NROTC Commisioning Ceremony

[Sandhills]

As a retired AF officer I hope I can get some info regarding the commissioning ceremony for NROTC. The only other forum I found was "NavyMoms", but I thought this might be a better place to ask.

My daughter will be graduating in May and will be commissioned an officer in the USN. Is it appropriate to give her a gift of a sword? If so when would be the best time to present it to her (heaven forbid I do something wrong to embarrass her) - immediately after she "pins on" her Ensign rank, or later as a more private gift?

Also a bit more insight into actual ceremonial dress uniform would be helpful as well - from what I have been told she will be wearing a skirt. So am I right to assume that this means she would not actually put on a sword if presented to her - so again, any recommendations about the best timing to present her a sword as a gift.

Sad to say the Air Force (even the AF Academy where my son graduated from) is a bit less formal in it's "pomp and ceremony" (it has been said that the AF has had over 60 years of progress unimpeded by tradition...with the Army/Navy/Marines having over 200 years of tradition unimpeded by progress) - and please take that with all the respect I have for anyone in the profession of arms.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

She won't be able to put on a sword right away. She will be in a skirt, and also not wearing the scabbard. Also, the sword is only required for O-4 and above in the Navy.

While I think the sword is a meaningful gift, and think it is great that you are wanting to honor your daughter's achievement, maybe you could get it for her when she makes O-4? I know when I graduated and was commissioned, the number one thing I needed was cash flow. Maybe a small and sentimental gift from the family, and then an offer to help out with furniture for a new place? Or some money to start a retirement account? Just a thought -- good luck either way and congrats to your daughter.

 

[Sandhills]

Thanks - I certainly realize that a sword has more to do with sentiment than real value, and I had read that she would never need one until she made O-4. If asked, I know she would rather have the $500. Just wanted something extra to add to the big day.

 

[Recovering LSO]

My grandfather (WWII Navy) gave me a sword as a commissioning gift. Had my name and commissioning date engraved up near the hilt. It was a very nice gift - better than a $500 check. I say go for it.

 

[gotta_fly]

Agreed, I received a sword as well and even though I've never worn it, it has a special place in my house. I would recommend keeping it a private gift for later.

 

[nittany03]

A sword isn't totally verboten if you're below O-4. It's just not REQUIRED for O-1 through O-3, but optional. You know your daughter (and her financial situation) better than any of us, so as to the particulars of whether the price of a good sword might be better presented in check form is probably something you know better than we do. My parents got me a sword as a commissioning present, and my dad and I made a stand for it a couple of Christmases later. It's currently hanging proudly over my mantle, below a gicleé of Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet.

And just because you're given a sword doesn't mean you have to put it on right then and there. My ROTC unit awarded swords to two mids every year. I can't remember the criteria for the awards, but it was something like the highest GPA overall and the highest GPA in Naval Science or somesuch. At any rate, the ones who accepted the award were wearing summer whites at the time, and couldn't have worn it anyway. Being a guy, I'm not familiar with whether the uniform regs say that females have to wear trousers when wearing a sword, but I'm pretty certain that somewhere there is a full-dress uniform configuration which accommodates both being female and wearing a sword.

Also, you may not "need" a sword before making O-4, but they do come in handy (and are sought after by grooms) around the O-2 to O-3 timeframe when folks start getting married and thus doing sword arches. I was in the sword arch for another officer who lent me his personal sword for the task. This would have been fine had I not been a scrawny nerd and he not been built like a nose tackle. The result was rather comical. It involved rubber bands, tape, a rather large bulge in the back of my dress whites where the sword belt was doubled and tripled over to take up about 6 inches of waist size, and me somehow managing to not knock my cover off whilst executing sword drill with a blade which was made for a man a full 8 inches taller than me. Since getting my own sword, it's been in more military weddings than I have.

Other than weddings, changes of command are the only other time I think a sword would commonly be used. I think it's something which gets used very rarely at any rank, so the choice of whether to get one pre-LCDRhood is totally personal preference.

 

[Sandhills]

Never much doubt in my mind about the value of the sentiment. And I was leaning toward making it a private gift rather than carrying it with us to the commissioning ceremony, that seemed sort of awkward. And knowing now she couldn't put it on with a skirt, a private presentation seems to be the best route. Just wanted to feel out some who have had the experience and could weigh-in and help a Dad out.

Thanks alot.

 

[wlawr005]

Sir, generally most of our commissionees prefer to have their oath administered by someone special well after the official commissioning ceremony/official speaker. Although our ceremony is on May 6th, most of us won't actually sign our oath of office until May 13th, at which time we can elect to have the oath administered again. In other words, there will be plenty of time to present the sword without making it awkward.

I think the sword is an excellent idea and will be greatly appreciated. Congratulations to your daughter and good luck.

 

[HAL Pilot]

^ Actually my experience (from 28 years ago....) at AOCS was that those who were being given their oath by some special took their oath before the official ceremony. That way they truely were commissioned by that person and it wasn't just a "ceremonial" ceremony afterward.

I agree, a sword is a great commissioning gift for a Navy officer.

 

[helolumpy]

To echo Flash and HAL, the sword is a great idea for a gift. It's something they will most likley keep long after they have left the Naval Service. A watch is nice, but will eventually break or be lost. A sword is something she can keep on her mantle or display as a nice memento of her time in the Navy, plus it's from her Dad which gives it even more sentiment.

I got a sword a graduation and it's cut about 15 wedding cakes, including my own, by my last count. Whether she chooses to cut her cake with her sword is something she can only know, if she does use the sword given to her by Dadddy, then it will have even more sentiment...

 

[statesman]

Don't have much to add, Nittany really hit it home... So Ill just say "what he said" and highly encourage you to go with that awesome gift.

As for presentation... Privately is probably the way to go unless somewhere in the ceremony they have set aside for giving the new officers gifts... which I've never heard of happening.

We had a reception directly after our ceremony and then my family, a few friends and I, went to dinner... I got commissioning gifts at both the reception and dinner. It was a bit more appropriate timing wise.