From RTC:

To better accommodate traffic flow on the day after graduation when families and friends pick up Sailors for liberty, a new traffic plan will direct guests to the parking garage adjacent to the USS Yorktown visitors center, the same place you would park on graduation morning.

Gate 8 (same entrance used on graduation morning) will be open from 6 to 10 a.m. All guests will park in the garage to wait for their Sailors who will meet them there. When dropping off Sailors later in the day, guests will use Gate 6 at Illinois Street and Buckley Road and drop the Sailors off in the chapel parking lot.

Gate 8 will NOT be open to vehicular traffic when returning your Sailors from liberty. Sailors may also be dropped off at Gate 8 to access base on foot via the automated turnstile using their CAC (Common Access Card).

PLEASE NOTE: **ONLY GUESTS WITH GRADUATION TICKETS MAY ACCESS THE BASE WHEN PICKING UP AND DROPPING OFF SAILORS TO AND FROM LIBERTY! PLEASE RETAIN YOUR TICKETS FROM GRADUATION.** GUESTS INTENDING TO PICK UP A SAILOR FOR LIBERTY WITHOUT A TICKET WILL BE TURNED AND MAY HAVE TO PICK UP THEIR SAILOR AT GATE 8.

PIR Moves to Thursdays !

Families and friends of future Sailors: Beginning October 5, 2023, recruit graduations will be conducted on Thursday instead of Friday. This will allow an extra day of off-base liberty for the graduates and their families. Federal holidays, such as Thanksgiving, will push up the graduation to Wednesday.

For a current list of upcoming graduations dates and all graduation information, including instructions for obtaining graduation ceremony tickets, please visit our website at U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command > Graduation.

The liberty policy will also change effective October 5.
Enjoy LIBERTY (free time off base) with your NEW SAILOR! Sailors are allowed to spend time off base (Liberty) with their family following the graduation ceremony. The amount of time spent depends upon where your Sailor is going for follow-on training. The Navy is required to transport Sailors to their next command, so Sailors MAY NOT travel to their next command in your vehicle or with tickets purchased by themselves or by you.
• SAILORS REMAINING AT GREAT LAKES FOR SCHOOL: Sailors remaining at Great Lakes for “A” school Will have the following schedule:
o DAY OF GRADUATION: You will normally have free time off base (liberty) with your Sailor from the conclusion of graduation until about 8pm. You will return your Sailor using the RTC main gate and drop your Sailor off at the RTC Chapel. The Sailor MUST be in his or her barracks by 9 pm, so plan accordingly.
o DAY AFTER GRADUATION: The next day, your Sailor must check into his or her school before being granted more free time with you time off base (Liberty). You will pick-up your Sailor OFF BASE at the Great Lakes National Museum of the American Sailor between approximately 10am and noon and the Sailor can normally remain with you off base until Sunday evening. For more information about liberty procedures, please contact the school house directly:
o Culinary Specialists (CS): Although this “A” school is located in Virginia, these Sailors will remain in Great Lakes for up to one week to complete additional firefighting training.
o Engineering: For Surface Warfare Engineering School Command Great Lakes:
GRLK_SWESC_PAO@navy.mil
o Combat: For Surface Combat Systems Training Command Great Lakes:
scstc-gl_pao@navy.mil
o EOD: For Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal, please call 847-688-6819 (EOD Sailors ONLY!)
• SAILORS TRANSFERRING TO SCHOOL OUTSIDE OF GREAT LAKES:
o DAY OF GRADUATION: You will normally have free time off base (liberty) with your Sailor from the conclusion of graduation until about 8pm. You will return your Sailor using the RTC main gate and drop your Sailor off at the RTC Chapel. The Sailor MUST be in his or her barracks by 9 pm, so plan accordingly.
o DAY AFTER GRADUATION: The next day you may return through the main gate and pick your Sailor up at approximately 8am in the RTC Chapel parking lot. Once again, the Sailor MUST return to his or her barracks by 9 pm that evening, so plan accordingly.
o SATURDAY MORNING: You may meet your departing Sailor at the airport to say good bye and to give the Sailor any small items he or she may want for “A” School (laptop, a few items of civilian clothing, etc.) but remember your Sailor is already carrying a seabag, garment bag, and back pack!

The Latest Guidance as of September 23rd, 2022

Revised Pass-in-Review Policy

Effective immediately, indoor mask policy is relaxed per CDC guidance. Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTAGLKS) returns to HPCON Alpha. Presently, Lake County, Illinois, has a low level of COVID cases. Guests attending the graduation ceremony are NOT required to wear a mask while indoors, for ticket pickup at the Welcome Center, or while indoors at Recruit Training Command.

The number of guests allowed has increased to four, unless there are 11 or more divisions when the maximum number of guests is three. If you have already submitted your guest security access form listing two individuals, please have additional guest information ready to provide to your recruit when they call. All guests must have a ticket including active duty personnel and veterans. (Children 2 & under do not count toward the guest limit.) COVID-19 immunizations are still required for guest attendance. Guests 12 or older need to provide proof of immunization (14 days post final dose,) in the form of a COVID-19 vaccination record card, to attend. If you are unable to provide proof of vaccination, you will not be issued tickets and will not be able to attend graduation. REMINDER: Policies regarding the graduation ceremony can change at any time due to changes in our health protection status and policy. Please continue to follow RTC social media accounts for updates and check www.bootcamp.navy.mil for the most up-to-date information. For specific questions and inquiries, contact the RTC Public Affairs Office.

Live streaming of our graduations begin at 9 a.m. CST every Friday. Videos will also be available for viewing afterwards as well on our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/NavyRecruitTrainingCommand and our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/RTCPublicAffairs/community​.

GRADUATION STREAMING LIVE

For those family and friends unable to attend RTC graduation, it will be streamed live over the internet at 0845 (CST) on the day of graduation.   Please follow the link below and join us in honoring the service of these young men and women.

Click here for live video of PIR

Pass in Review Graduation Schedule - Navy Boot Camp Graduation Schedule

Liberty Rules @ Navy Graduation - Granted Liberty to Go Off Base

Where is Recruit Training Command Located? - Location of Navy Boot Camp

Directions to Navy Boot Camp - Naval Station (NAVSTA)

Shortcut to RTC for PIR