It's now getting real...

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brewmeist

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It is now April 1, and I can officially say that my son will be commissioning as a Navy Ensign in one month. I know it is cliche, but these four years just flew by. For real... I know many posters here who have become my anonymous friends feel the same exact way.

He will be having three people offering him his first salute, and the three 1923 silver dollars I bought for him to hand out just arrived. He'll be doing this with my FIL (Coast Guard), SIL (Air Force) and our old neighbor (USMC), who is pretty much a son to me. My son couldn't pick one over the other, so I suggested for him to include all three (it's his day and his rules). I wish my dad (Navy) was still around to take part, but I know he'll be watching down, beaming.

Our Marine ex-neighbor is currently stationed in Japan, and he just found today that he has permission to fly back home so he can be in Annapolis on Commissiong Day. His officers know why he asked, and they want him to be there in person rather that doing it via Zoom. That was the happiest news I have heard in a long time. It's going to be a special day.

And then my son and the rest of '23 will move on to the next phase of their lives. God bless every one of them. As well as every single man and woman currently serving. It's easy to get caught up in the Pomp & Circumstance and the pride and the pageantry, but in the end, these warriors are all doing a dangerous job. For us.
 
It’s truly one of the most amazing, humbling, prideful, memory-making weeks I’ve experienced. I still smile, thinking back.

Congrats to your son and family ♥️
 
Love, love, love it. Congrats to your son and you and your family. Very exciting!!
 
brewmeist said:
It is now April 1, and I can officially say that my son will be commissioning as a Navy Ensign in one month. I know it is cliche, but these four years just flew by. For real... I know many posters here who have become my anonymous friends feel the same exact way.

He will be having three people offering him his first salute, and the three 1923 silver dollars I bought for him to hand out just arrived. He'll be doing this with my FIL (Coast Guard), SIL (Air Force) and our old neighbor (USMC), who is pretty much a son to me. My son couldn't pick one over the other, so I suggested for him to include all three (it's his day and his rules). I wish my dad (Navy) was still around to take part, but I know he'll be watching down, beaming.

Our Marine ex-neighbor is currently stationed in Japan, and he just found today that he has permission to fly back home so he can be in Annapolis on Commissiong Day. His officers know why he asked, and they want him to be there in person rather that doing it via Zoom. That was the happiest news I have heard in a long time. It's going to be a special day.

And then my son and the rest of '23 will move on to the next phase of their lives. God bless every one of them. As well as every single man and woman currently serving. It's easy to get caught up in the Pomp & Circumstance and the pride and the pageantry, but in the end, these warriors are all doing a dangerous job. For us.
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Well now I’m crying. This is amazing. It is his day and he gets to do it and experience it in the way that works for him. I’m so excited for you and for him. Can’t believe mine commissions in 60 ish weeks.
 
You are much braver than I. :)

i did not start to relax and assume a commission until I saw him walk toward the stage to receive his diploma. Until then I held my breath.

I was so glad to be done with the stress and worry. Something I never planned to go thru ever again.

20 years later I am now back on the clock and worrying again.

Congrats
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
You are much braver than I. :)

i did not start to relax and assume a commission until I saw him walk toward the stage to receive his diploma. Until then I held my breath.

I was so glad to be done with the stress and worry. Something I never planned to go thru ever again.

20 years later I am now back on the clock and worrying again.

Congrats
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I was convinced on Commissioning Day they were going to figure out they had some how let me in and realize it and I wasn’t going to graduate.

Congrats brewmeist to you and your family! Enjoy the moment!
 
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BTW, @brewmeist, the more real yours get to you? The closer it get for me.

Wow, time flies.
 
Congratulations to your son and to you and your family! The details for his first salute are inspiring and brought a few tears for me. Good wishes to him and all the class of 2023!
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
i did not start to relax and assume a commission until I saw him walk toward the stage to receive his diploma. Until then I held my breath.
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I held my breath until DD got her first-choice service assignment. Then held it again until she shook the Commander-in-Chief’s hand at graduation. Then held it again while she did TBS. I’m sure I’ll be holding my breath many times over still, for both DD and DS, as their careers commence and progress. And, at least among the SAF crowd, that would make me a normal parent. 🤗 YMMV.
 
Visited my Firstie last week. Weeknight liberty was nice. He doesn’t want silver dollars, swords, diploma frames or any “stuff” of any kind he has to carry from place to place or store. Hasn’t given even a thought to a first salute. Doesn’t yet know when he reports for power school and has no idea what his TAD will be or his lodging this summer. His striper duty is about over. He wants a nice bottle of whiskey for graduation - Angel’s Envy rye. That’s it. I can oblige.

But he acknowledges how much he loves USNA and how great most (not all) of his classmates and instructors have been - especially the officers assigned to the Yard. Despite COVID and disappointments related to cancelled trainings, it’s been everything he dreamed of 4-5 years ago. And for the first time he’s talked about staying in after his 5 years (but time and circumstances will tell).

I didn’t even go to the midstore.
 
ders_dad said:
Visited my Firstie last week. Weeknight liberty was nice. He doesn’t want silver dollars, swords, diploma frames or any “stuff” of any kind he has to carry from place to place or store. Hasn’t given even a thought to a first salute. Doesn’t yet know when he reports for power school and has no idea what his TAD will be or his lodging this summer. His striper duty is about over. He wants a nice bottle of whiskey for graduation - Angel’s Envy rye. That’s it. I can oblige.

But he acknowledges how much he loves USNA and how great most (not all) of his classmates and instructors have been - especially the officers assigned to the Yard. Despite COVID and disappointments related to cancelled trainings, it’s been everything he dreamed of 4-5 years ago. And for the first time he’s talked about staying in after his 5 years (but time and circumstances will tell).

I didn’t even go to the midstore.
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The silver dollars he gives away to others, to acknowledge their support and well wishes by rendering the first salute to him as a commissioned officer at the start of his career as a naval officer. He’ll realize he needs them as a traditional rite of passage. I gave mine to a master chief who mentored me at Navy OCS, and whose lessons and wisdom stayed with me. The only thing he will carry away with him on those is a sense of a classic tradition well executed.

Agreed on the sword. A royal pain to travel with. Not a required uniform item until he is a LCDR. Can be purchased anytime. If he’s in a wedding arch, he’ll borrow one. I think I wore mine maybe 7 times in a 26 year career, all at LCDR and senior.
Do a diploma frame and keep it for him until he wants it down the road.
Gather checks from relatives wanting to give gifts and dump it in his Roth IRA to kickstart the compounding at this early age. His earned income will jump up after commissioning for the rest of the year and is easily calculated.
 
LST271 said:
Is this another Academy tradition that I don't know anything about?
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It is a military tradition across all services that newly commissioned officers give a silver dollar to the first NCO to render them a salute.

The NCO is usually someone special to the commissionee who helped mentor, train, or inspire them. It is a great honor to be asked. I already know who DS will ask even though it is 4 years in the future. I've already been contemplating what dollar to use. DS's birth year? Year of commissioning? A silver dollar from 100 years before either of those?

It's a big deal.
 
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