Commissioning Ceremony

[tangerinekai]

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Hello all, I am a first year medical student and on the Navy HPSP. I've searched the old threads, and couldn't quite find the answer to my question, so here goes.

I'm slated to go to ODS this summer in Rhode Island. My parents are very excited for me and really want to come to the graduation ceremony. The only problem is that the downturn in the economy hit out family pretty hard so I know the air fare for them is a lot of money that really could be better spent on the family business. I would offer to pay for their tickets, but we're a pride filled bunch and that'd probably start a big fight. I was thinking that instead, I could have a nice commissioning ceremony at home after I got back from ODS. That way they could attend with the added bonus of my brother being there to be my first salute. There's a couple of nice parks in town, but we don't live too far from Yosemite if we want a really nice location, or even NAS Lemoore if we want to go that route.

My question for y'all is if this is a good idea or not? Is the graduation ceremony something special that my parents shouldn't miss or is just having the ceremony ok? Also, for all of y'all that have had a nice commissioning ceremony, any tips? I'm not prior service, so I don't really want anything too big. More like a nice picnic with family and friends. Thanks a bunch for the advise!

 

[DeadCactus]

I never got the impression that the commission or entry level officer training was as big of a deal for medical students. But who am I to tell your parents what to be excited about?

The point being that I never felt particularly accomplished for getting a commission or finishing BOLC (Army version of ODS). I would personally feel kind of awkward making a big deal about it and fortunately didn't have any family excitement to deal with. If you happen to feel that way and your family can be a little patient, another option to consider might be a ceremony at the end of medical school to pin on O3.

I just know that personally I feel that receiving my MD and the obligatory O3 promotion that comes with it will be a more meaningful event to me. Maybe I'm alone on this though...

 

[Kingfisher]

Hello all, I am a first year medical student and on the Navy HPSP. I've searched the old threads, and couldn't quite find the answer to my question, so here goes.

I'm slated to go to ODS this summer in Rhode Island. My parents are very excited for me and really want to come to the graduation ceremony. The only problem is that the downturn in the economy hit out family pretty hard so I know the air fare for them is a lot of money that really could be better spent on the family business. I would offer to pay for their tickets, but we're a pride filled bunch and that'd probably start a big fight. I was thinking that instead, I could have a nice commissioning ceremony at home after I got back from ODS. That way they could attend with the added bonus of my brother being there to be my first salute. There's a couple of nice parks in town, but we don't live too far from Yosemite if we want a really nice location, or even NAS Lemoore if we want to go that route.

My question for y'all is if this is a good idea or not? Is the graduation ceremony something special that my parents shouldn't miss or is just having the ceremony ok? Also, for all of y'all that have had a nice commissioning ceremony, any tips? I'm not prior service, so I don't really want anything too big. More like a nice picnic with family and friends. Thanks a bunch for the advise!

Not sure if this is an answer to your question or not, but here goes.

When you sign your HPSP contract in the recruiters office, you are a commissioned officer. That is the time to have the ceremony with your family and first salute (although for most they are in shorts and T-shirt and it usually ends with a handshake not a salute). You should already have your commission when you go to ODS and it is more of an "induction" into the military and Navy way.

The Navy always makes some big to-do with these graduations. Maybe it's just me but the only graduations that meant anything to me were college, med school and now residency (here in a few months). I equate all those other little graduations (ODS, Internship, C4, NRP, or whatever) to graduating from kindergarden to the 1st grade. Yes the fam is always there to take pictures and see how you look in your uniform, but come on.