Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Anti M - I will pass along your comments to my son. I know he says the dress blues are more of a pain to press and get neat looking than the dress whites. He received a few lint rollers in his stocking and stain remover as well, although he chided me that he could get them at the mini NEX.

I figured a house would be cheaper, it just depends on which location he goes for Prototype. He still has awhile before he gets to that point, so it surprised me he was trying to look into it at Christmas time. I realized how much of my "pre-planning" tendencies he had actually picked up on.

And yes, my son commented as well that he would be having to buy the new  working green uniforms.

Good Morning, 

My SR daughter asked me to send her cough drops, she says they can have them. They like cough drops because they can not have candy. I'm going to send an unopened package to her, but I know she'll have to open them in front her RDC, Has anyone had this request from their SR? I want to send them but do not want her to get into trouble either, so I just wanted to check first. Thank you for any insight. 

Good Morning Thirty8Speshell as far as I know they are not to receive anything. They are able to go to the NEX when the time is available and she may get them there. Please read over this site and it will give instructions as to when and what can be received.

Letter Writing & Fun Stuff/Questionnaires to send to your Recruit

Thank you Phoenixmom for your reply. I've been real hesitant to send them and I'm glad I asked.

I would say rent a vehicle, we did when we went down it was easier for us to get around. We took a few tours in Chicago it was really nice but then in was in September. Also when going to PIR your Sailor may have to go get things packed so it makes it easier to go back to Hotel and wait for a call and then go and pick Him/Her up. and you have the leisure to go shopping and out to eat and not have to wait on anyone. There are ways around the tolls, the whole time we were there we never paid any tolls. Hope this helps.

Thirty8Speshell you are welcome, It's better to be safe than sorry, and I would hate for her to get into trouble.

A rental is convenient near the base, to go to dinner and the mall, etc.,  but parking in Chicago itself is very expensive and limited.  If you are going all the way into the City, then yes, the metro is a much better option.  You can do a combination of both.

You can avoid most tolls by using Route 41, it goes all the way to Chicago and will get you from Chicago to RTC and nearby lodging. If you are traveling through Chicago on the way to and from Great Lakes, follow 94 East which merges into Route 41 to avoid toll roads. Your hotel may be able to give you directions to the RTC that will avoid toll roads. 

This site I am posting is what Sarge will go over at the Meet and Greet, if for some reason you are unable to go please open and read, it gives directions to PIR and the visiting center. Visiting Center is where you will pick up your Sailor for liberty after PIR. and it gives instructions on those who will be flying out. So it is very good Info.

www.mynavytaxi.com/goodies.html

If you don’t know where your Sailor will go for training, go to Ratings, A School Locations, and Links to Groups.

The "I'm a Sailor!" calls can come 1 to 10 days prior to PIR on a weekday and usually start around 2 pm Central Time, but can start earlier or later, and can come as late as around 8 pm Central Time. Therefore, it is best to have your phone close by all day. When your Sailor makes that call, s/he will most likely be very tired since s/he will have been up since 5 am the previous day and won't make it into his/her rack until between 8 and 10 pm that night, but you and your Sailor will be very proud and very happy. Please ask your Sailor if everyone in his/her division passed and post that within your PIR group. Some new Sailors may not get to make their calls until later if they have watch, a medical appointment, or other reason,

See Saving Money PIR Weekend and PIR Day and Liberty during PIR Weekend.US National Weather Service Chicago Illinois

I forgot to mention on the mynavytaxi.com it also gives restaurants where you can go eat and gives your Sailor a free meal/or Discounts. Also where you can catch the train/bus just in case you need public transportation. Just want to make sure you all have all the information you need to make your trip as smooth as possible!

And Moms/Dads Gurnee Mall has quite a bit of stores that give your Sailor Military Discounts. One thing I recommend is to have Him/Her get New Tennis shoes. they do not want to continue to use the ones from BC, they can hurt their feet. Just an FYI.

Please click the link and join the PIR group for your recruit.

  PIR: January 5, 2018 TG 09 - 14 Divisions (043-054, 908 and 909)  4 guests

      PIR: January 12, 2018 TG 10 - 7 Divisions (055-060 and 910) 4 guests

      PIR: January 19, 2018 TG 11 - 12 Divisions (061-070, 805 and 911) 4 guests       

      PIR: January 26, 2018 TG 12 - 12 Divisions (071-080, 806 and 912) 4 guests 

      PIR: February 02, 2018 TG 13  - 15 Divisions (081-094 and 913) 4 guests

      PIR: February 09, 2018 TG 14 - 16 Divisions (094-106, 807 & 808, 914 & 915) 3 guests     

There will be no PIR on Feb. 16th and 23rd.

For those attending the PIR this Friday or the  Day you are scheduled there is something to think about. It is Shuttle vs. Driving. Now you can make arrangement with your Hotel when you check in for a shuttle pick up. I believe they begin at 6:00am you will be put on a list for the time slot you ask for. It is 3.00 a person the van holds up to six people. You will bypass the People in line that are driving but you will also be standing in a line as you go thru the gate. And it is about 100 yards or more to the Hall. So with this you have to figure on the weather and I'm sure right now it's pretty cold. Now Driving to PIR you can stay warm the line goes by pretty quick just make sure you have your registration or rental agreement along with tickets and Id's ready and parking is close to the hall. Please no cell phone use while driving and seat belts they are adamant about this. so it is a give or take on what you choose to do. When you have a big group graduating you want to be there early so you can grab a seat in front of your Loved ones Div. some don't get to because it fills up fast. there is no standing, you will be asked to sit or find a seat. so something to think about.

If you go on to these websites there is a good chance you may be able to see your Loved one, Now not all recruits may be on here so just beware and don't get upset. It is worth a try though.

Yes, check out https://www.facebook.com/NavyRecruitTrainingCommand and http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/. They will have lots of information for you. https://www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining also has items at times.

https://www.facebook.com/ASBPGreatLakes has pics of some of the

Well Ladies and Gents hope you all have a great Evening, those who are experiencing the bad weather on the east coast/ Midwest please be safe. Praying for those who are enduring the loss of family members in the Mud slides in CA.

May the calls and letters come your way, and again thanks for all the great questions.

Just remember there is no such thing as a dumb question, So please do not hesitate to ask. Their are many knowledgeable people on here that can answer or find an answer for you. So Welcome to the site and share with others, you will find many who may be experiencing the same as you, and who knows you may just find a friend for Life.

Good Morning Ladies and Gents hope you all had a nice Evening, Paul thank You for sharing on the weather you and your family please be safe.

Welcome to the New Comers Glad to have you along, if there is anything we can answer for you please just ask.

  PIR: January 5, 2018 TG 09 - 14 Divisions (043-054, 908 and 909)  4 guests

      PIR: January 12, 2018 TG 10 - 7 Divisions (055-060 and 910) 4 guests

      PIR: January 19, 2018 TG 11 - 12 Divisions (061-070, 805 and 911) 4 guests       

      PIR: January 26, 2018 TG 12 - 12 Divisions (071-080, 806 and 912) 4 guests 

      PIR: February 02, 2018 TG 13  - 15 Divisions (081-094 and 913) 4 guests

      PIR: February 09, 2018 TG 14 - 16 Divisions (094-106, 807 & 808, 914 & 915) 3 guests 

There will be no PIR on the 16th and 23rd

I would like to extend a Big" Congratulations" to those Families Attending PIR tomorrow.

Have an amazing Time with your "New Sailor" What a sight it will be. They will look so Beautiful/Handsome in their Uniforms so take lots of photos and video. I suggest be there early because you will want to sit in front of His/hers Division the Div. numbers will be in front of bleachers on the ground. you have a choice of sitting in the balcony or lower seating. They also will have a Vendor inside selling challenge coins and T-shirts ect. It gets crowded and their are some who will not sit in their Division if Late, There is no standing you will be asked to sit.

Please be safe in your travels and dress warm, if you get overheated inside you may want to sit on your Coats/Jackets the bleachers tend to get a little hard after sitting for a while. and with all that being said "HOOYAH" Best wishes to your Son/Daughter and may their Journey be an Awesome one!

You can avoid most tolls by using Route 41, it goes all the way to Chicago and will get you from Chicago to RTC and nearby lodging. If you are traveling through Chicago on the way to and from Great Lakes, follow 94 East which merges into Route 41 to avoid toll roads. Your hotel may be able to give you directions to the RTC that will avoid toll roads. 

And Moms/Dads Gurnee Mall has quite a bit of stores that give your Sailor Military Discounts. One thing I recommend is to have Him/Her get New Tennis shoes. they do not want to continue to use the ones from BC, they can hurt their feet. Just an FYI.

See Saving Money PIR Weekend and PIR Day and Liberty during PIR Weekend.US National Weather Service Chicago Illinois

The New shoes part Those would be for the ones staying in Great Lakes, I am not to sure about those flying out, I know there will be limited space in there bag so I'm sure once they get to where they are going they will be able to purchase.

For those flying out to A school - the one thing my son asked me to bring was his favorite pair of running shoes from home. I brought a drawstring bag to the airport and in it I had his cell phone and charger, tennis shoes, and a pair of his favorite shorts (it was summer still). We were able to put those items inside his backpack that he was issued as well as his sea bag and garment bag.

Phoenixmom is correct though, they don't really have a lot of room to carry extra stuff. His sea bag was full. And while they might be able to take an extra checked bag for free since flying on orders, once they reach their destination and have to get transportation to their A school, too much extra luggage could also be an issue.

Best advice, wait for most other things until they get settled and can let you know what they need. It may cost to ship but cheaper than purchasing new clothes or look into shipping from companies that offer free or reduced prices.

My son did ask me to send extra white underwear to him mostly so he had more to wash with his whites!!

If you join the group for your recruits rating, many of the veterans there can help with knowing what is or is not allowed / needed  in various A schools. Some may have a discussion about such items.

Congratulations to all the new sailors!!

Here is the sight for you to look up on ratings and A schools. Thank You Chipmunk!

If you don’t know where your Sailor will go for training, go to Ratings, A School Locations, and Links to Groups.

I just received a letter from my son, he hasn’t received any of our letters or the guest form for PIR I mailed back immediately. I believe it was Dec 27th. 

His letter was dated January 7th, as you can imagine he’s a little bummed about not having any contact since before he flew out, he didn’t have a cell phone to make the I’m here call, and very stressed abt not getting form back because he thinks we won’t be allowed.

is this delay normal? 

Tracie yes the delay is normal. I experienced the same thing with my husband and was worried because I had sent tons of letters. His letters the following week stated he did receive them so don’t worry I’m sure your next letters will say the same!

Question.  My son went into BC on 12/6.  We did receive his box but never received his form.  Can I download the form, fill it out and send it to him?  I have yet to talk to him on the phone and have asked him through letters but have not received a response.  He graduates on 2/9.  Any suggestions??  TY!

Hi Ladies and Gents here is a site that you can look over in regards to letters being received and the mailroom.

See http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=90290 for more on how mail is processed.)

I understand how frustrating it can be about the letter situation if you read this site it also can give you an idea about letters being received or when they can write.

Letter Writing & Fun Stuff/Questionnaires to send to your Recruit

If you receive a "real" letter without receiving the form letter, don't worry. Determine if there is another person that your recruit would have sent the form letter to and ask to see it. If no one received a form letter, write to your recruit and let him/her know that you never got the form letter and ask if s/he can send out one or just tell you the password and names of the guests s/he plans to put on the Access List. There are times that a form letter is not sent by accident if a recruit was one of the last to fill a division (usually a Push Division or if a recruit was moved from one division to another at the end of P-days) and the form letters were already sent out by the others in the division. Some recruits have not sent the form letter because they had a medical or dental appointment or were being interviewed for security clearance when the form letters were being sent. If you do not get the password, you will need to take a taxi or shuttle to the gate and walk in or park across the street at the Metra parking lot and then walk in. You could send a questionnaire such as the one in BCQuestionnaire.doc. (This is a questionnaire that I prepared for a mom who had not received the form letter, but had received 2 regular letters from her recruit.) (You can find a copy of the current form letter in the Page, The Form Letter. The brochure that is included from MWRGL about hotels and other things is at RTC Friends and Family Brochure July 2017 rev.pdf.) It is very important that you let your recruit know if no form letter is received because you need to send back the security form that comes with The Form Letter in order to obtain the tickets for PIR.

Know there are no longer passwords or gate passes, you now receive tickets.

Q. How can I find out if my recruit is graduating? Will you put a list up on the Web site?
A. Recruits are required to contact their family if their training is disrupted and they will not graduate on time. If you have not heard from your recruit, no news is good news. Unfortunately, because we can have over 1,000 graduating Sailors each week and divisions may be running Battle Stations during the week of graduation; it is not feasible to accurately list every graduating recruit online.

When Son/Daughter get to BC during the night and they don't have a cell phone most of the time they can ask someone there with a phone if they may borrow to call, I know my son did so not all the time will it be the area code for Chicago it can be any area code. I am sorry for those who didn't receive the I'm here and ok call, I would feel pretty bummed myself. So for those who are barely going to BC maybe it's a good idea to take their phone, it will be sent back enclosed in box with clothes. Maybe shoved in his/her shoes or pocket. Some who do not receive a box it may be because they donated their shoes or clothes that too can happen.

Recruits are sometimes given 2 minutes for this call, but even then some recruits stick to the basics they are told to share and cut the call short. This call can come at any time, even in the wee hours of the morning for some depending on the flight or bus schedule. This call may be from the recruit's cell phone or a borrowed cell phone from another recruit arriving at the same time since there are no longer phone banks available upon arrival. If your recruit took a cell phone with him or her, then this will be the last call from that phone before you receive it back in "the box" a few days later. See Phone Cards and Phone Calls for more on that.

Some recruits trash or donate the clothes that were worn to the RTC rather than paying for sending them home, but if your recruit took a cell phone with him/her, you will receive "the box" or you may receive a large padded FedEx envelope rather than a box. (Look for the cell phone in one shoe and the battery in the other shoe or in separate pockets.)

If anyone was wondering about the Sandboxx app I have been recently sending my husband letters through them because it’s more convenient for me and I can include pictures. He said he has received the letters and it only takes 3 days from the day I write the letters for him to receive them. He also really enjoys seeing the pics attached. I recommend using it just be aware it does cost money to send the letters. 

Thank y’all so much feeling better! I rushed to post office to send an additional letter haha silly mom thing to do!

My son lost his cell phone two days before he left when he went out with his marine buddy. Grrr he had a phone to borrow but the other guy couldn’t get a hold of his people and they ran out of time. 

I didn’t expect a call as he called me night before to say he’d try but not to worry. 

Just hurt my heart thinking of him thinking we aren’t writing, ugh but he will be surprised when he gets all his mail so yay!

Kelz89 Thank you for sharing the app, I heard all good about the app many Parents use it and really like it.

Tracie all will be fine, and your right when he receives all your letters he will be one happy Camper.

Thank you Phoenixmom!  Very strange that I asked this question today because I got the form from my son today.  It was the same form that I had originally downloaded and was going to send to him.  That was all that was in the envelope.  It was the form that he wrote his name/division and the graduation date (filled in the blank lines).  I just filled out this one with our information (myself, husband and daughter) and will send it back tomorrow in the mail.  Is there anything else that should be filled out?  There wasn't a security form in there, only the form.  Thank you!

Ryansmom I would download the security form and fill that out as well you will need that.

GUESTS SECURITY ACCESS FORM: If you are going to be attending the graduation ceremony, you will need to fill out the security access form, which is included with your form letter. Return the form to your recruit according to the instructions.