Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Good Morning Everyone!!

Krystal - I am glad that you received some helpful feedback. You are not alone. Having setbacks can be hard with anyone, not to mention going through BC during the holidays and birthdays and not having others know that it is your birthday can be difficult as well. 

Welcome again to our new members - Please come post at least a hello. It is much easier to make connections with each other when we at least pop on and say hi. 

Be sure to check your profile page also for any comments or friend requests that may have been posted as well. 

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

PIR APRIL 2022

PIR MARCH 2022

PIR FEBRUARY 2022

PIR JANUARY 2022

Actually, I did better in boot camp than a lot of the kids.  I was 22, I had been born and raised until age 13 in the Navy, so the language and uniforms were familiar. I had been away from my parents a few times as a little kid and as a teenager, and of course dad had deployed a lot.  My parents were also working in Saudi Arabia, so no phones calls.  Dad had been a Masterchief and I did not tell them beforehand I was joining on purpose.  They thought I was flighty and weak.  Ha.  Having family come to PIR wasn't a big thing back then, some did, but not so many.  

I'd had to fly from Nice, France to Utah alone at age 16, so I guess I had some practical experience with solo travel too.  All in all, I think the kids who have not traveled out of state, who have never spent a night away from home, have a lot of culture shock to deal with in addition to the usual boot camp stressors.   Everyone pulls together, so the ones who handle it better can help the younger recruits who feel lost.  Almost everyone makes it in the end.

Good Morning Everyone and welcome to all of our new members. We are glad that you are here.

Krystal- welcome and prayers for your daugther to finish strong. Keep writing and encouraging her it will get better.

Boot camp is for us as much as it is for our loved ones while they are getting stronger so are we!! Big hugs to you!!

have a great day!!

Anti M- Good Morning and thanks for sharing.

Any questions please ask and no question is ever dumb.

Good Morning Everyone!!

There is a lot of information on this page above. For those of you just joining us, please take it in small bits and don't hesitate to ask questions or for assistance in finding answers to more questions. 

I never thought much about clarifying phone use after BC but it came up elsewhere. We live in an age of instant messaging, texting, cell phone in hand, pocket, purse, or elsewhere nearby. Once your sailor has completed BS-21, they will call you still from a payphone. The Navy is no longer shipping cell phones home, but your sailor will not immediately receive their phone back, they are still restricted from having them while on the RTC side. If your sailor is staying in GL for A school, they will likely receive their phones once they are transitioned to the A school side after PIR. If they are going to THU (Temporary Holding Unit) prior to transporting to their out of area A school, they are also moving across the base and so most likely will regain their phone. Those attending A school away from GL will have to wait for their phones until they leave for A school, is my understanding still.

Once your sailor is in A school, communication will not necessarily easily resume. Many of your sailors will not be able to have their phones with them during class/ instruction time. This is more common for some rates than for others. So, when you do see or are able to speak to your sailor, ask them if they can give you an idea of what their daily and weekly schedule looks like. Will they have an opportunity in the evenings to text you, or call? Will setting up a time on the weekends work better for your family? This may be especially important if you do need to communicate about any important tax documents or other paperwork that is coming to you. 

Let them know you understand they are busy, but there still needs to be communication home. You are just trying to figure out a reasonable plan so that when you do have those moments of communication time, you can take advantage of it. -- Then, just like in BC, keep your phones on you at all times and ringer on loud. I rarely turn off my ringer and if I have to, I text why because my sailor knows that I will always answer his call. That may not be possible for everyone, and their schedules will not likely match what you are used to. If you can't always answer your calls, the more you communicate what works best for all and guide them in that process, the happier everyone is. 

The other thing about phones... they share a room with a few other sailors in A school.  Late night long phone calls can disturb the roommates, it is one of the most common complaints I see newtothenavy sailors posting. Most especially calls of a personal nature.  Send them earbuds and encourage their use at night in the room.

Hi,

I haven't posted anything since joining these groups so bear with me if I'm asking a question already answered. :) My son is currently in BC and should be graduating this Friday....he called two weeks ago and said his BS day was scheduled for xxx of graduation week. When should I expect a call from him?... we are in CA and plan to fly out early Thursday to Great Lakes. Getting a little nervous...

99maui - We generally request that you discuss BS calls and so forth in your PIR groups that B'sNukeMom posts and ask for people to join. However, since you are so close to PIR, you might not get accepted in time. - My thought is go with the No News is Good News. If there was a set-back then hopefully he would have been able to call to tell you. Sometimes they have to go stand a watch or something and are not able to make their call after BS. It is possible his day got switched also. 

Krystal - My son has PIR on Feb 11th.  He has called gotten a few calls.  The "i'm here" call came to me. He got a brief Xmas eve call, and used it to call his gf. On NYE he got to call BOTH his gf and me. And this past weekend was his 'halfway' call, and he called the gf. 

Here's my perspective on it. I figure, I send LOTS of letters and encouragement. So he didn't NEED much from me. His heart probably needed/wanted to hear his gf's voice.  And I took the perspective of - I want him to fill his heart - regardless of WHAT he needs in order to do that. 

So, try not to be discouraged about your daughter calling her bf, and not you.  If she NEEDED you, she would've called you.  So take it as a compliment, that your letters are filling her heart and satisfying those mama-needs.  

FYI -I edited your comment below to remove the actual BS day - we don't post the days as it is considered "ship movement".  With that being said you can expect a call anytime after BS is complete.  I'm also in CA and when my son PIR'd (back in 2012) we got the call on Wednesday late afternoon - just as we were heading to the airport!

You should be good to go on Thursday!

And I realized that your BS should have already happened so actually it's ok - but I left it out of your post anyhow.  Hopefully you'll be getting that call anytime now!

Good Morning Everyone!! 

May those of you waiting for calls receive them. And even if you don't, know you are not the first to head to PIR without a call. 

What is everyone doing to stay busy? Has anyone made a blue candle? I will see if I can bump our discussion back into the queue above so you may see what others have done. 

Blue Candle

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

PIR APRIL 2022

PIR MARCH 2022

PIR FEBRUARY 2022

Navy recruits will complete 10 weeks of boot camp in 2022, rather than the eight weeks that has been the standard.

The additional two weeks of Basic Military Training at Recruit Training Command aboard Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, will be devoted to the completion of a “Sailor for Life” module that targets the conversion from civilian to sailor, according to Capt. Dave Hecht, a spokesman for the chief of naval personnel.

“This will focus on character development through lessons in mentorship, small-unit leadership, professional and personal development and advanced Warrior Toughness,” Hecht said in an email to Navy Times.

A few other changes in training and personal development are also slated for the new year.

That includes expanding the Warrior Toughness training that recruits go through during boot camp to the entire fleet. First introduced to recruits in 2018, Warrior Toughness is designed to help sailors perform in stressful situations and is based on concepts originally developed by Naval Special Warfare.

“The fleet-wide campaign will ensure all Sailors benefit from the psychological skills and character development needed to maximize their performance in challenging environments,” Hecht said.

USPS Informed Delivery - Sign up and receive an email from the US Postal Service showing what mail you will be getting each day (if available in your area).  

Informed Delivery®

Hi! Another newbie here. To piggyback on what Chipmunk said, my son’s PIR was last Friday and we totally showed up without that phone call. I was definitely a little nervous about it! He had BS Wednesday night so we didn’t get the call until Thursday afternoon. We had already picked up tickets and checked into the hotel. 

Crystal - Thanks for sharing your experience. If you have anything else you would like to share about your PIR weekend, we would love to hear from you. We glean new information all the time from those who were recently at PIR. 

Just a reminder, once you have a sailor, please feel free to join the Beyond BC group on this site. 

Also, remember to check your profile page frequently for friend requests, and other comments which might be posted there for you as well. 

And also, don't forget to change your profile page to show your sailor is "enlisted" now.

Thanks! I updated my profile and joined that group. :) PIR weekend went pretty much exactly how it's described in the posts here. When we picked up the tickets, I was told that since he's on the list, he passed and I could stop worrying. It was so good to see him and it's crazy how much they change in a short time. A couple things remained the same: his need to eat a huge burger and take a nap in a "real bed", as he put it. lol! He's currently in THU and said it was completely full. His ship for BC is being decommissioned and some other sailors headed for THU were there after PIR waiting for a spot and could not get their phones back yet. :(

@Crystal - Congrats to your Sailor and proud parents!!!

I am confused when you say - your sailor is on list and that he passed. When parents are called for graduation, I thought that means their sailor have passed - is it not the case?

Congrats again!!

Maya

Thanks @Maya2021! We didn’t get the call yet so we just got on the plane and had faith. Lol

@Maya2021 - I think she is referring to the list of graduates that they verify when handing you your tickets at the welcome center.  If your SR is on that list he must have passed BS. Hope that helps!

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

PIR APRIL 2022

PIR MARCH 2022

PIR FEBRUARY 2022

For all our Moms (Admin please update the info above)

The Expected timeline will look like this:

Day 0 -- Travel, Arrival and "I'm Here" scripted phone call

Week 1&2
Day 1-14 -- ROM (Restriction of Movement/ Quarantine-- Lots of studying and waiting) Unless they are Fully Vaccinated (2 weeks after final shot) in which case they skip straight to Week 3.

Week 3
Day 15-21 Arrive Onboard RTC and begin P-days (P-days- Initial Processing Days) including 2 days of P-hold (Weekend)
Day 21-- Complete P days. (Initial PFT & Run)

Week 4- First week of training 
Day 22-- Begin training and mail form letter out. Look for it to arrive around 1-2 weeks later

Week 5 -- First inspections and tests (Dental May be this week or next... Not Confirmed)(Form letter/ Personal letters usually arrive this week)

Week 6 -10 -- More training, Drilling (Flags and Marching), Fire Fighting training, Marlinspike (Line handling- How to tie up a Ship to the Pier) and weapons lessons, Confidence chamber( May or may not be happening yet, we don’t know for sure).. Warrior training in here somewhere.

Week 11 & 12 -- Stressful!! They have all their final inspections, PFA, Drills, BS21 and Tests. This is the lead up to the end!!



BC MOMS: Please note that the initial ROM may or may not be continuing as Covid continue to mutate. You are the only ones who can tell us if this is changing so please share as you hear from your SR's so we can update or correct this information to help you and our other new moms.

Congratulations to all of our new sailors!!

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

BBH-Thank you for the update. I have copied into my sheet. 

No question is ever dumb and someone will answer you!!

Crystal congratulations to you and your loved one. Yes that's what happened to mine I didn't get the call until Thursday night and we were already there. Lol

Thanks for sharing. We always appreciate the new information that we receive. 

Maya2021- Good Morning and welcome. I also stay around and help out the new moms. But due to my schedule I am not on as much as I used to be. Mine has been in for 4 1/2 years now. 

As for the call it can come any time during their week of PIR. My call didn't come in until that Thursday night and we were already in Chicago. If something happens and their PIR is pushed back you will get a call from your loved letting you know.

Hope this helps.

Something to go by thru your loved ones career is No News is Good News. Things will change at a moments notice and you will learn to go with the flow so to speak.

Have a wonderful day ladies!!!

  ON FRIDAYS WE WEAR RED TO REMEMBER EVERYONE DEPLOYED!!!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM ALL TO COME HOME SAFELY!!!

Good Morning and Happy Friday!  I've got my RED on ;-D

belovedbyHim - I updated the timeline up above - thank you for that info!

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

PIR APRIL 2022

PIR MARCH 2022

PIR FEBRUARY 2022

PIR for April 8th added:

TG-17 (129,130,131,132,133,134,135,136,137,138,916)

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

No question is ever dumb and someone will answer you. 

For our moms that are just joining please keep your phone on you at all times and your ringer on loud. You just never know when a call will come thru.

Staying busy is key while the first couple of weeks of silence is hard. Start writing now so when you receive your form letter you can mail those letters off right away.

We are here for you as you begin this new journey. Mine has been in for 4 and half years now. It's been an emotional ride that's for sure. So come and post when you are ready.

I will post some links for you to read over:

***INFORMED DELIVERY UPDATE***

For those of you who have USPS Informed Delivery,  I received an email today that they are discontinuing the App as of 6/12/2021 and you have to download the USPS Informed Delivery Mobile App to your phone.  I just did it and the process is pretty simple.

This is a great app. You can see what mail you have coming every day!! I love it!!

• Letter Writing & Fun Stuff/Questionnaires to send to your Recruit
• Mine loved these when I sent them to him. All he did was answer the questions and sometimes would add to it.    :)

HERE IS A BREAKDOWN OF BOOT CAMP IN TIMES OF COVID

(as put together by belovedbyHim). Updated 1/28/2022.

The Expected timeline will look like this:

Day 0 -- Travel, Arrival and "I'm Here" scripted phone call

Week 1&2
Day 1-14 -- ROM (Restriction of Movement/ Quarantine-- Lots of studying and waiting) Unless they are Fully Vaccinated (2 weeks after final shot) in which case they skip straight to Week 3.

Week 3
Day 15-21 Arrive Onboard RTC and begin P-days (P-days- Initial Processing Days) including 2 days of P-hold (Weekend)
Day 21-- Complete P days. (Initial PFT & Run)

Week 4- First week of training 
Day 22-- Begin training and mail form letter out. Look for it to arrive around 1-2 weeks later

Week 5 -- First inspections and tests (Dental May be this week or next... Not Confirmed)(Form letter/ Personal letters usually arrive this week)

Week 6 -10 -- More training, Drilling (Flags and Marching), Fire Fighting training, Marlinspike (Line handling- How to tie up a Ship to the Pier) and weapons lessons, Confidence chamber( May or may not be happening yet, we don’t know for sure).. Warrior training in here somewhere.

Week 11 & 12 -- Stressful!! They have all their final inspections, PFA, Drills, BS21 and Tests. This is the lead up to the end!!

Once you know your recruit's PIR date, be sure to join the group for that date. PIR groups are posted on the Comment Wall below once they are created. 

Please come and post when you are ready. 

Have a great day everyone!!

Welcome to our new members!! We are glad you have joined us.

I hope all of those at PIR this weekend were able to have at least a little bit of time with their new sailor. When you have a chance be sure to come share your experience with us. 

Good morning everyone!

Looking forward to hearing how PIR went for those able to attend last weekend. 

Also, looking forward to getting to know our new members.

Happy Monday!

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

PIR APRIL 2022

PIR MARCH 2022

PIR FEBRUARY 2022

We are getting ready to fly out for my son's PIR on Friday--no call from him this weekend, so like others we are on pins and needles waiting for the "I'm a Sailor" call. I wanted to ask if anyone has recent information about pictures--do SRs have to purchase a package, or can families buy copies of the official portrait at PIR?

SusanPhoenix - Here's the link with info on the photos.  Your SR should order the photo package while in BC.  I'm not sure how up to date it is with covid:

Photos, tshirts, DVD

And here's the re-order form:

Photo Reorder Form

REMINDER FROM THE US NAVY RECRUIT TRAINING COMMAND FACEBOOK PAGE:

Everyone who is planning on attending a graduation ceremony MUST personally obtain a ticket, which will be distributed at the Recruit Family Welcome Center the week of your recruit's graduation. Tickets are free of charge, but you must have valid photo ID to obtain your ticket (driver's license, state ID, military ID, passport, or, for minors, a student ID, driver's permit, SSN card, birth certificate,) AND you MUST also have your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card.

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).