Mailing Letters During BCT.

A

Alaskan Mom

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How early can we send letters to our basic cadet? Could I send some letters and have them waiting for DD before she arrives at the academy?

Also, if I send postcards (ie. Alaskan scenery, animals, etc. places that she will recognize), will that draw attention to her because it is not a letter in a plain white envelope?
 
The post office box is there and assigned. Can't hurt to mail early, will be sitting there for your Basic Cadet. No packages, I would avoid pictures, anything that would draw attention. Plain envelopes, not perfume and no pictures sent, will likely be taken away (though they will get it back at end).


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We used Write2Them which converts emails from family and friends into letters and delivers them directly to the USAFA post office. Great service. You just share the Basics Write2Them email address with friends and family and they can send encouragement, news, and photos to their Basic very easily and quickly.
http://www.write2them.org
 
Thank you, thank you, Blackbird! You have shared some valuable information. I am excited about the link you posted.

...and you have spared my DD some unnecessary difficulty (no postcards):smile:
 
On the subject of letter writing: at my graduation party I am having a "letter station". Friends and family will write notes of encouragement and my parents will mail them to me during BCT this summer. This way I should have something to look forward to every mail call. I just thought I should share this in case you guys want to do the same before we leave :)


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Another idea

At our son's high school grad party, we handed out stamped, self addressed envelopes to his friends with instructions to write sometime within the next 4-5 weeks.
 
Highly recommend write2them. Everyone can send emails and they compile them into one letter that gets delivered the next day! They may not go to he mail room every day, but you want them to have mail there. Cadre are also very good about telling parents if someone isn't getting mail and parents send extra encouraging letters to them. Unfortunately, not all parents are supportive of their child's choice of colleges.


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I just signed my DD up with a write2them account. Their website mentions several times that you can attach photos to the cadet's emails. If I do attach a photo to the write2them email will the letter be taken from DD?
 
Will basics ever have the chance to write back or is it just a one way deal?



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I wouldn't attach photos, they are usually taken away. I did get away with small comics, especially if cadre thought they were funny.
Yes, they can write back on paper (not through write2them). They are told to write home the first day, after that, it's up to them. They have little time so don't be surprised if you don't get many. I got around 8-10 over 6 weeks and I was very happy with that. Sometimes he just was writing down quotes from memory, helped him remember and got the letter done, DS is good at time management!


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Usafamom2016 said:
I wouldn't attach photos, they are usually taken away. I did get away with small comics, especially if cadre thought they were funny.
Click to expand...

We did the same sending DS comics that could be read aloud to his squad. We also sent him news. His BCT was during the Olympics so we sent him updates on how the US swimmers were doing as he was a competitive swimmer and enjoys following them.

Usafamom2016 said:
Yes, they can write back on paper (not through write2them).
Click to expand...

We did get letters from him, not a bunch but a few. Parents be prepared that the first few few letters maybe tough. Just keep sending your DS/DD encouragement. And encourage family and friends to send positive, "You can do it!" letters. Letters about how you wish they were still at home at not helpful (Make sure the GF or BF are aware of this).
 
Nearly every letter that I sent to my son during BCT had an AF cartoon copied and pasted into the middle of it. He shared them with the squadron and cadre so it became a ritual part of mail call. He did say later that the stream of letters was very important to him for mental support, no matter what was in them. My wife and I both wrote every day starting two days before he left, and my son still has all of those letters in a shoe box and they have moved with him now to 3 different AF bases on active duty.

We received exactly two letters from him during BCT. The first one was the required one they wrote the first day. The second one was two sentences long and he asked about his cat. So, parents, don't be surprised is the return letters do not come. It doesn't mean they are struggling or failing, it means they have discovered what they need to do, and letter writing doesn't fall high on the priority list.

Stealth_81
 
There are two plans available - bundle or monthly. I chose the monthly plan which is $25/month for unlimited emails and you can have up to 30 people that can send the emails. I paid for two months because the cadets will have access to their own email in early August. At which time this service won't be needed anymore.
 
For one son, his BCT squadron allowed him to receive handwritten letters - and we'd written on the flip side of paper on which we scanned all sorts of pics, etc. Twin B's squadron confiscated those.

Don't forget my favorite "letter" to basics: The form letter. You write it, send two copies (one for him/her, one to return to you, with SASE of course). Here's how it goes:

1) The food at USAFA is:
a) Not mom's cooking but tolerable
b) What food?
c) You call this food?
d) I've eaten all mine and my roommates'
e) Other _________________________

2) My roommate is:
a) a nice guy/gal from _________________, named __________
b) not human
c) no longer with us
d) crazy
e) other:______________________________

3) If I could be doing something other than BCT RIGHT NOW, it would be:
a) Nothing! This is great!
b) Oral surgery is looking good about now
c) At the pool, hanging with my old friends (who miss me!)
d) Eating chicken nuggets
e) Other: _______________________

4) The ABU's I've been issued:
a) Fit great and look totally cool.
b) go so well with my birth-control glasses
c) are history. I'm naked.
d) Itch, fit poorly, and look hideous.
e) Other__________________

5) Who do you miss most?
a) my mom and dad and sis and bro and dog.
b) Just the dog
c) My guitar
d) My high school chemistry teacher
e) Other_______________

6) I-Day was:
a) So much fun!
b) Just like high school so no biggie
c) I forget
d) The epitome of hilarity

7) My cadre:
a) are not human in any sense of the word
b) are mostly nice except for a couple of moments when their true colors came through
c) OK, especially those who are Steeler Fans!
d) Fire-breathing, fire-eating dragons raised by wolves.
e) .....


OK, you get the drill - make up your own. My kids loved this kind of letter because they could easily respond (just circle one or more for each question) and they could fill it in on the "other" slots or add their own comments. So I could learn what I wanted to know and they didn't have to spend a lot of time on writing.

This suggestion came to me from a gal I met seven years ago on this forum, whose son was graduating from USAFA. I am grateful always to her for this idea! Janet - salute and thanks! :beer1:
 
Thanks Fencersmother!!!! That form letter is fantastic!!! So, how did you know if you could send photos? Did "Son B" let you know that his squadron was confiscating his letters? Should we send photos printed on the back of letters and wait to see what happens? I know pictures from home will be important to my daughter but I don't want to get her in trouble.
 
During BCT last year, my cadre took away or made you tear off anything with a picture of any sort. We got to look at it during mail call, and then we got them all back on A-day. So, even if their cadre do take it, they'll get to look at it before it is confiscated.
 
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