PIR (Info for New Dad's)

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Permalink Reply by Randy Leeper on November 2, 2009 at 11:14am

Just got back from our son's PIR. I suggest reading any & all the blogs you can regarding the area and places to eat and stay. Our son David was chosen as a 'Grad & Go', which kind of changed a lot of our plans.
The first night we stayed in the Sleep Inn across from the western side of base. It was close, clean, and reasonably priced when I did research all the local places ($75/rm night). We needed 2 rooms since we had my wife and I, and my two other grown sons. We got a shuttle over to the base ($3/ea) and they dropped us off inside the gate eliminating the need of having your car inspected. The car line was about 5-6 blocks long to get in and the driver passed by all of them. We then had to pass thru security; the line took about 20 min. to get thru and another 15 min. to get into the PIR building. We ended up on the second level which was good and bad. We could see everything great, but it took extra time to get to our sailor. We then had to hurry out of the building so our sailor didn't have to clean up. We went over to the NEX since it was rainy and wet. We stood in the detergent aisle since it wasn't crowded there and talked. Dave had to leave in 45 min. to pack and get ready to travel to Groton, CT.
Next our sailor was on to the O'hare airport, so we went to meet him there. We got there ahead of them and parked in the hourly garage which was fairly expensive (5 hrs = $31). We went to the USO but since none us had military ID we couldn't get in until we had our sailor. The sailors arrived about 2:30PM. They weren't told much of what to do when they got to the airport, which caused a lot of wasted time going from terminals #1 to #3 /USO to #1 then on to free time until 6:15pm.
The only place to eat if you don't have a ticket is in terminal #5. We did ask different TSA people regarding getting a pass to go to the gate but the first 3 said we couldn't but when we finally went to walk him to leave the last agent said we could have been given a pass from the ticket agent. When we did go to the food court our sailor only wanted some fast food (McDonald's big Macs and fries). We stayed there and talked and he began texting all his family & friends. We chose not to go to the USO since there were 2 bus loads of sailors leaving that day and it seemed crowded. We only had a few hours with Dave, but the whole experience was well worth the 13 hr. drive.
Well since we had planned on spending time in Chicago we chose to stay somewhere between O'hare and Midway. I found a great hotel at a reasonable price in Lombard, IL about 20 min from O'hare. We had a suite with all the amenities for $89 and it had 3 beds in a Hyatt Place. We then took our 17 year old son into Chicago for the first time. We all had a blast in the Museum of Science & Industry. We went to the Navy pier but didn't stay. Then headed home to PA.
I hope this helps future Family visits to PIR.

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Permalink Reply by Randy Bloom on November 5, 2009 at 9:17pm

Good stuff guys, I only wish I was going to Chicago, but found out today, that my son don't get to do PIR, he was a hold back, due to some swimming issue's, which he has concored, graduated Battle Stations 21, and is now waiting for travel orders, and some last minute dental work, so I guess I will just have to make his "A" school graduation..

Randy Leeper said:

Just got back from our son's PIR. I suggest reading any & all the blogs you can regarding the area and places to eat and stay. Our son David was chosen as a 'Grad & Go', which kind of changed a lot of our plans.
The first night we stayed in the Sleep Inn across from the western side of base. It was close, clean, and reasonably priced when I did research all the local places ($75/rm night). We needed 2 rooms since we had my wife and I, and my two other grown sons. We got a shuttle over to the base ($3/ea) and they dropped us off inside the gate eliminating the need of having your car inspected. The car line was about 5-6 blocks long to get in and the driver passed by all of them. We then had to pass thru security; the line took about 20 min. to get thru and another 15 min. to get into the PIR building. We ended up on the second level which was good and bad. We could see everything great, but it took extra time to get to our sailor. We then had to hurry out of the building so our sailor didn't have to clean up. We went over to the NEX since it was rainy and wet. We stood in the detergent aisle since it wasn't crowded there and talked. Dave had to leave in 45 min. to pack and get ready to travel to Groton, CT.
Next our sailor was on to the O'hare airport, so we went to meet him there. We got there ahead of them and parked in the hourly garage which was fairly expensive (5 hrs = $31). We went to the USO but since none us had military ID we couldn't get in until we had our sailor. The sailors arrived about 2:30PM. They weren't told much of what to do when they got to the airport, which caused a lot of wasted time going from terminals #1 to #3 /USO to #1 then on to free time until 6:15pm.
The only place to eat if you don't have a ticket is in terminal #5. We did ask different TSA people regarding getting a pass to go to the gate but the first 3 said we couldn't but when we finally went to walk him to leave the last agent said we could have been given a pass from the ticket agent. When we did go to the food court our sailor only wanted some fast food (McDonald's big Macs and fries). We stayed there and talked and he began texting all his family & friends. We chose not to go to the USO since there were 2 bus loads of sailors leaving that day and it seemed crowded. We only had a few hours with Dave, but the whole experience was well worth the 13 hr. drive.
Well since we had planned on spending time in Chicago we chose to stay somewhere between O'hare and Midway. I found a great hotel at a reasonable price in Lombard, IL about 20 min from O'hare. We had a suite with all the amenities for $89 and it had 3 beds in a Hyatt Place. We then took our 17 year old son into Chicago for the first time. We all had a blast in the Museum of Science & Industry. We went to the Navy pier but didn't stay. Then headed home to PA.
I hope this helps future Family visits to PIR.

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