Welcome to NavyDads Tim! I'm sure you'll find the site as fun and useful as I have. Explore and make some friends, add your comments to a discussion or two, read the postings in the various groups-- even start one or two. I have! If you have any questions or concerns about your sailor and what he is going through...ask! I'm sure someone here will have the answer or can point you in the right direction to find out. I'm lucky enough to have two sailors- my son Eric just returned from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and my daughter Kat returned last fall from a seven-month cruise on the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). And Tim this is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Brandon is doing!

As a parent of a sailor currently or soon to be at Great Lakes you'll have many questions about what your son is going through. Thanks to one of our members we have two excellent videos that you can access from the Video area on the NavyDads.com main page: New Bootcamp 1 of 2 and New Bootcamp 2 of 2. These videos will answer many of your questions and concerns and will give you a better understanding of how the United States Navy transforms our children into sailors!

Be sure to spend some time in the Bootcamp group- there are many questions and answers available to help you understand what your sailor is going through. And as PIR draws closer, be sure to spend some time going through the PIR-Tips, Hints and Helps group- we’ve tried to assemble some tips and suggestions to make your sailor's PIR more enjoyable. And stop by the NavyDads offical store- Navyoutfitters.com. Show your support for NavyDads by wearing the latest in NavyDads attire. Best Regards- Paul

Tim, Welcome Aboard!

My son is an ABE aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in San Diego, Ca. and my family and I couldn't be prouder of him. When he first enlisted I found NavyForMoms in searching for answers to my son's future. I just knew their had to be a site for dads like n4m's but I was wrong. So I started this site so us dads would also have a place to call home. I'm new at this and I hope this site will benefit fathers that come behind us. So jump right in share concerns, join groups, share info, and show off your Sailor. I'm so glad to find out their are so many proud Navy Dads just like myself. I hope this site benefits you and your family throughout your sons journey in the Navy. Thank Brandon for his service for me and thanks again for joining us.

Sincerely, EG

Thanks for the warm welcome, It's nice to know thier is plenty of support out thier. W ejust departed from Brandon yesterday the 5th, he finally got into Great lakes around 8:00pm.. We got that scipt call everyone has been talking about... Pretty tough to swallow (but I understand).. what was more disturbing about the call was he said the next call home will not be for about 3 weeeks.. I know I sound like a wimpering dad but he is our yougest (baby) pretty tough.. But we are so proud...
QUESTION; He said we would recive a package (im sure it is what you all have been calling a "Kid in the Box") with all the information we need, but my guess is that will take a few days?? can we not send any letters to him before then, if so how do we know they will get to him? We don't have his Navy numbers, al I have is the main address to the camp?

Tim, Check out the boot camp group it is full of info. Also, the kid in the box is everything your son took with him. You can contact your sons recruiter he has your sons ship and division # that is all you need to start writing him, I say start as soon as you get it he was right no call for about 3 to 4 weeks depending on how well they do. I hope this helps. EG

Tim hang in there, we went threw the same with our first born, be assured your son is in good hands !!

Boot camp is very modern there housing is top notch good food they have pretty much all the confronts of life.

Hey Tim - You voiced my thoughts - Travis is in Ship 07 div 321 - Left July 20 - and has his pir on 9/11

Hey - I am flighing in from Houston on 9/10 for the pir - any suggestions for a hotel/rent- a car...Just searching for info - thought you might know...

Click This Link for Questions and Answers from RTC

Each recruit is allowed 4 (four) passes for PIR. At liberty call at PIR you are given 15 minutes to meet up with your sailor and get out of the drill hall. You can spend some time with your sailor (if he is not grad-n-go) at the NEX or MCPON Hall, but RTC is a military base and is treated as such. There are no facilites for civilians other than that so if you have more folks with you at Great Lakes, you'll have to meet up off-base. If your sailor is grad-n-go, you may not have any extra time with him at all save for an hour or two at the sirport if you get a security pass to get through the check-point.

Please read through the posts in the PIR group as much of this is detailed there.