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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

...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. 

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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

**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.

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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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-  Take Metra – Just over an hour from Great Lakes to Chicago Ogilvie Transportation Center.  Weekend passes for unlimited rides both Saturday and Sunday are $8/person.  Here is a link for the Metra Walking tour with sites to see –http://metrarail.com/content/dam/metra/documents/Marketing/Metra%20...

-  CTA buses connect at Metra stations and run every 10 to 20 minutes. The buses can get you just about anywhere within the city you want to go.  1 – Day CTA Pass is $10/person. The travel guide on the link below shows points of interest with the stations you need and walking directions to your destination -http://metrarail.com/content/dam/metra/documents/TravelGuides/Mille...

-  DRIVING to the city – If you drive to the city, the best money saving tip I can provide is to find a parking garage with a flat daily rate and leave your vehicle there. You can walk, hail a cab, or purchase a CTA bus pass to get around the city.  Parking is very difficult to find and when you do rates can range $12-$33 hourly depending on the locality.  If you move your car and park at each site, you will spend a small fortune and have parking stubs for souvenirsJ Navy Pier is a great parking garage to leave your car for the day.  The weekend daily fee is $25 and it is flat rate.  The lakefront and sites of interest on the pier are an elevator ride away from the garage.

-        Street PARKING is the cheapest available but hard to find. Pay to park signs are posted on the side of the street when allowable and the parking meter located on each block accepts card payments or cash.

-        The large MUSEUMS and the Shedd Aquarium are full day activities.  Each site can consume the entire day and won’t leave time for other sites if that’s your plan.  The entrance fees per adult for the museums range from $18 - $36 depending on your choice of exhibits to see. For the Aquarium, general admission $8/adult - $30.95/adult for additional exhibits- $35.95/adult all exhibits and aquatic shows.

-        TRAFFIC – is always congested.  Rush hour (roughly 4-6 pm weekdays) traffic brings sitting still ten minutes then move a tiny bit.  One wrong turn can result in a half hour or more u-turn.  Multiple one way streets require caution in the downtown loop area. Plan carefully to avoid rush hour to assure making it back to the base in time with your SR. Navigation signals will not work on lower Wacker Drive.  Avoid it if possible.

-        The TOLL ROAD will not be as heavily congested with traffic but the stops at toll booths will slow you down as out of towners without I-passes.  If you use the I-pass lanes in error, go online and pay the fee within seven days or the penalties are not worth it (unfortunate mistake by my SR at one point in time for four booths!) Manned booths are cash only and accept no bills larger than $50. Unattended ramp plazas require exact coins – no bills accepted and no change provided.  Most of the toll rates are 90 cents per car.  The online cost for missing a toll is $3.80 for a 2-axle passenger car. After 7 days of non-payment, a $20 fine is added per toll. After 30 days, an additional $50 fine is added per toll.  The Illinois Tollway will not contact you until you owe a fortune.

-        PIZZA – Best Chicago deep dish pizza recommended by most hands down is Gino’s East. The South Loop location is not far from the museum campus. I can barely finish one piece and I’m stuffed!

-        CHINATOWN in Chicago is known for affordable gifts and souvenirs from many types of shops that sell everything from specialty tea and groceries to souvenirs and gifts.  The Wendella boats and Chicago Water Taxi offer scenic tours throughout the city on the river.  Adult tickets are $19 for the water taxi tour and $35.50 for the Wendella Boat tours. Most tours leave from the Wendella Dock at the Wrigley Building.

-        FREE STUFF TO DO - Lincoln Park Zoo is free admission. You may bring in a picnic lunch or purchase items at the snack shop in the zoo. Small enough to see in a half day or at a leisurely full day walking pace. There is a farm within the zoo that is popular with young children. Several smaller museums and art museums throughout the city are free admission. Parks are free.  Millennium Park is free with ongoing programs and exhibitions, art and cultural programs, and most of the time free musical performances at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion when scheduled.  You may bring in your own picnic and beverages.  Alcoholic beverages may only be brought in for performances and only at the Pavilion unless provided for sale at the request of the performers. Also at Millennium, free self-guided tours available 365 days a year through the Lurie Gardens – five acres of four season landscape design boasted as a living work of art. The magnificent mile is popular for the window shoppers and people watchers. Street performers are frequent on downtown State Street or Rush Street.

-   SHOPPING/NIGHT LIFE Wrigleyville is a magnet for sports fans and singles for the late night entertainment with bars lined along Clark, Addison and Sheffield. Quiet and tame by day, a nice visit for sports fans with families with casual dining and souvenir shops.  The neighborhood sits in the shadows of Wrigley Field. The similar scenario can be found in the Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhood. Shopping along North, Milwaukee and Damen Avenue you will find amazing boutiques and vintage shops for men and women, art galleries, dining, and palate pleasing breweries and craft cocktails.  Known as the “sip and shop” neighborhood. Plenty going on for the nightlife crowds as well.

-   OTHER - Personally, I take my own vehicle and park it for the day.  I am a nearby lifetime resident.  It’s a hassle getting around in a car down town and drivers are not nice – especially cabbies.  It was typical to make my SR do the driving when we had too.  His patience about it exceeded mine! You almost need a constant co-navigator in the front seat too.  It helps immensely getting around.

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Replies to This Discussion

Thank you!
You are welcome Tanya's mom.
You are welcome Melissa!

Thank you for posting this Anita5JS5 ! Very helpful. 

You are welcome.

Anita, this is a great post, esp. the notes about the tollway! I'm local, too and want to share a couple of additional things.

CHEAPER PARKING:  A website service will cut garage fees by approx. 1/2 or 2/3.  You can reserve by best location/price from a range. I've been using www.parkwhiz.com for over two years, park in the loop and near North areas and have NEVER had any problems! There is an app, but if you can't download the app, not to worry because you can screen shot the bar code on your reservation and scan the photo at the garage. In fact this is what I do, as I don't have the app. They also do street parking level parking lots. Another service is called spot hero. I've not personally used there service, but have never heard anything bad either.  

Fulton Market District:  Hot spot for Food and Tech -cutting edge chefs, winery, cost is all over options-$, $$, $$$ - Randolph St., Lake St. and Fulton St. What is most cool is on Fulton Street. you can see forklifts moving at the food purveyors and Isaacson's Fish Market and the brand new Google Building. SHOP kitchen prep @ Northwestern Cutlery on Lake just W of Halsted (800 West).

Anita gave lots of suggestions plus the one I added for spots to hit, but do your research and pick your favorite. You won't be able to do more than one, unless staying for a few days. 

I agree here. There will only be time for one activity for one day.

If you don't use the app, where is the BARCODE to "screen shot?" It's found in your emailed receipt.

Thanks. Please share any other helpful tips too.

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