Graduation Question

Ken2012

5-Year Member
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Dec 14, 2009
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475
I was watching a couple videos from this year's USMA graduation when I thought of a question.

The Class takes the oath together in the official graduation, but then there are private ceremonies after, where the graduates state the oath again and are pinned.

At which point are they officially 2LTs?

I was also curious, can anyone administer the oath or pin the bars?

Thanks!
 
the "Oath of Office" May only be given by an active or retired military Officer of any branch and of equal active current rank or retired rank. Pinning of the bars on the field may be done by anyone.
 
At USAFA they are commissioned individually in ceremonies the Tuesday afternoon/evening before the Wednesday graduation. Have their shoulder boards pinned on at the ceremony and attend the graduation ball in their 2Lt shoulder boards.
For graduation ceremony they are back in their Firstie shoulder boards and after they walk across the stage and sit down they usually change into their 2Lt boards.
So technically they are 2Lts the day before graduation.

I would assume the other SA's do something similar.

In ROTC we had commissioning individually a few hours ahead of the group ceremony, but didn't pin on our bars until after the group ceremony. We had to sign paperwork after the oath was administered; the officer administering the oath signed it as well as the new 2Lt.
 
At which point are they officially 2LTs?


After the oath at graduation.

At USAFA they are commissioned individually in ceremonies the Tuesday afternoon/evening before the Wednesday graduation. Have their shoulder boards pinned on at the ceremony and attend the graduation ball in their 2Lt shoulder boards.
For graduation ceremony they are back in their Firstie shoulder boards and after they walk across the stage and sit down they usually change into their 2Lt boards.
So technically they are 2Lts the day before graduation.

I would assume the other SA's do something similar.

In ROTC we had commissioning individually a few hours ahead of the group ceremony, but didn't pin on our bars until after the group ceremony. We had to sign paperwork after the oath was administered; the officer administering the oath signed it as well as the new 2Lt.

At West Point - graduation first, pinning afterwards.
 
Thanks for all the replies! I'm really interested in military traditions/customs/ceremonies.

So is the private individual oath technically just for "show"? Or is like reaffirming the earlier oath?
 
Thanks for all the replies! I'm really interested in military traditions/customs/ceremonies.

So is the private individual oath technically just for "show"? Or is like reaffirming the earlier oath?

Just to share the experience with your friends/family. You could leave USMA without having a private one and it wouldn't make a difference.
 
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