After PIR-Friday and Saturday Departures (What is Grad n Go?)

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

What is Grad n Go?

Here is a link to the group:
http://www.navyformoms.com/group/gradgoinfo 

It has new AND old info on it.

Here is my current understanding of G & G.

(Any veteran Moms…please correct me if I am wrong OR add to this!)
Okay. My Sailor just PIR'd on 5/26. I just looked at my form letter and it didn't say anything about Grad-n-Go specifically so I am wondering if they have changed the form letter.
There has been a lot of discussion about the term "Grad-n-Go".

I cannot find the term on the RTC website under Family Information.
The G & G group explains that the term is obsolete.

So, what does that mean?

 
Means, I wouldn’t bother using it.

They are now called:

Friday and Saturday Departures

Friday Departures
Means those Sailors attending “A” school at Great Lakes. They “depart” Friday, after Graduation, to move over to Naval Station Great Lakes from RTC. This can take from 3-5 hours. I do not know how much time they get directly after graduation to spend with you before they have to go move their things and get settled and briefed. I am sure it is not very long though.
When they are done they may spend the rest of PIR day with you. They will be given a time to report back to their compartment. Then they should get Saturday and Sunday to spend with you. Times and such will be given to you by your Sailor. This could change daily!

Saturday Departures
Means those Sailors attending “A” school somewhere other than Great Lakes.
They usually get to leave right after PIR and spend the rest of the day with you. This is subject to change. The time they report back to RTC on Friday …is subject to change! (Are we seeing a pattern here?) It is usually 8-9 PM.
They then get ready (or already are) TRY to get some sleep and then muster up and board the buses to go to their airports around 1-2 AM Saturday Morning. Thus the Saturday Departure. Their flight could be ANYTIME on Saturday…the Navy only makes ONE trip for all Sailors.
There are three airports. Midway, Milwaukee, O’Hare. You won’t know which one probably until PIR day.

Here is what happened to me:

Mine PIR’d on a THURSDAY (Memorial Day weekend) and was supposed to depart FRIDAY AM. (Think Friday and Saturday as the norm). He was attending “A” school AWAY from Great Lakes.
While I was flying to PIR on TUESDAY he called and left a detailed message that everything had changed and he would now not leave until Sunday around 1-2 AM!

“Subject to change.”

His report time every night was different. His Pick up time in the AM each day was different. He had watch on Friday from 4-6 PM and none on Saturday.

So, what I was told to do was book to stay the extra days if I could.
I am so glad I did because it ALL changed! I would not have got to spend time with him if I had gone home Friday and he would have been stuck on base. I just decided that IF he did leave Friday that I would take a vacation!
SO...

The Basics are:

Friday Departures
Great Lakes “A” school- need 3-5 hours after PIR to move over to Main Base and get the rest of the day and weekend with Family. (No overnights though)

Saturday Departures
Those traveling to other bases for “A” school should be a Saturday Departure-but there can be variables.
You won’t know anything definite until you speak to your SR. They will keep you informed. Mine did, but it changed twice during BC and AGAIN while I was en route.

It’s just the way it is.

[Sandy's_sailor son]

Fireteamleaderwife,  Everything you have posted on here is very good. From what I have heard. Sailors don't know the details of when they will be leaving until very close to PIR. I can remember several moms stating that they got all the information form their Sailor at PIR.  I have never heard of anyone getting The Form Letter stating whether or not their sailor was a Grad & Go.  

About a week or two before my son's PIR.  I got a letter from my son stating that he might be a Grad & Go, but as things turned out he was not.  My husband asked him during his "I'm a Sailor Call."

I think it is very hard for families to plan their PIR trip because they are worried about how many days to plan for.  The best advice I have heard is to just plan your trip to Great Lakes as if your Sailor was not a Grad & Go. That way, you will not be leaving too early when you could have spent more time with your Sailor at the Airport with him or her. 

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

Exactly! That's what i did...and it paid off in the long run THREE whole days rather than one!

Woo-Hoo!

[Sandy's_sailor son]

Fireteamleaderwife,  I wish they would stop changing the terms for stuff. It makes life more confusing. LoL

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

Me too. That is why I am trying to get it out...but it has to be Navy wide as I hear that the staff still uses G & G (sorry staff- I "hear" it but can't confirm...so I hope it is getting out so we can all be on the same page! ;-).The change in the family guide is recent I believe as I don't rememebr it stating the new terms when we were going through boot.