The Graduation Parade is held Thursday morning, the day after the Forge Ceremony. The venue is the same facility used for your unit's Family Day. Soldiers are released to families following the ceremony. Holiday-adjacent weeks (Memorial Day, Independence Day) sometimes shift the schedule to Tuesday/Wednesday or Thursday-only. Check the garrison calendar for your Soldier's specific company.
Engineer, MP, and CBRN Soldiers (OSUT)
The dates shown below are BCT graduation dates. Combat Engineer, Military Police, and CBRN Soldiers complete OSUT at Leonard Wood and graduate on a separate schedule, weeks after the BCT ceremony. If your Soldier is in an OSUT pipeline, their graduation date is not listed below.
Related guides
At a glance
- Day: Thursday morning, 10:00 AMMost companies graduate around 10:00 AM; some at 12:00 PM. Confirm your Soldier's company time on the FLW graduation calendar.
- Location: Same venue as your unit's Family Day (Gammon Field, Nutter Field House, Baker Theater, or Abrams Theater). Confirm at home.army.mil/wood/my-fort/grad/calendar. (Directions)
- Duration: ~2 hours
- Civilian gate: Main Gate (North): Missouri Avenue, off I-44 · 24/7
If weather moves the ceremony
Forecasts this far out aren’t reliable. Treat this as a starting point and check again the morning of.
Weather risk depends on the company-assigned venue. Indoor venues (Nutter Field House, Baker Theater, Abrams Theater) are unaffected by rain.
Where updates post: If your unit is assigned to Gammon Field (the outdoor venue), confirm the current venue on the official graduation calendar at home.army.mil/wood/my-fort/grad/calendar in case of a venue reassignment.
Both days, step by step
Graduation week is two days. Wednesday is The Forge Ceremony; Thursday is the parade.
Wednesday
The Forge Ceremony
- ~7:00 AMLeave the hotel
Main Gate (North): Missouri Avenue, off I-44, about a 5-min drive from Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport (Forney Field). Plan on ~25 min at the gate.
- By 09:00Parked
Gammon Field parking (outdoor venue). Arrive by 0900 for a typical 1000 ceremony start. Gammon Field is the primary outdoor venue. Parking is in the adjacent field lot. No named overflow lot published by FLW PAO; if the lot fills, families walk from nearby on-post roads. Check your unit's specific instructions for your Soldier's company.
- ~9:00 AMThe Forge Ceremony
Gammon Field (outdoor parade field) is the primary venue; some companies are assigned to Nutter Field House, Baker Theater, or Abrams Theater. Check home.army.mil/wood/my-fort/grad/calendar for your Soldier's specific company.. Runs about 2 hour.
- AfterOn-post pass begins
Once the ceremony wraps, your Soldier is released to you on post. PX, fast food on post, and time together until afternoon recall.
- Late afternoonReturn your Soldier
Recall is in the late afternoon (confirm the exact time with your Soldier). A late return affects the whole company.
The emotional one. Bring your camera. First time seeing your Soldier since they shipped.
Thursday
Graduation Parade
- 10:00 AMGraduation Parade
Same venue as your unit's Family Day (Gammon Field, Nutter Field House, Baker Theater, or Abrams Theater). Confirm at home.army.mil/wood/my-fort/grad/calendar.. About 2 hours.
The formal one. Your Soldier marches in formation and is released to travel home.
2026 graduation schedule
Pick your date to start a plan. Ship dates aren't published by Fort Leonard Wood.
| Grad date | Family Day | Countdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July2026 | |||
| 23 | Jul 22 | 4 days | |
| 30 | Jul 29 | 11 days | |
| August | |||
| 6 | Aug 5 | 18 days | |
| 13 | Aug 12 | 25 days | |
| 20 | Aug 19 | 32 days | |
| 27 | Aug 26 | 39 days | |
Nearest upcoming date highlighted.
When to leave the hotel, clearing the gate, parking, bleacher seating, and finding your Soldier after the parade.
Plan the rest of the week
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