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Comment by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy on August 17, 2010 at 6:34pm

BS-21 Video (Battle Stations 21 exercise). Every recruit does this important test the final week of boot camp. Turn on sound, grab tissue and watch the ball caps in the beginning and then the ones at the end! I love this video.

Comment by SOBE,PIR 6/4/10 IT Mom, Italy on August 17, 2010 at 6:31pm

Planning your PIR trip: Book hotel and rental car now - those can be cancelled up to 48 hrs with no fee. Ask for GPS in your rental car - trust me on this!!! Or bring your own if it's portable. Wait to book airfare for at least 2 more weeks, because things can happen during the first few weeks of boot camp (medical issues can be detected for one). When you do book, consider regular tickets instead of the refundable ones the Navy suggests - because those cost $400 or more for that type of ticket, whereas a change fee is only $100. If you cancel completely, you have credit for one year, less the change fee. Also, try to avoid "package deals" with those Dot Com companies, they have higher cancellation fees. Read the fine print before purchasing.

Try not to plan a lot of activities for your sailor. Most of them are exhausted and all they really want to do is hang out with you! They want to eat junk food or really good expensive food! They want to take long hot showers in your motel room - by themselves (they have been showering next to 88 other people for 2 months!).

We flew into Midway - it was great. I had considered MKE (Milwaukee), but there were too many connections, so I lost time but would of saved money. I chose saving time (flew from California). O'Hare is good, but there is a ton of traffic. Try arriving before 2pm.

And, I really recommend you all read the recent posts on the Grad & Go Info page (click link, blue underlined words). Those moms agree with me, it was actually better to have less time with them that weekend so they can have instant contact via phone as soon as they leave the airport! And don't plan your own trip home until Sunday if your sailor is a G&G (flying out), because some don't fly out til 5pm on Sat, even though they are at the airport bright & early (5am usually).

Comment by bonniern PIR 10/1 nukesMM 1102a on August 17, 2010 at 6:10pm

You tube has a cool video on battlestations that I saw last night. I think I searched for CNN battlestations 21.

Comment by CaliMom (Maryann) on August 17, 2010 at 5:54pm

I haven't gotten any mail except the form letter or any calls as of yet, so I am REALLY hanging my hat on that no news is good news motto.

Comment by emmaship on August 17, 2010 at 5:31pm

I got a letter too. He did'nt say a whole lot about how everything is going but asked for lots of mail. I'm trying to get creative with it and am having fun making funny cards, etc.

Comment by txsailorsam-Donna on August 17, 2010 at 4:49pm

I got a letter from SF today. He sounded better than last weeks phone call but is still very homesick.He got glasses. He said it's hard to make friends because every time they talk they are told to be quiet. All in all it is getting better for him. He asked for prayers to succeed in the Navy. before I read the letter I called his dad to let him hear as I read the letter out loud. That was harder for me to do than I thought it would be. I cried all the way through it then sat in the driveway and cried some more.

I got tickets today for my trip north to the PIR and hotel reservations at the Quality Inn. All in all a productive day.

Comment by Rhonda on August 17, 2010 at 2:52pm

I'm so happy you all are getting your letters now -- that first communication allows you to breathe a sigh of relief!

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned it to you or not but it is a good idea to number your letters. My daughter told me that she didn't always get them in order, and sometimes they would stack up and she would get several days' worth at once, she said it was helpful to know which should be first, etc.

Comment by diannep on August 17, 2010 at 2:46pm

LTLY: Hey! On the MeetNGreets....the Ramada puts that on each week. Some small appetizers are free, but it is a cash bar. It is open to all Navy PIR families so there are many there not connected to N4M's. I have heard good and bad things about the Ramada....some say it is fine, others say it is awful. The only thing that the N4M groups do is have someone call the Ramada a couple of days before to report how many will be attending from this group. Your group needs to set up a MeetNGreet note over in the "Events" section to the right of this screen. Then make sure that they RSVP to it.

Yes, it does help if someone will offer to head this up, coordinating any division ribbons, etc you all may make. Just easier to have a "go to" person on here. It will be the night before PIR from 6-8pm, so Sept 30 for you all.

What the last group did was have their own afterwards...they met at a place called Anastasia's (restaurant) up there for dinner afterwards and were given their own room (free of charge). which Janelle arranged ahead of time They enjoyed that. If you want more info on that, contact "Janelle" on the 8/13 site. Her icon is a blue candle and she has many discussion groups at the top of that page so you can reach her. She did a fantastic job for that group (I wasn't there since my son graduated in Feb and I missed ours due to travel plans). I think you will find her full of info...but she was NOT a fan of the Ramada! The Ramada event will go on whether you all attend or not...but you can elect to meet elsewhere or tag on like Janelle's group did afterwards at another place.

I see that WVSuzanne gave you a link to the PIR group below so you can get to Janelle through that!

Comment by JSNAVYDD on August 17, 2010 at 2:44pm

HI!!!!! I got my letter yesterday..PIR is Oct 1, 2010. So excited to hear from him yet still have that little bit of lonely feeling.. I mailed all the letters I have been holding for the last 12 days. Now to start planning.. My son is Ship 12 div 325 ..

Comment by LTLY on August 17, 2010 at 2:38pm

I got a letter today!!! Ladies check your mail!!! As if I really had to remind you! My husband sounded very positive in his letter, it put a huge smile on my face!!! And of course he signed it "Love to Love you" (AKA LTLY)!!! I am soo pumped! I guess this is how they feel when they get letters from us!
Thank You God, I sooo needed this!!

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