Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

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!

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

PIR JUNE 2022

PIR MAY 2022

PIR APRIL 2022

Lila - Thank you for sharing your PIR experience in my discussion above. I appreciate it!! Please feel free to come join the Beyond BC group now that you have a sailor!!

I hope others of you today are doing well. Continue to keep up your letter writing, and remember to just tell your SR thank you, and that you appreciate their service. 

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

I also help out on here. My son has been in for over 4 years now.

Lila- Thanks again for sharing and letting us know how PIR was. It really helps a lot. Congrats again on your loved one becoming a Sailor!!

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

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

PIR JUNE 2022

PIR MAY 2022

PIR APRIL 2022

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).

Update from RTC - the Mask Mandate has been removed but you are still required to show proof of vaccination. 

* * * New Guidance on Revised Pass-in-Review Policy * * *

Recruit Training Command is lifting the masking mandate. There is no mask requirement for recruits, staff, and guests attending Pass-In-Review. Each recruit can invite two guests (max, no exceptions) to attend in person to maintain capacity limitations. (Children 2 & under do not count toward the guest limit.) Guests 12 or older need to provide proof of immunization (14 days post final dose,) in the form of a COVID-19 vaccination record card, to attend. If you are unable to provide proof of vaccination, you will not be able to attend, and will not be issued tickets to attend. This policy is subject to change as leadership continues to monitor the spread and impact of the Coronavirus. Please continue to follow RTC social media accounts for updates and check www.bootcamp.navy.mil for the most up-to-date information. For specific questions and inquiries, contact the RTC Public Affairs Office.

From Sarge:

IMPORTANT NOTICE

THERE WILL NOT BE A MEET AND GREET ON

THURSDAY 04-21-22  due to the complications of the surgery on 4-12-22. I think I will be fully recovered for the meet and greet on 4/28/22 Thank you for your understanding. 

Is anyone able to share when we might get that call “I’m a sailor?”  Is it after battle stations. My son is in his 7th week and he mentioned mentioned battle station this week.  

Hi osubuckeyegirl - First of all glad to hear that your SR is getting closer and closer to the finish line. It is a little different with the extra couple of weeks, tacked on to BC. From what I have gathered, I do believe that they are able to still call home after BS for the "I'm a sailor" (they will not refer to it that way, most likely) call but then they have to still pass their final PFA. 

As for a specific date for the call, we cannot share that on this public group. You might be able to check in your PIR group for anyone that is in the same TG, if they have received calls. The other possibility is that you can look at your SRs TG (training group #) on the BC website a then see the division #s. They generally go in somewhat of a numerical order for BS. 

In the past, I would have said that most calls came between the Sunday - Wednesday prior to the Friday PIR date but with the changes, I am not certain if BS are still being held during the same time of the week as they had been. 

hello i am new here, my husband is currently in bootcamp he shipped out yesterday we do have a 1 yr old daughter and i am 20 yrs old. what are some things you did to help you pass time? i am scared to get depression i have been very sad to the point where just by looking at our daughter i cry.....

Good morning, itza!  Welcome to the group.  When my son was at bootcamp (BC), I passed the time by writing him each day.  (I tried to be positive in the letters so it wouldn't discourage him with how much I missed him.)  I also tried to make sure I kept busy (which I'm sure your 1-yr-old helps with that)!  :-)

Also, I signed up for Informed Delivery from the USPS - they send an image of the mail that is arriving that day.  I was able to see the envelope from my son and get the address off of it.  So when the mailman dropped of the mail, I already had letters to my son in the mailbox ready to go.

Finally, remember that "no news is good news" so if you don't hear otherwise, assume he's doing great in BC and you will get to see him in 10 weeks!  Big hugs to you!

Hi osubuckeyedgirl, My son called home the Sat before PIR.  He was shocked and happy to get to make another call.  It was great!  Good. luck to your son!

Good Morning itza - I believe you have read the information already but I am posting again for anyone else - Sandboxx App for BC - 

I have not personally used the Sandboxx App, hopefully someone that has will reply. We do not recommend that you use this after BC. Don't put personal information, dates or times of Battle Station or other sailor movement in these. From my understanding, you send a message and it goes to Sandboxx, they print it out, with anyone's eyes able to read what you write and they process it and deliver it. 

You still have to have your SRs mailing address and so you have to wait for the Form letter to arrive with information about BC & PIR and his handwritten address ( do not expect any other notes or personal messages on this letter), or he might be able to send you a note with his address on the return envelope, but that is rare. Then you may mail both Sandboxx App letters and postal letters.  I do believe you are able to send pictures, but again, remember they are not private!!

DO NOT use Sandboxx once they are out of BC - too many possibilities of OPSEC / PERSEC violations. 

Also check out this page from our information in the upper right! Letter writing and fun stuff/questionnaire

As for ways to stay busy - Start a hobby, plant some flowers, an herb garden, (especially if you are in an apartment.) Take your daughter to a park, for a walk, both of you will benefit from fresh air, sunshine, she needs to be outside playing as much as possible. Do activities with her. I know that some things might still be closed, but see if your local public library has a story hour or a toddler / preschool to take her to. 

If your family lives close by - see about spending more time with them if possible. Remind them that once you are able to be with your husband, you may or may not be as close for visits, so they will want to get as many baby snuggles in as possible. 

I had an 18 month old when my husband was in the Reserves and had to do a 2 week training. Granted, that was not 10 weeks, but it was still hard on me. I was feeling down and my mother (I was staying at their house during this time because my mother was babysitting while I was working evening/nights) looked at me and said, "Chipmunk, you have family around, you have your daughter, and work. I know this separation is hard, but it is likely harder on your husband. He is out in the field, in the hot sun working every day and doesn't have anyone to come home to." She did not exactly tell me to buckle up, or put on my big girl panties, but I realized I had to change my perspective on things. 

It is not easy being apart, but it is important to take care of your own mental health, listen to positive music, even classical, find something to do with your hands, gardening, painting, sewing, working with clay - Look up online recipes for edible playdough for your daughter, make yourself activities for her, from things around the house,  - Make an effort to find those things which are beautiful, pure and lovely to think upon instead of allowing yourself to get into the habit of worry, fear and negative thoughts. 

Anything to help you stay upbeat. You will want to watch what you write and say in your letters to your husband, they need to be encouraging - but one of our veteran moms on here has shared before about writing out all the feelings of uncertainty, frustration, even possibly anger and journal them, but then destroy those because you don't want them around later. Some have even looked for other "healthy" ways to deal with their emotions (and we are moms, not wives - it is a different scenario) but all in all, we understand what you are going through and are here to offer as much encouragement as we can. Feel free to share here how your day is going. 

We have had other wives on this group in the past as well, you are not the only one. 

Happy Friday!

itza - hang in there!  Count Friday's - don't count individual days.  This will help the time pass quicker.  Write lots of letters and number them in the corner so when you get your husbands address you can mail them all out and he'll know what order to read them in.  Do some fun things with your daughter and take lots of pictures to share with your husband after BC.  Stay positive - remember, this is a good thing for your family!  And keep your phone handy and answer all calls because you never know when it might be him!

Hiya itza! - Glad you've joined the moms! These ladies have been thru it all and have such GREAT advice, suggestions, reminders and more. No question is silly and most times you'll get answers from more than one mom or wife or girlfriend of a SR. The Informed Delivery Service (it's FREE!) from the U.S. post office is really handy. My daughter finished BC in March, but I still hang around because this is a very supportive site.

One of the fun things you can do to involve your daughter is to invite her to draw "pictures for Daddy". Include one in every letter you send him. For my Sailor girl, I used to take a pic with my phone of each page of my letter so I wouldn't forget what I'd written about, and the envelope with the number on it.  That way I could recreate the letter if it got lost between my house and BC.(Happens!) Also, look for kids books at the library about sailors and stuff so she can relate. 

Lastly, take the difficult but true advice...no news is good news. Believe me, your husband is BUSY with new skills, information, drills, procedures and lots of physical fitness! If you don't hear from him then everything's going as planned and the Navy is working his butt off. He will let you know what you need to know as soon as he knows! 

We have a windy, cloudy day today, but hopefully some of you are able to have some nice sunshine, maybe plant some flowers, or an herb garden, take a walk, write letters, anything to help you stay busy, but also be sending love and prayers to your SR. 

Welcome to all of our new members! The best way for us to get to know you is for you to come post and say hello here!

My son has been in almost 5 years now and is currently out in the fleet. I am active on several of the groups here, both public and private, so if you need any help looking for information please don't hesitate to ask.

Some of our veteran regulars have been busy with their jobs and other family home front needs, and I am not able to keep up with who has had PIR or not. So, ...

If you now have a sailor that has passed Battle Stations & their final PFA - remember to change the status on your profile page to Enlisted. Also, feel free to come join the Beyond BC group.  

Welcome Aboard to Navy Life and the emotional roller coaster as we sometimes refer to it. 

Meet N Greet is back on for 4/28.  Be sure to RSVP.  Here's the link:

Sarge's Meet N Greet

The July 2022 PIR group is up now:

PIR JULY 2022