Navy Bootcamp Graduation Questions

Our son just enlisted and his fiancée just received a packet about his graduation date. I have several questions about it so we can book flights early etc.

How "firm" are those dates? I realize it depends on if he passes but other than that, are they good dates? It seemed strange that we were told 8-9 weeks but it is only 7.5 weeks according to the information she received.
We were told by his recruiter that he can get a weekend pass (liberty) for the Sat/Sun of his graduation weekend. Is this true (not everything we've heard from the recruiting office has panned out)? Is this something he has to apply for? Odds of receiving one (again, so we know if we should fly back on Sat or Monday)? I've heard some things about "Grad and Go" and "Grad and Stay" but it's sketchy.
Best Hotels to stay at (balance of nice but reasonably priced) for graduation?

Thanks for any information

Replies

David Wells July 1, 2010 at 10:52pm

The dates we had were firm. Stayed at the Ramada, but there are many avalable hotels. I didn't realize until we were leaving that the barracks were the same ones that I was in in '63 (they were new then). He was supposed to be back Saturday night by 11:00 and fly to Pensacola for Rescue Swimmer school, but a hurricane hit the Gulf Coast, so he was stuck in Great Lakes for two weeks after graduation. If you can make it to graduation, please go. You will really like it, and it means more to your sailor than they can ever describe.
Pete Anderson June 29, 2010 at 8:06pm

Graduation was a great experience for us. I recommend attending if any way possible. We stayed at the Courtyard nearby and it was just fine. Plan to arrive in plenty of time for to get through security at the gate, park and a fair walk to the ceremony. Our Sailor was free for the afternoon but had to be back that night. We had a wonderful visit, it didn't seem rushed at all. If you get there early you will have to sit in the stands for a while, introduce yourself to some families sitting near you. You will quickly start up conversations due to your common thread. Lots of people traveled great distances, I was only 5-6 hours away. I'm so glad I went.
Chuck June 27, 2010 at 12:45am

Our son's Dates were firm once he gave them to us. We got the "passed Battle Stations Call" on the way to Great Lakes for graduation. Did not know that he would not be grad and go till that phone call.
Our son did not have a weekend liberty. He had liberety till around 5:00 PM on the Friday of graduation. Liberty on Saturday and Sunday matched the times on the Great Lakes RTC web site.
There are a number of nice Brand name hootels with in 5 miles of the RTC front gate. Also there are several local motels. Check on the ones Paul mentions below. Many of the motels near the base have comment postive and negative on web sites like trip advisor.
NavyDads Admin (Paul) June 26, 2010 at 7:43pm

a ton of these sorts of questins have been addresses for the most part in the PIR group (Click for link)

Dates are general targets and are totally dependant on passing everything and injuries.....a ton of recruits end up with stress fractures that delay PIR a week or two (in my dughters case- several weeks). In general though the RDC's do everything possible to make sure they make the PIR date.

Gran-n-go situation is to be flexible. It depends alot on your son's rate and openings in A-school. Most of the time (I would guess 70%) sailors get to stay over the weekend...liberty depends once again on A-school. My son moved across the street to the base for A-school....as a result after he was checked in, I was able to piock him up Friday evening and he was abel to stay with me until Sunday evening. Most of the time the sailors stay at RTC and you can pick them up in the morning but they have to be back that evening....they may have duty and that changes those plans. At the other end of the spectrum I know of a sailro that got the see her parents for a total of 10 mintues after PIR and berfore she had to leave for the airport to fly off to A-school......her parents would not have traded those minutes for the entire universe they told me.

Be flexible...hope for the best, but prepare for the worst....ANY time you get to spend with your sailr is worth it.

There are a ton of places to stay with about as amny options. I stayed at the Marriiott Courtyard twice...highly recommended. Many recommend the Residence Inn. Close to base is the Navy Lodge....once again read through past posts in the PIR group and the bootcasmp groups and several of the discussion posts as well.