Ship date 2/20

[soproud]

Hi!  I know we will receive the date for graduation in the form letter, but can you tell me if it's usually a certain amount of weeks after arrival?  What may cause that to fluctuate?  Isn't boot camp the same length for everyone?  Thanks.  Sorry!  This is all so new.

[Phoenixmom]

Good Morning soproud, I would like to welcome you to the site. Yes they ask that you wait to write letters when you receive the form Letter, Even though the Recruiter can give you an address they may give you to much info that isn't needed. the form letter will have his PIR date, his Division and address. first thing that is received is the box, this will have his belongings clothes, shoes, socks, cell phone if he took one, so make sure you look in his socks, shoes because they separate the battery from the phone. after that you will receive the form letter, it will be about 2-3 weeks after, some have received it sooner.

here are some sites to read on it will give you more of an idea.

When will "The Box" come?

It will usually arrive by FedEx within a few days, but it can take up to 2 weeks at times.

The new recruit will pack "the box" (a 14"x14"x14" brown corrugated cardboard box) soon after arriving and beginning P-days. It most likely will arrive by FedEx within a few days to a week (occasionally, it takes up to 2 weeks, but 3 to 4 business days is typical) after your recruit's arrival at the RTC,

Your recruit will send a form letter near the end of regular P-days (on P-3 or P-4 DOT) and has officially been assigned to a ship and division. (Those in an 800 Division mail the form letter at the beginning of P-days.) It arrives in a standard white envelope. Your recruit will fill in the blanks on the form letter, put the form letter in the envelope, seal, and address the envelope to the person of his/her choice. Some recruits are able to quickly add a short note, but most won't be able to and there are no longer lines at the bottom of the form letter to remind a recruit to write something. The form letters are then put in a box and someone at the RTC takes care of mailing them. The form letter arrives by US Mail about a week after you get "the box" or can arrive as early as the same day (the average is 10 days after arrival) and is very important, so keep it in a safe place.

so here are some sites and it will break it down for you from when he gets there to when they can start writing letters. hope this helps, if you need more answers please let me know. Thank you.

• Arrival and What Happens at the RTC
• Ship/Division--How it Works
• 800 and 900 Divisions
• Phone Cards and Phone Calls
• Letter Writing & Fun Stuff/Questionnaires to send to your Recruit

[Phoenixmom]

Also I wanted to explain about the length of boot camp in the sites below it will explain, some may have problems with passing the run, swim and fit, so it will explain in sites below. thank you for your time.

On about their fifth day at the RTC, the new recruits are tested on the 1.5 mile run of the first Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) at boot camp. The initial run standard for male recruits will be 16 minutes 10 seconds and 18 minutes 7 seconds for female recruits. See Navy Sets New Physical Fitness Standard to Start Boot Camp. Those who pass continue with BC. Those who do not pass are moved to FIT and will be retested in 48 hours and must pass in order to continue at the RTC. See Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) and Fitness Improvement Training ... for more information.

[Phoenixmom]

To guesstimate the PIR date, count 9 Fridays after your recruit arrived to get the most likely PIR (graduation) date, It is more likely for a recruit to be at the RTC for 8 or 9 Fridays than for 10 Fridays. Counting Fridays until PIR may also help to make the time pass more easily than counting days.

[ellen0502]

The actual time in boot camp can be between 7 weeks and 9 weeks. With the usual time being approx 8 weeks in boot camp, with graduation on the 9th Friday since arrival. Every recruit does receive the same amount of training regardless of how long they are actually at the RTC. I know the question is "What?" :)

When recruits arrive they are "expected" to be put in the current TG (training group) that is forming, and to start training the following week. If  "perfect," the recruits arrive, they spend one week in processing, six weeks in training, and the last week they have their final test, Battlestations, PIR rehearsal, get orders for school etc. It doesn't always happen that way though.

Some that arrive early in the week are put in the TG from the week before. This happens when the last divisions of the prior weeks TG are not full. Those recruits arriving have an expected graduation date for the week they arrive, but now are a week earlier. When this happens those that have been put in the TG from the prior week are usually in a PUSH division. No worries they still receive the same training, just in a shorter time frame.

Those that arrive late in the week may be put in the TG for the next week. This happens when the TG is full when they arrive. Those recruits then stay in processing for a few extra days for the next divisions in the TG are full, and can start training. This is not usual.

That is a basic explanation of how boot camp ends up being longer or shorter. They all receive the same amount of training, it is time in processing that makes the difference. Again, this is a basic, "general" explanation.

This is why you need to wait for the form letter to find out the graduation date.

Once training starts recruits may be asmo'd and sent to a different TG with a later graduation date. Those recruits may need extra time to pass something, or extra help in academics. This would make their time in Boot Camp longer than expected.

[soproud]

That was extremely helpful!  Thank you!

[ellen0502]

You're welcome! :)

[ProudMichiganNavyMom]

My son shipped on 2/20 and I am still awaiting the first letter with his address. Is it normal that I have not received it yet? I received "the box" about a week ago.

[lemonelephant]

ProudMichiganNavyMom, The Form Letter arrives an average of ten days after the recruit's arrival at the RTC. Some will have it 7 days after arrival (a few earlier than that, but not many) and most will have it by 14 days after arrival. It will tell you your recruit's address and PIR date and other important information. Keep it in a safe place.  

Arrival and What Happens at the RTC will let you know what is happening and what to expect.

I left info for you on your My Page.

[Zoocrewmom]

My daughter shipped on 2-21 and I still don’t have letter.. stalking my mail lady 

[lemonelephant]

Zoocrewmom, Hopefully Monday If you don't have The Form Letter on Tuesday, then you can call the recruiter and get the address and mail letters to your recruit since it will have been at least 2 calendar weeks since your recruit arrived at the RTC, but be sure to double-check the address against those at http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/faq.html#contacting_recruits or Ship/Division--How it Works. Integrated divisions sometimes do take longer to fill due to a lower number of females who ship than males and so it sometimes does take a while to get he Form Letter.