After 7.5 weeks of Air Force Basic Military Training your Airman will be ready for graduation. This is an exciting time and the first time that family will get to see their Airman after they leave for BMT. There are a few things to know ahead of time to make sure that you are prepared for your visit.
There are currently three ceremonies that make up the BMT Graduation. The first two are held in the morning on Wends, the third one on Thurs. Schedules for all ceremonies and information on which gates to enter and where to park are listed on the USAF Basic Military Training (by BMT Personnel) Facebook Group.
Airman Run- this is your first chance to see your Airman but you will not get to interact with them as they run past and then disappear back to the barracks to get ready for the Coin Ceremony. The earlier in the morning that you can arrive, the better seat you can find for both the run and the Coin Ceremony. For the run you can stand along the route for the best view of your Airman as they run twice past you. Hearing them chant while running is impressive. My son graduated from BMT two days after Christmas and it was near freezing temps when we arrived before sunrise. We ended up sitting on the side of the bleachers that were shaded the entire morning. My butt nearly froze on the metal bleachers, and I was very happy I brought a warm beanie to keep my head & ears warm. There was hot chocolate and coffee for sale from venders in the parking lot. & If you feel so inclined, I recommend you spend your time waiting before or after the run by donating blood, also in the parking lot.
Coin Ceremony- Bring tissues, you WILL need them or at the very least the person sitting next to you will. Your Airman will march out in their blues and look amazing! This ceremony gives you interesting history and includes the presentation of their Airman Coin, signifying officially joining the ranks of the Air Force and earning the title "Airman". After the ceremony you will get to find your Airman and tap them out. The Airman have to stand at attention until a family member or friend comes up and hugs, taps or otherwise touches them- this is called "Tapping out". They can then leave with the person(s) who taps them out and spend the rest of the day with them.
NOTE: I highly recommend you ask your Airman before graduation if there is anyone in their group that does not have someone to tap them out and volunteer to tap them out as well. My son's group did not have anyone alone for BMT Graduation but a coworker of mine had her daughter graduate from BMT a couple weeks before my son and her daughter's friend had no one there to tap her out as her family did not approve of her joining the military. Any Airman you tap out will also spend the day with your family. If there is no one to tap out an Airman then their MTI (Military Training Instructor) will eventually tap them out and they will spend the rest of the day in the barracks, not the best way to spend such a momentous occasion.
Graduation Parade- This takes place on the second day of graduation at the parade grounds. If you want to save yourself some walking, you can park right next to the parade ground but if you want to avoid traffic you can park across the bridge and hike a little. For the parade it doesn't really matter where you sit as the Airman will parade past all seats during the ceremony. The closer you are to the middle, the better view you will have at the end when they take their oath and the quicker you can get to your Airman for the second time you tap them out. Again, tissues will be needed!
ALL ceremonies are professionally recorded and links posted on the USAF Basic Military Training (by BMT Personnel) Facebook Group that can then be shared with any friends/family members who can't attend. Or for you to rewatch later.
BMT Graduation is a wonderful experience you do not want to miss when you have an Airman graduate. Plan ahead, get your hotel, car rental and plane tickets as early as possible as there are a LOT of family members for other Airman graduating at the same time. I recommend a hotel close to base (we stayed at Best Western and they opened breakfast early for all the military families headed to graduation). The River Walk downtown San Antonio is beautiful and has several hotels on the River Walk but it a further drive from base. Since you will likely want to be on base early on both days for graduation and drop your Airman off as late as possible on base you may not want to stay downtown.
Below are my 10 Tips on what you should know and be prepared for before going to BMT Graduation.
Only family member and friends that were on the approved list (your child needs to submit this before leaving for BMT along with personal information for each adult wishing to attend- anyone under 18 does not need to be on this list) will be able to attend the actual graduation ON BASE, however, Airman will be allowed off base after the ceremonies on both Wends & Thurs. Additional family members and friends that wish to make the trip can plan to meet up off base after the ceremonies are complete.
Bring a seat cushion! You will be in the bleachers for a long time waiting for ceremonies. A seat cushion will not only keep you comfy & keep your butt warmer if it is winter, but it can also save your seat if you need to get up to stretch your legs or go to the bathroom. I like the below seat cushions because they are small enough you can throw them into a carryon bag if traveling to graduation and they are lightweight & easy to carry.
Banners are fun! Banners can be a fun way to celebrate and make your group easier to find. There are a lot of customizable banners on Zazzle -
I recommend you find one that has lots of space you can have family members and friends sign if they are unable to attend in person- it's a fun way to include everyone. You are permitted to hang banners in the stands, just make sure you take them down when the ceremonies are over. In between the Airman Run and the Coin Ceremony there were cameramen taking videos of families sending messages to their Airman while holding banners. You don't need a banner to leave a video message to your Airman but it is fun.
Attire- make sure whatever you wear is family friendly (so you don't get in trouble) and comfortable. I saw some ladies in cute short dresses and high heels to look nice for their Airman (in December, some looked half frozen)- there is a LOT of walking, standing and climbing stairs in the bleachers so keep comfort in mind. IN the winter months take a beanie. In the summer wear a hat to keep the sun off your face. Air Force Pride shirts are worn by almost everyone I saw- there are so many options available online. Plan ahead though because a lot of them are Print on Demand and will take a couple of weeks to get to you. I ended up ordering five or six for myself and a couple for my husband because I waited until the last minute & wasn't sure if I would get them before we left.
Bring an extra bag to take things home. Your Airman will more than likely have some things they will want you to take back home for them- civilian clothes they won't need, professional pictures they purchased, an extra pair of boots, etc. Some of the things they will need you to mail to them at their next base. They are limited to what will fit in the carry-on bag they took with them to BMT and the military duffle they are issued on base, everything they take to their next Base has to fit in those two bags.
DO NOT bring large graduation presents with you to BMT. Again, your Airman is limited in what they can take with them. We found that our Airman was only allowed to take what he could fit inside his uniform pockets when we dropped him off on base both days. If he had to carry it in his hands he would get in trouble. Anything you take to give your Airman should be small or leave it at home and mail it to him when he gets his new address at tech school. My son graduated two days after Christmas. I did bring his Christmas stocking packed full of goodies for him- a letter from his sister who couldn't come with us, pocket hugs (small metal discs with messages on them the size of a coin), a beanie and a box of his favorite treat- Little Debbie Zebra Cakes. He enjoyed the zebra cakes while off base with us and everything else fit in his pockets. I took the stocking back with me.
Take lots of water with you. There will be some drinks available for purchase- there are vendors both days in the parking lot selling food, drinks and trinkets but plan ahead & make sure you have plenty of water for both you and your Airman once they are done with the ceremonies, especially if it is hot that day. Your Airman will have been marching in the full sun and will get dehydrated.
Get your Airman back on time! There will be set times that your Airman will need to be back on base each day. Plan ahead & make sure you arrive back at base with plenty of time to get through the gate and to where you drop your Airman off. They will still need to walk back to their barracks so be early! You can sit in the parking lot with your Airman if you arrive back early to say extended goodbyes. We were able to get football tickets when my son graduated- the football game was at night so we were able to keep him off base longer than normal. If your Airman has the option to purchase event tickets, definitely take it! It will give you more time together. We had to leave before half time but we got an extra 4 hours with our Airman.
There is plenty to do in San Antonio. Airman do get discounts and free admission into some places so definitely use your Airman's military discount. This should be easy as they will need to remain in uniform the entire time they are with you. I recommend visiting the River Walk, the Alamo, and The Tower. There is also a mall right there with an arcade and dinosaur exhibit. Take lots of pictures. Eat lots of good food. Spend quality time together no matter what you end up doing. It will likely be another 3-6 months before you get the chance to see your Airman again while they are in tech school. You can visit on base while they are in tech school but most families don't.
Be ready to hear "Thank you for your service"- I wasn't ready for this the first time I heard someone say it to my son. Hearing it made me tear up multiple times leading my husband to start saying "there she goes again!". Walking the streets of San Antonio you will hear complete strangers stop your Airman and thank them for their service. Some will even thank you for your son or daughter's service in the military. They may have just gotten started but they are sacrificing their time and personal freedoms to serve a higher purpose than themselves and there are still people out there who recognize that. Since BMT graduation I have found myself telling complete strangers "Thank you for your service" whenever I see a Veteran hat or military shirt. I've had many interesting conversations and felt instant connections to people I may never have talked to before.
Enjoy your Airman's BMT Graduation and THANK YOU for supporting them while they serve our country!
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