The Graduation
My gosh how the time just flew by.. My son left for boot camp Oct 27th. His PIR would have been Christmas day, but the Navy waited a week so he graduated on the 30th. To any recruit and their parents, I would advise going in when its warm. We froze when we went to his PIR. The wind never stops and you do need to walk from place to place.
PIR was amazing. As a mom, all I could see was the face on my son. The way he marched, the way he stood, the way he carried himself was so amazing. From a slouching teen to a Sailor!! It is an amazing transformation for sure. My son grew up during boot camp. Mind you he started off as a very kind and caring boy, but now I see the man he's become. He's proud and it shows.The wait was worth it. The writing of letters is priceless and if you get a phone call, WOW hearing your recruits voice is the best!!
If anyone would like some tips about PIR or even Boot Camp, just e-mail me and I will tell you more. Having gone through it, I think I can answer some of your questions. Sincerely, Judy, A Sailors Mom!
PIR was amazing. As a mom, all I could see was the face on my son. The way he marched, the way he stood, the way he carried himself was so amazing. From a slouching teen to a Sailor!! It is an amazing transformation for sure. My son grew up during boot camp. Mind you he started off as a very kind and caring boy, but now I see the man he's become. He's proud and it shows.The wait was worth it. The writing of letters is priceless and if you get a phone call, WOW hearing your recruits voice is the best!!
If anyone would like some tips about PIR or even Boot Camp, just e-mail me and I will tell you more. Having gone through it, I think I can answer some of your questions. Sincerely, Judy, A Sailors Mom!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by DecemberMama(Ship09Div128) on -
I would love any info you have to offer. My soon just arrived today at boot camp. Yes, I know we are bound to freeze to death with his graduation being in March. My daughter has asthma, so I'm a little concerned about that. Any suggestions about hotels especially with a fridge to keep her medicine would also be very welcomed.
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Permalink Reply by Judy on -
Nice to meet you DecemberMama and Good Morning! First off congratulations to your son and also your family. I have found the Navy has been an awesome adventure for my son. He is so proud to be wearing the Navy uniform and boy does it show! He is much more self consious, has wonderful self esteem and so much pride it is incredible.
March in the Great Lakes has to be much warmer than late Dec. into Jan. The wind was incredible, it took my breath away for sure. My husband bought me " Cuddles" which are like long underwear but they are silky and pretty and it helped alot! Coming from Florida I needed all the help I could get. Going to graduation is amazing. I flew into Midway airport which is much smaller than O'Hare, but it also was a 2 hour ride to the hotel during rush hour. The rest of my family flew into O'Hare and said it wasn't as bad as they thought even after the incident on the airplane on Christmas day. I took Airway Express from the airport to the Ramada Inn. It cost me 138.00 round trip but it was less than renting a car. I would NOT recommend the Ramada as it was not very accomidating for its guests. Prices were high, the room was not cleaned, the heat didn't work properly and even the fridge, it froze anything I put in it. The restaurant was very expensive and the food was horrible, small portions, not alot of choices. The bathrooms were also cold, not even a heat lamp, and it was also dirty. I couldn't change hotels because everything was full due to the graduation. The " continental" breakfast, was held in a room the size of a broom closet and had very little to offer. Mostly dry cereal, donuts, and a couple of pieces of fruit. My oldest son stayed at the Comfort Inn and was very pleased with everything they offered. All the hotels are very close to the base and I believe they all have shuttles to the graduation.
Make sure you wear comfortable shoes as you do have to walk quite a bit. The security lines going in moved quickly and there was ample room for everybody to sit. You can't just sit anywhere, you will see your son's Div # along with a Division Graduate and they will show you where to sit, which is almost sectioned off for each division. Bring your camera for sure. There was a sign out by the road that said no pictures or cameras, but that isn't for the graduation, its so you don't take pictures of the Navy Base. They do sell hot drinks, coffee, tea also soda and water. The ceremony didn't take long, but it was impressive to say the least. The Color Guard is amazing, and to watch you son march into the room WITH his uniform on will make you burst into tears, so remember the tissues! You will never feel so proud of your child as you do at this moment. You can also purchase a video of the ceremony. The information will come to you, along with a code to print out a gate pass, information on the different hotels, Naval discounts are also offered. I flew Southwest ( which I love!!) and booked my tickets as soon as I knew the date of the graduation. It seems to get confusing as people will wonder if their son or daughter is a grad and go. Please don't pay any attention to that, you still do not want to miss the graduation. I hoped this helped you. I can and will asnwer any other questions that you have. Thanks for asking. And please, don't worry like I did. Your son is in very good hands, and after the initial shock of getting up real early, eating on a schedule, actually doing everything on a schedule, and learning the Navy way, all the pieces fall into place. Best of life to you and your family. When you see him tell him another Navy mom said congrats, and thanks him for serving his country! God Bless you!Oh just one more thing. You will get the best first hug in the world from your new Sailor!
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Permalink Reply by TRat829 on -
We went to PIR in november! The second day we were there was had to take our coats off when we were outside. It wasnt that bad but make sure you dress in layer because its unpredictable! Make sure your daughter uses a scarf so she isnt breathing in cold air. Thats what my mother does in the winter. She has chronic asthma.
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Permalink Reply by rox99362 on -
Judy:
Hello from washington state!!
My son graduates April 30th 2010.
I'm getting very excited about graduation. I'm thinking of reserving a a shuttle from airport to hotel about $88 round trip drop off 29th
will pick us up on May 1st at hotel that seemed easy enough.
I'm sure we will get all the info soon but can you tell me about how early they let you start lining up to go in I want to be early as possible!!! I know graduation is in the morning.
Its along way for us and I want to be there early as possible.. We are with in walking distance.
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Permalink Reply by Judy on
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We left the Hotel at 7am. We were about 10 minutes from the Base. When we arrived there was so many people ahead of us. They must have gotten there like 6am or earlier. The PIR won't start until everyone is there. The lines go real fast, so don't worry about getting a seat. There are plenty of those and you can see from just about every seat. I hope you enjoy the PIR as much as I did. The Navy family is awesome. I just got off the phone with my son who is going to graduate "A" school on April 30th, and he will be a full fledge Corpsman!!!!! Then he is off to Camp LeJeune on May 11th. When you see your son, please congratulate him for me. And a big Thank-you for you, if it wern't for you, your son might not have joined. So Thank-you and have fun!!
Sincerely,
Judy
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Permalink Reply by rox99362 on
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Judy: Thanks for the quick response... I'm getting so excited I want to have it all planned out before I get there.
My son is Grad-N-Go not quite sure what that means wether we'll be able to spend time with him after graduation or not .He said he has to get on a bus and check into A school he too is a corpsman.
Is that school close by. He seemed to think in IL on the base.
I'm still not sure what all a corpsman is.
Congratulations to your son!!!
This website is a blessing.. Us moms want all the details..
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Permalink Reply by Lady Hamilton on -
Corpsman school is just across the road.
You'll get to spend plenty of time with your son.
Emma
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Permalink Reply by Judy on
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Corpsman School is right across the street from the Naval Base. You will have plenty of time with your new Sailor!! According to the calender, he graduates on a Friday. He will most likely have a weekend liberty( time off in Navy terms). A Corpsman is a medic. My son described it as being like a Mash Unit, ( I'm sure you have seen the TV series caled M*A*S*H*) but not as funny. My son has done very well in the A school. He enjoys what he is doing. The next step for my son is going to a Marine Base and going through 8 weeks of field training. Being a Corpsman is an awesome way to a great career. When you see your son, tell him from one Navy mom, "Thank-You for serving our Country. God Bless!!! Judy
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Permalink Reply by Brenda on -
Hi, where and how do I find the calender of graduation dates? I am new to this, ..thanks!
Brenda
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Permalink Reply by Judy on
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HI Brenda, You should get a package from your recruit. When did he/she start boot camp? There is another website that was very useful for me and it showed the dates of the closest PIR dates. That website is:
http://www1.netc.navy.mil/nstc/rtcgl/ Check it out. It has alot of information about your recruit! Good Luck and God Bless you and your family! Judy
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Permalink Reply by Debra on -
hi i just a phone call from my son today he said he didnt pass his test does that mean that he wont graduate the same time
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Permalink Reply by Colleen in PA on -
Debra, they get 2 chances to pass a test before they are asmo(sent back). He could pass the 2nd time and be on schedule. If he's sent back, he will get a new PIR date. You have to wait to hear from him and I know the waiting is hard. My son PIR on 19Mar2010 and there were times we didn't hear from him for over 2 wks.
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