Family Day and Graduation
One of the biggest questions is about graduations. There can be confusion regarding graduations, family days and family weekends. Hopefully this will help.
There are several different MOS (military occupational specialties) that train at Ft Moore. The largest MOS, and the one that has trained at Ft Moore the longest, is Infantry. The Infantry MOS train in what is called OSUT - One Station Unit Training. This means that they do their BCT (basic combat training) and AIT (advanced individual training) all together at Ft Moore. They stay with the same company and transition from one phase of training to the next. Their training is 22 weeks total.
Cav Scouts (19D) and Tankers (19K) also do OSUT. Their training is 22 weeks as well.
With so many different MOS training at Ft Moore, it's easy to get confused. Each company/troop does things differently. There are some things that are universal, like the length of time for BCT (9 weeks), but most things are done on a company by company basis. Pick up and return times are different for each company.
These are GENERAL GUIDELINES. The only true way to know this information, is by your Commander letter and your trainee or your company Facebook page.
If your trainee is Infantry, at the end of the 9 weeks of BCT, you will have the opportunity for Family Weekend. Please note that there is NO graduation ceremony at the end of the BCT portion of OSUT. There is a Turning Green Ceremony. It represents the transition from citizen to soldier. Some commander letters will say Family Day, but it is for the weekend. Most Infantry companies only do Saturday and Sunday, but there are some that do Friday also. Your Commander letter will state this. At the end of this weekend your Soldier will begin the AIT portion of training. This is 13 weeks long. At the end of 22 weeks of training there will be a Turning Blue ceremony on the day before Graduation, after which you will get to visit with your soldier for the remainder of the day. The next day is graduation.
If your trainee is Cav Scout or Tanker, at the end of the 9 weeks of BCT, you will also have Family Weekend. this is usually Friday-Sunday, They also do NOT have a graduation at the end of BCT. They do, however, have a "ceremony" signifying their transition from citizen to soldier. After 22 weeks of training, some Tanker companies/Cav Scout troop will have a dinner and awards ceremony on a Wednesday, followed by Graduation on Thursday. Some have done away with the dinner in favor of a family day. You MUST consult your commander letter or company/troop Facebook page for the most accurate information.
Please note that the majority of ACTIVE DUTY SOLDIERS soldiers will leave for their AIT post or FDS (first duty station) after graduation. For those with ACTIVE DUTY Infantry, Tanker and Cavalry Scout soldiers, they will board buses within 30 minutes of graduation to travel to their next destination. There are always exceptions and the best one to discuss this with is your soldier.
NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS will board buses within 30 minutes of graduation to travel home. They may also choose to ride home/travel home with family. This needs to be discussed with your Soldier along with following the travel guidelines allowed by the Company/Troop.
For those with a soldier moving on to Airborne training after graduating, they have historically been given a weekend pass after graduation. They MUST process in at the Airborne unit immediately following the graduation ceremony. They will call to let you know if they have been given a pass or not. This is NOT an overnight pass. These are day passes only. This is not a guaranteed pass and your soldier will not know if he has a pass until he processes in at the Airborne unit.
There are several different MOS (military occupational specialties) that train at Ft Moore. The largest MOS, and the one that has trained at Ft Moore the longest, is Infantry. The Infantry MOS train in what is called OSUT - One Station Unit Training. This means that they do their BCT (basic combat training) and AIT (advanced individual training) all together at Ft Moore. They stay with the same company and transition from one phase of training to the next. Their training is 22 weeks total.
Cav Scouts (19D) and Tankers (19K) also do OSUT. Their training is 22 weeks as well.
With so many different MOS training at Ft Moore, it's easy to get confused. Each company/troop does things differently. There are some things that are universal, like the length of time for BCT (9 weeks), but most things are done on a company by company basis. Pick up and return times are different for each company.
These are GENERAL GUIDELINES. The only true way to know this information, is by your Commander letter and your trainee or your company Facebook page.
If your trainee is Infantry, at the end of the 9 weeks of BCT, you will have the opportunity for Family Weekend. Please note that there is NO graduation ceremony at the end of the BCT portion of OSUT. There is a Turning Green Ceremony. It represents the transition from citizen to soldier. Some commander letters will say Family Day, but it is for the weekend. Most Infantry companies only do Saturday and Sunday, but there are some that do Friday also. Your Commander letter will state this. At the end of this weekend your Soldier will begin the AIT portion of training. This is 13 weeks long. At the end of 22 weeks of training there will be a Turning Blue ceremony on the day before Graduation, after which you will get to visit with your soldier for the remainder of the day. The next day is graduation.
If your trainee is Cav Scout or Tanker, at the end of the 9 weeks of BCT, you will also have Family Weekend. this is usually Friday-Sunday, They also do NOT have a graduation at the end of BCT. They do, however, have a "ceremony" signifying their transition from citizen to soldier. After 22 weeks of training, some Tanker companies/Cav Scout troop will have a dinner and awards ceremony on a Wednesday, followed by Graduation on Thursday. Some have done away with the dinner in favor of a family day. You MUST consult your commander letter or company/troop Facebook page for the most accurate information.
Please note that the majority of ACTIVE DUTY SOLDIERS soldiers will leave for their AIT post or FDS (first duty station) after graduation. For those with ACTIVE DUTY Infantry, Tanker and Cavalry Scout soldiers, they will board buses within 30 minutes of graduation to travel to their next destination. There are always exceptions and the best one to discuss this with is your soldier.
NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS will board buses within 30 minutes of graduation to travel home. They may also choose to ride home/travel home with family. This needs to be discussed with your Soldier along with following the travel guidelines allowed by the Company/Troop.
For those with a soldier moving on to Airborne training after graduating, they have historically been given a weekend pass after graduation. They MUST process in at the Airborne unit immediately following the graduation ceremony. They will call to let you know if they have been given a pass or not. This is NOT an overnight pass. These are day passes only. This is not a guaranteed pass and your soldier will not know if he has a pass until he processes in at the Airborne unit.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
CEREMONIES/GRADUATIONS
CEREMONIES/GRADUATIONS
Infantry soldiers will have Family weekend following the first 9 weeks of BCT. Family weekend may be 2 or 3 days. Turning Blue and Graduation follow the AIT portion of OSUT. Turning Blue is where the blue cord is pinned on the soldier. Graduation is the following day and the soldiers ship to their next post immediately following graduation. Details concerning dates and procedures can be found in the commander letter.
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Cav Scout and Tanker soldiers will have Family weekend following the first 9 weeks of BCT. Family weekend may be 2 or 3 days. Following the AIT portion of OSUT, Cav Scouts and Tankers sometimes have a brief family visit or dinner. Graduation will be on a Thursday, then they ship to their next post. Details concerning dates and procedures can be found in the Commander'S Letter or the official company Facebook page.
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All of this information is what typically happens. The Commander will adjust for each cycle as needed. Please read the Commander Letter and watch the Official Company Facebook pages. They are your BEST source for information.