Alumni of PIR 8/24/2012 TG 41 — 09 Divisions (261–268 & 941)

FlowerGrower:  Yes, the shuttles that leave the hotels (actually taxis operating as cheaper shuttles that morning) will return you to the hotel.  If you are taking a shuttle, I recommend you try to be on the 6:30 one, if possible.  It takes about 10 minutes to get there...then through security a few more minutes, then the walk to PIR hall.  Checking in there.  From hotel to seated in the stands, took us about 35 minutes...and we had 9 divisions also. 

Yes, you are there about 2 hours early, but believe me...there will be lots there already.  So it is nice to be able to get your seat (check out different spots including in the balcony), test out your camera, etc.  You can bring snacks, drinks, etc in there.  They sell limited items there too. 

SARGE's MeetandGreet will have the most info for you all.  But they are all good as far as meeting people.  Sarge will give you info for the weekend....

Hey Lala I got the friend request but I think you left off the last number Saturday sounds good. My husband will be coming also his name is Ritchie and yes he likes fishing just doesn't get to do it much. I will test my info when you resend me your number. Tks

Okay, we finally gave in and booked at the Spring Hill Suites. At first we were at the Ramada! Yikes!!!!  This is so stressful! I think we will be happier at the Suites. Now I have to confirm the meet and greet at Sarge's.  "Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!....." Ho ho ho.....Just like Christmas. : D

sorry about that sputnik, I sent you a message :-)

Victoria, I can't get the Pledge of Allegiance to transfer on to this page!!! Can you do it? Thankx. : )

Any Information on Hilton Garden Inn?

Hi Lala Ribbon Queen PIR Ribbons and Sputnik 114. I just noticed your posts. Sputnik 114 I believe my stepdaughter was the one who left with your daughter. I recognize the pink shirt in your profile picture. I found out after she left that I've known her uncle Tom for years. It's a small world. Lala Ribbon Queen. I live in Hampstead, NC. It's about 10 minutes outside of Wilmington, NC. Please forgive me if I don't answer posts or get this right. I am still trying to figure out how to navigate all of this. I'm terrible at fb.

Hilton Garden Inns are nice hotels, tisdalerg.  Where is it?  Haven't heard of that one in that area.  If you plan to use a graduation shuttle on PIR day, you may want to ask the hotel if they use the shuttle (actually taxis operating as shuttles that day) for graduation day.  Most hotels won't know what you are talking about if you say PIR!  They know it as Navy Graduation.

NCNavyMom:  The more time you spend on here experimenting, the more you will learn how to navigate!  I had no clue what I was doing when I first got on.  With some help from others and lots of practice, I finally figured most of it out!

Good morning all!

Thanks for your response... It's the Hilton Garden Inn - Lake Forest Mettawa.  It's about 6 miles from Graduation.

Hi Pampered Mom. We aren't arriving at the Chicago airport until 8:40 pm Thursday evening and leaving Monday. We are staying at the LaQuinta Inn & Suites Chicago Gurnee. Starting to wonder if we should have booked somewhere else. I haven't heard much on this hotel and it doesn't have a shuttle to the graduation.

Thanks diannep....I'm learning! :)

NCNavyMom:  We have had posts from others who have stayed there...don't remember bad info on that hotel.  Have you read the "blogs" from former guests on the internet?  That may give you a better idea. 

Good news is if you decide you want to stay somewhere else for any reason, you should be able to change no with no problem up until shortly before you arrive...most hotels give you until the day before or even the day of to cancel. 

..."change with no problem..."

I know there was a place on here to RSVP for Sarges Meet and Greet, but I can't find it now???  anybody know where it is?  I need to rsvp 3 of us.....

That is wonderful NCNavyMom, We would love to meet you as well :-) We are all going to have dinner together on Saturday evening. We would love to have you or you and your hubby/other join us. I am hoping all of you can tell me the best places to eat. Something with really good seafood would be great since we don't have those places in the mountains :-) We ate at a very small restaurant near the beach area that was absolutely wonderful but it was a little expensive. We are pretty flexible :-)  My email is uniquememorymakers@yahoo.com if you could email me your phone number we will try to figure out our plans. I wish I could find moms in my area; I always seen to find more when we travel than I do here at home lol.

mkcmom:  Look up towards the top of this page for the gold rectangle with "MeetandGreets" in it.  Click on the link below it.  Once on that page, you can click on Sarge's link and there is a section at the top right on that page where you can RSVP.

So, do one of you NC (Wilmington) Moms have Initials MM? If not there is another Wilmington mom. Whoever she is she should be checking her mail closely in 2 days :-)

PamperedMom are you leaving out of Wilmington because we are leaving the 23rd at 5:30. Lora I am MM my first name is Marie but can't give you my last I will text you shortly I dropped my phone so I have been out of commission for the last 2 days

sputnik114 Looks like we are on the same flight out!!  I'm PM you my number so we can connect.  I'll see you at dinner with Lala!!  Don't you just love our call-names! 

Lala:  Darn....wish I could come to that dinner too!  You are having all of the fun!  :-)  So great that you are getting the ladies together like that!

Got my Wednesday letter today too! So happy but mixed feelings came in my letter today. So am a little worried about my SR. He now has the crud that has been going around with everyone, and says he coughs up enough stuff to fill a Big GULP. That's not good. Says he is not sleeping well at all, to tall for the bed, and right next to the bathroom with the light shining on him all night. I think he is worried he won't be able to keep up now because he says that things are really picking up now. He is in 266 says it was the 27th when he wrote the letter and they are on week 4.1 and he said battle stations with be the 18th (ish). Please send good thoughts his way and if any one would like to offer to send some big Encouragement his way just let me know. I know I am probably worrying more than I should but, hey isn't that the Momma's job?

I wish you could come too Diannep That would be awesome. I love getting together with other Navy Moms and I love bringing moms in an area together so they can connect. Beside this gives me some moms to go to in case my daughter has any problems while attending UNCW and maybe she will feel safer if she knows some adults in that area. And now it looks like she may get a babysitting job out it lol. She has been working in a daycare here for 4 years so she has lots of experience :-) 

FlowerGrower:  No, they won't go the 18th (Sat.) for Battlestations---they are never held on Fri or Sat nights.  But they will have Captains Cup that day...a fun day for all of the divisions.  Please message me if you get a definite BattleStations date from him in the future.  I'm keeping a schedule.  Thanks!

So sorry he is sick...most get sick with the crud when there.  I still think it has something to do with all of the shots their systems are flooded with when they arrive, and then the close proximity with all of the other SRs.  They get through that.  My son was one who never gets sick and he got it too when there.  They keep a close eye on them when sick...and they can go to Medical if they need to.  But it's hard to know that they feel so badly.  Hoping he feels better soon! and can get some sleep (maybe covers over the head to keep the light out of his face!).   And, yep....you are just being a totally devoted Mom! 

Great news on the babysitting job, Lala!

Hi

I'm planning on attending the meet and greet at the Ramada.  Does anyone know if kids can kids come.  I thought I read it's held at a bar of sorts??  My 11 year old daughter is traveling with us..

Please think about joining your Sailors "A" school group on here, rating group, we also have ship groups for alter on etc.

Here are some Group links:

GROUPS: Listed By Navy Job (Ratings)

Ratings, A School Locations, and Links to Groups

GROUPS: Listed By Name of US Naval Ships (actual US Naval vessels i...

ram:  All of the MeetandGreets are "family/kid" friendly so by all means...bring them!  Yes, it is in a bar/lounge area....but they have a section for the PIR group so not a problem. 

helo popping in again for my periodic link drop off...i am so desp to find others who have SR's in 263/264!..we are outnumbered at our facebook PIR and div group.stay here yes i do too..but please try and come we share letters calls pictures all kinds of things..thanks

here is PIR link https://www.facebook.com/groups/439741489392686/

here is div 263/264 and when you arrive we also have files with links to other div facebook groups to join

https://www.facebook.com/groups/500000576682558/

thank you

and by the way..thanks diannep for all your brains i read the emails from n4m daily

and the famous FTLW too of course here and on boot camp forum ..thanks

and lala too :)..all the ladies who devote their time and brains to help us newbies :)

thanks ethansmom

hi there ,  i am kind of new here but has been check this group everyday , so i decide to give it a try.  thanks for sharing all the precious info

Thanks so much cecilia, we are so glad you found us and joined this group. If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to ask. We are more than happy to help.

Welcome cecilia.  Glad you keep up with the group!

Thanks ethansmom.  We N4Moms veterans love helping out here!

Help!!  It's been such a weepy day for me.  I don't know what the heck is wrong with me.  I got a letter yesterday, albeit a short one.  My SR is doing well.  I'm proud of him.  I just miss him so dang much it hurts...  

Of course, today was a NO MAKEUP Day at work....

PamperedMom:  Yep, sounds like the RTC Bootcamp Emotional Rollercoaster that you are on with everyone else!  It is not easy...but you guys are ALMOST THERE!  It will be so worth all of this when you spot your sailor at PIR....so just hang in there!  You will be crying then too, probably (I was a total mess) but such happy and proud tears!  :-)  Here's a pik to get you ready and focused on "the prize!"

THAT is the "BIG DOOR OPENING" moment!  HOOYAH!

thanks to everybody.  my son is in div 264 , pir is 8/24.  so i hope to see you there.  i think i passed the depressed stage so to speak, now i am just excited and can not wait for the graduation to come.  my son told me he will only have two hours for us to have dinner after graduation , then he will fly to a school in s.c. .  is that true?

No, but he may have been told that, cecillia.  He should have the whole day with you Friday...until 8 or 9 pm.  He then will go back to RTC and get ready to be bussed to the airport.  They bus them in the wee hours of Sat. or Sun. morning. 

Here's the good part...you can meet him at the airport and wait with him for his flight.  You meet up at the USO at OHare, or in front of security at Midway (USO is past security).  You can obtain a gate pass (with proper ID) so you can wait with your new sailor at the gate until he leaves.  The sailors are not told that families can meet them at the airports and wait with them, so most don't know this.  But it is extra special time with your sailors.  He should have his flight info by PIR so you will know how long his wait will be....some fly out early in the mornings, some as late as late afternoon/early evening (but they still have to wait all day at the airports).

Hope you are able to get this extra time in with him!

really appreciated diannep and ethansmom.  i could sleep well last night , now i got the informative messages from you sure ease my mind a lot.  i am not only a mommy.  i am originally from Taiwan , please forgive me my poor English.  I totally love this site and glad that i joined you.  i love you all and my sailors out there.  my son wrote me almost everyday.  and i got essays in each letter..  with all the sweet words that he put in i thought i had my boy come back to me.  Thanks Navy for giving my boy back to me again. I wish i could have got him in boot camp earlier.  thanks again everyone.

Good Morning Ladies!

TY ethansmom

got a call today from my SR!  he sounded great and upbeat and it really eased my mind!  262 is doing good, earning flags, passing tests and going to firefighting tomorrow!  18 more days ladies!  18 more days!  whoo hoo!!!!   :)

Congrats, mkcmom!  Good Morning ladies!

Congrats on the call mkcmom, I know it warms your heart to just hear their voice. Hopefully many more calls coming in today :-)

Looking for Mom of Jason A. from Georgia if your on here?????

You are very welcome Dillionsmom :-)