Robert D's Comments

Since I was in the Air Force I think things are a lot different by listening to all the salty dogs talk here on Navy Dads. I called when I could. Like here in Great Lakes we were at the mercy of our flight leaders when it came to making calls. In the Air Force they use the term flight instead of division.

The second half of bootcamp is all go, go, go. For us bootcamp was only 6 weeks. In the second half we had the obstacle course, physical fitness, final exams, barracks inspections, 2 retreat ceremonies, and a parade to march before we got to graduation. For us it was passing the final exam. We didn't have anything like battle stations to get through. I bet that is hard and a rush all at the same time. Sometimes I wish the Air Force was more like the other services. Since it is the youngest service, being just over 60 years old, there isn't as much traditions as in the other services.

I'm betting their last 2 or 3 weeks they are so busy they don't have much time to think about much else but what they are doing and what is coming up. It should be a fun time for them. Maybe exhausting at time, but fun.

Talk to you later!

Gatesville is only about 40 mins from me... I'm a Physical Therapist & I've worked in their nursing homes before; but that was a long time ago... I don't know anyone that lives there now that I'm aware of....

Also; It's been 2.5 yrs since my son's PIR so I'm sure some things have changed; but one thing for sure I'm sure the security is still tight....

What is your son's rate & where will he be training???

Gino's is a great place to eat & we also ate at a Steak house that is close to the Gurnee Mall (which is a fantastic mall/HUGE) that is really good too... As far as advice for PIR??? Get there EARLY!!!!!!!! It's a great experience & it gets very crowded.... Have a great time...

Just wanted to say congrats on your sailor to be.... The next few wks will go by pretty fast... & PIR is an event you will never forget... My Sailor is now in the fleet... He's been in Japan 2 yrs & he's on his second ship... He loves it there & having a great time....

Hi Larry,
So glad that you heard from Travis. It's so hard to go back to old-school communication in this age of texting and cell phones, especially when they are away for something like this.
Good Luck, hope to see you in Great Lakes.

Hello Robert,
Sam is going to A-school for IT training after BC. His first letter made it seem like DIV 321 was having a lot of trouble working together, getting along or staying out of trouble. I think this is somewhat normal. His last communication stated that it is getting better in those regards, however, he did mention getting yelled at a LOT. Looking forward to seeing everyone.
Doug

Also go through these posts in this discussion...in particular Larry's last post as you'll get an idea about leters and early bootcamp days for your son.

Robert-- be sure to spend a lot of time reading the past posts in the PIR - Tips and Hints Group for ideas and suggestions. There is also a lot of discussion at various posts in the Bootcamp group, though not so much as the PIR group.

Hi Robert -
I think that this is probably the best way to do that - through Navy Dad's (or Navy Mom's ... you don't necessarily have to be a mom to get on that site). I am sure that Travis will write as soon as he can. My son, Chris seems to really like the Navy thus far and was "promoted" to Port Watch about 2 weeks ago. He is getting very little sleep so his time is even more precious (and he has even less time to write). We are the same though - every day I come home from work and ask if we have a letter from Chris. It is really hard during this period but we are getting close to his graduation (September 3), so I am really looking forward to that. My 16 year old som and I will be headed to Great Lakes for that!
Please let us know when you get your first letter - in the mean time, I will be thinking of you and Travis.
Best wishes,
George

Robert- the first 3 weeks are the tough ones.....you're almost through with the bootcamp days when you stop to think about it. The old saying about "no news is good news" holds very true...your son is very busy right now, but there will be a change soon in the training schedule and you should get a letter or two over the next two weeks.....keep on wrtiting as PIR is getting closer and closer.

Welcome to NavyDads Robert! 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 Robert this is a great place to brag about your sailor as well! So join in and let us know how Travis 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

Hi Robert,

My son, Chris is on Ship 14, Div 303 and I am familiar with the situation of not hearing from your son. I am not sure if you have seen the videos on Boot Camp but they keep the recruits very, very busy when they are there. I think Chris is in his 5th week and we have received about 4 letters. It isn't that he doesn't want to write - its just that they have so much going on. Also, the mail is much slower than normal mail because it has to go through the military system.

Try to be patient and keep writing to him. I think you will be getting some mail in the very near future.

George Robertson