Hi there.
It's the day before graduation.
And tomorrow, right here, the trainees of basic common training 22/2
will be graduating in front of 500 to 600 of their whānau
and friends.
Everything about
tomorrow is about celebrating success.
The courage that you've taken to be
here, the commitment to each other,
the friends you've made, and the integrity of your training.
I'm really proud to be your Commanding Officer
and to graduate all of you into the fleet.
All of you deserve to be serving in our Navy.
A recent tradition on the day before
graduation is for the trainees to receive their graduation folder.
It contains a group photo of their Achilles or Leander divisions,
as well as an individual photo of them alongside their divisional life ring.
They also receive the graduation certificate.
This is something that will be a lifelong memento of what
they have achieved over the past 16 weeks.
A great opportunity to pose for some photos
with the shipmates as well.
Another tradition for the trainees is the pre graduation lunch
and an opportunity to hear from some guest speakers.
The Chief of Navy took the opportunity to call in
and wish the trainees well for their graduation.
Rear Admiral David Proctor will be part of the official party tomorrow,
along with the Minister of Defence and other dignitaries.
Graduation today.
It's been a long time coming.
Been putting a lot of hard mahi into this.
And even though it's slightly drizzling,
we're all happy to get on with it and get it done.
The past 16 weeks have been challenging.
We've had lots of ups and downs.
However, we've met lots of really cool people
and made lifelong friendships.
We're really looking forward to today
and getting to see our friends and family after our 16 weeks here.
And we can't wait to continue our connections we've made here,
make new connections in the fleet,
and continue on the challenges we've made to make us better.
A warm greetings to whānau and friends
of the officers and rankings graduating today.
They have transitioned from civilians to sailors
and are a fine representation of the society
for which they serve.
Following the inspection of the trainees and the address to them
by the Minister of Defence, Peeni Henare, there are presentation of awards
and an example of precision marching by the guard
with musical accompaniment by the Navy band.
The audience are also treated to a series of physical training
and firefighting demonstrations, along with weapon handling skills.
A special moment was the performance by the Pacifica Cultural Group,
with excellent support by family members.
It was the Navy haka that capped off
a wonderful graduation.
Graduation is an emotional time for our trainees
and certainly their whānau.
And truth be known also to the staff of the Recruit training squadron.
Amazing.
So amazing.
I hope you've enjoyed the journey of following
BCT 22/2 through Navy Made.
If it has inspired you or someone
you know, come and join us.