19K M1 Armor Crewman / 19D Cavalry Scout OSUT Graduation Guide

18 wk · Two family ceremonies · Fort Benning, GA

Content under development.

The remaining cycle date is still pending confirmation from official sources (Fort PAO + Army.mil); the rest of this Armor OSUT guide is already verified. Check back as it is confirmed.

The two-trip decision

Armor OSUT has two distinct family-attended ceremonies. Many families travel for both; others attend only the final graduation. Here’s what each trip looks like.

Trip 1: Intermediate

Turning Green Ceremony (Armor OSUT, Week ~9-10)

Around Week 9-10 of Armor OSUT, the Turning Green ceremony marks completion of the BCT portion: trainees have earned "Soldier" status and move on to Armor AIT (M1 Abrams crew or Cavalry Scout training). Families attend; the 194th Armored Brigade publishes it on its ceremony page alongside graduations.

This is the smaller of the two Armor trips; graduation is about 8 weeks later.

Venue

Brave Rifles Field (on-post; gate access and government-issued ID required), the 194th Armored Brigade ceremony field. This is a DIFFERENT venue from Infantry Turning Green at Kanell Field.

Gate

Brave Rifles Field is in the Harmony Church area on the east side of post, not Sand Hill. The garrison lists the 8th Division Road gate (ACP 7, Harmony Church) as open 24/7; from Columbus the drive runs east on US-280. Some events designate a specific entry gate, so confirm the gate in your Soldier's ceremony letter.

Time

Typically Wednesday, about 1 hour.

If weather moves the ceremony

Forecasts this far out aren’t reliable. Treat this as a starting point and check again the morning of.

A few companies use Marshall Auditorium, Bldg. 4 as a weather alternate.

Confirm before you plan

Pass-length specifics are not published as plainly for Armor as for Infantry (3-day pass), so confirm with your Soldier's unit before booking.

Source: army.mil/article/291383

Trip 2: Week 18

Armor OSUT Graduation Ceremony

Graduation ceremony for Armor OSUT at Fort Benning, conducted by the 194th Armored Brigade for 19K M1 Armor Crewman and 19D Cavalry Scout. Held at Brave Rifles Field on-post, a different venue from the Infantry graduation at Inouye Field.

Gate access is required: bring a government-issued ID.

Venue

Brave Rifles Field, 10208 7th Cavalry Road, Fort Benning GA 31905 (on-post; gate access and government-issued ID required).

Gate

Brave Rifles Field is in the Harmony Church area on the east side of post. The garrison lists the 8th Division Road gate (ACP 7, Harmony Church) as open 24/7; the Columbus airport drive runs about 21 minutes east via I-185 and US-280. Confirm the designated gate in your Soldier's ceremony letter.

Time

Typically Thursday, about 2 hours.

Dress

Smart casual. Columbus GA is hot and humid; outdoor standing expected.

After

Like Infantry, Armor graduates often deploy within days.

Confirm before you plan

The Order of the Spur (silver spurs) and Stetson presentation are separate from OSUT graduation; they are earned at the Soldier's first duty station through a unit-conducted Spur Ride (typically a 1-4 day evaluation, often months after arriving). Families should not expect a Spurs presentation at this ceremony.

Source: army.mil/article/291383; home.army.mil/benning/mcoe/public-affairs-office/community-relations

Upcoming cycles

No upcoming graduation dates are posted for this track yet. Army OSUT dates come from the brigade ceremony schedule and are added as they are confirmed. Check back, or confirm your Soldier’s date with their unit.