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I'm attending PIR on May 10th and wondering what to do for the afternoon and evening? Any suggestions from people who have been there?

Also do the recruits always leave Saturday?

Thanks, Bill

Can anyone tell me anything about MA "A" school or where to get information?  My son is in boot camp right now and supposed to go to San Antonio, TX for his "A" school.  He has a degree in Criminal Justice and so his rate will be E3.  His PIR is scheduled for Friday, May 17, 2013.  I don't know when he will ship out to go to "A" school so I do't know how much time I will get to be with him before he goes.  I will be making the trip to Great Lakes all the way from California so it's going to be pretty expensive.  Any suggestions on where to stay in Great Lakes?  Does anyone know how long his MA "A" school will be?  I saw on a NAVY website that they have three places for MA school.  Will my son go to all three of them or will San Antonio be his only MA training?  I am really looking forward to going to his PIR ceremony and seeing him again. I miss him so much.

Mike Bennett, new Navy dad

Even though its early in my sailor's Navy Journey, I must say that dealing with mixed emotions on a daily basis is a true challenge. We feel the pride that is present inside us to overcome the sad feelings of missing our sailors.  Jared graduated Boot camp back on the 15th of March and is now in A School in Meridian Ms.  He's "classed up" and as of today his A School graduation is schedualed for May 23rd after which he will have his first leave. He is AZ which is Aviation Administration Maintananceman. I'm tempted daily at 50 years of age to be grief filled that  its to late in my life to not be seeing him on a regular basis at least for the next 4 years. Right now its all peaches and cream so to speak getting to communicate with him on a daily basis in A School but I know that after his first leave will come the 1st deployment and the real test of faith will come. But I say again, that one word "Pride" will be suffice to overcome the sadness. He could very well still be on a base in the states and be able to communicate, but he may also be out at sea or across the other side of the planet. Either way, its not gonna get any easier. Interesting to me I still look at the RTC graduation schedual as I think most of us looked at it 100's of times during boot camp. There have now been since his graduation 78 more divisions that are schedualed to graduate.  at 80 per division thats 5,920 new recruits and it's not even a month since he graduated. part of me wonders if its the lack of jobs, or just a calling our kids seem to feel. For Jared, it was def a calling. In closing, I hope it helps to just ponder this thought for a moment and let it bring warmth and comfort. The emotion of pride or to just feel proud is a product of love. We love them, we are proud of them,, so at home and as a part of there journey and to eliminate any worry they may have about us struggling with them being gone, we win the battle against mixed emotions. God Bless you my sailor son, God Bless every sailor and sailor dad and family and God Bless the greatest country in the world The United States of America.

Our oldest son left today at noon for his final MEPS and then off to Great Lakes tomorrow. Very proud, but boy it sure is hard to let them go. My wife and I have spent the entire day just moping around the house. We have to go through this again in three months when our youngest son leaves for Marine boot camp. Give me strength. 

Thank you all for your kind words. Glad to be aboard. My wife and I met with the recruiter yesterday to get final answers as our son leaves for RTC this coming Tuesday, very exciting and a little bittersweet. What an adventure!