Graduation week at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland is the moment you have been waiting for. It’s also a very hectic week. In partnership with Navy Federal Credit Union, we built the Air Force and Space Force BMT Graduation Guide. This free guide allows you to spend the week watching your Airman or Guardian instead of hunting for answers. View Your BMT Graduation Guide
Free Wi-Fi from Sandboxx
Cell service constantly drops out on the graduation grounds. Thousands of people arrive at once, and everyone is reaching for their phone at the same moment.
So we built our own network, and it is built for uploads. Your photos and video go home the moment you take them. Connect to Sandboxx Guest and enter your email at the sign-in screen. No charge, no app required, no hunting for a signal while your Airman or Guardian marches past.
You will find the free wifi in two places:
- Pfingston Reception Center, on day one of graduation week
- The Parade Field, on graduation day
What’s Inside the Guide
Getting There and Getting On Base
Base access can be stressful and full of unknowns. The guide walks you through what you actually need at the gate, including REAL ID requirements, your BMT visitor pass, and what changes if you hold a DoD ID card.
It also covers which two gates visitors use during graduation week, their hours, where to park after each one, and what to expect at the security check. You will find travel and lodging guidance too, from the drive time between San Antonio International Airport and JBSA Lackland to a short list of military-friendly hotels near the base.
One tip worth reading twice. Rideshares cannot come on base, so plan your transportation before you land.
The Week, Hour by Hour
The guide lays out the Wednesday and Thursday schedule side by side so you know when the Pfingston Reception Center opens, when the Airman and Guardian Run starts, when the Coin and Retreat Ceremony begins, and when your graduate is due back.
Every ceremony gets its own page. You will know what the Airman and Guardian Run looks like and where to stand, what the Coin Ceremony means for your Airman, how the Space Force Pinning Ceremony honors families, and how the Graduation Parade unfolds at the Parade Field.
The Tap Out gets extra attention, because it is the moment families remember most. The guide explains the tradition, when it happens, basic etiquette for the rush forward, and the “No Airman Left Behind” spirit that means no graduate stands alone.
Budgeting for the Trip
Flights, lodging, a rental car, meals for a group, and a celebration dinner add up fast. The guide includes a week-by-week savings plan built around the 7.5 weeks your trainee spends at BMT, plus practical ways to free up money before you go.
There is also a printable Estimated Trip Expenses Worksheet that breaks the trip into transportation, lodging, meals, activities, and an emergency cushion. A weekly savings calculator at the bottom turns your total into a number you can actually plan around.
Checklists You Can Print
Two pages of checklists cover documents, what to wear, what to pack for the day, and what to bring to capture the moment.
Things to Do on Base
Graduation week leaves you with free time on base. Two free experiences sit right by the Pfingston Reception Center. The Hangar puts you in a VR flight sim, a KC-135 boom pod, and a jet engine run-up. Level 62 is a mixed-reality trip to the edge of space and a close look at the Space Force mission. The guide covers open hours, wristbands, and how to register your group.
Space to Reflect
The last pages are yours. Write a message to your Airman or Guardian, capture what made you proud, and put into words what this milestone means to your family. Your words carried them through 7.5 weeks. These pages give you somewhere to keep them.
Print It, Pack It, Bring It
The guide is designed to be accessed on your phone or printed. You can input your trainee’s graduation dates on the cover and use it as your reference all week. Download the BMT Graduation Guide
And before you head to San Antonio, download the Sandboxx Community app. It’s where families share real-time updates on gate closures, schedule changes, and location changes during graduation week, and where you can ask other families the questions that come up the night before.
We hope this guide relieves stress and helps you through the week so you can focus on your trainee’s accomplishments!