For those who want to see OSUT Training cycle go to the following link and on the top center click on the "Explore a Basic Trainees Journal" link.

https://www.benning.army.mil/198th/

Yes, he can go later. It depends upon two things:

1. If his unit is willing to release him and let him go to Airborne School. Many units are not willing to release their Soldiers for schools right now because if the unit isn't already deployed, they are training for their next deployment.

2. If there are any available slots for the Soldier when he wants to go, then he can go -- but it is a bit harder to get a school slot once you are attached to a unit. Not impossible, just harder.

Once the Soldier leaves his Training Battalion, he is no longer a part of that Battalion, and the Battalion is no longer responsible for that Soldier. The Soldier is now part of the 198^th Infantry Brigade "Airborne Hold" section (meaning the Soldiers have not yet made the trip off Sand Hill to in process at Airborne School yet).

"Airborne Hold" has their own rules and regulations, and unfortunately, I am unable to answer questions about "leave" that concern Airborne Hold Soldiers.

http://www.armyocs.com/portal/index.php and https://www.infantry.army.mil/ocs/

The "filling" process is totally random. Once they are in-processed at 30th AG, and 30th AG has acquired enough Soldiers to fill one company (usually around 220 men), they are all loaded up and bussed over together to the new company. The companies are responsible for sorting them into platoons -- some platoons are filled alphabetically.

A "recycle" or "restart" or "new start" is when a Soldier is sent back in training. This can be for a number of reasons. It can be because he has missed training due to injuries and needs to make the training up. It can be because he has not done well in the training and the chain of command feels he needs to go through the training again. It can also be if the Soldier gets into trouble and the chain of command feels he has demonstrated a failure to live by the Army Values. A "restart" can be as little as a couple of weeks or all the way back to the beginning of the cycle. A Soldier re-started will generally move to a new company in the same battalion or he might have to move to a completely new battalion. It all depends on what point in training at which he is being restarted.

As to when you would find out, every company does things differently. But in many cases the chain of command will have the Soldier call his parents to tell them what is happening. Particularly if it is happening close to graduation so that parents do not travel down to Ft. Benning and then find out that their Soldier is not graduating on time.

On Sand Hill, in one battalion there are 6 companies during the regular year, and sometimes 7 companies during the summer for what is called "the summer surge" (more recruits in the summer months). In each company there are traditionally four platoons. At full strength, a company can hold 240 Soldiers, or 60 Soldiers per platoon. Most companies fill to about 220 Soldiers (55 Soldiers per platoon), but some companies (during the winter months) can be as small as 120 Soldiers. When a company is small, there will often only be three platoons, or 40 Soldiers per platoon. At full strength, with all seven companies, the entire cadre (drill sergeants, clerks, staff, officers) and all Soldiers, one battalion can be as large as 1,600 Soldiers. Not all battalions contain seven companies during the summer, so most battalions would be around 1,300+ in size (recruits plus cadre).

Multiply that by all the battalions on Sand Hill (there are 3 basic training battalions and 5 Infantry training battalions), and you are looking at around 10,400 men either giving the training or receiving the training on Sand Hill.  However, Sand Hill is only one part of Fort Benning.

On Fort Benning Main Post, there are several schools: Airborne School, Ranger School, Pathfinder School, Infantry Motor Leader Course, Sniper School, Bradley Master Gunner Course, Infantry Officer's Basic Course, Infantry Officer's Career Course, OCS (Officer's Candidate School) and one brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, plus WHINSEC (Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation -- formerly known as The School of the Americas) and the 75^th Ranger Regiment.  If you add all that together, plus the families of those Soldiers, there are A LOT of people here!!!

Groome Transportation runs shuttles from the Atlanta airport to the Sand Hill Rec Center. Here is the web site:

http://www.groometransportation.com/columbus_ftbenning.htm

The Company is Called Pro Photo To Go.

The website is www.prophototogo.com

Pro Photo To Go is proud to provide high-quality professional services for many of the men and women who serve our United States of America. Sittings only take a few minutes and the photos are delivered on the spot. Customized plaques, frames and key tags are also available for on-site purchase. They accept Visa, MasterCard, Traveler's Checks and cash.

Fort Benning: Family Day and Graduation portraits at the Sand Hill Rec Center. Upon arrival, check in with Pro Photo to sign up for your ITB graduation portrait. Individuals, couples and families are invited.

This ceremony is a ceremony exclusive to the Infantry.  During the Turning Blue Ceremony, the Soldier is awarded the coveted blue Infantry cord.  It is up to the Soldier as who who pins the cord on them.  It is a ceremony is for YOU -- the parents, family members, girlfriends and loved ones of the Soldiers.

There is another ceremony that takes place toward the end of a Soldier's training called "HONOR HILL". At the end of the Honor Hill Ceremony, the Soldier earns his crossed rifles. This ceremony is for him -- the Soldier.

If your Soldier is in the 198^th Infantry Brigade, his Family Day will always take place on a Thursday and the graduation will always take place on a Friday (unless otherwise specified). The Infantry training lasts 14 weeks.

The Battalions in the 198^th are:

1-19
2-19
1-50
2-58
3-330

If your Soldier is in 192^nd Brigade, his Family Day will take place on Wednesday and his graduation will take place on a Thursday. Basic Training lasts 9 weeks.

The Battalions in the 192^nd are:

2-47
3-47
2-54

THE EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE IS 2-54. Four out of the six companies in 2-54 are Infantry and last the full 14 weeks. Those companies have a mid-cycle family day pass, Turning Blue Ceremonies on Thursdays and Graduations on Fridays.

These companies (in 2-54) are Infantry:

Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Echo

Non-Infantry Companies:

Delta
Foxtrot

If you are planning to visit Ft. Benning for your Soldier's Mid-Cycle Pass (usually scheduled after the 9th week of training), the Soldier MAY NOT LEAVE the local Columbus, Georgia area. This means that he cannot travel with you to Atlanta.  Additionally, Pine Mountain and Calloway Gardens ARE NOT considered part of Columbus.  The Soldier must remain in the local area.

Also, from what I understand, most Soldiers on Mid-Cycle Pass usually want to sleep and eat -- as opposed to being a tourist.  Save your family travel/sightseeing for after your Soldier graduates from Sand Hill.

The walk from the Sand Hill Rec Center (where most briefings are held) to Kanell Field (where most Turning Blue Ceremonies are held) is very short. I would consider the walk about 3 blocks.  Here is a link with a map. The Rec Center is NUMBER 2 (in red) and Kanell Field is NUMBER 3 (in red).

http://www.visitcolumbusga.com/assets/pdfs/sandhill05.pdf

There is no transportation provided from one site to the other.

Depending on which battalion your Soldier is in, you need to double check where your briefing will be held (not all briefings are held at the Rec Center, but most are) and where your Turning Blue Ceremony will be held (not all Turning Blue ceremonies are held at Kanell Field, but most are).

Yes, the Soldiers can leave Fort Benning on Family Day (the day before graduation). Once the Soldiers have had the Turning Blue Ceremony, they are released.  Families can take them off post, to the hotel, out to dinner, shopping, etc.

All Soldiers must return to the company area Thursday evening. The company leadership will tell them what time they need to return. Please do not allow your Soldier to be late -- I would advise making sure they arrive 15 minutes early.

The Soldiers will wear their Class B uniform when they are out. They must remember everything they do while in the uniform reflects not only themselves, but also the US Army.

While off post there are a number of people they will come into contact, see and be seen by which are Soldiers stationed at Ft. Benning. Many of them will be officers and senior NCOs (sergeants). So they never know who is watching. If there is an incident the Soldier’s chain of command is only a phone call away and they will pick up the phone in a minute to report a Soldier’s misdeeds.

While in uniform, wear it correctly; don’t dishonor it by wearing it incorrectly or getting it messy. If the instructions are to not wear civilian clothes do not wear them, you never know who is watching. A Soldier who you may adopt while on pass may innocently run his mouth off about another Soldier. This will spread like wildfire and the Drill Sergeant will know within an hour who wore civilian clothes. Hands do not go in the pants pockets. It would be embarrassing for a random sergeant to call out your son off post because he violated the rules of wearing a uniform. Not only will the sergeant do it, he is obligated to.

Public displays of affection are frowned upon. It is one thing to proudly hug your mom and dad for a few seconds when you first see them. But to be swapping spit with your girlfriend while in public or in a restaurant is a no go. Also holding hands as you walk, or rubbing shoulders, etc. 

Alcohol, don’t touch it, even if they are legal age it is not worth getting in trouble for a couple of beers. Anyone underage that drinks will be in a world of hurt. Anyone who is of age that buys booze for someone not of legal age will be in even more trouble. I believe they are told no drinking.

The First Sergeant or command will notify them of Off Limits establishments. These include often but not limited to Bars, Tattoo parlors and other places the military has had a problem with. The MPs (military police) patrol these places on a regular basis. It is a no win situation.

Tattoos, many Soldiers with time and money in their pocket will want to go and get a tattoo right away. Often this will be a skull and cross bones and a death before dishonor ribbon, or crossed rifles or even airborne wings. This will only cause problems. First of all it is painful for a few days and they have PT tests on a regular schedule.   And while a drill sergeant is very highly trained and are hard but fair, the Black Hats of Airborne School are not. They are often referred to as sadists and have no respect for anyone without wings including their mother. They will make you earn them. The same goes for the Death before Dishonor tattoo. When this shows up, it is almost a challenge to smoke someone so bad they dishonor themselves and quit. Such is the culture. The tattoo can be put on after they finish training.

Driving a vehicle is not allowed while they are on pass. So no rent a car, etc. And for those parents going down there don’t let your son drive the family car, especially on post. This of course would violate the order given about driving. Furthermore, if your Soldier is stopped on post for a driving infraction and gets a ticket, that ticket would go up and down the chain of command, embarrassing everyone on the way down.

In the last eight weeks they have had a diet of Army.  It would be a good thing to not overdue the food intake by “pigging out” on burgers and fries while on pass. This is not the time to see if you can eat the 3 or 5 pound burger or steak which many places have as a promotion to attract Soldiers. There is usually a “smoke session” after Soldiers return to get all that poison out of their bodies. It is really bad when you have a stomach full of beef, potatoes and grease.

Be back on time, in fact leave earlier enough to arrive in the company area an hour or so before you are suppose to. Yes, it is tough, but the penalty for missing formation is harsh. So be aware of traffic patterns, traffic at the gate, accidents happen and cars break down. No excuse will work.

Finally, if something happens, an incident a concern or an event which may get your Soldier in trouble, he needs to tell his chain of command as soon as he gets back. This may be contact with the Columbus city police or military police, something involving an officer or senior sergeant. It will be better if he notifies the 1SG and puts it behind him, then to worry during the next week if anything will be reported. First Sergeants don’t like to be surprised, embarrassed or uninformed. If he knows, not only can he head off any potential problems higher up, but he can inform the chain of command he is aware of it and has taken care of it.

Check this website:  http://www.benningmwr.com/taxi31905.htm

There is no temporary housing on Ft. Benning for families "hanging out" while their Soldier goes through Airborne School. Airborne School is just that -- a school -- and it only lasts three weeks. The Army will not provide your Soldier with extra housing allowance for his family while he is attending a school or on TDY (Temporary Duty). The Soldier is not meant to have his family accompany him while he is at school.

There is a difference between calling the company commander or company first sergeant and asking about the details of Family Day & Graduation AND calling to ask about a specific Soldier. When you call, simply identify yourself ONLY as a parent or relative of a Soldier in that battalion and company (for instance, Bravo, 2-19), but do not name the Soldier. There is no harm in calling to ask for information about an upcoming ceremony.  However, you cannot call the company and ask to speak to the Soldier.  If there is a family emergency, you must send a message via the Red Cross.  Contact you local Red Cross office. 

In addition, when the Soldiers in-process (and this is true for all battalions on Sand Hill) they are supposed to list a correct address for family, whether parents or wife. This address is then used by the company commander to send out a letter to the family with details about mid-cycle pass, family day, turning blue & graduation. As long as the Soldier provides the correct address, the letter will go out. Sometimes the Soldier will list his girlfriend and she will get the letter instead.

First thing first: If you are enrolled in DEERS, you DO have insurance. But before you can begin receiving any kind of medical treatment from the Army, you'll need to get your (DEERS) ID Card. You do not need your insurance paperwork to do this. You do need your birth certificate, a picture ID, your social security card, your marriage license and YOUR HUSBAND with you (or a specific power of attorney if your Husband can't be with you) when you go to the ID Card office (at Ft. Benning or any Army post). Marriage certificates and birth certificates must be original (certified copies are acceptable).

Next, your Soldier needs to enroll his family members in Tricare. This is not hard -- just a few forms -- and there is a Tricare office at every Army Post.

Once you have received your ID Card, and you've been enrolled in Tricare, you may call your Tricare Region and schedule an appointment with your Family Practice Physician (they'll assign you one). In order to receive treatment from a non-Army medical facility (clinic or hospital), you'll need a referral from Tricare -- which can be acquired directly from Army medical personnel (an Army doctor or Army PA, whether civilian or military).

While at Ft. Benning, your husband is located in the Tricare SOUTH region. The number for that region is 1-800-444-5445.

There is also a website: www.tricareonline.com

The link for Tricare South is: http://www.tricare.mil/south/default.cfm  

The short answer is No. Although Basic Training lasts 9 weeks and AIT lasts 5 weeks, it is all considered OSUT (One Station Unit Training) and the Drill Sergeants and the commanders see it as one 14-week block -- not as separate training, and as such, families are not allowed to visit with their Soldiers at any time during those 14 weeks, other than the mid-cycle break (which is usually held after the first 9 weeks). Not every battalion/company has a mid-cycle break. You'll need to check directly with your Soldier's unit and company. The mid-cycle break begins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning (after a briefing by the Company Commander) and ends Sunday evening (at a time specified by the commander -- anywhere between 6pm and 9pm). If there is no mid-cycle pass, then you will not see your Soldier until the Turning Blue Ceremony, which usually takes place at 11am or noon on the day before Graduation.

As the Soldiers get further into their training, they will often receive a Sand Hill Pass -- they must stay on Sand Hill, but can walk to the Sand Hill Rec Center, Sand Hill PX, make phone calls, check e-mail, etc. BUT passes are EARNED and not just given. And they are EARNED by platoon -- so everyone must work together to earn the pass.

In order to acquire a visitor’s pass you will need to do the following:

All vehicles now entering Ft. Benning must have a "Visitor Pass". To obtain your visitor pass you must stop at the new visitor center located on the left-hand side of Interstate 185 about 100 feet before the Military Police checkpoint. (Interstate 185 South ends at the front gate of Fort Benning). You MUST have a current driver's license, proof of insurance and a copy of the vehicle registration. If you are driving a rental vehicle the rental documents will serve as vehicle registration and insurance if obtained. At the Military Checkpoint 100 percent ID check is required and random vehicle searches are still in effect. Also, please remember to observe on post speed limits.

Your visitor's pass will be good for your entire visit to Ft. Benning and Sand Hill. When you arrive at the Visitor's Center, just let them know how long you'll be visiting and when you plan to depart the area -- for example your pass can cover Wednesday (the day before Family Day) through Sunday if you need it to.

In order to reach Sand Hill after you have received your pass, you will need to exit the visitor center by going BACK TOWARDS COLUMBUS. (Do not proceed to the main gate/military check point -- if you do, you'll only be turned around after going through the gate in order to reach Sand Hill). There is an exit from the parking lot of the visitor’s center which will turn you away from the main gate/military check point. Once you have turned around and are now traveling away from Ft. Benning, take the very first exit you come to on your right. (Exit 1). If you travel under a bridge, you have gone too far. Take EXIT 1 up the hill. You are now on Highway 280 East. Stay in the far right lane. After 1/2 mile, you will see two exits. Proceed under a bridge and TAKE THE SECOND EXIT, toward Sand Hill. Come up off the ramp, cross over 80/22 and come to a stop light. Proceed straight through the stop light. After you go through the stop light, you will take your first right turn onto Sand Hill. There will be another Gate/Military Check Point to pass through. You will show your visitors pass at this gate.

Where can I find a map of Sand Hill?

Click on the link below and then click on the "Maps to Fort Benning" link on the left hand side.

https://www.benning.army.mil/198th/default.htm

Yes -- there is handicapped parking in front of Kanell Field. There are only about 5 slots. Get there EARLY. The Turning Blue ceremony is done in a different place and a different time for EACH battalion. Some Companies hold their Turning Blue Ceremony in the CTA (Company Training Area). Some Companies DO have their Turning Blue Ceremony at Kanell Field on Thursday (the day before graduation), but you'll need to check on your Soldier's company specifically.

The company that tapes the Graduation ceremonies is Mahone Video Production. Email is mahoneproduction@aol.com. Phone # is 706-689-7349

No. Your Soldier cannot just change his MOS, because this would mean changing his enlistment contract.

Exceptions: Unless there is an extreme hardship in the family or the Soldier is requesting a compassionate reassignment, he cannot change his MOS during Basic. This is extremely rare.

Here is a great book -- which you can receive free -- for the families of deploying Soldiers:

Your Soldier, Your Army: A Parents’ Guide

Your Soldier, Your Army: A Parents’ Guide was written by Vicki Cody, wife of GEN Richard Cody, Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, and the mother of two Apache helicopter pilots with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Mrs. Cody turns her own 30-year experience as the wife and mother of Soldiers into advice and consolation for other parents with deploying children. The book’s tone is warm and confidential with an honest mix of pride and tribulation, a tone that appeals to concerned parents. Mrs. Cody covers the whole gamut of deployments, from the preparation through the endurance to the homecoming, and includes a personal view into Army life and an explanation of Army terminology. Supplemental articles and exclamation points feature tips and facts about the Army.

The book is published by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). 2425 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia 22201, Tel. 800.336.4570

You can also read a copy on-line:

https://www.ausa.org/webpub/DeptFamilyPrograms.nsf/byid/KCAT-6HCH3X

There is no way to know when you'll receive your next phone call. It all depends on the training schedule, and how far the Soldiers are in the training process. Please be patient.

SAW stands for the (M249) Squad Automatic Weapon, otherwise known as a light machine gun.

The word "gunner" means: Any individual operating a crew-served weapon, such as an artillery piece, anti-tank guided missile launcher or automatic grenade launcher. If you'd like to learn more, try this site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M249_Squad_Automatic_Weapon

USAA is a Fortune 200 financial services company focused on providing banking, investing, and insurance to people and families that serve, or served, in the military of the United States and other selected federal agencies.

USAA was founded in 1922 by a group of U.S. Army officers to self-insure each other when they were unable to secure auto insurance due to the perception that they were a high-risk group. USAA has since expanded to serve officers, NCOs, enlisted, and their families a full range of property & casualty insurance, banking, life insurance, investment and financial planning products and services.