Thousands of volunteers have received their assignments and are gearing up for Inauguration Day.

Jessica Forres met some of them at the third and final training session held by the Presidential Inaugural Committeee.


Inside an exhibit hall at the Washington Convention Center, 5-thousand people are waiting for their assignments and getting fired up over volunteering Inauguration Day...

[NAT: FIRE IT UP, READY TO GO, FIRE IT UP]

Juanita Ballingame of DC is assigned a blue ticket, which means her post will be on the National Mall. She expects...

MASS CONFUSION, LOTS OF PEOPLE JUST ENJOYING THEMSELVES. HAVING A GOOD TIME.

Mass confusion is what the Presidential Inaugural Committee is trying to avoid. That's why they held three volunteer training sessions.

Kevin Griffis... a spokesperson for the committee...says the sessions highlight the basics of crowd control...

ABOUT 85 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE USHERS. THEY ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE STATIONED AT METRO STATIONS, ALONG MAJOR PEDESTRIANS ROUTES, WHERE THE FOLKS ARE GETTING LET OFF OF BUSES.

Most of them, he says, helped out with the campaign and see this as an opportunity to stay involved. Peter Ohr canvassed during the general election....

IT'S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME THING FOR MANY, MANY PEOPLE AND YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

Joan Lee is from Laurel, Maryland....

WELL I VOLUNTEERED IN DENVER AND IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK SO I'M GOING TO TAKE OFF MY JOB AND JUST HOPEFULLY HAVE A MEMORABLE ALBUM AND SAY I WAS REALLLY A PART OF HISTORY, I MEAN REALLY A PART OF HISTORY.

The 18-thousand inaugural volunteers will be wearing badges and red stocking hats.

Jessica forres WAMU 885 News