Army Officer Commissioning Ceremony

[pipersjo, ADN, BSN, MSN]

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering what to expect at my commissioning ceremony-- and what to expect after that! I will have my ceremony on June 14th (the Army's birthday/Flag Day). It has been a long, crazy road to get there but I am finally gonna do it!! I am having my ceremony at the hospital I work at so that the people I work with can be there since they are the 1's that helped me become the nurse I am today.

What happens after I am official???

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

Congrats on earning your commission!

I too did my commissioning at the hospital I was working at; I couldn't have accomplished my goal without all the help and mentoring I received from my friends and coworkers on that floor. They actually surprised me and made a party out of it for me, with an American flag cake, snacks, and decorations in red, white, and blue. I got my hands on a set of blues (I'm prior service Air Force and went straight back to where I came from, so to speak!) and had my mom and my husband each put on a bar.

Unfortunately, once the pinning on is done of your rank, it's all a bit anticlimactic (or it seemed that way to me!)....except now your recruiter calls you sir or ma'am (a bit weird at first).

June 14th....I graduated from Air Force Basic Training on June 14, 1996.

[jeckrn, BSN, RN]

Are you going active or reserves?

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

Wanted to say I really like your choice of day as well!

[pipersjo, ADN, BSN, MSN]

Thanks Carolina!! I thought it was an appropriate choice for the day :)

I am going Reserves for now, jeckrn... I wanted to go active but their were more critical care spots for the Reserves so I just went for Reserves for now--- knida get my feet wet, ya know?!

[jeckrn, BSN, RN]

How that you have been commissioned you will wait for your orders to your unit. After that you will start to drill with them, request your OBLC date. Depending on when you can get into OBLC and when your new unit does its annual training for this FY you might be able to go with them. Do you know what unit you are to be assigned to?

[pipersjo, ADN, BSN, MSN]

I am not sure what unit-- all I know is that it is coraopolis, pa, right outside of Pittsburgh. It was the closest unit that could use me. I will have to ask my recruiter!

[jeckrn, BSN, RN]

That is the 339th CSH. I was assigned to the Erie, PA det when I was in the reserves. It is a good unit, I wish I could give you some contact names but I have been out of the unit too long.

What nursing school are you attending?

[pipersjo, ADN, BSN, MSN]

I actually graduated with my ADN 3 years ago, my BSN 2 years ago, and I'm halfway through my MSN in Nursing Education (which, of course, means nothing to the Army lol). I am going in with the 8a identifier :)