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Military.com Forums Navy Discussions Naval History, Traditions, Customs and Ceremonies Officer Commissioning Ceremony Guide|
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Basic Training |
Hello All,
I am non-prior service, and have recently been selected as a DCO in the Reserve. Provided that the paperwork clears D.C., I should be offered my commission within the next few months. The Question: is there a particular official reference that outlines how the officer commissioning ceremony should be conducted? Event flow, proper uniforms, people to invite? I've searched these boards and a popular search engine and haven't found much. Thanks for any info. Best, Chad |
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Member |
Don’t know the answer to your question, but thought you would find my experience interesting. Mine was a phone call from the recruiter telling me he was faxing my docs to me and that I needed to sign them and fax them back. I asked if I need any kind of ceremony, and he said no this is what counts. I had heard that people had commissioning ceremonies, but I was NPS as well and it wasn’t until I was in for a while and talking to others that I realized that most people do have some kind of ceremony. Of course the recruiter was correct that the paperwork is what counts, but it would have been nice.
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Basic Training |
I'm also a future Chop-in-waiting, but I've been in the Reserves for two years. My recruiter said you can do whatever you want for a ceremony. He said he could do it (I read someplace that any US Commissioned Officer can do it, don't remember where I saw that). He said he could do it at his office, in the park, wherever.
An ENS I know was in an area with not many Officers, he contacted the CO of the ROTC unit at a nearby college and went there for the ceremony. He said it was on campus, short and sweet, and with his immediate family. Another ENS I asked was also a Reservist, the CO of his reserve unit did his ceremony at the Reserve Center. He had family and a few of the staff members there, they had a cake after the ceremony. He had his sons pin on his bars. I want to do a simple ceremony. Someone suggested that if I wanted to do it at a drill weekend they'd probably make a big production out of it, but I'd rather just have my family there. I like the idea of my kids pinning on my bars, so I'm going to borrow that. There is also the question of the first salute, I've asked my son-in-law if he will give me my first salute. Since he's 2500 miles away I want to set up a webcam for that so we can do it "live". |
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Lead Modorater Recconect America Forum Navy Forums Mod I dunno. Push it and see what happens.  |
Since my husband will technically be a "mustang" (prior enlisted on comissioning) I want the full blown ceremony, as does he, but we're worried he won't be allowed to.....
That said, We've both attended a few mustang and non-mustang ceremonies, and this is what normally occurs (at a minimum) 1. the person you select as an officer to oversee the event (or provided as you may not know any officers to comission you) reads you the oath. now, some locations, like the university of colorado, do a "real" comissioning with the XO and then you can have whomever you want to read you the oath for ceremonial pourposes afterwards in the auditorium. 2. Your bars are put on by family, or bars on sleeves revealed, depending on the time of year. 3. the first salute, which is normally purchased by the newly comissioned by a dollar-coin. beyond that it's up to you. I've seen tributes to the spouse (normally for mustang ceremonies to show appriciation (sp?) to their wives for all they have endured thus far in support in their navy careers), typically a chaplin provides a prayer, and possibly a keynote speaker, followed by a "wet-down" at a local bar. but, all that really matters is that you swear in and sign the paperwork...... Since Adam is the only one slated to graduate when he is.... we're hoping we can go forth with ALL the ceremony...color guard, navy hymn, national anthem, wive's speech, etc, etc, and then do a formal dine-in prior to the wet-down. hopefully it works out in the end. |
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Basic Training |
Thanks for the responses, everyone.
Question on grade-pinning: you mention "revealing" grade. Does that mean that one can perform the ceremony in blues, and somehow uncover ensign braids already sewn onto the coat? The few clips I've seen on the web all show shoulder boards being added onto whites. I suppose one could also wear khakis and and just pin on bars? Thanks, Chad |
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Lead Modorater Recconect America Forum Navy Forums Mod I dunno. Push it and see what happens. |
When doing the ceremony in blues, either a ribbon, electrical tape or some other thing is used to cover the gold stripe and is removed. I've also seen the blue coat removed and the spouse/children put the shoulder boards put on the white shirt underneath, but I think that's because he was a chief previously.
I've never seen a comissioning done in khakis. Normally done in either of the dress uniforms. |
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Basic Training |
Thanks!
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Basic Training |
I am also a non-prior DCO. After waiting five months, the commdocs finally arrived. My recruiter just asked me for a date and place to do the commissioning ceremony.
Since I am non-prior, I do not have any uniforms yet. I was told to show up in a suit and a few invitees. Therefore, there will not be any pinning of bars, first salutes, etc. My recruiter says that sort of stuff is usually for NROTC and prior service. The ceremony is supposed to be approximately five minutes (oath) and then signing of paperwork. It turns out that the ceremony must be conducted by a commissioned officer. I guess once the paperwork is signed and the oath is taken, I will officially be in the Navy reserves. Everything else will fall into place in terms of unit, uniforms, training, etc. later on. |
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Basic Training |
urban,
I'm also in NY are you near NYC? where you will be drilling ? Bronx, NOSC? What's your designator? Regards, |
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Member |
I've seen a couple done in khaki's, but both were Chiefs who were selected for LDO and were putting on Ensign at the end of a regular work day and detaching from the command immedeately afterwards. |
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Basic Training |
bkln,
I'm in the NYC area. As for drilling location, that is yet to be determined. I will be assigned a location after all the paperwork/evaulation is done. |
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Basic Training |
Hey Urban,
Don't take the Recruiters word as gospel. You can sign the paperwork with your recruiter and have your commissioning ceremony later or you can have the recruiter buy you one uniform set to wear for the commissioning he can give you. Mine had offered both. I actually did both, I had an old set of summer whites I had as a midshipman, from years back and my recruiter swore me in. It was a quickie ceremony with my wife, kid, and parents present. I went ahead and updated my uniform and about 2 months later, I had an Admiral swear me in at the NOSC with my entire family and unit present. To make it easy and get the whole experience/pride from your swearing in, I'd tell the recruiter it means a lot to you to take the oath in uniform and ask if he can order a uniform for you (you gotta pay the man of course!). Also, since you are in NYC, if you get your papers in by fleet week, that would be a sweet time to try to get it done at the Sea port. Too bad the intrepid isn't around...that would have been a sweet place to do it too. Isn't there a sub moored across from where the intrepid used to be?....maybe on that deck.. |
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Lead Modorater Recconect America Forum Navy Forums Mod I dunno. Push it and see what happens. |
The seaport would be cool
Another idea is battery park. DH re-enlisted there once, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Drew quite a crowd that all applauded when it was over. A dear friend of ours who was the XO on the USS MSP flew up and did the re-enlistment, and gave a short impromtu speech to those watching aferwards. It was quite a moving event. Trying to figure out how to convince the unit here to allow my DH to do his comissioning in NYC-have a feeling that won't work so well. |
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Basic Training |
It would be nice to have a small ceremony in uniform but going to the Reserve center and taking the oath is fine. My wife will be there so it'll be short and sweet. I initially wanted a good friend of mine to show up (former CPO, he's in Virginia) but he'll be invited to go to my DCO school graduation. At that point, I'll definitely have all the uniforms in place and officially gone through training. After going through the process and waiting so long, I'm just excited to start.
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Basic Training |
This is exactly what I plan on doing when everything is done... |
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Basic Training |
No sense having a big ceremony without the uniform. I had my administrative commission done by my recruiter (non-prior, DCO - LCDR) and bought uniforms 3 weeks ago. My family and friends will join me later this week onboard the USS Constitution for are formal ceremony: take the oath, read the commission, first salute, etc. (The Constitution is an active ship in the USN and is happy to serve as a site for this sort of thing - it has its own website.)Then go out for a meal/wetdown...
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Military.com Forums Navy Discussions Naval History, Traditions, Customs and Ceremonies Officer Commissioning Ceremony Guide
