Sub School Graduation

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Monte Springer on July 17, 2014 at 7:20am

They do have a graduation ceremony there that parents and any other guests can attend. On graduation day, your son will go in during the morning and have one more dress rehearsal and then be excused to come and get you at the gate. Hope you can make it for him.

Permalink Reply by Marco Mattucci on July 17, 2014 at 7:41am

Yes, there was a short ceremony, and it was worth going to...We drove up from Baltimore, and they had the ceremony with the graduates and 2 speakers plus the Commanding Officer (Captain Jarret) gave an excellent closing speech.  From there we were able to spend the entire day together and we left that evening...but you may be able to get a room at the Navy Lodge in Groton and make a weekend of it...

Congratulations to you and your sub sailor!!!

Permalink Reply by Don C Douglas Jr. on July 17, 2014 at 9:53am

Like Marco said there is a ceremony and I highly recommend going.  I had just gotten into San Diego from a Tiger Cruise on the USS John C Stennis with our oldest son, flew to Boston and met my wife, drove to Groton and had a great time meeting our submariner's soon to be new wife.  This is a once in a lifetime achievement and we would not have missed it for the world.  The ceremony is in a small auditorium and everyone will have good views and seating.  And the USS Nautilus is there to tour and the Sub museum, plus lots of other attractions in the Groton/Mystic Seaport area.

Congratulations on your submariners accomplishment!

Permalink Reply by Kirk M. Werner on July 17, 2014 at 10:18am

Thank you all for the reply and information. Now I know I will be making a trip to Conneticut. Thanks Marco for info about the Navy Lodge, I never knew anything about it but I will be checking in on it.

 

Permalink Reply by Scott LaPlante on July 17, 2014 at 10:36am

We thought the graduation ceremony at Groton was well worth the time to attend.  The ceremony included all those graduating that day from the different rates (our son is FT).  The speakers were very good.  It was great to see all these young people. We also were able to meet some of the other young men that our son mentioned many times in our communications with him.  Since the submarine community is relatively small, he will be meeting them again in the future, some are on the same boat or at the same duty station.  

We flew in to Hartford from MN and got a rental car to drive down.  It was pretty easy to get around.  We arrived the day before graduation.  We spent the entire day after graduation with our sailor. We did go to the Nautilus museum (I like that stuff).  We departed the day after graduation.  Our sailor had transfer leave that allowed him to come back home for a while.  He flew back on a different schedule.

 

Congratulations to your sailor!!!  

Permalink Reply by Marco Mattucci on July 17, 2014 at 10:49am

My pleasure Kirk...for the Navy lodge, they will give you the rate for your son as long as he get's over there with you sometime during your stay...we had a very nice room there for 75 a night, and the staff was great.  Enjoy the graduation!!!