Welcome to
Navy For Moms

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:

OPSEC GUIDELINES

Events

Add an Event

**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:

RTC Graduation

**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

Latest Activity

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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Great Lakes A School Q&A

Information

The purpose of this group is to allow family of new sailors assigned to school at Training Support Center Great Lakes a chance to voice questions to a Student Division Commander

Location: Great Lakes, IL
Members: 2332
Latest Activity: Mar 12

Discussion Forum

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Comment Wall

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You need to be a member of Great Lakes A School Q&A to add comments!

Comment by diane on September 21, 2014 at 3:10pm: Nicole_66, he can ask his section leader if he can trade duty days for that day with somebody who will not be going.

Comment by Nicole_66 on September 21, 2014 at 2:54pm: Hey everyone I have a quick question! My fiancé just finished up is A school in Great Lakes and will be there for a while longer. Their Navy ball is coming up and I would really like to go. Unfortunately, his duty day falls on the same day as the ball. Does anyone know if he will still be able to go? I was thinking maybe they make accommodations for the sailors that have duty that day so that all of them have a chance to go. I really don't know how that works but I would appreciate the input, thanks guys!

Comment by ⚓ darsatm ⚓ on September 16, 2014 at 2:21am: Crystal, if you can't get any info from his father then perhaps you could contact his recruiter who might be able to get u some info or at least his rate=job which would help us to be able to help you...

Comment by Anti M on September 15, 2014 at 2:43pm: Crystal, do you know what rating he will be? What job he signed a contract for? There are a couple answers which involve differing amounts of time at Great Lakes. Do you know if he is going to more schooling in San Diego, or if that will be his duty station? Sorry, there isn't enough info to give an estimate.

Comment by Lorena on September 15, 2014 at 2:42pm: Hi Crystal,

It all depends on his rating, my son spent 90 days (excluding holidays and weekends) on A School before heading to Norfolk, Va.... Take care!!

Comment by Crystal proud Navy mom14 on September 15, 2014 at 2:09pm: Yes so how soon do they go to A school? My son just graduated from be on Friday sept 12. Only talk to him for like 5 mins. He said he will be going across the street from where he was for bc. Then after that he will go to San Diego. So how long does all this take? I don't have no information his division or anything. My sailor never gave me anything his dad that he lived with got all that. He never gave me it either. I didn't get that change to see my son off at meps or got invited to the graduate either. Just trying to get information so I can write him.

Comment by Drews_Mom on August 31, 2014 at 11:35pm: Kinda curious my son told me his classes are 32 working days and then 5 days for strand so his "graduation" from A School would be at the end of all that? He won't tell me the date cause he thinks he is going to surprise me when he gets home but I was hoping to surprise him at his graduation. And is graduation on a certain day of the week or just when he's done?

Comment by Christine Proud Son of ET on July 27, 2014 at 6:10pm: Thanks so much Anti M! I really appreciate the info. The Navy has great for my son but I have to say that I have benefited as well. I love being a part of the Navy family. :)

Comment by Anti M on July 27, 2014 at 5:23pm: Thanksgiving has no stand down, only Thursdays is the federal holiday, and Friday is usually "relaxed" liberty (and likely no school).

The stand down is for two weeks. Usually begins right before Christmas and ends right after New Years day. Usually on a Friday or Monday, I;d have to look at a calendar to guess. It is easy to get the dates wrong, so NEVER book flights until the official dates are released.

IF a sailor has enough leave on the books, it is possible to take leave over both holidays. Thanksgiving weekend is never assured, only Thanksgiving Day (unless that have duty). He can put in a leave request, they may well approve it. Many sailors simply do not have enough time on the books, and want to save a week for after A school. Those in very long schools can usually manage it. You have an ET, he likely will have enough leave for all three. He just needs to sit down and figure out how much he has on the books, how much each leave period would take, and potentially, if he wants leave after C school (big unknown for ETs, C school vary so much).

Comment by Christine Proud Son of ET on July 27, 2014 at 1:49pm: Does anyone know when "holiday stand down" begins. My son thinks he can come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. He is currently in A school/phase 1. I would love for this to be true but I just can't see how he will be able to do both. I know he really wants to come home for both holidays.