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NEW son leaves for basic Jan 6th.
Hey everyone, new to the forum, my son leaves for basic Jan 6th. anyone else? just looking for pointers, what to expect and also since I am in florida i would like to find out if there is help to get to graduation when the time comes, trying to plan ahead.
Views: 1210
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by AJ'S Proud Mommy on
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good to meet ya! where r u from? never mind lol ur in TN, small world Austin was born and raised in Kingsport TN!!
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shew bundle of nerves is taking it lightly lol he was originally not supposed to leave till April but heard yest he will go in jan instead. im super excited as much as nervous. i think the not knowing what to expect what he needs how to prepare etc etc is whats getting me the most
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I sure will, and i will have austin watch for derrick while hes there. Do you have facebook?
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Permalink Reply by NavyMum on
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Hello. Enjoy these last few weeks before your son leaves. Prepare yourself for about three weeks or so of non-contact - you'll get a 30-second phone call when he arrives "I'm here I'm safe, bye" pretty much. The box with his clothes/phone etc... will arrive probably within a week. The form letter with his address takes about 10 days (give or take).
My son left Nov 17th and I haven't had a letter or phone call from him (other than the ones I mentioned above) yet. Hoping a letter might arrive this week but aware it might not be until next.
As for graduation - you won't know the date until the form letter arrives. Then you'll want to make hotel reservations - the Navy Lodge fills up fast but there are other hotels in the area as well. If you're flying, make sure to get refundable tickets. I'm in FL also and we're planning to drive - it'll be a LONG drive
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thanks so much for all your advice!!
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Permalink Reply by MonicaF on
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My sailor has been in for over a year now and I have to say that boot camp was the hardest part of this whole experience. He was fresh out of high school and this was the longest he had ever been away from home. One thing we learned during this experience was that kids now-a-days are taught how to write letters. :) Our form letters took extra long getting to us because he forgot to include a stamp. LOL I also had to teach him how to close out a letter. I mention this only because it was something that I thought was funny and would bring us a few laughs when he just ended the letter, sometimes mid sentence. I also had to teach my daughter (then a sophomore) how to address an envelope.
My greatest tip is to write, write and write! Some sailors received nothing. As sad as it sounds, it's true. I went to the dollar store, Hallmark and Walmart and bought tons of cards. Some days I would send 2-3 per day. I would just tell him how proud I was of him and kept him updated on what was going on around the house. I also sent comic strips from the newspaper, crossword sheets, word search and Sudoku pages. I sent pictures also. The only thing you can send is letters. Make sure they don't weigh over one stamp worth. Also send extra cards for the sailors that don't receive anything from home. Some sailors shared the names with other moms and we all sent directly to those sailors.
Next, find the PIR (Pass In Review/ graduation) group page for your sailor's PIR date. You'll learn a lot through there and make lots of new friends! We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. They give graduation boot camp discounts. You have to call and ask for it! Also, make sure to plan to get there early enough on Thursday to attend Sarge's Meet & Greet. He's a vet that owns a taxi service and puts on the M&G before each PIR. He's amazing! He'll be someone you can depend on for taxi service too as most hotels don't offer shuttles.
Hope all this helps!
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thanks so much!!
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Wait! I thought they could take their phones and then keep them in a "box" that they can only access at special times.
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Permalink Reply by lemonelephant on
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No, the cell phone will be sent home in "the box." Army and Air Force recruits can keep their cell phones, but Navy recruits send them home. See Things to Do in the Last Month before Your Future Sailor Leaves for... and Arrival and What Happens at the RTC.
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Permalink Reply by mamastephs on
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That is so funny you mention that about the letters. Literally we were bringing my son up to MEPS the day before he was leaving and we were filling in his address book, and he then asks mom I don't know how to address an envelope, I said are you kidding me? He really had no clue!! So i wrote out a few examples in the back of his book...LOL
My son left the 10th, I realize BC would be hard, but WOW, the unknowing if he's ok is killing me, I cry all the time, and if I don't or find myself keeping busy for even 1/2 hour I feel guilty I wasn't thinking of him.
I've written so many letters already, started before he left. I love the support on this site, it's amazing and everyone is so helpful!!
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