Family Day dates, times and venues vary by company. Find your company on the official garrison calendar (opens in new tab) and confirm unit instructions before booking.
At a glance
- Day: Use your unit’s Family Day date and start time
- Location: Confirm the Family Day venue separately from graduation in your unit instructions.
- Duration: Confirm event duration, pass and recall rules with the unit.
- Dress: Smart casual; check your unit venue and Missouri weather. Pack layers.
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The shape of the day
Family Day is company-specific. Check the official garrison calendar for your company. The Forge is a field training exercise; families should follow unit instructions for any recognition formation. Confirm release, permitted travel and recall before making plans.
Family Day timeline
- PlanFind your company entry
Use your unit’s published instructions for the Family Day date, start time and venue. A graduation listing alone does not confirm Family Day.
- TravelAllow time for entry
Plan travel from your actual hotel and airport, plus gate queues. Resolve ID and any required visitor pass before travel.
- ArriveUse the published venue
Follow unit parking instructions. Family Day and graduation may be at different locations.
- AfterFollow the unit release rules
Confirm whether your Soldier has a pass, where you may go and when you must return before making plans.
- RecallReturn at the unit time
Use the recall time and return location given by the unit. No post-wide afternoon return time is confirmed here.
Gate & parking
Open 24/7 · ~5 min from Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport (Forney Field) (TBN). Family Day morning wait: about 25 minutes. Primary graduation entry point for families. Take I-44 exit 161 and use the far-left lanes 1 or 2. Visitor Control Center: 2624 Missouri Ave. Bring REAL ID or approved supplemental identity documents. U.S. citizens generally need no advance pass for the Family Day through graduation window; exceptions apply. A pass is required for non-U.S. citizens, on-post airport use, an on-post hotel stay, or entry before Family Day or after graduation. A non-REAL ID state license needs approved supplemental identity documents and pass processing. Digital IDs are not accepted. Contact the visitor center before travel for your situation; non-U.S. citizens use its email process and need an escort.
Time together and unit recall
- Your unit decides whether your Soldier is released, where you may go together and when and where they must return. Confirm those instructions before planning a meal or leaving the ceremony venue.
- Bring food they’ve been missing: candy from the gas station near home, a real burger, takeout from a favorite place. They’ve been eating dining-facility food for 10 weeks.
- Some companies grant an if the unit authorizes it. Confirm release and recall with the unit before making plans.
- Return your Soldier to the company area before recall; confirm the exact time with your Soldier. A late return affects the whole company. Don’t push it.
Quick answers
- Do I need a visitor pass to get on post?
- Bring REAL ID or approved supplemental identity documents. U.S. citizens generally need no advance pass for the Family Day through graduation window; exceptions apply. A pass is required for non-U.S. citizens, on-post airport use, an on-post hotel stay, or entry before Family Day or after graduation. A non-REAL ID state license needs approved supplemental identity documents and pass processing. Digital IDs are not accepted. Contact the visitor center before travel for your situation; non-U.S. citizens use its email process and need an escort.
- Can I take an Uber or rideshare on post?
- Confirm the driver is approved to enter post before booking. Every adult passenger must meet the same ID and visitor-pass requirements as other visitors.
- What if my Soldier’s company gives a blue cord or pinning ceremony?
- Recognition formations vary by unit. It’s a unit-level decision, not a garrison-wide event. Confirm with your Soldier’s drill sergeant ahead of time.
- Can I bring signs or balloons to the ceremony?
- Most Army posts prohibit signs, banners, balloons, and air horns at ceremonies. Cameras are fine. Confirm the specific rules with your Soldier's unit.
More Family Day questions
- What should we do with our Soldier during the Family Day pass?
- Build the day around the unit's pass boundary, recall time, and travel radius. A meal and unstructured time are safer than a packed itinerary because traffic and gate re-entry consume part of the pass. Fort Jackson's current guide says Family Day is typically on-post while graduation release is typically off-post within 25 miles, but the training battalion can change those limits. Confirm the current brief before making reservations.
- Can I take my Soldier off post during the Family Day pass?
- Only if the current unit brief authorizes it. Fort Jackson's visitor guide says Family Day release is typically on-post and graduation release is typically off-post within 25 miles, while Fort Sill's brigade FAQ directs families to follow the Soldier's specific pass rules. Do not infer permission from another company's experience. Confirm the boundary, recall time, uniform rules, and transportation restrictions with your Soldier before leaving post.
- What is the AIE pass, and do I need it for Family Day or graduation?
- AIE (Automated Installation Entry) is the Army visitor-access system at pass.aie.army.mil. Rules differ by installation. Fort Jackson: Adults 18+ without DoD credentials need a visitor pass as well as physical ID, including Family Day and graduation. REAL ID is waived only for those event days. U.S. citizens in the 50 states can apply online for Visitor Pass, not Special Event. Non-U.S. citizens and residents of U.S. territories are vetted on arrival; follow the official visitor guide. Fort Sill: Adults 18+ without DoD-issued ID need a visitor pass and REAL ID or an accepted alternative. Request online passes at least 24 hours before arrival. Fort Benning: For on-post events, REAL ID scanning can create a digital visitor pass at the gate. Battalion Special Event pre-registration is another route. Non-U.S. citizens need visitor-center processing. Lindsey Creek Visitor Control Center is open 24/7; confirm other open centers or advance vetting with the visitor center before travel. Follow your track and ceremony letter. Fort Leonard Wood: Bring REAL ID or approved supplemental identity documents. U.S. citizens generally need no advance pass for the Family Day through graduation window; exceptions apply. Check the official visitor guide for airport, hotel, citizenship and identity-document exceptions.
- When does Family Day start at Fort Leonard Wood?
- Check the Fort Leonard Wood garrison calendar for your company. Published BCT Family Days are generally the day before graduation, but dates, times and venues vary: the current calendar includes morning and noon starts, Tuesday/Wednesday pairs, and different Family Day and graduation locations for some units. Use the specific company entry when planning your arrival.
Confirm your graduation event
See the ceremony timing and what to expect on Graduation Day.