FT Graduation - Family visit
- Thread starter bb2405
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Capt. Ahab
5-Year Member
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- Feb 16, 2014
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Yeah I would strongly advise against it.
It isn't worth it. My family was contemplating coming and I told them not to. You would only have about ~2 hours together for lunch. I enjoyed spending the time with my squadron anyway because we got our CTAs to get us pizza and we had a pizza party.
Sled
Member
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- Oct 10, 2014
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- 393
Oh man, I can't wait to have that feeling of being finished! I has to feel great!
Pima
10-Year Member
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- Nov 28, 2007
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- 13,900
There have been posters here that have attended (flown/driven), however, I would pose these questions.
1. Why?
~ Will there be some type of pomp and circumstance? YES.
2. Financial cost.
~ That is your personal decision, but jmpo, it is not worth the cost unless you have disposable income to fly, or live in driving distance.
~ If cost is an issue, than save the money to buy their mess dress, another set of blues. JMPO
3. Very few parents attend
~ Would I have loved to get a pic with our DS and his prop and wings in front of a plane on a stick? YES, however, that pic would become relegated to nothing in the future.
~~ DS commissioning, winging pics would have replaced the importance of that pic.
4. Ask them, not us.
~ afrotc16 didn't want his parents to attend, neither did our DS. Our DS didn't see why we would/should attend. It was no biggie to him.
~ He is not exaggerating....2 hours is what you will get. They will be on orders. They will have their return flight booked, and unless you book the exact same return flight then all you got in the end is a photo op and 2 hours with your child.
I know that sounds cold, but have you investigated how much a mess dress and a 2nd set of blues cost? Mess dress is hundreds of dollars. If his unit is like my DSs 300s wear a Mess dress for the ball/dining outs. They as, AFROTC cadets, will be given the option to hand back their ROTC blues upon graduation or take the money. We opted when he became a POC to buy his own set of blues (he went rated) and hand back his ROTC uniform. He was able to use that allowance for what he wanted because we purchased everything for him for his commissioning.
1. Why?
~ Will there be some type of pomp and circumstance? YES.
2. Financial cost.
~ That is your personal decision, but jmpo, it is not worth the cost unless you have disposable income to fly, or live in driving distance.
~ If cost is an issue, than save the money to buy their mess dress, another set of blues. JMPO
3. Very few parents attend
~ Would I have loved to get a pic with our DS and his prop and wings in front of a plane on a stick? YES, however, that pic would become relegated to nothing in the future.
~~ DS commissioning, winging pics would have replaced the importance of that pic.
4. Ask them, not us.
~ afrotc16 didn't want his parents to attend, neither did our DS. Our DS didn't see why we would/should attend. It was no biggie to him.
~ He is not exaggerating....2 hours is what you will get. They will be on orders. They will have their return flight booked, and unless you book the exact same return flight then all you got in the end is a photo op and 2 hours with your child.
I know that sounds cold, but have you investigated how much a mess dress and a 2nd set of blues cost? Mess dress is hundreds of dollars. If his unit is like my DSs 300s wear a Mess dress for the ball/dining outs. They as, AFROTC cadets, will be given the option to hand back their ROTC blues upon graduation or take the money. We opted when he became a POC to buy his own set of blues (he went rated) and hand back his ROTC uniform. He was able to use that allowance for what he wanted because we purchased everything for him for his commissioning.
markbrown6
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2013
- Messages
- 24
We went and used it as an excuse to visit a new part of the country, it was interesting and fun for us. We're a (previously) nonmilitary family and enjoy all opportunities for learning about different bases.
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2012
- Messages
- 549
You were in the squadron that got the pizza party at Max 5?? Mine was watching you guys eat it, we were so jealous lol. I got some good food in that New Orleans airport though.
On topic though:
Don't fly your folks out. It's not worth it. Granted, we graduated at Camp Shelby and there was nothing around so the cadets who went out had to eat on base b/c they wouldn't have been able to get back in the allotted time. But Maxwell is in the middle of nowhere too. I recently passed back through there and there were no food joints or gas stations on the Maxwell AFB exit, so I'm guessing it'll be the same as in MS. You'll spend an hour finding a place to eat, wolf down your food, then hurry back to camp. Unless your parents live less than 2 hours away, there's no point in them spending the money and time to come.
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