Great Lakes A School Q&A

Any advise for the weekend (days) after PIF?  Ideas of what (what not) to do.

Thanks  Jenn :)  Can you (or anyone) give me some ideas of what (personal items) they are allowed to have at GL Divers A school?  Since he was in BC during Christmas, I will be bringing a few gifts, but I don't know what they need/can have there.  (any personal clothing? personal hygiene? electronics? anything else?).  Thanks SO much for all the help!

Hi My son went to A school in January in Great Lakes. He was able to take his phone and computer. Last week he called and asked me to send him some clothing.

Be aware they must be able to move everything all at once, by themselves.  Some of the barracks do NOT allow food, so your sailor must check the rules for their ship.  Personal blankets may be allowed, but chances are they can't stay on the bed when not in use.  They do have a locker to keep it in during the day.

A battery operated clock is a GREAT idea!  I still have mine after all these years, I don't use it, but I have it!

Hi everyone! I sent a package to my son at GL a-school, i know the package was delivered to the base on Saturday. Does anyone know how long until they actually deliver the package to his dorm,and what the procedure is. Does he have to be there to receive it?

Also, don't forget that there is a NEX on base, very close to the barracks.  My hubby got a nice wind up alarm clock there, no batteries needed (I hate it, it's loud!! He loves it.)  There is no tax on anything purchased there.  The sailors can buy everything from uniform stuff, to civvies to laptops and food, there is even a GNC inside the NEX on base.  I have found prices to be comparable to a Target or WalMart in the area.  And there is a larger, department store style NEX a mile down the road right next to the commissary. 

They will give him the notice at mail call, then he will need to go to the mail room to pick it up during business hours. Packages are not delivered directly to the sailors.

Thank you Anti M and Public Affairs for your response. Do you know how long it will take for my son to get notified he has a package? I tracked the package and and it showed as being delivered this past Saturday. I'm asking because i have another package to send him, and i just want to make sure he gets the first one before i send the 2nd. Just in case...

Just curious my husband graduated boot camp Friday and is now in A School in GL, he is in docking now he that sometime next week he can do paperwork for us to move up there. Does anyone know how long it takes to get a house on base in GL? 

Does anyone know why it takes a couple of weeks before they get their permanent room (address for we can write him)..and also how long is it before school starts for Sonar...it seems alittle disorganized...

My SR grads on 2/1 for sonar and I'm also wondering how long before he starts ATT school. :)  ???

They go into a temporary room while attending indoc.  TSC is shuffling hundreds of students in and out weekly.... it is organized chaos.  And sometimes the students are given the mailing address, and they don't think to share, or they're still in boot camp mindset and don't go ask for it.   They may stay in one barracks for ATT and another for A school itself.

It may have been a very long time since I was there, but I changed rooms several times.  That's why they need to keep no more stuff than they can move all at once, by themselves.  

Just after the holidays is extra chaotic, as they may be assigned to one room until their barracks is opened back up (they close some of them during the holidays and move the handful who remain behind).  

Thanks.  It must have been hectic last week.

hello! Tiff(Ship 11 Div 057) Once he has their orders it doesnt take but like 5 minutes, me and my husband just moved to Great Lakes, and we went to see houses off base, but trust me on base houses are nicer, and better. And we went to the housing office and we just fill up paperwork and they gave us a house next day! I am new here also, and we just got married, so I dont know a lot but if I can help with anything, just let me know!

Also any wives leaving in Great Lakes? I would like to make some friends! =) 

My son also just graduated and has moved several times. I have been asking him what he wants me to send to him and he is unsure if "this" is going to be the place he stays. I do understand there are hundreds of sailors there but it does seem very disorganized..

Hi Jessicass, I'm moving to GL very soon (I think) to be there with my husband. He was told we will be there till next year.

Does anyone know anything about the GSE c-school? My husband told me this week that not all GSEs have c-school - that only some are chosen to continue on. He said it's still in Great Lakes but didn't say anything about how long it is. 

Hey Ladies, so we're moving to Great Lakes soon finally :) And I wanted to know if anyone knows if Fox Crest apartments are any good? The reviews online are sort of giving me mixed feelings, I'll be staying on my own the majority of the time with my one year old and I always have a baby on the way so I want to make sure the place we get is a really safe environment. Thanks in advance :) 

Thanks so much Jessica! I REALLY want to move on base, I don't know Chicago AT ALL and my brother keeps telling me about all these bad areas over there. But my husband is some what hard headed and keeps insisting we find a place off base so we can save :(  

ugh! all these messages about moving and "less is better" are things I had been telling my son. He asked me ship his desktop computer (yes, tower & monitor) to him! I did not agree with his decision, but it was his to make. Maybe, just maybe, he will come to his senses, and ship the darn thing back! (praying!!!)  :/

Hi, We would like to know if the Sailors in A school at Great Lakes will have any time off at Easter this year.  It was great to have him home at Christmas.  Easter is early this year it's on March 31st.  We will go to Great Lakes to see him if they don't have much time off.

MommaJeri, isn't it hard letting them make decisions that we can see they will regret?  I hear ya!  My sailor has been my "easy" kid, but I've almost bit all the way through my tongue with my older boys sometimes.  However, thank you for keeping the USPS or some lucky shipping company in business.  ;)

Hello Ladies, does anyone know how long it takes the Sailor's their Live Off Shore papers approved? My husband is planning on going today to the housing office to find out about base housing (YES I was finally able to convince him to go with base housing instead of off base ^_^) he is going to start filling out his Live off shore papers and our papers to receive the money to help move us over there. I was curious to know how long does this process normally take??  

TSC GL Public Affairs Office, I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of GM2 Hill.  I'm sure those of you who knew him are still in shock.  I never met him, but feel a loss, too, since we are one big Navy family.  Sincere sympathy.

Can someone explain the difference to me between Dive prep and great lakes "A" scoool.  is it the same thing?  There is a group for GL "A" school but I don't even know if this is where my son will be going after PIF or if he goes to "dive prep" and upon completion, the divers "A" school is in PC.  I am still confused! 

An A school teaches them their basic rate.  So dive prep school is not A school.  However, it is at Great Lakes training command, where the A schools are located. So after PIR he'll be going over to the TSC side with the other student sailors.  

Does anyone know if there is an online site that we can go to to see what apartments or houses are available on base? The husband is going to be getting us our place soon but he is really stressed out the ATT school so I'd love to be able to help out in any way I can.

Public Affairs Office, maybe you can help with this question. My son received like 3 paychecks in 2012 while in bootcamp. Is a W2 form going to be mailed home for taxes, or do they get it at a-school?

Public Affairs Office, it the Mypay website on Navy.com or is it a different site?

Got it! Thank you PAO

TSC PAO, would you post a link to the free tax services on base?  I'm sure many parents will be relieved to know their sailors have this resource available to them.  

Can Sailors have their cameras while in ATT school?

My son just started A-School at GL this week.  He is going to be an EM.  Does anyone know how long this actually takes? Will they be allowed to come home for Easter?

Easter is not a federal holiday, they don't take a break for it.  

MelMe251 - my boyfriend is also am EM. His PIR was 9/14 and he will be graduating next week. It may take longer or shorter for your son depending on how many times he gets put on hold and how long those holds will be, but it took a little bit over 4 months for my boyfriend (he had a couple weeks off for Christmas Stand down as well). Hope that gives you a rough idea!

Hello MelMe251 - my sailor is an EM as well. Anti M is correct about Easter as the PAO has also commented on Easter. My son's A school appears to be about 16 - 18 weeks long. They start out in BECC and then have to go through ATT before attending Electrical strand. I am not sure how long each section is, only that my son is getting ready to begin ATT and is currently scheduled to graduate electical strand in April (accrding to his orders). We jsut take it as it comes because you never know what can happen. Welcome Aboard!

Anyone out there that has a son or daughter waiting for the Sonar Classes to begin

My son has PIR date of 2-1-13 and he is sonar. Got any info on holds?

Also, regarding taking leave after A-School: There is a program where the Sailor can leave for 2 weeks, but only get charged for one. They spend the other week working at their local recruiting office. They're "on duty" during that second week, but get to come home after work.

Check with your local recruiting office to see if your Sailor is eligible.

Congrats to all the FCs that graduated yesterday with the Center for Surface Combat Systems Graduation ceremony, including my Sailor!  Now we await word on the next adventure she will go on in the Navy, as with all her fellow Sailors.  Proud of them all!

So we found out that in order for him to live ashore one of us needs to have a driver's license (which neither one of us has yet) but does anyone know if we need a driver's license in order for me and my daughter to get a house on base, without my husband living with us?

Could someone tell me how long A school is for HT?  I know it will be in Great Lakes, but don't know for how long?