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Are Turning Blue and Graduation the same?
Also, after graduation in August are soldiers free to leave immediately after? I was notified today that my son needs to be in Indiana for National Guard drill on August 13. Graduation is August 12.
Any information is welcome!

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HI Becky!

Turning Blue and Graduation are NOT the same!

The Turning Blue Ceremony is on August 11th. In this Ceremony your son will receive his Blue Infantry Cord (which will be pinned on him by whoever he chooses)

After the Turning Blue the trainee is released to family for the day and has to report back that evening.

Graduation is the next morning August 12th. And yes, immediately after the graduation ceremony, recruits are released to their families.

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Thank you, Dana! Greatly appreciate the information.

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Dana,
My son #409 is attending Airborne School right after OUST. We are assuming he will probably start the Monday after graduation. Does that sound right?
Is there a day of the week that Airborne school starts?

It is 3 weeks long right?

We are trying to make tenative plans to also attend his graduation from Airborne so any info helps. Thanks

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Robin, I can honestly say I know nothing about Airborne School but I will ask for you tomorrow and get the information for you!

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Thanks for asking that question Robin! I was wondering the same thing also. My boyfriend's in 4th platoon too, and he'll be going to Airborne school after graduation. I just wasn't sure if he had any time off after that or not! I would need to know somehow if he will be coming home with me or not! Hopefully they do

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I think I found the answer on the Fort Benning page. It looks like recruits going to Airborne School load on a bus directly after graduation. Thought we would have till Sunday evening with him.

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Hi, so the turning blue ceremony do they choose a family member to place the pin on them or do they choose someone in the platoon with them? Also after the graduation on August 12 if they are heading home are they able to come home with us?

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They can have anyone they want pin their blue cord on them.  And they're released to their families if they have time between graduation and reporting to their next post.

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Originally Posted by Robin Thompson Collinwood:
I think I found the answer on the Fort Benning page. It looks like recruits going to Airborne School load on a bus directly after graduation. Thought we would have till Sunday evening with him.

Oh wow... so we wouldn't even have the day with them? Mine is hoping for Airborne. I'm glad you found that info so I'm prepared if he gets it. Thanks for sharing! At least we have them the day before... but not the night before. :-(

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I was led to believe by my son #436, who is also slated for Airborne School after OSUT, that he will, immediately following Graduation, check in & process into Airborne. But I have been told by several friends who have attended Airborne that it actually starts on Monday and I know I read somewhere that they are usually given a weekend pass after checkin & processing. But and that is a BIG BUT, you never know. We are personally hoping & praying he will be given a weekend pass & maybe just have to report back by like 6 or 8 pm on Sunday night, but we are not counting on it. I sure hope so,for all of us who soldiers are going on to Airborne!

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I just went on Airborne's page and it states that the sudents are required to report 1200hrs on Friday and go thru  inprocessing, which is a lengthy process, to get paperwork done, get your billet & bunk assignment, get your issued gear & such and it also states that " "STUDENTS SHOULD NOT EXPECT TO BE RELEASED BEFORE 1800 HRS".   So that would indicate to me that they will be released on pass. My husband told me during jump school they normal have weekends off also.  What cha ladies think, maybe?

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That what I'm hoping for - that they go check in on Friday after graduation then get the weekend off.

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For those asking about Airborne School:

Its a toss up...its possible that they could start on Monday but its also possible that they might not.  My husband was in Airborne Hold for a week before he started school.  

If your soldier is going to be starting Airborne School the following Monday then he will be bussed over to main post to sign in and in process directly after the ceremony. (You'll get to visit with him for a while while he waits on the bus to get there and everybody get organized) REMIND HIM TO TAKE ALL HIS PAPERWORK WITH HIM...EVEN IF HE THINKS HE DOESN'T NEED IT.  Don't be tempted to hold his stuff for him so he doesn't have to lug it around...he has to have certain stuff to in process and it would be a pain in the butt to try to find him if he needed something you had. (this happened to alot of guys apparently)  He will be released back to you around 4-6pm depending on how long winded they decide to be at the final briefing.  He will be released to you for the weekend but keep in mind that he might have a CQ shift sometime during the weekend.  

If your soldier is NOT going to start Airborne School the following Monday they will be bussed to the Airborne Hold barracks to sign in...basically they just have to sign in and they tell them when to be back and then they are released for the weekend. (assuming nothing has changed this is what happened to my husband 3 years ago)

Airborne School is 3 weeks long, they have evenings and weekends free.  Its different from basic in that they will be allowed to have their phones or computers or whatever they want when they are not on duty.  You might want to take them a few pairs of civillian clothes when you go for their graduation so they can have them on weekends...they're gonna be so sick of wearing uniforms by then....My husband was sooo thrilled to have "real people underwear"  

Airborne graduation is a short ceremony when they get their wings pinned on by the person of their choice, its usually held on a Friday. HTH!!!

This is my husband getting his Airborne Wings 03 October 2008!!!

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Thank you Eleanor.  That is very useful information. Congratulations to your husband for getting his Airborne Wings!