This site is for mothers of kids in the U.S. Navy and for Moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.
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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
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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
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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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Cost??
I do realize there are many variables when it comes to the cost of attending my son's graduation (?, is "graduation" the correct lingo) but can I get help from those more experienced.
This is my first time with anything military. My son leaves in March and attending will be a must. The catch is I also have twin 16 year old daughters.....anyone with teenage girls know they are not cheap... now times that by 2. So I want to start saving so I know making the trip to Great Lakes will not be a problem. I have used mapquest and I know it is about a 9 hour drive to Chicago. Gas....well who knows what will happen with the prices by the time May is here. Approximately what is the cost of a hotel room? If he can do things with the family over the weekend, what is there to do and what is the cost? Considering we do not know when the next time we may see our son, I want to enjoy our time together.
Any advise is appreciated!!
Views: 927
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by lemonelephant on
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Hotel rooms will be $65 a night and up. He may just want to chill in the hotel room or go out and see a few things. See Saving Money PIR Weekend and PIR Day and Liberty during PIR Weekend.
Graduation is fine to use and so is PIR.
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Permalink Reply by 1 Proud Mom on
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Thank you so much!! We did a trip to Kansas City for Christmas, our last for sure Christmas together for a while. I wanted to make sure we could do exactly what the kids wanted so we could make a few memories.
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Permalink Reply by My2kidz on
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If your Sailor will be staying in GL and you have the whole weekend you might want to get a room that has some cooking facilities. I know a few people who enjoyed making their son's favorite meal and big breakfasts. It can save you some food money and also give you time to just relax with your son.
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Permalink Reply by Jodie on
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From what I have read on here, because I am in the same boat. My husband graduates in March, and I have seen the recommendation for the Navy Lodge about a mile from basic. The rooms are pretty cheap about $65 a night for many different options. I would considered looking them up. There is a hotel on base, but as someone mentioned, your sailor will probably want to be off base and relax if possible. So the Navy lodge seemed like the best option. I hope this helps.
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Permalink Reply by Hall640 on
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Just got back from PIR. Make sure you make reservations that can be cancelled while there if need be. We did not know until Friday after graduation that our sailor was getting on a plane early the next morning to fly to A school. As such, we were able to cancel our hotel for Saturday night at the last minute with no penalty. As our sailor left Great Lakes for A school we only had about 7 hours with him after graduation. It went way too quickly and very glad we only had plans for dinner out.
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Most Sailors who will fly out to "A" School fly out the day after PIR. I'm sorry you missed that in the info from the RTC and that is included in the Family Guide and is often posted on the RTC's facebook page and in many places on N4M.
Check your My Page.
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Permalink Reply by CryptoDad on
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Just curious: What led you to believe that you would have more time with your Sailor? And how can N4M do a better job of getting out this information?
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Permalink Reply by diannep on
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To answer your question here, we N4Moms veterans working on the PIR pages and Bootcamp Moms are very good about repeating info during the course of bootcamp, including that of Liberty time with the sailors. We don't mind repeating it many times so that all are informed. It is also in discussion groups, but some don't read those, so we post on the PIR groups also. If someone is reading the pages everyday (which is not always possible for some, I realize)....they will see this info.
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Navy Lodge is great. Roughly $70 a night. Most of the sailors will leave in the middle of the night for the airport to leave for A school. Here was our experience. We adopted our sailors bunkmate for the day as her family could not make it. PIR was done about 10:30 they were free to come with us until 8pm. (due to the long lines getting back on base we headed for base a little before 7) They were an honor unit so they had an extra hour. Daughter had watch duty from midnight to 2Am and got on the base for the airport at 3Am. We got up at 3AM and headed to Ohare to meet them in order to give her, her cell phone. Her bunkmate parents had shipped her cell phone to us and we were able to meet up with both girls at the USO office. We then got a pass to get thru security and spent the day at the airport with daughter as she did not fly out until 3pm for San Antonio. To say the least she was exhausted. Up by the USO office there are comfortable chairs and tables to sit at and visit. We left about noon as we had a 9 hour drive home. She was able to sleep a bit before boarding her flight to A school. If your sailor has a A school at Great Lakes plan on spending the weekend with them. I hope this helps. My sailor has just graduated A school. The journey continues.
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Permalink Reply by Amber. A on
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1 Proud Mom....This was also my 1st time with anything military. My family just got back from my son's graduation. We drove about 5 1/2 hours. This site was very helpful with many things! I took notes and kept them together in a folder to take with me to Great Lakes. Our hotel was Holiday Inn Express & suites. It was $99 a night but did include a Free breakfast. Also- we were able to book the room an extra night and then cancel last minute when we knew we didn't need it. There were no penalties. It was a very nice, clean hotel. It was also convenient to have a Walgreens right next door. Our Sailor had about 7 hours so it went fast. We had a big family there to visit him so we all went to a late lunch at the Rainforest Café in Gurnee. We then just hung out with him at the hotel. His cousins and him walked to a Starbucks that was right next door later that evening. I suggest going to Sarge's Meet and Greet the night before PIR. Kids are welcome and it was highly recommended to me and we were very glad we went. We took a basket to raffle and the meal is free and very good. You can RSVP on this site to the meet and greet when your PIR date gets closer.
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crytodad, I have seen posts from some about just having hours with their sr and others that have a weekend. So I am just trying to plan for the possibility. I am working my way through all the information in the family guide and 30 days before boot camp now. He leaves the end of March. I do know he is suppose to go to A school in Pensacola.
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Your recruiter should be able to find out when your SR. will go thru grad or PIR. Usually within 48 hours of leaving. As soon as I got that I called Navy Lodge and booked for that weekend the one before and the one after. I did this because NavyLodge fills so quickly. Then once I received the official letter in the mail I cancelled the other two. Everyone else will tell you not to believe the recruiter, and there are a lot of things that can move your SR. around where it can change. For me the recruiter had it correct but, I had it covered anyway.
Navy lodge was excellent to work with. Sat. Morning we cancelled our room for that night as she was flinging our Saturday.
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