is the commissiong cermony a big deaL? please help me!

[dentalmon]

ok guys, i am a navy hpsp finally getting to be commission on Sept 8th .. however, .. i'm not from any military background so none of my family think this is important enough to fly over to see me get commissoned.. i was wondering if anyone know if this ceremony a big deal in the NAVY?

I know that all we will do is basically take oath, and sign contract.. so my family think its not worth wasting couple hundred dollars to see that..

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[del Sol DOHC]

ok guys, i am a navy hpsp finally getting to be commission on Sept 8th .. however, .. i'm not from any military background so none of my family think this is important enough to fly over to see me get commissoned.. i was wondering if anyone know if this ceremony a big deal in the NAVY?

I know that all we will do is basically take oath, and sign contract.. so my family think its not worth wasting couple hundred dollars to see that..

Your commissioning can be as simple or as ceremonial as you like. The most basic requirement is that you have a flag and an officer to administer the oath and sign the contract. This can be done quick and dirty in the recruiter's office. However, this is an important day for you (kind of like getting married to the Navy), and you may later wish that you had made it a bit more special. This is one of the only times when you will have this much control over a Navy ceremony. I am commissioning in September as well, and my family will be coming out for it. I purchased a set of ceremonial dress whites, as I wish to be commissioned in uniform. I am having the ceremony at a veterans memorial in front of the state capitol. After the National Anthem, an officer will administer the oath of office. Then, my wife will put on my Ensign shoulder boards, and one of my very good enlisted friends who served with me in the Air Force will give me my first salute as an officer. Then we will all go out to eat at a nice restaurant. Your commissioning can be whatever you want it to be.

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

ok guys, i am a navy hpsp finally getting to be commission on Sept 8th .. however, .. i'm not from any military background so none of my family think this is important enough to fly over to see me get commissoned.. i was wondering if anyone know if this ceremony a big deal in the NAVY?

I know that all we will do is basically take oath, and sign contract.. so my family think its not worth wasting couple hundred dollars to see that..

It really is what YOU make of it. I have seen people dressed in shorts go to the recruiting district, take the oath, sign the appropriate paperwork and high tail it out of there with only he, the recruiter and the officer giving the oath of office. Then he high tailed it out of there.

Then, there are people like me, who come from multi-generations of Navy guys. I was the first officer in the family. When I went through OCS, my parents flew from Idaho to Pensacola, FL to see me commmissioned. It was a very big deal to my father. I was glad they were there to share that moment, but then again serving our country is a family pride.

So, don't worry. If you want to keep it simple, no one will think anything bad about it.

 

[MatthewLeeDDS]

To reiterate for a 3rd time what those 1 have already said, it's whatever you want to make of it. I'm Air Force and did mine back in March. I did it in the Oklahoma House of Representatives chamber and had my mom, dad, brother and girlfriend come. It was really a great time and I'm really happy I did it that way. We hung around and took pictures for a while and it was all pretty incredible, something I'll never forget. You get a lot of control over how you want to do it. With that said, you don't have t make it a big deal at all, it's up to you. This is your moment, so make it what you want!

 

[dentalmon]

thanks for the respond.... i think i'll just make it the simplest I can get.... it would be nice if my family do decide to come.. but i guess whatever..

 

[Act0fgod]

thanks for the respond.... i think i'll just make it the simplest I can get.... it would be nice if my family do decide to come.. but i guess whatever..

To answer your question it is a big deal, but just because it is a big deal does not mean it requires family and large ceremony. Some of the things that mean the most are private and small or have personal meaning. Some of the things that have meant the most to my friends I wasn't concerned with.

Sounds like you're a bit bummed out about family not being able to make it, especially since the three other posters talked about ceremonies. To let you know you will have plenty of opportunities for ceremony once you join. You’ll have a ceremony after officer traning, every time you get promoted you will have to have some sort of ceremony, you may have them when you get awards and decorations and if you stay in until retirement you will have a ceremony then…there will be plenty of times for your family to share their joy concerning your military accomplishments.

Each individual will value different things for example to many graduating high school was a big deal, others it was graduating college, some dental school will be the big thing to celebrate or maybe finishing a residency program.

To let you know when I did my commisioning paperwork for HPSP it was my wife who gave me the oath in my house, then we mailed it off. Also there is no requirement to have a flag or be commissioned by an active officer (at least for the Air Force). I'm guessing the recruiters stated that the flag was required as that is the case for re-enlistment ceremonies (which is another ceremony I'm sure you'll have an opportunity participate in during your time in service - but overseeing). Also a retired officer or certain authorized civilians (like a notary) can give the oath.

Good luck with it all and congrats on your decision to join.

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

To answer your question it is a big deal, but just because it is a big deal does not mean it requires family and large ceremony.

Also there is no requirement to have a flag or be commissioned by an active officer (at least for the Air Force).

To you, it is a big deal. But that is your personal opinion. To some, it is not a big deal. It is just another step in the process of serving their country.

As far as commissioning, in the Navy, you must be sworn in by an officer of equal or higher rank.

 

[dentalmon]

thank you ..


Btw, i Have one more question... .. when I commission into the navy as a hpsp.. what is my title?.. ..b/c technically i'll be a dental school student.. .. .. we not lieutenant until we graduate and go through officer trainning.. right?

 

[del Sol DOHC]

thank you ..


Btw, i Have one more question... .. when I commission into the navy as a hpsp.. what is my title?.. ..b/c technically i'll be a dental school student.. .. .. we not lieutenant until we graduate and go through officer trainning.. right?

When you commission, you will be an Ensign (O-1) in the Navy Reserve. After graduation, you will supersede to Lieutenant (O-3), skipping Lieutenant Junior Grade (O-2).

 

[Act0fgod]

To you, it is a big deal. But that is your personal opinion. To some, it is not a big deal. It is just another step in the process of serving their country.

As far as commissioning, in the Navy, you must be sworn in by an officer of equal or higher rank.

I went back and forth on putting "it is a big deal...if you think it is" but then thought it would probably be safe to say it is a big deal and wanted to emphasis the importance that the oath actually has as it is essentially the time you commit yourself for at least 4 years and you are taking an oath and not just checking a box. For me my HPSP oath wasn’t all that memorable or ceremonious (as it was the 2nd time I took the oath)

Also not sure what the exact regulation is for the Navy but I know for sure with the AF, the Army and the Marine Corps the individual who administers the oath can be an officer (active or retired), some warrant officers, and civilians authorized to deliver oaths. Since the Marine Corps allows these options I would assume the navy also follows the trend, that may be a bad assumption as it doesn't always follow (also know for sure that retired officers can administer the oath for future Navy officers).

Reference for AF is AFI 36-2006, Army it says it on their DA Form 71, and Marines it also says it on their NACMC 763. The Navy was the only service that doesn’t have their form online so I couldn’t find it to see what it says.

I’m also not sure that the member administrating the oath must be higher ranked.