High School Graduation Gift Ideas

hopefullcadet2015 said:
How do the cadets get out the mountain if they don't have a car? Also as a freshmen are you able to get to the hill often?
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You can borrow an upperclassman's car or join the ski club, which offers a bus service.
If you are referring to the mountains and ski resorts when you say "the hill", if you join ski club, you could ski quite a bit. Otherwise, probably not very often. It's a little difficult to find a vehicle for the amount of time that you would need it to go skiing (plus you're putting a toll on the car going up to the mountains), and you have a limited number of passes. For future reference, when cadets talk about The Hill, they are talking about USAFA- it's a nickname. Hope this helps you!
 
Now now Hopeful... you need to read the stickies, then come back and ask some questions. :)

Very soon you will have your Basic's box number:

BASIC CADET JONES
PO BOX XXXX
USAF ACADEMY , CO 80841

There will be a call for postcards and notes of encouragement to be sent at A-day from friends and strangers alike. Make sure your family/friends WRITE TO THEIR BASIC. (And there are some "rules" about that). And write during BCT and write during 4* year.... and maybe instead of a birthday present, your closer fam & friends can send your 4* a care package?
 
MombaBomba said:
I agree with boozebin, Amazon gift cards are a great idea. If you don't have an amazon prime membership, get one. This comes with free 2 day shipping on many items. It paid for itself many times over in terms of shipping costs for me.

Here is the list of the most popular items I have heard freshmen ask for or are sent after A-day
1) Computer monitor (USAFA guidelines)
2) Printer
3) Printer ink
4) Ski gear (snowboards, skis, jackets, pants, gloves etc.) and passes
5) Cell phone/Smart phone
6) Gift cards (amazon, food, etc.)
7) Humidifier (dependent upon the squadron - after A-day they can find out if they can have one)
8) Watch (USAFA guidelines)
9) Food !!!!! (snacks for room after A-day - lots of choices on amazon with free shipping by amazon prime)
10) Sleeping bag, pillow & sleeping mat that is easy to roll up and store (they don't have to mess up the bed once it is perfectly made to standards)
11) Living picture frame (the one with the saved photos that flip through them. It would be one of the 2 personal items they are allowed to have after A-day)
12) Sunglasses (non-reflective USAFA guidelines for after A-day) As for the sunglasses, I wouldn't advise getting expensive ones for after A-day. Many are lost or broken during the first year.
13) Storage bins (specific to storage area dimensions in their room)

Even if he were to get all these items for graduation. He would not be allowed to have them till A-day. So lots of gift cards he can use to either order on-line or shop with at a local store (sponsor may take him or her to a store if requested - walmart, bestbuy are a couple of the large chains nearby)
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Momba...where do the cadets store all the ski equipment and ski gear? In their dorm rooms?
 
Mine had all sorts of gear - skis fencing you name it - and much of it fit in their storage locker, though not in their big trunks.
 
MD_Blue Crab said:
Momba...where do the cadets store all the ski equipment and ski gear? In their dorm rooms?
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As fencersmother's pointed out, they get a large trunk and they are given access to a storage locker. But access to the storage locker may not be assigned right away. After recognition, they can ask about storage for personal items such as ski's, snowboards and other large items beforehand. Their squadron will let them know when and where they can store them. So much is squad specific, and that is why the cadet would need to ask once basic is completed.
 
I know what we did last summer. But looking back now, I have a lot more ideas than I did back then. Of course it depends how much $ you have to spend. If you can swing it, give him $2015! For a couple hundred, most teens would love a new phone (he'll get it back after Basic on A-day). Or a nice watch; our son wore one from his 17th birthday daily until he slipped on the ice this winter and broke it. His was a gun-metal gray Seiko so it didn't stand out. For under $100, consider a hefty sleeping bag. Seriously. My DS slept on the floor in a sleeping bag every single night from A-Day until Recognition. Or for $49 get an Amazon Prime membership with the cadet's email address (has to be from a university account extension to qualify for the price).
 
waiting game said:
For under $100, consider a hefty sleeping bag. Seriously. My DS slept on the floor in a sleeping bag every single night from A-Day until Recognition.
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For the future cadets out there...don't do that. You can sleep on top of a SAMI bed, then tighten it down in the morning. It'll look correct, even if the dimensions might be 1/8th to 1/4 off.
Floor sleeping should be reserved for the night before a SAMI, when you want it to be within 1/16th.
 
raimius said:
For the future cadets out there...don't do that. You can sleep on top of a SAMI bed, then tighten it down in the morning. It'll look correct, even if the dimensions might be 1/8th to 1/4 off.
Floor sleeping should be reserved for the night before a SAMI, when you want it to be within 1/16th.
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Stupid question, but do you sleep in a sleeping bag on top of your made bed or just a blanket that you store somewhere during the day? Do you bring a separate pillow also?
 
We bought an EPIC pass for skiing. Yes, they do have time to ski on the weekends and it's a nice getaway for them to de-stress.
 
Remember, if they are an athlete, their coaches may not allow them to ski, snowboard etc.
 
KTMDad said:
Stupid question, but do you sleep in a sleeping bag on top of your made bed or just a blanket that you store somewhere during the day? Do you bring a separate pillow also?
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Whatever you choose.
I just used the issued comforter and normal pillow. You can fold that up and get it back to standard in under a minute, very easily.
It ain't rocket science.
 
I did the same thing for 4 years raimius at Navy. Sounds like the same thing. You will have it down to 30 seconds a day. Please do not sleep on the floor, that is so not needed.
 
NavyHoops said:
I did the same thing for 4 years raimius at Navy. Sounds like the same thing. You will have it down to 30 seconds a day. Please do not sleep on the floor, that is so not needed.
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Yeah, the only times I slept on the floor were basic and the night immediately before a formal inspection. In basic, it was because I didn't know how to adjust the bed back to standard quick enough. After BCT it was a matter of convenience--make a perfect bed the night before, and not have to worry about anything for the 8AM inspection.
 
From Marie Nikovits, parent club liaison:
GIFT CARDS:

AAFES
(Exchange or cadet store): These cards can be used at the Cadet Store, Arnold
Hall (Subway, Godfather’s Pizza & Wing Zone) , & the base Exchange store as
well. Parents can call (719) 472-1953 (Bonnie) and order an Exchange gift card
for their cadets. The Exchange will either mail to the parent or parents can
tell the cadet to come pick up the gift card, or lastly they will e-mail the
cadet and have them come and get the gift card. Don’t worry if you don’t know
your appointee’s squadron and such, the cadet store can find that out through
the Basic training folks.

10 Force Support Squadron (10 FSS) Gift Cards:
These cards can be used at the Arnold Hall coffee shop & HAPS (cadet bar), and
all 10 FSS activities (Outdoor Recreation (skiing, renting bikes, and fun
trips), Bowling Alley, Golf Course, horseback riding, arts & crafts center,
etc…) Parents can call (719) 472-7930 and order a gift card for their cadets.
The coffee shop ladies will either mail to the parent or parents can tell the
cadet to come pick up the gift card at the coffee shop in Arnold Hall.

Hope
this helps! Ensure whomever is ordering tells them that if the gift is for an
2019 appointee so they can hold it if necessary until the appointee gets here
(recommend exhange gift card first as that will be the stuff the appointees will
need right away.) Great Graduation gifts!


Hope this helps!

Marie
 
USAFA2019HopefulMom said:
I just thought I would share our wording for a note that we will be putting in with some of our daughter's graduation announcements (ONLY those going to family and close friends who we know will insist on gifts, this is NOT a solicitation that will be included with every announcement)... I figured it might come in handy as a starting point for others facing the same quandary.

We consider your presence in our lives a gift and your well wishes for _________ are deeply appreciated. She will be leaving for the US Air Force Academy on ________ and is unable to take personal items with her, thus, we graciously ask that you refrain from giving gifts. As an alternative, we will be sharing her address as soon as it is available and would appreciate any positive words of encouragement that you can send (snail mail) to her as often as you can. These letters and notes are invaluable since initially, during a time which is incredibly challenging both physically and emotionally, her access to phone and email are very limited. Should you insist on giving a gift we humbly request it be in the form of a nonspecific gift card that she can use as privileges are expanded. Again, thank you, for being an amazingly supportive part of our lives as __________ embarks on this incredible adventure!
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At DS grad party we had a table supplied with paper and pens and suggested that friends and relatives each write a positive letter/note of encouragement for DS to receive and read during Basic. I mailed off one or two every day during Basic. He always had mail and he said the positive encouragement was great.
 
dbs18 said:
USAFA2019HopefulMom said:
I just thought I would share our wording for a note that we will be putting in with some of our daughter's graduation announcements (ONLY those going to family and close friends who we know will insist on gifts, this is NOT a solicitation that will be included with every announcement)... I figured it might come in handy as a starting point for others facing the same quandary.

We consider your presence in our lives a gift and your well wishes for _________ are deeply appreciated. She will be leaving for the US Air Force Academy on ________ and is unable to take personal items with her, thus, we graciously ask that you refrain from giving gifts. As an alternative, we will be sharing her address as soon as it is available and would appreciate any positive words of encouragement that you can send (snail mail) to her as often as you can. These letters and notes are invaluable since initially, during a time which is incredibly challenging both physically and emotionally, her access to phone and email are very limited. Should you insist on giving a gift we humbly request it be in the form of a nonspecific gift card that she can use as privileges are expanded. Again, thank you, for being an amazingly supportive part of our lives as __________ embarks on this incredible adventure!
Click to expand...
At DS grad party we had a table supplied with paper and pens and suggested that friends and relatives each write a positive letter/note of encouragement for DS to receive and read during Basic. I mailed off one or two every day during Basic. He always had mail and he said the positive encouragement was great.
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We did this at my grad party last night :) We also had envelopes with my PO box so people will (hopefully) send letters.
 
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