P.I.R. - The Experience

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris H. on September 25, 2011 at 5:17pm

Oh man, first congratulations!  I'm so glad you and your wife got to enjoy the experience of PIR.  Your information almost (changes of hotel, and our daughter's A School was at Great Lakes) matches everything we experienced 17 months ago.  It bring back the entire event for me, and I'm every-so-grateful to your Son and the others who also serve our country.

Stick around here, please, we're not done.  We need people like you to help guide those who follow.

Permalink Reply by Robert Craver on September 25, 2011 at 5:33pm

Amen to that

Permalink Reply by NukeDad on September 25, 2011 at 7:53pm

 Exceptional post Sir.  I know you are very proud, as am I  of my son who's PIR is November 4th, Ship 09/Div 364. However, I have yet to hear from my sailor ...at all.  We are planning our trip to Great Lakes,  and even though we live less than 45 miles  from the RTC, I've planned our depature time around 0530 to be there by 0630. November, around here, the snow can fly and plans can change, so if parents  are planning to attend a PIR around that time of year, be prepared, and watch the weather. We may end up getting a hotel room around Waukegan, Libertyville or Northbrook, nice areas, but then somebody would have to watch the dog. Congratulations to you and your family and to your son - job well done.

Permalink Reply by HUGH H. KIRKPATRICK on September 25, 2011 at 11:03pm

The lack of correspondence from your sailor I know can be very unsettling, but as I was told many times; "No news is good news".  We learned from Brian that what little free time the recruits get to do anything can often be taken away as punishment for a variety of infractions or screw-ups.  Rest assured that your recruit is well taken care of and will contact you when he or she can.

Permalink Reply by Ray Norberto on September 26, 2011 at 9:13pm

Hey Hugh!

It is an amazing place, and PIR is an amazing, profoundly moving ceremony. Our son chris was also Grad n Go, but we also had some time to spend with him at O'Hare. There are an awful lot of shops and eateries to spend some time in with family!

We also spent lots of time at the Gurney Mills mall, even though last January 21st it was FREEEEEZING cold.

As for the NEX, you can't shop on the website without a DOD ID. But you can check out Navygear.com/armedforcesgear.com, not quite the same stuff, but a good second choice until you can visit your sailor at their A School graduation and subsequent deployments. Or have your son place your wife's orders! That works too!

Permalink Reply by Ric Pallson on September 28, 2011 at 1:46am

Hugh -- your post brought back to me the still vivid memories of PIR over three years ago in February.

Didn't get lost at O'Hare  but driving the rental car south from Milwaukee -- there had been a snowstorm and all the north-facing signs on the highway were totally covered with inches of snow -- only way to navigate was thru the rear-view mirror to see the south-facing signs.  The exit you just missed was --.

Then had to drive to O'Hare anyhow because my son's flight was hours late and he couldn't catch the last train to Great Lakes.

So -- warning to all -- the weather on Lake Michigan in fall-winter-spring can be surprising and will be cold and windy.

At PIR -- looking for a place to sit near my daughter's division -- A helpful Sailor doing usher duty suggested we sit in the upper level.  She was my daughter.  I didn't know her at first -- so calm and professional just cool -- but she was on duty so we didn't gab with her just took her advice on where to sit. Later she said -- "didn't have to be a body-snatcher" -- the body-snatchers are the ones stationed to remove their shipmates who faint while standing still at the ceremony -- standing still for the first time  in two months during the ceremony.  Some will faint -- after 8 weeks of PT -- standing still for a half hour can make the strongest just collapse -- and their shipmates are prepared to drag them off stage and revive them.

 

We took the METRA train to Chicago and the Museum of Science and Industry -- interesting.

 

But the best time was just walking on the beach somewhere north of Great Lakes -- just walking and talking.  Cold -- who cares.

 

When she told me "Dad -- I'm enlisting"  I said all the Dad'ly stuff "what about college -- ROTC -- blah blah"

 

At PIR I realized she made a very good decision to enlist.

Like her shipmates there -- so competent --  so -- how you say -- yo no se -- so self-reliant? so committed? so dedicated?  Something.

 

So -- Be There.  One of the few times totally burned in my memory.

 

And have a sweater and a windbreaker.

 

Ric

 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Glenn on September 28, 2011 at 5:42pm

Thanks for the post, very interesting. Just wondering though, why are they so restrictive about taking photos outside the drill hall? Just trying to understand.

Permalink Reply by Chris H. on September 28, 2011 at 5:50pm

Because it is a U.S. military base, and OPSEC - Operation Security - is in force.  The size of facilities is no one's business unless they're authorized to know the information.  When you go on base for PIR, you're only allowed in certain areas as it is.

Permalink Reply by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on September 28, 2011 at 5:59pm

RTC is an active military base and aspects of the base (much about the Battle Stations simulator for example) are classified. 

Permalink Reply by Ray Norberto on September 30, 2011 at 10:20am

I'll echo Chris H and Paul, it has everything to Operational Security. All the facilities and training modules are state of the art, and thus are highly classified. An innocently taken random photo could capture an image that is not meant for civilian consumption.

Permalink Reply by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on September 30, 2011 at 11:20am

not to mention the very real issue with Geotagging.............

Permalink Reply by Glenn on September 30, 2011 at 1:33pm

Thanks for the replies, guys!

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