My son had his PIR on May 9th, 2008. Things were very different then as they are now. No parking passes, no tickets, just four names on the list that your sailor/recruit sent home with the form letter. We only needed our picture ID to get us through the gate to the parking lot between the visitors center and the chapel. Once checked in, we then had to walk across the street and onto a walkway to the drill hall. Some of the old barracks were still there in various stages of demolition. 

There was no parking garage at all and we went on to RTC through the gate on Buckley Road and not across from the METRA station as it is now.

I will share one thing with you that was cause for me to almost crap my pants... It was such an exciting day for us... We went to the wrong gate at first. I wanted to capture all I could on my camera. As we turned off Buckley into the wrong gate, I thought it would be cool to capture and image of the large canopy/sign over the gate. Nothing but sign and blue sky mind you. The armed guard at the gate very nicely informed us how to get to the proper gate. As we followed the traffic in, one of the MAs pointed his finger at us and directed us out of the line. I thought maybe it was just routine search and ID check.

He looked at me and said, "did you take a picture at the other gate?" GULP!!! "Yes sir...just of the sign above the gate." "Let me see." So I showed him the digital image and he made me delete it right on the spot. He said he could have taken my camera right then and there.

So in we drove to the lot...with four of us in the car...in dead silence. 

Make sure you only take pictures in the drill hall or off base!

Stephen- hopefully at some point after the virus, they will start to once again hold PIR ceremonies- not happening now