Welcome Bri! and Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone!  My SR had to spend the holiday in RCU - he has three more weeks of rehab for his stress fracture.  I talked to him Thanksgiving week and he sounded pretty good - a little down in the dumps and bored...but hanging in there.  The good news is that he found out he will likely go back to a 900 Division once he is cleared - he was happy about that!  I've sent him several books because all he gets to do really is read. He said that hopefully this week, they'll let him start doing more and he might be able to do the firefighting training and confidence chamber while in RCU to get that completed.  It's been so long and he'll still have 6 weeks left once he's cleared.  Next week would have been his graduation date had not gotten injured.  But he's good and has a very positive attitude.  Thanks for your continued prayers! Are there any Sailors graduating this week from this group?

Happy Tuesday!

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

Here is my discussion on the Sandboxx App - click on the link:

Sandboxx app while in BC

**Only to be used while in boot camp.

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

Latest update from RTC:

COVID Message Board

* * * The Latest Guidance - Revised Pass-in-Review Policy * * *

Due to a change in COVID-19 status, as of Nov. 10, guests attending the weekly graduation ceremony are no longer required to show proof of vaccination to gain access to Recruit Training Command Great Lakes.

However, with the removal of mask wearing and vaccinations, guests should take whatever precautions they deem appropriate for themselves based on their personal risk factors. Vaccinations and subsequent boosters are still strongly recommended by the CDC. Disposable masks are available at the front desk of the RTC visitors center for guests who may wish to utilize one.

Recruits graduating in the next few weeks are being given the opportunity to phone home to notify their families of this change in policy so they may make changes to their guest access lists over the phone. If your recruit graduates in December or later and you want to change the guest list based on this change, it is recommended you mail a new Guest Security Access Form to your recruit. This form may be found at www.bootcamp.navy.mil under the Graduation tab.

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

PIR JANUARY 2023

PIR DECEMBER 2022

CHRISTMAS ADOPT-A-SAILOR info below from the RTC site.

Good to hear about his positive attitude Tootie.. really wish it didn't put him back but better to heal right.. 

Tootie - positive attitude and mental acuity are definitely key to have during boot camp.  So glad he's got both!  Hopefully he'll heal quickly and be back in a division ASAP.

B'sNukeMom - your "monday post" made me laugh! I can sooo relate! Thanks for the chuckle! 

Tootie - that's tough on your SR for sure! I agree that attitude and key! He can do this - just needs to keep patience, focus and determination! 

Got the call yesterday. My son is officially a US NAVY SAILOR.  Soo proud of him and cannot wait to see him.  

lapdja, congratulations so happy for you both. Give that Sailor a hug from us when you get to see him.

lapdja - Congratulations to you and your Sailor!!!!

lapdja - Congratulations! BZ!!

way to go new sailor and mom.. lapdja... BZs and big hugs

Happy Wednesday!

lapdja - BZ to your new Sailor!

FYI - NO Meet N Greet on 1/19/23 as Sarge is having surgery.

Reminder for PIR 12/14/2022 - Sarge's Meet N Greet is on Tuesday, 12/13/2022.

lapdja - That phone call is the best. Congratulations to you and your sailor!

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

PIR JANUARY 2023

PIR DECEMBER 2022

Good Morning Everyone!! 

I am having to play catch up - sorry, I was able to visit my new grandbaby at Thanksgiving, my sailor returned home from a short maiden voyage with his ship, and I have some medical things I am dealing with as well. 

I believe we have some congratulations in order to Lapdja !!

And we have a couple of new members that I have not had a chance to welcome yet - Jessie, obrnkim, & Jem are all joining Bri - We are glad to have you. Be sure to ask your questions here in the comment wall area, as more of our members will see your posts here than elsewhere.  

I think we have a few with SRs going Nuke, that group is active as well, so don't hesitate to ask any questions regarding that rate over there. 

lapdja - congratulations to you and your sailor!!  

Welcome Bri, Jessie, obrnkim, & Jem!  

My sailor had PIR on 11/23, and when I catch up with myself, I will write up my experiences for the group, but it was amazing. 

Hope all is well Chipmunk!

Rosanne - Thank you!! Looking forward to your PIR post. And to having you join us in the Beyond BC group as well. 

Congratulations to your sailor and you lapdja!

We have been through PIR once with our son about 7 years ago and looking forward to being there for our daughter on 1/6!  It is an amazing experience for all!  Congratulations Rosanne to your and your sailor!

Good evening all,

My son is in 009 and PIR is January 6th. I had the opportunity to speak with him over the weekend, and he was very worried about the run that they had scheduled yesterday, due to his legs being in pain, but he refuses to go to Sic call for fearing being pushed back. Does anyone know the timeframe they call in the event the recruit didn't make the run?

cheri39 - I am not certain. Hopefully some of the others who have recently been through this will be able to share. 

Sue M. - it won't be much longer!

I have the February PIR group up now.  Here's the link:

PIR FEBRUARY 2023

cheri39 - your SR will call if he has failed the re-test and is being moved or ASMO'd, however sometimes that call can come several days after they moved. They are given 2 chances to pass the run at each testing (Pdays being the exception). Is this the w4 RDC assessment?  Retest is usually within 72 hours.  That has been my experience.  My son was ASMO'd 4x so I have been through this before.  Keep sending good thoughts and prayers for him to pass.  

Congratulations and Welcome!!  Nuke mama here. I don't post a lot, but I do read every post.  My Sailor is currently at GC just started Nuke A school.  

Hello JNMnavymomOH1

This will be his second test. He is in week 5, and was terrified of failing this week. I gave him all the encouragement that I could possibly give. It's very disheartening to hear your child so upset, and knowing there isn't anything I can do. His legs are giving him lots of trouble, but he is determined to stay away from sic call. Thanks for answering my question. How did your son keep his morale up? 

WHOOP
WHOOP
WHOOP
ATTENTION ON DECK!!
WE HAVE A SAILOR!!!
Congratulations to lapdja  and her Sailor on a job well done!!

Tootie -- I'm glad your SR is healing well and keeping a positive attitude.  I know this week is hard but we will be here for you every step of your Navy Journey!

cheri39 -- If the choice comes down to Sick call or failing his run, He's better off going to sick call.  It could just be his shoes or it could be stress fractures that will only get worse and could cause him to fail all together. I know he wants to push through and only he knows if this is just fatigue from running which he's not accustomed to doing this much vs something being wrong but if something is wrong, that is why they have sick call.

Congratulations!! This is an exciting time!! Enjoy!

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

PIR FEBRUARY 2023

PIR JANUARY 2023

PIR DECEMBER 2022

Part I

Hello everyone!

Those who are new to the group, Bri, Jessie, obrnkim, & Jem!  WELCOME!!!  You are in good hands.  If I have missed anyone, I apologize.

I just want to share my experiences from my daughter’s PIR on 11/23/2022 – Division 416 and our stay in Chicago!  We arrived in Great Lakes (GL) two days ahead of PIR and we rented a car from Enterprise at Chicago O’Hare.  In total, we were there for 6 days.

I do not know if everyone quite remembers how indecisive I was on the fence about staying at the TownePlace Suites or the Navy Lodge (NL).  Well, I went ahead and stayed at the NL.  I chose the NL because my daughter said that she was not able to have overnight liberty and it is closer to Naval Station Great Lakes Main Gate (where her “A” School is located).  We did end up getting a kitchenette.  The larger refrigerator helped because we ate out every night and we brought our food back to the room.  Plus, we had various iced drinks i.e., Starbucks that required refrigeration.  Upon checking in, we signed up for the 6:00 a.m. shuttle to PIR. 

Our Second Day - We went to the Great Lakes Family Welcome Center on Farragut Road to pick up the graduation tickets and to buy Navy memorabilia. There was no line for ticket pick-up. They did ask us if all of our tickets would be used, in case other families needed an extra one, etc.   While in the NL, I noticed all of the creative anchors hung on the doors (the NL provides door hangers if you have an anchor, etc.).  I do not know how I missed not creating one for my daughter.  With being on a time constraint, I bought a plaque from the Welcome Center and I then made her a plaque while I was there and hung it on our door.  I am told that I did a good job ☺.  My oldest daughter and I had Big Ed’s BBQ for lunch prior to going to the Meet and Greet.

Sarge’s Meet and Greet (Second Day) – Now, this man puts on a great show!  He and his family are such great hosts. We had a great time! Make sure you RSVP. If you are able to donate, he will ensure that you have a reserved table waiting for you.   We sat with a family from Texas.  Their son was a Nuke MM.  I wish each one of them the best of luck. There was an abundance of food. There are even containers if you want to take some home at the end of the night.  They had a gift basket raffle.  My hat goes off to those who made those creative gift baskets.  There are refreshments and drinks for sale.  You can even buy memorabilia and/or have T-shirts/Long Sleeve Shirts/Hoodies designed any way you want.  They do it all there and it is ready for you before you leave for the night. Sarge does an incredible job of recognizing the young kids (our future leaders), the families, and the veterans!  Finally, yet importantly, Sarge has the families stand behind their sailor’s divisional flag to take photos.  Just an incredible way to show love and support.

Part II

Morning of PIR – We could hardly sleep.  We got up early to get on the NL shuttle. The shuttle took us directly to Recruit Training Command (RTC).  We arrived at the gate around 6:15. We stood in line for approximately 15 minutes because the gates opened at 6:30.  They search your belongings and wand you through.  You then take a brisk 5-7 minute walk towards the Ceremonial Hall (CH).  Before entering the CH, you walk through and view an incredible sailor museum (I forgot what it is called).  If you can, try and soak that in prior to finding seating.  As you enter the CH, on the left they were selling coins and refreshments.  They even had your sailor’s divisional photos. The divisional photos came with 2023 calendars attached to the bottom.  I did not get one; I wish I had (one of my regrets).  I was in line to get one and then I got out of line because I did not have any money on me.  Honestly, I do not know if they had a price or not. However, when asked, I was told that I could buy/get one after the PIR (in an area across from the CH).  To note, that information was incorrectly given and I was unable to buy that particular photo afterward. Those photos were only given out prior to PIR. I highly recommend you get in line as soon as you arrive at the CH to either purchase or get a free one. However, after PIR, they sell different divisional photos (the ones that are taken in the CH during PIR). You can buy these photos across the way from the CH. 

PIR- One word “Phenomenal.”  I am retired Navy and I was thoroughly and truly impressed. A PIR of 644 of the finest U.S. Navy Sailors graduated that fine Navy day! Incredible and Inspiring.  The band and the flags did an awesome job.  Overall congratulations to all the honorees! You will find two sailors standing on the CH floor with your sailor’s division number.  Use that as a guide on where to sit. Honestly, I do not think you can go wrong as to where to sit.  Although, we felt we were packed in like sardines in a can, don’t worry, there is plenty of seating (overhead). We did bring seat cushions with us but forgot them in the hotel room, ugh.  I tried to sit on my jacket but that was a bit uncomfortable as well.  Nevertheless, the reason why it was so uncomfortable was that we had been sitting for approximately 2 ½ hours before PIR started (and then throughout the actual PIR itself) which is about 1 1/2 hours.  It seemed like the PIR took forever, but that was only because we knew that she was right in front of us and we wanted to run out and grab her.  Once the PIR was over and we located her (that seemed like forever), we hugged her up and kissed her up, and took as many pics as we could with her and with her new shipmates. 

Part III

After PIR - My daughter is staying in Great Lakes for her “A” school.  She had to board a bus immediately to leave to go pack up her things.  We walked back to the shuttle pick-up area and headed back to the NL to await her call/text.  Her check-in process took approximately 4-5 hours. She was able to get her phone and all of her belongings that she had brought with her to boot camp. She text us throughout the process and let us know that she WAS granted overnight liberty!  All that was required of her was that she muster by phone every morning NLT 1000. I was SO happy!  Upon completion of her check-in, we picked her up at the National Museum of the American Sailor.  We saw her walking with a group of sailors when she arrived with her overnight bag and garment bag.  We then went and ate at Big Ed’s BBQ (our second time there, her first).  My daughter ordered ribs and two 32 oz. sides, not the 16 oz. sides, okay!  ☺ My daughter stayed very hungry throughout our entire stay and woke up hungry every morning.  After getting her back to the NL, we listened to more of her boot camp stories and asked her many more questions. She showed us how she had to fold her skivvies, etc.  We pampered her by running her a hot bubble bath and we massaged her hands and feet.  We tried to bring the comforts of home to her to make her feel as special as we could. Afterward, at 2200 (10:00 p.m.) Taps, Taps, Lights Out she was out (sleep) like clockwork.  Only to wake up between 0500 - 0600 hungry again ☺.  In addition, we dined at Anastasias for Thanksgiving.   The next day, we took the Metra into Chicago and enjoyed eating at Portillo’s.  The Metra is very easy to ride/navigate.  The sailors get a good deal for an all-day pass. On our way to Chicago via the Metra, we admired the small towns and the beautiful houses (so different from San Diego).  Every time we looked, we were like, “wow, look at that house!” I compared their houses and towns to a Hallmark card or movie. Upon departure from the Metra Train Station and taking an Uber into more of downtown Chicago, I was in awe.  Chicago is a beautiful, attractive city, and super clean.  At night when the city is lit up, it looks amazing. While in Chicago, we visited “The Bean” (Cloud Gate) in Chicago and took an abundance of pics.  There was even an outdoor ice-skating rink nearby and a view of Lake Michigan (you had to navigate your way via a sidewalk and on over to a bridge to oversee it).  We went to the Sky Deck but it was too late to buy tickets that day.  Additionally, during our stay, we had the pleasure of eating some of the best pizzas EVER at Lou Malnati’s!  If you do not do anything else while in Illinois, go to Lou’s.  You will not regret it.  The pizza was even better for breakfast.  

Part IV

The Last Days – While there in Great Lakes, we wanted to make sure she had everything she needed.  We went to the Navy Exchange (NEX) at least twice in two days and picked up additional uniform needs, bedding for her rack, snacks/drinks, and other necessities.  Currently, is on a “hold” status because school has yet to start.  I hope that she will begin school in January 2023.  We were able to take her to where she is residing for the next 3-4 months.  She enters the ship’s quarterdeck at the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) where she requests to come aboard (arriving on the ship) and requests to go ashore (departing the ship).  I love seeing her salute! BEQs are named after U.S. Navy Ships as well, just like their ships at Boot Camp. I was unable to go to her room, but she is in a room with three other female sailors. She has shown us her room via FaceTime.  She has a decent closet for her uniforms/clothing and she has two somewhat medium-sized drawers near her rack. The room includes a kitchenette, and one bathroom with a tub/shower, and they each have their own desk for studying purposes.  Lastly, as far as food, we had Tacos El Norte the last night we were there.  I hope to get back to Great Lakes at some point in time and visit her while she is there.  On our last day, we had with her; I dreaded dropping her off and heading back to the airport.  I really thought I was going to collapse.  Just the thought of having to leave her there broke me all over again.  I cried as I did when she went to Boot Camp.  I had the ugly cry going on.  I am forever grateful and full of joy that I have had this experience with my daughter, family, and other families.  I am proud of my daughter.  I am proud that she is following in my footsteps and her dad’s.  I am proud that she is starting her own journey and making her own memories. However, a part of me wishes I could go through this all over again.  Of course, my daughter would not want that ☺, but I do have to say that I truly enjoyed every little thing!  Everything did go perfectly as planned. Just know that there was never a dull moment for us.  I would not trade anything for the precious time spent with my daughter.  Time does go by fast, soak in your moments, capture the little things, hold them, hug them, smell them, watch them sleep, and take plenty of pictures.   I am a PROUD MAMA! 

Best Part of It All – She can now call/text/FaceTime us, and are able to do the same.  Priceless!

**Sorry for the lengthy detail.  I tried to capture it all and I hope you find this helpful. Feel free to ask me any questions.

☺HOOYAH DIV 416!☺

Bootcamp0924-- Never apologize for sharing especially when it's a beautifully written as this!!  Don't feel bad about the door. I didn't know it was a thing and I didn't do anything like that either.  Did your daughter order photos to be sent home?  The Div photo may be in those. Your Pride and joy shines in your words and I'm so glad you got the whole time with her.  Those "See Ya Later"s Just never get any easier but you get stronger and the crying gets better. Congratulations on an Amazing Weekend!!!!

Boocamp 924 - thank you so much for sharing your experience!  I know it will help me when I get there! Congratulations!

Bootcamp0924 - wow, amazing information.  I am in the process of planning our trip up for my son's PIR which will be on Wed 12/14.  I'm planning on making a Texas themed basket for the meet and greet and was wondering if there was any insight on this page about what to include in the baskets???  I can't wait to leave and to hug my sailor!

Bootcamp0924 - I'm so happy for you and your family that you had such an amazing time with your sailor! Thank you for sharing so beautifully your experience. It really is an incredible time. I wish your daughter all the best in A school.

Bootcamp0924 - Wow!  Thank you for sharing your PIR experience - amazing ;-D  I closed my eyes and was re-living some of it from my son's PIR back in 2012.  It truly is an incredible experience.

Here's the link to today's live PIR:

PIR 12/2/2022