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What if they haven't completed basic by Christmas?
My husband joined the Navy last week, but doesn't not have an official ship date for basic yet. What if he goes in late October, November or December? If he hasn't completed basic by Christmas do the recruits stay at Great Lakes or are they encouraged to use their leave during the "ghost town" "christmas break" time?
Views: 117
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by abuon18 on
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Basic is completely different than A school. They don't get leave. They'll get holiday routine, like on Sundays, so basically free time to do what they want.
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Permalink Reply by meagan5220 on
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My husband left for BC the 13th of Dec. He said Christmas was just another day. Except they got steak but still had the same amount of time to eat. Oh and then their RDCs said lets go run and see who will puke first. He did get some extra time to write but holidays are pretty much non existant in BC.
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Permalink Reply by Angie on
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Something to understand is once they leave for the Navy, holidays, birthdays, births, even deaths are only allowed if the Navy allows them. Meaning ever day is just another day in the military, holidays are just a day on the calendar.
Not sure where you got the term "ghost town""Christmas break" It is the military, not college.
Also family can not go to the base to visit them during the holiday either.
As far as what they do on the holiday, they can go to church, take a long shower, write letters. What they can't do, is make phone calls.
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Permalink Reply by Pobs on
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Thank you abuon, and meagan for answering my question. I figured as much, but just wasn't sure since I've read on here how sailors are encouraged to take leave during Christmas time and that it becomes kind of a ghost town... So I wasn't sure what they did with recruits still in basic. Doesn't make much sense to have them go home in the middle of training, but I didn't know for sure.
Angie, I'm well aware that it is the military and not college, but thank you for your insight. -
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Permalink Reply by RebeccaProudWife on
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i'm in there with you, my husband leave Nov 1st. He will be in BC for all 3 holidays. I have/had an idea how much our lives will be different while in the Navy, but it doesn't make it any easier. Still going to miss him, which I think is just fine.
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Permalink Reply by Anti M on
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There are two bases at Great Lakes, recruit training and the A school training side. The A school side does go on holiday stand down, those student sailors are encouraged to take leave. That's what you have heard about.
Boot camp is still boot camp though. Not much different than a Sunday routine. I went through when it was in Orlando, but it is still pretty much the same. I was there for all three holidays. Nice meals, and sometimes the RDCs provide a treat for their division. Our brother division got football on TV for New Year. Do send cards, but nothing else except maybe a few photos. Even of your recruit is not religious, they should go to church for Christmas and listen to the choir.
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Yeah they get leave in A school for christmas mostly because they (from what I have been told) shut the school down. but in BC they dont get leave. Also, when they get to their command its hard to get leave for christmas until they have been there awhile from what I have been told. My husband has been with his command a year and a half and he was already told he will not be able to get leave for Christmas.
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I have looked into this...
Boot Camp is about 8 weeks but they don't count it as weeks. Boot Camp is counted by training days. Holidays are not counted as training days even if they do drills, inspections, etc.
How many training days there are...I haven't gotten an answer for that yet? -
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Yrs ago when I went through boot camp, I was there for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. This was before co-ed companies and it took my company a lot longer to "fill up" so we could get out of our "P days"... We had a bit of a break the holidays - slightly better food, we were allowed to listen to a radio on a station our Company Commanders picked, and more time to write and read letters. We still marched and trained, but since it was a holiday, it didn't "count". (Lol - we all would have rather had classes those days and had it count so we could be done sooner...)
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Also he may not even leave for basic after the holidays. My husband was in DEP for a year before he left.... Depends what job (rate) he signed his contract for. It doesn't really matter when he signed as much as what rate he signed for.
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I second that! My husband left less than 5 months after signing up. And I know other people that wait for over a year. But his rate is AM and they fill up really fast so they warned us it could be quick.
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Also, our son was there for Thanksgiving last year - his PIR was Dec 2nd. The companies who were almost graduated were allowed to sign up and go to a couple of local VFWs, American Legions, and some local churches who sponsored dinner for them and gave them a phone card to call home. But it was NOT every company, only ones close to done and only if their Company Commanders approved it, they weren't allowed to go to private homes or travel except with their group, and they didn't know which place was hosting them (no having loved ones meet them there). So they got a bit of a break, but were still very much in "you're in boot camp, no family time allowed" mode.
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