Welcome to
Navy For Moms

This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.

FIRST TIME HERE?

FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO GET STARTED:

Choose your Username. For the privacy and safety of you and/or your sailor, NO LAST NAMES ARE ALLOWED, even if your last name differs from that of your sailor (please make sure your URL address does not include your last name either). Also, please do not include your email address in your user name. Go to "Settings" above to set your Username. While there, complete your Profile so you can post and share photos and videos of your Sailor and share stories with other moms!

Make sure to read our Community Guidelines and this Navy Operations Security (OPSEC) checklist - loose lips sink ships!

Join groups! Browse for groups for your PIR date, your sailor's occupational specialty, "A" school, assigned ship, homeport city, your own city or state, and a myriad of other interests. Jump in and introduce yourself! Start making friends that can last a lifetime.

Link to Navy Speak - Navy Terms & Acronyms: Navy Speak

All Hands Magazine's full length documentary "Making a Sailor": This video follows four recruits through Boot Camp in the spring of 2018 who were assigned to DIV 229, an integrated division, which had PIR on 05/25/2018.

Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)

Boot Camp: Behind the Scenes at RTC

...and visit Navy.com - America's Navy and Navy.mil also Navy Live - The Official Blog of the Navy to learn more.

OPSEC - Navy Operations Security

Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind. In the Navy, it's essential to remember that "loose lips sink ships." OPSEC is everyone's responsibility.

DON'T post critical information including future destinations or ports of call; future operations, exercises or missions; deployment or homecoming dates.

DO be smart, use your head, always think OPSEC when using texts, email, phone, and social media, and watch this video: "Importance of Navy OPSEC."

Follow this link for OPSEC Guidelines:

OPSEC GUIDELINES

Events

Add an Event

**UPDATE 4/26/2022** Effective with the May 6, 2022 PIR 4 guests will be allowed. Still must be fully vaccinated to attend.

**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.

**UPDATE 7/29/2021** You now must be fully vaccinated in order to attend PIR:

In light of observed changes and impact of the Coronavirus Delta Variant and out of an abundance of caution for our recruits, Sailors, staff, and guests, Recruit Training Command is restricting Pass-in-Review (recruit graduation) to ONLY fully immunized guests (14-days post final COVID vaccination dose).

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:

RTC Graduation

**UPDATE 8/25/2022 - MASK MANDATE IS LIFTED. Vaccinations still required.

**UPDATE 11/10/22 PIR - Vaccinations no longer required.

RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021

Please note! Changes to this guide happened in October 2017. Tickets are now issued for all guests, and all guests must have a ticket to enter base. A separate parking pass is no longer needed to drive on to base for parking.

Please see changes to attending PIR in the PAGES column. The PAGES are located under the member icons on the right side.

Format Downloads:

Graduation Info
PDF – 2.7 MB
PNG – 2.3 MB
JPG – 3.4 MB
Printable PDF – 2.0 MB

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Carmen Martinez liked Navy for Moms Admin's discussion NAVYforMoms (N4M) Community Guidelines

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Navy Speak

Click here to learn common Navy terms and acronyms! (Hint: When you can speak an entire sentence using only acronyms and one verb, you're truly a Navy mom.)

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Navy.com Para Familias

Visite esta página para explorar en su idioma las oportunidades de educación y carreras para sus hijos en el Navy. Navy.com

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Received "the box"

You know, I thought I had read enough blogs and comments to prepare myself for the delivery of the box. To all the moms still waiting, you seriously can't prepare yourself. I really thought I'd be fine, knowing that the box was coming in advance, preparing myself for its delivery. Reminding myself that my son made this decision and is so happy and excited to get started. NOTHING can prepare you, until you receive it yourself. I heard the doorbell ring and went to the door -- I really thought the box would come tomorrow -- I don't know why, I just did. I'm expecting delivery of an order and thought it was that. The fedex guy was already back at his truck. I stood on my porch staring at the box with my son's handwriting in complete shock. I quickly texted my younger son and my best friend and informed them of the box arrival. And started to open it. Now crying. I get the box open and I'm rifling through everything. A bunch of papers at the bottom of the box and I got all excited. Scanning these papers, and truly hyperventilating a bit at this point, scanning for more information -- something -- anything! I now have his clothes folded and in a pile next to me -- so I can reach over and smell him now and then. I won't be washing these clothes for quite a while. To all the moms still waiting, hugs to you. Reach out if you need to talk. It is cathartic to write about it. :) Thanks for listening (reading). :)

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Comment by AprilRDMom(ET Nuke) on March 1, 2011 at 6:19pm: Your thoughts come across just fine, anna! Don't worry about typos. I totally get wanting to get your ideas out. I do that in person -- lol -- wish i could fix the typos in real life! I've been a what you see is what you get kind of person -- a little edit between the brain and mouth would've come in handy quite a few times! lol And I'm having some issues with my new lap top. I'm currently out of work with a back injury, so I got a laptop so that I don't have to go upstairs every time I want to check in. Well, things get highlighted and deleted while I'm typing!! Learning curve, I guess! Still better than climbing the stairs :)

I just really wasn't prepared for the comments from people I thought would be there for support. I can't imagine making those kind of comments myself, even if I wasn't in the same position. You hit the nail on the head when you said how we can't call or text our child when we want. My youngest son is a senior this year and will go to college in the fall.....BUT I can text him and call him when I want!! And if he's not available, he will be able to get back to me. I could leave a message for him, etc.

I'm glad to have this site for support! :)

Comment by annafornavy on March 2, 2011 at 11:31am: April - LOL you are so funny.. That humor will help you on this journey you are on.. I hope you are not in too much pain.. Oh back problems can be soooo paralyzing... Bless your heart...

It is hard when we feel like our child has been PLUCKED from our bosom and taken into foreign land.. SO all we want is validation from our loved ones and friends that they will help carry us at our lowest moments and you will have a few.. I quit talking to anyone about my feelings except for on here.. LOL.. Because when I said my umbilical cord hurts and I miss my son people would look at me like I was insane.. : ) And honestly I proably partially was.. LOL.. You got lots of love and support on here... It is the best thing in the world.; I feel so bad for all the mothers whos chiledren served in wars before us and did not have this type of support we do now.. Blessings today...

Comment by Emily on March 6, 2011 at 12:30pm: Ok I'd say this is the first time in about two weeks that I am crying. UGH! I have made it so far and after reading this I am reduced to tears :( I told my husband to send the box to his mother because I couldn't bare getting it. So I didn't think he'd actually do it! But he did. We met for dinner one night and she gave it to me. She told me you could smell him. I didn't believe her til I got it home and opened it. Do you know what I found in mine? I found a receipt for 2 double cheeseburger meals and 2 sodas. He must have known that'd be the last time he'd get anything like that for a while! LoL Anyway I didn't cry over the box. I took out what I needed and left everything folded neatly in it because I knew he had touched it last and that is how I wanted to keep it. So April you can put us both in padded rooms b/c admitting that out loud seems a little crazy. Anyway I am an only child and I have never lived on my own. This has been one of the hardest decisions to make - for myself - to support him and yet the easiest because it's what he wants and what he wants, I want. Navyyoungmom, you are not selfish. If you were selfish you would say, "No you can not do this and I will not support you." The fact that you are letting her go, unwillingly at times which we all understand, that alone shows that you are not being selfish. Enjoy every minute you have and don't be too sad. There are several wonderful people like April and Anna and the rest of the navy for moms site that will listen and support you. After all, like April said, people really do understand what is going on here and that to me at the moment is priceless.

Comment by AprilRDMom(ET Nuke) on March 20, 2011 at 12:04pm: We all certainly do not mean to minimize what anyone else is going through in their lives. I have friends with sons in Iraq, Korea, Japan and Libya right now. We can in no way understand what you must be going through. We have found support in each other. I hope you have friends and family who support you! Obviously you are in great pain to comment on a boot camp blog. I hope you can find support on this site from people in similar situations. Your son is an honorable man. He and you will remain in my thoughts to get you through this difficult time.

Comment by annafornavy on March 21, 2011 at 11:16am: Ang: Miitary LIFE is HARD despite where we all are in our walk.. It is soooo hard to tell boot-camp moms to enjoy it when for many this is the first time they have been seperated from the child for so long and limited communication.. My son is fighting pirates in the Mediterrian Sea and also now engaged with the battle in Lybia.. I come on the blog page to be supportive to these mama's and wives that are just entering he first stage of Navy life.. It hurts like HELL as we all know, the beauty of hindsite is that we now know the other side of bootcamp and what it holds.. These ladies are going through the first part of seperation and all to soon they are going to be aware of the next phase and waving goodbye to their Sailors as they sail off the patrol the seas for months on end.. And for these new mothers they too are listening to the news and are very aware that their sons/daughters/ husbands entered teh military during a very uncertain time in the world. It is scary and unsettling.. I am sorry you were having a hard day... We all understand that.. the best part of bootcamp is PIR when you get to see that incredble ceremony and be in the presence of your loved one again.. But up until that point it is hard to say it is bearable or enjoyable... We are all part of thsi GREAT BIG NAVY family and we are here to lean on each other to get through this very tough times together UNITED as the family we are...