Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

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,).

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).

Attending the graduation ceremony

ARRIVING: Once the gates open to the public, it will take some time to clear security at the gate, so please plan accordingly. Visitors 18+ will be required to present valid photo ID (driver's license, state ID card, passport, military ID card). Minors, who can't produce one of the forms of ID listed above, must present either a school ID, driver's permit, copy of birth certificate, or Social Security card.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

• 6:30 am: RTC gate opens to guests.
• 7:00 am: Ceremonial drill hall doors open to guests.
• 8:45 am: All guests must be seated. Ceremonial drill hall doors close, no further entry for guests.
• 9:00 am: Pass-In-Review commences.
• 9:20 am: Divisions arrive.
• 10:30 am: Pass-In-Review concludes.

*Please plan on arriving at least 1.5 hours before the ceremony, which begins promptly at 9:00 a.m

• ITEMS PERMITTED INTO GRADUATION CEREMONY: Small bag/personal item (purse, satchel, etc…), small diaper bag, small camera bag, and personal wheelchair or walker. Strollers and car seats are allowed but discouraged due to space limitations (you may leave them in your car).
• ITEMS NOT PERMITTED INTO GRADUATION CEREMONY:
  • Large bags, backpacks, luggage, posters, signs/banners, large tripods, gift bags of any size, and flowers.
  • Alcohol, illegal drugs, knives or weapons will be confiscated by security. Any person found with these items will NOT be permitted to enter the ceremony.

NO WEAPONS! Weapons possession on federal installations is highly regulated and those in violation are subject to arrest and prosecution.

Be sure to check out the Discussions above. There are a few in the queue which may currently be of interest to anyone getting ready for PIR or waiting to hear from their sailor. 

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

PIR APRIL 2023

PIR MARCH 2023

PIR FEBRUARY 2023

Happy Thursday!

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

PIR APRIL 2023

PIR MARCH 2023

All the training groups for April PIR are now posted.

Welcome to our new members! Be sure to read belovedbyHim's blog post.  Here's the link:

Welcome to the Navy, everything will be ok!

Claire, I LuvEDP, NCJay and all our new BC members. Just checking in on all of you to see how your doing? I was one of the Covid mom's and we were quite a chatty bunch. Remember we are always here for you if you need anything. If we can't answer you we will definitely do our best to lead you to someone that can. If you just need a sounding board or a virtual hug we are here for that also. Just wanted you to know we are thinking of all of you.

Welcome also to Samantha!! We are glad you have joined. This is the best spot to come and introduce yourself and just say hi, or ask questions. 

Good Morning Northwoodsmom - You all were quite the chatty group, thanks for encouraging our newer members. 

Today's PIR happening live:

LIVE PIR FEB 24, 2023

New members - if you have a chance click on the link I posted below to watch the Live PIR happening now.  It will give you a good idea of what to expect when it's your turn!

732 new Sailors graduating today - BZ to them!

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

PIR APRIL 2023

PIR MARCH 2023

Hi everyone.. Just popping in to see how everyone is doing.. My sailor is halfway through his C school now. I still find myself a bit sad and a little melancholy that he is grown and doing his life.. Very proud though.. If anyone wants to chat about empty nesting I'm here.. 

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

PIR APRIL 2023

PIR MARCH 2023

Good Morning Everyone!!

Did we get any mail? Any phone calls? 

My mail usually arrived on Thursday from my SR. 

I hope all that were in the storm areas are safe! I know we also have some areas that received a lot of snow and maybe ice as well. 

Be sure to start writing letters if you haven't already, and then you may mail them when you have an address. 

This is from one of our pages of information in the upper right corner. - Letter writing and fun stuff/questionnaire

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

PIR APRIL 2023

PIR MARCH 2023

Good Morning !! 

How are we doing today? The sun is trying to peak between the clouds, so I must get busy but I wanted to say hi. 

Are we writing letters? I know it can be tough to know what to say when you are missing your SR. I usually just tried to tell my son things that were going on at the house, we were preparing for a 2nd wedding of the summer. I also had others who wanted to write and send cards of encouragement to my son, so that helped me out a little. I did not feel like I had to do all of the writing. 

I shared song lyrics from some of his songs he liked, and I wrote out some of our favorite scriptures as words of encouragement to him. Something that I did not do as often as I might have, if I had thought about it more, was to tell him how much I appreciated him working hard and being diligent to do well. Often when our SRs or sailors do a job well-done, it is not noticed or appreciated as much as when they make a mistake or don't do well. So, I am learning that even if no one else tells my son that I appreciate him and his hard work, that I must continue to do that throughout his Navy time. 

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

PIR APRIL 2023

PIR MARCH 2023

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,).

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).

ATTENDING THE GRADUATION CEREMONY

ARRIVING: Once the gates open to the public, it will take some time to clear security at the gate, so please plan accordingly. Visitors 18+ will be required to present valid photo ID (driver's license, state ID card, passport, military ID card). Minors, who can't produce one of the forms of ID listed above, must present either a school ID, driver's permit, copy of birth certificate, or Social Security card.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

• 6:30 am: RTC gate opens to guests.
• 7:00 am: Ceremonial drill hall doors open to guests.
• 8:45 am: All guests must be seated. Ceremonial drill hall doors close, no further entry for guests.
• 9:00 am: Pass-In-Review commences.
• 9:20 am: Divisions arrive.
• 10:30 am: Pass-In-Review concludes.

*Please plan on arriving at least 1.5 hours before the ceremony, which begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.

Hi, BC moms!  Hope y'all are doing well.  My younger son is a senior and is considering joining the Navy like his brother.  I can't bear the thought of going through bootcamp again!!!  I hope y'all are hearing from your recruits and are keeping busy to help pass the time.  (I'm reliving memories from BC days and hoping that all is well with y'all.)

MomofJoseph -- This time will be better!! You KNOW what to expect and you KNOW the timelimes and It's not Covid Craziness!!! And the most important part of all is that you will have all of us right here to cheer you both on!!!

MomofJoseph - I second what belovedbyHim said. And... lucky you, you'll get to experience PIR again! That's a day I wish I could relive. It sounds like you've raised two wise, independent young men. Way to go!

MomofJoseph - Even though it is hard, you are not the only one who has had more than one child go into the military, and so I hope that offers you some comfort, that you are not alone in this either. 

And yes, we will be here, and you will be there for others as well! 

MomofJoseph - I think it's kind of exciting that your younger son is thinking of joining.  I tried to convince my youngest to follow his older brother but he was like, nah, I'm good lol.  He chose the "straight to college" route which worked out for him.

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

PIR APRIL 2023

PIR MARCH 2023

Hi all!  Sorry I've been a little out of touch but just wanted to drop in and say welcome to all the new Navy moms and give a little encouraging "hang in there"!  Anyone here have sailors graduating tomorrow?  If so, congratulations!!  

Thank you to all of y'all for your kind support!  If I do go through BC again with my younger son, I know you'll be here for me and that gives me much comfort!  :-)

And joe-mom, thanks for the perspective regarding PIR.  I actually didn't get to experience PIR live (we watched it on livestream).  My husband and my father-in-law went in person and my younger son and I stayed at the hotel.  (Long story....)  Anyway, it would be cool to experience PIR in person.

MomofJoseph, I really would love to go, missed ours because of Covid. From what I heard they are full of emotions and beautiful. Definitely not the same on a screen but at the time I was so thankful for whatever we could get!

MomofJoseph -- There is a really unique feeling being in the drill hall during PIR!! I'm so sorry for all of you for whom Covid took that opportunity away! Of course it's still 10000000000000000000000000000000...*%(*just keep adding 0's) his choice to serve or not.  If he has any doubts better to wait or not than go and face that challenging environment.  Even the kids who are "For Sure" wanting to serve have had their moments when they questioned what the He** they did!!  (There is that old saying that NAVY stands for Never Again Volunteer Yourself!! My son keeps telling me that and then he goes and re-up's twice so far!!! HAHAHA!!! Silly boy!)  Just know it's all good either way!

REMINDER - NO PIR today or 3/10/23.

Good Morning Everyone!!

How are we doing? 

For those of you that feel like this time of silence or not hearing from your SR is one of the hardest things you have ever gone through, that is okay. What is important to remember though, is that as hard as it is for us, it is also hard for our SRs and later our Sailors. 

There may be many times during their service that they will be without any way to communicate to you. They may be able to receive an email from you, but then not be able to reply for various reasons. This time while they are in BC is a time of training for them, but it is also a time of training for us as well!

Stay strong, hold the course, reach out here if you need to, but know you are not alone. 

Hi All!

Well, we did hear from our son, yesterday! He has been in RCU since December.  He is now in Phase 3 of recovery, but my question is, does anyone have any idea of his approximate graduation date? What happens next? Anyone have any experience with this? 

Patti - so glad you heard from him!  Unfortunately you will not know his graduation date until he is placed back into a Division. Once he is cleared to return to training, he'll be placed in a new division based on where he left off. Once he is assigned to a new Division, then you can look up his PIR date on the RCU website.

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

PIR APRIL 2023

PIR MARCH 2023

Patti...I meant you can look up the PIR date on the RTC website.  Here is the link: https://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/Graduation/Training-Group-Graduation-...

You just have to know his new DIV number once he's assigned to it. He will get a call to tell you when he's cleared and going to a new division.

Thank you! You have cleared it up for me. Thanks!