Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Thanks, everyone. Yes, he was headed the college route and like a flip switched one day - BLING - Navy! He badly wanted to be a Navy Diver but knew there was no way he'd get to 10 pullups anytime soon, and he wanted to do more than just work out all Summer. Even if he does try out for ND after his 6 years are up, he's pretty darned happy about the rate he chose and I'm confident he'll do super well with in A school. I'd say his Dad and I are more nervous about Mr. Black and White (no grey areas - son) will get frustrated with anything he deems unfair or illogical. I kept telling him, "if you apply logic to each situation in the military or even civilian life, you'll only frustrate yourself!" lol So as long as he can make it through Boot Camp - praying so! - I think he'll be just fine.

My son  was a challenging kid to raise and we butted heads A LOT, is in week five of basic and is using words like 'fun' and it 'isn't as hard as he thought' it would be. He thriving! I am so happy for him and can't wait to see him in July ;-) So ya just never know about these young people.

TravelinMom - We have a saying here on N4M and especially BC Mom - Semper Gumby - Always Flexible. Our military have to learn that as well, but also - "The Navy Way", and a few others!! That is some good advice your shared with your son. 

norcalmaven - I am so glad that you are hearing positive messages from your SR!!  It makes our momma heart glad!

Good Morning Everyone!!

I hope everyone is doing well!! 

As a reminder, this website is much easier to view on a regular computer versus a mobile device, so we recommend putting your screen into desktop mode if you are using your phone. I personally use my laptop and rarely have difficulty navigating the site, other than needing to scroll my screen up and down. 

I posted these links to BC videos, which can be found on the upper left side of this page, on another discussion so thought I would repost here as well. 

Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)

Boot Camp: Behind The Scenes at RTC

norcalmaven - Ditto here about butting heads with my son, but he loved BC.  He definitely called it fun, and once got in trouble for "smiling while being yelled at".  

norcalmaven -- Many young people find BC to be a fun challenge.  A lot of it has to do with their mindset.  If they go in KNOWING that 90% of the yelling is a head game and they accept that part of the process and they don't take any of it personally (And fix their mistakes without question/hesitation) they will find the process can be fun.  I have seen more often than not it's the Headstrong Kids who thrive on routine and structure and not being the one in charge.  
I'm glad yours is enjoying this time and making the most of the opportunity!

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

PIR JULY 2023

PIR JUNE 2023

Hi my son will be leaving for BC in July, I would appreciate any advise I can get. What should he wear, and take with him? Will I be able to be at the swearing in before he leaves?

Thanks

Sandra -- Welcome!!
Please read my blog to give you an idea of what the first few weeks may look like.. Welcome to the Navy... Everything will be ok!  The First part is some things to do before your SR leaves IF you Can, It’s NOT ESSENTIAL!  Up and to the Left is a link to all the Navy Lingo! It is titled Navy Speak and you can find it here. We are here to get you through the “Great Silence” of the next 4 weeks (ish) and the 10 weeks of BC (ish). You will come to learn that No News Is GOOD News and everything is Needs of the Navy. You life will be Hurry Up and Wait and it’s ok to make plans but they are subject to change until after they have happened so it’s best to embrace the Motto: Semper Gumby!! (Always Flexible!!)

I answered this same question on May 24 but here it is again.
A lot of this info is also in my blog.

They need the clothes on their back, a good pair of running shoes (Not brand new, but newer), their cell phone and charger.  A black or brown wallet with their banking information & Card (Go to a Navy Federal Branch before they leave if you can... It's 10000000000 times easier to use than a regular bank because they are set up to work with Military more than most other places.) They can take a small amount of cash (I can't remember if it's $20 or 50) they should also have a card in their wallet or in a Bible or other religious text with phone numbers and addresses.  Most kids have that info on their Cells and they will not have access to them at BC.  You can also give them a short note of encouragement.  Tell them to save reading it till they NEED it!!! (They will KNOW when that is!).  They can take a disposable toothbrush & razor to MEPS and use the hotel shampoo/soap then throw that stuff away because they don't want to have to put much in the "Box" for storage if they can avoid it. 
Have them leave you a voicemail that you don't listen to till you NEED it!! (You'll know when that is!) It will make the first few weeks a tad more bearable!  If they want to leave a letter for you to read after they have been gone for a bit that's good too.  Everything else will either be provided or they can buy it at the NEX with the "Allowance" they are given.  This includes Phone cards.  It's so hard to find a pay phone phone card since most of them are cell phone reload minutes and not actual phone cards so don't make yourselves crazy hunting for one.  They can buy one at the NEX at BC and call from that.  If you want to look for a video that shows how to use one that's not a bad idea but don't get stressed over it! 
Most of all they should take your love and support!! 

Sandra -- Part 2... As for seeing him swear in at MEPS or going to the airport... We don't know for sure.  We now live in a post COVID world so random freak outs still happen.  Generally speaking YES.  This happens the morning they are at MEPS (Usually the day after they spend the night in the hotel) The airport has always been up to the airlines to grant a gate pass. Have him ask his recruiter.  It's a lot of you just sitting there with nothing to do while they take care of business but seeing them take the oath is cool. If they are not allowing IN PERSON viewing at MEPS have him ask if they are streaming it.
Every MEPS station is a little bit different so there is NO one size fits all, but it does fit most. 
This is your first step toward learning that the only 100% reliable information has to come from your Sailor/ Seaman Recruit.  We can tell you how it has been and what is commonly the experience of others who have shared but only your Sailor can say for sure.

I have the August PIR group up - here's the link:

PIR AUGUST 2023

I'm sorry to ask what I know is somewhere on this site, but I've been searching for 1/2 and hour and can't seem to find it, even with the search window. I got a text from Sandboxx and the address assigned to my kid was at the 3515 Sailor Drive. It seems early for him to have been assigned anything as, even though he shipped there last week, he was supposed to be on P-Hold due to the weekend and then holiday until probably yesterday. I remember reading 3515 Sailor Drive (I do have a Ship and Division though, but know it can change) was a generic address and not to be trusted, am I right? Since I received something from Sandboxx though it sounds like I won't receive an official letter though. Sorry, if you know where to direct me to further info about Sandboxx and the addresses, do let me know, please.

Here is the link to the Graduation information. If you need the security access form, scroll down and find that tab, open it and then scroll down till you see the button for 3 guest or 4 guest form. 

U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command > Graduation

I double checked in my computer files and I guess I do not have a copy of the old street addresses that were available. I am sorry. 

TravelinMom - Okay, I am deleting that first message, I had not scrolled through well enough - but this is correct -  I am not sure how to reply to your Sandboxx question since it was not being used in the same way as when my son was there, but this is from the RTC website - U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command > FAQ - under Contacting Recruits. 

If you go to the Contacting Recruits tab, open it up, and be sure to use the grey slide bar on the side and open the address all the way up. It does look like our link is broken in our Letter Writing Pages in the upper right here. But if you look at the RTC website, they do have the addresses for the Ship # there. 

Q's Momma  - Thank you!! - Each Ship has a different street address number assigned to it, which is what I was looking for on the RTC website. They have changed their page format and I did not scroll down all the way to find it. 

TravelinMom - I posted the information on your profile page. With that, if you have a Ship # / Div # - Hopefully you can send him mail. If you feel like it is too early, then I would wait to send postal mail or try the Sandboxx. Here is our post on Sandboxx - Sandboxx App for BC

I apologize if I am giving you repetative information but I don't know what you have looked at already. My understanding is that if you are contacted by Sandboxx and sent a form letter through them, then you will not receive the paper one now. You might want to buy a small Sandboxx bundle and just mail a message to your SR to verify his address. 

I did see the addresses at the official Navy site. The trouble with me reading up on everything is that I read so much in so short a time that I don't remember where I saw what!

I had read something that if your sailors address is XXXX, then that means they were held back for additional training as they did not pass the initial physical test, that sort of thing. (It's a possibility!) And then they'd rejoin their group after the additional training.

It seems a little early for him to be getting his actual address assigned as he was told he was going to be on P Hold for a day or two after the holiday - which means today he'd be officially in P Days. Having said that, he told us that when he was still in the O'Hare USO so it could have been inaccurate. Aaaagh! Not sure what to think.

TravelinMom - If you have a Ship # & a Div # then I would use that information and connect it to the proper address that I gave you earlier. 3515 is the address associated with Ship # 12, if that matches your information then that is what I would go with. 

The main thing the form letter gave us when my SR was in was the Ship # Div # and then the street address. If the form letter was sent out with this information, then your SR had passed their initial stuff, but that was also several years ago.  As long as we have had a Ship # & Div # we have always been able to direct someone to the RTC address page. I think with the Sandboxx APP texts those come a lot quicker than when we used to receive the letters by mail. Your son may not have been in P-days for as long as he thought. 

I would say go with the Ship # Div # and the addresses that I gave you.  Also, you adjusted your settings on your profile, which is fine, but I can't post there unless you send me a friend request, if you would like. 

As for the address being XXXX, and they are being held back. I have no idea where that came from. They use XXXX as a way to just show the placement of where the actual address belongs, to my knowledge. 

There is definitely a lot of information in a lot of places and it can be confusing!! 

Sandra - Welcome Aboard!!! We are glad you are here and this is definitely the best place to ask questions. More of our members see your posts and will respond, just like Q's Momma did earlier. 

welcome all.. Hi Sandra, my son left for his boot camp in July 2021.. time does get going faster but those 10 weeks were glacial I swear..

hi TravelinMom..  I feel ya with the stubborn kids.. omg,, mine still makes me so mad sometimes, if he would just listen to my experience.. I have earned it the long, hard way after all lol.

LOL, I had changed my profile privacy to "Friends Only" after reading on one of the pages that I should do that, so I sent you a friend request.

As far as the XXXX, I don't mean it actually had the xs on the address, but something I read was a certain address wasn't really the barracks but a temporary address given to those who didn't pass their physical requirements right off the bat. Nevermind, I'll sort it I'm sure.

TravelinMom --- Deep Breath!!! And another..... And again...... Ok... NOW that your stress levels are lower.... You have a TON of information coming at you all at once and it's hard to find sure answers.  I promise it will all be ok and your SR will get your letters!  The delay that is talked about is slightly "Artificial" and a throw back to "snail mail".  Your SR was assigned to a DIV , most likely the minute they swore in at MEPS.  A lot of what happened that first Looooong night/day involved making sure they are in the right Div and that all that paperwork is in the right place.  Sandboxx has allowed that information to be shared with "home" quicker.  Yes he still is likely in P-days and he had P-hold but the Div was set by the time they laid their head on a pillow that first night. 
The address for those who don't pass the initial PFA-- That is again older info.  If they get held back you will get a Phone call so you will know that there is a change that way.  Don't worry/stress about the "what- if's" or you'll drive yourself crazy!  You can send mail "snail Mail" but if you want to use the more expensive option of Sandboxx you are welcome to do so.  Just remember that it's ONLY for Bootcamp!! Please DO NOT ever use it after BC!!

You are going to be ok.  Your SR is going to be ok.  I PROMISE they will get the letters in 99.9% of the cases so go ahead and write!

I cannot send you this because you locked your page down... (A good idea later or if your SR is in SpecOps but it does make it a challenge now.  It's all good though....)

Please read my blog to give you an idea of what the first few weeks may look like.. Welcome to the Navy... Everything will be ok!  The First part is some things to do before your SR leaves IF you Can, It’s NOT ESSENTIAL!  Up and to the Left is a link to all the Navy Lingo! It is titled Navy Speak and you can find it here. We are here to get you through the “Great Silence” of the next 4 weeks (ish) and the 10 weeks of BC (ish). You will come to learn that No News Is GOOD News and everything is Needs of the Navy. You life will be Hurry Up and Wait and it’s ok to make plans but they are subject to change until after they have happened so it’s best to embrace the Motto: Semper Gumby!! (Always Flexible!!)

I think I got my settings adjusted right now. I wouldn't really say my stress levels are that bad as it's pretty much as expected, but I will say that Sandboxx is one of the most frustrating apps I've used in over a decade. Any road, I'll use it but will be glad not to deal with that once boot camp is over - ha.

Good to know that info is old about 2-3 weeks, though the recruiters still say the same. Speaking of, I found out since he is under 18 he should have had a form signed by us parents that allowed MEPS to show him on the video for his swearing in. *headsmack*. She said she didn't know about it and the way MEPS operates, has always operated in fact, I'm sure that's true. Oh well, I got some pics of my own before he left so we'll just go with those.

It's all good!!! I'm glad you aren't crazy stressed.  (It's hard to tell inflection/tone in written formats but many times new moms are.)
It's not that the info isn't valid, it's just that they have made some changes in the last 2ish years and they don't seem finished yet so we have to give you How it was with the caveat that things are fluid.  Sandboxx is a New addition and My only experience with it was 100000000000000000x infinity times worse than any thing you will deal with in BC with it.  (Mine was an issues with it being used in the "fleet".)  I have no need of the app so I cannot advise there.  hopefully one of our moms who has used it will chime in.  Some of the "Mail" info just cannot be changed/ rushed!! They still have to train a RMPO (Recruit Mail Petty Officer) to deliver the mail so that causes a slow down/backlog and they still have to get through the first weeks of Insanity (Processing and drilling Military bearing into them) so that doesn't leave much time for extras like letter writing! However you know the Div sooner (Assuming no delays and they will call if that changes) and that tells you the PIR date sooner so you can make plans.  You don't have to sit on a Huge pile of letters for weeks at a time (They will just pile up at RTC instead) and it will still be at least 3 weeks before they can send any mail to you and that will still come via "Snail Mail" even if you use Sandboxx (They just give them SASE and paper to write on.) so That part didn't change either. 

MEPS is a microcosm of the larger military. There are so many moving parts and they are not all using the same language/forms/schedules/rules that the fact that so few "SNAFU's" happen is a miracle!! If that is the biggest "mistake" that happens in his military career... Count yourself Blessed and Highly Favored!!

MomofK - I still keep my phone in my pocket and always answer all calls, but especially if it was my sailor, no matter where I was at, even in church. As for calls, it just depends on the amount of time they have. My son's two calls came on a Saturday afternoon and they only lasted about 30 minutes. But I have heard many other time frames and days for calls. 

If you have a poor connection, tell him to push in on the phone cord into the headset on his end. Also, they can try to call on another phone if available. 

TravelinMom - Ditto about the deep breath.  We went through that with being told one thing, getting different info from the "I'm here" call, and just having to wait to get accurate info.  This waiting is so difficult, but hang in there!  And write as often as possible.  The letters from home are such an encouragement to them!

MomofK - Our first call came in around 11:00 a.m. on a Saturday (EST), which would have been 10:00 a.m. at GL.  My son had an hour to talk, but he only talked about 30 minutes because he wanted to call "other friends" (namely, a girl! LOL)  The second call came two weeks later and it was around 1 pm our time.  (Funny story - after the first call, he wrote us and told us that his next scheduled call was two weeks later.  I waited and waited for that call to come.  Turns out, he wasn't able to talk to the "girl" the first time, so he decided that at the second call, he would NOT call home - he would spend the whole hour talking to her.  Thankfully, the Lord intervened and while they were talking, water started pouring into her apartment from the ceiling and she had to hang up!  (Construction was being done on the apartment above her and they hit a water pipe!)  Since she had to go, he called home and talked about 30 minutes.)

MomofJoseph - Oh my!! That is too bad for your son's gf, but I know you cherished that call!

MomofK - You might reach out to B'sNukeMom and see if she can check on your account, and why you can't post any comments. Sometimes it is a matter of being on your mobile device. I post everything on my computer, so I am not sure what it could be but some people have issues with posting with their phones. 

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

 PIR AUGUST 2023

 PIR JULY 2023

 PIR JUNE 2023

MomofK - I can see your post in the July group.  Can you not see it?

Thank you to everyone for welcoming me, this is going to be so hard for me. This is my youngest son, so we are also facing en empty nest. This is a big year of changes for my husband and I

Hang in there Sandra! We are here for you ;-D

@Sandra - I get it. We just became empty nesters as well. My husband is taking way harder than I thought he would! We had about 2 months notice that our kid was going Navy. We had homeschooled his whole life and thought he'd be taking college classes locally in the Fall, and would be living at home for another 4+ years. That was a surprise! So now our last one is out the door and talk about lifestyle change, esp as he just only got his drivers license. I'm super happy for the choices he made though, I know it's hard to know what you want to do with your life at that young age, and he was excited about having a solid career at such a young age as well. As the recruiter said, our country is basically protected by 17 - 25 year olds! Crazy when you think about it. 

We're here to support you! Are you looking at an August PIR? (Graduation) Mine only just flew to Chicago last week.

@TravelinMom, no I believe September. He decided last summer so we have had some time to get used to him leaving. I figured it would be easy but it just seems like the closer his date get's here the harder it is

 I understand. I was super sad for a whole day about a month and a half before he shipped out. After that, it seemed there was too much to do for various reasons. Not that I don't get sad from time to time but I'm so happy for him coming up with a direction in life on his own (no easy feat!) and acting upon it. 

Everyone's journey is different, and it's crazy what things around the house or in town will get me choked up. I also know he'll be a lot happier once week 3 is done and I'll feel a lot better about it for him as well.

Good Morning Everyone,

My son reported to BC last week, and I received the Sandboxx text on Tuesday. The app information seems to be evolving, and I sent a letter before it was complete. It did have his division, ship number and physical address, but I think it went to my son like First Name Last Name, and did not have SR on it. I have changed it to be correct, (I think), but wondered if the letter will deliver anyway?  

My next question, is will the actual official letter with his mailing address and the Commander letter come from him in the mail, or because we signed up for Sandboxx, will we use the information from that?  (Maybe this is a question for Sandboxx, but maybe someone else has used this and knows?)

When using SR, even if he is E-2, it is still SR, correct?

His brother was in the Army, and back then (8 years ago), it was all USPS, and it is nice to have the Sandboxx app, but it feels different. 

Thank you for your support, it is nice to have this support from other mom's that have been there.  

BennyLj2023!!!

From the time my son started BC, right up to now, even though he's an E-2, his mail is still addressed as SR, Last name, First name....so, yes. He's been in BC since October because of stress fractures to both legs, twice. Hoping his PIR is the end of July.

BennyLj2023!!! - Everyone at BC is referred to as SR (seaman recruit) no matter what rate they went in at, E-1, E-2, E-3. 

To my knowledge (which this Sandboxx stuff is evolving), if your loved one signed your email up with Sandboxx then there will not be a paper form letter mailed out via USPS.  (It is a money saver for the Navy, I assume, is why they are doing it this way.) Be sure to read the comments below by BelovedbyHim about how the mail is handled.  Ship # / Div# & Street address is all you need to start mailing letters. 

Be sure to go to the RTC Bootcamp website and look through all of the information there, especially FAQ, and pay attention to the scroll down bar on the right. That was my go to site during BC. You should find the Security Access Form on there that needs to be printed and filled out. As well as tentative graduation dates. 

Be sure to go to this link - https://www.navymwrgreatlakes.com/programs/e04ba348-f0c5-404f-9055-... - It is not easy to figure out but on that page you should find this link https://www.navylifegl.com/rtc - This one is the information about hotels and such in the area. They used to mail this out in the form letters as well and I don't know if they are supplying the links for this in the Sandboxx texts or not. 

All of the above links are copied directly from RTC website. If you click on one and it gives you a government warning, ignore and just click otherwise it will not open. It is a safety feature on their side. 

patti - It is good to hear from you!!! Be sure to keep us updated!! How is your SR doing? 

Thank you everyone for the information.  

Patti, I hope for July for your SR as well for graduation, it will be well deserved.

MomofK, I know if I have my Schools WiFi on I can not post. I have to shut it of and just use my mobil data. It sometimes will say your not secure . Perhaps that will help.

MomofK -- While many calls come on a Sat or Sun don't expect that it will be then.  My sons first call was on a Friday mid-morning.  He called home and I missed it by just 5 minutes.  His dad got to talk to him for a bit though.  Most calls are around an hour but the first one may be less because they need to figure out how to use a calling card so that takes time and any call may be shorter if there is a long line either that they had to wait in or of other SR's waiting to call.  If they had other things to take care of during that time they may also only get to make a short call or they may choose to skip it all together.  They are NOT required to call home.  That first call home may also be emotional! 

Sandra  -- you are not alone.  When my son left I was a hot mess.  I cried and cried as if someone died.  I was so proud but I was a Navy wife and I knew what he had signed up for. I was such a mess.  Finally one day I went in his room, put his Senior Picture on his pillow and let him have it. I yelled, I cried, I screamed, I Beat the bed, I raged and I mourned and then voice raw, eyes red and swollen, clothes disheveled   I opened the door.... There stood my husband.... Shell shocked would be a good description.  He quietly asked if I was ok or did he need to take me to see some one "Of a professional kind".  I burst out laughing!!! The catharsis was just what I needed but Oh my!!! If you decide to do something similar warn your family or make sure you know you are home alone!!!  This place is your safe place to share ALL those feelings!!! Pride, Fear, Joy, Anxiousness.... All of them....