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

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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).  

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Hello everyone,

My daughter leaves for bootcamp November 9th.  This will be the first time she won't be home for the holidays.  I was just wondering what happens during Thanksgiving and Christmas??? 

Just wondering,

Maria

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Thank you, I will check it out. I am still trying to figure out all that N4M's has on this website and when I joined a few groups I got soooo much email that I decided until I figure out how to not to get as much email was to delete for now, but then my computer crashed and I am only able to use my daughter's laptop when she is not on it, which is not very much. She did however say I can use her laptop when she leaves for bootcamp, which will be very soon. :-(
Every group has a "stop following" option. Somewhere on the right hand side near the top? I'd have to look. I don't follow any of my groups!
While in bootcamp and she starts writing, send her postage stamps in your letter. My son was low on stamps and worried that he wouldn't get to the NEX to get more. After about 3 weeks you will start getting tons of letters from her and then near the end of BC they dwindle a little. I think that is when all the other friends and relatives start writing, their writing time is taken up a little by everyone else's letters. My son told me that they get 25 minutes to write letters. Also, from what I understand, they do not receive mail on the week-ends. I am guessing that the mail sorters are civilians and have the weekends off...When I write, I add small photos to my letters which they are allowed to receive. Write every day...they live for that mail while there! P.S. The writing every day has also helped me...kind of my therapy for this transition. lol
Does anyone know if their graduation is around the holidays, how they have done this in the past? My son leaves on Oct 26th, and I am guessing his graduation would be the week of Christmas. Would they allow him to come home for break? Any insight to how they have done this in the past would be helpful. Thanks!!
They do not allow them to come home during boot camp. It would disrupt the training process too much.

If he graduates right before Christmas, he still has to check into his A school before he could possibly check out on leave for the holiday stand down. They might not let him have the stand down as a new sailor. He surely won't have more than a few earned leave days, and brand new sailors haven't earned the privilege of leaving the base on liberty. But they might, I just would not plan on it.
Last year they did allow a large number of newly graduated sailors to take 10 days' leave during the holidays. AS Anti M said, I wouldn't count on it, but it is possible. The Navy lets them go into debt for leave time. The down side of doing this is that if they have a short school they might not have any leave time accrued to take leave between A school graduation and their first duty station, and won't get to come home before shipping out. If they do this, it may be the last time you see your sailor for a LONG time.
very informative, thank you!!!
Hello, My son also left from MN to Great Lakes Boot Camp on the 26th of October...perhaps they are together?!! I was told my son would not be allowed to come home for a break for the holidays, ...he would go strait to "A" School in Pensacola Florida! I do know THEY DO NOT GET TO COME HOME FROM BOOT-CAMP AT ALL :( ! I have gotten several different thoughts on exactly "when" graduation would be. If you count the days 8 weeks it would be December 24th. My son's recruiter told us that they will 'probably' work them hard to push up Graduation to the 16th of December???!!!! But the Navy Liaison at the Swearing in Ceremony told us...they would have the ceremony on the 24th of December??!!! Well, I don't know about you but I am hoping for the 24th of December...that way I can at least spend Christmas with him in CHICAGO :), before he leaves for A School!!!! His 19th Birthday will be at the end of November...so I will miss that too!!!!!!

This week has been a very long week...and I didn't think it would be this hard!!!

Hugs and prayers to you!

Navy Mom!!
Hi Maria,
My son was in boot camp during Thanksgiving. He and his division were taken by bus to a Vet's hall in which they served up a GREAT Thanksgiving dinner. He was also allowed to make a nice long phone call to me. (this was 2 years ago and I can't imagine anything has changed.) It certainly wasn't his Moms cooking, however, he did enjoy every bit of eating outside of the chow hall!! He said it was a blast and it was awesome to just eat and relax in the Vet's hall. I was lucky with my 2nd son, (just PIR'd on 7/23)...he wasn't there during any holiday...just his 21st birthday! Your daughter will be fine....just send lots of cards and letters......
Thank you for this, I'm sure a day away is good and the phone call is awesome...and your right theres nothing like Moms cooking:-). I hope she and her division will get a day out, even if only a few hours.
Only a select divisions are taken on such trips as to the VFW for Thanksgiving, not all divisions are soo lucky.
I am trying to fly to Chicago to the Graduation, do they have any discounts for military families the tickets are 500.00 dollars per person

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