ALUMNI OF PIR 01/30/2015 TG 12 - 12 Divisions (075-084, 805 and 912)

Blessed Sunday!

     "May the Lord bless you and protect you.

      May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.

      May the Lord show you His favor and

      give you His peace."

                                                   Numbers 6:24-26

coachjb,

Where your SR goes to A school depends purely on the rating (job) she has selected.  She doesn't have a choice which A school she is going to. All ITs (Information Service Technicians) go to Pensacola, FL for their A school, for example.  She should have some sort of title or abbreviation letters for the job she is training for.  Either write her or ask when she calls next, so you can write it down.

Last time we went we got 4 gate passes.  We saw many friends with 3, 4 or 5.  I don't know if anything has changed over the last 2 years.

Phone calls are being made so far by 13-81 and 13-82, so stand by.

The airlines are pretty good about issuing gate passes to family members of the sailors departing.  Just take ID to the airport and you should have no problem.

Everything put out by RTC; their website, FB page and Family Guide, states that anyone not on the Access List for PIR will not be permitted into the ceremony. Nor do they have a standby list or designated waiting area for those not on the list.

Now, the info I am reading below does not allow access to the ceremony (looking through a window (that is a new one for me) and two others in a viewing area, but is info being told to the Recruits about alternatives.

I am strongly suggesting that you contact RTC PAO to check and see if this information is correct before you make plans. Would hate to see folks make plans only to be disappointed at PIR.

RTC PAO Contact:

EMAIL - http://www.netc.navy.mil/nstc/cx/contactXC.asp?1-21r

PHONE - Phone:   Public Affairs Office 847-688-2405

I don't normally like to bug RTC PAO but in this case it would really be nice to get an "official" on this somewhere publicly and hopefully enough folks asking about it will do that.

ADDED these to your DISCUSSION FORUM area:

Flight Info Card

Meeting your NEW Sailor at the Airport/USO info

We received the fourth call from our son tonight and it lasted almost 20 minutes.  I feel so much better now as his last three didn't last as long and he wasn't very talkative.  I have been very worried since he seemed down previously, but he was in such good spirits today!  He said this was the midway call so it looks like we might not get another one until the bitter end but it was exciting as we had family over for dinner so several were able to talk to him.  

 He mentioned he was in an integrated division (084) and, as a division, they have failed the inspection and re-inspection.  Although he didn't pass his first PFA, he said he isn't really worried about it any longer because his division has "earned" 3 ITs thus far and feels these have helped prepare him for the next PFA.  

I really wanted to pass this information along to encourage other loved ones.  I believe these guys and girls are dealing with ups and downs they have never dealt with before because of either the society we now live and/or the "protection" provided by his or her parents.   

No matter the outcome, I believe this experience has truly been a God-given blessing for the SR and his or her family. 

What does it mean when they fail an inspection?

In Training Week two of BC, the Recruits have three inspections and their first big academic test.

The inspections are : PI - Personal Inspection, DMI -Departmental Material Inspection and a Zone Inspection. So I am going to bet it could be any one of these as your Recruits are most likely in various stages of Training Week three.

PI - They are inspected on their uniform, asked questions in general about the Navy and given commands to flood and execute.

DMI- Lockers and bunks are inspected. One side lockers and one side bunks.

Zone Inspection - Also known as Compartment Readiness. Every inch of the co.partment including the RDC's office is inspected. 

I believe these inspections are done by RDC's from other Divisions or other higher rates NCO's.

You may hear, or your Recruit may write, that they /he/she took "hits" this means that they received points off on the inspection. No physical hitting :-).

I don't know what the actual numbers, but too many hits and they fail.

They also train for their first Weapons turnover inspection in week two.

This is the first time that they will have these inspections. There will be at least one more of each, two on some, during BC. So they will improve :-).

They have drill inspections as well later on.

They can earn flags and pennants in Drill, Scholastic, PT and Compartment Readiness. 

Calls can be very up and down...mine were. I know it is upsetting but please try not to worry. It's not good for you :-) Big Hugs to you all!

lax23 - That's a great attitude about IT :-) As "no fun"  as it is it really does help with PT.

There are three PFA's in BC. Training Week 2,4 and 6.

The one that the Recruits must all pass is the last one...regardless if they have or have not passed earlier ones. 

It will be okay. They practice this stuff routinely and will get better. It's all very new. You've got 88+ people from all different walks of life, ages, and mentality trying to learn to work as a team. Just takes some time.

You will be amazed at what you see at PIR when that big garage door slides open and your new Sailors come marching in :-) 

What ARE They Doing in Boot Camp? Synopsis and a Day-by-Day account...

Click the above link to read more about what happens during BC. Within it are a couple of more links to outside sources for info. The Navydep one being one of the best as it was written by a newly graduated Sailor.

This is a PAGE here on your PIR GROUP. PAGES is located directly underneath the MEMBERS photos on the right hand column on this Group. There are several more informative PAGES as well. We use PAGES sometimes to provide info for you and that way try not to clog up your discussion forum area.

You are very welcome!

A division will never be held back....but individuals can be held back.  Yes, they suggest refundable tickets because a SR can be held back....mine was when there.  But refundable tickets are so expensive.  Better to check out Southwest Airlines, which flies into both Milwaukee (45 min drive to GL, no traffic, cheaper car rental) or Chicago Midway (hour+ drive to GL depending on traffic).  They have no change fee if plans change and 2 bags check for free.  I believe they also offer a discount coupon for Enterprise car rental as well.

Good Morning!

I agree with FTLW....calls are so very up and down....it is an emotional rollercoaster for them.  Remind them in the calls and in your letters that A School is a whole different scenario!  They are back in touch with family and friends then....that makes a world of difference.  Some families may even live close enough to their A School to visit them when they have phased up.  So tell them that this is the challenging part....and it is setup to be that way.  It will get better!

My son called yesterday and said he didn't pass the first PFA.  He said he has to pass on the 3rd one, I assumed that you get 3 tries.. but the first two really matter you have to pass the 3rd no matter what.  I understand now.  Also, Im confused about what week we are in?  I tried to keep track but since he is in a push group, I seem to lost track somewhere. 

Angie:  Yes, no matter what they do on the first 2 PFAs, they MUST pass the 3rd one in order to do BattleStations, their final test. 

It is hard to keep track of the push divisions as far as their training weeks.  Most of the divisions in this PIR group would be ending Training Week 2 or starting Training Week 3.  The lower numbered divisions should be in Training Week 3. already.

Remember, there are 6 actual training weeks.  They have processing days before they start training and a few "down days" after they finish BattleStations before PIR, which account for the other days of Bootcamp.  Also, the holidays (Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day) set them back a little.  Those days do not count as training days.  My son was in this same group 5 yrs ago....then he was delayed a week.  His Bootcamp, with holidays included and then his delay, took about 10.5 weeks rather than the average 8 weeks.

It depends on why they are being held back.

There are a lot of different scenarios. They can be held back for Disciplinary reasons, Medical reasons, Academic, PT, sometimes they need a little more time to adjust to the military. With the last one these would be recruits that are retainable and have the potential to be Sailors but just need a few extra days for the integration. There are special Programs to help with all of these areas.

Being set back in training is called ASMO-Assignment Memorandum.

I wouldn't write your Recruits about this or ask them. This is just info for you that want to know what it is. I also would not worry about it. While being held back sounds awful, and is a disruption, you have to try and look at the positive...they are still in and are being helped to complete BC.

Hello Friends!

     "I know that everything God does will endure forever,

      nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.

      God does it so men will revere Him."

                                                         Ecclesiastes 3:14

There are pkgs they can order of the pictures.  Once they order a pkg, if they want to order extra piks, they can, but they have to order a pkg first.  Pkg A includes the The Keel (yearbook) for free if your SR orders it. 

coachjb 12003 - Do you mean how many can you send them or how many can they order of their formal photos that they have taken at BC?

coachjb12003 - Weeellll let's see...there is no set amount but they only have so much room in their A/B Drawer (I still don't know what A/B is LOL). But it is about the size of a legal pad and 4-6 inches deep. They have to keep all of their personal belongings in there and it locks. It is located inside their bunk. So they don't have much space and they would have to keep track of them.

Too many may draw unwanted attention to them.

Also, any envelope that requires extra postage, bulky ones, are opened in front of an RDC to be inspected for content.

That being said, send a few real photos if you like, then print photos onto the back of your letters from your computer if you're handy with that. OR have someone help you with that. :-)