New Thanksgiving Break Schedule

icarus said:
Besides sponsors, what other options are there for a doolie that opts to stay and not fly home?
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We live 70 miles from the Academy. I wouldn't be surprised if our DS brings someone that isn't going home to our house.
 
I can't confirm with absolute certainty, however in the most recent "Falcon Family Newsletter" the dates listed are 17-25 Nov. You may want to contact the Academy Parent Liaison for 100% confirmation.


ROSE MARIE NIKOVITS
Parents’ Liaison
U.S. Air Force Academy, CO
(719) 333-3828 Toll Free 877-268-3383
e-mail: rose.nikovits@usafa.edu
 
Thanksgiving Break

Thanks everyone for confirming the correct dates for Thanksgiving Break as 17-25 Nov. The website http://www.usafa.af.mil/events/ appears incorrect and I have sent USAFA public affairs an email letting them know.
 
Thanksgiving Release Time--Airline Planning

I spoke to Kathy at AFA parents liaison on 13 Sep 2012. She read me a paragraph that said (I'm paraphrasing):

"17 November is the Last Military Day. It has been set aside as a Commandant's Training Day. For that reason cadets should either plan to depart on red-eye flights on the night of the 17 Nov, or on the morning of 18 November. If cadets are released earlier on the 17th, they can go to the airport and attempt to obtain standby travel on earlier flights".

I am attempting to re-contact her to obtain the precise quote and it's source--I will repost this the minute I obtain more information.

With a DS who is a C4C this is not what I (nor he) wanted to hear.

Does anyone out there have a recent and authoritative source regarding the release time for those of us who want to purchase advanced tickets?
 
Thanksgiving break

The cadet Thanksgiving shuttle starts running on the 17th. There's only one shuttle time on the 18th. That makes it seem that they expect most cadets to leave on the 17th. My understanding is that most cadets will be released by noon on the 17th, but the exact time may be squadron specific. Your cadet can check with his AOC to confirm the time he'll be able to leave.
 
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Thanksgiving break release time

This is from a 10 September email sent by the AFA Parent Liaison official, Rose Marie Nikovits:

"Thanksgiving break begins 17 Nov after released by Commandant. Suggest making airline reservations for a red eye or the next day. If you cadet does get released early he/she can go to the airport and try to get on standby. Many cadets do. We just don't know exactly when the cadets will be released on the 17th. Return on 25 Nov by 1900 hours."

This contradicts Blackbirds source and is more recent. However, I still wonder if the Academic Affairs information might not be accurate. Does anyone have any information that is more definitive than this?
 
And no, my information, isn't authoritative. I just know that my son isn't currently worried about catching his 5:30pm flight out of Denver. We did book on Southwest, so if something changes, we can revise the flight schedule. But, if your cadet checks with his AOC, I'd consider that authoritative.

By the way, I know some C4Cs are hesitant to ask questions of their AOC, but they shouldn't be. The AOCs actually want to know the cadets - at least the two my cadet has had did. And, confirming the leave time might be a good way to start communicating with the AOC. I know one brainy kid who did well on his knowledge tests but basically hid and tried to stay out of the way of his AOC and upper classmen. He was disappointed to get a "C" for his military grade first semester. When he summoned the courage to ask his AOC about it, he was told "I don't even know who you are. I've never seen you do anything. So you can't be more than average." So, don't take the "stay under the radar" advice many give to C4Cs too far.
 
Thanksgiving Leave

My daughter showed me her military schedule (an excel spreadsheet that shows blue and silver weekends). The only military event I see for freshmen on the 17th is a SAFE briefing from 1000-1100 that morning. I think that any flight after 4PM out of Denver is probably a safe bet.
 
Is there anyway to access this bus schedule to ascertain that there's only one shuttle on the 18th?

Thanks


Just found contact info for Outdoor Recreation. For those that could use it here it is:

Falcon Family News:

THANKSGIVING BREAK INFORMATION
Thanksgiving Leave begins LMD (Last Military Duty) on 17 Nov and ends at 1900 on 25
Nov. Suggest either flying out on the 18th or a redeye flight on the 17th as there is not a set time
of release for the 17 Nov. Cadets won’t be released early because of plane tickets. Outdoor
Recreation runs a Bus shuttle service to from the airports that cadets sign up for. It cost around
$40 per trip. The schedule for Thanksgiving bus schedule won’t be out until mid-September.
Please note that whenever the Commandant releases the cadets Outdoor Recreation always has a
bus waiting ½ hour from when the cadets are released. Call (719) 333-4602 for more
information.
If you have already purchased your cadet’s airline ticket based on the old dates you can
contact me and I will get your cadet’s commander’s information so they can do a letter for the
airlines to hopefully wave the change fee. However the airlines may not accept the letter. (my
contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter)
Prep School (PL) will be released at 0900, 21 Nov 12 and return at 25 Nov by 1900 hours.
 
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Thanks. A consensus is emerging for midday release time on 17 Sep, and that is consistent with the shuttlebus schedules as well.

Good advice on not avoiding the AOC!
 
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icarus said:
Is there anyway to access this bus schedule to ascertain that there's only one shuttle on the 18th?
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Here is the schedule in writing. *REMOVED*
 
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Blackbird, I can't make that link work. Is it on the official AFA facebook site? Full disclosure, not very Facebook-savvy.
 
Sorry ParkMom. Try this link. *REMOVED*
 
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One of the reasons that the bus schedules were taken off the Academy's website and moved to the registered parent sites was for security concerns. A busload of future military officers is a high-value target for those wishing harm to the U.S. Publishing their schedule on open sites for everyone to see doesn't help the cause.

Stealth_81
 
Stealth_81 said:
One of the reasons that the bus schedules were taken off the Academy's website and moved to the registered parent sites was for security concerns. A busload of future military officers is a high-value target for those wishing harm to the U.S. Publishing their schedule on open sites for everyone to see doesn't help the cause.

Stealth_81
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I apologize Stealth.
 
My son's squadron just sent out a memo saying they were free to leave as early as 0515 on Saturday morning but that no one could leave the night before. He's still waiting on info from D&B to see if they have to go to the Fresno State game or not but I guess I could make the "coming home" reservations now!
 
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