Our Trip to San Antonio
Parent · 320th TRS · April 16, 2026 · Aurora, CO
GET THERE EARLY was all anyone told us, and we still barely found parking. You need your ID out the whole time, mine was buried in my bag. We flew in the night before and barely slept. It was not a long ceremony but there's a few hundred other families doing the same thing. I wore his squadron color, red, so he'd spot me faster. When they let us go find him I was already crying, hugged him so hard my sunglasses snapped in half. We only had him a few hours before he had to pack for tech school. My sister watched our dog all week and sent a ton of pictures of him looking sad on the porch.
Tip
Keep your ID somewhere easy to grab, you show it more than once.
About BMT graduation at JBSA-Lackland
This story comes from the 320th TRS graduation in April 2026. Air Force Basic Military Training graduation at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland spans two days. On Wednesday, families gather as the Reception Center opens at 6:00a, cheer the Airman's Run at 7:30a, and watch the Coin Ceremony at 9:30a, when each trainee officially becomes an Airman. On Thursday, the Graduation Parade at 9:00a (the Pass in Review) sends them off.
After the ceremony, Airmen receive a Town Pass to spend time with their families before shipping to tech school. If you are planning your trip, build your personalized graduation plan for gate routing, hotel recommendations, and a day-by-day timeline.