air force bmt graduation dates
Air Force

Air Force Basic Training Graduation Dates (2023)

In the current era of Covid-19, we have seen substantial changes and adjustments in every branch of the military to how they are dealing with graduation ceremonies.

While this year’s ceremonies will look different and face limitations, you can still support your trainee in many ways.

Every individual puts in hard work and dedication every day at training, and they deserve to be rewarded accordingly.

Air Force Basic Training Graduation Dates

Here is a list of the currently provided dates of graduation for the Air Force Basic Training school with their associated basic training start date.

Basic Training Start DateBasic Training Graduation
March 21, 2023May 11, 2023
March 28, 2023May 18, 2023
April 4, 2023May 25, 2023
April 11, 2023June 1, 2023
April 18, 2023June 8, 2023
April 25, 2023June 15, 2023
May 2, 2023June 22, 2023
May 9, 2023June 29, 2023
May 16, 2023July 6, 2023
May 23, 2023July 13, 2023
May 30, 2023July 20, 2023
June 6, 2023July 27, 2023
June 13, 2023August 3, 2023
June 20, 2023August 10, 2023
June 27, 2023August 17, 2023
July 4, 2023August 24, 2023
July 11, 2023August 31, 2023
July 18, 2023September 7, 2023
July 25, 2023September 14, 2023
August 1, 2023September 21, 2023
August 8, 2023September 28, 2023
August 15, 2023October 5, 2023
August 22, 2023October 12, 2023
August 29, 2023October 19, 2023
September 5, 2023October 26, 2023
September 12, 2023November 2, 2023
September 19, 2023November 9, 2023
September 26, 2023November 16, 2023
October 3, 2023November 23, 2023
October 10, 2023November 30, 2023
October 17, 2023December 7, 2023
October 24, 2023December 14, 2023
October 31, 2023December 21, 2023
November 7, 2023December 28, 2023
November 14, 2023January 4, 2024
November 21, 2023January 11, 2024
November 28, 2023January 18, 2024
December 5, 2023January 25, 2024
December 12, 2023February 1, 2024
December 19, 2023February 8, 2024
December 26, 2023February 15, 2024

Important Notes (April 2022)

According to a bulletin released on April 8, 2022, beginning with the April 14th, 2022 BMT graduation, visitors will no longer be required to show proof of COVID vaccination to attend.

Here are some more important conditions for your review: 

  • Any individual with installation access may attend the ceremony.
  • Guests who do not already have access to the installation must be invited by their trainee and vetted to receive an installation pass. Trainees can invite six guests who require installation access.
  • Those under the age of 18 may accompany parents/guardians and are not required to have a separate installation access pass.

BMT graduations opened up to a limited number of visitors in July 2021, and the Airman’s Run returned in Nov. 2021. 

BMT Graduation Gift Idea

If you’re looking for a great gift idea for your newly graduating Airman / Airwoman, check out the GoPro HERO11 black.

The GoPro HERO11 Black camera is a slick, high-quality camera used the world over. 

Its unshakable design and built-in stabilization and mounting allow you to take videos that are simply awesome.

Air Force airmen and women love to take videos of themselves doing the jobs they love, sharing them with the ones they love.

Check out a couple of examples of the GoPro HERO11 in action below: 

Fighter Pilot and In-flight Refueler BS About Coffee

Air Force K9 Handler Talks About The Job

Fighter Pilot Shows You What Happens If You Go Upside Down

Click Here to pick up the GoPro HERO11 camera today.

Or click here to see a list of other great BMT graduation gift ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

air force bmt graduation
Image: Wikimedia.org

Where is Air Force Basic Training Graduation?

Air Force Basic Training Graduation would be held at JBSA Lackland located in the City of San Antonio, Texas.

This base is in an easy-to-reach location that can be driven to from the San Antonio Airport in just about 20 minutes.

Guests arriving by rideshares or taxi should be dropped off at the Luke East visitor center parking lot.

To get into the actual graduation area, you will need to enter through either the Valley Hi gate, Luke East, or the Selfridge West Gate. 

Here’s a map and directions for each:

Valley Hi Gate

valley hi gate - air force basic training graduation
Image: Google Maps

Address for Valley Hi Gate1033 Truemper St., Lackland Air Force Base

Luke East Gate 

Luke East Gate
Image: Google Maps

Address for Luke East Gate2196 Luke Blvd., Lackland Air Force Base

Selfridge West Gate

Selfridge West Gate Lackland AFB
Image: Waze.com

Driving directions to Selfridge Blvd West gate: www.Waze.com

The many signs and waypoints near the base should make it easy enough to find where you need to go with the assistance of a GPS.

How has Covid-19 affected Air Force boot camp graduation?

In nearly every way, COVID-19 has had a direct effect on the way that Air Force trainees are going about their training and how they will graduate.

While the situation is constantly changing and evolving, there have been many measures taken over the past years to ensure the safety of everyone on and off of the base.

Starting with basic training, the overall time spent for new recruits in basic training has been reduced from the standard 8 weeks down to 7.5 weeks.

Trainees and staff are required to socially distance and wear masks when possible.

This precaution to ensure the efficient and safe training of the next generation of Air Force members means that all graduation ceremonies are being conducted with safe distancing protocols.

For the most recent information on graduation, visit the Air Force’s site

It may also be a good idea to check in with your trainee to see if they have been given more specific information to relay to friends and family members.

Related ArticleWhat To Bring To Air Force BMT

What day of the week / time of the day is Air Force basic training graduation?

Unlike some other branches where the graduation event is just one day, the Air Force Graduation ceremony lasts two days.

During this exciting time, friends and family members are exposed to a wide array of traditions and experiences that will expose them to what the Air Force is all about.

Under normal circumstances, graduation kicks off on a Wednesday morning with events taking place every day through Thursday to make sure there is enough time to experience the entire event.

The main graduation parade takes place on Thursday, but many ceremonies like the Airman’s Coin Ceremony take place on Wednesday to uphold the Air Force traditions.

It is always great to get there for both days to make sure your trainee has their family with them throughout the event, but there can often be accommodations made if circumstances prohibit you from attending both days.

How do I get onto the base at Lackland Air Force Base?

Getting onto any military base requires action to be taken well before a family member steps foot on the base.

For events like graduation, a trainee will be required to fill out special passes detailing who they want to let onto the base for their graduation ceremony.

Trainees will fill out these forms and have them mailed to any guests they wish to come to their graduation that will arrive before the date of the ceremony.

If you do not get these passes or do not present them upon arrival at the base, there is almost no way that you will be granted access to any of the base’s facilities.

When you arrive with your access pass, you will be asked for that and some vehicle information before you are issued a guest pass that will allow you to enter on to the base itself.

Air Force Basic Training Graduation Dress Code

Similar to the other branches, there is no specific dress code for guests who are coming to view a graduation ceremony.

The trainees will be wearing their dress uniforms, so it may be respectful to honor their hard work and dedication with slightly nice clothing.

This ceremony also takes place outside in Texas, so prepare for the heat with what you wear. Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Who can come to Air Force BMT graduation?

The rules for Air Force graduation state that each trainee is currently allowed to invite up to 6 friends or family to their graduation event.

In the past, graduates were allowed 10 guests and we will do our best to update our page should the Air Force conduct ceremonies at full capacity again.

Related ArticleASVAB Scores for Air Force jobs

Graduation Schedule

The current graduation schedule is as follows:

Wednesday

  • 6:00 a.m. – Pfingston Reception Center opens
  • 7:30 a.m. – Airman’s Run
  • 8:00 a.m. – Welcome Briefing
  • 8:45 a.m. – New spouse orientation
  • 9:00 a.m. – Events Briefing repeated
  • 10:00 a.m. – Airman’s Coin Ceremony
  • 10:30 a.m. – Town Pass
  • 8:00 p.m. – Airmen due back at squadron

Thursday

  • 6:00 a.m. – Pfingston Reception Center opens
  • 7:30 a.m. – Buses for handicapped visitors begin for travel to parade ground
  • 9:00 a.m. – Graduation Parade
  • 9:30 a.m. – On-Base Liberty
  • 6:00 p.m. – Airmen due back at squadron

Where can I watch a live stream of the graduation?

The graduation live stream has been discontinued. However, another way to participate in the graduation ceremonies is to watch the recorded version. 

Recordings of graduation events can be found on Facebook and graduation ceremony recordings on YouTube.

Conclusion

No matter how you want to support your trainee, their graduation ceremony is always going to go down as a very memorable event in their career.

Restrictions due to Covid have eased, but some limitations still exist. If you can’t support your loved one in person, there’s always the option to view via the livestream.

References

www.Af.mil

 

Related Article7 Air Force Basic Training Gift Ideas

Rob V.
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Air Force Basic Training Graduation

Air Force Basic Training Graduation

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See a list of the Air Force Basic Training start dates and graduation dates, as well as how to get on the base at Lackland AFB. Also includes details on how to dress, the graduation schedule, how to watch the live stream, and more.

Originally posted on September 6, 2020 @ 2:32 am

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I have personally vetted. Learn more.

21 Replies to “Air Force Basic Training Graduation Dates (2023)

  1. Hello,
    My son is leaving for Airforce basic training on 6/22/21. He was told that that his graduation date is 8/5/21. This math doesn’t make sense with the chart dates youve posted. Can you check the date for me, please? Hes in flight 313. Wouldnt his graduation date be 8/12/21?
    Thank you

    1. Yeah that’s strange. It should be approximately 7 weeks and 2 days after his start date, which would make it 8/12/21. I just sent out an email to USAF BMT command, will update here ASAP.

      Rob V.
      Owner / Founder
      OperationMilitaryKids.org

      1. I appreciate your help. Thank you so much. Plane tickets and all…don’t want to miss that graduation!
        Colleen 🙂

        1. Not a problem, glad to help! I haven’t heard back from them so far, but I’ll try emailing them one more time. If you (or anyone else for that matter) want to try reaching out to them as well, here’s their email address: [email protected]

          I will update here again in a couple days, but if I don’t hear back from them, I’d recommend asking your son / daughter directly. They will definitely have the most accurate graduation date info.

          Rob V.
          Owner / Founder
          OperationMilitaryKids.org

        2. I spoke too soon! They literally just got back to me, here’s what they had to say:

          “Thank you for contacting the Pfingston Reception Center (PRC). We recommend waiting for the trainee to leave to basic military training first as they will send out a Family Welcome Letter in the early weeks of training that states the graduation date, event times, and other pertinent information that will help you plan accordingly. Until then, the best way to calculate a graduation date is to not count the arrival week as we consider this week “zero” week, then count 7 Thursdays after the arrival week and that will give you the Retreat/Coin Ceremony date with the Graduation day on Friday.”

          So it looks like I was right, his graduation will be Thursday, 8/12/2021. Either way, it sounds like they’ll be sending you that Family Welcome Letter which will have all of the relevant info, so keep an eye out for that.

          Glad to help you and let me know if you have any further questions!

          Rob V.
          Owner / Founder
          OperationMilitaryKids.org

  2. Hello,
    My son has asked the recruiter and this has lead me to Google and you. If you hear anything, yes, please let me know. Thank you for the email address. Appreciate any help you can give me. Have a great day!

    1. Yeah they’re just not getting back to me…I would stick with what your sons recruiter told you, he will definitely have the most accurate info. If I hear back I will definitely update this page, thanks for reaching out Colleen!

      Rob V.
      Owner / Founder
      OperationMilitaryKids.org

  3. How accurate is the information that all graduation attendees must be vaccinated? Our son’s planned graduation date is June 2nd 2022. Thank you

    1. Hi EVC,
      The Air Force just recently issued a bulletin stating that graduation attendees no longer need to be vaccinated to attend. Hope this helps!

      Rob V.
      Founder, OMK

    1. Hi Lisa,
      The Air Force training command opened up the Airman’s Run to the public in Nov. of 2021, so you should be able to watch. Hope this helps and congrats!

      Rob V.
      Founder, OMK

  4. I didn’t see any dates for June, July, August 2023. Do you have them, or know where I might find them.

    1. Hey Sandra,
      Sorry for the late reply. I just updated all the Air Force BMT graduation dates for the rest of the year. Hope this helps and good luck!

      Rob V.
      OMK Founder

  5. Hello! Do you have graduation dates for the rest of 2023? My daughter leaves on June 26th but the chart posted here only goes until May 30th. Thank you!

    1. Hey April,
      I just updated all the graduation dates, looks like she’ll be graduating on August 17, 2023. Definitely double check with her or someone on base just to be sure. Hope this helps and good luck!

      Rob V.
      OMK Founder

  6. Terrific! Thank you so much. That was the date I came up with as well, but I wanted confirmation. I will, of course, double check, but this is very helpful. Thank you!

  7. Hi Rob,
    About a thousand years ago when I went to BMT, the graduating trainee also had liberty through the weekend. Is that the case still, or should we not plan on being able to see our Airman after 6pm on Thursday?

    Thanks!
    -Todd

    1. Hey Todd,
      Thanks for your comment. As far as I’m aware, the Air Force still allows graduates to hang out with their families immediately after graduation. That said, they are NOT allowed to leave the base on that day, and must be back in their dorms by 6 pm.

      Hope this helps, and congrats to your new graduate!

      Rob V.
      OMK Founder

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