As of today I am technically a law school graduate and also technically an Ensign in the United States Navy. I say "technically" because I still have to pass the bar exam for my law school graduation to be worth anything and because I am in the most inactive of the inactive reserves until I go to Officer Development School in November. It just doesn't feel like all that much has changed. I know it has, of course, and I have pictures to prove it.
See? Ben and I took a selfie at graduation.
And I got a picture with the person who had to suffer through
law school as much or more than I did. Very important.
My commissioning ceremony happened on Friday, and the weather forecast was bleak. Monsoon bleak. Flash flooding bleak. 100% chance of thunderstorm during the time of the ceremony bleak. Good thing this has been the year of ignoring when people say there is a 100% chance of anything.
Because it turned out very nice and we were the only people there.
I chose the Jefferson Memorial because of my connection to Jefferson through William and Mary and Woodberry, and also because there are some great legal quotes inscribed on the walls, and also because it is one of the prettier memorial locations. My original idea was to commission next to the Apollo 11 command module in the Air and Space Museum, but that had absolutely no connection to either me or to the Navy or to law and so I thought better of it. It would have been cool, but less meaningful.
Kelsey arranged for a co-worker of hers to come and take some pictures of the ceremony.
She got some especially good pictures of us posing for other pictures.
It was a bit windy.
Good shot of TJ's shadow looming in the background as Papa Buck has me recite the oath.
As far as I can tell, this is technically the moment that I legally became an officer.
The whole group (minus Papa Buck who was in the bathroom)
All in all, a very special weekend with perfect weather and excellent family time. Thank you to everyone who helped get me here- you know who you are.
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