New ROTC cadet needs

NCmom23

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Aug 23, 2012
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I am preparing to send my DS off to college next month. He is a grateful recipient of a 4 yr AROTC scholarship. I have read a few suggestion of items that might be useful for a cadet to have, such as moleskin for breaking in boots. Are there other items you experienced posters can suggest we send with him?
 
- An Iron, a small ironing board and a can of starch (unless they offer uniform cleaning services there)
- A shoe polishing kit
 
A former cadet told me that a multi-tool would come in handy (haven't even started, and it already has).

Don't Bn's provide shoe polishing kit?
 
A clipper for his hair. Not sure which blades though. +1 to the moleskin, iron, and ironing board. Also a suggestion. My DS took in ironing his freshman year. $0.50 for non collared shirts and $1.00 for collared shirts. Gave him a little extra jingle jangle his freshman year, but then he wasn't on scholarship at the time either.
 
A really good durable watch - I spent about $120 for his first watch right before he started ROTC. It lasted until LDAC when he lost it in the Airport coming home. His friends bought cheap ones which they had to consdtantly replace. The cheaper ones would get broken or destroyed. A good watch is important.
 
- An Iron, a small ironing board and a can of starch (unless they offer uniform cleaning services there)
- A shoe polishing kit

Your suggestions were like a blast from the past. Starch is not allowed or necessary, and, at least at DS's Bn, Corfams are issued, so polishing is not necessary either.

Save the money and don't bring either.
 
Send him with a pre-paid self addressed envelope. Original birth certificates are required to contract. Sending them with one makes it easy for them to send it back home after they contract. Many kids don't realize the importance of the original certificate and see it as just another piece of paper that can get lost in the dorm room among the mess/clutter.

Tide to go pens or shout wipes are also a great thing to take too.
 
You mention clippers. Should they have their hair cut before they arrive or is that done there? (Perhaps I've seen too many movies...that scene when it all comes off is common).
 
You've seen too many movies...Won't need starch or polish...would prefer my cadets aren't cutting each others hair. We have a local barber that cuts hair relatively cheap to standard, not sure if it's going to be the same where your cadet is headed. We issue Cadets everything they will need to train. They aren't going off to boot camp (unless they are headed to an SMC), so you don't need to spend a lot to prepare them. A good watch and a small multitool or swiss army knife are nice to have items.

Of course, as always, each Battalion if different. Your Cadet might be headed to the school with the deranged SF Master Sergeant teaching the freshmen, who expects every cadet to have a 12" Kbar strapped to their field gear. Listen to your cadet and you'll know what to get him for Xmas if this is the case.
 
I agree with Clarkson for the most part. DS's unit also has someone who will do haircuts relatively cheaply. However, DS preferred to cut his own hair as a cost saving alternative. Now that he is on scholarship, and he has a little more money in his pocket, he has the unit's barber cut his hair. Although Mom cut his hair to regulation length prior to orientation, the unit still cut his hair initially.
 
Regarding a watch - agree that cheap watches are... cheap and don't hold up to the elements. However, a good adequate watch can be found under $50 (even more with sales) - something like Timex Ironman or Casio equivalent. At this point in the process, you don't need to go all out on a watch.

My son's unit had a "mandatory" hair cut at orientation by a local barber. Think it was 5 bucks but could be off on that.

You may want to consider sending him off with a good pair of running shoes. They will definately be used.

EVERY unit does things a bit differently so be prepared for a wide range of responses. DS's unit gave a gear list to report with - you may want to wait to see if something is forthcoming.
 
I'm going to give a strong second to getting a good pair of running shoes. If your son is not in Track or Cross Country where he used to the type of running shoe to wear, go to a good store that specializes in running shoes, not the local all in one shoe store. The sales people should be able to fit him with the shoe that best fits his feet.

The ACU's they are issued do not require ironing and the dress shirts are pretty much wash and wear. The shoes are corafram so no polishing.

A small can of Brasso may come in handy but he won't need it right away.

Mole skin is a must.

Other then that he will have a chance once he gets there to see what the other cadets are using and will be able to give you a nice Christmas list to fill in the gaps.
 
Your Cadet might be headed to the school with the deranged SF Master Sergeant teaching the freshmen, who expects every cadet to have a 12" Kbar strapped to their field gear.
Too funny Clarkson.

I'm not sure if this varies Bn by Bn; at least for my Bn - for the paperwork, all I needed was a scanned copy of my documents; not the original.
 
Too funny Clarkson.

I'm not sure if this varies Bn by Bn; at least for my Bn - for the paperwork, all I needed was a scanned copy of my documents; not the original.

Same, I don't recall needing an original Birth Certificate like Pima claims.
 
better than moleskin: boots that don't cause blisters. DD was given Altama LC3 by the battalion... did cause her a couple of big, serious blisters at her first FTX weekend. After that, she switched to Khyber Mountain Hybrid boots(was on the USMA boot list that year, and this year I think), and her feet thank her for switching to them every ruck march.

Of course I had sympathy when I heard about this, but couldn't completely relate... OK, blisters, no big deal. Well, as fate would have it, I played beach volleyball after that on an especially hot day, and the sand was especially hot, and I didn't have my sand socks with me. That day my feet did hurt, but I ignored it. That night, they still hurt, and again I ignored it. I'm playing the next day, and my feet are feeling a little bit strange... like numb in some places. I sat down, took a close look, and I had about eight blisters... some between my toes, some right at the edge of the ball of my foot. At home after showering, I pierced each one, washed them well, and went about my work week the next day. I was walking funny until Wednesday, and they didn't feel OK until Thursday.

Imagine if I were at LDAC, or on FTX for the weekend. Blisters are a really big deal, to be avoided at most cost. Moleskin, sure, as a backup. But better yet, get boots built like tennis shoes, like the Khybers.
 
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Great question NCMom. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone has posted thus far. My son will start University of South Carolina this fall and also received a "gear checklist" from his NROTC unit which really helped. I have seen some ideas that were not on the checklist that I would not have thought about. What type of watch do ya'll recommend--any specific type-digital/analog?

By the way, where would one purchase a moleskin? :confused: :shake:

Thanks!
 
Great question NCMom. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone has posted thus far. My son will start University of South Carolina this fall and also received a "gear checklist" from his NROTC unit which really helped. I have seen some ideas that were not on the checklist that I would not have thought about. What type of watch do ya'll recommend--any specific type-digital/analog?

By the way, where would one purchase a moleskin? :confused: :shake:

Thanks!

Congrats on joining the Gamecock Battalion! Watch out for the Alpha Co. XO. I hear he can be a bit of a pain! :biggrin: See you at Tally-Ho (the NROTC tailgate) on Parents weekend!

BTW - I would think you could get moleskin in the foot care section of any reputable pharmacy.
 
Moleskin is something you buy in the first aid or footcare aisle.

Definitely concur on the running shoes. We run 20-30 minutes three times a week, and expect our cadets to run on the days we don't do PT. Shin splints and foot problems can be caused by not having the right shoes. If you can go to a running store and have a knowledgeable salesman help chose the right pair Expect to spend around $120 for a good pair. I personally buy a new pair every year to keep running injuries at bay.
 
I am preparing to send my DS off to college next month. He is a grateful recipient of a 4 yr AROTC scholarship. I have read a few suggestion of items that might be useful for a cadet to have, such as moleskin for breaking in boots. Are there other items you experienced posters can suggest we send with him?

My DS mentioned that everyone had to run out and purchase new socks for PT because the ones that they had were too short. I think that they have to cover the ankles or something. He brought a small ironing board ad iron, but the unit provided virtually everything else.
 
FWIW,

When DS returned home from college (University of Alabama)
I asked if he felt he was lacking anything, he said "everybody" carried a "cool knife." A couple hours spent fondling knives at the local cutlery shop resulted in the purchase of a Spyderco Tenacious. He would have preferred the Spyderco Military but I vetoed it, my requirements were that the blade be street legal (3.5" or less) and less than $50, I'm sure it will be lost.
(FYI, LDAC has a 3" max blade length)

I found it interesting that the pocket clip (the only part visible when the knife is in a pocket) got a lot of scrutiny, it had to be large and plain, nothing ornate or decorative in any way. The "coolness" factor seemed to be related to be the various ways to quickly open the blade with one hand.

I asked why "everybody" carried a knife and got "in case something happens" as an answer.

Seemed to me to be a primary a toy and military fashion accessory.

Policy's and popularity of carrying a knife on campus probably varies wildly from campus to campus, DS thinks its a "Southern thang," his friends at Auburn and Ole Miss also carry pocket knives.
 
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