Can I take photos at Army graduation ceremonies?

Yes. Personal cameras and smartphones are permitted at graduation ceremonies and Family Day activities. There are no flash restrictions for outdoor events. You may photograph the parade field, bleachers, and any publicly accessible areas of the post. Do not photograph gate security operations, guard posts, or restricted areas; these are clearly marked. Some posts restrict photography inside specific buildings. Official ceremony photos are sometimes posted afterward by the installation's Public Affairs office.

What happens if it rains during Army graduation?

Most Army installations have an indoor backup venue for graduation ceremonies when significant rain is forecast. The ceremony schedule typically stays the same; only the location changes. Common indoor venues include base gymnasiums or large event centers. Check with your specific installation's Public Affairs office for the backup location. Arrive early on ceremony days regardless of weather so you have time to find seating.

What actually happens during an Army graduation ceremony?

A BCT graduation is a pass-in-review parade. After an opening narration, the new Soldiers march onto the field by company, render honors, and pass in review before the reviewing officer and the families in the stands. There are remarks from the commander, sometimes a keynote, the national anthem and the Army Song, and a symbolic moment where the trainees are formally recognized as Soldiers. The whole ceremony usually runs about one to two hours. Soldiers are then released to their families for a window of time that varies by post. Bring something to shade yourself and water; even short ceremonies feel long in the sun or an unheated gym.

Is Army graduation live-streamed for family who can't attend?

Often, yes. Many Army training brigades live-stream graduation (and sometimes Family Day) on the unit or installation Facebook page, and the video usually stays up afterward so relatives in other time zones can watch on replay. It is not guaranteed at every post or for every cycle, and the stream quality varies. Find your Soldier's specific brigade or battalion Facebook page (the unit shares it in the family letter) and follow it a couple of weeks out. That is where the stream link, start time, and any weather changes get posted.

How many guests can I bring to Army graduation?

Most Army BCT graduations do not cap the number of family guests. The ceremonies are held in large outdoor parade-field stands or sizable indoor venues built for big crowds. There is normally no ticket and no RSVP for the ceremony itself. What is limited is gate access (every adult needs valid ID), parking (lots fill early), and bleacher seating (first-come). If your Soldier's post or company has an unusual restriction for a given cycle (occasionally the case for indoor or holiday-week ceremonies), it will come through the unit. Confirm with your Soldier or the family-readiness contact if you are bringing a large party.

Is there assigned seating at Army graduation?

No. Seating is general admission and first-come, first-served: outdoor bleachers at most posts, or pews/chairs when the ceremony is indoors. Arrive early (an hour or more before start on graduation morning) to get a good spot, especially if anyone in your party has mobility needs or you want a clear angle to spot your Soldier and photograph the pass-in-review. Most posts have an accessible-seating area; ask a staff member or military police on arrival. Bring a cushion for metal bleachers.

Will Army graduation be cancelled or delayed for severe weather?

Graduation ceremonies are very rarely fully cancelled. The more common response to weather is a venue move (outdoor to indoor) or a brief delay. Each post has an indoor backup plan: at Fort Jackson the ceremony moves from Hilton Field to an indoor location the training battalion announces ahead of time; at Fort Sill the Cache Creek Chapel Complex is named on every currently published 2026 schedule and serves as the indoor venue when the ceremony moves for weather, though Polo Field remains possible for some cycles, so check your unit's graduation notice for the venue that applies to you; at Fort Leonard Wood the indoor theaters (Nutter Field House, Baker Theater, Abrams Theater) serve the same purpose. Lightning is the most likely weather trigger for a delay. Catastrophic weather (tornado warning, ice storm) is the only realistic cancellation scenario; in that case the unit will notify families directly. Always check unit communications the morning of.

What is "The Forge" at Fort Leonard Wood? Is that the graduation ceremony?

No. The Forge is a 96-hour continuous field training exercise (the FLW culmination event, equivalent to other posts' culminating FTX). Trainees do not return to barracks during The Forge, and families do NOT attend the field exercise itself. What families attend is the Forge Ceremony: the recognition formation that runs after the FTX concludes on Wednesday morning. It marks the moment trainees are recognized as Soldiers. The actual Graduation Parade is the next day (Thursday) at the same venue your unit uses for the Forge Ceremony. Your Soldier will be physically depleted after 96 hours in the field; plan accordingly.

Graduation morning at Fort Leonard Wood: hour by hour

Your Soldier graduates today. This is the morning-of guide: where to be, when to leave, how to find your Soldier in a field of people who all look the same.

At a glance

Depart by: The lot fills by 09:30. Aim to be parked by 09:00. Gate line adds time on top of drive time.
Ceremony: 10:00 AM (confirm with your unit).
Meeting spot: Pick one before the parade starts. Cell signal at the ceremony venue drops with hundreds of phones in one spot.
Off-post pass: Your Soldier gets an off-post pass after dismissal. They must stay in uniform. Confirm the radius and curfew with the unit.

Before you go

The night before

Set two alarms. If one fails, the other saves you.
Gas up the rental tonight. You don’t want to find a gas station at 5:45 AM on the way to the gate.
Check the weather. Missouri weather can be extreme; check the forecast and pack layers, sunscreen, and water.
Gather your IDs. Every adult in the vehicle needs a government-issued photo ID at the gate. Digital IDs are not accepted. Bring the physical card.
Decide on a meeting spot at the ceremony venue right now, before the morning chaos. A bleacher section, a flagpole, the parking lot edge. Pick something specific. Write it down.

Drive and gate

Both gates are open on graduation morning. Waggoner Gate (West) can be faster if Main Gate (North): Missouri Avenue, off I-44 is backed up.

Main Gate (North): Missouri Avenue, off I-44

Most common

Hours: 24/7
Grad-morning wait: ~25 min

Primary graduation entry point for families. Take I-44 exit 161, turn onto Missouri Avenue and drive ~3 miles to the gate. Use far-left lanes 1 or 2. Visitor Control Center (VCC) is just outside this gate (2624 Missouri Ave). On Family Day and Graduation Day, US citizens enter with a valid state ID; visitors 17 and younger are not required to show ID. No pre-obtained pass needed. Know your Soldier's unit and the event location before you reach the gate: guards ask why you are visiting. Non-REAL ID licenses require a supplemental document (US passport, birth certificate, or similar). Non-US citizens must arrange access in advance by emailing the VCC.

Waggoner Gate (West)

Alternate

Hours: Mon-Fri 0400-2100; closed weekends
Grad-morning wait: ~20 min

Secondary gate, accessible from the I-44 corridor. Open Mon-Fri 0400-2100; closed weekends. Same ceremony-day access rules as Main Gate (state ID sufficient for US citizens on Family Day / Graduation Day). Plan around weekday-only hours if your arrival falls on a Saturday or Sunday.

At the gate: IDs out for every adult, window down, trunk accessible if asked. for graduation visitors. The rental agreement is your vehicle credential.

Parking

Indoor venue parking (Baker Theater / Abrams Theater / Nutter Field House)

Lot fills by 09:30. Aim to be parked by 09:00. After that you are walking in from overflow.

For indoor venues (Baker Theater, Abrams Theater, Nutter Field House): parking is adjacent to each building and fills by ~0930. Arrive by 0900 for a 1000 ceremony. The line does not move until doors open (~0950). All venues are on-post; your unit's graduation letter will specify your venue and any lot directions. ADA parking is available near all three buildings.

Follow graduation parking signs from whichever gate you enter. Wear practical shoes for the walk from the lot to the ceremony venue.

At the ceremony

Before it starts

Best seats

Gammon Field is the main outdoor venue for Forge Ceremony and Graduation Parade. Bleacher seating surrounds the parade field. Center sections provide the best angle to photograph your Soldier in formation and during the pass-in-review. Arrive by 0900 for a 1000 ceremony to secure a center seat. If your unit is assigned to an indoor venue (Baker Theater, Abrams Theater, Nutter Field House), seating is theater-style. Aisle seats offer cleaner photo angles.

Arrive by 0900; be seated before 0930 for a 1000 ceremony start.

What the garrison bans in the stands

Most Army posts prohibit signs, banners, balloons, and air horns at ceremonies. Cameras are fine. Confirm the specific rules with your Soldier’s unit before the ceremony. Bring water for any outdoor sections. If rain is forecast, check for a from your unit.

During the ceremony

Ceremony format varies by venue: outdoor Gammon Field runs a pass-in-review parade; indoor theaters (Baker, Abrams, Nutter) seat families by company for a seated formation ceremony. Your Soldier is one of hundreds of people in the same uniform. Find them by company, not by face.

Know your Soldier’s company. In bleachers or theater seats, the formation is organized by company. Your Soldier will have told you which company they’re in.
For indoor ceremonies, aisle seats give cleaner sightlines.
Cell signal will be poor. Hundreds of phones on one cell tower. Don’t count on texting during the ceremony. The meeting spot you picked last night matters now.

After

Finding your Soldier

When the parade ends and the formation is dismissed, Soldiers are released to their families on the field. There is no designated pickup line. Families walk down from the stands and find their Soldier on the field or just outside.

This is where cell service fails every single family that didn’t plan ahead. Go to your agreed-upon spot. Wait there. Your Soldier will find you.

Off-post pass

After dismissal your Soldier receives an off-post pass. Standard post-graduation pass rules apply:

Can leave post with you.
Must stay in uniform, and cannot drive.
No alcohol or tobacco, including vape, and no public displays of affection.
Must stay within the authorized area. Confirm the pass area and distance limit with the unit.

Confirm the exact pass duration and curfew with your Soldier’s unit. Each battalion sets its own recall time.

What happens next: AIT, leave, or home

After graduation, orders vary by Soldier:

AIT (Advanced Individual Training) directly. Some Soldiers report to their job school within a day or two. They will know their orders before graduation morning.
Hometown leave. Many Soldiers get a leave period before AIT and can travel with family. Book the Soldier’s travel home only after you have confirmed orders. Dates matter here.
Guard and Reserve. Soldiers returning to their unit follow the timeline on their mobilization orders.

In a rental car: your Soldier can ride with you off post. What they can take is limited to what fits in their issued duffel and personal bags. They cannot bring any post-issued equipment or weapons. Confirm with their unit if you are unsure what’s allowed.

Build your graduation-morning plan

Lock in your gate, arrival time, and the morning timeline.

Start your plan

Common questions

Can I take photos at Army graduation ceremonies?: Yes. Personal cameras and smartphones are permitted at graduation ceremonies and Family Day activities. There are no flash restrictions for outdoor events. You may photograph the parade field, bleachers, and any publicly accessible areas of the post. Do not photograph gate security operations, guard posts, or restricted areas; these are clearly marked. Some posts restrict photography inside specific buildings. Official ceremony photos are sometimes posted afterward by the installation's Public Affairs office.
What happens if it rains during Army graduation?: Most Army installations have an indoor backup venue for graduation ceremonies when significant rain is forecast. The ceremony schedule typically stays the same; only the location changes. Common indoor venues include base gymnasiums or large event centers. Check with your specific installation's Public Affairs office for the backup location. Arrive early on ceremony days regardless of weather so you have time to find seating.
What actually happens during an Army graduation ceremony?: A BCT graduation is a pass-in-review parade. After an opening narration, the new Soldiers march onto the field by company, render honors, and pass in review before the reviewing officer and the families in the stands. There are remarks from the commander, sometimes a keynote, the national anthem and the Army Song, and a symbolic moment where the trainees are formally recognized as Soldiers. The whole ceremony usually runs about one to two hours. Soldiers are then released to their families for a window of time that varies by post. Bring something to shade yourself and water; even short ceremonies feel long in the sun or an unheated gym.
Is Army graduation live-streamed for family who can't attend?: Often, yes. Many Army training brigades live-stream graduation (and sometimes Family Day) on the unit or installation Facebook page, and the video usually stays up afterward so relatives in other time zones can watch on replay. It is not guaranteed at every post or for every cycle, and the stream quality varies. Find your Soldier's specific brigade or battalion Facebook page (the unit shares it in the family letter) and follow it a couple of weeks out. That is where the stream link, start time, and any weather changes get posted.
How many guests can I bring to Army graduation?: Most Army BCT graduations do not cap the number of family guests. The ceremonies are held in large outdoor parade-field stands or sizable indoor venues built for big crowds. There is normally no ticket and no RSVP for the ceremony itself. What is limited is gate access (every adult needs valid ID), parking (lots fill early), and bleacher seating (first-come). If your Soldier's post or company has an unusual restriction for a given cycle (occasionally the case for indoor or holiday-week ceremonies), it will come through the unit. Confirm with your Soldier or the family-readiness contact if you are bringing a large party.
Is there assigned seating at Army graduation?: No. Seating is general admission and first-come, first-served: outdoor bleachers at most posts, or pews/chairs when the ceremony is indoors. Arrive early (an hour or more before start on graduation morning) to get a good spot, especially if anyone in your party has mobility needs or you want a clear angle to spot your Soldier and photograph the pass-in-review. Most posts have an accessible-seating area; ask a staff member or military police on arrival. Bring a cushion for metal bleachers.
Will Army graduation be cancelled or delayed for severe weather?: Graduation ceremonies are very rarely fully cancelled. The more common response to weather is a venue move (outdoor to indoor) or a brief delay. Each post has an indoor backup plan: at Fort Jackson the ceremony moves from Hilton Field to an indoor location the training battalion announces ahead of time; at Fort Sill the Cache Creek Chapel Complex is named on every currently published 2026 schedule and serves as the indoor venue when the ceremony moves for weather, though Polo Field remains possible for some cycles, so check your unit's graduation notice for the venue that applies to you; at Fort Leonard Wood the indoor theaters (Nutter Field House, Baker Theater, Abrams Theater) serve the same purpose. Lightning is the most likely weather trigger for a delay. Catastrophic weather (tornado warning, ice storm) is the only realistic cancellation scenario; in that case the unit will notify families directly. Always check unit communications the morning of.
What is "The Forge" at Fort Leonard Wood? Is that the graduation ceremony?: No. The Forge is a 96-hour continuous field training exercise (the FLW culmination event, equivalent to other posts' culminating FTX). Trainees do not return to barracks during The Forge, and families do NOT attend the field exercise itself. What families attend is the Forge Ceremony: the recognition formation that runs after the FTX concludes on Wednesday morning. It marks the moment trainees are recognized as Soldiers. The actual Graduation Parade is the next day (Thursday) at the same venue your unit uses for the Forge Ceremony. Your Soldier will be physically depleted after 96 hours in the field; plan accordingly.