Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Who can attend PIR?

Your recruit will indicate the names of four guests who will be permitted to receive tickets and attend PIR. Children ages 2 and under do not need a ticket to attend PIR, but a copy of the child's birth certificate may be presented in order for the child to attend PIR. The names of the guests will be listed on the Security Access Form. Your recruit will send the Security Access Form with The Form Letter and it will need to be completed fully and returned to your recruit. if you do not receive The Form Letter, then you can download the Security Access Form and complete it and send it to your recruit, but the recruit has the final say on who will attend PIR.

About the Sandboxx app, and no I am not a paranoid Sailor mom. All of your personal information and your recruits/Sailors information will be seen and stored by a third party.

Your letters will not be delivered to your recruit any faster once they are received at the Naval post office on base, it costs more to send them, and the "personal" has been taken out of your letters. 

Just think about it.

My daughter is currently at bootcamp. Today she receive a 401k notice stating if she does not contact them on what she wants done with the funds by 3/4/2018 or a check will be cut. She will still be at bootcamp. Anyone have options for her?

ellen0502 - thank you for the other perspective on the Sandbox app.

Jeep1lover - as far as I know a POA has to be notarized. There is nothing that is withholding you from calling the company that sent the letter and at least notify them of the situation and see if you can gain some general information. They may not be willing to talk directly about your daughter's account, but hold your guns and just ask for them to answer some general questions.

Good Morning All Happy Friday!

It is PIR day! Congratulations to all the New Sailors, May your Journey Be Blessed in every possible way, And may it be all you expect it to be!

Good Morning New Comers Glad to have you along, you will find much needed information here if there is something that is on your mind please post and someone will answer. Or if you would like to share that would be nice also.

Have a Great Day Ladies/Gents.

I would like to share that those that are New to this site and are curious as to what your Son/Daughter will be doing while in BC here are the sites that you can go to. It will explain what they Son/Daughter to expect and what trainings and skill they will be learning all the way to graduation. It also has some questions with answers. please go thru and take a look maybe it can ease some anxiety you may be feeling.

www.bootcamp.navy.mil. (See http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/faq.html#grad_ceremony.)

For those that are wondering when you can start writing letters, it is suggested that you wait on the form letter, that will have your Loved ones True address. Please don't try to use the address on the "Box" the Box is when you receive your Loved ones Clothes, shoes. that will not be the address to send Letters. Of course you can start writing Letters now and please include a lot of encouragement and maybe prayers. But please wait for his/hers address. The hardest part about all of this is the "THE NOT KNOWING" but all this will pass when you receive the first letter or call, and please note the first call may be very hard for them and you. they may cry so please stay strong for them. They are missing you and home as much as you them. Some may be second Guessing themselves about joining. Know BC is hard for a reason, they will be weeding out the weak and be tested. So very important to stay focused and strong for them. Believe me I was there at one point and my Son did the same thing, I had to shut it down and asked him to focus and remember why he is there. Pray over the phone with them it will help. Thank you all you have been great!

Please I encourage all to share and ask questions if there are any, this site is awesome for any encouragement needed or advice. Even if it is a prayer that is needed. NavyforMoms has so much info to give and you will never be left unanswered.

I would like to post a few scriptures for those feeling overwhelmed and full of anxiety. I hope they can help.

Isaiah 12:2 God is my savior; I will trust him and not be afraid. The Lord gives me power and strength; he is my savior.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.

"Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you...

Lovely Phoenixmom! Just what I needed today

Thank you Phoenixmom!  I have been overwhelmed with figuring out the PIR schedule and travel details!

Ali don't let it stress you have fun with making plans, remember just count To guesstimate the PIR date, count 9 Fridays after your recruit arrived to get the most likely PIR (graduation) date,  all the Hotels are in Waukegan so look up Waukegan hotels. they are all near the base. then figure if you want to rent a car. I would get there on a Wednesday if you could so that way you can relax pick up tickets and you don't have to be in a rush.

Missomd I love that verse, and that is one I ask my son to keep close, with studies and duty or watch their sleep patterns are not the best so this happens in A school as well, and it can get to them. So I ask my son to please keep his faith and Pray and when it gets overwhelming for you remember you are not alone he stands beside you. I tell you praying with them will help tremendously.

This Brochure should come with the form letter but just in case it doesn't it has the name of hotels near the base.

The brochure that is included from MWRGL about hotels and other things is at RTC Friends and Family Brochure July 2017 rev.pdf.)

Please be sure to check reviews on hotels with Tripadvisor, or  Yelp, even the hotels own review page. In general the hotels are all great, and the MWR does a good job of recommendations.

There are a couple hotels out there that you probably should steer clear of. No, I will not list them, but if you post that is where you are staying several of us "moms" will try and give you plenty of blunt hints to change hotels without coming right out and saying "DON'T DO IT". LOL

LOL! ellen0502,very true. I did use Tripadvisor. But it is wise to check.

ellen0502-Were booked at the Navy Lodge

A lot of the families actually book there, its a mile away from PIR, not sure if they have a shuttle but again you can drive.

The discussion, Recommended Places to Stay, within PIR Reference Information may give you some ideas. Check http://www.tripadvisor.com/ to see what others have said about any hotel you are considering.

The Navy Gateway Inns & Suites is located on the main part of the base, about 1.5 miles from the RTC. This option is now available only for those with a military or dependent ID. Go to http://ngis.dodlodging.net/propertys/Great-Lakes-NS---IL or call 877-NavyBed (877-628-9233). You will need to give your recruit's name and division number when making the reservation and/or when checking in. They will begin taking reservations by phone 30 days before PIR or you can make reservations online about 6 weeks before PIR. There may be restrictions on where you can go on base without your Sailor being with you. Taxis and shuttles pick up and drop off at the gate, so it is better if you have a vehicle if staying at the Gateway Inn and Suites. It is also important to note that Standard and Suite rooms are located around 1/2 mile or so from the check in desk (some have indicated 1/4 mi. and others 3/4 mi.). There are standard rooms, rooms with a kitchen, and suites. All rooms include a refrigerator, microwave, and free Wifi. A free continental breakfast is available

The Navy Lodge is located 1.9 miles off base from the RTC in the Forestal Village Housing area and guests of graduation are allowed to stay there since your recruit/Sailor will be your sponsor. You will need to give your recruit's name, rate (E-1, E-2, or E-3), and division number when making the reservation and/or when checking in. Go to https://www.navy-lodge.com/lodge_page.html?p_lodge_number=05 or call (847)689-1485. All rooms are non-smoking. They also have some family suites that include a kitchen as well as some rooms with kitchenettes. You can also book adjoining rooms if needed. All of the rooms, with the exception of some of the ADA rooms, have two queen beds. All rooms include direct TV and DVD, a refrigerator, a microwave, and free Wifi. They offer cribs and roll-away beds if needed at no additional charge. They have a breakfast to go that you can take with you to PIR and a free continental breakfast.

If your Sailor is staying in GL and you plan to go into Chicago, there is a train to Chicago on the weekends for $7.00 a person and $5.00 for active duty, which includes your Sailor, and it runs every two hours. This may be better than driving if you have a small group going since parking can be $20 or more at some places. There are some sights in Chicago, such as Willis "Sears" Tower, that are free for your Sailor. Be sure to watch the time and have your Sailor back in plenty of time to make muster at 10 pm.

I will let it be known the Sailors will be told of the time they need to be back from Liberty, when we went for our Son, he was told it was better not to go into Chicago because of the traffic, so when we asked him he didn't want to take the chance. So it is totally up to you. and 10 pm may not be right ours had to be back by 9pm.

Well Ladies and Gents I hope you all have a Wonderful weekend, I hope all the information and scriptures helped. That is my go to prayer and scriptures, And I will be doing a lot of that come next month. My son just received his orders and he will be off. I just have to have faith that he will be fine and safe, I'm in the same situation as many of you, except your Loved ones are in BC and mine will be out doing his Duty. So see it calms down for awhile then a New Journey begins.

Thank you all for posting and sharing it does make a difference. God Bless!

My son graduated from GL BC in August. He did not want to risk being late either. His brother and I flew in the day before graduation and we spent all day in Chicago taking pics and sight seeing then we shared it all with our Sailor. He was due back at 9 pm and asked to be back at 7:30 to pack and get a nap before rising at 1am to be at airport at 2:30 a.m. He boarded his flight at 8a.m. In which we then left to get ready for our flight out. After 8 weeks of letters and 3 phone calls, I was happy just sitting with him talking and just looking at the man he had become. Best to all and God bless you and your Sailors always! Oh take plenty of Kleenex, the tears of love, joy and pride just won’t stop. 

Navy Lodge is a great place to stay. If they are booked when you call, call them back in a few days. Rooms get cancelled often.

Weird question,

Is there a limit to the number of family passes the airline will hand out for you to wait with your SR? 

Her family lives in the area so I’m sure we’ll have quite a few people who want to go. 

I’ not sure about a limit, but we had 6 at the airport with no issues.

Covaslookout - Looking at Googlemaps there are two different main routes that it is suggesting for driving from San Antonio, TX to Great Lakes. They both seem to take about the same time. The primary route is coming up through OKC, OK where I am at, the other is through AR, TN, & eastern IL.

Like Paul said, Midwest weather can change on a dime, and ice more than snow is your biggest culprit for the highways. I would travel I-35N to I-44E, because there would be less hills, but you also have to look at tolls and construction. We drove up for us it was a 12 hr drive, you are looking at 18 hr. We left after 5 pm on Wed, drove to Lebanon, Mo and stayed at the Hampton Inn there, to have a good breakfast, then arrived in GL about 4:30 pm so we could check into our motel and get to Sarge's Meet n Greet (pre ticket pick up PIR date). It had been our intention to drive up through Chicago, to avoid the tolls, however, we were later getting into that area and took the toll route west of Chicago, that Google told my husband. I was still thankful for a state map I had picked up because the GPS wasn't syncing fast enough and I ended up getting us through a tough spot.

Currently, we are just having cold weather in OKC, but we have been known to get ice in Feb. They will keep the interstate cleared sooner than any other secondary highways.

 Paul - in case you haven't figured it out yet, you can click on someone's highlighted name in the comments and it will take you to their profile page, where you can see their hometown. That is unless it is set to private, or they have indicated a place different from their actual home town.

Covaslookout - safe travels, be sure to have the numbers or apps for the different state transportation depts. that show road construction and weather. Also, St. Louis had some major detours going on that the GPS did catch which was a good thing because growing up near there, I was telling my husband we were going the wrong way across the river but his app figured it out for us. That was in Aug.

Paul - off of I-80 you probably don't have many construction workers out this time of year. Down here, depending on the project, they are out most days even in the cold, just depends.  The detours can still be a headache when driving, whether there are construction workers or not. So all driving to PIR, be sure to check road conditions before leaving and like Paul said, give yourself plenty of time.

Our day and a half drive up and then back home had us both worn out because our son's early flight out on Sat had us leaving for the airport at 1 am and due to the direction home, we did not return to our motel!

I know this thread is about driving, but I wanted to share that I am driving to Dallas and flying from there because we found dates with Southwest for $41 each way.  That sealed the deal for me not to drive.  My car rental rate while there is $33/day.  I was going to opt to take the L instead.   If the weather is good enough we may do that and avoid driving altogether.  I booked my car on priceline.  You can cancl and it doesn' charge upfront. 

Hello my son pass his test of the fold of the shirt and but can some tell me what dmi, and pi, is thanks in advance

Thanks paul

He told me he pass them to but a whole other languages to me 

Just want ndering when graduation will be for my son they supposed told him on the first fold of the shirt they were holding him extra week but he pass it the second time and he still on same div and ship

If he is still on the same division and ship I would assume he was not held back. My husband was held back a week and they put him in a new division that was a week behind. If your son is held back a week then graduation would be the Friday after the original date. 

How wud I know for sure