US Navy Boot Camp, Great Lakes Illinois?

Question

My son is there now. From his letters it doesn't sound like he's received any of our (family) letters - he can write us. Do they keep mail from them for a certain period of time and if so, do they at least tell them that they at least HAVE mail? It concerns me a lot. What kinds of things do the recruiters lie about and get away with? I'm a bit concerned as he sounds disappointed and not giving much in details -- just bits and pieces and it's kind of confusing. Anyone with experience with this? Please share for this mom worrying --- really apprecite it.

Answer 1

Ma'am, you can relax... your son is in good hands. He is warm enough. He is fed enough. And he's working his tail off.

He gets up about 5:30 or 6:00 every morning. Showers, shaves and gets ready for inspection by making his bed, straightening his locker, and cleaning the barracks. He marches with his company to breakfast. After that, depending on what of recruit training he finds himself, he'll be drilling, physical training (PT), going to class, taking tests to see where his aptitudes lie and where he might best serve within the Navy.

PT consists of a lot of drills that are not so much designed to build muscle-bound narcissists than to get him to realize he is now part of a team. He'll learn that he may not always like the guy he's working for, but that he has to respect him. He will learn that he may have to count on that guy one day.

In class he'll learn the basic tools he'll need to get around in the Navy. He'll learn Navy vocabulary. He will walk on decks... not floors. He will paint bulkheads, not walls. Doors will become hatches. He will learn that everyplace aboard ship has an address... even if it's somewhere along a passageway (hallway). He will be introduced to the rules and regulations that govern the military and the Navy in particular. He will also learn how to best represent his country, and to defend her.

After a very full day, he will probably stand a 2-hour watch, may wash his clothes... by hand, certainly study, and sleep. More than likely, he's disinclined to do much else. Somewhere in there he and his company will have marched to lunch and dinner.

As graduation approaches, he will be allowed a phone call. I can think of several reasons why the call is allowed at that time and not before. When a recruit first gets to recruit training, to him or her it's the worst thing that could possibly happen to a human being. There is no way a civilized human can survive such treatment. There is certainly no way he or she thinks he or she will ever complete this. The people are mean (they had to follow orders). The food is terrible (it's not MacDonalds). The hours are terrible (stay up late watching TV and then sleep in the next morning). The Drill Instructors are sadists (video games aren't included in PT as an aid to hand-eye coordination). There is no way they're going to stay with it. But, in the course of a few weeks, they seem to forget all that hogwash. The, like hundreds of thousands before them, do survive. Not only do they survive, but they come out stronger, smarter, and trained Navymen and women. And they're proud of it. Now that's when you want a recruit calling home.

The object of recruit training is to get your son to think and act like a Navyman. To that end, they take away essentially everything he brought with him and issue him "Navy Issue." Everybody looks the same. They even smell the same for a time (new recruits are called "mothballs"). Some recruits are accustomed to go crying to mommy or daddy when the going gets tough. The military cannot operate with parents in the soldier's chain of command. So, part of recruit training is weaning. If he has a problem he learns... or is supposed to learn... to go through his chain of command. He has recruit petty officers, and a company commander. Recruit petty officers are often guys like himself, chosen by those in the official chain of command based on some experience that indicate leadership potential. His company commander is probably a career Navyman... enlisted. He's seen a lot of kids go through the process. He knows what to identify problems. And he knows how to handle them. And his goal is to turn out guys who have the best chance of returning home after a war.

These people... and others... have to replace you as leaders and mentors when he's on the job. And right now, he's on the job 24/7.

As far as mail, part of the weaning process is restricting contact with anything outside the military. Recruits are encouraged to write letters. In fact, when I was in, I recall in one instance the company was ordered to write a letter... I think we had a half an hour. During the first few couple of weeks, however, I don't recall receiving letters. I don't know if they were withheld, or if my family was sent instructions not to write for the first couple of weeks. But I really didn't have any time for them anyway.

Mail in the Navy is a sporadic thing at best. Submarines spend weeks underwater. They can receive mail only when they're on the surface, and it has to be delivered by another ship that had to receive it when in port, or by helicopter. Surface ships have it only a little better. Often operations preclude timely delivery. While it is seldom that a recruit training center is submerged, or even at sea, this may have been part of the training. I don't know. We didn't have mail call every day. And, though I seem to recall that most did, not everybody received letters.

My job in the Navy definitely precluded constant communication. In fact, the nature of my assignment prohibited me of saying what I did, or where I was. I couldn't even tell anybody at home the time zone I was in. My mother worried and sent a letter to, I believe it was the Chaplain. It got to my CO that I hadn't been writing letters. I explained to him why I hadn't written. But he was ordered to get me to write a letter. So I did. I said, that if they ever wanted to hear from me again, they had best not contact me through official channels again. Then I had some postcards printed and would drop one in the mail every once in a while.

Recruiters are not allowed to lie. But they are salesmen. They can talk about specialties, they can talk about opportunities, and, based on current needs, can discuss those that are currently available. But they cannot guarantee a specialty, training in a specialty, a duty station, or anything else. Of course they paint their service as the best. They're biased. Toothpaste is toothpaste, but every brand says it's the best.

But, regardless what he was told, what he thought he was told, or what anybody inferred from what he was told, when he signs on the dotted line, he's begins serving as determined by the service, in a capacity that best fits the needs of the service. The service is not in business to train programmers of Microsoft, journalists for local newspapers, aircraft mechanics for Boeing, and the like. It is in place as an instrument to enforce policy... and that's what its men and women are trained to do.

Nor is the service a travel agent. When a serviceman is due to be transferred, he fills out a "Dream Sheet" on which he may request four shore duty stations and four sea duty stations. Transfers are usually from shore duty to a ship or from a ship to a shore duty station. But he is there to best meet the needs of the service.

The service is not in business to fund education. But there is training in the military that cannot be gotten anywhere else in the world. I'm referring to training in engineering, electronics, computer science. In addition, college classes are provided at some bases. And, when he gets out--if he's active duty, he may have a good portion of his tuition paid for for four years.

A recruiter may talk about duty stations. He may talk about specialties that usually serve at shore stations. He may tell a bout educational opportunities. But he can't honestly categorically promise anything. He's not in a position to do that.

Answer 2

Great Lakes Navy Boot Camp

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Great Lakes Boot Camp

Answer 5

As all said, the only Navy boot camp is Great Lakes outside Chicago, Illinois. You might consider waiting a bit before going off to boot camp...if you go in a few months, you're going to be there in the cold of winter, and MAN it gets freezing cold up there! My suggestion would be to wait until spring to go to boot camp if you can wait...boot camp is tough enough without the added problems of it being harder to breathe in the cold, having to watch people for hypothermia and the early signs of frost bite, less sleep because it doesn't matter how warm that blanket seems in the summer, it's -never- warm enough in the winter....spring or fall is the best time to be at boot camp if you can choose your time!

Answer 6

In my experience, when my boyfriend was in Great Lakes it took a while for him to get letters...sometimes several weeks, I'm not sure why this is...but he WILL get all of your letters EVENTUALLY. Don't send a massive amount, but usually one per week is fair and not seen as excessive. They're probably a little strange because there seemed to be some fear put in them that people were actually going to read them before they were sent out (this went with phone calls too)...

I wish I had something else to tell you...those three months in boot camp were probably the hardest for me... once he goes into a school you'll be able to talk to him as often as you like (usually!)

Answer 7

I don't think any of the recruit get mail during first week, usually mail start coming, when everyone is settle in the bootcamp, because some recruit had to kick out or change diviision during the first week, but after that week, all mail should be delivery though daily basis, however is all up to recruit division commander do let their recruit receive mail, not without some hardwork. Is all depend the disciple and moral of the division, if they do good, commander would be more than happy increase their morale, by letting them to call home more occasion.

Answer 8

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RE:
US Navy Boot Camp, Great Lakes Illinois?
My son is there now. From his letters it doesn't sound like he's received any of our (family) letters - he can write us. Do they keep mail from them for a certain period of time and if so, do they at least tell them that they at least HAVE mail? It concerns me a lot. What kinds of things...

Answer 9

Recruit mail has been known to be held for an extra day or two. However, if he gets mail sent to him they eventually HAVE to give it to him, however they instructors have the right to say WHEN they can open the mail. He should at least have the letters in hand, un-opened maybe, but he should have them in hand.
And details are usually not allowed for several reasons. One is also to get them used to not writing about and sending information so when they join the fleet they are not writing about where they are out and what equipment is on the ship etc...
Don't worry, because when he graduates basic training, he'll be laughing at all the stupid stuff they made him do.

Answer 10

My son went through training in Great Lakes also, I think that they are allowed to get their mails at a certain time, he cannot explain a lot of things in detail because of National Security, I would also check your nearest recruiter and ask the same questions or get a web address from the recruiter that you can also get some answers. Hope this helps.
I will keep your son in my prayers

Answer 11

Yes he gets his mail. There are several reasons as to why he hasn't replied. If someone in his unit screws up...they all get punnished! To make sure your son is not subject to harrassment by the "instructors" in charge...do not send cookies, pictures, candy, just send a letter and nothing else. My friend sent her son a picture with her son in front of the confederat flag......big NO NO...all were punished. If you send cookies...sometimes the "instructors" in charge will eat them in front of all the recruites...and sometimes they will make the recruit eat them all at one time in front of all the recruites. They are not nice...but can not touch the recruit. They tear them down and build them back up to be one thing "a killing machine" So just bear with it. It will get better. It is hard to let go of them. Also don't forget to join Blue Star Mothers! I learned a lot of this before my son went in from other mom's with Navy kids. My son has been in for 10 years. huggers laurel
PS: as for the recruiters. they will say anything to sign up a recruit!