Contacting Family

HHS2011

5-Year Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2010
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I was just wondering about the ability of new cadets to contact family members and loved ones during CBT. Are there a lot of opportunities to call home and send letters and if not, how often are you able to do these things?

Also during your first year at West Point what ways are you able to contact your family members and friends and how often? Are there phone calls that you get to make every so often and are they limited in number?

Just sort of trying to get a better feel for how often and in what ways new cadets are able to contact people back home. Any input on anything pertaining to contacting family and loved ones would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!!!
 
I was just wondering about the ability of new cadets to contact family members and loved ones during CBT. Are there a lot of opportunities to call home and send letters and if not, how often are you able to do these things?

Also during your first year at West Point what ways are you able to contact your family members and friends and how often? Are there phone calls that you get to make every so often and are they limited in number?

Just sort of trying to get a better feel for how often and in what ways new cadets are able to contact people back home. Any input on anything pertaining to contacting family and loved ones would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!!!

During Beast you will be able to write letters fairly often. You will only get three 10 minute phone calls at specific times during the 6 week period (they may be longer than 10 minutes but it is chain of command and opportunity dependent).

During the school year you can pretty much call home, send letters, or emails every day if you really wanted to.
 
My daughter got two 10 minute phone calls last year during CBT. As for letters, she received numerous letters, and cards from family and friends.....we were sending on a daily basis. They were days she couldnt get to her mailbox due to her schedule. We received 1-2 letters a week.....written on anything she had available at the time she had time to write. Communication is limited...but limited for good reasons. Encourage all your family and friends to write frequently.....Mail was the highlight of my daughter's day. Encourage them to send jokes and trivia for entertainment.....cadres entertainment. :)
 
CBT mailing address?

What is the mailing address for the cadets at CBT? Do they have a personal mailbox? Is it one box for all cadets and then the cadres have a mail call? Does anyone know how it works?
 
What is the mailing address for the cadets at CBT? Do they have a personal mailbox? Is it one box for all cadets and then the cadres have a mail call? Does anyone know how it works?

They will get a mailbox that is theirs alone for CBT and for the 4 years at WP.

They will also get a land line phone with their own number (after school starts) that is theirs as well.

Also............there always Facebook!! :shake: After school starts....of course!!
 
Also during your first year at West Point what ways are you able to contact your family members and friends and how often? Are there phone calls that you get to make every so often and are they limited in number?

I try to be respectful of my plebe's time because his day is so full. We usually wait until the weekend to talk because he is so busy during the week. I do text him if I need an immediate response or if I need to answer a question that he asked me, but as far as telling him what the dog did or the local gossip, that waits until the weekend. I would not want to interrupt his study time with something silly and trivial. He enjoys hearing the silly and trivial stuff but just at the appropriate time.
 
So you said that you text him sometimes. Does this mean that plebe's have cell phones during their first year at West Point?
 
So you said that you text him sometimes. Does this mean that plebe's have cell phones during their first year at West Point?

Oh, yes. Now sometimes the signal can be a little sketchy but yes, plebes can have their cell phones during the academic year. You can also video chat but I'm not sure which one is approved. Maybe a current cadet will clarify; I know it's not Skype.

No cell phones during Beast of course. We brought my cadet's phone to him on A-Day with it fully charged. Some cadets have them mailed if their parents aren't coming on A-Day.
 
If you do bring a phone to R-Day (or any other electronics i.e. laptop), will they store it for you? Will that look bad or cause unnecessary attention drawn to me if I do bring it up? Wouldn't want to start that day bad! :thumb:
 
Thanks HHS2011 for starting this thread. I was wondering the same thing.

They will get a mailbox that is theirs alone for CBT and for the 4 years at WP.

When are candidates/parents notified of their mailbox assignment? I ask because several forum members have suggested that pre addressed stamped envelopes be given to the candidate's friends and family so that writing is a little less of a hassle.

Below is the sample given on the WP parent site:

Cadet Name
PO Box 123
West Point, NY 10997-0123



So, which way would you address the envelope: Cadet Smith or
Cadet John Smith


Thanks!
 
Two years ago - the PO Box number was sent in the mail a few weeks before Beast.

On R-Day, we received the address with their Beast Company. We were told that having their company in the address was helpful during the 2nd part of Beast when they are out in the field.

Below is the sample given on the WP parent site:

Cadet Name
PO Box 123
West Point, NY 10997-0123



So, which way would you address the envelope: Cadet Smith or
Cadet John Smith


Thanks!

Address to first and last name: Cadet John Smith
Most likely, their address will be to 'New Cadet'. IOW - New Cadet John Smith
After A-Day, when they get to drop the beloved 'New Cadet' label, then the mail can be addressed to - Cadet John Smith.
 
If you do bring a phone to R-Day (or any other electronics i.e. laptop), will they store it for you? Will that look bad or cause unnecessary attention drawn to me if I do bring it up? Wouldn't want to start that day bad! :thumb:

If you do bring your phone with you to R-day it will be stored in your bag with your civilian clothes. Some people don't recommend this because of the possibility of the phone being broken or going missing. My son did take his phone because he was traveling to R-day alone. Four years ago he did not have an expensive phone so we took the chance it might get broken. It was fine when he got it back during reorgy week.

Bringing your phone might be okay, but I would not bring a laptop or anything else electronic to R-day. Better to have your parents bring it on A-day or mail it to you.
 
If you are a recruited athlete, you will have a team picnic prior to Rday. At that time, the coach will take your equipment and store it in your sports locker. Many athletes store phones in the locker until they are allowed to have them during reorganization week. It's just a few days sooner, but sometimes the room phones don't work immediately.
 
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