Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

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....

BennyLj2023 -- SR just stands for Seaman Recruit.  Yes, your letters should still get through even without that but it's good practice for when they get in the fleet.  As I stated several pages back now, they have to train a Recruit to be the Recruit Mail Petty Officer and then they will have mail call.  All letters arrived before that happens are placed in a separate area until that RMPO is trained, and then they have to sort that mail in order to deliver it.  Sometimes they don't get to it right away, it can take a while for those first letters to be delivered.  We suggest keeping an electronic copy and numbering your letters so that if letters don't arrive in order (or at all) Your SR can let you know and you can share that with them.

MomofK - I am so glad the Desktop view worked for you!!

Good Morning Everyone!!  - Today is RED Friday!! We Remember Everyone Deployed, by wearing Red. I started out with just a regular Red T-shirt, but some will buy fancy Navy or Red Swag, wear bling, or now I just wear one of my sailor's Red shirts that his ship had made for a fund raiser. It is a good way for me to remember my sailor every week and share my military appreciation as well. 

Another PIR - If you have a chance, I recommend you watch one of the recent recorded ceremonies before attending PIR. That way, you can FFW through sections but also get a sense of how the ceremony runs and what you might need to be aware of for any expectations you have personally. 

Congratulations to all of our new sailors!!

Please join me in welcoming Shebamom to our group. We are glad you have joined us. Please come say hello and share a little of how your Navy journey has been so far. 

I first found this site almost 6 years ago, about the week before PIR and have stuck around since. 

BennyLj2023!!! Thank you! Poor kid has been in BC since October! 

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

 PIR AUGUST 2023

 PIR JULY 2023

 PIR JUNE 2023

Hi 

  Thank you for allowing me to join. My family has served in every branch but the Navy so navigating my son at basic has been a challenge. 

    I do have a question about a text message I received for Sandbox for letters from my son. Can anyone tell me if this is legit?

Today's live PIR - here's the link:

LIVE PIR JUNE 2 2023

Shebamom - Yes, the Sandboxx text message should be legitimate. Be sure to read this post about it and the newest updated information we have with how it is being utilized at BC now - Sandboxx App for BC

Also, be sure to scroll back through some of the recent pages of posts here, as we have had several other newer members also ask about the Sandboxx app. 

Sandra-

When my kid left for BC, I was sad...but I realized that this was his decision and it would be good for him.  His life consisted of:school, work, video games until the wee hours of the morning, sleep until (or later), I got home from work.  In one of his phone calls, he told my husband that he wished that he joined sooner!

He's been in since October due to stress fractures of both legs 2 x! We are proud of his persistence, dedication and maturity (and funny stories)!

Also, if you are using a mobile device to view this site, be sure to put it into Desktop mode, as it will be a little easier to navigate. I use my laptop and I can see everything easily, and post easily but we are old school here, so the mobile devices can be tricky.

And Shebamom - welcome to the Navy!! My husband was Army, so FYI we refer to basic training as bootcamp here or BC. It will probably take some getting used to, but before long, you will pick up in the lingo. When you have a chance, start reading through all of the information above. Some of it probably needs a little updating, but we do our best as we all volunteer our time to stay active on our various groups here, to keep everyone connected. 

Can anyone tell me what the Training Group numbers, say, 924, 800, etc. are? Is it a special group of say, Marching Band or something like that?

Good Morning Patti  - Have your read this page from those listed in the upper right? - 800 and 900 Divisions - Navy For Moms (ning.com)

I am thinking they have eliminated the 800 divisions as those were for SR training for Special ops and I think for security reasons they have now been integrated into the other divisions. The 900s division is for anyone that will be participating in the PIR, I think 1-2 weeks prior to theirs. They could be musicians, flag bearers, or even "catchers", I think. Lemonelephant put many of those pages together and is fairly thorough with her information. 

Welcome Shebamom!

patti - First of all, prayers for your son as he, hopefully, nears the end of his long BC journey. I know it's been frustrating, but it sounds like he's handled it with grace. Second, I find it so interesting that many of our boys are cut from similar cloth: smart but didn't care for school; huge into gaming; main social life was through friends met through online gaming; recognized that traditional college was not for him; needed structure. My son has had the same reaction as yours to joining the Navy - loves it and has no regrets. He's only 9 months in, but so far, so good. 

I realize that not everyone on this forum has had a great experience with the Navy (or any branch), and I wish your family members well in what remains of their Navy journey and beyond. Hope they all find a path that brings them joy and contentment.

patti - Chimpunk gave you correct info.  There is no longer an 800 division.

Here's the link to the 900's Division which will give you some info on what they do.  My son was a "body catcher".  They will work the 2 PIR's prior to theirs also.

900s Division

@Shebamom - Same boat as my kid! I think he'll love it, too. And hey, Navy was all his idea, not that I'm complaining about that :-)

B'sNukeMom - Thanks!! I forgot we had a link for just 900 division. I clicked on the first one that I noticed. 

FYI - I knew about "body catchers" because I have been on here long enough to read comments by B'sNukeMom several times about her son to know there was such a thing, and to see them at PIR.  - We have a good community here and everyone is welcome to participate for as long as you like!

joemom, it IS interesting about our guys.  I'm glad that they found their niche. Best of Luck to them all!

Thank you all for clearing up the questio of the 800-900 TG. 

add my sailor to the list of gaming friends and other geek stuff. he is into Warhammer hard right now.. Got his associate's but the cost of college was more than we could handle and it seems the Navy has given him a structure needed that we couldn't. We homeschooled too.

Shebamom -- Welcome.  I'm another of the experienced moms who has stuck around to help our new moms get their sea legs and bearings.  The end of this month will mark 10 years since my Sailor left for BC and I still remember it clearly!  This is your place to cry, vent, laugh, rejoice, ask any and all questions!! This is Your Bootcamp into becoming a Navy mom!! All questions not specific to your PIR/Div's you can ask here.  If you post something that isn't OPSEC or PERSEC we will let you know, This is the place to make those mistakes and know that they can be corrected so that in the Fleet you know what NOT to share.

The Training timeline is posted above on this page.  If you all learn that something has changed please let us know so we can continue to pass on correct information.  We do not have a "Secret Spy" channel into Bootcamp. All the information shared here is gleaned from you all (Boot camp moms who have been through it) and confirmed with RTC for major changes.  During COVID things were changing on a near daily basis.  That has slowed but we are still reliant on you sharing on here as well as the little bit we know from "How it's normally been done".  Since several of us have stuck around we have seen many of the same questions and answers over and over... That is what we share.  We are moms who love our kids but we also remember how it felt to be lost and scared, proud and overjoyed, bewildered or just to have a small question... We accept you all as you are and hope that by the end of your child/loved one's journey you only have good memories (Or at least more good than bad.... this is real life after all) and that you Know that you are part of an amazing community of Military Loved ones who never leave a man behind and always support each other.

joe-mom -- Interesting observation!! SPOT on too!!