Summer Programs
CST isn't what it used be back in the good ol' SERE days, but if they still go forward with the navigation trek and evasion training I would pick up some camouflage paints. The stuff the academy issues is pretty nasty and doesn't come off very easily. A good bug/mosquito net for the face would also be good. I doubt that you can find them but some type of waterproof (Gortex) socks would be good too, although you may not be able to use them. I think the academy almost makes it mandatory that everyone gets their feet soaking wet during the trek :-)
Another suggestion would be to just try and pay attention during the classroom phase of the program. I know it can be boring, but that's where you learn what's coming up and how to deal with it. It's not meant to be a fun few days in the woods and if you approach it that way you will probably have trouble. Just take things SEREously (hah, hah) and you'll be fine.
I was taken by surprise when I got a phone call from our son tonight (Sat). He said he had bad news. Wow I sat down & ask him if he was hurt. "No mom, I'm not hurt." (Thank God I thought). Are you getting kicked out. "No mom you have to break an honor code to get kicked out." Well, then whats the bad news?????????? Mom, it was the worst week in my entire life he said. The sergeant kicking us out of the last three days of CST and making us take 6 days over next summer. FOR PITY SAKES. WHAT? WHY? Apparently his group made it to their first point and just about made it to the 2nd point. But before they made it their group met up with 4 other groups which they were warned not to do. He said their appealing because they were all lost and were only there for 5 minutes. Apparently they were just standing there complaining how hungry and tired they were when the Sergeant showed up. He said his feet were raw and he got only 15 hours of sleep for the entire week. And yes he ate an ant. (Yuck I said). A few kids fainted and were throwing up. One of the group of kids fell off a 30 foot cliff with one hanging from the tree, but their all okay. (thank God). One of the kids separated his shoulder. Then of course there was the normal cuts & bruises. He said it rained all day and he was freezing at night. Of course I reminded him that if he was ever in war and had to survive this would help him. He replied, I know that mom. He's hoping to hear by tomorrow after the appeal if they'll have to repeat the 6 days. Who is the person that said his son had fun during CST. I got totally the opposite reaction from my son. I'm sure he'll survive another 6 days of CST next year, but I hope he won't have to.
My son will be facing that scenario when he returns from summer leave and I am not looking forward to hearing his news and all. I know this is something that they must learn for their own preservation, and I hold on to the thought that should he ever be in that horrible situation, he will have been trained and educated in the ways to go. One of the many things that has made a huge impact on my son was the testimony of "SIJAN". He was in total admiration. If this training helped this man do what I was told then it is something that is necessary and hopefully a lifeline. SIJAN was certainly a man to be admired and a role model. Through the grace of God, I hope none of our children, (soldiers for this country), will ever be faced with such situations, but should they be, I want the best training possible. On the other hand, I also do not want a deadly situation to occur during a training session. Thank you for your note, I will start praying now!!!! M. is now "SOARING" , he absolutely loves every minute and wants to be an instructor. He has great instructors in this course. The weather is not very cooperative right now, as you well know from your son's experience. He had a tough landing the other day, but learned from it, and that is what it is all about. Tell your son he has a tremendous opportunity waiting for him during soaring. There is always another great thing waiting around the corner. Unfortunately, M. will be facing CST when he returns, and your son will be gearing up for SOARING> He will love it!!!!!!
1. Take it seriously. It's not a joke and it's not meant to be a fun week in the woods.
2. Pay attention in class. I know the instruction can get boring and you really want to get with the action, but unless you are familiar with the procedures you will have a very difficult time.
3. Follow all the regulations and BE CAREFUL. A. and his two buddies almost walked off the end of a cliff because they were lost. Fortunately they were paying attention and were careful.
I guess A. was fortunate. He and his group made it to all three checkpoints and never got caught, although they did have some very close calls. And yes, like most, his feet were in bad shape afterwards, as was his face from having the camo paint on for so long. To this day A. hasn't talked too much about SERE. A lot of it was classified anyway. Overall it was a very difficult, but worthwhile experience since it helped the cadets learn their limits. The vast majority make it through fine, but they all have problems of one kind or another along the way. After recognition, completion of CST truly means you are a 3 degree cadet, and you can be proud of your accomplishments.
My son John, just finished CST and called this afternoon. We talked for a very long time with his mom asking very detailed questions so we got a good sense of what he went through. He really wants to be a fighter pilot and may need this information later (we certainly hope not!!) So he did pay attention and worked very hard at it. Still, he says it was one of the toughest things he has ever done. They have to hit at least two of three check point during evasion. They hit the first one (an instructor was still coaching them to that point) but got crossed up when they came to what turned out to be a river that was not on the map on the way to the second one. By the time they figured out the problem and got a fix on where to go it was too late to make the time limit. So through another cold night they trekked, knowing they *had* to hit the check point or fail. They made it an hour early by, as John said, using their heads instead of their feet. He still has some effects (gradually wearing off) of the cold and wet. But is proud of what he has accomplished and glad it is over. (Ants taste like lemon drops??!!) He too is on to soaring!!
Reading about the CST experience just brings it all rushing back. D. was fortunate to have CST during the second period last year. The weather is warmer but the water is still very very cold. We were all on pins and needles during that time when they were out in the field as we had already heard all of the stories coming in over the net about others experiences. One of the Iowa cadets lost 27 pounds because he refused to eat anything after the first day out. Our son did tell us a lot and I agree that much of it is classified material that he really couldn't share. He was able to survive the experience and he did feel that it was quite an accomplishment. The stories of personal injury make us all fear having our kids in harms way but then just think, what if they ever did get into a situation where they would have to navigate on their own and survive on plants and bugs? At least we would be very happy that they had this kind of training. AND just when you think it is all over...then there is "Water Haze" in the next semester where they jump in full BDU's with gear on off a 35 foot diving board into a pool and have to swim under water for a pool length, blow up their shirts to make a float and get to the side of the pool in a certain amount of time. All of this is necessary to the growth and welfare of turning our kids into officers. We will all survive too! Believe it or not!
My son also stated, in no uncertain terms, that he "did not have fun" but he did learn a lot. He stated he was never so cold in his life, suffered from "emersion foot", and was very hungry (which he was doing his best to overcome at the Academy Dining Hall). We had bought him some Gore Tex socks but they didn't seem to help much. He said he also ate an ant and in a classic line stated "It didn't do anything for me". They had 3 rabbits for 12 cadets for 3 days. He stated the last three days he walked "sunset to sunrise" and got very little sleep. He did get "captured" once and had to walk an extra 5 Km because of it. He also stated he "fell down a lot" and got very "familiar" with trees by bumping into them frequently. Because its been so dry, the Forestry Service would only let them have very small fires and only at night (which they couldn't do the last three days during the evasion portion of the CST). All in all, it sounded grueling but survivable and he's very glad its behind him. He has his water survival tomorrow. Very sorry to hear about the cadets who have to repeat the survival school due to "bad luck". I know my son would be very unhappy if this had happened to him after going through all the agony. For those whose cadets have not got there yet, it sounds grim but they all seem to make it (with the few exceptions noted). Its kind of like BCT compressed into a week but if anything, our cadets have been toughened up for the last year and it is "realistic" training. It worked for Scott O'Grady and I hope if any of our cadets find themselves in a similar circumstance, it will help them too. Remember, our Air Force is the best trained and equipped in the world and I hope it stays that way!
I have been reading about the poor kid who gets to do this all over again next year. I thought the following story would be appropriate. The year I had the privilege of participating in the crash course of the Jenny Craig diet plan while killing rabbits for food, picking wild strawberries, and hallucinating at 4:30 a.m while on our trek, I was fortunate enough to serve under Cadet Second Class, well, I won't mention her name. Lets just call her Cadet Jane, our survival class Group First Sergeant. In other words, she was the ranking cadet in charge of all of us pitiful looking 3 degrees and somewhat intimidated by what the immediate future held in front of us.
Anyway, she was our commanding leader, and someone to be admired and respected by all as the "authority" on survival. In fact, I'm not sure about the specific news organization, but one of the national media news sources had done a small bit about survival training at the Academy (not the recent 20/20 one), and they chose "Cadet Jane" for an interview as the "spokeswoman" for cadets at the Academy. This was back in 1988. Okay, no big deal. So she was pretty much the studette in survival, right? Well pass this on ...
C2C JANE, THE SURVIVAL First Sergeant, NEVER COMPLETED SURVIVAL TRAINING UNTIL HER SENIOR YEAR!!!! WhaaAAT!!!???? you ask? Yup, it's true. They allowed her to be our Survival leader even though she too had been kicked out of survival the previous summer as a three degree. The thought was that even though whatever officer chose her as our leader, the expectation was that surely she would lead this group by example and at least complete training THIS time... NOPE... didn't happen this time either... She did not complete CST (SERE) until the very last possible minute she could have, and that was as she was about to become a senior. Rumor has it that she had been ordered to complete it this time or she would face possible expulsion. You see, she had this "trick" knee that would kick in every time she was in the woods. Anyway, that's another story. My point is that although what has happened to J's son is obviously a let-down, please tell him this story so that he can put his current circumstance in perspective. Heck, who knows? He might even become next year's CST First Sergeant!...
Thank you G. for your response to my Help Calm Down a Concerned Mom. G.e I can't believe they would actually kill "THUMPER" and eat the poor little thing. Perhaps I should send my cadet some chocolate to cover the ants. Ug CHOCOLATE COVER ANTS. No wonder the cadets lose a few pounds. I suppose the cadets that came back with a few added pounds ate poor "BAMBI". Sorry, I come from Florida and feel bad if the Disney animals are served for dinner! Seriously thank you everyone for the information on CST. I thank God he is getting the CST and pray he never will have to use it!!!
Although T. is not doing CST or SERE or whatever it is called until the third session, I have been trying to put it in perspective-which is easier to do since I'm more focused on the fact that he starts Jump Monday! Anyway, I figure it's got to be one of the highlights for him,especially after all those years of camping with the Boy Scouts. So Moms out there- do you remember the first time you sent one of yours to camp? Come on now, I can't be the only one who packed "outfits" for each day of the week, right down to fresh socks and underwear! And guess what he came home in?! Of course, the very same clothes, all layers, that he left in. Everything in the footlocker(oh yes, none of that backpack stuff) was still folded, albeit very damp and sandy. And the teeth- well I did learn that one can go for an entire week without brushing, much less cleaning any part of the body! T. always said that smelling gross kept the bugs away! Eventually I learned and all year I kept the torn and stained clothes and socks just for camp week. That way when he came home I didn't even try to wash;I just opened the backpack (yup,I learned!) and threw it all away. So I guess this is just one more of those weeks; there I've convinced myself that it will be FUN! Oh, and just in case the weather's an issue,T. has camped at Herkimer NY when it snowed unexpectedly, Mount Katadin, ME when they had to be evacuated because of Hurricane Bob and some little island in the Florida Keys where there was no fresh water. Guess he's ready! (This mom stuff isn't always what I expected!) Have a good summer.
Got an interesting email from my cadet this morning. Said has a naval cadet across the hall from him. Seems he's going to CST with the airforce cadets. Also he has a ROTC cadet rooming with him. Said he has 4 days of classes and will be leaving Saturday to the forest.
Yes, it's true, cadets from the other Academies, as well as ROTC folks get the privilege of attending CST (aka SERE) over the summer. To our credit, it's a great privilege to be able to do it, so of course it puts your sons and daughters in that much higher regard. Usually, however, they end up making somewhat of a mockery of themselves as they are constantly trying to out-do the USAFA people out in the field. I guess it's some kind "secret" code or something to try and stand out. That way they get to go back to Army or Navy telling all their buddies how "wimpy" the Air Force is, yadda yadda yadda. Like I always said however, make all the fun that you want about Academy cadets, but I bet you more than half of Academy cadets turned down appointments to Army or Navy somewhere along the way. Can't say the same about them...
Yes, the three academies do their survival training at USAFA (why not use the BEST facilities). My son had 2 ROTC and 1 Navy as part of his group. They had a great time and got along well....
In Combat Survival Training, cadets will be with groups during the first four days learning survival tips. In the second four days they will be evading upper classmen in pairs or groups of three. In other words, your cadet will not be alone. Throughout the training there will be upper classmen checking up on them. They will only be out in the woods a total of eight days. The remaining time (before or after the woods) will be spent in classes learning survival techniques.
One last thing that I remember about the CST and D. His strategy was to take it the 2nd because..... the first session was too cold..... and by the last session, all the natural food had been eaten. Now, that is what he said, for what it is worth.
J. called tonight, and they leave Saturday for their trek in the woods. Now I haven't caught up on all my messages so if this has already been discussed, then just disregard the next few lines.....they don't kill and eat rabbits during CST. No! We have been sadly misinformed over the last few weeks. They thump and muck low brush ground moose. They also try to avoid being thumped and mucked by bears. So there you have it.....or at least part of it.
To the third classman parent who asked do they eat rabbit during survival training the answer is yes but they are raised rabbits, not wild. My son is a commander in procurement and said he picked up forty five for just that purpose. When he started to describe the proper way to kill one I squirmed a bit!!!!
C3C has returned from CST. Said it was a good and not so good experience. But all in all not so bad. He lost 10 pounds, but his element was able to "stew up" 5 rabbits and 1 squirrel. They all decided they wouldn't do the insect bit, so they made sure they found meat!!!!! Ha-Ha!!!! He was smacking away as we talked. Says he looks like a skeleton, but was trying to make up for lost time, he was on his third box lunch. Don't know how many he had in front of him. So good to have him back and all in one piece!!!!
Heard from J. and he is back from CST as of early this afternoon. He said it wasn't fun, but he enjoyed it and learned alot. Roasted rabbit is awesome (they were issued 3 but won a fourth one) as is a meal of apple and roll (sound familiar P.?). The marsh wasn't much fun, especially when they had gotten out of it and gotten to their checkpoint they had to lie on their faces for 1 1/2 hours while being soaking wet and cold. Didn't have any luck with their squirrel traps, but they did see two buck in velvet but had been told that big game was off limits. He had really hoped to "thump" a deer, too. One night, all he could think about was a pastrami sandwich he had eaten in Taft, CA -- the town we are moving to next week. (Wants us to bring him one when we pick him up at the airport at Thanksgiving) The rest of the time there were thoughts of onion rings. (Which he got as soon as he could after arriving back at USAFA) He said that's all they could talk about -- food. KFC over Dominoes, etc. They made their last checkpoint, 2 - 2 1/2 clicks (kilometers) in three hours. He said they really tore it up to get there and were there three hours before the checkpoint opened. He said when he got back today, his hair was "poseable". Wherever he put it, it stayed. That shower sure felt good. He lost 11 lbs. Ten of those he worked very hard this last year to put on his 6'3" frame that weighed around 175#. He has water survival on Wednesday. He's hoping not to feel so weak by then. He said he won't float because all of his fat is gone. :-) It was just real good to hear his voice and know he passed and won't have to take it again next summer. His roommate is still out and won't be back until Friday.
When Ryan was home on Spring Break, I asked him about the jump program's safety record. He said that as far as he knew, no one had ever been seriously injured during jump...that was a relief, as he wants to take jump himself. I have to agree with Jenny, I don't want to know when they push him out...er...when he jumps out of the plane. I'll be very proud of him, but I want to be proud AFTERWARDS. By the way, I wonder what they REALLY yell when they jump out the door....
Hmmm.... "Jumping is fun..." NO....it's MUCH more than that!!!! It's a BLAST!!! :)
Well it is a rush the first time you see your little baby throw themselves out of a plane and hurtle downward at some 100's of mph toward the ground. But, they are very well trained and protected and I am sure that fewer cadets have been hurt jumping than flying! My C2C is one of the three women on the Wings of Blue and she now has close to 200 jumps, and is instructing in the parachuting course. I wouldn't worry too much. Of course, you can't not worry at all, you're a parent!
my son is a senior and has already been through jump school. sure it's dangerous but this is part of the training. im not sure how this will sound but the academy is going to need the kids they are training and are not going to let them get hurt
My daughter, Katie, is also hoping to be in jump school during the third summer session. One of her reasons for going to the Academy was to jump out of an airplane!!! I would be interested to hear from other "Moms" about this amazing experience. It is certainly something I would never have chosen to do.
I had also heard that NCAA athletes that compete during the fall do not get jump school during the third session. But I have no idea what is correct.
Tim just completed Jump School. The instructors told their class that since they had adopted the square canopy only one person had been injured in a landing. Sounds like an exceptional safety record! On his first jump one of the cadets who was making his last jump hollered "See you in hell!' as he headed out the door! Tim said that thought sure didn't help the butterflies. By his last jump he really had a chance to enjoy the scenery on the way down. He can't wait for us to see the video. Another academy tradition is that they have to wear their jump wings for a full 24 hours after earning them--even in the shower! Improvise, adapt, overcome!
Hello from Houston. I read the comments about Jump School and remembered my feelings of concern when my son told me he was going to take jump after his first year, and then later, my increased concern when he said he was going to be on the jump team. He played it all down to make me feel better. He said it was safer than driving the freeways in Houston. He also explained that they wear a main pack (parachute) that they are taught to pack and an auxiliary pack that is factory packed. So, if something goes wrong with the main chute they still have the auxiliary. However, the thing that made me feel better was the information that, even if the jumper can't pull the cord to deploy his chute, they wear a device which is sensitive to the atmospheric pressure that will deploy the chute once they reach a certain height.
J. now has circa 125 jumps and his only injury has been a sprained ankle on a night jump (which was not as bad as the bloody nose he got in boxing or the split lip and cracked molar he got skiing!). With the excellent jump training that they get at the Academy, I believe jump is probably safer than most contact sports --- especially after watching the Academy cadets play rugby here in Houston. Now that looked dangerous! I hope this little bit of information helps to diminish your "jump queasies."
FREEFALLLLLLLLLLLL! She'll make 5, count them FIVE...free fall jumps....and she'll love each and every one...well, perhaps not the second one. My experience was that the first was a great thrill...the second scared the he** out of me because I'd done this once already and having survived that what the he** was I doing cheating death again....The third thru fifth were an absolute blast!!!!
Last summer, my son took jump and was thinking about pursuing the advanced jump (until he actually jumped that is) Some of the glamour wore off in the doing. CST was more "fun". His roommate (a foreign exchange student) could not participate in the last part as it was classified. But since he likes hiking and camping, this was great sport. He said he didn't even get very hungry (as long as you are not too particular). The tradition of sucking an eyeball out of a rabbit and chewing it is apparently still alive and well. But the sense of teamwork was stronger than the obstacles. After a heavy year of academics, the summer sessions seemed to actually be stress relievers.
Our C2C cadet is in Airborne jump training at the Army base - Fort Benning, Georgia. There are cadets from other academies, regular enlisted Air Force, ROTC and, of course Army going through the program. Perhaps someone on the net will know how this happens but I assume they just apply and pass the PFT and, if the USAFA has slots available, get to go through it. He says it was just like going back to recognition all over again in the first few days. They are training very hard - getting yelled at - and putting up with heavy physical drills. The first jump activity involved jumping over and over into sawdust pits just to get the feel of a landing. They were covered in sawdust and kept going back for more. Then they moved up to jumping in harness gear off a 24 foot tower - sort of like a bungee set up. They run, run, run and even have to work CQ duty just like the academy! Each time he calls - he sounds a little better but it is a very TOUGH PROGRAM!....AND he volunteered for it! By the final week of training they will be jumping out of planes at 1250 feet! Perhaps that is the same at USAFA?
Depending on the jump schedule and the weather, jump can be completed inside three weeks. All five jumps are single free fall. CST is a long camping trip with long hikes, minimal food and some hide and seek thrown in. If you go at it with the attitude it will be fun and you will learn a great deal of useful information. Otherwise, it could be a long two weeks.
You sound like my Dad! <rofl> He flew fighters for Uncle Sam for 31 years and was in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. When I told him (more years ago than I believe!) I was going to go to a commercial jump school and learn how, his response was "Will the engine on the plane still be running when you jump out?" "Yes, Dad." <pause> "Why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane if the engine will still be running?"
Don't know the Air Force philosophy but can tell you what I know from the commercial jumping world!
1. Builds confidence and self reliance. You may not pack your own, but you sure do check every inch of it! When your life hangs on the correct performance if your gear - you get motivated.
2. It's FUN!!!!
3. Develops following direction skills. Do it the right way or have some very personal consequences. Experimentation is for jump masters. :-)
4. It's FUN!!!!
5. Makes you grow up.
6. It's FUN!!!!
7. Teaches you to react and think logically (even when the (rational) part of your mind is screaming in fear and asking what ARE you doing????) is a stress situation. Next time something happens that makes you want to react only from fright or flight reflex, you will recognize it, function better and also realize you CAN handle it.
8. It's FUN!!
Keep in mind, cadets are not jumping from thousands and thousands of feet, as you would if you got a plane shot out from under you and had to punch out. They are taught by the best and do a great job at it. Oh - did I mention it was fun? <weg>
Just to say - our son got home late last night from Airborne in Fort Benning Georgia sprouting his new jump wings, a very short hair cut, and a slim figure. He lost 15 pounds and is back to his high school weight. All 5 jumps, including being first out of the plane on the first jump ever and a night jump in full battle gear, went pretty well. The class of 391 graduated a total of 324 of which the academy group went from 18 to 13 in the rigors of the running, jumping and training. He was thrilled to have survived and to have had the experience. He is very tired and glad to be home. He will drive back to the academy next weekend. I think he has to be back on the 23rd or 24th sometime. We are just happy to have him home and so relieved that he made it through the jumps in flying colors. He came home with many things in addition to his new "Wings". The experience taught him much more than just jumping. He now has a whole new group of Air Force friends and a gained appreciation for the integrity of the Honor Code at USAFA. He found out what it is like to be in the Army, Navy, R.O.T.C., West Point, and the regular Air Force. It was an experience he will never never forget. We are proud of him and happy to have him home for a few days before he reports back for second summer period at USAFA.
Jump Training: In the early days at usafa it was competitive and voluntary. You gave up your summer leave to attend the Army's airborne course at Fort Benning. The slots allocated to USAFA were very few. Myself and a couple of other grads who were assigned to the Special Forces (Airborne) as Forward Air Controllers went through jump school with the Vietnamese Airborne Rangers and the VN Special Forces in Nha Trang. Every Cadet should go through parachute training if the opportunity presents itself. You can never get enough training and you never know when you are going to use it or some derived skill or mental capacity from the training.
Because it's fun? (That's why mine WANTS to do it.....he says it'll be better than bungee jumping). :) (Of course, I've already had to live through the teen years with a son who practices "calculated risk," as he calls it--sanctioned and licensed bungee jumping, leaping off tall cliffs and landing (hopefully) on his two skis...while an anxiety ridden mother watches on....and I thought when he went to the Academy, all this would stop, but noooooooooooo, it keeps going and keeps going like a everready battery. Now, I just get the final report. I think he thinks I like to keep my adrenaline level high. Maybe he thinks this adrenaline will keep me young, but I noticed I have more gray hairs each year.
The USAFA program is a free-fall program whereby the cadets pull their own cord from a much higher altitude. At Benning, it's called a static line jump where the parachute cord opens upon exit of the plane. Both very challenging, both very dangerous without proper training.
I am having a good time reading all the concerns from the parents of cadets who are jumping out of perfectly good airplanes in fright . . . uh, flight. I can speak from a little experience since I have taken off in USAF aircraft 43 times more than I have landed in them. (For those of us in the Army's airborne community, that is not very many.) Jumping is safe. Dangerous, yes, but also safe. Lots of things we do are dangerous (driving cars is one of them) but we make them safe by using good equipment, techniques, and procedures. (Flying helicopters seems to me much less safe than parachuting. After 28 years in our country's service, I have yet to figure out how they make those awkward machines fly simply by beating the air into submission.) But jumping is safe enough that I am trying to get back on jump status at the age of 45. Last jumped in 1977. By the way, someone mentioned taking pictures during the jump. My one parachute injury came when a young trooper near me was taking pictures rather than watching where he was going. He flew into my parachute and collapsed it some 25 feet off the ground. My back still occasionally reminds me of that night twenty years ago. I am excited for my son. Not just for the great experiences and education at USAFA, but also for the lifetime of service he will give to our great country.
This is coming from parents who had their cadet's plans for summer changed due to academics last summer. He lost "Soaring" and "Jump" and "Leave". He was assigned to the academy to sit CQ duty for 3 weeks, had CST, and Academics last period. Our cadet, who is about to be a C2C had to retake a class last summer (horrors - it happens).
1. Your cadet will be able to get 72 hour passes. Look for the inexpensive airfares and you can bring them home, even if just for a long weekend. We did this!
2. Let your cadet make arrangements for travel. We finally gave up because it was just impossible to make definite plans as his schedule was changing so often and most of the tickets are non-refundable and charge a minimum of $50 per schedule change. For the family reunion - he worked with Academy Travel which is right there at the academy and they really got him a wonderful connection for a very reasonable rate.
3. Even something as mundane as sitting CQ for 3 weeks gave him exposure to many new friendships as he had to keep track of all of those quartered in summer squad during that 3 week time period. It was not boring and he actually read some books for fun.
And lastly, just know that some of your cadets will run up against classes that, for some reason or other, will be overwhelming to them. We always told our kids- no matter what the grade is - if you tried your very best - a "C" is okay in our book.
It would be very surprising to me if your nearly straight "A" high school student would get through the rigors of academy academics without running into at least one or more of these academically challenging courses. This summer we will sit through the agonizing wait for "Jump Wings" in Airborne at Fort Benning, GA, another 3 weeks of "Academy Duties", and OPS at Edwards, AFB. Another summer without our son at home - such is life! We miss him so much that we are going out there to see him during dead week after finals. Good Luck to all of you going through your first summer at camp USAFA!
I've often wondered....who can our cadets go to or e-mail for definite information. It seems the cadets are always the last to know, and even when they think they know, it changes. It's like a giant conspiracy to "keep them in the dark and off guard" which was expected during BCT, but not now. For example, J. had heard that after you solo in soaring, you are finished and can leave. Now he says the "rumor" is you don't leave until the session is over no matter how quickly you solo. How can he find out the truth on this and other matters?
Doesn't the old saying go, "We get so soon old and so late smart!"?? We just got caught on that very thing - we ordered Paul's tickets and sent them out - a GREAT price!...then the other shoe dropped...and he has to be back at USAFA 2 days earlier than first indicated! GRRR - so there goes the $50...POOF! The price of the tickets has just magically increased by 50%!! Even MY math knows that ain't cool! So as soon as he gets them returned to the travel agent, and assuming the 2nd choice of flights is still available...why, we'll just start again...$50 smarter and shorter.
Ah, well, it IS the military, and it IS an academy, and man, are we getting an education!! Now, why didn't we chat with you first, Dee...or have many folks already given us this advice and we somehow missed it? Now WE can attest to that gem of wisdom firsthand...let your cadet do it!
So here we stand, red-faced and empty-pocketed, [but soon to see our cadet again, so all is not lost!],
Just got a phone call from my cadet. He has been approved to leave the academy to drive his "old" car home. He leaves Wednesday night, it will take 22 hrs. driving time, and he has a flight back on Saturday! Since he will not have summer leave again this year (CLEPP takes the place of leave for him) it was his choice to come home even for just one day! We'll take what we can get. Would appreciate if you'd keep him in your thoughts and prayers for the safety of this trip. I will be keeping all of your cadets travels for this summer in my prayers also.
We just received word from our daughter that her summer schedule had changed yet a third time. She originally was not able to get jump, which she wanted, but now it looks like she will have it. Of course this is all subject to change. Needless to say, we are not jumping on the bad wagon to go out and purchase airline tickets right away!!! As it stands right now she has CST, jump, details (one week), and then leave.
FYI: We had a recent experience with the airlines and a change of orders that you might like to know about. Since our travel agent was not aware of this option, and our daughter who graduated from AFA in '95 was aware and has used this since she graduated, we tried it our daughter's way and it worked. Our son, AFA class of '99, had to have his ticket (that we had purchased through our travel agent in Michigan) changed to an earlier flight and he made this new reservation over the phone with the United agent. On his day to fly back he just had to show his orders to the ticket agent and there was no charge. They told him on the phone as long as he had his orders they would change it without the $50 fee and it worked!! When I called our travel agent, she just said sometimes the kids know more than they do. Every little bit helps.
Hi All! I was aware of the method of showing your orders but it doesn't always work. We tried that with United here in Des Moines and got charged anyway. Perhaps someone here on the net can clear up how this works every time because it does get frustrating to parents AND expensive to boot!
well, it is nearly impossible to get a definite answer because there are many factors to consider. imagine how frustrating it is for those of us who must live in this bubble of uncertain and perpetually changing rules from day to day. about the only way to get a definite answer would be for your cadet to fill out a 'Form 30' and send it up his chain of command. your cadet is probably very familiar with the 'Form 30'. he can put his request for the days off that he needs with the reasoning for the request on the form and get his request approved if it does not interfere with any mandatory duties. the summer programs do not seem extremely organized, and the people in charge seem to be making things up as they go along-not that i am surprised. good luck! more frustrated with 'the system' than you can fathom,