Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Be sure to join your PIR group.  Here are the links:

PIR: MAY 2025

PIR: APRIL 2025

PIR: MARCH 2025

Just got the call that my son is being sent to RCU w/a potential stress fracture so I guess I’ll be hopping over to the RCU Ship 04 group for a while. It doesn’t look like there has been much recent activity over there so will ask my question here too - hopefully that’s ok.

The FAQ page on RTC’s website says we will receive one call when recruit goes to RCU (I’ve received that call) but likely not another one until training is complete and recruit changes status and is ready to graduate. I thought I had read in various groups/forums that they typically get a call ~every 2 weeks in RCU if people don’t misbehave. Anyone have any experience with this. The latter seems more reasonable as I’m hearing some recruits get stuck in RCU for months at a time. Thx 

Obviously we’ll continue to write letters in hopes of keeping his morale up. But it would be good to know the severity of the injury so we can get an idea of how far out we’ll need to push our trip. He said he plans to keep going, hopefully his body agrees and heals properly 😁

Staci, Most definitely you may continue to post your questions here on BC Mom. I am sorry that you haven't had any replies yet, from those whose SRs have been through RCU. 

Stress fractures are the primary reason that I recall hearing about someone being sent to RCU. I will see if I can encourage others whose sailors may have been in RCU to reply to you. 

Staci -- I'm so sorry you are experiencing this!  Yes, keep asking here as well as on the RCU page.  I know we've had other SR's go through this and graduate.  This One of the few times I suggest using Sandboxx so you can get a letter quickly to your SR and ask all the questions.  Hopefully you'll get another phone call or a letter soon giving you more info.  

Staci - sorry to hear about your sons stress fracture.  That does seem to be one of the more common injuries in BC and they do  work with them to get better.  Hopefully with time it will heal and he can get back with his division soon.

Hi Staci, My son had a similar experience while in the nuclear pipeline (not RCU). He got terrible shin splints after the run during the physical fitness testing, to the point he was hobbling around and could not walk properly. I recall they worked with him to help him get better, limited his activity so he could heal. Somehow, he did not get rolled back in the Nuke Program. Anyway, it was not career ending. For future physical fitness tests, he was allowed to do a swim (which was much harder than he anticipated, and he grew up swimming) or ride a bike (not sure if it was stationary or not). To this day, he has not had to do the run again.

I hope your son heals quickly. Keep us updated!

Staci, I'm so sorry to hear about your son. I'm sure he's in great hands, but I can empathize with how hard it must be to not have any answers to your questions or be able to speak with him directly. Sending lots of healing vibes his way. Let us know if we can do anything to help. When is he supposed to graduate?

Thanks all! He was scheduled for Mar 27. I am glad he’s being taken care of. They told him these last two weeks will be intense (OPFA, BS21 etc) so it’s best that he heals now and doesn’t risk actually breaking his hip. Our conversation was so short so didn’t get to ask much but I’m sure he’s gutted. I’ll just tease him about fate wanting him to graduate wearing dress whites instead of dress blues 🥰

Oh Staci!! You were so close. Yes, I'm sure he's gutted but they are correct that stopping now and allowing his body to heal will be best in the long run! The Good news is that he's past the worst parts and on to the physical and fun part of BC and they will try and put him back into training as close as possible to where he was pulled out. (Hip stress fractures are a much bigger deal than shins but they both heal well!) They usually find some work for them but they can also spend a lot of their time just lying in their rack reading so it's not super enjoyable.  IF you can include puzzles and word games in your letters that would help to fill some of his time.
Fingers crossed and prayers said for you to get a phone call soon and that he writes and fills you in more!

Hugs Staci.. hope you get more info, but glad they are letting him heal.. keep us updated as you hopefully hear soon

Staci - I responded just now in the RCU group you also posted in. My son's stress fractures were in his leg and he was able to meet PT requirements using the stationary bike once he was healed enough. Overkill I know, but keeping in mind he joined when he was 17 and we really wanted him to keep his mind busy, we sent him something nearly every day. Maybe copies of funny memes, form letters he could fill in and reply to (see questionnaires, on this site somewhere), song lyrics (he loves music and knows so many songs), photos of what the pets are up to or whatever. I did try to avoid bad news. It's a mental exercise in there for sure. A few of them ended up playing D&D when they could manage it, by using wadded up paper as dice - lol. Kids will be kids I guess! He was given permission to receive some good shoe shine and he was the envy of the RCU! He got quite good at it - said his boots were actual mirrors - ha. Anyway, everyone will find their niche I guess. Phone calls were super infrequent and very short but I know that varies. I thought they allowed cell phones now but keep them locked up until they are allowed a phone call break, instead of having to stand in line at the phone banks. That would help but not sure if they implemented it as they had planned.

Thanks Trey & Beloved. I just talked to him again today. The person monitoring his phone call also helped answer some of my questions about protocol so I’ll assume there is a decent level of accuracy. 😉 I’ll post here and on the RCU Ship 2 group in case someone else has similar questions in the future. 

Turns out my son had slipped/fallen on the ice (he’s a California boy). However, instead of it getting better the way it typically does after a few days, it became increasingly difficult to walk and stand for any length of time so they sent him to get checked out. He is being treated as though his hip is broken and is stuck having to use crutches anytime he gets up.

They will be taking another MRI on March 31st, with results and next steps decided by April 2nd. If he appears to be healing he will have another go at the last two weeks of bootcamp. If he isn’t, he will go home. 

I thought it typically took 6-8 weeks or longer for a stress fracture to repair itself. Not sure if/why they would put him back into a training group after only 3 weeks. Perhaps it’s just a decision point.

They confirmed that he will get an hour phone call every Saturday unless someone gets them all in trouble. He is able to receive books and started to say something about library privileges but there was too much background noise so not sure if that’s also an option for him. Regardless, he asked for a specific book which I will mail off tomorrow. Fingers crossed that everything happens as it should 😃 

Staci, Thank you for the update. We will stay hopeful for your son's recovery and being able to continue on with his Navy journey. 

(I like the quote - IGNORE the typo lol!)

Staci - I just read your message and the follow-up messages.  I will be praying that you/he will get good news when they do the follow-up.  I love that you are able to send him the book he requested - I'm sure that will help his time to go by more quickly!  Big hugs to you!  

Thanks @momofJoseph & @chipmunk! ☺️

Staci -- I was so happy to hear he got to call and fill you in a bit more! I think it's so important for them to be able to communicate with family back home with more than just a brief message. It's also good to hear that they get to call once a week (Assuming they are all behaving!) That will help you feel better! Yay on the book!! They do have a Library of books there but not sure the condition or selection.  I know that it was suggested during the "Covid Era" to send your SR with a book or 2 for their time in Quarantine and that may be the source of the "library".  MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) and the USO may also support a "library". 
Ohhhh Ouch!!! Slipping and falling on the Ice is always a risk.  I'm guessing that the April 2 date is to see how he's healing and make a decision on if he needs more rest, Can start rehab or needs to go home.  If he's healing well then he'll likely do some rehab to get back in shape before reentering the last few weeks. It will have been 4ish weeks since the injury(Different mechanism than a stress fracture) and with another 2 weeks of PT to get back in shape, that would make sense for the 4-6 weeks for a fracture to heal. Or at least heal enough for him to finish BC.  Depending on his Rate he may have a good amount of "Hold" time at his A school to allow his hip to fully recover and fully strengthen.  They do want them to succeed and to be reasonably well by the time they join the fleet!
I don't know if they still do things this way but it used to be that if they were "Set Back" in training for either academic or health reasons they didn't get to PIR when they completed BC.  I hope you heeded our words of wisdom to have refundable/changeable tickets.  You may need to wait and go visit him at his A school location.  Again that may depend on what his Rate is and how soon he ranks up.

@staci, I'm so glad you got to speak with him. I'm sure all the unknowns are still challenging but it must be a huge relief to have had that phone call. Sending lots of healing vibes and strength his way.

Happy Thursday and Happy PIR Day!

Congratulations to our new sailors! 

Staci , hang in there. I know this lack of communication is tough, but you are your son:s advocate and encourager! 

Your love and interest in his well-being speaks volumes to him and those around him. 

As a reminder to you and others- once your child turns 18 all of their medical information has to come from them. Be sure to stress the importance of you or another parent, adult, being added to their HIPPA form so the doctors are able to discuss anything with you. 

Anyone have sailors graduating in May? The PIR group only has 3 members so far!

Mine leaves for boot camp on March 25th so I am estimating he will graduate May 29th :)

AZ_RACCOON -- That group is still forming since those SR's are just now shipping.  Do you have any questions we can answer here or do you just need to vent?  You can do that here too, just remember no full names. 

Be sure to join your PIR group.  Here are the links:

PIR: MAY 2025

PIR: APRIL 2025

PIR: MARCH 2025

Here's a copy of the 9 week Basic Military Training (BMT) Key Events:

BMT Key events

B'sNukeMom - Thanks for posting that!  I remember every week marking off the weeks as they went by.  It really helped me!!

Be sure to join your PIR group.  Here are the links:

PIR: MAY 2025

PIR: APRIL 2025

PIR: MARCH 2025

I got a message from my daughter last night with her ship and division number! I am so excited!!

AZ_RACCOON That is great news!!

Here is the link for the FAQ which also includes the mailing information. If you have your SR's ship & Div. # you should be able to start sending letters. - U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command > What to Expect12345 > FAQ

Here is the link for the Family Travel information. This used to be sent in a mailer with the SR letters home that had their addresses but not it is all digital, I believe.

navylifegl.com/rtc 

This link is for the RTC graduation information - U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command > Graduation

This link shows the 9-week calendar for BC and other information for anyone whose loved one is still waiting to leave for RTC. - U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command > Recruits

This is the main website address for RTC - Home

They have updated it a lot since my son was in BC, however, they have also changed things around again and I am forever hunting for things like the ship addresses that I found a lot easier, that is why I shared the individual links for everyone!

Here is the link to our Letter writing and fun stuff/questionnaire

which is in the upper right on this page if you are viewing us on a computer or in desktop mode on your mobile device.

Have a wonderful day everyone!! 

AZ_RACOON - So happy you can write letters now!!!   Have a nice weekend!

Stay safe everyone!

Good morning / afternoon everyone. I opened my profile page back to members only, if anyone needs to send post a message on my comment page, which I do moderate. So, if you just need to ask a question more privately and you don't want to go through the process of friend requests and such, you may ask and I will keep it private. 

This discussion of mine might be helpful to some of our newer members. - Private Messages - Creating & Sending + OPSEC

Aaw, thanks Chipmunk & Katielev! Good point about HIPPA.

@AZ_Raccoon, Congrats! It’s so much easier once you’re able to write letters. Your recruit will definitely appreciate it. Mine expressed appreciate in every letter or phone call home. Except the Sandboxx motivational quotes. Lol, ordered the subscription so he would get something daily. While I thought they were really good and inspiring, he called them “nonsense burgers” and just wanted us to send him letters, lyrics etc directly from home. 🤣 Apparently what we had to say resonated more. 🥰

lilkbub - Welcome to our group!  How are you feeling about your son leaving soon?

AZ_RACCOON - Congrats on getting the ship and div number!  That is so exciting!!!

Staci - What a bummer for your son!. My sailor got put in RCU for shin splints also. It seems like what lands them in there is a combination of improper shoes and fact that kids don't run as much nowadays, so they tend to run flat-footed. Don't worry too much though, because the trainers are really good at helping the sailors by adjusting their stride, building up endurance and speed, and confidence. Their whole job is to get them to successfully complete the PFA and get out of RCU! But the sailors do get bored with the lack of activity and it can compromise mental health. So DO encourage your son because you know what works to get him motivated. Write lots of letters, and he'll appreciate it if you can send letters from other family or friends. It's okay to send him things like books & magazines to keep his mind occupied. But know that the packages may be opened by the RDC first. I'm not sure if playing cards are allowed. 90% of SRs make it out of RCU and yours will, too!

Thanks Ummi! Was your sailor able to go through PIR or did he just complete OPFA, battle stations and then straight to A school? Was it recent?

AZ RACCOON I remember how exciting that was! Excited for you, you feel a little more connected when you have that! Letters are great and photos are extra nice, even just printed at the end of the letter when possible. And I included lyrics, and the best were the questionnaires (can be found in this group and online) and fill in the blanks and multiple choice etc he could send back, making it easy. They don't have a lot of time for writing.

Staci - I agree about the shoes and lack of running. We started running with my son a couple of months before BC but he's super tall and it wasn't enough to compensate for years of bone density, it seems. Glad to have that era past us! It may have stressed us parents out way more than it did him!

Be sure to join your PIR group.  Here are the links:

PIR: MAY 2025

PIR: APRIL 2025

PIR: MARCH 2025

Staci - my girl did successfully complete the PFA after 2 tries, did PIR and went right to A school in Mississippi about a few days later. This was in 2022, I think? 

Be sure to join your PIR group.  Here are the links:

PIR: MAY 2025

PIR: APRIL 2025

PIR: MARCH 2025