Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

KLsewso & alsrebecca-

Enjoy & Congratulations!

Welcome aboard KLsewso & alsrebecca - We are glad you are here!! This is the best place to come and chat and get to know others that have SRs currently at BC or have been around for a while. And when BC is over we have other groups for you to join as well. My sailor finished his enlistment as a Nuke but he married our Sailor gal as I refer to my DIL, so they still live halfway across the country from me. 

Do we have anyone getting close to PIR date? If so, let me know and I will send you the link for the Beyond BC group. 

Good morning all⚓️Chipmunk my SR is approaching PIR! He will be heading to SC as a Nuke. 

Lara - Those first few weeks are the hardest!!!  I did the same thing about trying to figure out what Day he was on, and calculating when he might possibly graduate.  I figured if all went well, he would graduate the day before Thanksgiving.  If anything slowed him down, it would be 8 days after Thanksgiving.  I prayed and prayed and he graduated the day before Thanksgiving 2021.  I think I would have gone crazy if it had extended longer!

I think in a week or so, you should get the PIR info.  Hope it comes SOON for you!

Lara - I think the general rule of thumb is to count 11 Fridays, starting with the Friday after arrival, unless your recruit is selected for a 900 division, which adds an additional week. My son was in a 900 division, so he had 12 Fridays after arrival - they have an additional week in p-days to fill a particular 900 division. Of course, the other general rule is that there are no general rules…😁 Hang in there! It will go faster after you hear from him!

G'sNavyMom - I sent you some information in a private message. 

Lara - The ladies gave you some good information - Hang in there and ask questions or post as often as you wish!

Here is information on Sandboxx App for BC  - there is updated information on the new way they are sending the form letter notices. 

Also, this is in the discussion queue above as well -but Private Messages - Creating & Sending + OPSEC

Lara, BabySharkMom & NucMomTami -- I have all your SR's on roughly the same schedule.  The holiday weekend may have thrown you on the schedule but don't let it.  Here is a break down of the first week.

Tue Aug 29 Travel Day -- Day 0

Wed Aug 30 P-1  (no sleep since their plane landed on Aug 29...) Initial gear issued, Haircuts, Paper work and Medical.

Thurs Aug 31 P-2  (~6-8 hours of sleep finally)  Usually still in shock at being at BC. Paperwork, Medical, Moment of Truth, more paperwork and more medical.

Fri Sept 1 P-3 Paperwork, Medical, Moment of Truth, more paperwork and more medical. (Right about now they are wondering what the heck they have done...)

Sat Sept 2  P-hold.  Up early, some yelling and some PT but no "Official" training.

Sun Sept 3 P-hold.  Up early, Religious services if they choose. More yelling and training but no "Official " training.

Mon Sept 4 P-Hold- Holiday Routine.  Up early, eat, folding and refolding and making and remaking bunks, ensuring all gear is marked and squared away so the yelling will be a bit less on Tuesday...

Tue Sept 5 P-4 Paperwork, Medical, Moment of Truth, more paperwork and more medical. Possibility that the run and initial PFA happens here.

Wed Sept 6 P-5 PFA happen here for sure.  At this point they are IN the Navy!! (Sorta) Getting out is no longer an Option, it is an ordeal.  You should have heard from Sandboxx , usually via text, if your SR opted in with the address.  (We DO Recommend this). You DO NOT have to use Sandboxx to send your letters however.  Regular Snail mail is cheaper and gets there just fine. 

Thursday Sept 7 - Week 1 Training Day 1 (W1TD1) Your SR is in their Div and has moved all their gear to their Ship and berthing compartment.  Starting today, Training begins in earnest!!

For our moms in waiting... Holiday routine is different depending on where they are in their schedule.  If they are in Processing days over a holiday... they likely won't notice much difference other than they won't get poked and prodded at Medical and they won't have any paperwork to fill out. The Yellings pretty much continue unabated... (They are not Personal, they are to train your SR to obey a command immediately.)
In training weeks 1-7 they likely won't notice much change, it's much like any other Sunday.  In Weeks 8-10 they are a bit more relaxed, They are either stressed about the Final PFA, BS21 or they are past those and able to not feel as stressed.  I won't say they get to relax, because that just doesn't happen until sometime in A school or beyond... Rate depending!
Also a lot of how those P-hold days are treated by the RDC's will depend on how the Div is doing as a whole.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are both Quite Different and we will discuss those as we get closer.  For now just know that all Federal Holidays are Hold days. 

belovedbyHim - Thank you, thank you for the information.  Very helpful and honestly, comforting.  It’s nice to have an idea of what our SR’s are doing each day.  Lara and NucMomTami - hope you are both doing ok and settling in to the new normal.

I do have a question I am hoping someone can answer.  Are we allowed to share our SR’s ship and division?  The Facebook groups seem to have conflicting information.  Not wanting to violate OPSEC/PERSEC but would like to connect with other Ship/Div parents if possible.

As always, thank you in advance!

I just shared with a few family members so they could write my sailor but that was it.. some FB groups do group up by division, we ran into one for ours. basically we all were looking for phone calls saying they are sailors lol..  I wouldn't broadcast it but probably okay for certain situations.. it's not like once they are in fleet. everyone knows where BC is held.

BabySharkMom - One of the reasons that we recommend you join your PIR group is so that you can ask there about things that are a little more sensitive, such as Ship & Divisions. 

NucMomTami  -- Wisdom teeth are 'usually' Week 4.  As for if they will pull them or not... Yes.  They will pull them if they are likely to cause a problem out in the fleet (Certain jobs will always have them out), they won't if they aren't a problem or aren't a problem now... My Sailor kept his for almost 7 years.  He just had them out before his duty station to Cuba.  {{{BNMH}}} I'm so sorry you had such a distressing dream.  I've had similar.  They are always upsetting/discombobulating!!  I Promise he's being well looked after!!


BabySharkMom-- Yes and no.  Yes, you can share with individuals but NO Do not post it in an "Open" page. There are PIR groups on here that you can join and connect with others (Like Lara and Tami) or you can look for the Closed 'PIR' Groups on FB.  However... Do not post your SR's Name... (The Last name will be there but avoid first names) also be aware of what you are sharing.  While the FB groups and the ones here, try and vet their members, every now and again someone slips in.  This really matters if your SR has a Nuke or Spook rating! IF they are either of those... For you, Less is more!! You are best off not joining too many groups.
For friends, family and former classmates -- I told them to contact me and then I message the address and included the Rules.  They had to agree to the rules before I sent the address... (No care packages, no musical cards, no glitter anything, anywhere! no newsprint.)

aslrebecca -- A qualified yes... I'd stick with plain envelopes to start.  You don't want to send anything to draw attention to your SR and that includes colored envelopes.  After the first 3 weeks things start to calm down some and after week 5 it's much better.  I'd write and ask before I sent one.  Maybe include it in a plain envelope or place the art on one side and your letter on the other.  It's not like they won't be allowed to have the letter because of it but if the RDC's need a reason to "motivate" the SR they may use it.  Also make sure that any "Sketch" has the drawing Fixed.  You don't want it to smudge onto their hands, clothing or gear. That would result in a 'Hit' and they may get 'beat' as a result! (No physical violence involved! A hit is a mark against them.  If they get in enough trouble they can be set back in training.  Getting 'Beat' means doing extra IT (Intensive Training) such as push ups, air squats, sit up's and similar exercises. They are most commonly issued to the Div as a whole not to an individual SR because when one shipmate fails, they all fail!

Diahn -- Yes(ish).  Count 10 Fridays if they leave M-Wed.  Count 11 if they leave Th-F.  Some Monday Ship dates may only have 9 if they are filling a Friday Div. If they are in a performing Div they may have 11 waiting for enough SR's to arrive to fill the performing Div. (900's now I believe)

Good Morning Everyone - just to pop on and say - 

Wisdom Teeth - My son was one of the few that did not have his pulled - while others were SIQ (sick in quarters) he was having to stand extra watches, including ones in the middle of the night and not able to lay in bed and work on studying material. So, while getting wisdom teeth pulled is a bummer, there are some benefits, and they are used to doing it at BC!

Security - especially on this site - I posted it yesterday, but my discussion above about PMs & OPSEC, explains some of how this site works. The easiest way to tell how much of your stuff is visible is to log out (I am on my computer, so it is easy to recognize) and then go to N4M. Come to this BC group site, click on your avatar / profile picture and see what your profile page looks like when you are logged out. If you can see information about yourself, then you need to adjust your privacy settings. At least put them into members only. After BC, and making a few friends, most members, especially if their sailors are in sensitive areas should lock down to friends only. 

There are other things you can do with your privacy, do not have any latest activity show on your profile, set your comments to be moderated. Don't share pictures. 

When my son was in school and then out in the fleet, my other children did not even know the dates for his travel home plans. No one knew his flight schedule except for me, and maybe my husband. Even when we were visiting, or just traveling in general ourselves out of town, I wait until after we have been there before I post anything. It is hard for those big moments, like PIR, and A school or other graduations, because you have questions and need answers. As much as possible, share those in the private groups or in private messages, or ask a couple of weeks in advance or very generically. 

Another good rule of thumb - If you know that your sailor will have a secret or top-secret clearance, then watch what you say and post - not just here but on anything, especially FB! 

We have public groups here so that people can find information and make connections. But we also are learning how to be wise here as well. 

Speaking of those random folks who find their way in - 

If someone, especially if you have not seen them post several times on the groups - share their personal email with you and want to tell you something privately - Notify admin. - If you scroll to the bottom of this page there is a place to Report Issues. 

No one should be sharing personal emails, cell phone #s or last names, in any public spot on this site and a person's comment wall on their profile page is public unless they moderate it  - and they can still choose to allow a post to be visible.  There is a little blue x in the upper right of every post that you make and you have the option to delete a post, even if you put it on another persons comment wall to delete your post, if you don't think it should be there. 

Read my discussion above - Educate yourself. 

This is just the "teacher" coming out in me. No one is in trouble or has violated any rules. And that is the best time to share knowledge and wisdom with regards to OPSEC/PERSEC because there isn't something for the "wrong" eyes to see and focus on. 

Hello everyone, I am officially a Sailor mom. I just got the call, when I saw it coming in it was an unbelievable feeling. I can't even explain the feelings I have right now.

Sandra - Congrats, very happy for you and your sailor! Such a great phone call. I'm sure he sounded exhausted after being up all night, but it's a happy exhaustion.

WOO HOO... yea Sandra and her Sailor... it's an awesome ride of emotions.. we know them though.

Thanks, he was so exhausted he couldn't remember the march to the phones. 

aslrebecca -- That is Beautiful!! He may not be getting Beaten and certainly not for mail but it does draw attention and the goal of every SR is to do as they are told and fly under the radar!

WHOOP
WHOOP

WHOOP
ATTENTION ON DECK!!!

WE HAVE A SAILOR!!!
BZ TO SANDRA AND HER NEW SAILOR!!!!

yea, they have been up and super stressed for quite the while.... 

aslrebecca -- remind me what week he's in?

Sandra -- I remember a mom sharing that her new Sailor called her the next day.  She was panicking because she wasn't expecting a phone call but he had told his RDC's that he didn't call home the day before so he was allowed to call home that day. He didn't remember calling home and talking to his whole family the day prior.  Yep... They can be VERY tired.  The good news is they get to sleep now and sleep proud! (The beating have finally ceased... (ish))

Thanks, so proud of him. He is in week 8

Out of curiosity, what exactly is the 900 division? My son wasn't in it, but I'm still just curious..

Babyshark-

I know that the night before he graduates, you attend the Sarge's Meet and Greet. It's fun when you sit at your division's table and talk with other parents. We met another family that lives about 19 miles away from us! Their son and my son were roommates at BC.

Congratulations, Sandra! Congratulations,Sailor!

aslrebecca -- HAHAHAHA!!!! Your Husband will have warned him well! Just as an FYI--- at this point he likely has not received any of your letters!  NOT because they aren't allowed but because of the "System" at RTC.  We have NOT yet heard if this has changed so "Current" BootCamp Moms and Recent Grads... Please speak up if you have more info to share (Or ask your SR!)
The way Mail at RTC works is this... They have P week (If they Opt into Sandboxx you will get the address this week but that is the ONLY confirmed change we know of) At some point in Training Week 1 they will volunteer or be assigned jobs. (Never Again Volunteer Yourself).  Someone will become the Recruit Mail Petty Officer (RMPO). They will then be trained on how to handle the mail Properly. This training and selection process can take into Training Week 2 as well.  DO NOT PANIC... THIS IS NORMAL!! Once that SR is trained they will go to the mail room and begin sorting all the mail that has arrived.  There may be letters that arrived prior to their selection and training that have been set aside.  Those are gotten to as they have the time.  Once the mail has been sorted for that day, it is delivered during "Mail Call". USPS mail can be forwarded if the Ship moves or a SR is reassigned. All other mail is returned to sender.  Mail that arrived prior to the RMPO being trained may be placed elsewhere in the Mail room to await them... Sometimes it gets overlooked.  This is why we suggest that you Always Number your letters and where ever possible make a copy.  Sometimes they show up... Sometimes they don't... Sometimes they are returned to you a year or more after you sent it!  This is similar to what happens in the fleet as well!  Thankfully, Email is a thing now but just know that care packages can and DO go missing.  Some are sacrificed to Davy Jones.... (Fall over board) but some are purloined by unscrupulous individuals.  The Navy is made up of all types from all walks of life.  Do NOT send Cash or irreplaceable items to a Military Post office.
If your SR calls home and is crying about not getting letters but you KNOW you have been sending them... Be reassuring and let them know to speak to the RMPO.  Send more mail but let them know to ask the RMPO if there is mail from prior weeks waiting to be sorted.  They may not know. 

Sandboxx is a WHOLE other can of beans!!! There is an article on this page if you scroll up that you can read. If you choose to use Sandboxx, use up all your letters before the end of BC then forget it EVER existed!!!
Several years ago My sailor was due to return from Deployment when a girlfriend sent a Booty Call Sandboxx letter complete with dates and times (To the minute) to a shipmate.  My sailor was held at his deployment location for just over 2 weeks and came home in the middle of the night to NO fanfare. The sailor who got the sandboxx letter... He and his "Party" got to hang out in an airport hanger sleeping on the ground and eating out of vending machines till they were empty for 4 days!! I don't know what happened with that relationship!  Sandboxx is not endorsed by the USN and it is not OPSEC or PERSEC compliant.  Treat everything on there as if you were writing on a Postcard... Anyone and everyone can see what you wrote and share that info as they please, despite claims that it is private.

The BIG takeaway---- WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!!! Just know that there is a bit of a process so things can take time.

patti -- the 900 Div is the performing Div.  These are the SR's who are Sticks (Flag Carriers), Singers, Musicians, Greeters and Body Snatchers.  They "Work" the 2 PIR's Prior to their own, then some do but most do not perform at their own PIR. (They will perform in their own PIR if that "Position" hasn't been filled in most cases) It can take longer to find folks to fill these positions thus the reason they may be there 11 weeks.  They are NOT held back after PIR unless they fail the PFA.

Oh! How are they chosen to be in that Division?

Patti-It depends on which 900 division they are in. My son told me that when they arrived in Chicago and were waiting in the USO, they were asked questions - who is a musician and what instrument do you play, who had ROTC experience, etc. They also had a chance to volunteer at some point for particular 900 divisions. My son had been in ROTC and had color guard experience, so he was pulled for the Ship Staff 900 division, which has the honor guard, body snatchers, greeters, etc. He was in the honor guard, which marches in with rifles and acts as the stand-in for inspection, rather than having the Admiral walk through all the ranks. He performed two PIRs prior to his own and performed in his PIR.

If you watch a PIR on YouTube, you’ll see many of the 900s - the choir, recruit band, state flags, etc. - including the person who strikes the bell for the dignitary entrances and the one who sounds the whistle. 

Good morning! Can anyone tell me a good place to purchase challenge coins? Thank you 

Sandra- congratulations on your new Sailor! How exciting⚓️So happy for you and your family

Lara- It is definitely a relief to just know we are so close to being able to se him. I will be honest with you though the 8 weeks have been the longest weeks of my life. I don't want to scare anyone but this is the experience I had. Some people have said it went by fast, but not for me. I received my first call at exactly 2 weeks on a 7/29 Sunday around 4:30, he only had 20 minutes. The second call was at 4 weeks on a 8/12 Saturday at 9:30 am and he had an hour to talk. The Sailor call I got yesterday lasted about an hour, which was great. After the phone call on 8/12 the letters stopped, it was 3 weeks before I received another. I kept telling myself not to worry, that he was just busy. I continued to write him everyday and did not let on that I was worried. When I spoke to him yesterday he said he thinks some of his letters didn't go out. I don't know what happened but thankfully we are almost there. Stay positive, he told me he was doing great physically but mentally he was tired. He misses the outside world, the people he loves. I just reassure him things will be different when BC is over. He has met a lot of good people, but he misses his family. I hope this helps.

Aaahh..thanks Diahn. I was just interested...

patti -- Some volunteer, some are "selected" for their size (body snatchers -- they catch SR's at PIR who may be about to faint), others are chosen for their height.. Sticks or ability to sing.  That is based only on what I have gleaned over the years so don't hold me to it. 
Diahn gave a Most Excellent Answer!!  It's always neat to learn what others have expierienced.

G'sNavyMom -- AT PIR, At the NEX after PIR, or online are all good options.

Sandra -- Thank you for your answer.  You are right. It is different for every person, SR's and their families.  They have SOOOOOO much to do in any given 24 hour period and what they want most is rest, some write a bunch others hardly at all.  (Hopefully the letters show up) For some this is Easy and for others every step is a challenge! There is no "right" or "wrong" way to get there... It just is!  We are here for the Highs and the Lows. 


rmarie25 -- I'll let you in on a little secret.... You'll cope one day at a time.  If you need support we will be here.  If you have to celebrate we will be here.  If you just need to quietly read and process it all, we are here for that too.  It is a lot of unknowns but just remember that when they are at Boot Camp you KNOW exactly where they are, What they are doing and that they are well looked after.  Yes it is stressful, Yes it is hard, Yes you miss them and they miss you but you KNOW they are safe. (In the fleet... .) Just remember to breathe in and Out and that we haven't lost a mom to Boot Camp yet, We won't start with you.

Sandra - BZ to you, your family and especially your new Sailor!!    Congratulations!  Enjoy, you have earned it!

belovedbyHim-

Interesting! I'm surprised my son wasn't selected. It's water under the bridge now..he's 6'2" .  Thank you for the info. 

Enjoy your evening.

patti -- Height isn't always the tallest.  They want "Uniformity" (ish).  It's also possible they didn't need more Sticks the week he arrived. Mysterious are the ways of the Navy.....

belovedbyHim, :) He would not have been happy if he were picked :)

Good Morning All- I am just popping in to post this - I have a lot of family stuff going on, so I am not even keeping up with messages much. 

For those of your with Nukes or others who will be leaving GL and flying out to their A school here is my discussion that I wrote after my son's situation. Be sure to read through all of it. I think people have added additional comments, or anyone is welcome to expound on it, if they have updated information. 

What PIR weekend may be like for those flying out of GL - Navy For ...

If a recruit has a ship date of 10/24, how does the Navy handle PIR and how do they handle Christmas?

Thanks in advance.

cocacola451 -- I'm not sure what you are asking.  If a SR will have PIR the 21st of Dec then it may be held on either that date or on the Wednesday before. (Less likely for Wed). I don't believe there is another PIR till Jan 4 (there is no PIR the week of Christmas.)  If your SR will have PIR on Jan 4 then you may get to have them for the Day on Christmas Day.  If you click on the link above under "what will happen PIR weekend?"  You will find tons of useful info.  If you have a more specific question I'll try and answer.  I'll be off line all day tomorrow but there are others who may be able to answer.

Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday are Hold days.  No advancement in training for those days. 
Christmas Eve and Day are Hold Days, No advancement in training. 
SR's due to PIR the 2 or 3 weeks prior are often "Eligable" to be "adopted out" to Community Groups.  SR's who will PIR the following Thurday from those Holidays can go with family.  IF this applies to your SR you will be notified and given the appropriate forms and dates. 

cocacola451

My SA went in October 6. His Division graduated December 14, because the following week was Christmas week. He ended up graduating in July (stress fractures 2 x in both legs).

He is now attending A School.

Thanks, @patti and @belovedbyHim

If BC continues through Christmas, do SR's get any liberty? Are they able to use a zoom or facetime to contact relatives? I wouldn't think so, but wanted to know "for sure" At the moment, my SR ships on 10/23 for BC, which takes him through Christmas and New Year's, putting PIR the first week of Jan, if I did the math correctly.

Good Morning Everyone  - I will post now but may not be able to check back the rest of the day - so the Navy Mom Posse has already been called upon to come to your aid if need be! - 

Please, Please - acquaint yourself with the information in the pages in the upper right of this group - and view all. If you are on a mobile device, put your screen into desktop mode so that you can move around. We have a lot of information on this group page and it is often difficult to repost the links every time. Anyone can help out to, just copy and paste if nothing else. 

Here is PIR information - PIR Weekend general info - That link is to the page which Lemonelephant wrote and updated some during COVID, so scroll past the first bit to the regular information. The link to my discussion on PIR weekend for those flying out of GL is also in there. If there are broken links, please let us know. 

Also, RTC Bootcamp website - they have updated their site for mobile devices but it frustrates me on my computer - Oh well! That was my sole go to when my son was at BC. I did not find this group until the week before PIR and I started Google searching. 

FB page - RTC - This is the FB page for RTC (Recruit Training Command) 

Other than your SR / Sailor these are the best places to glean information from RTC.