Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Melissa, so happy for you, that first hug is going to be completely amazing. Prayers for safe travels and a Blessed time with your Sailor!

WooHoo Melissa.. BZs

Melissa - Woo Hoo!  Congratulations to you and your sailor!

Thank you all!! This site has been such a help to me through the last 8 weeks!! I hope I can give back as much as you all have given to me. 

Oh! My Sailor didn’t send home the clearance form for graduation so I printed it, filled it out and attached a photo of it filled out on a Sandboxx letter. I also snail mailed the actual form, but the got the photo way sooner so he got a form and copied what I wrote. I’m not sure if they send it home any longer so I would snail mail it with who is going to the PIR ceremony about 4 weeks before PIR or do what I did and attach it as a photo to a Sandboxx letter. Just FYI

Melissa - Good Suggestions!!

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

PIR JANUARY 2023

PIR DECEMBER 2022

PIR NOVEMBER 2022

Update - I got a call from my son yesterday from RCU. He sounded good and had a great attitude even though he said his foot is not bothering him at all and he was bummed that he had to move out of the 900 division (he was pumped about being a body snatcher!) But I felt so much better after talking to him.  He told me I could send him a book to read while he's there so you know I hopped on Amazon as fast as I could to order the book he wanted lol! 

Great update Tootie.. thanks for letting us know it seems he is healing along fine. 

Tootie - glad he's in good spirits despite the set back. Hope he heals fast!

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

PIR JANUARY 2023

PIR DECEMBER 2022

PIR NOVEMBER 2022

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

PIR JANUARY 2023

PIR DECEMBER 2022

PIR NOVEMBER 2022

Be sure to RSVP for Sarge's Meet N Greet.  It's held on the Thursday night before PIR.  Here's the link:  

Sarge's Meet N Greet

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).

JNMnavymom & Melissa, Congratulations!!!  Can't wait for Friday!

Good Evening everyone!! 

I have been busy with the home front and having some communication with my sailor for a little bit. 

Tootie - I read your message the other day. I am glad that your SR is doing well. The most important thing is for him to keep his attitude and spirits up and focus on healing. 

Amouse - Do we have three of you headed North? 

Hi all!! Trying to catch up here,

JNMnavymom - CONGRATULATIONS!!! So very happy for you and your Sailor!!! You must’ve done the happy dance for days! What a well deserved victory! I have literally been using your story with my Sailor to tell him how resilient and strong people are and to keep pushing through. I can’t wait to tell him the news. 

Melissa- Congratulations as well!!! BZ to you new Sailor moms;)

Chipmunk- I'm not sure, maybe 2?  I know I am, and I guess I should have put my previous comment on 2 separate lines!

Happy Wednesday!

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

PIR JANUARY 2023

PIR DECEMBER 2022

PIR NOVEMBER 2022

How's everyone doing today?  1 day closer to PIR.  Any questions or concerns?

Amouse - Thanks!! I wasn't sure how many we had headed that way. May you all have safe travels, and a wonderful time with your sailors. 

For all of our new sailors and families - Congratulations!!

When you all return from PIR, please come share your experiences here in the comments and then copy them to PIR Weekend Experiences - Post Covid - so they can be easily available for us to share in the future. 

Remember to change the status on your profile pages from at Bootcamp to Enlisted!! Celebrate their success. 

If you haven't joined us in Beyond BC group, we would love to welcome you!

If you have a sailor flying out of GL this discussion might be helpful -  What PIR weekend may be like for those flying out of GL   be sure to scroll to the end for more recent comments. 

I will be leaving tomorrow, driving in.  I am only about 4.5 hours away.  I will be packing tonight when I get home from work.  I am also working on his backpack, just in case he does fly commercially to A school.  I got to see a few pictures of my Sailor in his working uniform from a post on FB.  The Allied Blood Bank or something like that had some pictures from 391.  He looked so good, I almost didn't recognize him, is that horrible?  He looks so thin. I just wanna hug on him, but I read that this is unacceptable.  No PDA, even from a mom.  A really long hug is acceptable for the first time, but nothing else.  So, we can't interlock arms or have random hugs while we are out and about.  Which all he really wants is food and some boba. Still not sure about the food part though.  I know that these next 7 hour are going to just drag, because I want it to go by fast. Safe travels to the others.  Looking forward to Sarge's Meet & Greet and getting some Navy swag.

CBMom, let me tell you when he called, I cried.  Then I proceeded to walk out the back door at work and let out a really loud HOOYAH!!!!  He laughed at me.  I pranced around at work so excited just to be able to see my son.  This journey has been a hard education, but also a blessing.  My son has never been challenged this way before, so I wasn't sure how things would turn out.  I know that I can use his/our story to encourage others and I hope it does just that.  Thanks to everyone for reaching out and praying, thinking, sharing words of wisdom and encouraging me.  It really is appreciated and means more to me than I could ever say.  

Oh JNMnavymomOH, I am sooooo happy for you!!!!!  Yes, that hug will be the best - cherish it!  Enjoy your time with your son <3

JNMnavymomOH - Enjoy that hug - it's a been a long time coming!  Congratulations!!

Melissa - Congratulations!!

Both of you have a safe trip and have fun! (take tissues)

Amouse - Do you have a sailor graduating this week too?  If so, Congratulations! (sorry if I missed you - having a hard time going back and following the conversation thread lol!)

JNMnavymom- Awe!!! So wonderful-it is a great story and it will help him get through A schoool too.  And you hug that young man as much as you want! Yeah he hugged me back the first time and then kinda stood there other times but I didn’t care I just kept hugging him. He will likely be different once he’s off base with you;)

Be sure to RSVP for Sarge's Meet N Greet.  It's held on the Thursday night before PIR.  Here's the link:  

Sarge's Meet N Greet

So excited for all you Ladies heading to PIR. Prayers for safe travels and a wonderful time. Bless you and your Sailors!

Good Morning Everyone!! I just wanted to say have a wonderful day. 

Please join me in welcoming  Beachymom⚓️ to the group. She just joined as is waiting for her son to leave for BC. Feel free to share any pointers with her please. 

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

PIR JANUARY 2023

PIR DECEMBER 2022

PIR NOVEMBER 2022

Beachymom - Welcome to the group! Best of luck to your new recruit!

Beachymom - Hang in there!  This group is so wonderful and provides so much encouragement along the journey, so we're glad you are here!

Hi, Beachymom!  My son graduated from BC almost a year ago, and I was just thinking this morning about some of the things that he/we did that were helpful. 

1.  Make sure he takes a charger when he goes to BC.  The “I’m here” call comes from their cell phone so they need to make sure they have enough power to make the call. 

2.  Have him take a list of phone numbers so when he gets a chance to make phone calls, he has the numbers available. 

3. My son volunteered to be a flag-bearer at graduation to make it easier for us to spot him during the ceremony, which we really appreciated.  (Once they started practicing graduation, he wrote a letter and drew us a picture of the formation and where he would be standing.) 

Make sure to ask questions of this group.  I would have never made it through BC without these amazing women.

Hi Beachymom... welcome.. my sailor is home right now on leave before going to C school and I have already done Halloween and Thanksgiving meals lol.. 

There is lots of good info here and all of us to help you out.. we get the sadness and all..  Big Navy Mom Hugs (BNMH) 

Beachymom - here are a couple of things to look at before your son leaves for boot camp:

Updated info on the Fitness Assessment that they must pass in boot camp (click on the links:). 

Navy fitness assessment

Recruits - prepare yourself

Beachymom - It is good to have you here and posting. Some days, especially on the weekends, it can be quiet, but don't hesitate to post, or ask questions, someone will see it and reply. 

Hi Beachymom!  Welcome!  This is a good, encouraging group. My daughter is in Week 7 of boot camp.  It's hard when the leave, amazing when you get the first "real" phone call (not the I'm here call).  Hang in there!  

Please join me in welcoming cheri39 to our group as well!!

Welcome cheri39 and Happy Friday everyone!

Can't wait to see pictures of the new sailors today!

Welcome cheri39 and Beachymom, so happy you joined us here. 

Red Friday, got my red on.