DB and I have had the opposite of a normal experience for his Basic Training. Just to catch anyone up who hasn't been following it...
He started 29 August with C Co. In October, he got hurt and got send home for 30 days of Con Leave (which meant he didn't get to graduate with his company on 09 nov). So when he went back from con leave he stayed with C Co for few weeks until his physical therapy was done and another company was caught up. They then transfered him to B Co, where he's done one training event so far and then sat out the rest, b/c he's already had them. B Co is supposed to graduate 14 Feb.

So.... Last night, I get a text message from him saying "DS asked exactly what I had left to do and after I told him, he asked if I was ready, b/c everything I need is next week. At first, i thought he meant the DS was just being nice and asking if he was ready to train again so I replied to him with "what does that mean" and he came back with "i could ship to AIT early. Don't book anything for graduation yet" Ok....

So, my question to you girls is has anyone else ever even heard of shipping from basic to ait without a graduation ceremony? Is it even possible or is the DS just putting thoughts in his head for the sake of disappointing him just because he can. I don't have any experience with the army before DB and so I don't know that this is even possible, but this is what he's telling me.

Sorry to be so long winded...
Has anyone ever heard of this?

I know nothing, but that doesn't seem right...why would he go to AIT with out a graduation!? Somethings :screwy

Why does he have a cell phone in bootcamp?
Also, I'm pretty positive you have a graduation before you go anywhere!!

they gave them their cell phones one day to make contact and they had to sign a paper saying that they had been able to reach someone to say they were back from Exodus safe and that they had passed the urinalysis and all that and weren't being given any article whatevers. Then they gave him his yesterday, b/c he had a physical therapy appointment and was instructed to call home and tell us that the outcome was all clear. He had had stress fractures in both femurs in October/November. While he was home for Exodus he had pain again and had gone to his home physician to ask about it and the guy said he thought it might be the same thing, so he had to go to hte army guy with the old xrays to get a clear answer. So, he was told he had to call home and give the outcome and sign off again that he had made contact. That's when he sent me the text message.


It all sounds weird to me, I would think he would have to stay for graduation. So, maybe the DS is just messing with his head to be annoying, but at the same time, he did look at the schedule while he was home and everything after that is stuff that he had done before he was injured. I guess this company is doing things in a different order. He was there until the week before their graduation ceremony with his old company so maybe that's why.

I was just curious if anyone else had ever heard of such a thing, because I hadn't.

The cell phone thing must be new. I've never heard anything about being able to use cell phones in bootcamp. Usually they're required to send their cell phones back home and use payphones to keep family informed of their status.

How far in advance is he suppose to be leaving? When my brother was in Army bootcamp, he trained up to the hour he graduated. Unless things have changed or something, I don't see them having him leave prior to his graduation. Only your DB knows..

By the way, DS, I'm assuming stands for Drill Sergeant, correct??

That doesn't seem right. I doubt it...but who knows???

Yes DS is drill sergeant. That's what we originally thought about cell phones too so he didn't take his, but when they get to call their one time since there are so many people they let them have their cell phones, but they have to check them out and in with their Drill Sergeant each time so they can't have them while they're training. usually it is only on sundays. Apparently the payphones don't work anymore or something and this is their solution. That's what he was told when he got there the first time!

IT sounds like he'd be leaving like 3 weeks early by the sound of what he's saying. He left on the 29th of August though. So, he's done his time at Basic and the training events that are the end for this company were the beginning for his original company so he's done them.I guess the only thing that he wouldn't get would be the graduation rehearsals and graduation ceremony. I tried to look at his schedule that he mailed me of the new company and compare it to what he had told me from his old company and it looks like it makes sense. They end with all the classroom instruction and First aid and such and he did that at the beginning with C Co. I guess they did it that way with this one because of weather so that they could always reschedule that earlier and change the outdoor stuff around if they needed to or whatever. So, he's had the training "Events" that are left. I jsut have never heard of it.

I'd be happy if it were true, b/c that would mean he'd be done with everything earlier, but at the same time, I'll be disappointed if he doesn't have a graduation ceremony. He's been there so long that he really doesn't care about the ceremony or anything anymore as long as he gets out of there, but I'd like to have pictures and whatnot to look back on and just to go to the ceremony where it is all official.

The third option here could be that they change his company again and he graduates with A Co, who does have a ceremony that falls a few days after the last event that he needs, but I wouldn't think they'd go through that whole process AGAIN. Who knows though.

no idea.. hopefully someone here can help you. DH's Navy & the only other army "experience" I have is when my brother went through almost 11 years ago! hopefully you'll get to go to his grad!

My DB got his cell phone returned after 5 weeks of good behaviour for use on weekends only - but we're in canada.

that does sound strange, why not call the operator at the base and casually ask about his graduation? or get his mom to?

The cell phone thing must be new. I've never heard anything about being able to use cell phones in bootcamp. Usually they're required to send their cell phones back home and use payphones to keep family informed of their status.



That's Navy. From my understanding, most Army BCT locations allow cell phones once a week, for a five-ten minute period. They are locked up(charging)until the DS decides you can have it, usually on Sunday...unless you screw up, then good luck. :lol

It eliminates the long lines that used to prevent hundreds of guys from even getting their phonecall home.

That's Navy. From my understanding, most Army BCT locations allow cell phones once a week, for a five-ten minute period. They are locked up(charging)until the DS decides you can have it, usually on Sunday...unless you screw up, then good luck. :lol

It eliminates the long lines that used to prevent hundreds of guys from even getting their phonecall home.

Geesh. It's news to me to make a call home at all. At Marine Corps boot camp, that is unheard of. Isn't it odd how different branches can be? :)

My boyfriend is in Army Basic right now, and instead of going to AIT, he is going to OCS. He is scheduled to graduate Feb 7, but it is still kind of up in the air because OCS starts the end of January, and the next one he could go to does not start until June. So he either graduates Basic, waits 5 months, then goes to OCS; OR finishes Basic early (without getting to do the graduation ceremony) and goes straight to the January OCS. Of course, his DS wants to hurry him along as much as possible. I made plans to go to his Feb 7 graduation just in case, but I'm prepared to cancel if I need to because he is not sure yet if he will even get to take part in the ceremony!! So yes, it is possible to go through Basic and NOT get to participate in grad festivities! It all depends on your individual situation i guess.