Commission in Uniform?

[caniac]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi y'all,

Just sent off my fingerprints for AF HPSP -- since I already have a clearance from a fed agency, I've assumed I'll be cleared and am looking forward towards commissioning. Do you commission in uniform? I've been to several AFROTC commissioning ceremonies and they're all sporting dress blues, but I've never been to one pre-OTS/COT/FT whatever.

My dad is USAFA and my mom was AFROTC, and they're both inviting a lot of family friends (which hopefully will include the Col/priest who married them, baptized me, and will hopefully commission me) so it'd be pretty baller if I could finagle an in-uniform ceremony.

Thanks!

 

[Perrotfish]

You can comission anywhere, use any officer (active, reserves, or retired) and you can do it in uniform if you want to. If you want to do it in uniform you're going to need to work with your recruiter to get the uniform bought and fitted. If you have military family and want to have a ceremony I think you definitely should.

 

[DocArmy]

You can comission anywhere, use any officer (active, reserves, or retired) and you can do it in uniform if you want to. If you want to do it in uniform you're going to need to work with your recruiter to get the uniform bought and fitted. If you have military family and want to have a ceremony I think you definitely should.

+1

My dad's a retired Msgt and he came out to give me my first salute. I gave him a silver dollar and my recruiter got me a cake with little plastic Army men on it. All in all it was pretty cool.

I didn't get class A's or anything, b/c I wasn't going to OBLC this summer. I just got a set of ACU's. It was quicker and less hassle than getting class A's fitted and whatnot. You will have time to go to COT before school though, so you might as well get class A's. Order nametapes/nameplates EARLY, b/c they take a while to arrive.

 

[175961]

+1

My dad's a retired Msgt and he came out to give me my first salute. I gave him a silver dollar and my recruiter got me a cake with little plastic Army men on it. All in all it was pretty cool.

I didn't get class A's or anything, b/c I wasn't going to OBLC this summer. I just got a set of ACU's. It was quicker and less hassle than getting class A's fitted and whatnot. You will have time to go to COT before school though, so you might as well get class A's. Order nametapes/nameplates EARLY, b/c they take a while to arrive.

how do you order those anyhow?

 

[teacherman84]

how do you order those anyhow?

go to a local base/post and go to the uniform store/BX/PX/Shopette where uniforms are sold

+1

My dad's a retired Msgt and he came out to give me my first salute. I gave him a silver dollar and my recruiter got me a cake with little plastic Army men on it. All in all it was pretty cool.

I didn't get class A's or anything, b/c I wasn't going to OBLC this summer. I just got a set of ACU's. It was quicker and less hassle than getting class A's fitted and whatnot. You will have time to go to COT before school though, so you might as well get class A's. Order nametapes/nameplates EARLY, b/c they take a while to arrive.

I was planning being in uniform and having my mom commission me and my younger enlisted brother there to be coined. But the AF had different plans and she got sent off to the desert and it doesnt look like she will be home in time. So I dont know if I'll still do the uniform thing

 

[175961]

as you can tell by the questions, i dont have experience with this....but whats with the coin??

 

[dwb8p]

The "Silver Dollar" Salute. It is a tradition in our Army that newly commissioned second lieutenants present a silver dollar to the first enlisted Soldier who salutes them. The coin symbolically acknowledges the receipt of respect due the new rank and position. [p. 95, "Customs of the Service," Army Officer's Guide, 45th Edition, Lt. Col. Lawrence P. Crocker, U.S. Army (Retired), (Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, 1990).]

No one really knows the origins of the tradition, but the tradition dates back to the 19th century. Some hold that the tradition even comes from the British during the Colonial Period.

.

 

[BrickHouseMD]

Our Chief always told us it was a tradition that was meant to convey that "you can buy the first, but you have to earn the rest."

 

[DocArmy]

If I remember correctly, the Army Officer's Handbook described the silver dollar salute as thus:

"The silver dollar salute is a military tradition with ties to the Revolutionary War. New British officers were customarily assigned a senior non-commissioned officer who would train them and help to acclimate them to military life. British officers were also given an allowance with which to pay senior NCO's for this service. This tradition was continued by the Continental Army, and has been passed down in this form to present day."

You can get a silver dollar at a coin shop for like $20.

 

[teacherman84]

I have a silver dollar passed down to me that my great grandfather, an NCO in the army air corps when it became the AF, was coined with. As much as I dont want to get rid of it, it will be cool to give it to my NCO bro when i get commissioned.

 

[Roberie]

I was commissioned early last month. Unfortunately was not in uniform. Would have made it seem more "official" or at least appropriate. Still carrying around the silver dollar in my wallet. I think it'll be in there a while.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

If you aren't in uniform, what are you wearing? A suit? Also, where does the commissioning occur?

 

[StarboardMD]

I'm getting recommissioned right after our graduation ceremony. Asked the recruiter if I should be in uniform, and she said she'd check with the person who's doing the Navy recommissioning so all of us classmates would be doing the same regardless of branch.

Incidentally, I was initially commissioned as I was literally on my way to the airport to catch a plane to Uganda. I think I was wearing sweats or something equally informal.

 

[EMDoc0411]

I kind of feel bad about it now, but I was barefoot in my living room when I was first commissioned. Oh well. I probably still wouldn't have changed anything.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

I kind of feel bad about it now, but I was barefoot in my living room when I was first commissioned. Oh well. I probably still wouldn't have changed anything.

That's my style. So you can just choose wherever/however to be commissioned? I'd be happy to avoid any sort of ceremony and just get the paper work done.👍

 

[dru2002]

That's my style. So you can just choose wherever/however to be commissioned? I'd be happy to avoid any sort of ceremony and just get the paper work done.👍

Do the paperwork and get any active or retired officer to swear you in. That's it. If the officer swearing in is cool doing it in your underwear you can go that route.

 

[DocArmy]

That's my style. So you can just choose wherever/however to be commissioned? I'd be happy to avoid any sort of ceremony and just get the paper work done.👍

If you aren't hep on the whole ceremony at this point, then don't worry about it. When you sign all of your paperwork in triplicate, they'll swear you in right there. All you need is an officer and a flag. I did a quickie official ceremony (in my living room, with my recruiter holding a miniature flag and a Captain from the recruiting station) and then the more formal uniformed one with pops (my recruiter referred to them as my justice of the peace and then my church wedding). My school has all HPSP students graduate in Class A's and then they swear in and pin O3 right after graduation.