Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Tammy - wonderful news about your son!  So glad everything has worked out for him....do you know yet what his new rate will be?

B'sNukeMom - not sure what his new rate yet will be. He's hoping for CTM - but beyond that we know it's all up to the navy. He's been given the impression that because his ASVAB scores are high, they navy will look for rates (that they need to fill) that better suit him and then let him rank order his choices - and then they will decide where to put him. 

Liz -- I'm so sorry that I caused so much offense.  That has never been and never is my intention.  I do not believe that I "Know everything" .  In fact I know very little.  What I do know is that A post was made that was very out of character and While I am hopeful that when I get the chance to read all the posts that have been made in the last few days it is confirmed that this is the New way of doing things, I didn't want a mom to get her hopes up, only to be crushed if it turns out to be different. Helping our Boorcamp moms through the uncertain days of their Navy Journey is all I want to do.  I am open to messages and I try and respond to them as soon as I am able.  I am again sorry if I offended you.  Yes things do change and I am happy to help share that change with other moms.  I hope that you will stick around and share your wisdom with the moms coming onboard now.

Good Morning Everyone!!

Today is a new day, let's rejoice!! We are one week closer to PIR, to phone calls, hugs and letters! I have sunshine and I am happy; I hope your day is lovely.

With the discussion about Sandboxx App, I would just like to share, that so far, I have only been able to ascertain is that there is new "scuttlebutt" as to form letters and the App. Some of this seems to be coming from some of the newer recruits but I can't find anything "official" about it. Hopefully one of the admins can get something more definitive or not. I am not finding any information on the RTC sites. 

It is good for us to share our concerns, and to see if we can get some clarification on any updates if possible. I just wanted to let you know that we are trying. 

Reminders: Be sure to read this discussion of mine, it will help you navigate this site some - Private Messages - Creating & Sending + OPSEC 

I set up the Beyond BC group for you to join after you receive the "I'm a Sailor" call or have attended PIR. Many of the others who post comments and encouragement come from this group and stick around to help support you all. 

 Alright everyone - let's get this week off to a good start shall we?

In regards to the Sandboxx App it has been and continues to be a controversial topic.  We can all agree that even RTC says "it's ok to use in BC" but not to use after due to OPSEC issues. 

Sandboxx wasn't an option when my son left in 2012 and wasn't an option for many of us old timers.  We are just passing on info from RTC and we all know that things can change weekly, daily, hourly. 

We try to do our best to keep up on things in the Navy but it's often not an easy task.  We are all volunteers on here (with outside commitments) and my son is out now so it's even harder for me to keep "up to date" on current affairs with the Navy.  But we try!  We are always open to hearing about new things/changes/suggestions for the boot camp group.  We don't proclaim to know everything.....and our goal is to help not hinder.  We never intend to be hurtful.  This is a support group and we do our best to help and encourage new moms. 

With that being said I hope we can all move forward and continue to build up and support one another.

Have a great Monday!

Here's some info that was given to Chipmunk from another mom who got it from the admin of the FB group.....I have an email out to RTC to confirm the accuracy of this so I will keep it posted for now.  If I hear otherwise I will remove it.

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

PIR NOVEMBER 2022

PIR OCTOBER 22

PIR SEPTEMBER 2022

All November PIR dates are now listed. 

Please note that November 23, 2022 TG-50 PIR is on WEDNESDAY due to Thanksgiving and only 3 guests allowed.

Hello ladies, it’s been a bit since I have posted but I am here in spirit and watch the emails of posts.  I was reading posts on Sandboxx and just wanted to say that my son’s PIR was this past January. In DEP and at swear in just before he left the recruiters and Navy Personnel that did his briefing all went over Sandboxx and encouraged usage for boot camp.  I used it the entire time for boot camp and have nothing but great things to say about it.  Hope that helps!

B'sNukeMom & Jrdsmama - Thank you!

Jrdsmama -- Thank you.

I also want to say Welcome Home to the USS Harry S. Truman!

They returned today after a 10 month deployment. Thank you for your service!

B'sNukleMom I just watched a snippet of the video showing the homecoming. So powerful and so emotional. Being on the opposite side of an event like that right now... just made me think wow... BC really is a drop in the bucket with all this. But of course in the moment, as we moms walk through this early stages, it feels HUGE and often overwhelming. So grateful for all these sailors and families for their sacrifice every day! 

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday. 

I also received an email back from RTC this morning regarding the Sandboxx App and everything is confirmed.  If your SR chooses Sandboxx then you will NOT  receive a hard copy of anything.  All necessary info will come from Sandboxx and it will direct you to their website where the info will be, or you can go RTC's website.  If your recruit opts out of Sandboxx then they are SUPPOSED to be receiving the hard copy of the family letter to mail home.  I was told there was a slight snafu where that wasn't happening for some of the recruits, but it should have been rectified by now.

Good to know the updated sandboxx info…thank you. 

will my sailor have an insurance card? I have to show a gain of coverage to take him off my insurance. 

And just to clarify - there is a cost to use the Sandboxx App.  1 letter is $4.50 to send.  They do offer discount plans for multiple letters.

Sandboxx Pricing

nursekim - I believe their military ID doubles as their Tricare insurance card.  Tricare info should be listed on the back of the card.

Reminder - now that you are on your way to having a Sailor in the US Navy just remember that there are so many things out of your control now.  Nothing is "set in stone" so to speak. 

Plans will change and then they'll change again and then they'll change once more just for kicks! 

Learn to roll with the tide - it will make life so much easier and less stressful ;-D

Remember.....

Hi Liz - I hope things are going well with your daughter. I believe you had mentioned she was getting both her Sandboxx letters from you and regular mail. How much faster is she receiving her Sandboxx letters over the ones you mail to her? 

What is the cost difference between the Sandboxx lettes and the regular US postage?

Just testing if it is with all the sites or just the craft site

Northwoodsmom that is sooo cool! Did you make those? I'm seeing a gift for my sailor in his future at some point! Love it.

Hi moms! Just checking in to say hi! I appreciate all the Sandboxx comments. I have been sending letters via Sandboxx every day and since this Friday marks 2 weeks at BC for my SR, I'm hoping to receive something back soon! I miss him terribly. 

I got a call from the Red Cross and almost fell down, but she was kind enough to start the conversation  with, "this is not an emergency" so I calmed down. She just wanted to talk about their services for military families.Phew!

Enjoy the rest of your week! Another week closer to PIR!

Oh and Etsy has a great led light that says the SR's last name with the US Navy and anchor. I keep it lit all the time in blue (you can change the colors). I loved it so much, that I bought one for family members! Can't show you a pic since it has my SR's last name, but it's really a nice gift (thank you to me for sending it to me) LOL!

Happy Wednesday all!

Chipmunk - I posted below the link for pricing to Sandboxx.   A single letter can cost $4.50 but they have "packages" you can purchase for a discount.  Currently a first class letter through the USPS is .60.

Northwoodsmom - awesome cornhole boards!  Did you make them?

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

PIR NOVEMBER 2022

PIR OCTOBER 22

PIR SEPTEMBER 2022

Be sure to RSVP for Sarge's Meet N Greet.  Here's the link:  

Sarge's Meet N Greet

B'sNukeMom - Thank you!

Melissa - Good Morning!! Yes, the American Red Cross does make phone calls to the SR families. I don't know if I received one or not, and sometimes we forget to mention it. I think it was about 3 - 4 weeks before I had mail from my SR. My letters arrived on Thursday. My son only wrote on Sunday afternoon and almost all of his letters started with "I only have 10 minutes to write!!"

Northwoodsmom - Those are awesome!!

Melissa's post reminded me that it's been a while since I posted this information.

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.

Please have this 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 (In Boot camp, It will likely be short, 2-4 days at most)  This is very rare and I only know of one case where it has happened in BC but again, better to be prepared! 
The Red Cross may reach out to you while your SR is in BC.  This is normal and nothing to be surprised about.  They want to make sure you also have this information available and know that they are there should you need them.

Hello all!  Finally back home from the graduation trip, such a long drive!  While I was traveling, I noticed I quit getting emails from this group and was hoping someone might tell me how to fix? 

For anyone in the planning phase for graduation, I would highly recommend staying somewhere that offers a shuttle ride to/from graduation.

Amy - welcome home and hopefully you had a wonderful time.

This shows up next to the "Add Comment" box on here.  Make sure you have clicked on it.  Somehow you may have "unclicked" it.

Follow – Email me when people comment

Here’s what it looks like.

see below 

Mine says stop following, wonder if my email is not working right?

Welcome back Amy! What makes you say to use the shuttle? The place we plan to stay does offer one but I’m afraid of getting there late? I want to be like first in line at 630!

The place we stayed offered shuttle service starting at 6:15 but when we checked in it was full so we took the 6:45 and got there just before 7:00. They went some back way and we didn't have to wait in line. It was a bit of a walk from the gate but I got to see my girl as soon as we walked in!

Good Evening Amy - I was just thinking about you and had planned to suggest that you or anyone else that had been to PIR recently, should chime in and tell about your experience. 

There is also a possibility that you clicked one of these two items in the email feeds - 

To stop following this group, go to:
https://navyformoms.ning.com/group/bootcampmoms?unfollow=1&xg_s...

To control which emails you receive on Navy For Moms, go to:
https://navyformoms.ning.com/profiles/profile/emailSettings?xg_sour...

Or that you clicked on the right of your email, and I think there is a way to "block" emails. 

CBMom - We were going to take the shuttle, and had signed up for an early one, but when we went the next morning, our names were not written down on the list. We ended up driving over. We managed to park in the garage. I am glad that the shuttle worked out well for Amy. 

Amy -- I find that when I'm on my phone it's easier to click the "Stop Following" option.  Once you log back in here on a computer it usually defaults back to notifying.  I hope you got it all straightened out!! 
NOW>>> YES!!!! I'm so glad you had a great Trip!!! Once you have a few minutes to get your thoughts together We'd love to hear all about it!  Congratulations again and I look forward to hearing how your SR does on the next steps!

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

PIR NOVEMBER 2022

PIR OCTOBER 22

PIR SEPTEMBER 2022

Here's a video posted online (6/13/22) that shows the 10 weeks of boot camp:

What US Navy Recruits Go Through

And if you are interested in seeing what happens during the "Confidence Chamber" aka gas chamber here is a video link:

Boot Camp Gas Chamber

Welcome home Amy! I hope you had an awesome time with your Sailor! 

We got here last night. My son called me to tell me we have special reserved seating bc he’s the recruit commander. We have to report by 0715! 
We’re going to the meet and greet tonight so that should be fun! 

nursekim - Enjoy your time!!! Bravo Zulu to your new sailor!!

BZ to you and your sailor nursekim...  so exciting.. and wonderful..