Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

 Salt&Light2018 - Time with your recruit after PIR sort of depends on whether they are staying in GL or flying out the next day or so. Generally, those staying in GL, have to go through INDOC and get situated in their BEQ and they are able to be given their cell phones, I believe, so they can call for you to pick them up. Then you have to return them later in the evening, and can also spend Sunday with them.

If your recruit is flying out the next day, you may only have the time after PIR around 10:30 AM until the evening (time varies), and they may not have their phones. You may take their phone with them to the airport. If you go to airport before they go through security, you should be able to get a guest boarding pass (all family members, including children need an ID such as any needed for flying) to go sit at the gate with your sailor until they fly out.

Your recruit should be able to order a copy of the graduation DVD with their pictures. Otherwise, check with the NEX photographers at RTC and see if you can order a copy of the DVD graduation. There isn't any sort of printed program.

Regarding budget shutdown and pay, my sailor shared this with me this AM. If they have a NFCU (Navy Federal Credit Union) account, they should have been emailed or it maybe on their website, information on how to apply for a 0% loan that will deposit the same amount as their most recent DOD payment into their account, up to a limit. Once they receive their actual deposit from the government, then NFCU will withdraw the funds that they loaned their members.

I realize those at BC may not be able to deal with this as well, but I am sharing this here for any other family members who might be joint or authorized users on the account to be aware of this benefit that NFCU provides to their active duty military.

Chipmunk, that's really awesome of the Credit Union! Thank you for the info 

Jeep1lover when will your daugther graduate? My son left on 1/9 and we still haven't received the PIR letter. We are anxiously waiting so I was curious if it may be the same as your daughter. 

Jeep1lover, my daughter left on 1/9 as well and I am projecting a 3/9 PIR, but we have not received the letter either.  Still waiting.  Hoping for Monday. :)

ATLUTDFan15 I promise to post as soon as I receive the letter. The recruiter told us he thought it would be 3/2 but when I counted based on the information here I also was thinking it would be 3/9. It will be great to know for sure, just so we can plan and also have a date to look forward to. The waiting is hard. We can't wait to start hearing from him.

Jillc76 and ATLUTDFan15, we received our form letter 1/19 and graduation is set for 03/09 for division 918. Hope you get your letter soon.

Thank you Jeep1lover!!

That's excellent news! My daughter arrived to boot camp on 1/16, so I figure we are likely looking at the following week for her PIR.  You ladies are all so helpful here.  Thank you so much for sharing this information with us. :)

For those that left 1/9 you're looking at a 3/2 PIR

NavyMom21, I’m glad you got your letter. Mine was short but sweet. She was in good spirits and said she was “learning a lot and having a little fun.” She is in Division 918. Yours?

Jeep1lover my son is in Div 085 and set to graduate 2/2. He's gotten great marks on the inspections so far and was looking forward to more this week. He's a little stressed over the final run test, but said he can do it. No news is good news and he has to pass it before Battlestations so I'm guessing he is doing well. He misses home very much though so he's happy to see us in less than two weeks. 

Anyone hear from Sr for tis week graduation and will graduate due to government shut down

My son left on Jan 4 and we just received a date of March 02 for PIR. Does anyone else have this date? 

Kimberly04 my daughter has that date. There's a group for it that you can join. What is your son's ship and division?

Here are the links to the current PIR groups. Please click on the link for your recruits graduation date and join the group with those who have recruits in the same division and TG as your own.

      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       

No PIR on February 16th and February 23rd

PIR: March 02, 2018 TG 17 - 10 Divisions (107-114, 916, and 917) 4 Guests

PIR: March 09, 2018 TG 18  - 9 Divisions (115-122 and 918) 4 Guests

Good Morning All hope you all had a fabulous weekend.

Good Morning to the New comers welcome to the Site Glad to have you along.

Here is today's Daily Bread verse.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one anoth...

Hope you all have a Great Week.

Here is another Daily bread that I have received I really like this one, received yesterday so I would like to share.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

For those that had their New Sailors transfer over to A school Great Lakes their are pics.

Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes - Home | Facebook

If some are wondering this was in paper today.

Great Lakes is the Navy’s only boot camp, and training and graduation of 6,000 recruits was expected to continue as normal, Deputy Public Affairs Officer Susan Krawczyk said. Some specialty training classes after boot camp that are taught by civilians might be put on hold.

But the shutdown would mean no funding for airline travel to take graduates to their new assignments, so they would get backed up waiting at the naval base, Sheppard said.

Active-duty military personnel would be required to report for duty but would not be paid until Congress appropriated the money,

The Navy Lodge and the NEX (Exchange) will remain open.  

Thank You Anti M for that information.

For those that are new to the site and wanting to know about PIR tickets only those on the form will be allowed into PIR. there are no changes unless it comes from your Recruit. So those on the form are the ones who will be able to attend. Children under 2 do not need a ticket but 3 and older do. for small children a birth certificate will do, since they have no form of ID but a social. and each person must pick up their tickets themselves.

Thank You,

Senate has reached a deal....supposedly

Ladies and Gents because of the Government Shutdown, I do not believe that after PIR the Liberty Privilege will be extended or any longer. They have rules and I believe those rules will remain in place. They will get briefed and be told when they will need to be back. Thank You,

Paul Thank You for the update.

    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       

No PIR on February 16th and February 23rd

PIR: March 02, 2018 TG 17 - 10 Divisions (107-114, 916, and 917) 4 Guests

PIR: March 09, 2018 TG 18  - 9 Divisions (115-122 and 918) 4 Guests

This week we should be receiving the I'm a Sailor call, BST-21 should be going on this week. Keep phones handy. I remember receiving my call around noon time. so watch for area codes. And please share the exciting News, we would like to Congratulate you on your New Sailor!

Got the "I'm a Sailor!" call!!  I am one proud momma!!  14/74

Congratulations!!!!

Battle Stations-21 (BST) is the final test for the recruits and is a 12 hour evaluation program with 17 ship board scenarios from missile attacks that can cause fires to flooding caused by exploding undersea mines. Recruits also stand watches on the bridge and are tasked with engineering scenarios, lookout scenarios, and mass casualty drills. Battle Stations-21 is conducted several times a week, at night, on board USS Trayer (BST 21), a 210-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer simulator. It begins around 8:00 pm CST and ends the next morning. Throughout the various scenarios, recruits are evaluated and graded not only as individuals, but also as teams and as an entire division. The morning that a recruit passes Battle Stations-21, s/he attends a capping ceremony around 8:20 or so that lasts about 20-30 minutes where s/he removes his/her “RECRUIT” ball cap and replaces it with a “NAVY” ball cap, which signals to the world that s/he is a US Navy Sailor!

When you receive your "I'm a Sailor!" call, be sure to ask your new Sailor if everyone in the division and brother division passed and be sure to post that within the PIR group for others who are also waiting on this call. You can post that you have a Sailor once BST is over.

Way to Go ZacsMom! Whoo Hoo! Ok look at the ship and Division you may be receiving your call also!

What an Exciting Day!

On my way graduation Friday see my son graduation can not wait to c him I got tears of joy for him

How exciting Linda, you think you have tears Now! wait until that Day! make sure you take tissue. It is going to be spectacular! Safe travels to you, and Congratulations to your New Sailor! May he have the best Journey Ever!

a Scripture to all the Recruits becoming New Sailors for there hard work and Job well done.

He has not call yet but believe he will still graduate on time hopefully he will call tommorow and resure I am a sailor

If you haven't heard anything by now, I say it is good to go. Please let us know.

So excited for all you ladies and your new sailors! Safe travels and I hope you will share your experience with us!! :)

Thank you phoneixmom 

Let me re word, when the Sailors that are staying in Great Lakes for A School are bussed to there BEQ's after PIR they get briefed and what not. They all come together in front of their sections, all of a sudden you will hear chanting and not know where it is coming from but once they turn the corner it will be different units marching and chanting to the visitors center it was a really neat thing to see. so if you get a chance I recommend that you be there to see. But you never know when it will be your Sailor's unit but it still is a neat thing.

Well it's that time, I wish you all a great evening. It was nice sharing info.

May all the calls and letters come your way!

Hi everyone! Hope everyone is doing well.  I have just gotten home from Chicago PIR 1/19/2018 and would like to share my experience and opinion. This was an amazing experience all around.

1st Sarge's meet and greet was fabulous. Highly recommend, getting to talk to others and to hear their stories from their SR's was amazing. He also gives insight on short cut to graduation to beat the traffic as well as additional info to make graduation morning easier. This is important as we learned from some families they didn't get through the line in time, the door was already closed and they were not allowed in to see the graduation.

Hotel: we stayed at Courtyard by Marriott, nice hotel, could here people talking in room next door but not a problem, i think everyone was so wore out anyways that it was not disturbing. I added this for those light sleepers like myself, any little noise wakes me. now i did visit someone who was staying ground floor by the pool, I would not recommend these rooms to light sleepers.  They were a lot of excited children in the area and could be heard over half way down hall on both sides.  I would recommend this hotel, clean, friendly staff. Oh and the a/c unit isn't loud either when cutting on and off. 

Location was great with walmart and several eating options close by.

Car rental: I would recommend for anyone whose sailor will be attending A school in Great Lakes. AVR is who we used. I would possibly give them another try.  Great car,low price, however had to wait 1 1/2 hour for shuttle in cold.  not sure what the mix up was but they did give a 20 % discount for the inconvenience. $66 for 4 days can't beat that deal.  The car was very nice and clean.

We drove rental car to graduation but did not park on base, we parked at the train station and paid the $2, yes it was little cold but not terrible. the walk wasn't bad and when we got inside we were glad we did not wait in the line to park in the base.  We arrived at 645 and it was packed, some section were already full.

Thing I loved the most by us being their early, we got to see our son before graduation.  We could not talk with him, but he was part of the honor guard and they brought them in to practice and take pictures. We were seated up top but when I saw him I ran down and stood right in front so he could see us and know we were there.  We talked to him last the winter storm had came in and several flights had been cancelled. Luckily ours wasn't. There were also other sailors in the hall area that lead upstairs of sailors in his DIV (before) so be sure to check and see if you see yours.

I hope this information can be helpful to some.  May all of you here from your love ones soon and have a wonderful time at graduation.

My daughter left for Great Lakes on 1/9.  She sent the box to me and being equal in parents sent the letter to her dad.  He received it today and sent it over to me via email.  It was good to see her handwriting and even though it’s a typed form letter, it was still so good to see it.  Now I have an address I can send letters to and I have already mailed 2 handwritten notes and one saved in Sandbox.  It was such a weight lifted off of me just to receive that little bit of reassurance.  The motel reservations are complete, I made the airline flight reservations tonight.  Things are coming together.  March 9 can’t come soon enough.