                              I Chronicles 15:58

Comment by CatMom509 on July 8, 2013 at 3:42pm

cindilouwho65,

Well, at least meeting at the airport to see your son off to A school won't be something you'd have to worry about!  Your original plan sounds like a good one.  I believe Sarge's shuttle roundtrip from O'Hare to your hotel should be $99 and a free ride to PIR, but you'd have to pay $3/per person to ride back to the hotel and I think Sailors are supposed to ride free to the hotel.  It's more--maybe $159--from Midway roundtrip to your hotel also with a free ride to PIR, but not back.  So those charges are to get you to your hotel from the airports, then at the end of your weekend, back to the airports from your hotel.

Since your son has A school at GL, he will get liberty with you until Sunday evening.  Instead of staying 5 hours at RTC, why don't you just pay $3 to go back to the hotel to relax there, then have Sarge pick you up again to get your Sailor or your Sailor could just catch a Sarge shuttle to the Residence Inn himself?  If you want to come back in time to see the divisions march up to the gate, Sarge can tell you when to be back at RTC. The shuttles all wait in the parking lot to the right of the NEX by the main gate.  Another option is to make some arrangements with another Navy family staying at the Residence Inn who also has a Sailor staying at GL.  Maybe you could be blessed with such a family~~  The Lord is working this all out--it will all fall into place according to His plan!

Comment by IceBaby'sMom (SHIP 13 DIV 282) on July 8, 2013 at 3:37pm

Hi so glad to be here, I’ve been waiting in the queue for more than a week to be accepted into the Navy for Moms community.

I am strongly hoping that I will be able to attend my SR’s PIR ceremony on August 2, 2013. I am unsure if it will actually be achieved in the end. Money is one problem. Not sure I will have enough to cover everything easily. Also, the booking of hotel, flight, and the travel to and from the airports and the navy base also seems quite complicated. Add to that I have not heard from my SR in more than two weeks, nor have I received an answer to my letters. So I do not know where his A school is located, nor what his liberty will be. So I do not know how many nights would be best to stay over. I was born and raised in a very small town in the middle of nowhere. In my lifetime I have traveled very little. Mostly only going through larger cities to get to somewhere else that is also smaller. So I have no experience with big cities or anything past Colorado when heading east. I know this is a very important event for my SR, and I really don’t want to miss it. It is important to me that he has someone there supporting him and cheering him on with pride. I know that boot camp has been quite a challenge for him. I know I will regret missing this graduation greatly if it turns out I can’t be there.

My other very big concern is leaving my four month old baby boy. Yes my sons are 19 years apart in age. And yes I was also greatly surprised. It’s complicated by me being a single mother also. I don’t see how the traveling, Airport layovers, graduation ceremony, and other concerns and logistics would be easier if I were to bring him along. At the same time I feel that leaving him for 3 to 7 days and nights will leave him feeling like I have abandoned him. I have quite a few family members including my mom and brother who are willing to take over his care for the full duration of the time I will be gone. So that is not a problem.

I also realize that the longer I hesitate the more expensive it could get in the bigger I’m making it in my mind. I don’t want to let my SR down or disappoint him nor do I want to let all the details of planning this trip cause me to become overwhelmed. Thereby giving me an excuse to back out of it all.

This is not everything the situation with the airports, such as where to depart and arrive from, both on my end and the great lakes end of my itinerary seem to have almost endless possibilities and prices to consider. Flying from here is expensive but traveling to anywhere to fly from there instead also includes how to get there and home again and means of travel both ways. Also having to take into consideration that all other airports are from 2 ½ hours to 5 ½ hours away. That is one of my bigger dilemmas.

Any way if anyone has any better ideas or helpful hints that would simplify some or all of my concerns. That information would be greatly appreciated thank you for your time.

Hope all are having a wonderful day!

Comment by ellen0502 on July 8, 2013 at 2:51pm

The parking pass won't be available until 11 days before PIR, or the Monday the week before PIR. You will need the password that is on the form letter to download it.

Comment by ellen0502 on July 8, 2013 at 2:49pm

We've had a great couple of weeks with our sailor,  but alas, this morning we put him on a plane to Japan for the next leg of his Navy adventure. Three years seems like a really long time right now. :(

Comment by PROUDMOMNJ on July 8, 2013 at 12:29pm

Also, you have to wait until its two weeks out.  The site won't let you print it out until then.  Unfortunately I don't remember where I saw it.  Someone will post it.

Comment by tabu1218 on July 8, 2013 at 12:15pm

CjforJosh, your SR should have sent you a password in his form letter. You will need this to get your parking pass.

Comment by Lala Ribbon Queen PIR Ribbons on July 8, 2013 at 10:30am

Good morning all :)

Cindilou, all you have to deal with is stressing me out lol and I just read about it lol. Once your son is at A-school base he will only need a buddy if he is not leaving base with a family member. If he leaves with you there should be no need for a buddy. You need to really check the cost of the shuttles. Sarge is the cheapest to and from the airport but that is still $100. I am pretty sure it includes a ride to PIR and to the Meet and Greet though so definitely check into it. If your Sailor is going to pay for the cab to pick him up at base and take him to the hotel then it may be better for him to pay for the cab to pick you up first and then come get him so he doesn't need a buddy. Also waiting at PIR for him to get moved to A-school won't really help you because A-school is on a different base. Good luck with all the travel plans and i hope you find the most economical way for all of you :)

Comment by cindilouwho65 on July 8, 2013 at 8:47am

Thank you ellen. No shuttle service for that Residence Inn.

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