Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

Congratulations to all the new Sailors and their families! Have a wonderful day and weekend together!! 

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

PIR: OCTOBER 2024

PIR: SEPTEMBER 2024

PIR: AUGUST 2024

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

PIR: OCTOBER 2024

PIR: SEPTEMBER 2024

PIR: AUGUST 2024

Today is the day! Our daughter shipped. So very proud and a little nervous! Anyone else in the same boat (no pun intended). 

Happy Tuesday!

bhmom - woohoo!  Let the fun begin!  Remember to answer ALL CALLS you get.  Although now they can call from their cell phone so it's a little easier lol.  Just remember the "I'm here" call will be later tonight - and it will be quick!  They are speaking from a script.  Just holler that you love her and she's got this!  Then be prepared to hurry up and wait!

We've got you!

And here's the link to the Moms of Daughters group:

Moms of Daughters 2

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

PIR: OCTOBER 2024

PIR: SEPTEMBER 2024

PIR: AUGUST 2024

bhmom-She’s going to do great!!!  Sending lots of love and support your way. 

bhmom - Big virtual hugs are coming your way!  Your daughter will do great (and so will you!)  

My son shipped out almost exactly two years ago.  :-)

Thanks all. It means a lot to have a group who has been through it and is so supportive. You guys are the best. 

@bhmom My kiddo shipped out 8/15/24, so I'm about 12 days ahead of you! We just got our first post card last night and it was so good to hear something from him :) Big hugs!!

Hi and Welcome bhmom

Sept will be 3 years for his PIR for me.. She will do great.. There isn't anything they don't teach to pass.. even swimming for mine.. Keep busy, write letters, time will pass, hopefully quickly for you..

Wow, a postcard that soon. That would be great. It is crazy I had less qualms about her moving the mid west on her own earlier this year than her shipping out today. Time to cut the cord and let her knock it out of the park. Hope everyone has a great day!

bhmom - She will do great! As others have said, we are here to walk alongside you and help see you through this crazy time. All the best to your daughter.

Morning Sconebaby - I am from this area.  My sailor finished BC 3 years ago.  If you need anything please reach out.

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

PIR: OCTOBER 2024

PIR: SEPTEMBER 2024

PIR: AUGUST 2024

Sconebaby - nope, you didn't goof!  This is where you can feel free to post and chat!

Sconebaby-- This is the best place to post general questions or just to Chat.  Use the PIR page to speak about your specific PIR date or timing of things in your Div.  This is the best place to ask about meeting folks who live in your area.  There are state pages but they are in various states of Activity.  If you do FB there are also groups on there that are again variously active but may be another source if you are needing in person support.
Congratulations on Making it through the first few weeks. 
You said you think they are on Week 1 day one?  If you want to post their Ship date I can help or you can use the timeline above to Guestimate.  Please note that we only ever guestimate since there is no way of knowing unless your sailor tells you, exactly where they are in the process.  HOWEVER, Since the Navy has to process and train aprox 1000 SR's every week they do tend to stick to a fairly regimented schedule so that things flow smoothly.  Covid changed some things and they have added some additional training and that may have altered schedules slightly but overall the Pinned training schedule above has proven to be fairly correct. (The biggest change is the Form letter.... They are now using Sandboxx as an option so you can ask your SR -Before they leave home- To opt-in and you will get a text with the Div and PIR date.  You DO NOT need to use Sandboxx to send your letters and PLEASE Do not EVER use it after Bootcamp!
Welcome to the Navy Family!!

bhmom-- Welcome!! This time can feel a Little overwhelming but you are NOT alone!!  Deep Breaths and hang on!! Is your SR at MEPS today or did they arrive at GL (Great Lakes) already?  You are looking at a PIR of the First week of Nov (Best guess).  There is a TON of information on this site so read as much as you can but never be afraid to ask if you need to!  There are no stupid questions and none that we have been asked "Too many times" so ask. 
You may find some of the info on my blog helpful.  Read if you have time and want to . https://navyformoms.ning.com/profiles/blogs/welcome-to-the-navy-eve...
We haven't lost a Navy mom to the storms of Boot camp yet, We won't start with you!! We are here to help you chart a course through these unknown waters and find a safe harbor to rest if that's what you need.  Who Knows, One day you may be the one to help someone else navigate this adventure!!

Sconebaby -- ABSOLUTELY makes sense!! Welcome to the biggest adventure you never chose!! I was a Navy wife but never wanted my kids to join because I KNEW the hazards!! My Middle son has been in for 11 years. (His PIR-versary is this weekend!). From now on your life is on Navy time!! They dictate when you can see your child, when they can come home and even when you can call.  October 31(Halloween) is on a Thursday.  Did you get a notification from Sandboxx with his Div and PIR date?  If you have his Div we may be able to help you track down the address.

hi sconebaby.. I totally understand where you are coming from.. I don't say it out loud mostly but I feel that we got signed up for the Navy as well..  it can feel upsetting at times but as a bang up mom,, I got this.. I can do this..  there are lots of benefits for him and that helps me get through the low points...

Welcome to the club, bhmom and sconebaby!  The peeps on here are fantastic. My sailor graduates on 9/26 so he’s in the thick of it right now. The peeps have been lifesavers for me. I often feel all the feels and they are a comfort to me for sure.  Hang in there and whenever you feel like posting, even if it’s just to vent or you have a question or you’re having a rough day and need some support, we’ll be here. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Happy Thursday and Happy PIR Day!

PIR is October 31st.  And that's a Thursday ;-D

Watch today's PIR live now:

LIVE PIR 8.29.24

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

PIR: OCTOBER 2024

PIR: SEPTEMBER 2024

PIR: AUGUST 2024

Happy Friday all. Hope it is a good one all around. Thanks again for your support and info!

Hi, mego24, bhmom, and Sconebaby!  Welcome to this fantastic support group!  My son went to BC 3 years ago next month.  He then went to Nuke School and is now assigned to a sub.  Please ask lots of questions and feel free to vent. 

And YES, I agree that we didn't "sign" anything, but we certainly are signed up for all the Navy has to offer.  When they talk about benefits for spouses and children, I always think "what about benefits for Moms?"  But the pride I feel when I see him in his uniform and the knowledge that he is serving our great country are HUGE benefits!

Sconebaby, I am not from VT/NH, but my sailor is in Groton, and his good friend is in NH.  He just went to visit her this past weekend and they climbed Mt. Washington.  He said it's the steepest and most difficult hike either one of them have ever done!

MomofJoseph…my sailor will be heading to nuke school (yay!!)…what is the first month or so like?  I assume it isn’t like they’re showing up on a normal college campus and given no rules to abide by. 

Just a reminder for any of our BC moms who also do FB, Please wait till after PIR to request to join those pages.  They are having issues with people requesting to join and then their SR's not completing BC and they should not be on the page but... Things happen and then it becomes an OPSEC and PERSEC nightmare.... (As is wont to happen on FB) and so they are just rejecting anyone who requests prior to PIR.

Rolo’s Mom Congrats on your recruit going to Nuke School!  It is challenging, but was so good for my son!  I'm trying to remember the details of what the restrictions were.  I will probably remember more later.  These are the first things that come to mind.

When they first got there, they had a schedule similar to college. with some flexibility on weekends to go into town.  The main restriction was that they have to wear their uniforms wherever they go.  I can't remember all the details, but I know my son was able to leave base and go to church every Sunday.  (But he didn't have a car, so friends from church picked him up.)  He arrived there at the end of November, and was allowed to have a car Feb 28.  (But that time table is a bit skewed because they got 2 weeks off at Christmas - woo hoo!) and he was rolled back 2 weeks because he got Covid.  I think he officially started Nuke School Jan 26 and was able to bring his car a month later.  As they keep their grades up, they earn more privileges.  (He did lose privileges once because his roommate's cabinet wasn't locked during an inspection so both of them had to go back to wearing uniforms at all times and no car for a while.)

We live 4 hours away, so we were able to visit often.  We would stay in a hotel and he could come spend the weekend with us!  (The first time we did that was in May and if was before he graduated from A School.)

Kudos indeed on Mt. Washington and also am in the camp of Not a chance! That is a climb!

Anyone have a sailor who went the corpsman route? Our daughter has it fixed in her mind she wants to be a field medic with the marines. Not sure how much of an option that is for her, but she spent 7 months working as a nurse aid in the mid west and apparently has a stronger stomach for things than I would ever have expected. 

bhmom - I just reached out to the one mom I know whose sailor is serving, I believe, where you daughter is interested. I am not sure how active she is on here recently, but these are the groups she is a part of. 

FMF Corpsman moms - Navy For Moms (ning.com)

Camp Lejeune and FMTB-East Moms, Families and Friends - Navy For Mo...

Corpsman Moms - Navy For Moms (ning.com)

HM (Hospital Corps) "A" School in San Antonio - Navy For Moms (ning...

Corpsmen Moms and Dads - Navy For Moms (ning.com)

If you just want to read the information shared there, then I suggest you put your mobile device into desktop mode, so you may scroll around the screen easier to see the full page. Ideally, you log in on a computer to this site and you can more easily read the discussions, or any information pages posted on the groups. 

If you want to post a question in the comment wall section, you will need to join the groups. 

bhmom - my sailor is a corpsman. He's been in about 4 years. It is a really varied rate. Hard to get promoted because there are so many of them, but lots of opportunities in a lot of different types of jobs. My son went to FMTB at Camp Pendleton, there were females there. I would think it would be a tough route to go just because the physical demands are what they are. You have to be able to carry a 200+ lb marine off the field if necessary, for example, but the gals I saw at graduation were average size so obviously trained how to do it. My sailor loves what he's doing. Tell your daughter to study hard in A school, the higher you are in the class the more likely you are to get the assignment you want. Encourage her to explore what some of the other options are while she is there in case she decides FMTB is not her cup of tea. Also encourage her to look into some of the education and training opportunities the Navy provides as part of the program that carry over to civilian life. My son has done so and I know he has buddies who have become RN's, xray tec, dental assist. worked on hospital ships, etc. and are pretty well set up for civilian careers. 

I did not find any of the corpsman moms sites very active when I followed them. There was a mom on here - Partyof7 - that was helpful, I believe her son was greenside. I don't know if she's still active.

Best of luck to your daughter!! :)

HI bhmom, 

How are you? I'm the one that Chipmunk was talking about. I was looking for your post in the wrong group. Lol 

My son did his 3 1/2 years on the east coast. first and then he did his transfer over to TwentyNine Palms on the green side. There is plenty of great bases in California as well. Some of his friends went to the green side in NC and others went to the green side right away. It will really depend on which one she puts in for and if she gets it right away.

When does she graduate from BC? And her having some nursing experience will be good. 

Those groups that Chipmunk posted are good. They might not be so active as ours, but someone will answer you and give you good information. 

Hope all this information helps from us and let us know if you have any other questions. 

God Bless and have a great Sonday!!

partyofseven and AgnesB - Thanks for reaching out to bhmom!

Rolo’s Mom - I am thankful that MomofJoseph replied to your question. We have a large group of NavyMoms who stay connected on here through another group which I do my best to invite everyone to after they have completed PIR. I did leave a message on your profile page for you with a link to the Nuke Mom group and some information that my son helped me put together when he was in Nuke School.  

Chipmunk….THANK YOU!  You’re the best!

Rolo's Mom - You are Welcome!!

Good Evening! As a heads up. If your Sailor is graduating in the next few weeks, be aware that your Sailor may not be able to go into Chicago after graduation. You can still plan to go, but do have a back up plan just in case Chicago is off limits.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!! If you are new to the N4M site and still just looking around, please be sure to come join this group and say hello!! Posting your question, concerns, ups & downs in this comment wall area, is the best place to receive a response from some of our veteran members who continue to follow this group. 

If you are using a mobile device, it is best to put it in desktop mode so you can scroll around and see the pages better. I prefer doing most of my posting on this site on my computer. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! Keep your phones close by and the ringer on!