Questions?

lfaulk

5-Year Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
16
Hi Guys! First of all, I would like to congratulate everyone who received an appointment! For those of you who didn't, there is no shame in it. It speaks a lot of your character for even wanting to attend an institution such as this.

As a current freshman who has been through basic, recognition, and almost all the way through the academic year, I would like to offer a chance for anyone who has questions about USAFA.

This place is incredibly tough, but I have learned so much this year. I honestly couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Remember, if you have the dedication, motivation, and right reasons for coming, you will not only survive, but you will rock it! :thumb:
 
What has been your best experience this year? What has been your worst?
 
I'm sorry, but I have more general questions. :biggrin:

Are the sizes for the boots definite? For instance, if I wrote on the size sheet that I was a shoe size 10, am I going to be stuck with that?

I'm pretty skinny, and I will undoubtedly be put at a special table to gain weight. I also know that cadre will be tormenting C4Cs at all meal times. Will I even have a chance to eat? Lol :yllol:
 
I'm sorry, but I have more general questions. :biggrin:

Are the sizes for the boots definite? For instance, if I wrote on the size sheet that I was a shoe size 10, am I going to be stuck with that?

I'm pretty skinny, and I will undoubtedly be put at a special table to gain weight. I also know that cadre will be tormenting C4Cs at all meal times. Will I even have a chance to eat? Lol :yllol:

I'm not responding to a specific question. I'll let Ifaulk do that being it's his thread. But for all those who have "Concerns" (Different level of question). Let me state 2 things that are obvious; or should be.

1. There is NOT 1 question, concern, or worry that you could possibly come up with that is unique and hasn't been asked and addressed before at the academy.

2. MORE than 50,000 cadets have gone through the academy before you. The vast majority make it through just fine. You are not unique and the academy has a pretty good idea what they're doing.

In other words. "RELAX"! Don't worry about things. Come to the academy with the clothes on your back; a toothbrush and toothpaste; razor; and a copy of every piece of paperwork you have that's related to the academy. Especially immunization/medical records if you have them. Everything else will work itself out. No worries. You will be told when to eat, when to dress, when to shower, etc... Welcome to the military.

By the way.... Congratulations for receiving an appointment.
 
I'm not responding to a specific question. I'll let Ifaulk do that being it's his thread. But for all those who have "Concerns" (Different level of question). Let me state 2 things that are obvious; or should be.

1. There is NOT 1 question, concern, or worry that you could possibly come up with that is unique and hasn't been asked and addressed before at the academy.

2. MORE than 50,000 cadets have gone through the academy before you. The vast majority make it through just fine. You are not unique and the academy has a pretty good idea what they're doing.

In other words. "RELAX"! Don't worry about things. Come to the academy with the clothes on your back; a toothbrush and toothpaste; razor; and a copy of every piece of paperwork you have that's related to the academy. Especially immunization/medical records if you have them. Everything else will work itself out. No worries. You will be told when to eat, when to dress, when to shower, etc... Welcome to the military.

By the way.... Congratulations for receiving an appointment.

Thank you CC. I'm just worried about my weight. I really don't have any fat to lose.
 
I'm sorry, but I have more general questions. :biggrin:

Are the sizes for the boots definite? For instance, if I wrote on the size sheet that I was a shoe size 10, am I going to be stuck with that?

I'm pretty skinny, and I will undoubtedly be put at a special table to gain weight. I also know that cadre will be tormenting C4Cs at all meal times. Will I even have a chance to eat? Lol :yllol:

You'll try on boots your first day and get a pair that fit, no matter what you wrote on your form.

My son is skinny too. He and many other cadets were given cases of Ensure, and expected to drink at least 3 a day to supplement meals. I'll let ifaulk address how much "tormenting" goes on at meals. :shake:
 
What CC says is right on (as usual!!). Relax. They'll take care of you - especially where your health is concerned. You won't be put at any special table for meals, but will be seated with your squadron. They will monitor your weight and put you on supplemental drinks if necessary. When our son went through BCT two years ago, he was even put on the supplements automatically because he was over 6' tall. Getting enough time to eat at the tables during the first few weeks can be difficult, but you'll figure it out along with everyone else. Congratulations & welcome to the AF family.
 
Do you suggest parents staying back for I-day or coming with?

Every family is different. We attended I-day with DS. Others preferred the seperation occurred at the airport. It really depends on what the cadet wants. Personally, I recommend inviting the parents to share in the experience. It was important to DW that she could see her son off on his journey. It was benificial to me because of the WebGuy information and the connections we made standing in line to inprocess.
 
Thank you CC. I'm just worried about my weight. I really don't have any fat to lose.

Simple solution: gain weight.

You have three months left before BCT. Plenty of time to gain 10-15 lbs, especially if you're as skinny as you say you are.

I'm doing this myself.

If you're looking for a workout program, the obvious route is Starting Strength: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0982522738. Do that, eat your 5,000-6,000 calories a day, and you'll be a good bit heavier and stronger by BCT.
 
I was told I should put on weight for BCT. im 6 flat and weigh around 170 with shoes. I orginally thought that sounds ridiculous to put on weight for BCT. Will we really burn that much calories that it matters?
 
I was told I should put on weight for BCT. im 6 flat and weigh around 170 with shoes. I orginally thought that sounds ridiculous to put on weight for BCT. Will we really burn that much calories that it matters?


Nah, I've read mostly that if you actually eat you'll be fine (I had the same concerns!).

I wasn't advising him to put on a lot of fat, but rather muscle. And at 170 lbs at 6', you could benefit from that as well. But if you chose not to do that, I'm sure you'll be fine regardless.
 
Will we really burn that much calories that it matters?
It mattered for me. I started basic at 118 lbs (I'm female) and at one point in Jack's, I weighed about 104 lbs. I would say not to worry about gaining weight before basic...concentrate more on gaining strength and endurance. The weight loss happens to everyone, just remember that the cadre are not only there to train you, but they are there to make sure you are healthy. As far as food is concerned, a lot of kids decided that it was a great idea to take food from mitch's and hide it in their rooms....don't be tempted to do this. They will find it and make life miserable for you and your classmates for a period of time.
Remember, this is basic. You will be working harder than you have ever before (at least this was the case with me), and you will burn a ridiculous amount of calories.
 
I was told I should put on weight for BCT. im 6 flat and weigh around 170 with shoes. I orginally thought that sounds ridiculous to put on weight for BCT. Will we really burn that much calories that it matters?

My goodness. I'm 5' 11 1/2" and weigh 145. I guess I either don't eat enough or I run too much lol.
 
My goodness. I'm 5' 11 1/2" and weigh 145. I guess I either don't eat enough or I run too much lol.

That's absurdly light. I'm 195 at your height. In your case, I think gaining weight would be prudent, and if you did a strength program, you'd gain like crazy (because of the so-called "noob gains").

Of course, even if you do decide to gain weight, you have to keep your running up as well (which you can do, but you really would have to eat about 6,000+ calories a day to see gains).

I made a thread about weight gain a while back and got yelled out for wanting to gain, as a lot of people think it will adversely affect your running. 20 lbs, as long as you keep training your running, won't impair you significantly and you'll become faster at sprinting (as long as you squat/power clean/deadlift). So I definitely think it's to your advantage.
 
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I went into basic training at 6'1" 150 and left at 6'3" 122. I assure you, you have weight to lose.
 
That's absurdly light. I'm 195 at your height. In your case, I think gaining weight would be prudent, and if you did a strength program, you'd gain like crazy (because of the so-called "noob gains").

Of course, even if you do decide to gain weight, you have to keep your running up as well (which you can do, but you really would have to eat about 6,000+ calories a day to see gains).

I made a thread about weight gain a while back and got yelled out for wanting to gain, as a lot of people think it will adversely affect your running. 20 lbs, as long as you keep training your running, won't impair you significantly and you'll become faster at sprinting (as long as you squat/power clean/deadlift). So I definitely think it's to your advantage.

I think if I ate 6,000 calories a day my house would literally be out of food in four days. I'm going to have to badger my parents into buying some meat it would appear. Thanks for the advice. I've been trying so hard to gain weight in muscle and I always run it off...

I went into basic training at 6'1" 150 and left at 6'3" 122. I assure you, you have weight to lose.
Someone lighter and taller than me! I thought that was just a myth.
 
I think if I ate 6,000 calories a day my house would literally be out of food in four days. I'm going to have to badger my parents into buying some meat it would appear. Thanks for the advice. I've been trying so hard to gain weight in muscle and I always run it off...


Someone lighter and taller than me! I thought that was just a myth.

Haha yes it's possible. Seriously y'all, don't worry about your weight headed into basic. Focus on conditioning your muscles for running, pushups, pull-ups, and sit-ups. The rest will take care of itself.
 
I think if I ate 6,000 calories a day my house would literally be out of food in four days. I'm going to have to badger my parents into buying some meat it would appear. Thanks for the advice. I've been trying so hard to gain weight in muscle and I always run it off...


Someone lighter and taller than me! I thought that was just a myth.

If money is a concern, chicken and tuna are cheap. If you're serious about gaining, you want to aim for at least 1 lb of meat per meal (with the exception of breakfast where you can substitute eggs for the meat--and I'm talking about 7-8 eggs for breakfast with a good amount of bacon).

A lot of people go to the gym and wonder why they don't get much bigger. Even if you have an extremely lazy, disorganized and silly workout program, you'll still gain quite a bit if you eat enough. It's 100% eating, and eating is the hardest part of working out. The actual lifting is easy compared to it.

And keep in mind you only have three months to do this, so even if you gain optimally, it's 10-15 lbs at the very best. You're not going to get huge or anything, and you'll be in great running shape still. Think of it as adding a little bit of a buffer for BCT, while getting stronger at the same time :).
 
Being a wrestler, I'll be the first person to tell you that both gaining and losing weight is not that difficult. The best way I gained weight for wrestling is by eating a big bowl of ice cream every night and lifting a lot. Losing weight is a whole different story...
 
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