# Airborne graduation



## Tiger87 (Feb 16, 2017)

My son is currently in Jump School. He will graduate in 2 weeks. Trying to decide whether to travel to graduation. I'd love to see him jump, but I think that concludes a day or two before graduation ceremonies. Hate to take 2 days off from work and travel 6 hours each way to see a 30-minute graduation. Any advice from anyone recently participating is appreciated.


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## Ooh-Rah (Feb 16, 2017)

Cannot speak to jump school, but I will tell you that my family flew out to San Diego to watch me graduate Marine Corps Boot Camp.  We were not in a good place as a family then, I will never forget that they did that.


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## Tiger87 (Feb 16, 2017)

That's a great point, Ooh-Rah. I, too, went to see my son graduate Army OSUT and it was a proud day for everyone involved. That is part of the problem with traveling back to Benning. I was just down there 2 weeks ago and took off 3 days for that graduation.

I will gladly go if it is a worthwhile ceremony. Like I indicated, I'd rather see him jump because that would be a definite once in a lifetime as a parent.


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## TLDR20 (Feb 16, 2017)

To be honest I would save your time and money. If he has an option 40 I don't think he will have much time afterwards to talk to you. He may get hemmed up and shipped off to start the fun and games right away. Airborne graduation is no shit 30 minutes long. It isn't that impressive.


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## Tiger87 (Feb 16, 2017)

Thanks, TLDR. He is option 40 and that's what I was afraid of. Another option I've been thinking of is going down Sunday of Jump Week and taking him out to eat. Then sticking around Monday morning for his first jump. I'd still miss a day of work, but if I saw a jump, it'd be worth it. Do jumps absolutely start Monday morning, weather permitting?


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## Centermass (Feb 16, 2017)

Tiger87 said:


> That's a great point, Ooh-Rah. I, too, went to see my son graduate Army OSUT and it was a proud day for everyone involved. That is part of the problem with traveling back to Benning. I was just down there 2 weeks ago and took off 3 days for that graduation.
> 
> I will gladly go if it is a worthwhile ceremony. Like I indicated, I'd rather see him jump because that would be a definite once in a lifetime as a parent.



If your days off are slim, my suggestion is this. This is your son jumping.......can you see him?








You'll have plenty of time and opportunities to see him jump during his career.

While it is a worthwhile ceremony, I would hold off until he graduates RASP. That day will be the proudest moment in his life and your family's as well.


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## TLDR20 (Feb 16, 2017)

Tiger87 said:


> Thanks, TLDR. He is option 40 and that's what I was afraid of. Another option I've been thinking of is going down Sunday of Jump Week and taking him out to eat. Then sticking around Monday morning for his first jump. I'd still miss a day of work, but if I saw a jump, it'd be worth it. Do jumps absolutely start Monday morning, weather permitting?



This is something that may seem harsh. I'm not a parent, but I was a young man once and in his position. He may be homesick, and may miss the hell out of you, and you him, he may also want to go hang with his boys that he went through basic with. He may want to spend his Sunday relaxing without any added responsibilities, or he may want to PT and recover. Maybe just let him do that for a bit. 

He is growing, and has already become a man. It would be harder in my opinion to have you come, and put him in a position where he has to come out, and not do something with the dudes that might make him feel left out. It is hard and I know you just want to be that supportive dad. 

Maybe feel him out. I know that whenever I had family come visit, it was a hard juggling act for me. Juggling actual work responsibilities with the added stress of having to accommodate their demand for time.


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## Tiger87 (Feb 16, 2017)

Lol, Centermass. I've seen the videos and I know I won't be able to recognize him. But knowing he's one of the many would be pretty cool. Not sure what you mean about other future opportunities to see him jump. Example?


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## TLDR20 (Feb 16, 2017)

Also once he makes it into a Ranger Batt, there is a 2/3 chance he stays in Georgia. You can see him then. These are fun times for him. Let him be on his own a bit...


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## Tiger87 (Feb 16, 2017)

TLDR, it's less the homesick thing and more the respect/support thing. He's a 22 year old who went to college before enlisting, so he's self-reliant and we're all past homesickness. At the same time, he's told me a couple of times that I don't have to come, but if I want to, I'm welcome. I think I will talk more to him about it.


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## Teufel (Feb 16, 2017)

Did you graduate airborne? I went a "few" years ago and they let dads wing their kids


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## AWP (Feb 16, 2017)

Teufel said:


> Did you graduate airborne? I went a "few" years ago and they let dads wing their kids



They were doing that in '93 so the option is probably still there. With that said, to the OP I would say skip graduation.


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## Tiger87 (Feb 17, 2017)

I did not graduate Airborne. But I've heard they now allow any parent/spouse to wing their soldier. They call out former airborne first and recognize them, then it's anyone else.

I'm just going to talk more to him about it.


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## Teufel (Feb 17, 2017)

AWP said:


> They were doing that in '93 so the option is probably still there. With that said, to the OP I would say skip graduation.


I didn't know at the time. If I had I would have asked my SF/airborne dad to wing me.


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## Viper1 (Feb 17, 2017)

My Dad "winged" me in 2003, and I was able to "wing" my younger brother a year later. 

I loved my Dad for being there, especially since he'd be in the 82nd, wish my Mom could have been there too.  Then again, I wasn't doing the duffel bag run over to Ranger barracks afterwards.

 If you do go, take a lot of pictures!


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## Tiger87 (Mar 16, 2017)

Well, we worked it out so I could go on Friday for graduation. He was proud and really wanted me there, though he wouldn't come out and say it. Their jump week was windy all week, and by Friday they only had 2 of the 5 jumps in the books. So they were planning to jump all day with graduation late Friday or early Saturday. Cool - I would see him jump and graduate. So I sat at Fryar Field all day. Saw a few jumps that morning - none of my son - then they got grounded for wind. (However, midday we saw some Ranger HAHO jumps.) Late afternoon, they finally took to the air and everyone finished their 3rd jumps. Saw my son - though I didn't know until they came running by if it was his Chalk or not. I kept my eye at the end of jump group, because he was always last. The Air Force shut it down at 7:30 that night, and no flying over the weekend, so they had to wait until Monday to finish up. I had to leave that night so I didn't get to pin his wings. But everyone did get their final 2 jumps in on Monday and graduated on Tuesday.


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## Tiger87 (Mar 16, 2017)

I will add that the jumps were really cool. Neat to see. I hear the graduation ceremony is not much to it. Unless you Airborne yourself and want to pin wings, I recommend jumps during the week over graduation.


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