OK - When is PIR and What is Their Mailing Address?

OK - When is PIR and What is Their Mailing Address?

Typically the first 4-10 days after the new recruits arrive at RTC are called Processing Days or P-Days. Around holidays and sometimes for unforeseen issues (flight delays, severe weather, etc.) P-days can last up to 14 days. Although recruits are assigned to a ship and division upon arrival, these assignments are not final and they do not move to their designated ship until P-days are over. Unplanned events may change that ship assignment. Your sailor's recruiter may give you an address a day or two after your recruit arrived at Great Lakes with a particular division that may not be final. This is why NavyDads always advises you to wait for your sailor's form letter with his or her correct address and projected PIR date. That letter typically arrives 5-10 days after they have shipped to RTC.

When a group of new Recruits arrives at the RTC, they go through a simple sorting process - those with a Musician (MU) rating and those with music or flag/drill experience are assigned to a 900 division (if those are needed) and those going into Special Ops are sent to the 800 division. There are usually only 25 or fewer 800 divisions a year, so not every TG will have one, but some TG's have one or two 800 divisions. The remaining recruits are generally assigned randomly, mostly as they arrive, to additional divisions. Generally a TG has 10 or fewer divisions currently. Seldom are more than four divisions filled on a particular day. In that case, recruits with similar ratings will end up in the same TG, but not necessarily in the same division. Once one division is full, they start filling another, so divisions often end up with groups of recruits from only a few areas. The Recruits' ratings do not influence which division they will be placed in except for those placed in an 800- or a 900-series division. Females are placed in integrated divisions, containing both males and females, or in an all female division. Males are placed in either an integrated or all male division depending on the sort as they arrive. 800-series divisions are all male most of the year, but can also be integrated divisions at times when there are female candidates for AIRR and/or EOD.

There are occasions when a division may fill and a few unplaced recruits remain. Those "leftover" recruits will be placed as the first recruits for the following division. There are also times that a division is not quite filled with the normal 88 recruits and that division must wait for the next group arriving in Great Lakes to fill to division compliment. When a division is held waiting to fill the division with the next group of arriving recruits, they will placed in what is called a PUSH Division.

Because that division formed "late" it is composed of recruits arriving typically over two different weeks. Some of the recruits in that division will be at RTC for 7 1/2 weeks (8 Fridays) rather than the typical 8 1/2 weeks (9 Fridays) that most of the divisions in that TG (Training Group). To stay current with the projected PIR date for the TG, that division is "pushed" thru some accelerated training- hence the term PUSH division.
This may happen more often for those recruits arriving at the beginning of a week. Recruits who are unlucky enough to be held over may be placed in a TG for the following week. These recruits are at RTC 9 1/2 weeks (10 Fridays). That happens more frequently for recruits arriving at the end of the week. This happens more around holidays or when there is a week without a PIR. Weather or severe storms may result in extra recruits being shipped to RTC when others are delayed. This may also occur if a large number of recruits are shipped to RTC in the summer and early fall due to enlistments that happen during a high school student's senior year.

TG stands for Training Group which is defined as that group of recruits that graduate on the same PIR day. Training Groups are numbered sequentially and start with TG 01. TG 01 the training group that begins training the first week of October (when the Navy fiscal year begins). Most of the recruits in TG 01 arrived at RTC the last week of September. Over the last few years, TG’s can have as few as 4 Divisions and as many as 15 divisions. Pass in Review (PIR) is held in Midway Ceremonial Hall (also called the Drill Hall) and was built to accommodate up to 16 divisions. In theory there could be as many as 52 TG's in a year, but RTC skips about 4 weeks each year. As a general rule, the week of the fiscal year is the TG number.

A division starts with 88 recruits who live and train together. It's important to note the division number as it is part of the mailing address for your sailor. Recruits graduate (PIR) as divisions and you will use that number to help find your sailor at PIR. There are three sequences of divisions number at RTC: 800-series divisions are the divisions for the special warfare candidates, and include SEAL candidates, SWCC, and several other classifications. 900-series divisions are the performance divisions, and includes three types: the Band/Bluejacket Choir/Drill team, otherwise known as "Triple Threat" (the musicians, singers, and drill team), the "Sticks" (those who carry the state flags), and the Ship Staff/Honor Guard. All other divisions numerically start at 001 at the beginning of the fiscal year and are numerically consecutive until the next fiscal year starts. Thus division 001 is placed in TG 01. Division 801 is the first 800 Division and Division 901 is the first 900 division and they continue with consecutive numbers as well until the next fiscal year as do the lower number divisions.

The Takeaway---- WAIT FOR THE FORM LETTER FOR ESTIMATED PIR DATE AND CORRECT ADDRESS !!!!