Thanks sweetmtn, I'm well aware of what the minimums are and have been working at handily exceeding them for months now. Sucks that P-days are going to be essentially PT free. Shipping tomorrow so I'll see ya'll in the fleet.

Hi All! Hope all is well! This is really very nice! I hope we were able to read this before my hubby left for bootcamp. I'm thinking of mailing this info to him, do you think this is ok? Would he get in trouble if they (RDC) see this mailed to him? Thanks in advance!

Not a good idea to mail this to him there, he could get in some trouble if his RDC's see it.

Yikes! Yeah, that's what I thought. I've printed it out but didn't mail it. Oh well. Thanks for the reply Sweetmtn! Appreciate it! :)

thank you so much this posting was veryyy helpful! my soon to be sailor left tues. the 19 but got to great lakes around 24:00 when i got "the call' i just wanted to know how long does it take for the box to leave great lakes. i know u mentioned by wk 3 -4 we should receive the letter but when do we receive personal letters from our future sailors and are all divisions granted another call sometime through BC ?

Generally the first letter you will get it the form letter, but you should get a personal one soon after or about the same time. Note what day it arrives as all letters are mailed from boot on Mondays, so you should get a letter on the same day each week. As far as phone calls, yes they will get a chance to call home again, but sometimes they are only earned, depends on the RDC and how things go in that division. You will get a phone call generally at least near the end so make sure you always have your cell phone with you! many years ago my son was able to call me 3 times during boot total.

There's a very high chance that I'll be celebrating my birthday in the gas chamber. >_<

OMG, i leave for Bootcamp on the 3rd of dec, and i am really lucky to have come across this website,this article is really helpful although i am now more scared but its better to know what to expect than nothing at all! Thanks so much for taking time to write in detail this lenghty article! This will definetly be my fav webpage until i ship. Thanks again!

I dont think its a good idea lol,he would only get more tense!

Question,i have just a month to get ready for bootcamp and i dont know how to swim,how will this affect me?

Dont really worry about that...they will teach you.

Blessing - What I'd recommend is calling the YMCA and see if they have a basic swimming class you can join. I think your problem will be the fear of water. So go there and ask for help. You'll be glad you did.
Secondly, it's not so much of swimming, it's more of floating. Learn to float.

I cannot thank you enough for all this information. Now all I have to do is study it all! It's just SO much information for us to soak up. How hard will it be for us to soak up everything they give us in boot camp? I just want to be on top of my game so that I won't be set back a week or so.

To prepare I have been going on walks, and running on the track. Also I am memorizing the 11 general orders, and the Sailor's Creed. Then I have been up to the range to practice shooting with my pistol. What other things would you recommend that I should practice in advanced for boot camp?

hi i grad sept28 from bcamp and everything sounds good and on point..actually surprised you remember so much of it lol but you left out one important part of your arrival at great lakes and the first night..staying awake!lol they keep you up for close to 48 hrs without sleep and make you hydrate every 10-15 min or so to keep you awake. so its very very very important to sleep the night before at the hotel before you ship. The simplest things they told us to do, like stamping our name seemed confusing because we hadnt sleept and were under stress being yelled at. Uusally you make yourself a target during bcamp that first night because they zero in on you if you do things wrong. The first night was a nightmare but make sure to sleep before.

How is Illinois in July?

It can get hot and humid.

Oh great... That's when I go to rtc

OMG this was the best read ever! Thanks so much Craig!

In July it's hitting about 95 degrees, but like 15 to 20% humidity

What does stamping mean?

Stamping is putting your name and division on all of your items.

This is AWESOMEEE!!!! Thank you for posting this. :D

Actually, this year temps were well over 100 some days but as long as you keep hydrated, you should be fine.

Okay well at least I'm used to heat lol

How's the weather in April?

Probably still a bit chilly. And windy.

But we will miss the winter and then the heat and humidity. All my friends are jealous I am going in April b/c they all went during the summer or winter.

I shipped last April 10th. It was not too bad, really. It was cool, but not freezing, and then near graduation, it was warm, but not too hot. I'd say it was the best time to go, IMHO.

Yea, my friends told me the weather will be perfect for outdoor activities. yay!!

Yay! Thanks for the info! :)

what exactly happens at medical in RTC? do you have to stand in your undies again and do all duck walk, tippy toes, and all that silly stuff?

A couple questions..
1.) Where is the slideshow explaining what each coin is for?
2.) Do I just volunteer to try out for the best swimming qualification?
3.)How is the weather during late Jan-late March?
4.)Where can I find the challenge coin(unless it's any of them) where I flash mine and if someone else in the military doesn't have theirs, they buy a round of drinks?

It's any challenge coin. You'll receive them throughout your career.

Good haha

you get shots, a lot of shots. there is no duck walk.

Thank you for the detailed timeline of what to expect in bootcamp. My daughter left Monday. We got the 15 second call on Wednesday. It is nice to be able to look at the timeline and get an idea of what her day will be like. Thank you from a grateful mom.

Can anyone just ask to get the best swim qual we can? I'm a good swimmer though you can't tell looking at me..

I'm pretty sure it depends on your job and what swim qual is needed for it.