Questions about Grad and Go

[Tsam]

My SR will be graduating on Aug. 24th.  He is in Div 268.  I just read some old posts from another group that said that Divisions 268 and 269 are considered the first divisions and have a good chance of being Grad and Go.  My son will be leaving for Pensacola for A School as an AV.  Is there any way to know ahead of time and be prepared?  It sounds like some only have a few minutes with their Sailor and then they have to leave.  It is going to be so disappointing and heart breaking if we don't have any time together.

[jam's mom (Patty)]

Your son will know. I have two boys in the Navy. One of my boys we got to see until 7:30 at night  because he left the next morning. We did see him off at the airport. My second son we had the whole weekend, so you never know.

 

[lemonelephant]

Grad and Go is an outdated term and the practice has changed.  Now all Sailors who are staying in GL move over to the TSC on the day of PIR and most of those flying out (as your Sailor will be) fly out the day after PIR.  You will have the day of PIR with him from about 10:30 am when Liberty is called until sometime in the evening when Liberty expires, usually around 8 or 9 pm, but the Sailors must be returned to the RTC at least 30 minutes before Liberty expires to give them time to get back to their Ships.  Your Sailor will know his flight itinerary at PIR (send him a note card about a week before PIR so he can write down his flight information to give to you).  You can meet him at the airport and give him his cell phone and any electronics and possibly some comfort clothes (favorite underwear are a biggy after the "tighty whities" at BC) and maybe some snacks to put in his black backpack.  You will be able to spend time with him before his flight.  Know that all departing Sailors are taken to the airport at one time, which could be as early as 2 in the morning, but some don't fly out until the afternoon.  You should plan to leave late Saturday or on Sunday to give you the most time with your Sailor.  Once in a while flight availability issues cause a Sailor to fly out on Sunday instead of Saturday, but you wouldn't know this until PIR, so be flexible if you can or just plan to leave late Sunday.  There is a lot of good info for you at http://bootcamp.navy.mil/, especially in the Family Guide (http://bootcamp.navy.mil/pdfs/FamilyGuide.pdf).  Check out the info in the groups you have joined related to BC and PIR and you will find the most up-to-date info.  If posts are more than a year old, the info may not reflect current practices.

[Tsam]

Thanks so much.  Yes, the info on Grad and Go was very old, but really sent me into a panic.  I'm not generally one who would do that, but I just never knew how excited I was going to be to see my Sailor!  It's all I think about!  You have really helped me feel a lot better.  Most of the info I get from the Moms helps me so much.  Just to have the rest of Friday together and time at the airport will be amazing!  Oh, and I've already started putting together a black backpack of things for him; primarily his boxers.  Thanks again so much!  Good luck to you and yours.

[lemonelephant]

(((((Tsam))))) You are so welcome.  He will already have a black backpack and he can't have 2 carry-ons.  They began issuing the backpacks last fall.  Hang in there, it won't be long before you will be proudly hugging your new US Navy Sailor.

[Worried Mama Ship14/Div300]

Hi Tsam - I read your post and I wrote one so similar just a day or so before! I understand your panic! Im in the same boat, wondering what to do with PIR, the old "grad and go" and getting to spend the most time together. My son graduates on 9/21 so Im just 1 month behind you. Through the helpful advice of all the moms on this site, we have decided to go to PIR. I dont care if all I really get to do is sit with our son in the airport, at this point I will take anything I can get and make it feel like Christmas! I laughed when you wrote you were packing his boxers - why are we so worried about our kids undies? Haha, its all I can think about! Best of luck with everything, let me know how PIR goes!

[Tsam]

Oh, we are definitely still going!  I'm pretty sure we will have most of the day with him and then we will go to the airport to make the most of whatever time we can have with him there. 

As far as packing boxers, I have read from several different sources, mostly moms who have gone before us, that the guys are sick of their "tighty whiteys" and really want their boxers; then in the last letter I got from my son, he actually said don't worry if you can't bring me anything but my boxers; but PLEASE bring me some of my boxers!  I thought that was really funny!

We are SUPER excited about PIR and will let you know how it goes.  Best of luck to your SR.  Don't get too upset if you receive some letters that sound really down and depressed.  I think they all go through it, plus many go through it sick, (as my son and a bunch of the guys in his div. did).  Just write him as much as possible and encourage him and tell him how great you know he's doing.  He'll make it through, and so will you. ;-)

 

[TLC72]

((lemonelephant)) I've been hearing all about Grad N Go and was a bit scared that would happen. This is the first I've read about it being outdated. Thanks for the info, I feel alot better about it. Thanks for the links also.

[lemonelephant]

You are so welcome.  It's good that you are getting info early so that you may be a little more prepared when your Future Sailor ships off next June.