Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

bhmom -  Yes, Encourage her to try and get to a body of water to practice.  She doesn't need to Dive in (They don't go head first) but being able to swim confidently even if it's slowly is going to be better than not at all or being uncomfortable with it.

Welcome Sherry, JenDani and pankeymomof4.
This is the best place to ask all your questions, share your fears or concerns, celebrate your joys or vent your frustrations.  We have all been where you are and we do understand what you are feeling.  We have not lost a mom to bootcamp yet, we won't start with you!

Happy PIR Day!

Watch it live now:

LIVE PIR 6.13.2024

www.imgkid.com - The Image Kid Has It!"/>

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

PIR: AUGUST 2024

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From RTC: To better accommodate traffic flow on the day after graduation when families and friends pick up Sailors for liberty, a new traffic plan will direct guests to the parking garage adjacent to the USS Yorktown visitors center, the same place you would park on graduation morning. Gate 8 (same entrance used on graduation morning) will be open from 6 to 10 a.m. All guests will park in the garage to wait for their Sailors who will meet them there. When dropping off Sailors later in the day, guests will use Gate 6 at Illinois Street and Buckley Road and drop the Sailors off in the chapel parking lot. Gate 8 will NOT be open to vehicular traffic when returning your Sailors from liberty. Sailors may also be dropped off at Gate 8 to access base on foot via the automated turnstile using their CAC (Common Access Card). PLEASE NOTE: **ONLY GUESTS WITH GRADUATION TICKETS MAY ACCESS THE BASE WHEN PICKING UP AND DROPPING OFF SAILORS TO AND FROM LIBERTY! PLEASE RETAIN YOUR TICKETS FROM GRADUATION.** GUESTS INTENDING TO PICK UP A SAILOR FOR LIBERTY WITHOUT A TICKET WILL BE TURNED AND MAY HAVE TO PICK UP THEIR SAILOR AT GATE 8.

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

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

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

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Happy Thursday and Happy PIR Day!

Watch it live now:

LIVE PIR 6.20.2024

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

PIR: AUGUST 2024

PIR JULY 2024

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S.O. Contract:

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.)

Welcome to Gabriella, TVRNEM, NavySpouseKO & Chase's .
This is the best place to come and ask your questions, share your concerns, share your joys and make new friends who get it.
Please share a little bit about yourself.  The more you ask the more we get to know you and the better we can support you. 

I was a Navy wife 36 years ago, and I've been a Navy Mom for 11 years at the end of this month!  My sailor is a "Dirt Sailor" (SeaBee) and so some stuff is different but many other things are the same.  We are here to support you through this journey your Child has set you on.  We haven't lost a Mom to Boot Camp yet, We won't start with you!

hello-

Is there a forum for families of AWO's and is there a forum for NAS Jacksonville? 

Also, is there any forum for SER school? I image that one is tough considering the nature of the training.

Thanks in advance!

cocacola451 - Here's the link to the Aircrew group.  It's not been active in a long time but if you post maybe someone will respond:

AIRCREW

Same for the NAS Jacksonville group:

NAS Jacksonville

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

PIR: AUGUST 2024

PIR JULY 2024

PIR JUNE 2024

cocacola451 -- You may also want to join the SO group that B's linked below.  SERE is not something that can be discussed in any open groups.  That would be info only from your Sailor.  OPSEC/PERSEC requires that be kept on the downlow!!

Good Evening!! Welcome to all of our new members!

I have been busy with grandma duty and family things. I echo what BelovedbyHim said, please come here to the Comment Wall and post your hello. Even if you are just staring the journey, not quite there yet, or in the final stretch to PIR, this is the place to make connections not only with those who might be at PIR, but those who have been on the site for awhile. 

If you are on a mobile device, it might be easier to view the site in desktop mode. I had to do that the other day, as I so much prefer moving from group to group here, while working on my laptop. 

We are a friendly bunch here, no judgement, but we do our best to help you get your Navy Mom stripes and learn how to navigate the ropes, while your SR is in BC and then we don't leave you behind, as there are other groups to join afterwards. Be sure to ask!

Happy Monday!  Gonna be HOT here in SoCal!

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

PIR: AUGUST 2024

PIR JULY 2024

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Hi and welcome Terrika and other new moms here.. We have been where you are and are full of suggestions and advise.. I wrote letters everyday. would start a doc in the morning and work on it during the day.. would go out to 'weird' websites to find interesting stories and tidbits to help my sailor with a world outside boot and stuff he could share. I used regular mail and Sandboxx and at the time Sandboxx was fairly new, I'm 3 years into this journey now.  I tried to stay busy doing anything, cleaning, gardening, reading, sometimes it failed and I just sat and cried.. Heck of a rollercoaster we are on. BNMHs to all of you.. chat/ask/vent anything and everything.

Welcome Terrika!  Read through the pages to the right and look at some of the past comments.  Lots of good info.  Feel free to ask any questions you may have!

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

PIR: AUGUST 2024

PIR JULY 2024

PIR JUNE 2024

September PIR group added:

PIR: SEPTEMBER 2024

Welcome Terrika--  11 years tomorrow my middle child shipped off to Bootcamp.  I understand your feelings!! Pride, Joy, love, fear, grief, worry... all at the same time   Some days you don't know if you can breathe from missing them so much and other days you can't breathe from the pride welling up in you!!
I'll tell you what I have told so many others... Deep Breath in.... Let it out... Now again... In...and out..... Once more.... Innnn..... and Out..... Now you focus on breathing and remember that it will be OK.  We haven't lost a mom to Boot camp, we won't start with you!!  There is a TON of Information on what happens at BC (Boot Camp) on this page in the links above.  Bookmark this comment wall and then go start reading.  Your SR(Seaman Recruit) is at GL(Great Lakes, also sometimes called Great Mistakes by the SR's) getting taught how to be a Navy Sailor and you are here getting to learn how to be a Navy Mom.  Personally, We don't yell as much... it strains the voice, donchaknow... If you make a mistake with PERSEC (Personal Security) or OPSEC (Operational Security) Don't freak out when we mention it. (Usually over sharing or sharing something that is best to wait till later....BS21 for example) We don't kick you out for learning.   Feeling overwhelmed is Natural and NORMAL!!! You may hear folks ask "Why are you so ....{Touchy, weepy, emotional, scared....} It's just like sending them to college..."  Well, I'm here to say that it is NOT. I have done both.  When I missed my college kid, I picked up the phone and called or drove up to see them,  You can't do that in BC. 
There are a bunch of things that have changed over the last 11 years.  The 2 biggest are that SandBoxx is now a thing.  Your SR has to Opt-in during P-days (The first week they are at BC) and you will get a text with their DIV-number and Expected PIR date.  You DO NOT have to use Sandboxx to send letters.  In fact, I encourage you not to.  If you start writing and sending letters every day or 3 starting now then by the time they start getting mail call around the end of TW3 (Training Week 3) they won't have much of a gap in letters coming if any at all.  SandBoxx is NOT OPSEC or PERSEC and is NOT ALLOWED in the Fleet!! If you do choose to buy "credits" with them, make sure you use them all before the end of BC. NEVER use them in the Fleet!!
The Other Big change is the use of Cell Phones!! Your SR will be permitted to call home using their Personal Cell Phone.  I hope they brought a charging cord and "wall wart" (outlet)  I do not know if the Pay Phones are still an option.  I know when My Sailor was in BC the Mom's sent a letter to the CO Offering to pay to FIX and Replace phones so we could better hear our SR's when they called.  They were sketchy then....I'm guessing that over 1/2 were less than functional now!! (Plus finding calling cards was near impossible!) Still Answer any calls that come in during the first 3ish weeks of BC.  If they need information they will call from an office line and this call is monitored.  Don't rush too fast to get the info but don't be crazy slow either.  They must maintain Military bearing and are not allowed to "Socialize" but you can and should tell them you love them, Miss them and Are proud of them.  You can ask how they are but know you will get a short answer.  (Ask any way!)
(Pt 1)

PT 2-
The HARDEST Part of all of this is learning that "No News is Good News"!! We wish they could call and tell us all about their day but just know that if they aren't calling a ton then they are doing just fine!  There are 3 "Guaranteed" Calls (I use that term loosely).  The First is the "I'm Here" call that you should have gotten when they arrived at Great Lakes.  It usually comes in the early morning hours... (After Midnight GL time) and is Very rushed and scripted.  The Second is the "Proof Of Life" call that comes around the end of TW3.
The last is the "I'm A Sailor" call.  This one comes after BS21 and marks the end phase of Training.  They are Sailors now and both treated and expected to behave as one.  They still have the final "Sailorization" training leading up to PIR.  Please Note that the SR's do not call these call these names, nor do the RDC's (Recruit Drill/ Division Commander).  These are the names that we here at N4M have come up with to denote which call you are talking about when you share.  There are also Bonus calls or as mentioned Calls for additional information.  If there is a Problem, Accident, Illness or Discipline that causes any changes in a SR's Expected PIR then you will also be called for that. Your SR is an adult now and as such the Navy Cannot and Will not release any information without your SR express permission.  IF you get one of these calls, Please message or Post Right away so we can get you to the right people to inform you what your need to do next. 
If there is a problem at home, this is where things get touchy.  They will not allow a SR to come home and then resume training where they were.  If you have not already, in one of your first letters let them know that you have just learned that you should have asked, Who do they want to be told about right away and who do they want you to wait till after BS21 or PIR to tell them.  All requests for emergency leave go through the Red Cross.

OK... That's a LOT for one day.  I'm going to end there.  I hope I didn't overwhelm you.  The Training Schedule is Pinned on this Page.  Look at it and "Sketch out" your SR's schedule.  This helps when you are writing, you can ask how they felt about... The last weeks activities.  From this page I knew more about what was happening at BC than my SR did!!  You are in Safe waters here.  Let us know if you need help charting a path through this Navy Journey your child has signed you up for!

Just a quick update on my experience with phone calls (SR is currently at bootcamp).  We got the middle of the night call.  A call came about two weeks later and we thought we were done until the I am a Sailor call.  However, we got a call about two weeks after that and SR has indicated that he'll be calling two more times:  after final PFA and then after battle stations.  This is a total of five (5) calls which does match this article in the Navy Times (https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2024/04/02/limited-cell-ph...). I should add that all of the calls so far have been from personal cell phone.  SR is always careful to remind us that this could change so we don't worry if it doesn't happen.  We having been living by the No News is Good News mantra :-)

Masaleza -- Yes, 5 calls are the "Typical" or "Usual" call patterns, however 2 of those are considered "Earned" calls.  Additionally there are TONS of things that can cause them to miss calling home that are NOT cause for concern which is part of why we say to only expect the 3 calls and be delighted if you get more.

Hi,  Terrika~Navymom!  Welcome to the Navy Mom "club".  My son went to BC almost 3 years ago.  It was just at the end of covid, so if they had their vaccine, they were expected to stay 8 weeks, and if not, 10 weeks.  He had his vaccine, so I expected 8 weeks, and it was 57 days.  (I found out later that that was unusual because they can have delays and setbacks, but we were grateful that he was almost exactly 8 weeks.  

I agree about writing letters daily.  I just wrote about things that I knew he would find funny and upbeat, and didn't share anything to distract or discourage him.  (Both my dad and my mother-in-law were in hospice care when he left for bootcamp.  Thankfully, they both lived until he graduated!)

I used snail mail daily, and then used Sandbox to get messages to him quickly.  For example, one of his letters he said he didn't want to hurt our feelings, but he is so tired, he might want to take a nap after PIR.  I sent a letter by Sandbox that told him our plan is to let him sleep all day in the hotel if he wants.  (I felt like I wanted him to get that message asap so he didn't worry about disappointing us.)

Please feel free to ask questions, to vent, whatever you need.  We've been there, and we're here for you!  

Welcome to our new members!! It is good to see your posts and questions. The more you share here, the better we get to know you. My son left seven years ago this month. He has completed his enlistment and married another sailor, so they are still living away from me. The communication is easier at times, but it is still hard to have them far away and on Navy Time instead of my time!

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

PIR: SEPTEMBER 2024

PIR: AUGUST 2024

PIR JULY 2024

PIR JUNE 2024

Terrika -- You're doing great!!  If you have questions or something is unclear in the information you read please ask here.  Our files span many, many years and everyone here is a volunteer so some of the info may be a bit out of date.  Don't panic if you come across this conflicting info.  The more recent is likely the correct info, but please ask if you need to!

Terrika and others here is a link to one of my discussions on this group. It explains some information about this site, OPSEC & PERSEC. But then in a reply (because I had forgotten to include it), I explain how to make friend requests. 

Private Messages - Creating & Sending + OPSEC

I haven't been able to personally reach out to each of our new members recently, I apologize. When I do, I try to explain that this site was created by the Navy for us Navy Moms. It is more old school and a lot easier to view on a computer screen, in my opinion! The site may or may not be as compatible with your mobile device screen, so if you are able to put it into desktop mode, that can be helpful for navigating around the group page and moving from one page to the next. (Although the screen will be super tiny!)

Also, remember that wherever you see blue lettering or blue underline, that is a hyperlink to other information. 

Terrika - If you need an excuse to justify buying a laptop this is a good one, not to mention be on the lookout for sales with the upcoming holiday. 

On the other hand, please don't spend extra just to be able to view this site easier. Lots of people still function on this site with just their mobile device. 

Happy PIR Day!

Watch today's PIR live:

LIVE PIR 6.27.2024

Happy Friday new moms.. everyone still with us? lol.. another day closer.. I loved every new day because it was one less day out of contact..  mine is almost at his 3 year mark, half through his first contract.. went fast and slow.. just like I'm noticing life is doing to me as I'm getting older.. time flies wasn't something I believed in as a kid.. now it's frightening sometimes.