<p>Commissioning Recap</p>
<p>We had a grand time! Supe's garden party (fabulous food and garden); Blue Angels practice, Blue Angels air show, Blue Angels flyover at graduation; lovely parties and dinners; emptying the storage facility the mid/ensign had for over three years and sorting out what went in cruise boxes/car/thrift store/trash; color parade; awards ceremony; more parties; great weather; commissioning with a memorable and moving speech by the President of the United States AND he shook hands with all 1,030 grads! It was such an extraordinary and great experience!</p>
<p>Would love to hear stories about your graduation experiences by Class of 2009 parents/grads from all SAs! Did everyone buy swords for their grads? How about the Insignia Box? Did you stay in rented houses or hotels? I understand that the USMMA Kings Point graduation is scheduled for June 22. Who will be the guest speaker?</p>
<p>Recommendations for those who will have cadets/midshipmen graduating next year?</p>
<p>Daughter is 2009 AFA grad–Her “party” after graduation was at a friends place who lived in a duplex nearby. ( she was my daughters freshman year room mate–she outprocessed her second year, but stayed in the area and enrolled in the local college) They stayed friends and it was great for my dd who could go spend the night, because her sponsor family were transferred out of the country. The three girls let us use their kitchen and BBQ for a quick family dinner after graduation. One of my daughter’s grad friends came with his younger brother and made the party fun–I think she expected some more local people, but really many older folks are pretty tired after the graduation day. </p>
<p>(my daughter has had a horse at the academy with her the 4 years, and has made local friends through horses while they were looking after each others horses.)</p>
<p>What happens is–you are starving after graduation (food lines are very long, and expensive) and by the time you get out of the parking lot --maybe 3 pm? My husband over heard someone at our hotel trying to get the restaurant to change the time for their party–because everyone was too hungry to wait for the long -planned dinner. </p>
<p>We got a reasonably priced decorated cake made by a private baker in Colorado Springs who delivered to our hotel. (we ordered it from home the week before!) It was delicious. I’d be glad to pass on her information. </p>
<p>A 300 telephoto lens is not enough!!!to catch them on the stage–and we had great seats.</p>
<p>That’s about all I can add–</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing your family’s graduation celebration! It’s wonderful that your daughter was involved in equestrian activities during her time at USAFA. Did commissioning activities at Air Force take place throughout the week? Was there an air show by the Thunderbirds? Congratulations to your new 2nd LT and your family!</p>