Staci - Welcome to NukeMoms!! We are glad you have joined us. My son actually purchased his laptop once he got to GC. (Goose Creek, SC. - NNPTC). He arrived the weekend before Labor Day Weekend, so he was not in classes and was able to do some research on the computers in the lounge or someplace and called his father (he also did not have a smart phone either), to get suggestions. I think he had to wear his dress whites, but he had been given a free bus pass and so he used it to go into Charleston to the large Best Buy and actually got a better deal on a computer with their Labor Day Sales and his military discount. That was in 2017 and he still uses that laptop for his personal needs and his online schooling. He has been out of the fleet for over a year now. He also ducktaped his box and every time he carried his little laptop, he packed it in the cardboard box!!
Yes, they do all of their studying in a secure location and are not allowed to have any outside electronics, including certain types of watches.
Staci - My son is in A-School in GC and he bought a new laptop at the NEX as soon as he arrived. It is only for personal use because as you said studying and assignments are only allowed in the classroom. Good luck to your son! My son will be graduating Nuke A school in a few weeks!! He really likes it there and has made many good friends!!
My son also bought a laptop first opportunity. A $2500 gaming laptop top!! No worries about gaming interfering with studies. If the student isn’t doing well, they have mandatory study hours in the classroom (my son never needed that though). They need their down time to do whatever they enjoy when they have time off. They work hard and it can be very stressful. My son loved it and made very good friends. They were competitive with their grades and happy for each other when one of them was very successful. He graduated from the pipeline in 2022 and I still keep in touch with his two best buddies. My son became a JSI (junior staff instructor) after the pipeline and one buddy is now in officer candidate school. The other recently got his E 6. All took different paths and all love what they do.
Thank you all for the feedback about the laptop, it’s super helpful! Much better than us shopping around for him and shipping it. Also good to hear your sailors enjoyed the program. Everything I read online is about how difficult it is.
@DsMom, I can envision my son buying a gaming laptop too…then never sleeping because he’s studying all day and playing all night. 😁 Jokes aside, he’s actually pretty disciplined when he’s set on a goal. He will definitely need to take advantage of down time doing something he enjoys.
Hello everyone!! My daughter is currently at boot camp but will be going to Nuke school when she is done. For anyone that already had their kiddo graduate and go off to A school I have a question. Do you know how much liberty she will probably get after graduation before flying out to SC?
AZ_RACCOON, Hi! Congratulations to your daughter for being chosen for Nuke school!!! That is such an honor and a credit to your daughter!
Unfortunately, there is no set time for liberty after graduation. My understanding is that after graduation on Thursday, they have liberty the rest of that day (until 8 pm) and then they have liberty on Friday (from around 8 am to 8 pm). After that, it totally varies. I think Chipmunk's son left at like 1 a.m. on Saturday after graduation. My son (in 2021) left the following Tuesday. (He had graduation the day before Thanksgiving, so he had 5 days of Liberty.)
If possible, I would suggest planning to stay until Sunday, but make sure your travel plans are changeable (hotels, flights, etc.)
I think I will just plan on staying at least until Sunday night or perhaps Monday morning on the chance that we may have any extra time with her. I'll be happy for anytime that I can get!
I am super excited for her to be going on this journey! This is all new to me, I don't have any experience with family in the military. My daughter scored very high on the ASVAB so she chose Nuke school and she was super excited about that. She also wants to be on a submarine, not for me, but I am all for it if that's what she wants. She's also super tiny, only 5 feet tall and 120 lbs, so she won't have any issues maneuvering on a sub.
I am really happy to have found this group! It's nice to know that I can go to people who have some experience with all of this. Thank you!
AZ_Raccoon, welcome! My son was on a sub for his entire sea duty, immediately following Prototype in 2017 until 3 weeks ago. Technically he is still in the Navy, although he is now doing a civilian internship sponsored by the military through a program called SkillBridge. While he joined in fall 2015, I'm sure things have changed. His graduation from Great Lakes was on a Friday; he had liberty until about 8 p.m. Friday night and he left for the airport at about 3 a.m. We got to see him for a total of about another hour between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. Others from his graduation had Friday, time on Saturday, and departed on Sunday. It just depends and even she won't know until after graduation, unless they have changed the process.
He had a number of tests he had to undergo (psychological, physical, etc.) before being accepted as a submariner. Be ready for long silences (more so than with surface ships) during deployments. The submariners have less access to email and certainly no phone access until they surface and pull into port somewhere.
He gained significant skills and leadership strengths from his time in the Navy, particularly when attached to his sub. His stint on the one sub is a bit of an anomaly due to some unusual situations with the sub and crew.
Fairwinds and following seas! All the best to your Sailor!
AZ_Raccoon, that sounds like a great plan. Even though my son didn't leave until Tuesday, we left Sunday because Monday was a normal work day for him, and we weren't sure that we would even get to see him then.
My son is also on a sub, but he is 6'2", so he does not fit well! But he LOVES it! He graduated from Prototype in Sept 2023 and went to his sub a month later. He is currently at sea, and Tulip is right about the long silences. We just broke our record for the most days going without contact last week. But when we finally heard from him, it was so great to hear how much he loves sub life!!!
Please feel free to ask questions. We will do our best to answer them, AND it gives us a chance to re-live the memories of BC and Nuke school!
Congratulations on being in NUKE. Do you know if they get any free days after Graduation from Power School before they go to Prototype. How long is Prototype. Just trying to plan a visit.
This is great! I am sure that I will have plenty of more questions along the way. Yeah, I figured once she ends up on a sub that there will be long stretches without contact. I know that is a long way out because she is still at RTC, but I am sure it will all move more quickly than I can imagine! I'm glad to hear that your son is loving it!
@val my son just finished Powerschool in February. They had a week off before starting Prototype. He chose to stay in SC and get his apartment set up, errands, etc. We were there with him for Powerschool graduation and stayed 2 days.
I too am new to military life. It's definitely a whirl wind of emotions. My son will be on a sub and is very much looking forward to it.
G’sNavyMom. Thank you! That information is helpful. I want to visit for Powerschool graduation in June. 2 days sounds good. I was hoping to be able to spend a little time with him. I’m sure he will be busy with the transition to Prototype. Is Prototype 6 months also. Thanks!
Did your sailors get to choose which A school in the nuke program? Or were they assigned to MMN, EMN, or ETN without any choice? Do you do that first, then power school, then prototype? I am trying to figure out how it all splits up.
Val - one never knows how long the hold will be between power school and prototype. Back when B finished power school (12/18/13) he was sent to NY for prototype. He didn't leave for NY until 1/13/14 and then he didn't even start prototype until 4/14/14. I don't believe they are sending anyone to NY at this time but the holds could still be as long, or short or whatever the Navy decides lol!
When my son finished power school in Oct 2023, he was already moved off base. He is kind of a minimalist and didn't have much. I got down there the night before graduation and then we drove down to Universal for 3 days. I believe he had a couple of weeks before Prototype started.
AZ_RACCOON My son did not get to choose which of the nuke rates he got, he was assigned just before BS-21 I think. He really wanted ETN or EMN, but got MMN instead.
My son shipped to RTC in June 2022. He had some difficulty and was there for 4 months. (I don't really want to re-live those days lol) PIR was on a Friday, had to be back on base that night and was supposed to leave the next day, but he ended up getting another day of liberty and left on a Sunday. I know that some things have changed in RTC since my son was there.
I won't say that my son LOVES being in the Navy or living on a carrier, but he does LOVE Japan where he will be for quite a while yet. He rented a house off base and even bought a car.
I don't comment much, but I do read the messages and eventually respond to the private messages. I found this page to be a fountain of information and experience. These moms on this site have helped me out and definitely calmed me down more than once. Welcome to the "family".
AZ_RACCOON - I'm not sure how it works in terms of their rate. My son was assigned ETN at the recruiter's office, so he knew his rate going into BC.
Val - my son had 12 days between Power school and Prototype. He had already moved into his house a month before graduating Power School, so he was able to come home during the break (and we only live 4 hours from Charleston). And yes, Prototype is about 6 months.
AZ_RACOON my son was told to choose which rate he wanted while at bootcamp. Also was told not to count on it, as Needs of the Navy would be the deciding factor. He did get his first choice, EMN. He found out while at bootcamp camp.
Val - my son graduated power school in early December and got three weeks off before prototype so he came home. We went for every graduation (prototype, power school and A school). Stayed a week after A school. Brought his best friend. Rented an airbnb. Had a great time exploring Charleston. After power school we just stayed a couple days then flew home with him for a lovely holiday season. After prototype we had planned an east coast family vacation with him and his auntie, uncle, cousin. He ended up being picked up for JSI (junior staff instructor) at prototype and didn’t get the time off. We had fun without him.
Thank you for the information. I am missing my son so want a chance after PowerSchool graduation to visit. It’s all business and studying for him in PowerSchool. I’m from California so quite a ways I enjoy reading your comments and it is helpful to know what lies ahead. I probably will not to be able to visit during Prototype as they are most likely crazy busy. Not sure what happens after Prototype. Thanks so much for all your helpfulness. Glad to have support.
Val - I’m from California too. Found flights in February to be cheapest. Hopper was a good app for locating cheap flights. Booked with hopper a couple times but also would just search the flights on hopper and then book on the airlines website.
How soon did you all book flights to graduation after your child went to RTC? I still haven't gotten the first postcard with her info., so I haven't booked anything yet.
Be sure to ask your Bootcamp question in the BC mom group, mostly so we don't get confused as to which graduation you are asking about. But, I will answer answer assuming you mean BC PIR. We drove, so we did not book flights. Things were different when my son was @ RTC. But I did not book a motel until we had our letter with his PIR ( Pass In Review) / graduation date and a mailing address for him. At that time they sent out a letter with motel information. I think that is now posted on the BC website. I am replying to this on my phone so I can't easily grab and attach it for you.
From now forward, make all reservations refundable or changeable, whether flight or motel. We just had one mom recently share her SR is in RCU and has been set back in training.
AZ_Raccoon - Many of us are in multiple groups on this site and we will answer wherever the questions are posted. :-) - It just helps other members in the BC Mom group to see posted questions there and for them to be answered there as well.
Val - as you can see from the other posts, time off after each of the classes can vary. As I recall, my son had about 10 days off after Power School. He had to get moved into his apartment. We stayed through the weekend after graduation to help him move and purchase anything he needed for his room. Including a really nice lunch bag he needed for carrying his meals in. He later left it one day by accident and never found it again I don't know if that situation has changed at prototype or not, but they had to bring their own food in when he was there.
He was able to fly home with us and then returned a couple of days before Prototype started. We always returned him at least a day early.
He did not come home for any holidays during Prototype. We are in the Midwest with an easy flight pattern but it still takes most of the day.
AZ_RACOON - Welcome aboard and the new journey! We did not book our flight until we actually were able to talk to him on the phone and he told us when the graduation date was set. My son graduated Bootcamp 6 months ago and is in Nuke A school in GC graduating at the end of the month! He is an EMN. We are all here for you! Thank goodness for this sight!! I know I had so many questions and still do! I always come here for help!!
AZ_RACOON. I appreciate the advice. This is new for me. I think mine is graduating in June. Congratulations on your son’s graduation at the end of the month!
Morning - I'd thought I'd throw my comments in to try and help also. My sailor graduated bootcamp a little better than 3 years ago. I drove to Chicago and got the call as I was picking up the tickets. he signed up to be an ETN and is still one to this day. He is on a Sub and doesn't love it, but doesn't hate it. He had 10 days off after A school, but after Power school he only had about 3 days (needs of the Navy) Prototype he had a month off but he was responsible to get to his next port and get himself ready.
I dont post much but I will help anyway possible. As I stated My sailor is on a Sub and has done a many "underways" and a one very long deployment.
Pizanche - Hello!! It is good to hear from you! I forgot your son was an ETN as well. Thanks for sharing, it is always helpful to have the sub life / sub Navy Mom viewpoint.
MomofJoseph - Yes, going to A School graduation! Thank you so much for everything you continue to help us with! Just waiting for the details about parking and when to arrive. Booked refundable flights and hotel a few months ago. That helped with the price. The earlier the better but always refundable like you all know! Thanks for being there for us all!
Seahawks12 - I started to reply earlier but had to delay. A school graduation is held at NNPTC. Plan to arrive early as there is usually a line out onto Red Bank Rd. NNPTC map
When we went for A school graduation, as I recall they had sent us invitations, but sometimes not everyone receives them. Your sailor had to make sure they had listed everyone that they wanted to attend on the list to be allowed into NNPTC. You will need to show your driver's license or other form of state / ? Fed ID. They have a long list to check everyone off on and they had two lines of cars being checked through the gate, but the ones for graduation were then ushered over to the side, so possibly go in on the right-side lane?
There were signs around and other sailors helping to guide you to where to park and where to go into the Bowman Center, I think is where graduation was held. When my son graduated A -school, he only received a few days of liberty, others had about 2 weeks of leave, so it just depends on the timing of graduation as well. We thought he had to report back to school on Monday, so we had planned to leave early that morning. Since he had some leave time, we ended up going to the bowling alley across the way and played a few games with him and then ate at the bowling alley or one of the food places that used to be right outside of NNPTC.
Your sailor should be able to tell you where you can park outside of NNPTC if you are just coming to pick him up for the evening or to spend the night at the motel. Assuming, they still authorize the sailors leaving that way. (I am purposefully not stating it exactly.)
Chipmunk - Hi my good friend!! Thank you so much for all of this great information! You always make me feel so calm!! You're a very special person as we all know!!
Seahawks12 - You are welcome! The most important thing is for your sailor to know exactly who is coming and get their names on the list for checking in. My son's SLPO gave his phone # to the parents so they could call him if someone had trouble getting in.
We drove our car, so we also made sure we had our car registration (at the time it was not a requirement in our state to carry it), and our car insurance. If you are renting a car, I would recommend having your car insurance as well as your rental papers, just in case. Even if you don't need them at NNPTC, it is good to have them for driving around.
Seahawks12 - I am so happy for you that you get to go to A School graduation. We spent the weekend in Charleston and went to Patriots Pointe to tour the Yorktown. We stopped at the information desk on the Yorktown, and when they noticed our son was a Sailor, they said, "Robert, this is yours," and Robert came over and gave us a private tour! It was so informative and fun!!!
After graduation, they were supposed to get a week off, but they were the first class to graduate after Power School classed up, so they had to stay at GC to stand watch. They were able to get their week off about two months later, just before Power School started for them. (I'm not sure if that makes sense. Sorry if it's unclear.)
MomofJoseph - Sounds like you had a great time! I am looking forward to spending a week in Charleston and going to Patriots Pointe to tour the Yorktown! It should be nice weather. Last time we were in Charleston was in December and it was very cold but still a great time!! Always so nice to hear from you!
I haven’t been on in quite a while, but I do keep up with the posts as there is always valuable information here.
My sailor is an ET, and if I remember correctly, it wasn’t the one he chose, but needs of the Navy placed him there. He never regretted it, and it was a great rank for him. We did attend his boot camp graduation, great experience for the sailors and the families. As far as liberty, we spent the remainder of Friday with him(8 pm curfew) and then we met him at the airport early Saturday morning to bring him his phone and computer. I also remember he wanted his own underwear. The navy issue were not very comfortable. We went to Goose Creek over Thanksgiving to bring him his car and also to spend a few days with him. It was so great to see him.
i was able to attend A School graduation, but Power School Graduation was cancelled due to a hurricane. He left for Prototype in New York before the hurricane hit and started school shortly after. We did visit him during Prototype, so we did get to see that area of New York, but they did not have a graduation ceremony as the sailors completed their training at different times. As soon as they got their orders, they left. He was stationed on a sub in San Diego. He had many underways and one deployment during his time on the sub. And yes, he did miss some holidays due to unforeseen circumstances, but the security of our country comes first. He has spent the past 4 years in New York, working at the Ballston Spa Nuclear Command. It is still up in the air as to when this command will once again be opened as a training command. Best wishes for all the new moms and their Nukes. I think it’s more difficult for us moms than it is for our sailors
momc - thanks for updating. That's interesting that your son didn't have a prototype graduation. B was also in Ballston Spa for proto and we did get to go to his graduation. We were able to make 2 trips to NY while he was there. Enjoyed them both!
Seahawks12 - nice that you get to spend some time in Charleston. We only made it there one time but really enjoyed it. Be sure to look at the discussion up above - Sightseeing in Charleston.
Chipmunk
Staci - Welcome to NukeMoms!! We are glad you have joined us. My son actually purchased his laptop once he got to GC. (Goose Creek, SC. - NNPTC). He arrived the weekend before Labor Day Weekend, so he was not in classes and was able to do some research on the computers in the lounge or someplace and called his father (he also did not have a smart phone either), to get suggestions. I think he had to wear his dress whites, but he had been given a free bus pass and so he used it to go into Charleston to the large Best Buy and actually got a better deal on a computer with their Labor Day Sales and his military discount. That was in 2017 and he still uses that laptop for his personal needs and his online schooling. He has been out of the fleet for over a year now. He also ducktaped his box and every time he carried his little laptop, he packed it in the cardboard box!!
Yes, they do all of their studying in a secure location and are not allowed to have any outside electronics, including certain types of watches.
Mar 8
Seahawks12
Staci - My son is in A-School in GC and he bought a new laptop at the NEX as soon as he arrived. It is only for personal use because as you said studying and assignments are only allowed in the classroom. Good luck to your son! My son will be graduating Nuke A school in a few weeks!! He really likes it there and has made many good friends!!
Mar 8
DsMom2020
My son also bought a laptop first opportunity. A $2500 gaming laptop top!! No worries about gaming interfering with studies. If the student isn’t doing well, they have mandatory study hours in the classroom (my son never needed that though). They need their down time to do whatever they enjoy when they have time off. They work hard and it can be very stressful. My son loved it and made very good friends. They were competitive with their grades and happy for each other when one of them was very successful. He graduated from the pipeline in 2022 and I still keep in touch with his two best buddies. My son became a JSI (junior staff instructor) after the pipeline and one buddy is now in officer candidate school. The other recently got his E 6. All took different paths and all love what they do.
Mar 8
Staci
Thank you all for the feedback about the laptop, it’s super helpful! Much better than us shopping around for him and shipping it. Also good to hear your sailors enjoyed the program. Everything I read online is about how difficult it is.
@DsMom, I can envision my son buying a gaming laptop too…then never sleeping because he’s studying all day and playing all night. 😁 Jokes aside, he’s actually pretty disciplined when he’s set on a goal. He will definitely need to take advantage of down time doing something he enjoys.
Thanks again all!
Mar 8
Chipmunk
Staci - The Nuke Pipeline is difficult, there is no getting around that, so they do all find ways to help them during their down time.
Mar 8
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Mar 9
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Mar 9
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Mar 10
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Mar 11
AZ_RACCOON
Hello everyone!! My daughter is currently at boot camp but will be going to Nuke school when she is done. For anyone that already had their kiddo graduate and go off to A school I have a question. Do you know how much liberty she will probably get after graduation before flying out to SC?
Mar 12
MomofJoseph
AZ_RACCOON, Hi! Congratulations to your daughter for being chosen for Nuke school!!! That is such an honor and a credit to your daughter!
Unfortunately, there is no set time for liberty after graduation. My understanding is that after graduation on Thursday, they have liberty the rest of that day (until 8 pm) and then they have liberty on Friday (from around 8 am to 8 pm). After that, it totally varies. I think Chipmunk's son left at like 1 a.m. on Saturday after graduation. My son (in 2021) left the following Tuesday. (He had graduation the day before Thanksgiving, so he had 5 days of Liberty.)
If possible, I would suggest planning to stay until Sunday, but make sure your travel plans are changeable (hotels, flights, etc.)
Mar 12
AZ_RACCOON
Thanks for the reply MomofJoseph.
I think I will just plan on staying at least until Sunday night or perhaps Monday morning on the chance that we may have any extra time with her. I'll be happy for anytime that I can get!
I am super excited for her to be going on this journey! This is all new to me, I don't have any experience with family in the military. My daughter scored very high on the ASVAB so she chose Nuke school and she was super excited about that. She also wants to be on a submarine, not for me, but I am all for it if that's what she wants. She's also super tiny, only 5 feet tall and 120 lbs, so she won't have any issues maneuvering on a sub.
I am really happy to have found this group! It's nice to know that I can go to people who have some experience with all of this. Thank you!
Mar 12
Tulip
AZ_Raccoon, welcome! My son was on a sub for his entire sea duty, immediately following Prototype in 2017 until 3 weeks ago. Technically he is still in the Navy, although he is now doing a civilian internship sponsored by the military through a program called SkillBridge. While he joined in fall 2015, I'm sure things have changed. His graduation from Great Lakes was on a Friday; he had liberty until about 8 p.m. Friday night and he left for the airport at about 3 a.m. We got to see him for a total of about another hour between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. Others from his graduation had Friday, time on Saturday, and departed on Sunday. It just depends and even she won't know until after graduation, unless they have changed the process.
He had a number of tests he had to undergo (psychological, physical, etc.) before being accepted as a submariner. Be ready for long silences (more so than with surface ships) during deployments. The submariners have less access to email and certainly no phone access until they surface and pull into port somewhere.
He gained significant skills and leadership strengths from his time in the Navy, particularly when attached to his sub. His stint on the one sub is a bit of an anomaly due to some unusual situations with the sub and crew.
Fairwinds and following seas! All the best to your Sailor!
Mar 12
MomofJoseph
AZ_Raccoon, that sounds like a great plan. Even though my son didn't leave until Tuesday, we left Sunday because Monday was a normal work day for him, and we weren't sure that we would even get to see him then.
My son is also on a sub, but he is 6'2", so he does not fit well! But he LOVES it! He graduated from Prototype in Sept 2023 and went to his sub a month later. He is currently at sea, and Tulip is right about the long silences. We just broke our record for the most days going without contact last week. But when we finally heard from him, it was so great to hear how much he loves sub life!!!
Please feel free to ask questions. We will do our best to answer them, AND it gives us a chance to re-live the memories of BC and Nuke school!
Mar 12
val
Mar 12
AZ_RACCOON
This is great! I am sure that I will have plenty of more questions along the way. Yeah, I figured once she ends up on a sub that there will be long stretches without contact. I know that is a long way out because she is still at RTC, but I am sure it will all move more quickly than I can imagine! I'm glad to hear that your son is loving it!
Mar 12
G'sNavyMom
@val my son just finished Powerschool in February. They had a week off before starting Prototype. He chose to stay in SC and get his apartment set up, errands, etc. We were there with him for Powerschool graduation and stayed 2 days.
I too am new to military life. It's definitely a whirl wind of emotions. My son will be on a sub and is very much looking forward to it.
Mar 12
val
Mar 12
AZ_RACCOON
Did your sailors get to choose which A school in the nuke program? Or were they assigned to MMN, EMN, or ETN without any choice? Do you do that first, then power school, then prototype? I am trying to figure out how it all splits up.
Mar 12
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Val - one never knows how long the hold will be between power school and prototype. Back when B finished power school (12/18/13) he was sent to NY for prototype. He didn't leave for NY until 1/13/14 and then he didn't even start prototype until 4/14/14. I don't believe they are sending anyone to NY at this time but the holds could still be as long, or short or whatever the Navy decides lol!
It's the old "hurry up and wait"!
Mar 12
JNMnavymomOH
When my son finished power school in Oct 2023, he was already moved off base. He is kind of a minimalist and didn't have much. I got down there the night before graduation and then we drove down to Universal for 3 days. I believe he had a couple of weeks before Prototype started.
AZ_RACCOON My son did not get to choose which of the nuke rates he got, he was assigned just before BS-21 I think. He really wanted ETN or EMN, but got MMN instead.
My son shipped to RTC in June 2022. He had some difficulty and was there for 4 months. (I don't really want to re-live those days lol) PIR was on a Friday, had to be back on base that night and was supposed to leave the next day, but he ended up getting another day of liberty and left on a Sunday. I know that some things have changed in RTC since my son was there.
I won't say that my son LOVES being in the Navy or living on a carrier, but he does LOVE Japan where he will be for quite a while yet. He rented a house off base and even bought a car.
I don't comment much, but I do read the messages and eventually respond to the private messages. I found this page to be a fountain of information and experience. These moms on this site have helped me out and definitely calmed me down more than once. Welcome to the "family".
~~~~BNMHs ~~~~
Mar 12
MomofJoseph
AZ_RACCOON - I'm not sure how it works in terms of their rate. My son was assigned ETN at the recruiter's office, so he knew his rate going into BC.
Val - my son had 12 days between Power school and Prototype. He had already moved into his house a month before graduating Power School, so he was able to come home during the break (and we only live 4 hours from Charleston). And yes, Prototype is about 6 months.
Mar 12
DsMom2020
AZ_RACOON my son was told to choose which rate he wanted while at bootcamp. Also was told not to count on it, as Needs of the Navy would be the deciding factor. He did get his first choice, EMN. He found out while at bootcamp camp.
Val - my son graduated power school in early December and got three weeks off before prototype so he came home. We went for every graduation (prototype, power school and A school). Stayed a week after A school. Brought his best friend. Rented an airbnb. Had a great time exploring Charleston. After power school we just stayed a couple days then flew home with him for a lovely holiday season. After prototype we had planned an east coast family vacation with him and his auntie, uncle, cousin. He ended up being picked up for JSI (junior staff instructor) at prototype and didn’t get the time off. We had fun without him.
Mar 13
val
Mar 13
DsMom2020
Val - I’m from California too. Found flights in February to be cheapest. Hopper was a good app for locating cheap flights. Booked with hopper a couple times but also would just search the flights on hopper and then book on the airlines website.
Mar 13
AZ_RACCOON
Thanks for all of the information! This is all very helpful!
Mar 13
AZ_RACCOON
How soon did you all book flights to graduation after your child went to RTC? I still haven't gotten the first postcard with her info., so I haven't booked anything yet.
Mar 13
Chipmunk
Az-racoon - 1st of all welcome aboard!
Be sure to ask your Bootcamp question in the BC mom group, mostly so we don't get confused as to which graduation you are asking about. But, I will answer answer assuming you mean BC PIR. We drove, so we did not book flights. Things were different when my son was @ RTC. But I did not book a motel until we had our letter with his PIR ( Pass In Review) / graduation date and a mailing address for him. At that time they sent out a letter with motel information. I think that is now posted on the BC website. I am replying to this on my phone so I can't easily grab and attach it for you.
From now forward, make all reservations refundable or changeable, whether flight or motel. We just had one mom recently share her SR is in RCU and has been set back in training.
Mar 13
AZ_RACCOON
Okay, I'll make sure to keep my graduation questions to another group. You guys have just been awesome about answering questions here!
Mar 13
Chipmunk
AZ_Raccoon - Many of us are in multiple groups on this site and we will answer wherever the questions are posted. :-) - It just helps other members in the BC Mom group to see posted questions there and for them to be answered there as well.
Mar 13
Chipmunk
Val - as you can see from the other posts, time off after each of the classes can vary. As I recall, my son had about 10 days off after Power School. He had to get moved into his apartment. We stayed through the weekend after graduation to help him move and purchase anything he needed for his room. Including a really nice lunch bag he needed for carrying his meals in. He later left it one day by accident and never found it again I don't know if that situation has changed at prototype or not, but they had to bring their own food in when he was there.
He was able to fly home with us and then returned a couple of days before Prototype started. We always returned him at least a day early.
He did not come home for any holidays during Prototype. We are in the Midwest with an easy flight pattern but it still takes most of the day.
Mar 13
val
Mar 13
Seahawks12
AZ_RACOON - Welcome aboard and the new journey! We did not book our flight until we actually were able to talk to him on the phone and he told us when the graduation date was set. My son graduated Bootcamp 6 months ago and is in Nuke A school in GC graduating at the end of the month! He is an EMN. We are all here for you! Thank goodness for this sight!! I know I had so many questions and still do! I always come here for help!!
Mar 13
val
Mar 13
Seahawks12
AZ_RACOON - Still new for me and I hope I can help you in any way!
Mar 13
Pizanche
Morning - I'd thought I'd throw my comments in to try and help also. My sailor graduated bootcamp a little better than 3 years ago. I drove to Chicago and got the call as I was picking up the tickets. he signed up to be an ETN and is still one to this day. He is on a Sub and doesn't love it, but doesn't hate it. He had 10 days off after A school, but after Power school he only had about 3 days (needs of the Navy) Prototype he had a month off but he was responsible to get to his next port and get himself ready.
I dont post much but I will help anyway possible. As I stated My sailor is on a Sub and has done a many "underways" and a one very long deployment.
Stay safe, stay sane. And use these ladies!
Mar 14
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Mar 14
Chipmunk
Pizanche - Hello!! It is good to hear from you! I forgot your son was an ETN as well. Thanks for sharing, it is always helpful to have the sub life / sub Navy Mom viewpoint.
Mar 14
MomofJoseph
Seahawks12 - I forgot that your Sailor is soon to be an A School graduate!!! Congrats! Are you planning on attending A School graduation?
Mar 14
Seahawks12
MomofJoseph - Yes, going to A School graduation! Thank you so much for everything you continue to help us with! Just waiting for the details about parking and when to arrive. Booked refundable flights and hotel a few months ago. That helped with the price. The earlier the better but always refundable like you all know! Thanks for being there for us all!
Mar 14
Chipmunk
Seahawks12 - I started to reply earlier but had to delay. A school graduation is held at NNPTC. Plan to arrive early as there is usually a line out onto Red Bank Rd. NNPTC map
When we went for A school graduation, as I recall they had sent us invitations, but sometimes not everyone receives them. Your sailor had to make sure they had listed everyone that they wanted to attend on the list to be allowed into NNPTC. You will need to show your driver's license or other form of state / ? Fed ID. They have a long list to check everyone off on and they had two lines of cars being checked through the gate, but the ones for graduation were then ushered over to the side, so possibly go in on the right-side lane?
There were signs around and other sailors helping to guide you to where to park and where to go into the Bowman Center, I think is where graduation was held. When my son graduated A -school, he only received a few days of liberty, others had about 2 weeks of leave, so it just depends on the timing of graduation as well. We thought he had to report back to school on Monday, so we had planned to leave early that morning. Since he had some leave time, we ended up going to the bowling alley across the way and played a few games with him and then ate at the bowling alley or one of the food places that used to be right outside of NNPTC.
Your sailor should be able to tell you where you can park outside of NNPTC if you are just coming to pick him up for the evening or to spend the night at the motel. Assuming, they still authorize the sailors leaving that way. (I am purposefully not stating it exactly.)
Mar 14
Seahawks12
Chipmunk - Hi my good friend!! Thank you so much for all of this great information! You always make me feel so calm!! You're a very special person as we all know!!
Mar 14
Chipmunk
Seahawks12 - You are welcome! The most important thing is for your sailor to know exactly who is coming and get their names on the list for checking in. My son's SLPO gave his phone # to the parents so they could call him if someone had trouble getting in.
We drove our car, so we also made sure we had our car registration (at the time it was not a requirement in our state to carry it), and our car insurance. If you are renting a car, I would recommend having your car insurance as well as your rental papers, just in case. Even if you don't need them at NNPTC, it is good to have them for driving around.
Enjoy your time!
Mar 15
MomofJoseph
Seahawks12 - I am so happy for you that you get to go to A School graduation. We spent the weekend in Charleston and went to Patriots Pointe to tour the Yorktown. We stopped at the information desk on the Yorktown, and when they noticed our son was a Sailor, they said, "Robert, this is yours," and Robert came over and gave us a private tour! It was so informative and fun!!!
After graduation, they were supposed to get a week off, but they were the first class to graduate after Power School classed up, so they had to stay at GC to stand watch. They were able to get their week off about two months later, just before Power School started for them. (I'm not sure if that makes sense. Sorry if it's unclear.)
Mar 15
Seahawks12
MomofJoseph - Sounds like you had a great time! I am looking forward to spending a week in Charleston and going to Patriots Pointe to tour the Yorktown! It should be nice weather. Last time we were in Charleston was in December and it was very cold but still a great time!! Always so nice to hear from you!
Have a restful Sunday everyone!
Mar 16
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Mar 17
momc
Hello Navy Moms,
I haven’t been on in quite a while, but I do keep up with the posts as there is always valuable information here.
My sailor is an ET, and if I remember correctly, it wasn’t the one he chose, but needs of the Navy placed him there. He never regretted it, and it was a great rank for him. We did attend his boot camp graduation, great experience for the sailors and the families. As far as liberty, we spent the remainder of Friday with him(8 pm curfew) and then we met him at the airport early Saturday morning to bring him his phone and computer. I also remember he wanted his own underwear. The navy issue were not very comfortable. We went to Goose Creek over Thanksgiving to bring him his car and also to spend a few days with him. It was so great to see him.
i was able to attend A School graduation, but Power School Graduation was cancelled due to a hurricane. He left for Prototype in New York before the hurricane hit and started school shortly after. We did visit him during Prototype, so we did get to see that area of New York, but they did not have a graduation ceremony as the sailors completed their training at different times. As soon as they got their orders, they left. He was stationed on a sub in San Diego. He had many underways and one deployment during his time on the sub. And yes, he did miss some holidays due to unforeseen circumstances, but the security of our country comes first.
He has spent the past 4 years in New York, working at the Ballston Spa Nuclear Command. It is still up in the air as to when this command will once again be opened as a training command.
Best wishes for all the new moms and their Nukes. I think it’s more difficult for us moms than it is for our sailors
Mar 17
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
momc - thanks for updating. That's interesting that your son didn't have a prototype graduation. B was also in Ballston Spa for proto and we did get to go to his graduation. We were able to make 2 trips to NY while he was there. Enjoyed them both!
Mar 17
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Seahawks12 - nice that you get to spend some time in Charleston. We only made it there one time but really enjoyed it. Be sure to look at the discussion up above - Sightseeing in Charleston.
Mar 17
AZ_RACCOON
Are there 3 separate graduations for A school, power school, and prototype?
Mar 17