Parents of 2017

Hey folks...sooo now that your DS/DD is in Basic...if you will, share with us what you did and are doing to keep yourself busy. I have to admit that I still get a lump in my throat when I see pics from the Webguy site of parents hugging their DS/DD one final goodbye. There's one of a father in full tears...I can relate to that one.

When my own DS went a few years ago...we agreed not to accompany him to CS...I only went up to Las Vegas with him and bid him farewell at the airport until we met again for Parents Day. We had friends that he could stay with and we got pics from them as well...up to even going into the bus. LOL....Anyway...Webguy was a life saver...what a great way for we parents to keep busy and search countless hours against a sea of faces just to find that one young baby thats grown into a young adult.

FYI: my DS will be Cobra Sq. Supe for 2nd BCT...so Cobra parents...no worries...he will certainly take good care of his Basics...he wants 100% successful completion..

It's completely normal to check the clock far too often and wonder if DS is being "beaten" right now... or struggling to master utensils while staring at the eagle... or all the rest of it, right?

So what do I do to keep busy so far? stare at that damn clock in the corner of my computer screen! lol

WebGuy was a lifesaver. Ours didn't want us to go to Colorado Springs with him, so we sent him on his way, right into an area "on fire!" OMG! We spent each day writing to him and pouring thru all of the photos looking for him; what a great way to pass the time. Soon, it was Doolie Day out and we got a phone call which kept us going as well, and then "we" survived Jack's Valley. Then, up to USAFA for a few hours during Acceptance Day and then back again for Parent Weekend. After that, school had him busy and occupied and he's been doing great since then, although HE was counting the days toward Recognition!

Buff colored T shirts

I have a question. I was checking out Webguy today. I see some basics in the same squadron have on buff colored T shirts. While others have on white T shirts with blue collar. Why are they not wearing all the same t-shirts?

tan = ABU shirts, white with blue collar = PT shirts. Two different uniforms, but if you are talking about cadets in ABUs but wearing the white shirt, that is often due to a laundry error or lack of the appropriate sizes right at the start of basic.

Eagle driver

Filling time with webguy. Photos, uploading to Facebook for friends and relatives and writing letters. My DS is a cobra, glad to know he is in good hands. Mom and I thought saying goodbyes at the airport would be best from crying perspective (not him so much but us). Flight out was a mess with him going through O'hare and all of the storms. He made it to The academy on time and appears to be doing well. I was wishing I had gone with him, but a good learning opportunity for him.

Today i can say, no hair was a bit of a shock..he looks so different. He always had very thick, blonde hair. i am sure thin is better in that heat. He looks good and appearedbto handle the run well yesterday. Just looking forward to see what fun his day is filled with today.

Webguy... obviously pre-qualified for sainthood.

A few other things I remember from sending half my children at one time away:

standing, waiting, praying he'll bring A LETTER from my basic(s).

writing crazy notes every single day (a hard habit to break once they got out of basic)

buying so many stamps I am sure I put my carrier's son through Penn State

worrying that we wouldn't make it to Parents Weekend - or even worse - that THEY wouldn't make it.

How serious is it when a Basic Cadet is using cruthes during BCT? It looks like DS is still participating in the activity with the cruthes.

Hopefully you can ask him tomorrow if he has a chance to call you! He probably has a slight sprain...I think somewhere in this forum you can research regarding medical turnback as the worst case scenerio...I understand your concern and again, keep the faith and hope for the best.

Earline, While it must be difficult to see your cadet on crutches, better that you are seeing him. As a devout Webguy junkie all of last year (having a little withdrawal), I saw many in slings, walking boots, crutches, etc. So long as they can participate, they will try to keep them there. Could be just a shin splints or something minor. They will take good care of all the Basics and don't want them to be injured.

You may also see them wearing reflective belts. If they are around the waist, then it is for safety at night, if it is around the shoulder they have some sort of an injury, just a way for cadre to keep track.

Rest assured if it is very serious, you will receive a call.

Absolute worst case scenario, if they cannot complete BCT (I think if they miss more than 5-6 days but don't quote me) they may be able to get a medical turnback and come back next year. He would not have to reapply since he already was sworn in.

Hoping the next picture has no crutches

Earline said:

How serious is it when a Basic Cadet is using cruthes during BCT? It looks like DS is still participating in the activity with the cruthes.

Click to expand...

As others have mentioned, medical turnback is a possibility. However, USAFA wants your basic to complete BCT. A member of my son's flight had his appendix removed during Jacks Valley. He was restricted (obviously) for 5 days. The squad carried him through the obstacle course so he could make it. Again, USAFA takes precautions with Basics' injuries. If your DS is on crutches, it may only be for a day or 2. Keep the faith and we hope to hear about WebGuy photos of him w/o crutches.