Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Good Morning Everyone!! 

How are we doing today? 

For our newer members, I am one of the moms that stuck around after my son's PIR and have been active on this site helping any new members as I am able. There are several of us who do so as well. When you post a comment or question, we see it in our email feeds and we answer as we are able. 

My sailor was at BC during the summer almost five years ago now. They have had a lot of changes since then, tickets are required to be picked up prior to PIR, Covid shut PIR down for many families, new restrictions are in place as to attendance, BC has been extended so that you might receive the "I'm a sailor" call before they have completed their final run. 

All of these things can be frustrating, nerve racking, hard to deal with - especially if you are someone always used to being in control of your child's schedule, a person who plans a lot and organizes things. We have a saying around here 

"Semper Gumby" - Always Flexible. 

Your child will always be your child, but their life, their schedules, their time off, is at the mercy of the Navy. Learning how to bend, so that we don't break is important. Learning how to plan for travel or events that might have to be changed or cancelled is paramount when dealing with anything related to your SR or sailor's PIR and future liberty or leave time. 

Your SR (soon to be sailor) will always be your best source of information regarding leave time, ship underways or deployment. Help them understand that their communication to you is valuable and helps you to rest easier as well. 

And when you are struggling with any of this Navy Life - This is a good and encouraging place to come to and share.

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

PIR JUNE 2022

PIR MAY 2022

PIR APRIL 2022

Thank you for letting me join with this group.

Week 8 is the scariest for me. Just received a call from my son that he was asmo'd for two days in firearms and firefighting, but will return back to his group. Crossing my fingers that he will pass and graduate with the rest of his group. All I can do now is to pray and pray.

I am new and try to familiar with the layout. There might be some typo errors.

4Seas7Winds - Glad to have you here, welcome!! I had not seen your post here before I left a message for you. 

All the best to your SR as he navigates these Navy waters and figures out his groove at BC. Hopefully he will be able to return to his division.   The links to the PIR groups that I mentioned in my message to you are also posted below your comment here. 

4Sea7Winds, happy you are here with us. Prayers for your son to make it through. Don't worry about the typo, we all are guilty of them even if it is auto correct. Navy Moms get you no matter what. Welcome to the group!

Good Morning!

I hope everyone is doing well today.

Just a reminder, especially with the timeline change and the "I'm a sailor" call coming in after BS there is still a final PRT (Physical Readiness Test) that has to be completed to my understanding. This uncertainty of actual completion to BC can be hard on us loved ones planning to attend PIR. 

Be sure to book refundable or changeable flights, or better yet, drive if that is reasonable. Book hotel rooms that have late cancelation policies. I believe most of them in the area do as they know how common that is, but always call the hotel directly and speak to someone on the frontlines, and read the fine print if booking online. 

For those with loved ones yet to leave for BC, make sure they can meet those new PRT standards. My son went out running about 3x or more a week in the early morning before school, because he knew he needed to build up his endurance, since he had changed his after school activity from sports to robotics. Also, your body just needs to be conditioned properly for running as well. 

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

PIR JUNE 2022

PIR MAY 2022

PIR APRIL 2022

Good Morning Everyone!! I hope all are well. It has been quiet on here, I hope you are chatting in your PIR groups. Be sure to come here with any questions that you have. 

Still learning to navigate this group. I think I got it now.

Good morning to you too. My group at bootcamp is PIR 04-22-22 and we were just stressed out last week due battleship. I got the call "I'm a sailor" I did a "happy cry' together with other members.

Relaxed just for a couple days, then we are on another push re final PFA which should be sometime next week.

Thank you for all your support from this group. 

Prayers /||\ 

4Seas7Winds - So glad you all are getting your calls. This new routine with the BS first and then final PFA has got to be difficult. Because you want to shout, "I have a sailor" but it still is not official. 

All the best to all of our SRs and almost sailors. 

We have another group on this site called Beyond BC which you may join after you have a sailor. Also be sure to look for groups specific for your sailor's job as well. 

This will help you find groups on this site for your sailor's rating (job).

N4M GROUPS: Listed By Navy Job (Ratings) - Navy For Moms (ning.com)

4Seas7Winds - you are so close now!

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

PIR JUNE 2022

PIR MAY 2022

PIR APRIL 2022

My baby just left! TEARS, but complete excitement for him. Not only is this something he has been working towards for several months, but at just 18-years old, he has his whole life ahead of him!!!

Much love to all you mama's out there! Virtual hugs. ;)

He's got this CaliMom! Keep your phone handy!  (And I also responded to you over in the June PIR group.)

CaliMom - BNMHs!! {Big Navy Mom Hugs!!}  My son was 18 also, just out of high school when he left as well. There are so many emotions that we feel as moms - I think the hardest thing for me though was that my mom had passed away earlier that year and so I could not share my tender heart moment with her, so I called my big sister who had 2 in the military - I knew she would understand when others might not.

Good Morning Everyone!

One more day closer to PIR for those of you in the final stretches. 

CaliMom - How are you doing? Did you get your "I'm Here" phone call? If not, take heart - sometimes circumstances arise and they are not able to get that done. 

I have been sharing this video elsewhere but thought I would here as well. My son left for BC shortly after his HS graduation, and one of his sister's weddings. Another sister got married the week before his PIR and he could not be there. His younger brother was starting HS and it was a tough time for him with his big brother gone. Tougher than I think I realized. My son's enlistment was longer than some, but I still expected him to come back home when he was finished. Instead, he found a wonderful woman to join our family as his wife. His brother sang this at their wedding. It has a brief clip in it which connects it to our military mom hearts.  

Petra: Love

@Chipmunk - Thank you! Doing okay today! (keyword today) Little brother is having a hard time adjusting, but he's on spring break so we're keeping him busy, which keeps us busy too! Double benefit! Our Recruit sent a text at 6am this morning saying he was getting on the plane to get him to Bootcamp, so I would expect the "I'm Here" phone call sometime today?

Thanks so much for checking in. I love your story and hearing about all the families and how wonderful things work out. Very hopeful he will make some life-long friendships and maybe meet a future daughter in law? We'll see. THANK YOU!!!! 

Check out this discussion above - Blue Candle

Ideas for remembering our loved ones! 

Keep yourselves busy, plan a new project, read a good book that your SR might be interesting in hearing your write about in your letters,  

I emailed my SR every day until I had his address. Then I copied those emails and printed them to send off. I actually did that for all of his letters, so that he had them in his email for later. 

Letter writing and fun stuff/questionnaire

Copy quotes, scriptures, song lyrics, anything encouraging to send, especially when you don't know what to say. Many of the moms recommend numbering your letters and envelopes, so when you send off a batch after you get their address, they know which ones to read first. 

(Remember the blue letters on this site are hyperlinks to other information. Click on them to find groups, other information, etc.) 

CaliMom - They can call or text after they get to the airport in GL (Great Lakes) area, before they get on their transport to RTC (Recruit Training Command) / Bootcamp. 

They will be kept very busy and your "I'm Here" call may not arrive until late tonight, or in the early morning, so keep it charged by you in bed tonight as well. 

There are videos in the upper left of this page that might be worth watching. You can watch them first and then see if they will help your child at least understand what is going on. 

Recruit Training Command Home Page (navy.mil) - This is the home page for bootcamp. Lots of helpful information. Only thing I knew about until a week before PIR when I found this site. 

Enjoy spring break!

CaliMom - I didn't get my call until around 2 am.  Good luck to your recruit!!!

CaliMom - because you are West Coast your call might come in earlier.  I'm also in CA and when my son went to boot camp (2012) my call came in just after 8pm.  But again, it could be at any time so just keep your phone handy!  And remember, it will be quick - maybe 30 seconds or so - it's a scripted call.  Just enough time for you to shout "Be strong, you got this, we love you" over what they are saying lol!

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

PIR JUNE 2022

PIR MAY 2022

PIR APRIL 2022

Here is my discussion on the Sandboxx App (to be used during boot camp only!). Click on the link:

Sandboxx app while in BC

Final TG for June PIR was added.

PIR JUNE 2022

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

PIR JUNE 2022

PIR MAY 2022

PIR APRIL 2022

Good Morning / Afternoon everyone!!

I hope all are doing well today!

Hello, good morning. I received my "I've arrived at bootcamp and you'll hear from me in a letter within 2 weeks" call last night about 8pm (PDT). He sounded rushed and non-emotional, so I guess that's good? Just happy he's started. Now it's a countdown! Yipee!

Hope everybody has a great Wednesday!

CaliMom - Glad you heard from your SR. Yes, it is a script they read from and I think my son had someone standing over his shoulder watching him. They will keep them up for an extended period of time and have them busy doing lots of things. 

Enjoy your Spring break and have some special moments with those still at home. 

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

PIR JUNE 2022

PIR MAY 2022

PIR APRIL 2022

For anyone who hasn't seen a PIR click on the link below.  The 4/15/22 PIR is live right now:

YouTube - live PIR 4/15/22

Congratulations to anyone that has a sailor going through PIR today!!

Once your sailor graduates be sure to change their status on your profile page from at BC or waiting to leave, to Enlisted!! Acknowledge their accomplishment and it also helps others know what stage of Navy Life you are in. 

Really Ladies, here is the seen out my front door this morning. Windy, snowing and 28 degrees. Easter?

Northwoodsmom - It is beautiful, but I do understand!!!  Although, colored eggs might stand out in the snow better!

May your Holy Season be one of blessed time with family, prayers for others, including your SRs and sailors!

Did we have anyone attending PIR this last week? If so, please come share your experience so others can glean from your time in GL. 

Hi we attended.  We stayed at Springhill Marriott which worked out great for us.  We used the Navy taxi on Sarge's link and our driver was Shawn and he was fantastic.  We did not rent a car.  We did airport pick up, ticket picket on way in and airport drop off all with him.  He even drove our Sailor back to base at the end of Liberty!  The graduation was great... we arrived at the Hall around 7am and easily got a great seat in front of our division's flag so we knew they would be right in front of us.  There was no stress, just a couple of suprises - they did not get to bring their phones with them on liberty, and they left that night at midnight to the airport for an all night stay in the USO lounge - taking off at 6 am for their A school destination.  So the bag of things we had for him from home he wound up not being able to take back on to the base since they were leaving so soon.  We wound up with one of us getting up in the night and getting it to the airport and putting it into his hands at the USO lounge.  Then that person was able to fly home early so it all worked out.  Definitely if anyone has any questions, you are welcome to DM me for any further information.  He is now in a warm sunny place and loving life.  Already had a chik fil a dinner delivered to him on base and they have so much more freedom. A school is going to be plush compared to boot camp LOL.  

Good evening, Lila, I saw your post just prior to us heading out for the evening for dinner church and some family time. 

Thank you for sharing your PIR information. It sounds like they have started flying the sailors out of the local airports again? Is that correct?  I bumped my discussion What PIR weekend may be like for those flying out of GL - Navy For ... back into the queue above. Please feel free to go to it, go to the end of the last page and add any updates to this discussion about what PIR might be like for those with sailors flying out. 

Yes, those who have not moved over to the GL A school side, are not allowed to have their cell phones back yet. And they leave very early in the morning for the airports. We ended up cutting our stay and checking out of our motel early in the morning to go be with our sailor. 

Do you know if the airlines are allowing the families to get gate access and be able to stay with their sailors or not? 

Lila - I'm glad you had a good time at PIR and everything worked out!    Yours is a perfect example of being flexible - welcome to the Navy way lol!