What to Expect on Family Day at Army Basic Training
I remember the day like it was yesterday.
My husband and I had been married for less than a month when the day came for him to leave for Basic Training. It was heartbreaking. I was pining away for Family Day–we both were. Those 9 weeks of training were the longest we had ever been apart (we lived 8 miles apart before we were married). When our Basic Training Family Day rolled around, I flew across four states just for the occasion. And it was TOTALLY worth it!
(Side note: 4 modes of transportation was a lot though–I recommend simplifying if you can. haha)
Let me start out with a quick disclaimer about Family Day:
Most Basic Training camps dub the day before graduation as “Family Day.” But if your soldier is attending Ft. Benning, GA for OSUT (meaning he is at training for infantry or armor), then Family Day is a separate weekend from graduation weekend. It occurs in the middle of your soldier’s training cycle to give them a much-deserved break. (They roll straight from Basic into their AIT). Other Basic camps unfortunately don’t get this mid-way break because they have a natural weekend break between their Basic Graduation and their AIT Graduation. So in this post, I will be talking about the infantry/armor OSUT Family Day that takes place in Fort Benning, GA.
One more quick note: each battalion may vary in their Family Day procedures a little bit. The following information is all based on my personal experience. While it might not be identical to the Family Day of your soldier’s battalion, you can expect something similar!
What Basic Training Family Day Is:
Basic Training Family Day is essentially a weekend break for your soldier. (See above paragraph for explanation on why they get this!) It is designed for family (and friends) to get the opportunity to spend time with their soldier-in-training. It’s gives your soldier a breath of fresh air and some quality time outside of the platoon.
What Basic Training Family Day is Not:
It is not a two-day pass of freedom for your soldier. (Unfortunately!) He/she will have many, many, many rules to follow while spending time away from the training area. While your soldier won’t have to physically train at all during the Family Day weekend, he/she will absolutely have to adhere to a (large) set of rules. It’s also not an overnight pass. That was a hard one to swallow.
When Basic Training Family Day Occurs:
It occurs over a weekend– meaning Saturday and Sunday. Usually it takes place about half-way through the training cycle. But not always. The Basic Training Family Day for my husband’s company was in the ninth week of his fourteen weeks of training. If you are your soldier’s first point of contact, then you will receive a letter from the commander (that all-important letter I have referenced before) stating when Family Day occurs. If you are a girlfriend or friend or parent and aren’t receiving communications from your soldier’s commander, you might be able to access the information via your soldier’s Company Facebook page.
Who can Attend Basic Training Family Day:
Basic Training Family Day is completely open to all family, fiancees, significant others, relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, frenemies, and neighbors of the soldiers in training. There are no tickets or reservations required. And if no one comes to spend time with a soldier, he or she can still enjoy some time away from the training area.
While there is no limit to the number of people who can visit their soldier, each driver will need a Visitor’s Pass to drive into the military installation to pick up their soldier. You can attain an access pass by driving up to the military access points (gates) and asking about access requirements. The gate guard will direct you to the Visitor Center and they will assist you in obtaining a pass.
I recommend doing this the night/day before Family Day, since the Visitor Center can get busy. You don’t want to be late to pick up your soldier for the day! Note: if you are a veteran or spouse then just use your military ID and skip the passes.
The Basic Training Family Day Schedule:
This is a brief synopsis of what mine was like:
- 7:30am arrive at the Basic Training area
- 8:00am an “introduction to the Army” briefing
- 9:00am soldiers and families reunite
- free time all day off-post and on-post
- 7:00pm drop-off time
There are no activities planned for the family and soldier to participate in together. The solider will have a special formation beforehand (early on the first morning of the Family Day weekend). During his formation, the Drill Sergeants will go over the Family Day rules.
The Family Day “Briefing”
Meanwhile, the families will gather in a classroom and receive a brief “introduction to the Army Family” as well as learn the rules that the soldiers will be under during Family Day. You will learn a little bit about what your soldier has been doing the past few weeks, and then A LOT about the rules.
During the introduction, you might get addressed by one or two of your soldier’s Drill Sergeants, but most likely the Company Commander. At my Basic Training Family Day, we were also given a chance to ask questions that are related to Family Day. It wasn’t a question-and-answer session about how to deal with the Army or ask about your soldier’s future assignments– but if we were confused about the rules, that was the time to ask.
After the families are released from their briefing, the soldiers will be finished with theirs. At the Family Day I attended, the soldiers were all outside finishing up their briefing when we walked out of the classroom. We reunited right there outdoors once they were dismissed. Some Family Day procedures may include having the soldiers come to meet their families indoors in the classroom. I think it just depends on which briefing is finished first.
The Soldier Release
Once you pick your soldier up, THEY IS YOURS UNTIL drop-off time. Yes, there is a drop-off time. And since it will vary from Family Day to Family Day, I won’t state an exact time here. But just know, that time means EVERYTHING. If you drop your soldier off even two minutes late, it is highly probable he/she will be recycled and have to begin training all over again.
Do not, under any circumstances, drop your soldier off late.
Unfortunately, there is absolutely no way for you to “take the blame” for him/her. Even if you are 100% at fault for why you were both late. That is the Army life. It’s the soldier’s responsibility, completely, to be back at the appropriate time. He/she cannot be shielded by wives or husbands or parents or even their children’s excuses. So, no matter what you do on Family Day, DROP OFF ON TIME.
Day Two of the Family Day Weekend
The second day, Sunday, is similar to the first day of Family Day. The only difference is that there is no family briefing. Your solider will have to report to his morning formation, just like the day before. Though he/she probably won’t be told all the rules again, they will definitely be told what time they need to return by. Once they are released from formation, you may pick your soldier up and take off just like yesterday. The drop-off time MIGHT be earlier, since it is the day before training.
ASK your soldier.
Do not drive off until you know what time they need to return by. Once you know, drive away and enjoy your day together! It will fly by, so cherish it!
**Special note to those whose Basic Training Family Day falls on a Federal Holiday weekend: You lucky duck! It is extremely likely that your soldier will get a 3-day weekend with you! Obviously, you need to double-check the commander’s memo (the invitation either mailed to you or posted on Facebook). It will confirm or deny this phenomenon.
Basic Training Family Day Rules for the Family:
The Army can’t really issue out rules to the family or friends of the soldier, but there are still a few that exist:
1) Do not go anywhere on the training grounds except where the signs and aides tell you to go. You are NOT allowed to go into your soldier’s barracks. There will be a sign or two directing you to the parking lot, as well as aides (soldiers) who will be directing you from the parking lot to the gathering area (our gathering area was a classroom). Don’t go anywhere except where you are designated to go.
2) You can’t let (or make) your soldier drive. Anyone except the soldier is allowed to be the driver, because they aren’t permitted to get behind the wheel. This is a serious one. Don’t encourage or allow your soldier to break it. They can (and have) been caught driving.
3) You can’t go very far away with your soldier. He/she will have mile restrictions that, as the visiting family, you must stay within. The mileage restriction is usually a 25-mile radius, but you will be given the exact rule during the briefing. Don’t worry though, there will still be plenty to do within the restriction! Your soldier will just be thrilled to be leaving the training area footprint with you. This rule obviously only applies when you are with your soldier. There is no restriction on the visiting family outside of Family Day hours. It’s a rule simply to keep families from taking the soldiers too far away, risking no return for evening formation.
Basic Training Family Day Rules for the Soldier:
There are many. So many. 🙁 Unfortunately, this is not a complete list. Don’t worry, because you will be told (and possibly be given a pamphlet on) all the rules. It might vary from battalion to battalion, but these are the ones that stick out in my mind:
- The soldier cannot drink, nor smoke. AT ALL.
- He/she can not wear anything besides their uniform in public (no going swimming or changing into comfy clothes).
- As stated above, the soldier is not allowed to drive. AT ALL. Nor is he/she allowed to travel outside a certain mile radius.
- Soldiers cannot bring snacks, or any other prohibited items, back to the barracks at the end of the night.
- Until they are dismissed from formation (in the morning), soldiers cannot leave the training area.
- Soldiers can’t return late (missing the return formation).
- There will be more, possibly random rules…at mine we were told that soldiers couldn’t sit on the ground. 🙂
There are more, but those are the basics. <–pun intended 🙂
Basic Training Family Day Warnings:
During our family briefing, we were given some heavily suggested “guidelines” that technically weren’t rules, but were basically warnings. They were pretty good warnings, and definitely worth sharing here. Each surrounding area of the different training bases will be different, but it applies to all.
Shopping
While the soldier is allowed to make purchases, and often families like to go shopping during this time, we were warned to be wary of making big purchases. Unfortunately there are quite a few shops surrounding Army posts that target brand new soldiers. They sell boots (an expensive item) and other pieces of equipment that your soldier might want. After so many weeks of training, he/she might be tempted to buy because “something has been worn out during training.” It’s totally a reasonable thought from your soldier-in-training.
But BE VERY CAREFUL.
The Army only allows certain items to be used. There are regulations on any piece of clothing or piece of equipment. Many surplus stores sell dupes and “similar” items that are not Army standard. If your soldier buys an expensive pair of boots but they don’t qualify according to Army standards, they won’t be allowed to wear them. Plain and simple.
To be on the safe side, don’t shop for anything Army-related off-post. Your soldier has already been issued the amount of equipment and uniforms needed to complete Basic Training. (And there is a mini store [the PX] nearby bootcamp where he/she is occasionally allowed to restock on small items: soap, pens, paper, etc.)
There are also a lot of “deals” that air on Family Day weekends. Car dealerships will prey on new soldiers who have a pile of cash and haven’t been able to spend it. Just be careful and remember your soldier can’t have much at all in the barracks. (Especially not a car!) You don’t want the Drill Sergeants to confiscate the new purchases!
Food
It’s highly likely your soldier will want to eat. Of course. And it’s great to take them to get their favorite cuisine. Depending on the place you go to, your soldier might get military discount or even a free meal! But a huge word of warning: do not allow or encourage your soldier to bring food back to the barracks. Your soldier is not allowed to bring food, even sealed snacks, back to keep in the barracks. This includes doggie bags of leftovers. Be careful and smart and only eat while you’re out. Once your soldier steps foot back into the return formation, he/she needs to be ready for inspection and getting back into the swing of training.
Remember: NO alcohol and NO smoking.
Physical Displays of Affection
Due to the fact that your soldier will be in uniform out in public, your soldier must adhere to the rules of no PDA in uniform. Even off-post. While a hug goodbye or a pat on the arm/hand is okay, holding hands is not okay. Also, something like the “prom pose” type hug while standing in a food line would also not be permitted. Someone at my Family Day briefing asked about siblings, like carrying a young one for instance. Carrying children or hugging little ones is totally fine (plus if your soldier is a parent they are going to want to carry their baby!) But for the adults, nothing romantic with the exception of a fleeting hug goodbye. (A simple kiss goodbye would be okay in the parking lot of a hotel…not sure if you would want to do that 3 feet away from a Drill Sergeant).
Basic Training Family Day Suggestions:
Your soldier will probably have a lot to tell you! Try to go somewhere you can talk and catch up. Drive around town and find a place to walk. It has been a while since he/she has enjoyed a leisure meal, so you could treat him to one. Often this will be your soldier’s first chance to receive military discounts at restaurants and stores! The day will go by quickly, so don’t try to do too many activities at once. Just focus on being in the present moment, and giving your soldier a well-deserved break from their daily training. It will go by FAST.
If there is something your soldier has been running low on, like letter-writing supplies or calling-cards, it is a good time to go shopping for some! (But don’t stress–the PX remains a good backup resource for their needs, if you don’t have time to go shopping together. The Drill Sergents take them there when needed). Don’t worry about trying to meet the Drill Sergeants or “see your soldier in action.” You will see their leadership at the graduation ceremony, and there may be a ceremonial display of training during the graduation weekend. Family Day is all about spending the day away from the training grounds with your soldier!
Insider’s tip: Spend the final half-hour of the day just chatting in the parking lot. That way you can squeeze out every last minute of the day without risking missing formation. I saw people peeling in at the last second, hoping their soldier wasn’t late. All the families that hung out in the parking lot seemed a lot more relaxed, and like they were able to enjoy their final conversation (especially on the last night!!)
Purchasing Souvenirs of the Day:
If you’re anything like me, then you’ll want to purchase a little token to remember the trip by. It is very likely that there will be a table of gift items available for purchase before and after the “introduction to the Army” briefing at the start of the Basic Training Family Day. Many military units sell gift items on days such as Family Day, as fundraisers for future unit events. However, if those aren’t being sold, you can also purchase military-themed gifts at the local Post Exchange located on post. Another option is to visit one of the local military museums. They always have a gift shop with plenty of merchandise.
Final Thoughts about Basic Training Family Day:
Our Basic Training Family Day was two of the best days we had during our first year of Army life. Really. It’s such a welcome break from being apart, and really helps alleviate the burdens of separation.
Even though it’s not an overnight pass, consider visiting your soldier for Family Day! While travel is expensive, and it makes sense to place a priority on Graduation Day, Family Day is still a great opportunity for families to reconnect. If you can make it work, I would definitely recommend visiting for Family Day.
If you have any further questions about the Basic Training Family Day that I didn’t cover here, leave a comment below! Thanks for stopping by. If you want any further information on dealing with having a soldier in Basic Training, consider reading my posts about writing Basic Training letters, favorite supplies for doing so, and how to address them.
Also in this series:
What to Expect at an Army Basic Training Turning Blue Day
What to Expect at Army Basic Training Graduation Day
41 Comments
Stephanie Powell
We just sent our son off to boot camp at Fort Jackson. I read on the internet that they are still streaming graduation, not inperson. I am hoping that is old information. Do you know? Also, the family day/weekend is usually in the middle of boot camp?? I though it was just before graduation. I am a little confused. Thanks for your blog and help. P.S. I homeschooled all of my 6 kiddos. 🙂
Jennifer
Hi! Congratulations (and thank you!) for your son’s service!
Your kind and thoughtful comment absolutely made my day. Thanks for visiting.
My understanding is that Fort Jackson is now allowing in-person graduations. There have been some restriction lifts this week. Are you on facebook? There is a Fort Jackson Army Basic Training moms support group. That would be a great place to verify!
The family day for Fort Jackson is the same weekend as graduation. You are totally right! I was speaking about Basic Training at Fort Benning because it is OSUT (meaning bootcamp is combined with AIT. Those soldiers get family day on a separate weekend from graduation because OSUT is longer.)
Thanks for bringing that up. I should clarify that on my blog post!
It’s great to hear from a fellow homeschooler! I was homeschooled myself but being the homeschooling parent is a totally different experience! I love it AND i have so. much. to. learn. I’m in awe that you did it with 6 students!! WOW!
Have a wonderful week!
Mia
Im a mom of a future soldier. I will see my son in January in Fort Benning & I cant wait. Thank you for sharing your experience. They are very helpful.
Jennifer
Love seeing this! Congratulations on your soldier’s accomplishments. I wish your family the best!
Summer
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you so much for all the informative content. I truly appreciate it and it has lessened some of the stress. My husband is at Benning for 22week OSUT for cav scout and he just started the training on April 28th. I got the 10 second phone call on April 30th. He was only in 30th AG for a week thank goodness. I just received a letter from him when he was at 30th and he was also graced on a sunday with a 30 min phone call while still at reception. it was super nice surprise. He was told that there may not be a family day at all and there will not be a break between BCT and AIT. Bummer. But he said rumor has it that it may change idk how likely but they may only allow two people to attend graduation from each family. I have been trying to do more research but cant seem to find questions until i found your blog! Which I am so grateful for. How long after the two days of graduation do they get to come home? How does that whole thing actually go? Do they already have everything packed and you just take em away right after graduation? But if they dont have an actual in person graduation I saw that it may be streamed on facebook. If so would they then leave the next day or do they get to travel home that same day? I’m sorry for all the questions and the long comment post. I, too, am wordy haha. I am still waiting on the commander letter. Oh how long after will you get the second part of the letter about graduation and stuff? Being in the dark throughout this whole thing, i just have so many questions. We have a little 2month old girl too and in his letter he asked for pictures of us including our two fur babies. I am planning on taking your advise and send a few haha. Thank you for your time.
Jennifer
First of all, congratulations on your husband’s service, and thank you to the both of you!
Okay, the ‘waiting’ and ‘wondering’ is totally the hard part! Especially with a little one at home! When my husband went, I didn’t have kids, but now that I do, I can only imagine how extra hard that makes things!
Covid has definitely shaken some things up, like the streamed graduations. I can’t lend specifics to that since I didn’t experience that. What I can say, is that rumor that there isn’t a break between OSUT and AIT is true. Mine rolled from one to the next with only a family visit weekend in between. That being said, the commander’s later will have much better info about that.
As far as the graduation, he will definitely be packed up before the graduation ceremony starts (you won’t have to hang around the barracks and wait for him to clean his room or anything). From that standpoint alone, he will be “done” when he graduates. In terms of when he will get released to you freely, it’s just dependent on his follow-on. If he is going to Airborne school on Ft. Benning, for instance, he will only get the graduation weekend off and then will have to roll right into training. With some soldiers who are active duty, they will have a flight to catch the day or two after graduation that will taken them to their duty station. I heard that a lot of the National Guard soldiers were able to go home by car with their families. It’s definitely dependent on his follow on. Once he knows that (and he will know before graduation) he should be able to fill you in on that. (hopefully too you will get more phone calls and be able to discuss it!)
The good news is, very, very little is in the dark after graduation! Suddenly you’ll get information about everything, from where he is going following graduation, to when he has to show up to his unit (and when you guys can show up). It would be nice to know a lot further ahead of time, but it can be hard to really nail down that information sometimes.
I do apologize though, as the dark/waiting period can be longggggggg, and trust me when I say this: every single Army spouse understands what you are going through! (and empathizes alongside you!) We have special goggles just for sitting in the dark (kidding but not really haha). It can be rough for SURE. It does get better though!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out again or ask more questions. I really enjoyed hearing from you and I wish you and your husband the best in this journey! It can honestly be an adventure of a lifetime.
Rosie
Hi, I can remember my husband having his phone at AIT all the time. He was not allowed to bring it to class. This was at FT GORDAN.
Kaylee
My boyfriend just left for basic at fort benning.. I had no idea about there being no break between basic and AIT. Does he get his phone during AIT? I’m brand new to all of this and have zero idea of how anything works.
Jennifer
Thanks for writing! I know the first few days are so full of uncertainty. I hope you get to hear from him very soon!
There is a break in between Basic and AIT, though they will take place in the same place. With covid, it’s not guaranteed that they will be allowed off post, let alone to see loved ones. I would definitely wait for clarity from him before you book anything!
As far as phones, they tend to get their phones more as time progresses. They won’t ever just have their phones 24/7, but you should anticipate more calls during the AIT portion!
I hope this helps. Please reach out if you have any more questions. Congratulations on your boyfriend’s service. It’s a huge step and an amazing sacrifice. Take care!
Heide
Hi Jennifer,
I am trying to phrase this question modestly but don’t have anyone I know to ask. If I want to plan some, ahem, time alone with my husband, would it be better to book a hotel room on base or in town?
If you aren’t comfortable with this question please just ignore! Thank you for an informative post!
Jennifer
Hi! That’s a great question actually! 🙂 I would say it depends on the base you are at. I know there are some graduations where the soldiers are allowed off post… Ft Benning was like that. Recently, I know Ft Jackson wasn’t. To be on the safe side, I would absolutely recommend being on base. That way, if you’re allowed off post you can always head out for a bite to eat, but if you can’t leave, you’ll have a place to be together on post and you can just order in and be alone. 🙂 There are a *few* very old hotels on post (Olson Hall on Ft Benning) that wouldn’t be very romantic, but most have nice hotels (Abrams Hall, Candlewood Suites, etc). Best of luck to you and thank you so much for your (and your husband’s) dedication to the Army!!
Rosie
This was such a great article thank you for writing this. im wondering when they say 7 am arrival are we able to arrive later meaning can i show up anytime before drop off time?
Jennifer
Thanks! Yes you technically could arrive later, however you would need to be able to coordinate the pickup time with your soldier because guests are not allowed to enter any of the buildings besides the one designated for Family briefings. As long as your soldier knows what time you are coming, and can come down from his/her barracks at the right time and wait for you outside in an accessible area, then you’ll be good to go!
Betsy Carroll
Hi. If “our” trainee knows of a trainee who has no family visiting, will we be able to host him/her one of the days during the weekend?
I apologize if you addressed this topic, above. A simple “yes” or “no” will do. I will have more time later to search for the explanation.
Thank you.
Jennifer
Always! Yes. This is such a way to support the troops. Thank you!
elke
Can a soldier get married during family weekend?
Jennifer
Hi! During the family day brief, the soldiers and families are specifically instructed about this topic, so it’s not an uncommon question!! The cadre request that weddings do not happen over the weekend, however they have been done. It is not likely that the soldier will be able to add his/her spouse to their DEERS and begin receiving the benefits like healthcare, separation pay, etc. Getting married before Basic ensures that the soldier can enroll his/her family in DEERS upon arriving at Basic, and of course once the soldier has reached their unit, updating all their information and enrolling their family is again a much easier thing. As far as “getting in trouble” I wouldn’t know for sure because I never witnessed it happen (though I have met people who did).
Thank you so much for stopping by!
sanctifyingsurgery
What are the details when you were told about the dates, etc of family day and graduation day? How far in advance did they tell you about it and how?
Jennifer
Thank you for stopping by!
The details of family day and graduation day are written in letters by the commander and are often posted to your soldier’s unit’s facebook page (but sometimes not since not all units use facebook pages). The same letters are also mailed out to one family member whose address the soldier provided at the beginning of bootcamp (can be parent, sibling, roommate, girlfriend, etc), usually with a month’s notice before the actual event takes place.
Thank you again for visiting and please drop another comment if I left anything out!
Mercy
Jennifer, thank you so much for sharing your experiences! You are amazing, and there are so many people (like me!) who you’re giving peace of mind and encouragement to through your posts. We can’t thank you enough!!
I know your dh went through OSUT, but my SIT will be doing basic at Fort Benning followed by *60 weeks* of AIT there as well as two other locations (airborne, medic,…). Do you have any idea whether Fort Benning does all Family Weekends and Graduations the same way – on separate dates? Or, does Fort Benning also have some groups trained there that have the joint Family/Grad? Georgia is about as far across the nation as you could possibly get from where we live, and his basic training graduation date will be sometime probably the week before Labor Day (aka busy travel weekend), which means I need to keep an eye on air flights *now* or may not be able to get a flight and/or afford to join him. And, the extra days it will take to get mail across the nation (often 5 days USPS to my uncle in FL) might mean I get notified of the dates several days later than others might. The sooner I can figure out those dates and whether I’d be traveling once or two separate times, the more likely I will be able to go! Any knowledge or ideas would be sooo welcome! =)
Best wishes to your husband in Ranger training! And, please keep sharing your experiences. =)
Jennifer
Thank you for stopping by my blog! And thank you for your kind words of encouragement. Honestly, we have ALL been through the same Army stuff, so it’s just really great to have people stop by and share what’s going on with them and read what’s been up with me. Thanks for being here!
From my understanding of non-OSUT training, the Family Day and Graduation weekend are bundled. If your soldier’s basic training is only 10 weeks long, they usually bundle it. If it’s 14 or 16, there is normally a separate Family Day weekend and then later a Graduation weekend.
A special note about Labor Day weekend graduations, if your soldier is graduation on the Thursday/Friday OF Labor Day weekend itself, then your SIT will probably have Monday off as well. My husband graduated from Basic on Veteran’s Day weekend and so even though he was supposed to report to Airborne following on from his graduation ceremony, all he had to do was check-in with his Airborne Unit for an hour or two. Then they told him he was free until training on Tuesday (meaning we had all of Saturday through Monday together!) I had to change my flight once I realized we would have an extra day together! I know holiday weekends aren’t a guarantee, but you can be pretty sure that if your SIT’s graduation is happening Labor Day weekend, most likely it will be a long weekend off!!
About finding out exact graduation dates, your soldier should know them pretty early on and can hopefully write that to you. But also, the commander’s letter and graduation invitation are often posted on the Basic Training Unit Facebook pages. Each Unit has their own page, so if you know your soldier’s address, you should be able to look that Unit information up on Facebook. It’s nice too because you can meet other families going through the same thing as you!
Thanks again for the feedback and for stopping by! Please feel free to come back over and drop a comment if you have any more questions or something to share. Welcome to the Army Family!
sunriseovertime
You’ve given a wonderful insight into Basic Training family weekend. I love that you differentiated OSUT from mixed MOS. If I may, I would like to add that there is a great Family Support group on Facebook to learn about basic training at Fort Benning, as well for families to connect with others training alongside their loved one. Search for
“Fort Benning, GA – U.S. Army Basic Training Support” if you’d like to check it out!
Thank you to you and your husband for your sacrifices as he serves our country!
Brittany
Hi! My husband just left for basic at Ft. Benning yesterday. He called me last night around 2AM to let me know that he was there and that he would be able to call again after in-processing in two weeks. My question is, is this two weeks calculated in to the 14 he’s scheduled to be gone?? Or should I expect to add an additional 2 weeks to his time away? I am really struggling with this as we have a daughter that will be 2 in early September and he’s already not expected back until the end of September… If we have to add an additional 2 weeks, he won’t be home until after our anniversary in October ): Also, how quickly did pay kick in? I have our mortgage to take care of and other bills that he paid while home (I pay all of the others)
Jennifer
Hey! Thanks for stopping by! Congratulations on your husband’s service. 🙂 And welcome to the Army fam!
So when my husband went to Fort Benning for Basic, his course was 14 weeks long as well. Unfortunately for us, that did not include his 10 days of in-processesing and his 1 day of travel time. So on my side as the wife, it was 14 weeks + 11 days. 🙁 The 14th week was technically only 5 days long though, because his graduation weekend was a Thursday and Friday. (That’s usually how they do Infantry graduations).
I totally get you with calculating anniversaries and birthdays. USUALLY my husband is home for them and we love it, but we have had our fair share of birthdays and anniversaries apart. It doesn’t “get easier” when they miss a special day, but the Army is really good about giving soldiers time off throughout the year, so that helps make up for it.
For pay, Army paydays are on the 1st and 15th of every month. The very first paycheck is going to be missing about $300-350 because that money is given to the soldiers ahead of time to buy supplies during in-processesing. That’s the only time that money is taken out of your paycheck though! And while it DOES depend on the day your soldier begins training, I doubt the paycheck will go through on the first payday that they are there. Your soldier WILL get paid for their time spent during in-processesing, but you may not see the check until the second payday they are there. Say for instance that your soldier reports on the 21st of June. It’s unlikely that the money will be ready on the 1st of July. But DEFINITELY by the 15th of July, you will see money from the first paycheck as well as the money due for the 2nd paycheck. The Army is good about stacking up paychecks and you won’t end up missing out on money that was owed to you.
Please feel free to pop back on if you have any follow-up questions. Thanks for stopping by and best of luck during this exciting time for your family!
Ingris
So can a soldier rent a car??? Because my fiance is in Fort Benning, i live 2 hours away from Fort Benning, i am willing to pick him up, i am curious if he can rent a car so that he can come back to his troop and come home the next day.
Jennifer
Thanks for stopping by!
Renting a car all depends on what his follow-on is. If he has completed OSUT and is National Guard (meaning his follow-on is to return home) then that shouldn’t be a problem. However, he still won’t be able to drive it between graduation days. So like, he can’t drive it the night he turns Blue. (plus he has to sleep in the barracks, not at home). He won’t be allowed to drive period until after graduation day.
But if he has any kind of follow-on training, like an AIT, then he wouldn’t be allowed to drive. Airborne school they usually can drive, same things with OCS. It honestly just depends on what his follow-on is. And like before, he still won’t be allowed to drive, or stay anywhere overnight, during the Family Day weekend activities or the day of his Turning Blue. Soldiers aren’t allowed to drive or stay places overnight until after they graduate.
I just wanted to say congratulations to you and your soldier! You must be really proud. Welcome to the Army family and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions!
Serena Waller
Thank you so much for posting this! It is so incredibly helpful! I have my flight booked for April 5th to go to my SIT family day. I can’t wait!!! It is so nice to be able to read your experience and give me an idea of what to expect. I really appreciate it and I’m sure many other do as well! Thanks a million!!
Jennifer
Super exciting! I hope you have a wonderful trip and I am so happy your soldier will get to spend some much deserved time with you. Family Day really is amazing!! Thanks for stopping by.
Crystal Lopez
My boyfriend family day/graduation day is around April 20th. He just left the 6th of this month to ft.benning GA and it’s sucks so bad! When should I be receiving his letters? Also do they do shuttles for people who cant drive? Will ge nit be able to spend the night off base for either nights? Can he go off base?
Jennifer
Congrats on his service!! It totally stinks missing your guy though. 🙁 It’s nice to have the date circled on your calendar though!
If he left on the 6th, then he could still be in Reception Battalion. That’s the soldier’s first stop, where he is issued equipment, receives a haircut, fills out paperwork, etc. It can last 7-10 days, and during that time, the soldiers don’t have permanent mailing addresses. So if he writes you, he won’t be able to give you a return address. But after that, they move on to “bootcamp” at their actual Basic Training site. At that point, your soldier will be able to write you and tell you his address, roster number, and unit information!
When my husband went to Basic at Ft. Benning GA, the first letter he sent me with his actual mailing address was about 14 days after his report date. I think 2 weeks is pretty normal for when to expect his address, though it can vary a little bit depending on when your soldier gets the chance to write you.
When your boyfriend was filling out all his paperwork, he was required to put down a first point of contact/nearest kin information. The Commander will use whichever address he provided (whether it was a friend’s address or parent’s or your address) and send information about your soldier to it: address information and later, graduation information. I received a letter from the Commander 2.5 weeks after my soldier reported.
Once you know his unit information (whether your boyfriend sends it to you, or you get a letter from the commander) then you can find your soldier’s basic training Facebook page and join that. The Commander’s letters will also be posted there, sometimes pictures, and graduation information as it is released. It’s nice to connect with other people who are anxiously awaiting the graduation of their solider too!
About travel: it definitely depends on how you get here. When I flew from VA, I arrived at the airport in Atlanta. I HATE driving, so I took the shuttle (I highly recommend them–Groome Transportation) and the shuttle takes you to your hotel, rent-a-car facility, or simply on-post. But after that, there is not a shuttle on the military post that will take you around. You would need to rent a car. 🙁
There are a few hotels on post, but most of them are sprinkled around Columbus. You will be able to pick your solider up and go places during the day together (off-post included!!!) But at night he will have to go back to the barracks and stay there.
If you want any more info on that travel stuff, let me know!! Or any other questions. My husband went to Basic in Ft Benning not too long ago so I’d be more than happy to share what worked for me (and what didn’t hahaha). Thanks for stopping by!
Shelby
My boyfriend is currently in OSUT 14 week infantry training at Ft Benning! I received a letter from him with dates for “family weekend” in March after having already been told that his graduation is April 13 and 14. My question is, what is the routine on the graduation days? Why is it 2 days?
Also, how log into basic training did you receive commander letters and info for their Facebook pages? He’s been gone almost a month and we haven’t gotten anything…
Thank you in advance for any info you can provide!
Jennifer
Congratulations on your boyfriend’s service!!
I’m happy for you that you’ve already gotten mail from him! That must be nice. I hope you can make it to Family Day. That’s a very enjoyable weekend! (I wrote about my experience here.)
The reason that graduation is broken up into 2 days is because your boyfriend is training to be an infantry soldier. The infantry has a special ceremony the day before their graduation day, called “Turning Blue Day.” I wrote a post about it here. Basically, there will be a ceremony the first morning during which your soldier will receive his blue cord and become an infantryman. Then the next day there will be an official graduation ceremony. Both are very neat events!
I received the commander’s initial letter 2 1/2 weeks into Basic Training. He sent out more than one during the course of the training. One specifies the soldier’s address, etc, and another is an invitation (with details) about the graduation. I think there might have been a third letter about Family Day. The only problem with the commander’s letter is that he only sends it to one address–and it’s the “next to kin” address that your soldier provided during his in-processing. So if that address was a roommate’s address or a parent’s address, the commander will only send letters to that one address.
You can, however, access those same letters on the Facebook page! If you know your boyfriend’s Unit, you can look up the Facebook page for it here. That link will take you to the 198th Infantry Training Brigade. On March 25, 2017 they posted the links to all the units. It may take a little while for the unit page to post the commander’s letter, but they almost always will. And if you follow them for a while and still don’t see it, you can leave a comment asking when they will post information about the graduation/family day. But they usually do that on their own anyway!
Thank you for stopping by and reaching out. If you have any more questions, please feel free to come back!
Alexis Peterson
I have a question: Is my soldier allowed to leave base for the day on family days even if I am not driving? I will not be renting a car and I am just curious about it.
Thanks!
Jennifer
Yes! He can enjoy family day even if his family doesn’t rent a car. He won’t be allowed to drive himself, but he can take the bus, carpool, ride with Uber, or be driven by any other friend/family member. He is allowed on and off post during his pass! Have fun!
Kristen Yates
My husband has just enlisted and is leaving February 28th we know that we will have a family day halfway through his 16-week basic training but we also have a little girl who will be two January 20th I was just wondering if you knew anything about me being allowed to bring her stroller with us to use on base so she doesn’t run away and cause havoc as children do.
Jennifer
Congrats on your husband’s enlistment, and welcome to the Army family! Almost every Army event your whole life will be family friendly! 🙂 (Literally evening functions and military balls are like the only times kids aren’t invited). Definitely every single event you will attend for Basic Training is kid-friendly. When I went to my husband’s at Ft. Benning before we had kids, I remember little kids sitting in the back of the briefings on their parent’s laps. Strollers are totally allowed too, both indoors and out for events. When my husband had another graduation last year, I actually brought my carseat inside and left it in the back of the auditorium until the talks were over. Definitely bring anything you need for your daughter. There is always an aide or two by the doors who will direct and assist you if you need help with anything (they carried my carseat for me).
The only time I have ever experienced a “don’t-bring-stroller” policy was at the museum where the Basic Training Graduation was held (on Ft. Benning). And that wasn’t because of the graduation, it was because that was the museum’s indoor policy. I’m almost positive they still let moms wheel the strollers on the outside of the museum (where the graduations as actually held). Just for indoor touring afterwards, they wanted strollers to go back into the car.
Sorry to have gone on so long, haha: basically strollers are allowed everywhere on post and I wished I would have brought one when I visited my husband!
Kristin Marking
My son just went down range January 12 th . I haven’t gotten an address or information regarding family day or graduation. I am anxious for this , when can I expect this ?
Jennifer
Congrats on your son’s service!! It’s okay that you haven’t gotten his address yet, as he is still likely in the Reception Battalion. That’s the soldier’s first stop, where he is issued equipment, receives a haircut, fills out paperwork, etc. It can last 7-10 days, and during that time, the soldiers don’t have permanent mailing addresses. After that, they move on to “bootcamp” at their actual Basic Training site. At that point, your soldier will be able to write you and tell you his address, roster number, and unit information.
When my husband went to Basic at Ft. Benning GA, the first letter he sent me with his actual mailing address was about 14 days after his report date. I think 2 weeks is pretty normal for when to expect his address, though it can vary a little bit depending on when your soldier writes you.
When your son was filling out all his paperwork, he was required to put down a first point of contact/nearest kin information. The Commander will use whichever address he provided (whether it was a friend’s address or your address) and send information about your soldier to it: address information and later, graduation information. I received a letter from the Commander 2.5 weeks after my soldier reported.
Don’t worry if they don’t give you information right away about graduation! They definitely will. And once you find out your son’s unit information (from the Commander’s letter) you can go on Facebook and find the group which supports your son’s unit. The Commander’s letters will also be posted there, as will graduation information as it is released. It’s nice to connect with other people who are anxiously awaiting the graduation of their solider!
If you have any other concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Again, congratulations on your son and good luck! Thanks for stopping by.
Kristin Marking
Thank you for your advice, it is so hard to wait.
Sarah
Hey! My husband and I have talked to Army recruiters. He is planning on enlisting soon. But when I asked about this family day you mentioned, they said the Army doesn’t do anything like that during basic. They looked at me like I was crazy! They said the only family day was during graduation week. I couldn’t find anything about it on their website either. How long ago was your husband in basic?
Jennifer
Congrats on your upcoming life in the Army! I believe that certain Basic Training Units roll their “Family Day” into the Graduation weekend, usually giving the soldiers a day off before graduation with their families. I know Ft Sill and Ft Jackson do that. When my husband enlisted, he went to Ft Benning, GA for Basic Training and his follow-on AIT training (which they called OSUT and it lasted 14 weeks I believe). Because he never had a break between Basic and AIT, they gave us a visit weekend dubbed Family Day where we could spend time together. Other Basic Training camps may not do this, because families get the chance to see their soldiers following Basic graduation and then again following AIT graduation. But for Infantry and Armor soldiers, OSUT takes longer and so an opportunity to see their families mid-cycle is provided through Family Day.
I’m glad you brought this up, I should clarify on my post! Thanks for commenting. And don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the Army life as you embark on this together!