This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.
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FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO GET STARTED:
Choose your Username. For the privacy and safety of you and/or your sailor, NO LAST NAMES ARE ALLOWED, even if your last name differs from that of your sailor (please make sure your URL address does not include your last name either). Also, please do not include your email address in your user name. Go to "Settings" above to set your Username. While there, complete your Profile so you can post and share photos and videos of your Sailor and share stories with other moms!
Make sure to read our Community Guidelines and this Navy Operations Security (OPSEC) checklist - loose lips sink ships!
Join groups! Browse for groups for your PIR date, your sailor's occupational specialty, "A" school, assigned ship, homeport city, your own city or state, and a myriad of other interests. Jump in and introduce yourself! Start making friends that can last a lifetime.
Link to Navy Speak - Navy Terms & Acronyms: Navy Speak
All Hands Magazine's full length documentary "Making a Sailor": This video follows four recruits through Boot Camp in the spring of 2018 who were assigned to DIV 229, an integrated division, which had PIR on 05/25/2018.
Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)
Boot Camp: Behind the Scenes at RTC
...and visit Navy.com - America's Navy and Navy.mil also Navy Live - The Official Blog of the Navy to learn more.
OPSEC - Navy Operations Security
Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind. In the Navy, it's essential to remember that "loose lips sink ships." OPSEC is everyone's responsibility.
DON'T post critical information including future destinations or ports of call; future operations, exercises or missions; deployment or homecoming dates.
DO be smart, use your head, always think OPSEC when using texts, email, phone, and social media, and watch this video: "Importance of Navy OPSEC."
Follow this link for OPSEC Guidelines:
Events
**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.
FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:
RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021
Please note! Changes to this guide happened in October 2017. Tickets are now issued for all guests, and all guests must have a ticket to enter base. A separate parking pass is no longer needed to drive on to base for parking.
Please see changes to attending PIR in the PAGES column. The PAGES are located under the member icons on the right side.
Format Downloads:
- Graduation Info
- PDF – 2.7 MB
- PNG – 2.3 MB
- JPG – 3.4 MB
- Printable PDF – 2.0 MB
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Information for PIR-Travel and seeing your Sailor!!!
-PIR is a rush for everyone, and waiting until last minute and rushing to gather tickets, book hotels and cars etc can be quite the hassel.
Places to Stay for PIR:
Residence Inn - Waukeegan
Courtyard - Waukeegan
Ramada - Waukeegan
Navy Lodge - Great Lakes(YOUR SAILOR WILL HAVE TO COME BY AFTER PIR TO VOUCH FOR YOU! ask them for more INFO)
-just a few of the hotels which i've heard good things about; waukeegan isn't far from GL, 5 minutes about.
Transportation to PIR:
Rent a car - Enterprise, Hertz
Shuttle - ONLY SOME HOTELS HAVE THIS!
Flying into Great Lakes:
O'hare - Very large, and busy airport.
Midway - A little farther, but smaller.
Milwaukee Wisconsin - Not far, and sometimes cheaper.
-also what i've heard. driving isn't bad either, but make sure to arrive a day earlier to play it safe and make sure you'll get there.
When to arrive at PIR:
*Gates open at 6:30 - don't arrive to much earlier as they may turn you away.
*Do not have luggage in your car - as they are subject to search cars at any time, this may detur you from being allowed into graduation.
*There will be signs as to where to enter to PIR, but always get directions just incase.
*HAVE YOUR PARKING PASS IN THE WINDOW IF YOU ARE DRIVING. You may print these out 11 days before PIR at bootcamp.navy.mil/
*Have an ID ready. Even for small children, bring some sort of identification!
-what i've read, and been told.
Weather in Great Lakes:
*Winters in Great Lakes are EXTREMELY cold, dress accordingly.
*Summers can be incredibly hot, and humid.
Electronics for your Sailor:
*Chances are, your Sailor wants their electronics.
*Bring them in a SOLID black back pack- no designs etc, all electronics can be stored in here, as they can not take them back to base at night.
"Grad N Go":
*Grad N Go is a term the Navy is trying to get rid of. It only applies to Sailors staying in Great Lakes.(NOT ALL SAILORS STAYING IN GL) If they are told they are GNG they will graduate, see you for a brief time, return to their barracks and move their stuff across the street to GreatLakes A school, this could take 3-5 hours, they will then call you to pick them up.
*Sailors flying OUT of Great Lakes for A school will NOT fly out on Fridays PIR, but may fly out as early as 2 AM that Saturday,
*Though this is up in the air, I would plan to stay in GL for the chance your Sailor may be able to stay with you the entire weekend.
Things to do in Great Lakes:
*Volo Car Museum for car buffs.
*Shedd Aquarium
*Six Flags
*Gurnee Mills Mall
*Movie Theater in the Mall
HAVE FUN AT PIR WITH YOUR LOVED ONE!!!
If you have any other questions, feel free to post. If I missed anything - Feel free to add on, or correct me:)
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Views: 165
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by NavySweetheart11 on
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Great post! Just wanted to say a little tid bit about the Navy Lodge! I stayed at the Navy Lodge in Norfolk, VA back in May before my sailor was deployed. He had to do everything for me as far as booking, checking in, and paying for an additional night. One day I had to stay in the room by myself because he had to work and I got a phone call from the front desk saying that we needed to pay for the additional night we had booked. I went to the front desk and they would not let me pay without my sailor there. So...unless you're a dependent you may a difficult time getting a room there.
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Permalink Reply by nicole~a sailors girl(: on
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In Great Lakes, be sure to double check with them, but as long as your sailor comes by after PIR, they've been known to let it fly- being that it is graduation. Thanks for that INFO though NS11, I haven't ever stayed at one, so I wouldn't have known!
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Permalink Reply by Sara on
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Every base is different but from my experience if you aren't married when your boyfriend checks into the hotel he can put you down on the reservation and sponsor you to stay in the room. That way you don't need him with you to check in/out or pay. You can't use any amenities on base without him there though.
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Thanks, that is great info to know for the future especially when he comes back from the deployment. The Navy Lodge was great, I definitely recommend it.
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