Beginning October 5, 2023 Recruit graduations will be Thursday rather than Friday

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

**FROM THE US NAVY RECRUIT TRAINING COMMAND (7/27/2023)**

Families and friends of future Sailors: Beginning October 5, 2023, recruit graduations will be conducted on Thursday instead of Friday. This will allow an extra day of off-base liberty for the graduates and their families. Federal holidays, such as Thanksgiving, will push up the graduation to Wednesday.

For a current list of upcoming graduations dates and all graduation information, including instructions for obtaining graduation ceremony tickets, please visit our website at U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command > Graduation.

The liberty policy will also change effective October 5.

Enjoy LIBERTY (free time off base) with your NEW SAILOR! Sailors are allowed to spend time off base (Liberty) with their family following the graduation ceremony. The amount of time spent depends upon where your Sailor is going for follow-on training. The Navy is required to transport Sailors to their next command, so Sailors MAY NOT travel to their next command in your vehicle or with tickets purchased by themselves or by you.

• SAILORS REMAINING AT GREAT LAKES FOR SCHOOL: Sailors remaining at Great Lakes for “A” school Will have the following schedule:

o DAY OF GRADUATION: You will normally have free time off base (liberty) with your Sailor from the conclusion of graduation until about 8pm. You will return your Sailor using the RTC main gate and drop your Sailor off at the RTC Chapel. The Sailor MUST be in his or her barracks by 9 pm, so plan accordingly.

o DAY AFTER GRADUATION: The next day, your Sailor must check into his or her school before being granted more free time with you time off base (Liberty). You will pick-up your Sailor OFF BASE at the Great Lakes National Museum of the American Sailor between approximately 10am and noon and the Sailor can normally remain with you off base until Sunday evening. For more information about liberty procedures, please contact the school house directly:

o Culinary Specialists (CS): Although this “A” school is located in Virginia, these Sailors will remain in Great Lakes for up to one week to complete additional firefighting training.

o Engineering: For Surface Warfare Engineering School Command Great Lakes:

[e-mail]

o Combat: For Surface Combat Systems Training Command Great Lakes:

[e-mail]

o EOD: For Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal, please call 847-688-6819 (EOD Sailors ONLY!)

• SAILORS TRANSFERRING TO SCHOOL OUTSIDE OF GREAT LAKES:

o DAY OF GRADUATION: You will normally have free time off base (liberty) with your Sailor from the conclusion of graduation until about 8pm. You will return your Sailor using the RTC main gate and drop your Sailor off at the RTC Chapel. The Sailor MUST be in his or her barracks by 9 pm, so plan accordingly.

o DAY AFTER GRADUATION: The next day you may return through the main gate and pick your Sailor up at approximately 8am in the RTC Chapel parking lot. Once again, the Sailor MUST return to his or her barracks by 9 pm that evening, so plan accordingly.

o SATURDAY MORNING: You may meet your departing Sailor at the airport to say good bye and to give the Sailor any small items he or she may want for “A” School (laptop, a few items of civilian clothing, etc.) but remember your Sailor is already carrying a seabag, garment bag, and back pack!

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

**BEGINNING OCTOBER 5, 2023, RECRUIT GRADUATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED EVERY THURSDAY (NO LONGER ON FRIDAY), EXCEPT FOR THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, WHEN GRADUATION IS ON WEDNESDAY.