PIR 5/14/10

Erin: My son is going to graduate on May 14th also. He is Div. 185 Ship 12. My daughter-in-law got her letter last night and gave us the information. I am so excited and can't wait to see him

caherbearHey! My daughter is in Div 926 Ship 6 too! Have you received the packet of info yet and the form letter? We got a phone call this past Sunday, her box this past Monday and a letter from her arrived on Wednesday.
EveryoneSorry, but I'm not as savvy as I should be when it comes to these discussion groups. If I'm supposed to contact someone personally instead of leave a comment please let me know how.
Thanks!

ILNavyMom: I really don't understand how these "blogs" work myself. I just try to post something and hopefully it works :) I myself don't really understand a lot of the military "lingo" either. I don't understand about the different Divisions or Ships. Anyone have any inside info>?

My daughter will have her A school at Great Lakes. This is good for us since we are only about 3 hours away.

My daughter is ship 14, div 188 with a PIR date of 5/14/10. To JessicaB-Sailor Mom - the questionaires would be great! I have so many questions that I want to ask my daughter and it's hard to get them all into a letter!

Hello, I'm Arwen. My son Chris graduated from GL about 6 weeks ago, from Ship 14, Div 100. The ship has been empty since then, so expect your recruits to complain about lots of dusting!

Aside from being a Navy Mom with recent boot camp experience, I am also a Navy veteran, as is my husband, and my younger son Sean is getting ready to start making his way through the system to join. He graduates from high school this June.

So, I have lots of answers. If I don't know the answer to your question I can probably tell you where you can find it.

I started with posting a Navy pay FAQ in the group discussion forum. If you want PIR information already, let me know and I will post it.

Its always good to make reservations early, especially if you want to stay at the Navy Lodge. As the closest hotel (and usually cheapest) their rooms go fast.

My husband got to bc on 3/22. He's in Ship 04 DIV 811.. PIR-5/14. I can't wait to see him!!!!!!!!!

Also, one other question for Arwen, we will get bah, so will that be deposited in with his first check also ?

BAH is more unpredictable. I've heard some get it in their first paycheck, some get it between paychecks, and others it has taken a month or two. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.

Hi everyone - my son Rob got to bootcamp on 3/22 - Ship 14 Div 187, with a PIR date of 5/14.

My daughter is Ship 14 DIV 188 Her Grad date is 5/14 as well! So glad to have found you!!! She arrived 3/23 to RTC

Well, getting the form letter in yesterday with my husbands little note at the end had my hopes up for a letter today.. nothing though :( I miss my husband so much it hurts. I'm ready for this to be over with :-/

wade142 - Hi! What's your daughter's first name and age? There are a number of other moms on here with daughters in Ship 14 Div 188.

Karla=) I've read on here that when they extract their wisdom teeth, they give them 2 days in bed with pain meds to recover.....and the recruits love it! They get 2 days off:) I bet my son will have to have his taken out, too.
How old is Destiny?

Hello everyone. Well, it has been 2 weeks since my son left. I find myself wondering everyday what he is doing. I am really hoping that he can call my daughter-in-law on Easter. I am anxious to hear an update on him. I think that has been the hardest thing - not being able to pick up the phone and call or text him anytime I wanted. But, fortunately 2 weeks down already.

What is a peanut butter shot?

Hang in there Karla - I'm sure she's fine. But I totally understand!!! My Ginger is 23 and in the same ship/div as Destiny. She left on 3/23. She has 2 Mom's (long story!) and I was not the Mom that got the phone call so I was thrilled to get the form letter! And I can't wait to get a "real" letter. As debyar63 said, I find myself thinking all day long "I wonder what she's doing right now".

Hi Erin - I received that information from my son's recruiter within about 5 days of his leaving - you could probably call your recruiter. Good Luck!

My son is Jordan. He is on Ship 4 Div 811 with a PIR of May 14. Just got "the box" today. Kinda tough.

A peanut butter shot, aka the golf ball, is 5cc of mixed antibiotics injected into the buttox of every new recruit in order to treat/prevent as much as the "recruit crud" (various illnesses the thousands of recruits bring with them to boot camp) as they can.

As of February, they get it when they arrive, then again on day 5-1.

It's given these nicknames because "it feels like peanut butter going in" and once it is in, it "feels like a golf ball sitting inside the butt-cheek." It tends to be painful, and has been known to cause temporary numbness in the leg, so recruits have to be careful with jumping out of their rack, etc.

You can see a week-by week breakdown of what they're doing at boot camp at about.com.

Arwen - Thanks for explaining the shot. It's no wonder my daughter said she was afraid to get her shots this past week! We've always told her that it will stop hurting when the pain goes away.

Myspace Countdowns, Video Countdowns at WishAFriend.com

Good morning everyone. I'm not sure where you are all from but here in Central Pennsylvania, it is a beautiful day. We are another day closer to PIR!!! Isn't that wonderful!! And Navy4my2 - thank you so much for the countdown for PIR Graduation Day. That is so cool and very great to see. Hang in there everyone. Yes, it is hard. You can try to tell yourself that your loved one is on vacation but when you get your "box" it makes everything seem so real then. Just remember they are doing something so wonderful not only for themselves but for their family and country. Sorry, don't mean to sound like I am preaching to everyone. I thank the good Lord for finding this web site. It is wonderful and great to have "contact" with others going through and feeling the same way. Have a great day everyone!!!

Navy4my2 - Thank you so much for the count down to PIR! (I wish I could send it to my daughter!) Hello debyar63 - welcome to the group! These days are passing painfully slow, but it is nice to check in here each day to read the comments and share my thoughts with others who fully understand what I am feeling. Easter Sunday will be tough without my daughter. She is the only one that helps me with the dishes after our big family gatherings!

I'm in central Florida and it's a beautiful day here too! I got up early and walked 3 miles with my work-out buddies this morning. While we were walking I told them about this wonderful site and how nice it was to be able to share my thoughts with people in the same situation. Even though I am SO PROUD and happy for Ginger I keep crying everytime I talk about boot camp!!!! I've got to get that under control!!!! : ) Have a great day everyone....I'm off to get another letter in the mail!

And thank you Karla & Arwen for the web site suggestions! They were very helpful!!

Lolly: Cry, cry, cry. It's best to get it out than to try to keep everything in. And believe me, I did my share of crying. The day our son left, when my husband stopped by my office to pick me up so we could see our son off, I likened the sound of his bootsteps to the warden coming to get me to take me to the gas chamber. My heart was so heavy that day. And my heart still aches, only not quite as much. I am so proud of his decision. And scared also. He is the first from my family that has travelled down the military highway. But each day will be a little better and another day closer to seeing our loved ones again :)

I miss my husband SO SO SO much. May 14 seems so far away. I keep waiting for letters, but I don't think they even get to write home until the 2nd Sunday they are there, so it looks as if it will be next week. Gosh, what I would do just to hear his voice. I miss him beyond words. I've never been so depressed in all of my life!! :-(

Thanks you guys, I know this was the best decision for our family, and I'm super proud of him for what he's doing. He's always wanted to do Seals, and he's well on his way. I thought I was ready for it ( emotionally ) but I wasn't.. I feel like I just fell flat on my face. But this website is awesome, the people here are beyond helpful.. I've even met a girl that has a husband in the same ship/division with the same PIR. This site is my newest addiction. I'm so ready for my letter!!!!!

So, I have to share this with all the hopefuls... I got my first call, like 20 minutes ago. Totally un-expected.. He had to call to get me to fax something over, but he got about a minute to talk. It was THE BEST, and I mean THE VERY BEST feeling in this ENTIRE world to hear his voice on the other line. The first words out of his mouth when I picked up was" I miss you so freaking much baby, I Love you! " I could've melted!!!! He said he can write me on Sunday, and call again next week. God, Thank you!!! This has literally made all the sadness go away. Can we just skip April and go straight to 5/14, PLEASE?!?!? :0)

wade142 - Your children will ALWAYS need mom! I have been struggling with the same feelings myself - what to do when what I've done for the last 24 years will no longer be taking up so much of my time. I guess what is most important to my grown children now is that they know that no matter what, I will always be here for them for encouragement, advice and support. They are both well on there way to living their own lives, but I know they still need me. It's just not about making their sandwiches anymore! :)

wade142 - What have I been doing to cope? Well, I started yoga classes right before my daughter left. I have been spending more time on the computer (reading the posts on this sight). I've already written her four letters and sent a card. Started reading "Conversations with God", but I'm not sure I'm convinced with the author's views. I have been looking at paint colors to do a few rooms in the house. But . . . I still haven't washed my daughter's clothes that came back in the box and every once in a while, I go sit in her room with the dogs (because it smells like her and I think they enjoy it!). The dogs are missing her as badly as I am and I often find them laying outside her bedroom door. I work full time but I find it very hard to focus on my job since she left. My husband has been wonderful - he's been trying to be very compassionate about my feelings. Just trying to keep busy to pass the time quickly. And of course, I run to the mailbox everyday the minute I get home!

Also, about mail: you may notice that the Navy logo on their personal mail envelopes is blacked out with magic marker. This was done by your recruit under the instruction of their RDC. No, they aren't trying to send a message that they are unhappy with the Navy, nor is it some security thing.

It turns out that US Post Office machines read that logo like it is a stamp, and reject the letter as having a "fake stamp" and it gets shuffled off to the side to be hand-processed. It can take as long as a few extra weeks before it leaves the post office sorting room. Thus, it is blacked out by hand.

JessicaB, or Arwen. If I send an envelope that is really bulky, because all of my letters are extremely long, and my daughter colors him pages... do they still give it to them, or do they open it first to make sure its not something they're notnsupposed to have ? I sent one today that had a 10 page letter, a letter from my mom, a letter from my daughter, with 5 envelopes and stamps, i taped the back just so it wouldnt come open.. is that ok ?

... and what's a SASE ? lol :/

So are there male and female divisions that are mixed? All of the people in my division have daughters and I hope I didnt get the wrong address...

They used to have male divisions and female divisions, but they were made coed a while back. They sleep in separate compartments, but for their training (every moment that is not spent sleeping, showering or in the head), usually two or three divisions per group are fully coed. The other divisions are all-male. There are no all-female divisions.

Just got a call from Andrea!! She sounded great! She's caught the "crud" and has some pretty bad blisters, but the Navy podiatrists gave her inserts for her boots and she's on some medication for her cold. She passed the swimming tests the first time through. And she told me that she missed the run time by 2 seconds but blames that on the cold medication. She's eating well and just sounded in such good spirits! She's got a great bunkmate (25 years old with two children from Lansing, MI) but she said there's been problems with many recruits in her division who are "talking too much". So unfortunately, they've all been punished for it. But what's most important is that she sounded very upbeat and seems to be doing very well. God most certainly has answered my prayers. This 20 minute phone call has gone so far to relieve my worries about her. She said she's still going strong and is hoping to get my letters tomorrow. I hope all you other moms get a phone call from your recruit tonight or tomorrow. Happy Easter everyone!

Good morning everyone. I got some news Friday night and wanted to share with everyone. My husband told me that our son called our daughter-in-law and said that he was coming home. He is receiving a medical discharge due to shin splints. I have such mixed emotions about this. Don't get me wrong, I am happy that he is coming home but he now has no job to come home to. And I don't know if this is a permanent thing or just until he recovers. Has anyone out there experienced this before?

You got a letter? !? No fair :( All I got was my paperwork in for the military id and insurance. I should be getting a letter in this week he said..

My son is on ship 04 div 811. Got the box but no letters or phone call yet. I guess I'll wait patiently.

I just checked the Recruit Training Command website and noticed that there are only 6 divisions scheduled for PIR on May 14th. This is good news because I would think it means that if we have extras we'd like to bring to graduation they will not be turned away!