Great Lakes A School Q&A

Anti M you have a Fabulous Time, and thank you for the reply I can see where it does make sense.

Oh, I still have a couple days before we fly out for the weekend.  This is a real treat and I get to see old friends!  I am very excited.

It sounds exciting, be safe in your travels. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! and many more!

Anyone know how to obtain a physical address for Boorda Hall so that we can send a care package to our sailor?  They are allowed to get stuff, right? Any info would be helpful...

This is what I have found for Boorda Hall, but I would check with your Sailor and get the correct address.

Address: 237 Clark Ave, North Chicago, IL 60088

That is the address I found online but I was wondering if I put my sailors name and that address on a package if he would get it. I wish we got an official letter with address like Boot Camp. Maybe sailors need to go the base Post Office and get a POBox....does anyone know??

Ocean Blue did he just get to A school? meaning did he just Graduate from BC. Your Sailor would know what BEQ he is in. Does he have a cell phone where you can text him, I would get it from him instead of guessing. They do have a post office on base. when it is shipped it goes to the post office then it will be taken to base post office and picked up from there. it is closed on the weekends, they will get a slip stating that they have a pick up then they go to post office.

Ocean Blue my son is also in Boorda Hall he is getting me the address, as soon as I get it I will post it on your page.

How is your son liking the rooms? my son loves it.

I love that verse. Thank you for sharing.

Deliveries cannot be made directly to the barracks buildings, it is a security thing about access to base by the delivery drivers.  

You can send a cake through BakeMeAWish, they make cakes specifically meant to be mailed to FPO addresses overseas, so those cakes would surely stand up to the mailroom in Great Lakes!

https://www.bakemeawish.com/operation-birthday-cakes.php

PO boxes are not available to student sailors at TSC, again, security purposes.  All packages must be opened in front of the OOD on watch to be sure there is no contraband.  

Good Morning Ladies, hope you all had a nice peaceful evening, Thank You Butterball. Ocean Blue left you a message on your page. Hope you all have a great Day.

Anti M question if we send letters will they open it also? Thanks

No, not letters.  Just packages.  

Thank You Anti M, I can always count on you. Have a Blessed Day.

Thank you, and you also.  And thank you for all the hard work you're doing to help the others on this site.  Bravo zulu!

Thanks that means a lot, I really enjoy it!

Thank you ladies for the info. My son is thrilled with his room in Boorda Hall...he likes the space and privacy and his roommate! Only complaint...hot water and heating issues in the room!  Hopefully, they can get that worked out.:)

Ocean Blue did you get the address, my son took a pic of it.

I did not get the address yet...my sailor was supposed to send me a pic but hasn't yet

I sent to you this morning.

ok Ocean Blue check again

A friend of mine got shoe polish on his Navy sheets - any suggestions.

Ammonia and Water (1:1), or Rubbing Alcohol and Water (1:2). Blot as much polish as possible out of the sheet first. Then tap one of the above mixtures to remove the stain (you need to put a cloth under the stain while doing this). Don't rub the stain you might just spread it.  Dish washing liquid to finish it. 

Good Morning Ladies received this info in my email would like to share.

My son will be staying for his A school after graduation. I hope we get to spend time with him while at PIR but I have read he will be busy directly afterwards. 

Tina if your Son/Sailor stays in Great Lakes you will have time with him after PIR, but they have to go pack then get bussed to the school across the street, they will be available at or around 2:30/3:00. he will call you when he is heading down to Visitors Center and then you will pick him up and may have to drive him on base to be checked out. Don't know if they are still doing that but we had to sign our Son out/in same person who signed him out will sign him in. he will get briefed at the time he needs to be back, just make sure it's a little earlier to be on the safe side.

Thank you Phoenixmom. I have read some information about pick up and drop off and frankly the base is intimidating to me. I figure after the first time it won’t be so bad. I can not wait to get to PIR just to see him!

Tina left you a message on your page.

Tina, another thing that I didn't know about until just a couple of days before my son's PIR: they often get liberty again on Saturday and even Sunday! They still have to go back each evening, but we were able to take our son into the city and saw the Field Museum with him. (Also, after the ceremony and busing to the other base - the wait from the time when they call to say they're on the way until they get to the gate is very, very long for some of them. Or it could just be that our sense of time gets really distorted by all the expectation!)

That is, the sailors staying in the Great Lakes base for A school often get the extra days. 

I am super excited! I have  read so much but dIdnt know how much was true so I had decided just to roll with it. It’s 3 weeks since he left and I am hopeful for a phone call this week. I have already sent letters galore! 

The boot camp weeks are tough because there's so little we can do from home and we don't get a lot of info until one of those rare calls comes through. Don't be surprised if you don't get many letters back. They keep them really busy. The phone calls always surprised me, and I was lucky that my son saw it for the temporary thing that it is. Be ready for the call to end very suddenly! My kiddo would be talking away, then out of nowhere, "Gotta go, bye!" LOL

Anyone have an estimate on how long it takes for sailors to "Class up" after PIR. My son has been on hold now for approx. 3 weeks. Seems like a long time to me but maybe not in Navy time :\ He is waiting to start BECC....

No telling, it can take weeks or months.  Three weeks is not long.  He's being paid, housed, and fed, and he doesn't have to go to sea, so he should enjoy the downtime. 

The most helpful thing we've picked up in the last year since my son joined is that there is no guessing what will happen when. Sometimes they'll even be told something's planned, and the plans will suddenly change. I think it's best to try to let go of expectations and go with the flow. For us, it took a period of deliberately choosing to not worry about it. Just tell him to always be ready for change and/or waiting to pop up out of nowhere and to try to make the best of it!

I'm so excited for my sailor! He spent the past six weeks (before and after the stand down) in an older barracks with some inconsiderate roomies, and today he was moved into the staff barracks for his last two+ weeks before shipping out! It's supposed to be one of the nicest barracks. What a neat stroke of luck!

Ocean Blue my son was one of the last from his class, so this does happen. and he is just going with the flow, but it's coming soon.

Carey how exciting, My son was also moved from barracks to a small apartment looking room and shares with one other Fellow, they have a small kitchen sink and microwave only. He also will be shipping out in about 2 weeks.

Ocean Blue, my son was lucky and started A School the next week.  But now he is about to graduate, and he is on of the last ones to have his orders, so the waiting will begin.

Hi - new to the group; my son just had PIR on 1/19 and is now in A school for rank of Quartermaster.  It was so wonderful to be able to spend the weekend with him!  He seemed so much more grown-up. Looking forward to this new chapter in his new Navy life...

Hello summer_girl, welcome aboard. Congratulations on your son's graduation.

Good Morning.  My son had PIR January 12.  He was to leave for San Diego the next morning.  At PIR he tells us he is staying in GL for intro class then leaving for SD.  Well now he is waiting for his class to fill at GL.  Could be several more weeks.  So Carey I totally am learning to go with the flow. 

Good Morning Ladies, hope all is fine. Welcome Ladies to the group, yes patience is a virtue, until a class fills up hey will wait, but believe me they are busy, no time to sit around. Hi Butterball hope all is good with you, Well my son is almost done with A school and is going to SD also, I believe Feb. 7th is the day, so I too will be on another Journey. Have a Great Day Ladies.

San Diego will seem like paradise after a taste of winter in Great Lakes!

Here is the information for the USO at the airport in SD, they can head there to gather their thoughts and take a breath before heading to base.

https://www.usosandiego.org/neil-ash-airport-center

Anti M thank you I put it on my favorites, I left you a message.

Got it.  Hang in there, everything works out.

So Ladies I see that there are a few new Moms on here, it is so nice to have you along. Believe me A school is so much easier to handle, you get to chat, Skype, text , talk. Nothing like BC that is for sure. They will have their Duty days and school and maybe even night school but that is a good thing but you will always be able to hear from them. Now my Son was going to be an EM so now that I completely know the correct term  is EMFN+= Electricians Mate/Fireman. Thanks o Anti M she is good full of Knowledge. They do attend 2 different classes that they must pass before A school. I believe one was a ATT, second was IT. so it was a total of 5 to 6 moths of schooling. Best wishes to your Sailors in A school. if you want to know more about the schooling of your Sailor you could ask Anti M or Google their Rate (job) and much info will pop up. best wishes!

Hi Phoenixmom, getting back into the swing of things. It has been crazy at the police department. How have you been? Missing my son for sure, but oh so proud.