Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

so much you can do

PIR Decorations You can decorate Hotel door but I wouldnt put to much info like Name. we decorated navy color ballons and decorated inside hotel room with candy jars red white and blue

at our PIR  a lot of the moms had ribbons and Jewelry on 

Just some ideas for those attending PIR. 

Phoenixmom - Do you know where they ordered these things from? 

a lot of this stuff you can order from etsy. the candy stuff we went to walmart there in waukegan and candy at  Gurnee mall. 

the anchors you can buy at hobby lobby or order and decorate yourself, same for the  wreaths. mason jars for candy.

JCNavyMom -- Hobby Lobby will not have their patriotic stuff out till after Christmas. Just an FYI.  There are also Navy moms who make and sell stuff on the FB pages, You can make most everything here if you are a bit creative or search Etsy.

michaels or joanns you maybe able to find ribbon or order online even amazon.

Hollie and Navy Girlfriend - Welcome to the group.  You are in the right place.  These ladies helped me through the great silence and beyond.  My recruit arrived on 9/22 and is scheduled to graduate on 11/24.  She arrived on a Wednesday and was fully vaccinated but had to wait until the  following Monday because she had to wait until her division filled. 

Navy girlfriend, his mom will definitely receive the form letter with his graduation information, but he can still write both of you his "first" letter.  My recruit send each of us at home, myself, my husband and her younger sister, a letter as soon as she was able to mail them. 

As for ribbons, I found a great selection on Amazon and also at Hobby Lobby.  

Good Evening everyone!! Welcome to even more new members, several joined today and I haven't had a chance to see hello to you personally but this is the place to be. Come join us here in the Comment Wall section of our group and introduce yourselves. We share our ups and downs, pertinent information,  very much on a rotating basis as we are here for you and like mytidbitz said, we will help you get over the great silence. 

My son has been in for over 4 years now and I am one of the Nuke moms that sticks around the BC group as well help anyone whose SR might have that rating. 

Since we have some new members, I also bumped another discussion back into the queue above. Private Messages - Creating & Sending + OPSEC I explain how to send private messages with others which includes how to send friend requests, and also some information about OPSEC as it relates to this site. 

We also posted the Blue Candle discussion and some of you were asking about where to purchase materials. Replies included many craft stores as well as online sources. 

If you do not have this site bookmarked be sure and do so - RTC Bootcamp website - this is the main BC website and was my go to during my son's BC as I did not find this group until just before PIR. 

New Moms (and dads) -- Just a heads up... You may get a call from the Red Cross.  This is NOT a reason to panic!! They are just making a routine phone call to let you know how to contact them in case of emergency.  I supplied the information a few days back but I'll post it again

Ladies, This is a Regular Announcement: Please put this information in your Phones:
I have a contact labeled {sailor ICE} with this phone number and text number as the phone number under the contacts, then I have the needed contact info in the notes section. The info in Italics below. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it or have to remember where or what you need! In the event of an emergency I can just pull up the info on my phone and hand it off if I’m not able to think clearly!!

If an emergency (such as a serious illness, death or birth) of an immediate family member takes place then military families can initiate a request for Red Cross emergency assistance. The message will be verified and then delivered. If the emergency requires leave for a service member, the Red Cross will verify the emergency to the service member’s commanding officer. Eligibility for emergency leave will ultimately be determined by them. Throughout the process, the family member will be able to track the progress of the message from anywhere in the world online, by phone, through our mobile app or in person.

To best prepare for an emergency, please have this information ready when reporting an emergency message:

· The service members name, rank, social security number and unit address {SR Davy Jones, 123-45-6789, Great Lakes Naval Training Center Ship 99, Div 1904.} {In Fleet This would be their Ship Name and number}

· The name of the person with the emergency and the nature of the situation {King Neptune, Hospitalized in critical condition}

· The name and contact information for the medical authority to contact regarding the status of the emergency {Doctor Jack Sparrow, Barbados General Hospital, 555-123-4567}

To access these services through the Hero Care Network, create an account and send the message here or send through the Hero Care app by texting “GETHEROCARE” to 90999 or call a Hero Care specialist at 1-877-272-7337.

This is a reason to have the discussion before your sailor leaves or ask in an early call or letter (Reassure them that all is well at home but you have learned you should have asked sooner.) No one likes to talk about the possibility of death but it happens and it’s easier if you have a plan for how to handle these situations. When you can, ask if they want to know about anyone not parent or sibling while in boot camp (They likely will not be allowed to leave anyway), ask if they want to come home if it’s a parent or sibling ( It will be short 2-4 days at most then 2 week Quarantine and a delay in BC training-- Fleet still short followed by quarantine.)

Good Morning Everyone and welcome to all of our new members. We are glad that you are here. I also am a mom that hangs around and helps out the new moms that join us.  :)

Staying busy is key and start writing now so when you do receive the form letter you can mail those letters off right away!!

Always keep your phone on you at all times and answer all calls. If it's a telemarkerter hang up.  ;) Keep your ringer on loud as you don't want to miss any calls that may come thru.

Any questions please don't hesitate to ask and someone will answer you!!

Good morning! Did you see RTC's Facebook post yesterday? They have some pictures of recruits! The male recruits are wearing masks in most of their pictures, but there are some pictures of female recruits eating a meal, and they have no masks on. I hope some of the girl moms in this group might get a glimpse of their daughters! Here is the link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159374052724651&i...

MomofJoseph - Thanks for sharing this with everyone!!

FYI - I updated my What PIR weekend may be like for those flying out of GL discussion with a reply to share how things are working currently. If you have any questions, please feel free to just post a question on my profile page. You can click on my Chipmunk and it will take you there. Or send me a friend request and I can respond in a PM. 

One thing about the Navy. We plan for what we can and then we have to roll and bend when the unexpected happens. Which could actually be a pleasant surprise of "Hi Mom, I got leave after all" or "STOP the PRESSES change everything and put it all on hold" - believe it or not either of those scenarios can cause our minds to go into a tailspin as we start recalculating what happens when and where. 

There is never a dull moment being a Navy Parent or girlfriend or spouse for that matter - even if they are military also!! :-)

Wanted to chime in here about expecting phone calls. We always got a number from area code 847, which is Wakegan. The number itself changed because phone banks. Sometimes we couldn't hear him at all and he would, if available, hang up and try another phone. You would think they would keep those phones up but no. not important to the Navy apparently.

The Navy doesn't maintain the phone banks, a private company does that now.  Techs and parts are becoming scarce.  Eventually there needs to be a huge change, and it will be expensive.

didn't know that.. they may should just get a bunch of cell phones and just let the recruits use those. bet it would be cheaper.

Trey - That is the Momma thought process!! I learned a long time ago it is not the same thought process that the military / government uses. They have to make things complicated in my opinion. 

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday!

Be sure to join your PIR group. Here are the links:

PIR DECEMBER 2021

PIR NOVEMBER 2021

RTC still only has one PIR for January listed:

January 7, 2022 TG-06   

(023,024,025,026,027,028,029,030,031,032,033,034,905, 906)

The 2nd PIR for January has been listed:

January 14, 2022 TG-07 (035,036,037,038,039,040,041,042,043,044,045,046,047,907)

Trey-- When mine was in (Remeber that was over 8 years ago...) a bunch of us moms started a Gofundme to replace/repair the phones.  We were turned down by both the Navy and the Phone company!!! Sadly some SR's get bad news and take it out on the phones.  The phone company owns them and they come to repair them on a schedule.  (Not often enough IMHO).  With COVID that may have delayed repairs even more.

Be sure to join your PIR group. Here are the links:

PIR DECEMBER 2021

PIR NOVEMBER 2021

The January 2022 PIR group is posted.  Here's the link:

PIR JANUARY 2022

Wooooohooooo there’s a sailor in the house!!!!!  We got the call on our drive to Great Lakes earlier today.  We’re all checked into the hotel now and are relaxing.  Can’t wait to see him tomorrow!

I’ll be sure to report back after the weekend to let everyone know how it went....

Have a fantastic time Ging!

Congratulations Ging, give that Sailor a hug from all of us. Enjoy your time together, I am so happy for you!

Ging - Congratulations!! Enjoy your RED Friday!! Tell your sailor, thank you for your service, from all of us Navy Moms. 

B'sNukeMom - Thanks for setting up the Jan 2022 PIR group!

Thanks, you guys are the best!

Welcome to our new member MAV!! We are glad you are here. 

Ging -- WHOOP! WHOOP!! WHOOP!!!  ATTENTION ON DECK!!

We have a Sailor!! Congratulations!!!

Congratulations Ging on being the proud mom of a new Navy Sailor!  Enjoy your day!  I mean it's a mom's day too right?

Welcome MAV!

Be sure to join your PIR group.  Here are the links:

PIR JANUARY 2022

PIR DECEMBER 2021

PIR NOVEMBER 2021

Ging - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

My kiddo leaves for RTC this week.  Trying not to cry compulsively.  I’ve read the post on what to do in the last month.  Any other suggestions on things to consider in these last few days?

Hi, HappyInTheValley!  I feel your pain....  Before my son left, I burst into tears often.  I tried not to do it around him, but sometimes I couldn't stop them.  I think he thought I was crazy, but I just told him how much I was going to miss him while he was gone.

I tried to find the post about what to do in the last month, but I couldn't find it.  (I'm still relatively new around here - we're on Day 40, but who's counting? LOL)  I apologize if any of this is a repeat of what you already know.  I was just thinking of the things I wish I knew before Joseph left.

This is a little thing, but I really wished I had recorded my son's scripted call - just so I could hear his voice during the Great Silence, and so I could replay it to clarify some of the things he said.  (When he made his first personal call, I was ready with a voice recorder app on our phone.)

Also, make sure your recruit takes his/her charger.  I heard that if their battery is dead, they might not have time to borrow a phone to call home.

Finally, if your recruit has been vaccinated, be sure they take their vaccine card (and I heard it can't be laminated).  I insisted that my son take it, even though the recruiter said it wasn't necessary, and I am so glad he had it.  It meant his time at BC did not include quarantine.

Hug your kiddo often in these next few days!  And big hugs to you from us!

HappyInTheValley -- Have him leave you a voice mail for you to listen to when you can't stand the Silence anymore.  Write him a note for him to read when he feels he just can't go on and wants to quit!. 
Most of all Love Him and let him know how proud you are of him and how much you will support him!!  (Also remind him that it may be a month or more before you are able to exchange letters... This does NOT mean you don't miss him or aren't thinking about him!! It's just how snail mail works and you are looking forward to seeing him as soon as you can!!)

MomofJoseph -- You are doing an AWESOME job!!  You are past the  1/2 way point!! From here on it's that many fewer days till you can see your sailor again!!  Focus on that!