Reenlistment Ceremony - Change??

SFC Rich Carey — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 11:13:31 -0400

I have seen reenlistment ceremonies on YouTube, where someone is underwater taking the oath, or in a mud pit, and you can find mulitple unquie ways active duty members are reenlisting on RallyPoint Discussions.

In the Army the regulations states: (AR 601-280)

D–2. Pre-ceremonial planning considerations.

Prior planning for enlistment/reenlistment ceremonies is
important to ensure the ceremony is conducted professionally and in a manner
meaningful to the soldier.

f. The ceremony is an official act and should be conducted
accordingly. In some cases, soldiers and commands desire the ceremony to be
conducted in connection with activities such as parachuting, climbing utility
poles, and other similar acts. These activities are not in keeping with the
solemnity associated with the oath of enlistment/reenlistment and will not be
part of the ceremony.

g. The ceremony should be conducted in proper military
uniform. Exceptions to this provision are authorized

In your opinion, should the regulation be changed?

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Apr 16 at 2014 11:35 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 11:35:06 -0400

I would think that with the big push in the Army to get "back to basics", that perhaps this is just ONE of the basics to get back to. Would a change of command be conducted underwater or in a mud pit? Key words are "Official Ceremony" and it should be treated as such. I honestly believe this can be done while still making it meaningful to the soldier (the provision most used for some of the more outlandish ceremonies).

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2014 1:08 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 13:08:31 -0400

I was always told that the reenlistment ceremony was about the soldier. I've never seen anything crazy just stuff that I thought was a cool..like doing it in front of the rock and roll hall of fame or on the beach. Personally I did one in front of my BN just because it was the only time I could get my BN Cdr to do it and the second time I did it in my company HQ in the CDR's office because I wanted it low key. I'm for keeping things the way they are...if the soldier wants to jump AFTER the fact then by all means.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2014 8:30 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 20:30:56 -0400

Absolutely! I was going to write an issue paper on this, but I don't think it will go far until I am a Sergeant Major one day. <div>The ceremony is for the Soldier. It should be about what they love about the Army. In the 82nd, guys love to jump out of planes. I would put every reenlistee on a C-130, drop the ramp and have the reenlistment ceremony, right before exiting the tail. </div>

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Apr 16 at 2014 9:25 PM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 21:25:10 -0400

As far as I am concerned, the reenlistment ceremony is for the Soldier. <div>There is no prescribed format, so as long as it doesn't bring discredit on the service (strip clubs are right out, sorry.) and is not high risk (AFTER controls....), I say if it makes the soldier's day. </div><div><br></div><div>I had one Soldier who wanted to reenlist in the plane right before we jumped (civilian jump - he has wings, I don't). I was down with that. Sadly, he doesn't hit his window for another couple months, and I will rotate out before then.  Would be down with doing it underwater, if I could figure out that whole talking thing....</div><div>Or someone wanted to loan us the COOL gear.</div>

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Apr 16 at 2014 9:54 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 21:54:28 -0400

i Honestly don't know what the Navy Regulation states but most of the unique situation ones I have seen have been my fellow Sailors. We are a creative lot. Personally haven't attended any of those "Unique" ones. Now I can think of 2 in very special locations. My first Zeto Pt, Project Classic Wizard, Adak, AK and one while I was in Bremerton, WA Chief Electronic Warfare Specialist told me "You will attend, You are the Senior Spook on the Pier and I would be Offended if you Didn't" Great Guy so I relented and concured and attended his Reenlistment onboard USS Misouri in the Ghost Fleet, Retired Ships. That was pretty cool.

Response by SSG Tim Everett made Nov 1 at 2014 1:41 PM

SSG Tim Everett — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 13:41:05 -0400

Re-enlistment is about the soldier. If the request isn't absurd, doesn't bring discredit upon the military, and isn't disruptive in any way to the soldier or his/her reenlistment officials, I think the unit should attempt to accommodate the soldier.

I interpreted a couple of loopholes in that regulation. So because I fervently believe what I just said in the previous paragraph, here's how I'd work it to get around that:

g. The ceremony should be conducted in proper military uniform. Exceptions to this provision are authorized.
-- Loophole number one. The senior official presiding over the reenlistment ceremony has the authority to say "uniform will be appropriate to the ceremony", and use their discretion. You're sky-diving? Cool, we don't wear Class As for that.

f. [...] In some cases, soldiers and commands desire the ceremony to be conducted in connection with activities such as parachuting, climbing utility poles, and other similar acts. These activities are not in keeping with the solemnity associated with the oath of enlistment/reenlistment and will not be part of the ceremony.
-- Roger that. So we hold the ceremony, then conduct the activity. Using the sky-diving example: the ceremony was conducted on an airplane. Then we immediately fell out of the door due to turbulence. Fortunately we were all wearing 'chutes.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 29 at 2015 3:02 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 15:02:00 -0500

As a Career Counselor, I think it is totally up to the Soldier, something that means something to them.

Response by SSG Mark Matteson made Mar 10 at 2019 8:38 PM

SSG Mark Matteson — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 20:38:11 -0400

I remember the first time i Reenlisted, I was surrounded by NCO's.

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Feb 3 at 2020 6:58 PM

SSgt Boyd Herrst — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 18:58:01 -0500

For me it was my regular scheduled day off and I wore my 1505 shade khaki uniform. The ceremony was held at the Squadron.
Cmdr’s office in his bunker. After the ceremony I went to the bunker I lived and changed into civvies..