Graduation Passes

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Permalink Reply by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on August 26, 2009 at 12:07pm

from RTC's website:

Four seats are guaranteed per recruit; however, children younger than 12 years of age do not count against the four-seat maximum and do not have to be on the access list. The graduating recruit is responsible for identifying those individuals to be placed on the access list. Please coordinate with your recruit via letters regarding who will be on the access list. No additions, deletions or changes will be made to the access list the week of graduation. PLEASE DO NOT CALL FOR ADDITIONAL SEATS. All visitors must have valid photo identification. This requirement includes children (school ID, Social Security card or copy of birth certificate).

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Permalink Reply by Larry Huffman on August 27, 2009 at 10:09am

They are pretty strict on this rule...4 per recruit, no exceptions. When we attended last year, the place was packed pretty full, and I understand that the graduating classes this year are even larger. We had thought about trying to get a 5th ticket this year to see our daughter graduate, but decided it was not something we could do (and our active duty son, having just been there last year told us it would be futile). Some people have suggested coordinating with your recruit to find someone in their division that has not got family coming and to get on their list. That will take a bit of planning using very laggy mail as a form of communication, however.

Keep in mind...even if some family members cannot attend the PIR, they can still travel and see the recruit on liberty that weekend. Unless your recruit is travelling to "A" school right away, they will have liberty all day after graduation on Fri, as well as all day Sat and Sun. Most of the recruits will have to stand a watch or do some form of duty at least part of that time. Some get lucky and do not have to. We got our son all day Fri and Sat...he had watch Sun AM, then we got him Sun afternoon. So, as hard aas it may be for family members to miss the graduation ceremony, they can still celebrate the weekend with the new Sailor in the family. :)

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Permalink Reply by Tim Richardson on August 27, 2009 at 3:24pm

Thanks Larry,

There is going to be a bunch of dissapointed family that wanted to see this but as far away as we live it would be an expensive chance. What does your son do and where is he now?

Tim

Larry Huffman said:

They are pretty strict on this rule...4 per recruit, no exceptions. When we attended last year, the place was packed pretty full, and I understand that the graduating classes this year are even larger. We had thought about trying to get a 5th ticket this year to see our daughter graduate, but decided it was not something we could do (and our active duty son, having just been there last year told us it would be futile). Some people have suggested coordinating with your recruit to find someone in their division that has not got family coming and to get on their list. That will take a bit of planning using very laggy mail as a form of communication, however.

Keep in mind...even if some family members cannot attend the PIR, they can still travel and see the recruit on liberty that weekend. Unless your recruit is travelling to "A" school right away, they will have liberty all day after graduation on Fri, as well as all day Sat and Sun. Most of the recruits will have to stand a watch or do some form of duty at least part of that time. Some get lucky and do not have to. We got our son all day Fri and Sat...he had watch Sun AM, then we got him Sun afternoon. So, as hard aas it may be for family members to miss the graduation ceremony, they can still celebrate the weekend with the new Sailor in the family. :)

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Permalink Reply by Paul Lundin on September 1, 2009 at 3:43pm

Hi, yes there is. However you obtain the passes the day of graduation. No one is turned away and this was a welcome relief for us considering the amount of people who wanted to join John for his graduation. The morning of, you will be instructed to wait in a line where ID is checked and and you are procssed through, very painless and quick considering how long the line was. Although the above comments were the same for us when we originally asked the same question, there was zero problem adding one more person the of graduation. This was our experience.

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Permalink Reply by Tim Richardson on September 1, 2009 at 3:48pm

Do the ones not on the list set in a different location than those on the list?

Paul Lundin said:

Hi, yes there is. However you obtain the passes the day of graduation. No one is turned away and this was a welcome relief for us considering the amount of people who wanted to join John for his graduation. The morning of, you will be instructed to wait in a line where ID is checked and and you are prossed through, very painless and quick considering how long the line was.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Lundin on September 1, 2009 at 7:34pm

No, there is no seating chart other than what ever Div your grad is in. Everyone sat in front of the sign where their grad was going to be. It's very much like an open gym with bleechers.

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