Successful completion of Warrior Forge is perhaps the single most significant event in the multi-year cadet leadership development process. As a result, family and friends of all graduates and commissionees are cordially invited to attend the graduation and commissioning ceremonies.

All graduations and Warrior Forge commissioning ceremonies will be conducted on Watkins Field at Fort Lewis’ main post at 9:00 a.m. on the dates listed at the end of this fact sheet. Graduation is an outdoor ceremony, so please come prepared for the weather.

The dates for Warrior Forge graduation ceremonies are:

• 1st and 2nd Regiments: July 11
• 3rd and 4th Regiments: July 15
• 5th and 6th Regiments: July 19
• 7th and 8th Regiments: July 23
• 9th and 10th Regiments: July 27
• 11th and 12th Regiments: July 31

Cadet Visitation

Graduates. For graduates of Warrior Forge who are not end-of-course commissionees there will be no cadet visitation prior to graduation. The Warrior Forge Commandant of Cadets is the approval authority for any exceptions to this policy. Cadets must submit any such request through their regimental cadre.

End of Warrior Forge Commissionees. Parents and immediate family members of cadets who will be commissioned at the end of Warrior Forge will be allowed to have dinner with their cadets the evening prior to graduation. Cadets can be picked up in the regimental area on North Fort Lewis no earlier than 5:30 p.m. and must be back in the regimental area no later than 9:45 p.m. The cadets will not be allowed to consume any alcohol.

Given the number of graduates, post-graduation visitation will be tightly controlled as well. Unless a pre-approved post-graduation travel request is in force or the cadet has been authorized to travel by their personal automobile, cadets will be transported to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by government-provided transportation following the graduation ceremony. Cadets who live locally may be transported by cadre from their host university. Please refer to the details listed below for the post-graduation visitation policy.

Post-Graduation Visitation and Travel

Cadets may be released to immediate family members (father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, or others designated in loco parentis) at the conclusion of the graduation ceremony only if they have received prior authorization from the Warrior Forge Commandant of Cadets. Post-graduation family travel requests allow cadets and family members to travel together from Fort Lewis to SeaTac Airport for travel home on a government-issued ticket (cadet only). Cadets normally initiate the request for a post-graduation travel change at the beginning of the training cycle and are normally notified of approval by Day 16. Cadets may request a post-graduation travel change at any time, including the day of graduation. Under no circumstances should a cadet or cadet’s family initiate a travel change without the approval of the Commandant of Cadets.  Commissionees will be afforded the same transportation to SeaTac Airport as other Warrior Forge graduates if they desire.

Post-Commissioning Reception

In honor of commissioning Cadets at LDAC, the Warrior Forge commander will host a post-commissioning reception. This reception is limited to family and friends of the commissionees and will be conducted immediately following graduation/commissioning ceremony. The location will be at the 8th ROTC Brigade headquarters, Bldg. 1010 on Fort Lewis, located at the northwest corner of Watkins Field. The ceremony ushers will direct you to the reception.

Transportation and Lodging

Guests attending graduation activities must make their own transportation and lodging arrangements. Guests arriving by air into SeaTac Airport should plan for at least a one-hour drive to Fort Lewis. During the morning and evening commute, the interstate is extremely congested and the drive may take much longer. There are several rental car agencies at SeaTac Airport. Numerous moderately-priced hotels are located between Exits 129 and 116 along the I-5 corridor, close to Fort Lewis. Guests with a valid military identification card may also seek a reservation via the Fort Lewis Lodging office at (253) 964-0211.

Access to Fort Lewis

Fort Lewis is 34 miles south of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport just off Interstate 5. Exit 120 services both Fort Lewis Main Post (on the southeast side of the freeway) and North Fort Lewis (on the northwest side of the freeway). The graduation and post-commissioning ceremonies will take place on Main Post. Since Fort Lewis is a military installation, access is controlled as follows:

• All adults 16 or older in a vehicle will be required to present photo identification to gate guards when entering the installation.
• Guests with a valid military ID and vehicle installation sticker do not need a vehicle pass.
• Single-day Pass. Guests without a valid military ID and vehicle installation sticker must secure a vehicle pass from the Fort Lewis Visitor Center (located at the entrance to Main Post at Exit 120) before passing through the Main Post gate. No advance coordination is required for a single-day vehicle pass; however, drivers must have in their possession a valid driver’s license, current vehicle registration or rental car agreement, and proof of insurance. Allow 30 minutes for this process. Display the vehicle pass on the driver’s side dashboard while on post.
• Multi-Day Pass. Guests may coordinate with the regiment for a pre-approved multi-day vehicle pass, but only within three days of the graduation date. Simply contact the regiment and provide the driver’s name, vehicle make, model, license plate number, and vehicle pass preference (single-day or two-day). Upon arrival at the Fort Lewis Visitors Center on the day of the event (pre-commissioning reception or graduation), drivers can obtain their pre-approved vehicle pass by simply presenting their photo ID to the regimental representative. Please allow 10 minutes for this process and plan to arrive when a regimental representative is scheduled to be at the visitor’s center.
• All vehicles entering Fort Lewis are subject to inspection at any time as a force protection measure.

Handicap Parking

Handicap parking will be available along Liggett Avenue, on the North side of Watkins Field. Vehicles must have a handicap placard or coordinate for one with the pre-approved access pass described above.

Regimental Assistance

A regimental representative will be present at the Main Post Visitor Center from 5 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the evening prior to graduation and from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on the day of graduation.