off to Lackland Wednesday - son graduating from AF

[Eagler]

Our youngest son graduates from basic next Friday
The wife and I are going to be there Thursday - Sunday.
Anyone have tips/comments about the Air Force graduation?
Looking for a place on or off base were my son and I can get in a couple of games of table tennis.
Both love the game. Going to surprise him with a nice racket.
thanks for any info

[Shifty]

Eagler,

Enjoy San Antonio. Give your son my thanks and congratulations from this old Blue Suiter.
I'm pretty sure Lackland AFB has a very good Rec Center, you can probably find table tennis there.
If not, you guys can try Ft Sam Houston on the North side of San Antonio. He'll be able to get you guys on
post there. Take in the River Walk if you have time. I hope you and your family have an enjoyable weekend.
<S>

[Masherbrum]

Only time I was in Texas was in the summer or 90.   

On the way back from a month in Mexico my parents stopped in San Antonio for a few days.   It rained like the dickens except for the 2 hours we spent at the Alamo.   It stopped as we got there and ended as we left.

[hlbly]

Go by Wilford hall and check out the static displays .

[Obie303]

Congrats to your son Eagler!  You and your wife must be very proud!

[gpwurzel]

Congrats to your son and yourself Eagler - have a fantastic time and thank you son for his service 



Wurzel

[Shane]

Gratz  - Lackland is across town from me. Played golf there a few times, but usually stick to Randolph which is just up the road.

[sluggish]

I spent two months at Sam Houston in the summer of 1990.  I absolutely loved it.  The river walk is just fantastic.  I don't know about ping-pong but I'm sure it won't be hard to find fun things to do and the weather should be nice too.

[pxdig]

No only am I ex-USAF I also live in the greatest city in the world, San Antonio.  so, your post gives me the opportunity to show off some of my pics, enjoy....

[eagl]

I just went to a BMT graduation, and all I can say is enjoy it.  I agree that the riverwalk is a really nice place to go to especially if your son hasn't been there.  If he's seen it, then I recommend just asking him what he wants to do and then go do that.

Based on my own experience on parents weekend after basic at the USAF Academy, he might just want to get some pizza, watch a movie, and vegetate in some hotel room where people aren't yelling at him all the time

[Eagler]

thanks guys
We are very proud of him. He wanted to enlist a year ago but told him to give the private sector a shot first. Now I wish I'd let him sign up then. He loves it. His group won BEAST week. Says the 8.5 weeks have flown by. He called us last Sat night and told us he'd made marksman with the beretta. He's a great shot considering he hasn't fired anything up until a month before he entered when his older brother took him to a range a couple of times and the weekend we spent with his grandfather where he was shown a few tips by my father in law.
thanks again for the photos and comments.

[trax1]

My cousin graduated from there about 6-7 years ago, he got stationed at Tinker AFB in OK, he was a mechanic on AWACS.

But myself I've been to San Antonio a few times, of course highly suggest checking out the River Walk(which is pictured above), alot of great restaurants there.

[Airscrew]

Congratulations on your son's graduation Eagler.  I know exactly how ya feel.  My son (some of you guys might remember him, he played for about a year under AirDude) Daryl graduated Jan 2 2009, first group of trainees under the new 8 1/2 week training program.   He thought BEAST week was alot of fun.

we were lucky because we dont live far from San Antonio and my brother and his family live in San Antonio so we were able to visit when they were able to have vistors on Thanksgiving.

I posted some pics below.

some advice if you dont know yet.
1.  consider using the Valley Hi gate, back gate to Lackland.  Most of the 2,000 some odd people going to graduation dont know about that gate, less traffic.   You get to the back gate by taking Loop 410 and the exit for Medina AB/Annex.

2.  On the day for the Airman's run (i think its right after the morning briefing) get out to the road as soon as possible.  We took our time and stood in line for coffee, by the time we got up to the road it was pretty crowded.   



Also keep your eyes open for some fun





3.  Airman's Coin presentation.  Again early bird gets the good seat.   They'll have diagrams that show where your son's flight will be on the parade pad.  Get there early enough and you can get a seat nearest his flight.










4.  Graduation Day.  Its a toss up.  They have a briefing in the morning before graduation.  Its the same briefing they give on the day with the Airman's Run and Coin Presentation.  If you went to that briefing you dont need the second briefing.   Important because the stands at the parade ground fill fast.

You can go to the Reception Center in the morning, skip the briefing (if you already heard the briefing before) and take a bus to the parade grounds.  OR you can drive to the east side of the base, park at the NCO club and walk across the street to the parade grounds, either or...







Me, Daryl, my Dad.  3 generations of USAF







 

[Airscrew]

Also, like Eagl and Pxdig said, the riverwalk is good, visit the Alamo and stuff.   we didnt do any of that because we go there several times in the year, so been there, done that, got the t-shirt.  We got a room on base at the Lackland Inn, 1 bedroom TLF (we were lucky probably not a lot of TDYs and PSCing people during New Years, but alot of stuff on base was closed for the holiday)  We mostly just stayed around base, bowling alley.  We went the the Paldium Theater, near intersection of I-10 and 1604 (about 25 minutes drive time from the base) and saw a movie, went to my brothers house off Bandera.  He had some friends from school drive down and he spend a few hours with them.    He was pretty much happy to just be with family and someone not yelling at him.

I was and am very proud of my son.  I dare ya not to tear up when they get their coin and recite the Airman's Creed.

Daryl is now at Keesler in Mississipi for tech school until March then he goes to Sheppard for his second round of training

[Phaser11]

Well done to you Boy!

Beer is sold in many places there, That should be all you need to know!