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Comment by DorriO on December 19, 2010 at 9:34pm

Hmmmm...
My boy is 070 - should I be concerned I have heard nothing from him? ? I am getting worried. )-: sad

Comment by Britt Ship 09 Div 071 on December 19, 2010 at 9:19pm

Was so happy I got a call today. And lucky. I was on my lunch break at work. I was taken aback because i wasnt expecting it. Its a relief to know that he is doing okay.

Comment by Lexsmom on December 19, 2010 at 8:18pm

Hello ladies! I have been catching up on all the posts, good information has been posted. Thank you to all who have been through this and are willing to share your experiences. It does relieve some of the nerves and anxiety we are all experiencing.

I too was hoping for a call from my girl, but understand they are busy and have to earn the call. I know she is ok and will be happy when a real letter or a blessed call comes our way.

I have already sent questions about what she wants me to bring to her for A school. I have started a small suitcase  putting things in it I know for sure she will want, cell phone, laptop Ipod etc. then when she confirms other items I can drop them in and be all set for the day we finally get to see her. Just a thought.

Comment by Arwen on December 19, 2010 at 7:26pm

The FIRST thing freshly graduated sailors ask for is whatever type of underwear they wore before joining the Navy. Not all have great appreciation for the "tighty whities" they issue to recruits.

Comment by Arwen on December 19, 2010 at 7:22pm

There is no rhyme or reason for calls. The calls that have been made in the last few days are either to make up for missed "I'm here"calls, or they are "information" calls to help with security clearance. Only a few recruits get these calls. Also occasionally one or two recruits will "earn" a call. In my son's division, any recruit who passed their first shoe-shine inspection got a call. Only three of the 80-something recruits earned the call.

 

They also earned a call for the entire division passing the swim test on their first try - not a common occurrence. Then one of the recruits screwed up on the way back to barracks (forgot his ID card at the pool), and the entire division lost the call they had just earned.

 

When they do finally get a *real* call, it will most likely be the week after Christmas, or just after the New Year. Usually the calls come in the afternoon, after  3 p.m. Chicago time. All of my calls came on Thursday or Friday, but they really can come at any day.

Comment by Arwen on December 19, 2010 at 6:18pm

Not all Great Lakes A-school students are G&G, only those from the first two to four divisions in a PIR. Generally that's because the later divisions don't yet have their orders. Sometimes everyone from those first two divisions are G&G, no matter where they are going.

 

My son's division, which had a number in the middle of the group, had a lot of sailors who only had to "cross the street," and they didn't go until the Wednesday after PIR. None of the sailors in later divisions were G&G.

Comment by BexwestShip11Div065 on December 19, 2010 at 6:09pm

SailingHI; thanks so much for sharing that your son called, that gives the rest of us a little hope that we might get a call too! Its 11 days now for my son- sure would like to know what they can do to earn calls-I'll write my son and tell him to do that, or I'll send him the pink fuzzy slippers! :-)

Comment by Arwen on December 19, 2010 at 5:43pm

One thing to consider, in these days of the cell phone and programmed phone numbers, your recruits may not have your phone numbers memorized. Send them a list of addresses and phone numbers, if they didn't bring one with them to boot camp. That missed call could be simply a forgotten phone number.

Comment by Arwen on December 19, 2010 at 4:37pm

I don't know if this will make anyone feel better or worse, but recruits in boot camp are so busy they barely know what day it is. My son said that most of them didn't even realize it was Christmas, so they weren't terribly bothered by the fact that they weren't home for the holidays. When I was in boot camp (long, ago) I was there for Easter, and most of us didn't know and didn't care. We didn't realize what day it was until some of those who went to church came back and told us there was Easter candy.

 

There really isn't much room for lots of private family thoughts while at boot camp. They have to concentrate all the time to do everything that is new to them, and in the early weeks, that means everything. It's hard to get upset about missing Christmas when you're concentrating on not getting punished for not folding your clothes right, or your rack not being perfect enough.  By the time they are allowed to go to bed, they're exhausted and generally fall to sleep almost immediately.

Comment by Arwen on December 19, 2010 at 4:24pm

Sunday is a full day of liberty for recently graduated sailors.

 

However, every sailor has to stand a 2-hour watch at their barracks. If they're lucky, they get a nighttime watch, but those who stand day watches either start liberty late, end liberty early, or have to report back for 3 hours to stand watch, then can go back out.

 

If your sailor's watch means s/he has only a few hours on either side of watch, you can hang out with them at Ricky Heaven, which is just inside the base gates. There is a lounge with couches and a TV, an arcade, food court and a store where you can buy Navy stuff, so it's not a bad place to hang out.

 

My son had a morning watch on Sunday, he didn't get liberty until almost noon, and on Sunday they have to be back early, at about 8 p.m. We got back at 6, then played video games at Ricky Heaven for an hour before he had to walk back to his barracks.

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