My son enlisted in the army and I have a few questions.

[crazyme5kids]

My son enlisted in the army. He is will leave for boot camp in Jan. (2011). If all goes as planned, he graduate in March. The base he'll be at for this stage of training is Fort Jackson. From there he, he will head to Arizona (assuming he passes all security clearances and background checks etc...) at Fort Huachuca for job training.

So, since I have nothing better to do today I figured I would start planning and researching two trips around his graduation dates!

My questions are: How many days will he have before and after graduation from training will we be able to spend with my son? I'm not even sure if he will have a graduation ceremony at Fort Huachuca though. This is where he will train for his army job. Does anyone know if there is a ceremony?

Any suggestions for a good hotel? Beside the Grand Canyon (which we will go to), what are the "must see and do" in Arizona?

 

[malibuconlee]

The amount of time between his Basic and his Advanced Individual Training will depend on when the AIT class starts. He may not know that until close to graduation.

Most people I have known have gone to the graduation ceremony for their children's Basic Training, but not AIT.

As for time BEFORE graduation from basic, I would not plan on much other than a few hours on a couple of days, but it's been a very long time since I attended a basic training graduation! I do remember getting to tour the barracks tho and as a teenage girl thought that was pretty cool!

 

[Hutchy]

Every school is different and I'm pretty sure a lot of them don't have graduations. When my husband graduated Basic almost 7 years ago we were able to go out there the day before (he was at Ft. Sill) and they had a family activity that we could see them in formation showing us what they had done during Basic then the guys were sent up to their barracks and we were allowed to go up and see them and where they slept ect. That night we were able to go back to post at a certain time for a nice dinner. The graduation was the next morning and then we were able to take him to dinner with us and spend time together. We had to leave to catch our plane back to GA so I can't remember exactly how long we could have spent with him. He was sent to his next post for training pretty quickly.

Once he gets to Ft. Jackson he should get a schedule and they should send you a packet with information. My inlaws received that because we weren't married yet so I'm not sure what all was in there but I know it was all the graduation info. I can't remember how long he had been in training before they mailed that out though.

As for their MOS training I'm not sure how that really works, my husband was picked up for flight school so as soon as he finished basic he went to Ft. Rucker for WOCS and then started flight school once he was a Warrant Officer. But I'm sure you will receive any graduation info in plenty of time to plan a trip out there!

Good luck to your son. My husband will be leaving the Army next year after 7.5 yrs in, we have decided this life isn't for us.

 

[malibuconlee]

http://http://www.bootcampgraduations.com/service6.html

I found this website that has more information.

 

[doxdogy]

My nephew did his Basic Training at Ft. Sill and DD and I attended his graduation. Since he was doing AIT at Ft. Sill too, he did not have any leave time until he finished AIT. I do remember that after all the ceremonies he was able to spend some time with us.

 

[crazyme5kids]

http://http://www.bootcampgraduations.com/service6.html

I found this website that has more information.

Thanks for the link! Does anyone know how many people can attend, as well as the minimum age?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My friend's dd went to basic in the middle of nowhere (Oklahoma, I think.). Nothing to do at all and my friend wouldn't have been permitted to "hang"
with her dd leaving her in a small motel in
the middle of nowhere.
Plus---the same weekend, the dd was being shipped to her training in Maryland. So instead of wasting oodles of travel time to be out in the sticks...she just met up with her in Maryland instead within allowable parameters. Plus--much more convenient to a major airport and stuff to do when her dd wasn't allowed to do anyhting. Just something to think about. For them--they just felt it a waste since finances were tight.

But she had already graduated college and they attended that.

 

[goofyernmost]

Wow, things sure have changed since I ended Basic Training. (1968) There was no ceremony, no pomp and circumstance, just a congratulations from our drill sergeant and a get outta here. Same with tech. school. Your ability to leave the base was always iffy anyway. I'm sure it is different now, but this is almost shocking.

I think I liked it the old way better.

 

[jsmith]

the person who said you will be sent a packet from Ft Jackson was spot on-it will include the information about family day activities and accomodations. Since you said he is doing his AIT at Ft Huachuca-the schools there are fairly long and intense so there will be time to figure out about graduations-but usually AIT graduations are not a big deal. Leave time following-as someone else said whether he gets any between basic and AIT depends on whether there is a class for his MOS starting right after he graduates. During AIT-if he is one of the longer schools there is a two week "exodus" at the chirstmas holidays-otherwise he will get get leave between leaving AIT and reporting to his first duty station-especially if it is oversease.

 

[suzanna1066@comcast.]

I don't know the answer to your question but be glad he will be at Ft. Jackson in the winter. Columbia, SC is the hottest place on earth in the summer and I have often wondered how the guys at Jackson survive it.

That said, there are a lot of hotels nearby in Columbia and Charleston is less than two hrs away.

 

[goofyernmost]

the person who said you will be sent a packet from Ft Jackson was spot on-it will include the information about family day activities and accomodations. Since you said he is doing his AIT at Ft Huachuca-the schools there are fairly long and intense so there will be time to figure out about graduations-but usually AIT graduations are not a big deal. Leave time following-as someone else said whether he gets any between basic and AIT depends on whether there is a class for his MOS starting right after he graduates. During AIT-if he is one of the longer schools there is a two week "exodus" at the chirstmas holidays-otherwise he will get get leave between leaving AIT and reporting to his first duty station-especially if it is oversease.

WOW!! I mean WOW! The times they are a changin.

 

[jsmith]

WOW!! I mean WOW! The times they are a changin

Yeah-about 1980 the army figured out that soldiers have families and that they are an important part of the all volunteer force. and these are not NEW developments-its just been a LONG time since you went to basic-my husbands parents were invited to his OSUT (one station unit training-basic and AIT combined) in 1979. He got delay enroute leave on his way to schofield barracks too. And even now when hes a Reserve component soldier-in March he graduated from Sergaent Majors Academy-he had been deployed and doing the course correspondance from Iraq-came home t finish and graduate-went directly to ft Bliss from theater-i was invited-and encouraged-to travel to ft Bliss for that Graduation.

 

[Hutchy]

WOW!! I mean WOW! The times they are a changin.

Oh my friend, it's the new kinder, gentler Army. Good times all around. The reason we are leaving though is because of the deployments, 3 year long deployments in 6 yrs and they already have their next deployment dates. No thanks!

 

[crazyme5kids]

Thanks everyone for all your helpful information.

 

[fritzer]

My son graduated from Army basic training last April. He was at Fort Leonard Wood. One very important thing you should know is that every Army post (not base) is different and graduations may even vary within the post.

I would highly suggest checking out goarmyparents.com. It is a forum very similar to DISBoards but for Army families and loved ones. Many of your questions can be answered there, and you can communicate with others in your same situation.

Finally, please thank your son for choosing to serve.

I must warn you though that the son you will get back won't be the same one that you sent! (This is a good thing.) At my son's graduation, the commander said, "These boys arrived as a box of spare parts from the bargain bin, and our drill sergeants were charged with turning them into United States Soldiers." And what a fine job they did!

 

[DWGal210]

This is good info for me, too. My brother leaves next week for Basic, I'll share those links with my mom.

 

[dis-happy]

I drive past Ft. Jackson frequently. Because it's on the outskirts of Columbia there are a TON of hotels close by where you can stay---your typical Days Inn, Marriotts, etc. Glad you will be there for your ds!!

 

[crazyme5kids]

Thank you for the link fritzer. How does your son like army life? DWGal210, hats off to your brother, I wish him well!