ALUMNI OF PIR 06/29/2012 TG 33 — 12 Divisions (195–204, 814 & 933)

LaurieS - My SR said they had "earned" their first flag and that they are very focused on success and they all want the "Hall of Fame" flag.  He said their RDC was good - he has seen harder ones and easier ones - but he was happy with who he has.  My son failed the running part of his PFA - said he went by in time but the person recording it looked too late.  He is confident he will be OK when they try again.

juliebelle28 - A belated Thank You for the honorable mention on the Charlie Brown-Snoopy Comic a while ago...made my day!

I Got a call from my son yesterday he is doing really well I am sososos proud! I basked in the pleasure of hearing his voice I am a very joyous mom =) <3

marcyl my thoughts and prayers are with you & your family hon

Congrats on the calls! 

Good morning all!

marcyl - I am so sorry for the loss of your father and the difficult time with your daughter not being able to attend. Prayers of comfort and strength going up for you and your family. We're here for you!

Great calls Folks...hoping there are more!

Added a MARLINESPIKE Discussion.

Your Recruits will be going through this during week 3...which I believe they are on right now.

marcy:  You can go on the PIR groups that are done.  The recent ones are PIR 05/25/2012, PIR 05/18/2012, PIR 05/11/2011.  Just find them under the "Groups" tab.  You will have to join them to ask.  Not sure how busy they will be on there now that they can talk to their sailors directly, but you can try.  Most flying out do leave the day after PIR.

Here's the page for all of the links for the PIR groups:

http://www.navyformoms.com/forum/topics/groups-listed-by-pir-date

You all need to remember that flights can change....within a PIR group and between PIR groups.  So just because a group flew to Pensacola in one PIR group on a certain day doesn't mean that will always be the case.  They have to book on commercial airlines (although occasionally a charter is used for large groups) and when space is available for all of the sailors.  During holiday weekends, many times they will fly a day or two later because of filled flights. 

So it is just best to wait until you hear actual departure dates from your sailors.  I know it makes it hard for planning your own trip, but we always recommend that you all book at least through Sunday if possible, just in case you get extra time with your sailor.

Good morning all!

I am so happy to see so many getting calls. Today should also be a great day for letters :-)

I know this may sound like a crazy request but It would be great if some of you would check this page daily and comment about news from your soon to be Sailors. We have moms on this group and others who are not comfortable on computers yet and for some of them this is their first experience with any social network. Lots of them don't have facebook and they come here for info. Many have never posted a comment and may never do so. but they do appreciate all the news you share and would love to get to know some of you. I think if there was more activity on the PIR group pages they may come out of hiding and share their news as well. You would be surprised at how many emails I have received from members who are out there looking for some encouragement and new friends.  Thanks so much for those who do post comments here. I know this site is how I survived the weeks my daughter was at boot camp and I still love and appreciate all the friends I made on Navy for Moms; it is near and dear to my heart <3

Lala - I am guilty of neglecting this page.  Every time I sign into N4M's from work my computer crashes......don't know why.  I will try to sign in every night to say hello to everyone.

No news from my SR.  Hopefully he will write soon or at least to his gf and she will share his news.  He didn't sound good last week when he called home - very homesick and down.  Plus he was in pain from wisdom teeth.  I am hoping he is now on upswing so waiting patiently to hear from him!!!  Hope everyone is having good phone calls and great letters!!

We are posting on the ship 0div 814 discussion thread. I will post here also.

We received our first phone call yesterday also.  My son said everyone was sick but he sounded  upbeat.  He said  he too has a great deal of respect for the RDS's.  He said they are very fair and reward them when they do a great job.  Free time and Pizza Hut or Taco Bell.  He also mentioned the workouts are tough for SPECOPS  and he hasn't lost momentum since he went to boot camp.  I have read in the past the biggest complaint coming from the 800 Div is the lack of tough workouts and they have to get in shape all over again for dive school. I had a bunch of questions for him but was soooo excited to see that 847 area code all my questions were forgotten. It is good to hear from some other parents with sons in 814

You guys are awesome, thanks so much for the posts. The Ricky Crud sure does get around to everyone. I hope they are all feeling better soon. The confidence chamber (gas chamber) usually clears out all the sinuses and makes them actually feel better. Something to look forward to.... I think lol

mareluc, I bet he is feeling better already, I know this is about the time that everything starts turning around for them and they can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope you get a nice long letter very soon ;-) Better keep a note pad by the phone with questions ready lol.

Thanks for posting here, mom of 11, in addition to the div discussion group.  We don't have time to pick up all of the questions in the discussions so posting in both places is a good idea~  Goodnight all!

Just wondering Mom of 11 do you have 11 kids? And if so Oh My Goodness :-)

Good morning all!  4 Friday's left!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!

Good morning everyone. When my daughter was at boot camp I made a questionnaire to send to her. I added in all the questions that I had been asking her in my letters but had not received answers to. I made it a little funny to make her smile and I added a paragraph of encouragement to help her get through battle stations. I added it to the discussions above so you can share it with your recruit as well. You can copy and paste it and print it out to send with your next letter. You may have to tweak it a little bit since my Sailor is a girl :-) Feel free to make it your own. I hope it will brighten your Soon to be Sailors day as much as it did mine. Be sure to include a self-addressed envelope so they are more likely to send it back. And you could make an extra copy or two for them to share with a friend. I would make a whole bunch of copies to send though because the RDC's may frown upon that. I hope you enjoy it :-)

Good morning all!

All,

I recvd two envelopes from my son yestrday.  One was a newsy note about his bonding experience with his RDCs.  He thinks they like him, now, in some weird kind of way.  He said a "Carry on, shi#head." (read "atta boy.") can really go a long way in making your day better.  LOL   He says his div is coming together, but there were 15-20 kids that were still struggling.  He said he felt sorry for kids who had never handled a weapon before bc, as he thought the training was rushed.  (I drilled gun safety into my children!  I made them take hunter education and safety classes as pre-teens.  There are guns everywhere in rural communities!)  He said he didn't think the special physical for Aircrew was so special! LOL  As far as inspection goes, he is getting better at making his rack and says he rocks ironing and folding!  (Good thing I was sitting down when I read that! I've seen his idea of folding!!!)  PT and swimming have been a breeze and he says it may become easier for everyone now that the chest colds are waning.

The second envelope contained two 3x5 cards listing all of the songs he missed hearing.  I typed the lyrics to his #1 on the list and sent it off with a letter this morning. :)

I hope you all are starting to get letters and calls!  It makes this journey a little easier.

ReneeBC, I forgot that your son is AirCrew. So is my daughter. I'm glad to hear the physical wasnt so bad.. Thats awesome about the 3x5 cards. Luckily my daughter has some weapons experience..My daughter is a swimmer, so I would assuem she breezed through that. Do you have any idea how long they're going to be in Pensacola??

Renee- It might be a really cool idea to make a CD with all those songs on it or put them on an MP3 player for him. Then if you meet him at the airport you can give it to him as a surprise and he can listen to it on the flight to Pensacola :-)

marcyl, I don't have a clue as to how long my son's schooling is going to be.  I only know he had to sign on for an extra 2 yrs active duty because his schooling would be so long.  He'll tell me, I suppose, when he has something etched in stone.  Clearly, I am not the go-to gal for info on this.  I stalk the Aircrew group and P'cola groups, though!  If I find something out, I'll let you know.

Juliebelle, We'll have jobs for our "boys" to do around the house when they come home for a visit!  Anything to help mom out, right?  :-D

Lala, I plan to take my son's ipod somewhere (I think best Buy does it) to get it loaded with all of those songs.  We live in the Twilight Zone and won't have high speed internet for another 50 years.  uhg.

lol Renee at least you have a way to get it done :-) What rate (job) will your son be doing? Someone on here can probably tell you about how long A-school will be.

Ok ladies...since I promised I would sign in every night...here I am.  I received a letter today, but not at all what I expected.  It started off telling me he had bad news but the bright side was they all have some kind of sickness due to the water and makes them real sick and he also has a fever.  Then he proceeds to tell me that he thought he may have shin splints (which he has had in the past) but when he went to medical they told him they may have been stress fractures.  So he was having a test done and to find out.  He told me that he was getting the results on Tues (3 days ago so he has them) and if they told him they were stress fractures he was gong to ask to be discharged because he doesn't want to spend 4 weeks in RCU.  Well the bright side is Tues has come and gone and I didn't hear from him but I just want to scream! I wish I could talk to him and talk some sense into what he is thinking.  He was in p-days for almost 2 weeks and it took its toll on him and he said he can't spend another 4 weeks like that!  Now everytime the phone rinks my heart sinks.  If I see the 847 area code I may have a heart attack!  I am just so upset and sad I can't even talk to him and encourage him.  I immediately sent him a 3 page letter tonight but it will be days before he gets it :(  On the bright side at least his letters to his gf are positive.......so I am hanging on to that is a good sign.  Sorry to be a bummer when everyone is getting great reports from their SR's but just very down right now! 

Mareluc, We are here thru bad and good for all our SRs. Hang in there. Mine sounded down when I talked to him on the phone also. It is a hard road with ups and downs. Stay strong

Thanks smokie.  When my son called last week he was so down and depressed the first words he said was I want to come home.  I had about 2 min to talk to him and try to make him feel better.  All week I was praying for a positive letter from him saying things were getting better.....oh boy! Maybe next week's letter will be that one!

Lala,

I've enlisted the help of my daughter (I hope to hear back from her today) in the hope that she will get the music on his iPod if I ship it to her with an iTunes card. SHE lives in civilization.  LOL

I don't know a specific rate for my son.  All I know is AW- Advanced Technical Field.  I believe he will be speaking to someone about classification this week.  He signed on for an extra to years to be "in the air", the trade off is that they get to pick his job, though I guess he gets to narrow the field with a list of favorites. ??  See how much I know? Not.

mareluc,

I think if your son only has shin splints and is, otherwise, a good fit for the navy, they will talk him into doing what it takes to carry on.   He also has your wisdom and voice in his head.  If he thinks, what would Mom say, he'll hear your answer. :)    

Thanks you all!  I honestly can't understand why he is having such a hard time with this.  This has been his dream since he was 10.  Last year he was in the SWONEC  program and he was doing great!  He was so motivated and couldn't wait to leave for basic.  I am just hoping each day will get better ! 26 more days to go!  I know he can do this - he has to believe in himself!!!

AMEN, marelu!:  Shin splints/stress fractures are very common in bootcamp.  If they delay him in training, I hope that he will get more motivated when he meets others in RCU who are going through the same thing.  Teamwork to get it done!  He probably was just having a "low moment" and hopefully is feeling more optimistic now. 

Mareluc, They need encouragement. I sent more funny cards and some pictures printed on paper. I hear that my SR is tired and  humbled from this experience of BC. Like diannep said, They need to work as a team and help each other also .Everything that is hard to attain, becomes something you cheerish for achieving later. I know he will make the right decision. We will all meet soon.   Be proud and strong

. I know when my SR gets to A school it will be better because he can have his phone and Kindle to communicate with all. I want to get Skype. ?spelling. I am learning so much with my SR in the Navy and making friends. Going to get flowers to plant around the house , it is a beautiful day in Ohio. Count down 26 days

So far haven't heard anything so we are going with No news is good news!!!  I know he can do this....he just has to believe in himself!!!!!

Sent a letter today and included the meal plan from last week.  I always print out a weekly dinner menu and post it on the fridge so I included it in my letter.  My SR was always looking ahead to see what was planned for dinner.  Though it might make him smile.  I also printed lyrics to 3 of my favorite workout songs  that I know he likes and sent those. 

mareluc- I am glad to see you are hanging in there. The good thing is shin splints usually heal pretty quickly if they get rest. I will keep him and you in my thoughts and prayers. I hope he heels quickly and pushes through to get this done. We are all pulling for him that is for sure :-) Please let us know as soon as you hear from him.

Reenee, that is awesome. We can all get by with a little help from our friends and family :-) I am sure your daughter will enjoy doing it and it will give her something to do that will make your soon to be Sailor very happy. I expect a message after PIR to let me know how he liked his gift :-)

mom of 11, lyrics to their fav songs are always a great idea. My daughter even sent me a list of songs she wanted lyrics to while she was in bootcamp :-)

I am heading to bed early tonight, we had a yardsale today and I got a little sunburned and now I am sitting here with a jacket on freezing to death lol. I hope everyone has a great evening.

That is horrible leftwayleft. He obviously has no idea how important letters are for the recruits or maybe he does. Mt ex did the exact same thing. I wrote everyday and my daughter told me over and over how much everyone, even the guys appreciated getting letters. KEEP THEM COMING is what they all would say. In every letter and phone call my daughter would ask why isn't Dad writing me? It broke my heart. I called him every time she asked and had to beg him to write to her. He kept saying he was sorry but he was just busy with work or car problems bla bla bla, Too busy to take five minutes and write her a letter. Then a few calls later he said he had written but didn't have time to go to the post office. I told him they sell stamps in almost every store you go in and there are boxes on practically every corner or he could even put the letter in his own box right at the end of his driveway with a couple of quarters and raise the flag. Most postmen will accept that. The bad thing is he had been in the Army, he knew what it was like to not have family support and yet he couldn't support his daughter. She finally got one letter from him. Sometimes people can just be stupid. You keep writing those letters your son will appreciate you so much for doing so. I hope he is feeling better very soon.

Good morning al!~

We had one like that in our family, leftwayleft.  My former brother-in-law....4 of the best sons you could hope for.  His youngest grew up without him being in the house...personally, we all feel he was much better off not having the "dad" (and i lose that word loosely!) around!  Very sad for the children...

My ex is the same, even when we were still married he didn't take enough interest in our kids. I guess I shouldn't have expected more because his father was the same way. He (my ex) is 47 years old and hasn't seen or spoke to his dad since he was 18. His father never knew his son was married or that he had grandchildren. Our kids have still never met or heard from him. It is sad because someday when they are old they will wish their kids would come visit them or take of them but they too will be too busy.

leftawayleft.  My son said in his letter I received on friday that he is sick also, cough, throwing up, fever, etc.  He said there is a bunch of them like that.  I feel horrible for him and to top it off he has shin splints (since I didn't hear from him I am not saying stress fractures) so he has really been suffering.  I wrote him a 3 page letter encouraging him and telling him he is almost there to hang in.

I understand your pain about your ex.  My son's dad moved to a diff state when my son was almost a year old and I was pregnant with my second son and since that day has had no contact with either of my boys.  I met my current husband when my boys were 3 1/2 and 2.  He is not the worlds best dad at any rate but he has been there for them over the years.  It is like pulling teeth to get my husband to write.  He also said to me why you write him and that I need to cut the apron strings......men!  My son knows he can always count on me and I am there for him!  In my mind's eye that's all that matters!

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  Tomorrow we begin a new week which will bring us that much closer to seeing out SR's!!!!