Great Lakes A School Q&A

HELP! 
We will be traveling to see my daughter for Thanksgiving weekend. She told me last night that her chit got denied for me to check her out and in. I asked her what does that mean. She said she was told the chits were due last week and she didn't know about it. They don't talk about stuff like that when they are in class. So she's clueless.

Anyway, she said she has to ask someone to be her liberty buddy to go out with. So basically she'll have to bring someone else along with us. I mean we don't mind but it would've been nice if I could've checked her out and in myself. 

How do I clear this up? How does this go? I'm totally clueless myself. I didn't think they needed a chit to spend time with family for the weekend. 

She's phase II.

If she missed the deadline for the chit, then she has to have one or two liberty buddies.  Parents or family checking them out without a chit was for PIR weekend only, RTC policy, not TSC policy.  She probably heard it in indoc, but did not absorb it, they throw a lot of information at them all at once.

Look at it this way, you will be taking two sailors who have no visiting family out for a meal and some time off base.  Like Adopt a Sailor.  You will brighten their holiday, and make some memories.  The Navy family is wonderful that way.

Finding liberty buddies is usually not a problem, especially if there is a meal involved, or a chance to relax somewhere.  One of my best memories is going to a friend's place near Great Lakes for Turkey Day.  It should work out fine.

If he has approved leave papers, he can check himself out.  If you can get on base, you just go pick him up.  Otherwise, he has to meet you at the closest gate.

Shoot! I accidently deleted my reply. Here it goes again.

Thank you Anti M and Ken.

Hopefully all goes well. We will be there tomorrow for the entire weekend. My daughter asked one of her roommate to come with her and the roommate's reply to her was that it would be weird to hang out with your family. Haha. I hope this gal changes her mind and come out with her. 

All in all I just want to see my daughter and spend some time with her. 

Well made it to GL here at Marriott got whole homemade turkey feast, son bringing 3 Sailors with him, have no idea who, but everyone have happy thanksgiving, I'm thankful for N4M

My son, Brandon is going to A School in Great Lakes.  I believe it is Advanced Electronics with Computers.  Does anyone have a son/daughter going through this school.  My son's pir is 1/8/16

I was an ET,  before the AECF program, but it is still much the same.  Has he been told if he will be an ET or an FC yet?  They do  ATT (apprentice technical training) first, then separate A schools.  He'll be at Great Lakes close to a year, then C school in another location.

He wasn't sure what his specialty was going to be when he left for bc.  He said he would be at Great Lakes for a year but not sure where for the C school.  Will he get to choose or will they just put him where they need him?

My son will be in phase 2 for Christmas break.  What will be his limitations of time, mileage, or buddy requirements?  His Thanksgiving chit was denied, so I want to be clear on the expectations for a Christmas chit.  Thank you!

@tinpet .... they usually just tell them.  Now and then they get a choice, but no guarantee on that.  Same thing with C school, they may get a choice if they have a high GPA, and of there is a system they want in the pool of orders for the class.  

@mom2stg ... every Christmas chit for leave is approved unless the sailor is on restriction (you'd know if that were the case).  They have the opportunity to take up to two weeks, even if they have not earned that much.  I do not suggest this as they're using their earned paid vacation days and might not have any after A school.  

There are no mile limits, curfews, or buddies on leave.  That all only applies to liberty, aka normal time off.

I have a blog about leave or liberty, lots of details.  I hope it answers more questions.

http://navyformoms.com/profiles/blogs/leave-vs-liberty

AntiM, thank you!  N4M is a wonderful resource of support and information.  Have a wonderful Christmas!

Here is the link for gift cards.  

https://www.shopmyexchange.com/scs

If you use the gift card link, you should be able to send a gift card directly to your sailor using his military address.  You cannot send it to yourself to put in a card or package.  If he has an email, try the egiftcard option.  Let me know if it works. Please?

I just used the link and I was able to send it my address.  This way when my son comes home for Christmas, I can give it to him as part of his gift.  No problem with sending it to our home (so far).

Great!  I have heard conflicting things about that.  I did know non-authorized users got cards to their kids through that link.  I guess I need to see it incognito.

We were at the NEX in Norfork last week.  I wanted to pick up cards for my son there while he accompanied us.  But it was Black Friday.  Need I say any more???  We did get parking right away (go figure) but the lines at the check outs were insane and we would have been late for a tour of the base.  So I am glad to have had the opportunity to get a card with this link.

My son was able to take his cell phone back to A school. He did not take it until after he was moved to A school. Will he be staying in GL for A school? 

Your welcome!! He is able to take it back to A School Friday night when you return him from Liberty. :-) 

After PIR, will my son be able to stay the weekend with us or do we have to take him back to base each night?  That is if he has liberty all weekend.

He will still be in Phase 1 on induction to A school and will be allowed Liberty from aprox. 0700-2200 hours. When we were there in July for my son's PIR we were able to pick him up at 6AM (it took about 30 minutes or so for the process) and he had to be back to barricks no later than 2200 for muster. My son made sure he was back by 2130 each night.

MissingMySon he can have his cell phone after he is checked in to his A school. After the PIR ceremony, you will have a short time to visit with him (30 minutes or so) and then he will have to check in to A school. This involves moving all their stuff from their current barracks to their new barracks on base. Takes a few hours. 
You can usually pick him up later that evening and he can come off base with you for a visit. Make sure to leave PLENTY of time that first night to get him back to base on time, as there will be a long line of other new sailors doing the same thing. The line won't be as long the rest of the nights, as those who are shipping out to other locations will have left. It is just the first night that is really bad.
You will be able to sign him in and out each day on the weekend, but he has to return to base every night.

Keep in Mind, you CAN Drive him back to his ship to check him back in , you don't have to walk to his ship. When you pick him up, he can come to the gate and then drive back to his ship to sign out. SAVES a TON of time. 

Thank you so much for the responses to my questions.

Cerena, those are all fine.  Will he have earned phase 3 by then?

Which A school?  Each one has a different address!

Barracks doesn't matter, it is based on the school for his rating, DC.  i will google it, but so far all I can find is a phone number to the quarterdeck.  There are thousands of student sailors there, getting a specific address is not easy.  I'll try.

Have you tried the TSC Facebook page too?  That may work better/quicker.

https://www.facebook.com/TrainingSupportCenterGreatLakes/?fref=ts

In the meantime, here is some info for his school.

CNE

Building 236

(847) 688-3466

Center for Naval Engineering (CNE) Great Lakes provides apprentice and advanced technical training to several surface ratings. The command provides technical education in areas of Basic Engineering Common Core which provides apprentice-level training to all engineering ratings and Machinist Mate (MM), Gas Turbine Specialist (GS), Engineman (EN), Hull Technician (HT), Machinery Repairman (MR), Damage Controlman (DC) and Electrician’s Mate (EM) Strands, and various “C” Schools.

He could always buy a cheap burner phone until he can get his?

Is he coming home for stand down? If so I would just wait. If he is not, then when you do get the address send the phone in small package by USPS the if it fits it ships envelope with some bubble wrap. The packages come right to the buildings and it usually takes 3 days from Texas to get to great lakes, and you have tracking up till gets to the base.

Erica,

I sent you a message. Check your inbox.

He's taking a taxi from Glakes to the airport?  Why?  MWR  provides low cost shuttles for stand down, to all airports, right from the barracks, in time for most flights. A taxi is actually a hassle and far more expensive than it needs to be.

He needs to check with MWR.  Also, he needs to see if anyone else is leaving the same day and split the fare.

I have a question about the shuttle--do you know the cost of it? I was about to make arrangements for my son with Sarge at a discounted price for stand down. Sarge schedules taxis in groups so the cab is full if possible. The concern is availability of the shuttle when he would need to to and from the airport. 

Last year it was $15?  I can't find this year's info.  Is he leaving a different day than most of them?  They're told not to book flights before 10~noon because there are so many to check out that morning.

No, his flight will be in the afternoon---who is the shuttle run by? The base? Is there a link to the shuttle site that I could check please?

Thanks for the update.  I had no idea it was so much!  Good to know.

Sarge's taxi (meet and greet Sarge) service is great. he is vetted for on base pick up and he gives our recruits a discount. Instead of the normal taxi from GL to Midway (180 -one way from other cab companies) --for the stand-down, it was 85 -plus 1 per sailor in the taxi-split between them. My son's fare to Midway ended up being 25 with tip. 

OK I am looking for someone who will be arriving back at GL via Midway on Saturday around 7 pm to share a taxi ride back to base with my son.

Please let me know thanks.

Kimmy

My son arrives at A School tomorrow.  Taking a taxi from the O'Hare Airport.  It looks like the taxi is only able to drop off at one location on the base.  I am wondering how he will get to where he needs to be with all of his luggage from the drop off point. Any help would be appreciated.

BBS try getting a hold of Sarge's taxi. I believe his is the only taxi service allowed to drive on base, and I know he does trips to the airport too.

He will have a wardrobe, or large locker, to keep everything put away.  He cannot wear civilian clothes for a couple weeks to a month.  He might be changing rooms, if so, he has to lug all his crap with him.  I always suggest to keep it light  in A school.  Once he gets to a ship, he will have even LESS room.  Maybe just a good coat or shoes, or a nice watch. He won't need more than one or two sets of civilian clothes at most right away.  However, good underwear and socks are always useful.

Do not buy him a lot of "stuff",  gift cards to restaurants are more practical.