This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.
FIRST TIME HERE?
FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO GET STARTED:
Choose your Username. For the privacy and safety of you and/or your sailor, NO LAST NAMES ARE ALLOWED, even if your last name differs from that of your sailor (please make sure your URL address does not include your last name either). Also, please do not include your email address in your user name. Go to "Settings" above to set your Username. While there, complete your Profile so you can post and share photos and videos of your Sailor and share stories with other moms!
Make sure to read our Community Guidelines and this Navy Operations Security (OPSEC) checklist - loose lips sink ships!
Join groups! Browse for groups for your PIR date, your sailor's occupational specialty, "A" school, assigned ship, homeport city, your own city or state, and a myriad of other interests. Jump in and introduce yourself! Start making friends that can last a lifetime.
Link to Navy Speak - Navy Terms & Acronyms: Navy Speak
All Hands Magazine's full length documentary "Making a Sailor": This video follows four recruits through Boot Camp in the spring of 2018 who were assigned to DIV 229, an integrated division, which had PIR on 05/25/2018.
Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)
Boot Camp: Behind the Scenes at RTC
...and visit Navy.com - America's Navy and Navy.mil also Navy Live - The Official Blog of the Navy to learn more.
OPSEC - Navy Operations Security
Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind. In the Navy, it's essential to remember that "loose lips sink ships." OPSEC is everyone's responsibility.
DON'T post critical information including future destinations or ports of call; future operations, exercises or missions; deployment or homecoming dates.
DO be smart, use your head, always think OPSEC when using texts, email, phone, and social media, and watch this video: "Importance of Navy OPSEC."
Follow this link for OPSEC Guidelines:
Events
**UPDATE 4/26/2022** Effective with the May 6, 2022 PIR 4 guests will be allowed. Still must be fully vaccinated to attend.
**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.
**UPDATE 7/29/2021** You now must be fully vaccinated in order to attend PIR:
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).
FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:
**UPDATE 8/25/2022 - MASK MANDATE IS LIFTED. Vaccinations still required.
**UPDATE 11/10/22 PIR - Vaccinations no longer required.
RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021
Please note! Changes to this guide happened in October 2017. Tickets are now issued for all guests, and all guests must have a ticket to enter base. A separate parking pass is no longer needed to drive on to base for parking.
Please see changes to attending PIR in the PAGES column. The PAGES are located under the member icons on the right side.
Format Downloads:
- Graduation Info
- PDF – 2.7 MB
- PNG – 2.3 MB
- JPG – 3.4 MB
- Printable PDF – 2.0 MB
Navy Speak
Click here to learn common Navy terms and acronyms! (Hint: When you can speak an entire sentence using only acronyms and one verb, you're truly a Navy mom.)
N4M Merchandise
Shirts, caps, mugs and more can be found at CafePress.
Please note: Profits generated in the production of this merchandise are not being awarded to the Navy or any of its suppliers. Any profit made is retained by CafePress.
Navy.com Para Familias
Visite esta página para explorar en su idioma las oportunidades de educación y carreras para sus hijos en el Navy. Navy.com
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Boot camp FAQ - Welcome to the Navy
How will I know that my recruit has arrived safely?
You will get a very short (5-10 second) call from your recruit soon after s/he arrives at RTC Great Lakes . It sounds like they are reading from a script "Hi (Mom, Dad, Honey), I arrived safely. You will get a box of my things in the mail in about a week. I can't talk, I will call again in about a month. I love you. Bye." This call may come as late as 2 am, or as early as 5 p.m.
If your recruit brought his or her cell phone with them you will be able to talk and/or text while they are at their hotel, a little at MEPS, at the airport in your home area, and at the airport in Chicago. They may be in the Chicago airport USO for several hours waiting for the Navy bus that transports them to boot camp. They will eat dinner at the airport (the Navy gives them a "food chit" to pay for it). As soon as they get on the bus, they have to turn off their phone.
Recruits who have their cell phones are usually allowed to make that last call home on their own phone.
When will I get my recruit's address?
You may be able to learn your recruit's division assignment and address from his/her recruiter. If your recruiter can not find the information, you may have to wait until your form letter.
What is The Box?
The first thing you will get is "The Box." Warning: this is a FedEx box of dirty laundry, clothes they have been wearing for 2-3 days and their cell phone and anything else they brought with them. Open with caution, sometimes it reeks. This box arrives 4-7 days after their arrival in boot camp.
The ONLY things they will be allowed to keep are their wallet, a small religious medal (it must be the same size or smaller than dog tags), a small religious text (Bible/Torah/Book of Shadows, etc), a tiny address book and possibly writing materials. Everything else goes in The Box.
Some RDCs do not allow even the address book and writing paper, they have Navy stationary for recruits to use. Put an activated phone card, a book of stamps and basic addresses and phone numbers in the wallet, just in case. Forget the list the recruiter sent of items that recruits can have, even tiny shampoo bottles will be sent home.
When will I get my recruit's graduation information?
The form letter usually arrives 7 to 10 days after your recruit's arrival at Great Lakes. it has a lot of information including the exact address, your recruit's PIR date, and about six lines for your recruit to send a short note home. It also has tourist and hotel information for the Great Lakes area. Keep this letter in a safe place, it also has the internet password for your graduation parking pass.
When will I get *real* mail?
Recruits will not be allowed to write home for their first week or two. Igot my first real letter about a week and a half after I got the form letter. Your letters may not catch up to them for about three weeks, so those first few letters may ask why you're not writing. don't panic, it will get to them. Date your letters so your recruit knows when they were sent.
They are only allowed to mail letters out on Sunday (they actually get sent Monday), so expect your letters Wednesday or Thursday, and on weeks with a post office holiday, Thursday or Friday. Unless you live very close to Chicago, then it's Tuesday/Wednesday.
When will my recruit get to call home?
You will probably not get another phone call until about four weeks after your recruits arrive, unless they call to get more information for their security clearance. They probably won't be allowed to chat at that time, they are to give you a list of items they need, and a phone number to fax it to.
Your next phone call will at the end of Week 3, which is actually their fourth or fifth week - the first week is processing and does not count towards training. Recruits have three guaranteed calls during boot camp: the "I'm here" call the night they arrive, the "I'm still alive" call in the 3rd week of training, and the "I'm a sailor" call in their 7th week. Any other calls have to be earned. Some divisions earn a half-dozen calls, others never earn an extra call.
How can I get in touch with other moms/girlfriends/wives from my recruit's division?
As you learn your PIR date, look for a PIR group to join. You will have between 7 and 15 divisions per PIR group. Since there are usually only 5-10 moms from each division, and groups are at about the same level of training, you will find better conversations among PIR groups than just a single division.
Also, don't discount your recruit's brother divisions for information. Brother divisions are other divisions on the same day of training. Because of limited time and space for classrooms and training buildings,divisions start training on different days, 2 or 3 each day.
For example, Div 001, Div 002 and Div 003 all start day 1-1 on Monday. On Tuesday Div 004, 005 and 006 start day 1-1, etc. Divisions who are on the same day of training are "brother divisions." They get to know each other a bit.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michelle (Craigs Mom) on
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I love this!!! :)
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Permalink Reply by mdamon70/SHIP11Div.134 on
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I saw a link somewhere on what we are allowed or not allowed to send to our children while at bootcamp. Are they allowed to receive the phone cards and stamps while there?
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Permalink Reply by blm on
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it is my understanding that they can receive a phone card and stamps and possibly bandaids along with letters and phoots while in boot camp
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Thank you! I didn't think they'd make him send his cell phone back... so I didn't think about phone cards but I need to mail some to him as soon as I receive the first letter with his address... Thanks again!
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Permalink Reply by Phoenixmom on
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If your recruit did not take a phone card to Boot Camp, you can send one when you write. Your recruit will need a calling card to make any calls other than the "I'm here!" call or calls for information or if there is a problem. Your recruit will be able to purchase one at the NEX.
If you choose to buy a regular calling card, Walgreens sometimes has them on sale at a reduced price and there are other places as well where you can obtain them such as CVS Pharmacy that has a reloadable phone card for $40.00 for a thousand minutes and 10% off the reload. Some cards are already activated once they are purchased, but others are not, so be sure to activate the card before you send it so your Recruit does not have to waste valuable time and minutes doing that.
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Permalink Reply by Debi on
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Thank you for this info. Helps to be able to 'count out' the weeks until the possible PIR.
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To guesstimate the PIR date, count 9 Fridays after your recruit arrived to get the most likely PIR (graduation) date, but then know that it could be the week before if s/he is placed in one of the last divisions from the previous week and is in a "Push Division" (
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Permalink Reply by dustysmom16 on
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thank you , this is very helpful, my son leaves on feb 19th and i am very nervous, excited but nervous :)
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