Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Hey congratulations 🍾🎉🎊🎈 to all new sailors.

Congratulations to new sailors today!!! Very exciting!! ❤️🤍💙

I have a silly question perhaps, but can anyone comment on how in A school, sailors interact or have limits on their phones? 
I have wondered if they carry them on person or they are not allowed to have them in specific areas or during different tasks. 
I know too, perhaps there are different rules for different A schools. 

Sending out restful thoughts for everyone’s evening.

Lara- they can have cell phones and use them when they are not in class. They are not allowed to have phones, not even Apple Watches in class. 

mine had his for A and C school but couldn't use/have them out during class.. and it seemed the wifi signal was blocked for certain areas.. but otherwise.. no problems as long as they are looking at their phone while walking around base..

Congratulations to all new sailors and their families!!

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

PIR JANUARY 2024

PIR DECEMBER 2023

PIR NOVEMBER 2023

**REMINDER** BEGINNING OCTOBER 5, 2023, RECRUIT GRADUATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED EVERY THURSDAY (NO LONGER ON FRIDAY), EXCEPT FOR THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, WHEN GRADUATION IS ON WEDNESDAY.

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

PIR JANUARY 2024

PIR DECEMBER 2023

PIR NOVEMBER 2023

**REMINDER** BEGINNING OCTOBER 5, 2023, RECRUIT GRADUATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED EVERY THURSDAY (NO LONGER ON FRIDAY), EXCEPT FOR THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, WHEN GRADUATION IS ON WEDNESDAY.

Moms whose sons have an S.O. Contract headed to BUD/S there is a group for you.

It is called, BUD/S and SQT (Stages of a S.E.A.L.)

Interested:

Send a friend request to NavyMom(J) for more information.

(Click on the highlighted links.)

USPS Informed Delivery - Sign up and receive an email from the US Postal Service showing what mail you will be getting each day (if available in your area).  

Informed Delivery®

click on the link

Be sure to RSVP for Sarge's Meet N Greet.  

Here's the link:  

Sarge's Meet N Greet

Hubby ran across this neat site.. not applicable for BC but wanted to share for after..  https://asymca.org/

Happy Halloween everyone! A snowy start to our trick or treat day but hopefully clear skies this afternoon! 

Thank you to everyone for the info regarding phone use at A school and in the fleet. I liked that comment about if the Navy wanted it to happen! I will need to remember that! 

Babyshark mom - Yes! Same group!! I can’t be at Sarge’s that evening as I think we will get there too late but I will sing a Baby shark tune or two at graduation!! Us mommy sharks will be so proud!! 

Lara, BabySharkMom and others have a wonderful time at your PIR!!  - When you get back home be sure to share your expriences and come join us in the Beyond BC group!

Re: Phones at A school - my son was not allowed to have most outside electronics in his classrooms, so his phone stayed in his BEQ most of the time and not on his person. He wore a plain black, inexpensive water-resistant Casio watch (not the fancy kind) so he knew what time it was. He would come back to his BEQ to change for PT and sometimes dinner. I knew about what time he would be done, so I could call or text him to call me back if I needed something. Otherwise, it was often just me sending him an I Love you text, and we waited for him to call or Skype with his younger brother on Saturday mornings. Most of the time he was either studying, eating, doing PT or riding his bicycle otherwise. But he did know that if Mom did not know he was okay, then I would start calling and he did not want any superiors yelling at him for not keeping in touch with his Momma!! He knew to let me know all was okay, so there were nights when he would text me Goodnight and I knew it had been a long day, but okay.

My son was a Nuke. 

Chipmunk - Can you believe PIR is only a week away?  I cannot believe how quickly (and slowly) time has gone.  Our ST should be taking the final PFA today-ish.  Prayers that all recruits do their absolute best.  Happy Halloween, everyone!

Lara - just saw your message.  Yes!!!  We must meet up if possible.  We are also not going to Meet n Greet as we are waiting on our oldest to arrive from Wisconsin to retrieve our tickets.  Staying at Navy Lodge so hopefully can get over to the base early.  Would love to meet if time allows!

BabySharkMom - All the best to our SR as they finish strong!!

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

PIR JANUARY 2024

PIR DECEMBER 2023

PIR NOVEMBER 2023

**REMINDER** BEGINNING OCTOBER 5, 2023, RECRUIT GRADUATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED EVERY THURSDAY (NO LONGER ON FRIDAY), EXCEPT FOR THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, WHEN GRADUATION IS ON WEDNESDAY.

Today's PIR happening live:

LIVE PIR 11.02.23

Blessings to all of you at PIR today and your weekend with your sailor!! I am still having to adjust to the new PIR day!

Happy PIR-ing to our new Sailors, their families and loved ones and those back home.  My you all be blessed on your Navy journey. 

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

PIR JANUARY 2024

PIR DECEMBER 2023

PIR NOVEMBER 2023

**REMINDER** BEGINNING OCTOBER 5, 2023, RECRUIT GRADUATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED EVERY THURSDAY (NO LONGER ON FRIDAY), EXCEPT FOR THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, WHEN GRADUATION IS ON WEDNESDAY.

Happy Friday everyone!! 

Congratulations to all the new sailors from yesterday’s graduation! I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday with their sailor! 

Thank you to everyone about the information about phones and electronics. That is helpful to me. I had her to that some individuals do take a tablet or laptop and that they use that potentially to do some of their work during A school.

Chipmunk— did you say that your son was using his own bicycle at A school? Did he just bring that with him?

Babysharkmom - that would be great to meet up! I am not on Facebook, but I can send you an individual message (if I can figure that out) and hopefully we can connect! I am wondering, too, if maybe at graduation people are seated in part as family groups based on division. So that’ll be interesting to see.

It is amazing to me to be at this point with only a few days left of Boot Camp for my son. I am so proud of him! I think he has enjoyed his time and he has really liked being able to share in the experience with all these new individuals who have been part of his division, and others who he has come into contact with. I can’t wait to see him! 

Lara - This discussion of mine that is in the queue above (at least easily visible if you are on a computer or desktop mode on a mobile device) explains how to become friends with someone on this site and set up private messaging. Private Messages - Creating & Sending + OPSEC

Just a friendly reminder that personal "GoFundMe" pages are prohibited.  If you receive a request from someone to visit their page, please reach out to me.  Thanks!

As for laptops or tablets during classroom instruction, that will very much depend on your sailor's rate. If they have any sort of security clearance or doing classwork that is classified, then I am doubtful they will be allowed to use laptops or tablets. I know for my son it was not allowed. However, they can have them in their BEQ (Bachelor Enlisted Quarters) for their personal use and for communication with family and friends. 

Lara, my son's A school was in Goose Creek, SC. The weather was mostly temperate, and the location of his base was relatively close to places where he wanted to go. He bought his bicycle at the local NEX and rode it exclusively, until we could get a vehicle out to him. He still owns that bicycle. He was able to transport it to his duty station and store it when not using it, but a car is an almost necessity at certain bases. 

TIME Change reminder!!! 

Happening this weekend! We FALL back!! 

B'sNukeMom - Thank you for the reminder that "GoFundMe" solicitations are not allowed on this site. - Also, if anyone reaches out to you asking you to come email them at their personal email, especially because they have information to share with you, let the admins know. 

Moms whose sons have an S.O. Contract headed to BUD/S there is a group for you.

It is called, BUD/S and SQT (Stages of a S.E.A.L.)

Interested:

Send a friend request to NavyMom(J) for more information.

(Click on the highlighted links.)

rmarie25 - the SWCC group is different and unfortunately it hasn't been active in quite some time.  Here's the link though:

SWCC

And sometimes if you post someone might answer - if you are lucky!

Lara -- click on the Picture of the person you want to talk to.  Be sure to scroll up and check your Inbox too.
They can take their personal laptop or tablet but in MOST cases cannot use that for "Work or School" related stuff.  Again, If the Navy thinks they need it they will be issued it... Or granted access to whatever it is that the Navy says they need! (Uniforms, computers, Phones, cars, guns...)
Seating at PIR is Sort of By DIV.  There will be signs placed on the floor showing where the DIV will be and most people sit in that "area" with their family.  You sit there on a First come, First served basis.  SO... If you sit in the front you are closest to the "action" but, If you sit at the back, you can lean on the wall.  Sit near the stairs and you can get quickly to the floor but it's a sea of bodies all surging in the same direction...(Move Fast)

rmarie25 -- Please go edit your Profile info.. Your "Stage of (Sailor’s) Navy career?" should be DEP not enlisted.  After they leave you will change it to "At Bootcamp" and once they have PIR then you will change it to "enlisted".  This helps us to know where on the Journey you are.  There is some info I don't post if you've already been there (Bootcamp) and done that because it won't be useful.  We want to support you where you are.

Lara - and others - hopefully this link works. This should be a video of Nov 2 2023 RTC PIR - BC Graduation

I found it very helpful to watch one of the videos of a recent PIR before I attended my son's PIR. Watching on the video you may fast forward through slower portions, but it can give you a sense of what to expect, but there is still nothing like being there, especially when the sailors all start marching into the Great Hall. 

Good Morning everyone!! I have done my best to get myself to bed early the last couple of nights, but I still shut down when it gets dark outside!!

Congratulations to all of our new sailors!! If you attended PIR, be sure to come post some information both here in this spot and up in the discussion area - PIR Weekend Experiences - Post Covid

As well, feel free to come join us in the Beyond BC group as well as remember to change your sailor status from Bootcamp to Enlisted. 

Good morning,

I have read the very helpful breakdown of BC days/weeks as posted above. However, I am having trouble understanding the first few weeks. If my SR arrived on 10/31, approximately which day would he be on? 

Thank you!

cocacola451 - first of all, welcome!! We are glad you are here. As for the BC days/weeks, especially the P-days, that is not my specialty. Hopefully, BelovedbyHim will see your question and be able to give you a better answer. - I did not find this site until my son was about to graduate, so I went through BC flying by a little blindly other than with a schedule my husband found online elsewhere. Later, my son told me the weeks did not match up. 

So, take heart, even though you want to know exactly what your SR (seaman recruit) is doing, when and where, you may not still have the best idea. But you can always start writing. I would say he is probably into his first week of training by now. 

Have you received any notification from Sandboxx yet with his address? If not, then he may still be processing. Be sure to read this post if you have not already - SANDBOXX APP for letters to BootCamp - Navy For Moms (ning.com)

I mostly wanted to reach out and let you know someone saw your post. These first few weeks of no contact can be some of the hardest us moms deal with, but we learn to live by the motto, "No News is Good News!" 

CocaCola I would think p-days or week 1. Have you gotten a Sandboxx request yet?  If so, it keeps you up on where you recruit is. I attached my son’s below it shows he’s on week 6 and it’s great because I can click on it and it tells me what he should be doing that week.