Originally Posted by lyrad89

Good luck, Sorrybrah. Almost there!

Tip: Not sure about other places but in the LA ceremonies, I highly recommend wearing your dress blues (duty uniforms were also worn, but personally, I thought dress blues seemed more special). This lets the ushers spot you and your family easily and do a couple of things for you:

1. Let you utilize the disabled security check line, as opposed to being separated from your family right off the bat--both the civilian applicant and civilian guest lines are packed!

2. Let you stay together as you walk through the check-in desks (also separate for military personnel), and seat you together (yes with a butler-like usher guiding you to your seat) in the very front of the crowd--civilian applicants and civilian guests are separated.

3. Let your families stay with you as you obtain your naturalization certificate at the end of the ceremony--civilian families are kicked out of the hall, and civilian certificates aren't distributed until all guests are out. Meanwhile, we get our certificates first, letting you rush out of the hall and to the voter registration and passport booths outside before the cattle arrives (have your DS-11 completed online and printed, and check fees ready, and don't forget to take a high-quality picture of your certificate before they collect it).

4. These business class privileges are also available to military personnel in civies and show their CAC card. However, it makes it easier on you and your families, as well as the ushers, to have them just spot you and pull you aside for priority boarding.

5. Be prepared to be singled-out by name one by one as they recognize each military personnel during the ceremony.

All of these privileges sound insignificant and arseholey, but it makes the ceremony so much more convenient, and of course, so much more special for you and your family.

Hope this too helps!