Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Phoenix - thank you for the information. I noticed that we didn't get son's adopt a sailor form but you mentioned it is being sent separate (Div 024) so that explains that lol. Does the form get sent to us and we fill it out? I'm still confused about that part.

love4Leo - your son will send you the form separately.  And yes, you fill it out.  Only immediate family members are authorized to pick them up.  It will explain everything in the letter.

I Never received the form ,My son was able to fill it out himself and put in for it. I dont know if they have changed things or not this was back in 2017.

Woo Hoo!  So happy mytidbiz!  Congratulations to your daughter!

Thanks to all of you for the support and lending your ear.

Northwoodsmom Thank you especially for your comforting words. I was at a loss as to what to say in my letter today. I shared some of your thoughts hoping they bring him encouragement.

You must have the Adopt-A-Sailor formed completed, scanned or photographed and emailed to Public Affairs. The form is required to get on base as well as the host having to be fully vaccinated in order to access the base. If a guest does not have the form nor proof of vaccination when they arrive to the gate, they are not getting past the gate. You can also send a pic of your vax card to Public Affairs to expedite the process at the gate.

Yay mytidbitz!

I am trying to find the exact GPS for you and for the life of me I can't find it right now.  

Here's some other info to get you in the area.  I'll keep looking!

DRIVING ON BASE: A driver's license, vehicle registration, proof of insurance or rental car agreement and graduation ticket must be ready to present to security at all access points. Once on base, attendees will be directed to park in the parking structure adjacent to Recruit Training Command's Visitor Center (USS YORKTOWN). 

mytidbitz - is the address anywhere on your tickets?

Thank you Elina and Bnukesmom!

Bnukesmom - we are picking up the tickets tomorrow because they were closed today.  I had saved the address you gave us a while ago for the welcome center.  I have all of your tips saved in a handy folder on my phone.  On the map you gave us the welcome center doesn’t look far from the gates.  Maybe they’ll have a map or address when we pick up the tickets tomorrow. 

I was lucky she was able to call back because I noticed her call came 4 min before I deplaned.  my plane was about two hours late because first the handpiece for the fight attendants speaker was working and they had to bring a new one on board and then two passengers decided to argue and they had to call security.  It was only a two hour flight, I was thinking can’t people be nice for two hours !  

luckily she called back while we were still at the airport.  She was exhausted.  She couldn’t tell me much about battle stations except she started at around 9pm last night and finished this morning about 10am and she didn’t know what was planned for the rest of the day but knew she couldn’t sleep until tonight.  Can’t wait to see her on Wednesday.   

mytidbitz - Congratulations to your new sailor!!

See if you can open this - it is the downloadable map link from the RTC website - 

New Map For Print.pdf (navy.mil)

WELCOME CENTER ADDRESS/GPS: Navy Exchange (NEX) Burkey Mall, 2650 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60088 (Do NOT use generic terms such as NEX, Recruit Training Command or Naval Station Great Lakes).

2 more sleeps till Sailor Hugs for some of our Ladies!!! Enjoy your PIR and Holiday time!!!

mytidbitz & MomofJoseph You could all agree to a Time and place at the PIR hall to meet up for a little bit! Once you get there and get your spot you will have extra time and could wander around and meet each other or agree on a place to all go have dinner/Coffee & dessert together Tuesday Night. Congratulations to you both and to your New Sailors!!

mytidbitz & MomofJoseph, congratulations I am so happy for you both and proud of your Sailors. Kinda late to the party but life got in the way. Enjoy your Blessings and give them a extra hug from all of us.

Elina, you are so welcome. I have learnt more in life through my mistakes than I have ever learnt through my perfections, not that I ever perfected anything but have came close on occasion. Your son is striving, he will perserver with a strong character. I already love who he is and only know him by his humility, what a outstanding young Sailor he will make!

Chipmunk - lol do you know how many times I’ve looked at that map and never noticed the written directions at the bottom?   This time you sent it was the magic time.  Thank you.  I kept looking for directions to the gate not realizing I should use directions to the welcome center and from there drive to the gate.  

Thank you to everyone else for your well wishes!   One more day! 

Mytidbitz - You are welcome!

MomofJoseph - Congratulations as well, did you receive your call also? I am trying to keep up. 

Good Morning Ladies,

Welcome to our group.

mytidbitz and MomofJoseph- Whoo Hoo Congratulations to your loved ones!! Prayers for safe travels and enjoy every single moment with your loved ones!!

Take everything in and yes if you two ladies could meet up that would be wonderful!!

God Bless and Happy Turkey Tuesday!!!

Still no call.  I'm waiting (im)patiently.

But sure if this helps but my recruit said something about not calling the first opportunity she got because she had to get something.  Not sure what she said the call had bad reception.  And she’s also in another division so it could be your recruit is still doing his battlestations.  

We heard his group was going to be the last one to go, but I'm not sure if that's true. But I haven't seen any posts on Facebook from his division yet.

I’m sure that’s what it is.  That and they like to keep the moms on edge all the way up to graduation. Lol 

Does each division have a Facebook page ? 

Got my call!  I have a Sailor!!!!

WooHoo!!! Yippee!! Hooyah!! Those last minute - "I'm a sailor" calls are so hard to wait for!! Glad you have confirmation, MomofJoseph.

Congrats Momofjoseph!   Hooyah!    So happy for you and your sailor!!!!

Thank you so much to everyone for your support!  I really wouldn't have made it without you!  Big, big hugs!

MomofJoseph - you might want to check in your PIR group that is private and see if someone can help you there. I also sent you a PM but not sure I can interpret accurately what this means. 

My letter came today. So excited. He’s on ship 10 div 033. Even though I did not receive a letter from my recruit. My heart feels warm! To see his handwriting on the envelope. I do have a question if anyone can answer. So, in the packet. It says you need to bring the original yellow form with you for Christmas. I did not receive a yellow copy. Please help

Can I mail him stamps in his letter?

PooBearsMom: Send an email to RTC's Public Affairs at rtc.pao@navy.mil so they know the form wasn't received and they will see to it that anyone in that division gets to mail home a form. And yes, you can send stamps.

Thank you SuzyChicago

PooBearsMom - Glad to hear you have contact!!!

SuzyChicago - Thanks!!! 

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

PIR JANUARY 2022

PIR DECEMBER 2021

Good Morning Everyone and welcome to our group, We are glad that you are here.

For our new members when you can come and post on here and let us know where you are in your journey. No question is ever dumb and someone will answer you!!

MomofJoseph-  You are very welcome. Congrats again and enjoy today and your time with your loved one!! Mytidbitz you as well!!

SuzyChicago- Thank you so much and it's always great to hear from you!!

PooBearsMom-Welcome to our group. Yay for getting the letter. Now you can mail those letters off right away!! This is the first step of contact.   :)

Today is a busy day and my last day of work. Love hanging out with the kids they are just so cute. 

God Bless and have a wonderful day everyone!!

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday!

PooBearsMom - be sure to join the January PIR group:

PIR JANUARY 2022

Good morning! Today is our PIR day.  My husband and my father-in-law are seated at the facility, waiting for graduation to start.  Thank you for all the great help y'all have given us.  I can't remember who gave us what info, but I am so grateful for this group. Someone here suggested that my FIL wear his uniform, (he's retired Air Force) because they might get special seating.  He wore his uniform and my husband texted me and said their seats were "upgraded" because Papa is in uniform.  I wanted to write back and say, "I told you so!"  

Thank you for all the wonderful insights y'all have given me! Much love to all y'all!

MomofJoseph, mytidbitz and others at today's PIR, I am so excited for you, enjoy your time today!

Hugs to all at PIR!!

For our other members - How are you doing? 

Good Morning Ladies!  Thinking of those families at PIR today!  So excited for you and your sailors and looking forward to your stories when you get home!  My son should be finishing his two week quarantine today.  I’m not sure what Thanksgiving and the weekend will look like for him if he doesn’t start his processing days until Monday.  I imagine him sitting on a bunk twiddling his thumbs.

I’m thankful for you ladies, thankful for family, thankful that the silence of boot camp is a short lived experience.   

Once ROM is done, the Navy is not big on letting recruits twiddle their thumbs.  It will be interesting to see if they get them into divisions quickly, rather than wait until Monday.  Hopefully they do, so he gets the turkey dinner at the galley rather than ROM rations.  It could happen.

Hey, ladies!

I got a chance to see a little of today's Livestream graduation while helping show my parents how to connect. Like mytidbiz, I was excited simply knowing my son was in the room as this was the first graduation he was helping with. Hugs to all enjoying the family time.

PooBearsMom (and any new moms who are starting to send mail)--I followed the link above for "writing fun stuff and questionnaires". Using first the questionnaire supplied, and then making dinner fun ones of my own, have really helped with communication with my son. (I even included self-addressed stamped envelopes.)

When he called the first time, he thanked me that it was really easy for him to do, despite being so tired. He knew he could keep connected quickly by just circling or filling in blanks. He also found some of the options humorous.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who are missing someone at their table tomorrow. Our recruits, we pray to see soon. Hugs when your eyes mist up, we know it's the pride we feel...not too much pepper.

PooBearsMom - my son is also ship 10 but div 024. Do you think they'll cross paths? Probably not but it's cool they're on the same ship. I have a funny story: so when my bf and I started dating, I called him my sexy pooh bear one time and it stuck with my kids because they will mention it from time to time. My bf hates it though LOL.

Happy Thanksgiving ladies!!!

I finally got my second shot for his graduation. I was told 6 months before the booster so I should be fine for the graduation according to the nurse. I hope so. I would hate for them to say I'm not fully vaccinated. I am truly against the vaccine so I would not have gotten in otherwise but I want to support my son. A struggle I have been dealing with since day 1.

Do we need to have the booster to attend PIR if we were vaccinated more than 6 months ago?  I don’t want to be caught off guard and not have time.

Boosters are not required at this time to attend PIR.