After PIR-Friday and Saturday Departures (What is Grad n Go?)

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

What is Grad n Go?

Here is a link to the group:
http://www.navyformoms.com/group/gradgoinfo

 

It has new AND old info on it. Here is my current understanding of G & G.

(Any veteran Moms…please correct me if I am wrong OR add to this!) 

Okay. My Sailor just PIR'd on 5/26. I just looked at my form letter and it didn't say anything about Grad-n-Go specifically so I am wondering if they have changed the form letter.

There has been a lot of discussion about the term "Grad-n-Go".

 

I cannot find the term on the RTC website under Family Information.

The G & G group explains that the term is obsolete.

So, what does that mean?

Means, I wouldn’t bother using it.

They are now called:

Friday and Saturday Departures

 

Friday Departures
Means those Sailors attending “A” school at Great Lakes. They “depart” Friday, after Graduation, to move over to Naval Station Great Lakes from RTC. This can take from 3-5 hours. I do not know how much time they get directly after graduation to spend with you before they have to go move their things and get settled and briefed. I am sure it is not very long though.
When they are done they may spend the rest of PIR day with you. They will be given a time to report back to their compartment. Then they should get Saturday and Sunday to spend with you. Times and such will be given to you by your Sailor. This could change daily!

Saturday Departures
Means those Sailors attending “A” school somewhere other than Great Lakes.
They usually get to leave right after PIR and spend the rest of the day with you. This is subject to change. The time they report back to RTC on Friday …is subject to change! (Are we seeing a pattern here?) It is usually 8-9 PM.
They then get ready (or already are) TRY to get some sleep and then muster up and board the buses to go to their airports around 1-2 AM Saturday Morning. Thus the Saturday Departure. Their flight could be ANYTIME on Saturday…the Navy only makes ONE trip for all Sailors.
There are three airports. Midway, Milwaukee, O’Hare. You won’t know which one probably until PIR day.

 

Here is what happened to me:

Mine PIR’d on a THURSDAY (Memorial Day weekend) and was supposed to depart FRIDAY AM. (Think Friday and Saturday as the norm). He was attending “A” school AWAY from Great Lakes.
While I was flying to PIR on TUESDAY he called and left a detailed message that everything had changed and he would now not leave until Sunday around 1-2 AM!
“Subject to change.”
His report time every night was different. His Pick up time in the AM each day was different. He had watch on Friday from 4-6 PM and none on Saturday.

 
So, what I was told to do was book to stay the extra days if I could.

I am so glad I did because it ALL changed! I would not have got to spend time with him if I had gone home Friday and he would have been stuck on base. I just decided that IF he did leave Friday that I would take a vacation!

SO...

 

The Basics are:
Friday Departures
Great Lakes “A” school- need 3-5 hours after PIR to move over to Main Base and get the rest of the day and weekend with Family. (No overnights though)

Saturday Departures
Those traveling to other bases for “A” school should be a Saturday Departure-but there can be variables.
You won’t know anything definite until you speak to your SR. They will keep you informed. Mine did, but it changed twice during BC and AGAIN while I was en route.

It’s just the way it is.

[Elizabeth]

so if his school is in great lakes, and gets settled and then we get to send the rest of the tome together. do we take him back to base or to the school

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

The school.

[sharon c]

oh wow, my SR leaves saturday, i hope we get to go to the airport with him. isnt there some kind of special pass so we can go to the gate to see him off?

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

Yes, there is. Find out what time they are taking him to the Airport. It is usually around 1-2 AM. Then find out what time his flight leaves. If it is close to the 1-2 time then I would get there at that time so that you can meet him right away at the ticketing area,get your gate pass (airport personnel handle this. Your Sailors are "on their own" for the first time. No command staff with them.)and spend time with him. If it is later in the day then you can determine a time between yourselves. Make sure he still has a calling card so that he can call you. They may not take their cell phones back to RTC with them. The airport is where you will make that transfer. Also, anything else that he says he is allowed to take to "A" school. Try to ask this in your next call.

At Midway the USO is PAST security, so your Sailor will have to call you and meet you if he has already processed through the ticketing area.. At O'Hare it is BEFORE security so you can meet him there and then get your gate pass and go through. Your Sailor must be with you to get the gate pass. You must also have Government ID...just like for PIR.

Haven't heard to much about Milwaukee...it is not used very much or if even. I will probably revise that in my post.

Also, gate passes are NOT guarenteed. This is up to the individual airline. So while we tell you that you CAN meet your Sailor, there is the possibility that you MAY not. It's really nice that they allow it at all when you think about how tight security is.

In the end...your Sailor is your best source for info...we tell you what we have heard and/or experienced so you know the possibilities.

My Sailor left from Midway. I got there at 1 AM as his flight left at 5 something. Well half of the group was originally supposed to leave later in the day, so they did not have boarding passes. It ate up all the time to get them processed through. We never got gate passes...there wasn't any time. Had to say goodbye at the ticket counter.