Schedule & Rules for PIR day - be prepaired.

[NCMEDIC]

GRADUATION DAY SCHEDULE
Please be aware that it can take 30+ minutes to park, get through base security, and walk to the drill hall by 8:45 a.m.

6:30 a.m. RTC Gates open to visitors. Security screening begins.
7 a.m. Visitors begin walking to drill hall.
8:45 a.m. Guests should be in seats.
9 a.m. Recruit graduation commences.
9:20 a.m. Divisions arrive at drill hall.
9:45 a.m. Arrival honors.
10:30 a.m. Ceremony concludes.
10:35 a.m. Liberty Call. Recruits meet with guests at drill hall. Recruits and guests transit back to parking area.
8-9 p.m. Liberty expires for recruits.

Please drop your recruit at the base early enough for them to walk back to their ship.

Some divisions may depart Recruit Training Command a few hours after graduation (Grad and Go). Some divisions may depart RTC the day after graduation. Please discuss liberty with your recruit during their phone calls home. Be sure to ask when they are departing boot camp for their next school. Continue to write your recruit and stay informed. Recruit Training Command Public Affairs does not have your recruit’s schedule. Only your recruit and his/her supervisor know their specific liberty schedule.



Rules for Recruits on Liberty
LIBERTY INFORMATION

Liberty is ‘time off’ from the daily routine. Graduating Sailors will be granted liberty to go off-base during the day with their families. Graduating Sailors may not smoke, drive, or consume alcoholic beverages while on liberty.

Graduating Sailors must stay within a 50-mile radius of RTC.

Graduating Sailors must remain in their complete uniform while on liberty. If they are engaging in physical activity or swimming, they must be in authorized PT gear.

Liberty expires at 2100 in the Sailor's berthing compartment, on Friday and Saturday evenings, and 2000 on Sunday evening.
No overnight liberty is authorized.

Families my pick-up and drop-off graduating Sailors for liberty from the designated site at MCPON Hall. Due to security checks and transit time, please allow ample time for graduating Sailors to walk back to their assigned ship prior to the end of liberty.

Graduating Sailors departing RTC for follow-on training the same day as graduation or in a duty status will be granted limited on-base liberty.

Graduating Sailors receive an in-depth liberty briefing prior to their graduation day.

[Navy GM]

you will normally only get 'grad and go' if your A school is in Great Lakes. They will send the recruit across the street to the A school base, they'll check in to their barracks there, and then get special liberty for the weekend. i had grad and go, and i loved it.

[cousinIT]

I dunno what I'm goin to do...my A School was in Great Lakes, and now it's in Pensacola...I'm nine days away from goin to boot camp, and it'll probably change again for all I know! I just hope I get to spend some time with my parents!!! My brother got to stay overnight with them.......he graduated in September.

[Navy GM]

i graduated in Jan. '06 and i got to spend the whole weekend with my parents. it was awesome. my homeport, gulfport, Mississippi, is about an hour or two away from pensacola. i've been down there a few times, and i love it. i'm sure you'll enjoy your A school very much down there.

[glennsmom]

While liberty may end at 8 or 9 pm our son wanted to be back by 7 pm. So don't be surprised if your Sailor wants to go back early.

[cousinIT]

Yeah, that's what everyone tells me..and I hear it's right on the beach!!! YAY! I'm goin to be so much..darker. Lol..I really don't lose my tan durin the summer.

[Navymomster]

Remind your Sailor NOT to remove his cover (hat, Dixie Cup) in the car. We heard a graduate get yelled at for that one.

Quote, "Geez, give them a little freedom and discipline goes to hell!" While in the Great Lakes parking lot on our way to the car.

Sue

[nojusticehere]

Ok, I read that if the A school is at Great Lakes then they will be a Grad and Go. My son's school is at GL. Is he going to be able to have Liberty after the PIR? OMG I do hope so. His PIR is Aug 10, Ship 6 DIV 937 and I've reserved a room at the Navy Lodge. Anyone have info? Thanks

[Navy GM]

What will happen is your sailor will have an hour after graduation to spend with his family, then he will go straight over to GL. He'll check in and get a welcome brief, and then what usually happens is special liberty for the whole weekend. at least that is what happened in my case. i didn't have to be back until sunday night, hopefully it works out the same for your son.

[nojusticehere]

Oh my, that would be absolutely wonderful! The whole weekend, yea!!!!!! Lets keep the fingers crossed. Also, maybe you can help. He's going into Fire Control. Is the school there at Great Lakes? Do you know how long the school is? And what is the job?

[Kristie]

NavyGM is right....Brandon's school was at GL and we got him Friday night about 7:30 pm to Sunday night about 8:00 pm.....it was wonderful....so exciting to get to have him the entire weekend......

But with Jennifer...her A school is in FL so we only had her during the day....from about 8:00 am to 7:00 pm so we were just very thankful for what we had with her......

[Navy GM]

yes, the school is in great lakes. i believe it's about four or five months long, if i'm not mistaken, and FC's basically push a button to fire a gun or launch a missile after the gunner's mates do all of the work on it... i'm sorry, FC's and gunner's mates have a little bit of a rivalry, as i'm sure your son will realize once he starts school. hah good luck and i hope you enjoy your visit to chicago.

[RNpatty03]

you will normally only get 'grad and go' if your A school is in Great Lakes. They will send the recruit across the street to the A school base, they'll check in to their barracks there, and then get special liberty for the weekend. i had grad and go, and i loved it.


My daughter is scheduled to graduate Sept 21rst & will be going to Penscola the same day. I received her papers yesterday & it stated that she is a grad n go & will have 2 hrs to visit w/ family after the graduation.

Pat

[GANavyMom]

My son is staying at GL for A school but I have not heard that he is Grad n Go. It didn't say anything in our PIR package. How and when do we usually find out?

[KYmom]

I just re-read what we got, They are scheduled to leave sunday.
Look at the tri-fold paper where he wrote the names. It says the whole division has liberty Fri/Sat and says there to leave on sunday. Unless we here different from our Sailors. LOL But that is what I am assuming so far, and that correspondes with what the Recruiter told me also,

[BryansDad]

My son is staying at GL for A school but I have not heard that he is Grad n Go. It didn't say anything in our PIR package. How and when do we usually find out?

My son PIR on fri aug 24, he is also going to be a corpsman, found out last fri he is a grad n go, and he needs to be back to his ship fri at 1200 so he can catch the 1230 bus over to corpsman school, ( which is over the tracks, said he didnt want to walk the 3 miles), he will have a test to take, some more processing , get his lines, room assignment, after that he didnt know but should find out more on thursday about liberty. What ive read and heard, and what i have learned is dont take anything as gospel to you see it happen,he could very well get liberty fri afternoon or evening and doesnt have to be back to base till sunday nite, which im praying for cause he would get to come home cause we r only 33 miles from G/L. I have heard there is a new C/O at corpsman school so we shall see what happens. I will repost next week and tell you what happened.I cant wait for fri, to see my son and all thee other fine men and women who have chosen to protect our freedom. Al GO NAVY

[Wini]

Well my son went to ATT at GL and he was not grad and go. In fact he didn't cross the road till Tuesday. He did not have overnight liberty, had watch one morning and we picked him up at 9. PIR is awesome. I wish I could have seen it better, I was crying and searching for my son thru the whole thing.

[RNpatty03]

I just re-read what we got, They are scheduled to leave sunday.
Look at the tri-fold paper where he wrote the names. It says the whole division has liberty Fri/Sat and says there to leave on sunday. Unless we here different from our Sailors. LOL But that is what I am assuming so far, and that correspondes with what the Recruiter told me also,


After reading your post I re-read the the tri-fold invite and it says RECRUITS IN THIS DIVISION ARE SCHEDULED TO LEAVE RTC FOR THEIR NEXT TRAINING COMMAND ON THE DAY OF GRADUATION.

This really upsets me since we will flying from Phila, PA only to see her for a couple of hrs before she departs again.

I am already thinking about going to Pensacola when she reaches Phase II.

Pat

[eruptklot]

I will be going to Charelston, S.C. for A school. does anyone know anything about when I may be scheduled to leave after Basic.

[Ryan's Proud Mom]

Hi everyone, I am looking at the tri-fold paper that I recieved and it states nothing about the DIV and or when he is leaving. Wow! I am worried. I don't know how long we will have for him. I have a call into the recruiter to see if he can tell me. Any suggestions. Please help if you can.

Wanda
Ryan's Proud Mom

[PANavyMom]

Wanda,

If the Graduation Invitation doesn't state Grad n Go, then he's not grad n go and he'll have some liberty that weekend. He won't know until later in the week when he's leaving. My daughter had liberty Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Each night she had to back at different times, according to what her RDC's tells them. Each division is different.

I'm sure you're counting the days until PIR!!!!

Carol

[Ryan's Proud Mom]

Hi Carol,

I almost went to bed without checking this, but just had too. Thank you for your response. I feel better. I do not know what I would do with this site. It is wonderful. God always knows how to provide. I miss my "Kido" so much and YES I am counting the days. I would not miss it for the world, even if I only got see him for 5 minutes, that would be ok. Again, thank you from the very bottom of my heart. God Bless each of you.

Wanda
Ryan's Proud Mom

[KYmom]

Hi Carol,

I almost went to bed without checking this, but just had too. Thank you for your response. I feel better. I do not know what I would do with this site. It is wonderful. God always knows how to provide. I miss my "Kido" so much and YES I am counting the days. I would not miss it for the world, even if I only got see him for 5 minutes, that would be ok. Again, thank you from the very bottom of my heart. God Bless each of you.

Wanda
Ryan's Proud Mom


Doesn't it feel good, so close but yet so far.

[Ryan's Proud Mom]

Yes, it does, I can hardley wait. We are leaving on 9-11 heading there. I can't wait.

[PANavyMom]

Wanda,

Where is your son going for A-school? and for what?

I know two weeks before my daughters PIR I was so excited that I couldn't sit still! I think my head was more pre-occupied the weeks leading up to PIR than it had been all through bootcamp.....if that's possible :)

Enjoy your PIR planning!!

Carol.

[dd11030]

My son was a grad n go - he left the day of his PIR. I was so sad that we wouldn't get to see him very much after the ceremony. As it turns out we were allowed to meet him at the airport and had an additional 3 1/2 hours with him there. Definitely better than nothing!! The advantage of grad n go is that I came prepared with a black backpack full of some of his things that he was able to take from us at the airport. We were able to give him his cell phone, digital camera, ipod and some other things. The backpack has to be completely black. I got that tip from another Navy mom just a day or two before we left for GL and boy was I glad I did! The sailors are not allowed to take anything from you on base but are at the airport. My son got to his A school late Friday night and was already calling us on Saturday as we were driving home! The "instant" communication has been a wonderful thing.

[Ryan's Proud Mom]

Hi Carol,

I know exactlly what you mean, I can not think of anything else, I have the countdown on my bullentin board at work. We are leaving on the 11th and it won't get here fast enough. Ryan's A School is Master at Arms, k-9, he orginally was to go to San Antonio Texas, which is 3 1/2 hours from us, but I got a letter last week that it has been changed to Virginia. He was upset, me too, but ok with it. Virginia is opening a brand new A-school for Master at Arms.

[PANavyMom]

Wanda,

The closer PIR gets, the crazier you'll get....but in a good way!

My daughters best friend that went through bootcamp with her, went to Virginia for MA. She's enjoying it and Melissa said that Jackie goes to the beach "every day". Must be nice!

CArol

[Ryan's Proud Mom]

Yes, that must be nice, we spent a week at the beach a few weeks ago. A week is about all I could stand, felt gritty all the time.
Yes, it is getting crazy. Got a letter from Ryan yesterday.............He wants to go eat seafood, steaks, ribs, biscuits and gravy.............I take it that he is hungry or just wanting some home cooked meals. I am thinking of getting a room with a kitchenette and cook for him.