— Graduation guides · Air Force and Space Force
What families should know before graduation at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas. Checked against official sources in September 2026.
— The basics
Official information: BMT graduation information, BMT frequently asked questions, Graduation parking. Schedules and rules change, so check there before you travel.
— Upcoming classes
Each class has its own page with a countdown to share with your group.
— Getting on base
— On the day
— Questions families ask
Lackland is on the southwest side of San Antonio at Joint Base San Antonio. Events are Wednesday and Thursday, and graduates leave for tech school on Friday, so most families book Tuesday through Thursday nights. Hotels near the base's southwest side and along the highways into it fill for graduation weeks, so book as soon as you get your trainee's welcome letter with the graduation date. Read recent reviews before booking; families post about bad stays every cycle. Source
Yes. Guests without a DoD ID enter on a visitor access pass that your trainee requests for you; the trainee lists guests on a visitor access request that starts with the recruiter before they ship, and the pass covers up to 6 adults, with children under 18 riding with a passed adult. The BMT Commander's welcome letter that every trainee mails home in the first weeks spells out that week group's exact pass and gate instructions, so keep that letter. After the ceremony your Airman can sponsor extra family in at the visitor center, but it is slow and first come, first served. Source
BMT does not publish gate directions on its website. The gate and parking instructions for your week come in the BMT Commander's welcome letter that your trainee mails home, and on the visitor pass itself, so keep both. Events are at the Pfingston Reception Center on Wednesday and the parade field on Thursday. Plan to be seated before 7 a.m. Wednesday and before 8 a.m. Thursday. Source
A REAL ID driver's license, or a valid U.S. passport, DoD ID or other federally approved document, for every adult, along with your visitor pass. A license from a state that is not REAL ID compliant is not enough on its own, and an expired passport is not an accepted document. Drivers also need registration and proof of insurance. Source
The Airman's Run and the Coin Ceremony and Retreat are Wednesday morning at the Pfingston Reception Center, and the graduation parade is Thursday morning on the parade field. Sign language services run 7 to 11 a.m. Wednesday and 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday, which brackets the events, so plan to be on base and seated well before 7 a.m. Wednesday and before 8 a.m. Thursday. After Thursday's parade trainees get base liberty until 6 p.m. and must stay on base; Friday afternoon and Saturday they can leave base on town pass. Your week group's welcome letter has the exact times, and holidays can shift them. Source
BMT does not publish a take-back list on its website; the rules come from the Military Training Instructor before liberty and are in the welcome letter. The mail rules give the picture: food and any contraband in a package is thrown away, do not send electronics or cameras, and trainees can buy every essential on base with almost no storage space for extras. So treat gifts, cash and food as things to enjoy together during liberty and take home yourself, then hand over the real gifts at tech school. Source
In the first day or two of BMT every trainee photographs a pre-printed address card and sends it home; that is their correct address, in the form AB Last Name, First Name, squadron number TRS/FLT number, 1320 Truemper St, JBSA-Lackland, TX 78236-6407. If they move flights they are always allowed to tell you the new address. Federal privacy law means no one at BMT can tell you a trainee's status without their written permission, so the trainee's own calls and letters are your source. Trainees get a handful of voice-only calls during the 7.5 weeks. For a true family emergency, call the American Red Cross Hero Care line at 877-272-7337. Source
The 37th Training Wing streams the Thursday graduation parade on the Air Force Basic Military Training Facebook page and posts the recording on its YouTube channel, both linked from basictraining.af.mil. Check the official page the morning of the parade for the live link. Source
Request your Official Military Personnel File free from the National Personnel Records Center at vetrecs.archives.gov or by mailing Standard Form 180 to 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138. It records your training squadron and flight. Scanned BMT flight photos and yearbooks are searchable on the volunteer Military Yearbook Project and the Internet Archive by year and flight number. Source
— The photos
Every photo from Lackland becomes a numbered keepsake card, front and back, with the unit, the base and the date. You get a video and one page the whole family can open, and every card has a code on the back that opens it. Graduated a while ago? It is not too late.
— Sources
Checked in September 2026 against these official pages. CardMyService is not affiliated with the Department of Defense or any branch.