Next AZ class

[AZmom]

When does the next AZ class beging?  My son graduates April 2nd and I dont know yet if he is going to start right away or have to wait.

[diannep]

AZ Mom: He probably won't find that out until after he arrives in Meridian. Many are put on "hold" until they can class up. During this time, they do watches, learn about the base, have inspections, etc. but there is alot of free time until school starts. So it all depends on how quickly he classes up. My son (not an AZ but in Meridian) classed up after a little over a week. So hopefully your son won't have to wait too long. I have found after talking to several different moms (some with sailors ahead of mine) that there are alot of "hold" situations. Is your son a Grad N Go? He must be doing battlestaions either Thurs or next week. Good luck to him! That's the grand finale...an all nighter of adrenaline, but then they get their Navy ball caps!

[maussie64]

Hi, I am new to this group. My thinking is that Grad n Go status has less to do with A school and more to do with keeping things running at GL. Although I would love for anyone in the know to correct me. I have a GnG next month and am disappointed but dealing with it.
diannep, you are in my PIR group, right?

[diannep]

Hi, Maussie: No, my son graduated in Feb, but I do post on the bootcamp group so that is probably what you are thinking about. I like to go back there to share any knowledge (which may not be much! HA) that I have gained with the new moms there. My son is in A School now. And, yes, you may be right about clearing out of the recruit base with Grad N Go. I'm just not sure. I have a friend whose son was headed to Pensacola January 2009 after boot camp, and they got the entire weekend with him...yet my son was Grad NGo. So not sure how it works. It may depend more on the openings of the base they are going to? My son only had to wait for a week before "classing up" in Meridian, but my friend's son---mentioned above---waited close to 2 months! He was bored to death down there. I know you will make the most of the time you have with your Grad N Go sailor...We loved every moment with ours. Had him back at 8:15 that night (he had until 9 since he was in division that won Hall of Fame award---but they all knew they needed to be in before that!). When is your PIR?

[maussie64]

Our PIR date is April 23. I spoke to PAO today and was told that she would have until 9:00 Friday to be back. They get an extra hour. I will take whatever I can get. We really just wanted to spend the whole weekend with her.
If her school is self paced do they need to have a whole class to start?

[diannep]

They are TOLD they have until 9...but my son said that the RDC's say: You know if you are back at 9, you are considered late. My son said that means that in military terms, you arrive a little earlier than the deadline time, always. Just remember, she has to walk a ways back to her ship, so allow for that time (she'll know all of this and believe me,,,,they are very respectful of it because they know what will happen if they don't do what they are supposed to! :-) ). We let my son off in the parking lot on the base, and there were all kinds of new sailors hurrying back to their ships...so cute to see! So glad that she has the extra hour though!
That's a good question about the self-paced classes. Because it sounds to me like another friend of mine, whose son was a week behind mine arriving in Meridian, might be in his class. Same teacher description. So they may just wait for openings in the classes that are going on. Obviously all finish at different times in the class. So it may be a matter of waiting for a SPACE to open in a class. Makes sense to me! Have you heard from your daughter lately? Where are you staying for PIR? Residence Inn is a wonderful place. Separate bedroom (or 2 if you need more space), living room, fireplace(gas), kitchen, free hot breakfast. Residence Inn-Waukegan (Marriott hotel).

[maussie64]

We are booked at Residence, in a one bedroom suite. It seemed like the best for the money and everyone that stayed there said positive things. We are booked until Monday. And honestly, when I found out that she was GNG I was ready to change plans and leave Saturday and not bring her little brother as we planned. But, we are only allowed to change our itinerary through Expedia one time. And we figured that we should wait until closer to PIR. Plus, I am a little more rational about it now and figure that we can still se a bit of Chicago. We were just counting on it being with her.
And no worries about curfew. Even if we didn't know better than to get her back early, I am sure that she does. It is just nice to be able to have her until 8:15, rather than 7:15. But, Thanks for the heads up.
We newbies really do appreciate all of you Navy-seasoned moms.

[diannep]

Anytime! Remember, we were newbie moms too so we were "mentored". We are just passing it on! By the way, we couldn't change our reservations either...had already changed flights once...ugh. So my older son and I drove up to Wisconsin the next day. It is only a few miles north of where you are staying. Drove over to Lake Michigan and looked around. Just kind of made it a sightseeing day. Also, you may get to go to the airport and spend more time with your daughter on Sat.as she waits for her flight. I didn't do this, but when my son called me at 9:30 and I found out that his flight had not left at 6 a.m. when it was supposed to....I realized we could have gone to stay with him and visit (many moms did...and that is when they gave their kids their cell phones). Sooo...I would leave Sat. "open" just in case! You never know! I felt bad because we were already headed to Wisconson when he called...and he thought his plane would now be leaving in about an hour. No time to visit now anyway. They missed their connection to Meridian (19 of them). Moms there had to intervene for them with the airline personnel, from what I heard. Moms felt like the personnel weren't 'respecting" our new sailors...Delta put them up for the night in Atlanta and they got a connection the next day. Scary, right? 19 guys who have been cooped up in boot camp for 8 weeks...now ON THEIR OWN in Atlanta? OH MY GOSH! I wish they had just piled them on a bus and sent them to Meridian that way. At least they wouldn't have been tempted to get into trouble! As it was, they all made it to Meridian safely. As far as what( if anything) happened on the night in Atlanta, I don't know and wouldn't WANT to know. :-) So...I would suggest that you all stay at least through Sunday. And you HAVE to bring her little brother! Don't you think she would want to see him...and that he would want to see her? Is he old enough to enjoy the PIR? If so, that will be quite an experience for him. Anyway, good luck.and let me know if I can help in any way

[maussie64]

Wow! Nineteen new sailors lose in Atlanta. That has the potential for trouble. I wish they had they option of planning their own transportation. That would really nice.
We are taking her brother. He is 13 and old enough to appreciate the ceremony. I was just thinking since we only get one day with her, it might be better if he didn't miss three days of school. But, he's going.
She told her Dad that she was leaving at 3:00 on Sat. I don't know if that's the flight time or when they are leaving for the airport. We will go and wait with her whatever time it is. I've heard that we are allowed to wait at the gate with them. Hope so.

[diannep]

Oh, that is wonderful that you will have that time with her. I would imagine that you could go to the gate...one of my friends on this site was one of the moms who went to the airport with my son's group She sent me some piks of the guys there. So special. Your son...boy, will he enjoy this! I'm so excited for him! It is just great. Believe me...it will be worth missing the 3 days of school. I hope you can spot your daughter. Ask her when she calls where she will be standing when she marches in (they change formation as they circle the hangar). They come in by division, lowest number first, and are announced as they pass the review stand. If she is in one of the lower divisions of the ship (mine was the 2nd lowest division number of the ship), you will be sitting right in front of where they walk in so you can see her a bit longer. Most sit in their division section. My son is short and I never saw him! DRAT! So frustrating. I didn't get to see him until afterwards. But when I received the PIR DVD last week, I finally got to see him! So, know her position so you can look right there. Does she by chance carry one of the flags? If so, they are in front so easy to see. My son, being short, was eligible for that, but he said they didn't "trust him" to carry it. HA! Class clown, my son is. I hope your daughter ordered the picture package with the PIR DVD and the cruise book (yearbook) too. My son forgot to get the yearbook...and I wasn't able to get one after he graduated. I believe that Package A has all 3, but she will need to check. Otherwise, she can order the cruise book separately. SO worth it, from what other moms have told me about the cruise book :-( This will be a once-in--lifetime experience for your whole family. How old is your daughter? My son turns 24 next month. Anyway, I'm excited for you! It's going to be wonderful!

[maussie64]

She is in Div 923 and is carrying Nevada's flag. So, hopefully we will have a good view of her.
She is glad to be in that division and really appreciates the RDCs. She was worried when she got really sick and had to spend a few days SIQ, that she might be held back and have to switch. She wrote that God must have known the type of RDCs that she needed to succeed.
Now that I am finished pouting about the whole GNG thing, I am starting to look forward to the trip again. We need to figure out what to do and see while there. I am wondering if Annie will want to do things or just chill in the hotel...
She is 22 years old and she was worried that she would be the 'old lady' in BC. LOL!