Boot Camp Moms (and loved ones)

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!

welcome SquirrelRun.. glad you found us..

Squirrel Run - Welcome Aboard!! 

We often refer to this group as the training ground for Moms and other loved ones while their SR (seaman recruits) are at BC. Please don't hesitate to ask questions. Your feelings are very common. Here are links to some sites or pages that you might find helpful as you are beginning to navigate this site. 

RTC - Bootcamp website

Sandboxx App for BC

Informed Delivery - USPS

Letter writing and fun stuff/questionnaire

Private Messages - Creating & Sending + OPSEC

If you receive conflicting information from your SR and what is on this site, please ask. We do our best to keep up with new information, but our best resources are from those of you with SRs or sailors just out of BC. 

Squirrel Run - Welcome!!!  Feel free to ask questions, share concerns, and/or vent emotions!  We are happy to listen (and hopefully can help you as much as we have been helped in this journey!)

Welcome Squirrel run! Thinking of you and your son! Prayers for calm and peaceful thoughts in these next weeks of change. 

Wishing all us navy moms, and all our troops…and especially our Sailors and SRs a pleasant and quiet Sunday evening. 

Good morning!  Happy to report we received letters over the weekend!  yay!  Sweet boy. He’s exhausted but loving what he’s doing. Just a little over two weeks left to go!

Squirrel Run…Welcome!!!  This is a FANTASTIC group and ditto to what’s been said already…we’re here for whatever you need!

Rolo’s Mom -- YEA!!!! Letters are AWESOME!!! I loved getting letters from My SR almost as much as I loved phone calls!! But then again, my sailor wasn't a big writer!! 

Squirrel Run -- So I'm guessing your Son is at MEPS today and Leaves for Bootcamp Tonight.  You will get a phone call very late night /early morning.  It's a scripted call letting you know they are at Navy Boot camp.  Go ahead and talk over him... Let him know you love him and are proud of him.  We have a link to the script somewhere around here if you want to know what he was saying.  Once he's at the airport have him call you, then when he get's to Chicago have him call again.  This will be your last phone call for a while so it's worth taking the time to connect. 

I didn't get a chance to send you the link to my blog but one of the questions to ask is if anything happens back home, does he want to know.  I know it's an odd thing to discuss and no one likes to think about it but you need to know. Unless it's immediate family, he may not be able to come home and if he does leave he may have to start all over again.  Others find it a distraction and they cannot focus and others are able to know and push on in spite of or in honor of the loss. 

The other thing to let him know is that HE is your primary source for information.  We know a lot about what happens when at Boot camp because they have to process 1000 new recruits every week through there so that schedule doesn't change much or often but details come from him.  This will be true in the fleet too, so here's your time to practice!  Have him Opt into Sandboxx for Boot camps so you get the Div, Address and PIR quickly but then save your money and sanity and send Snail mail letters (Unless something, Time urgent happens, which is rare! but if it does then you may want to use a sandboxx letter.)

We haven't lost a mom to boot camp, We won't start with you!! Come here, share, vent, ask, rejoice.... we are happy to help you get your sea legs!! Welcome to the greatest Adventure your child has taken you on!!

Hi all - Happy Tuesday! I'm back from visiting my grandson and now trying to get caught up at work....ugh!

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

PIR: OCTOBER 2024

PIR: SEPTEMBER 2024

Squirrel Run -- I'm so glad you found the questions to ask!! On that QR code did it include his ship's name/Address?   You DO NOT need to ever send a Sandboxx letter.  If you start writing letters now and time them for every 2-3 days then he should get a big stack once they train the Mail Petty Officer (Number the outside of the envelopes so he knows the order to open them and if any go missing.) and as long as you keep something going he'll have regular mail. 

Please click on my name and go and friend me.  This will allow you to send me a private message and you can send me his training schedule and I'd be happy to answer what I can and get answers if there's something I don't  know. (This Keeps things OPSEC (Operational Security) and PERSEC (Personal Security).  

Yes FB does have it's uses.  Just lock your page down but as your sailor continues their career you will learn that there are some things that you can ONLY learn about from FB or Instagram.  Most commands have some form of a FB presence including Boot Camp.  They post pictures from Every PIR and sometimes random pictures of the Recruits. It's worth peeking in on the off chance you get lucky.  DO NOT ask for your Sailor or DIV or they will AVOID them like the Plague!!

Yes it looks like you will be in GL for Thanksgiving!!  When you friend me you can share your Div number and we can confirm.  This is a double Edged Sword... Your PIR will be on WED, NOT Thurs. and you will have the whole weekend in all likelihood.  You will want to make your plans ASAP.  Consider looking for a VRBO type situation if you don't want to be hunting for places to eat for that day. But, YES, Getting the time off and traveling can be a complete Pain!!!  Hopefully your husband can explain and get the time off!! 

Hi Squirrel Run. Love the name and am so in the same boat of nervousness, anticipation and dreading having to sign up for FB to get added info. Although hats off to the group here. They are so encouraging, informative and supportive. Thank you all!

Happy Day! We got our first (brief) post card from our daughter confirming grad Nov 7 and her mailing address. Hoping for a phone call in a week or so but glad to have the grad date at least and know she seems to be doing well and we can write her. 

Guessing we need to fly into GL on the Tuesday to do the registration for the Thursday. Any insight whether we should look at VRBO or hotels that are recommended? Do you know when they usually find out when they will be leaving for A school and can they leave BC and stay with us til then? Sorry, I realize that probably varies a lot between one training school and the next. Just really hoping we can start looking at locking in flights the next couple weeks. Every time I have driven through Chicago it is either a blizzard or a monsoon. Ugh. 

Thanks again for all the info and hope everyone is having a good start to the week!

Not sure if I posted on the wrong area but Chipmunk, Party of 7 and Agnes B, thank you for your response, links and info. I am so heartened we got the post card and have every confidence and am certain our Sailor is working her tail off in BC and will in A school. I struggle visualizing her carrying a 200+ marine out of a field situation but know she would be more than up to the task if needed so will see where this goes. It is heartening to read your comments other average sized girls have done it and knowing her determination....

Thanks again for the sites and can't say enough how excited we are now we have a grad date to look forward to. Funny how much you miss your kids when there is radio silence!

Have a great week all and take care.

Bhmom - if you are interested, you might consider flying into Milwaukee and driving south to GL. It might be less complicating in comparison to flying into Chicago and it is a relatively easy drive from Milwaukee. 
We arrived the evening before PIR and stayed close at a hotel, and that went well for us. There were other families there for graduation and they even had a lunch for families and Sailors afterwards, just something simple. 

bhmom-- This is the right place!! YAY!!! Letters are AWESOME!!!
It's all personal preference.  You will have PIR Thursday and Friday with your sailor. They have to return to base by a specific time (They will know when that is) Sailors Staying in GL for A school may get overnights.  I would fly in Tuesday evening or early morning on Wednesday so you have time to get to GL and get your tickets before 5pm. (And going to Sarge's Meet & Greet)
Yes, Send your letters!! (You can start sending them as soon as you know the Address, we can usually find that for you if you have the Div #)
(On Second read.... Is this for Boot camp or Beyond BC???)