Questions Thread

[BeatNavy]

Maybe you could try and bum a ride with someone going that lives near you, maybe someone on these boards. Just a thought. Also, you could try and see if taking a bus like a greyhound or something, a lot of times those are much cheaper than plane tickets, like 50 bucks. Takes longer to get there though.

 

[11BRAVO]

Just don't wear your Navy SLS shirt to the WP SLS. A kid did that last year and got rode hard all week. I have no idea what he was thinking...actually, I guess he wasn't thinking at all.

 

[BeatNavy]

Haha I wore my Wp sls shirt to Af summer seminar on the first day. Or maybe it was the backpack. I dont think anyone saw it. Of course, I would never have worn any AF or Navy swag to west point

 

[marciemi]

Ah, I conned my son into bringing his Navy shorts from NASS to wear at WP SLS - "It'll be cool!" Yeah, you can never trust your parents! Fortunately he was smart enough to wait and find out what happened to other kids who were wearing them ("They even made him do pushups BETWEEN events during the CFA!") and opted not to wear his as a result!

 

[Chockstock]

Back to my previous question on glasses and contacts at Beast...

1. Wouldn't glasses, even if they are allowed during Beast, get in the way of the training you do?


And another question

2. How do passes work at West Point (how much freedom of movement do you have)? How do cadets spend their weekends?

Is it easy to visit New York City on weekends or the holidays?


Thanks!

 

[Stormtrooper30]

Maybe you could try and bum a ride with someone going that lives near you, maybe someone on these boards. Just a thought. Also, you could try and see if taking a bus like a greyhound or something, a lot of times those are much cheaper than plane tickets, like 50 bucks. Takes longer to get there though.

I live in West Tennessee so unfortunetely I cannot take a bus (or train) because the trip would take multiple days to get there and back. If I am accepted to the AF SS then that would not give me enough time to go from New York to Colorado.

 

[America's Finest]

Back to my previous question on glasses and contacts at Beast...

1. Wouldn't glasses, even if they are allowed during Beast, get in the way of the training you do?


And another question

2. How do passes work at West Point (how much freedom of movement do you have)? How do cadets spend their weekends?

Is it easy to visit New York City on weekends or the holidays?


Thanks!

1) It all depends on the type of training. Some type of strap would be suggested to keep them on your head if its some active exercise.

2) Plebes can take walking privileges every weekend after duties and go to Highland Falls but must stay close to campus (roughly 6 miles). They also get one pass per semester to leave for the weekend anywhere they want and may earn more.

Weekends are spent doing anything like club trips, watching movies, hanging out with friends, doing homework, training, or catching up on sleep.

Once you're a Yearling you get OPP (off post privileges) and can visit New York City on free weekends but as a Plebe you can only do so while on pass.

 

[BeatNavy]

Can you post to Bragg without getting your Airborne wings as a cadet? Could you post to Campbell without having gone to air assault as a cadet? Or would the army send you to these schools before being assigned to a unit?

 

[11BRAVO]

Back to my previous question on glasses and contacts at Beast...

1. Wouldn't glasses, even if they are allowed during Beast, get in the way of the training you do?

Dude, you have to be able to see. I wore Army issue RPG's for 16 weeks of OSUT at Fort Benning with a strap to hold them on. Hit 38 of 40 on the M-16 range with those ugly black frames. Next to the boots, they're probably the most durable piece of equipment the army issues.

 

[buff81]

By all means, get a strap for your BCG's!!!
It wasn't on the required list, but it was suggested.
It broke my heart to see R-day pictures of kids with their glasses sliding off their nose and they can't do anything about it because they are standing at attention and can't move.
Even more important when they are out in the field.

 

[Katherine]

Rawr.

Supply our own straps for BCGs?

Are you sure that's legitimate?

 

[2010]

"but apparently they must be really ugly looking "

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/97/261204568_6473ec9667.jpg


And Im pretty sure you can wear your glasses or contacts after A-Day, maybe a Parent could confirm.
Are a lot of Infantrymen getting LASIK or PRK nowadays? I would imagine it would help with NVG and/or gas masks as well as not having to worry about losing/breaking eyewear.

That's what I'm thinking too. I wear contacts but used to wear glasses. I hated em because they were always getting in the way when I was exercising or competing in sports stuff. I was thinking about getting LASIK as soon as I'm eligible. That way I wouldn't have to keep up with either contacts or glasses. And thanks to everybody on the clarification on whether or not contacts are allowed at Beast. I'll admit I'm not really enthralled about looking like Pvt. Joker, though it might be kind of cool.

 

[buff81]

Rawr.

Supply our own straps for BCGs?

Are you sure that's legitimate?

Straps are not issued (at least last year they weren't).
Checking my well-worn, 'Information for New Cadets and Parents - Class of 2013' booklet, it says on the list of things that you SHOULD bring, 'if you wear glasses, bring an eyeglass security/sports strap.' Of course, that was last year and things change year to year.
Look on the West Point web site at the pictures from R-day. You will see the Cadet Candidates with BCG's. Some have straps, some do not. I bet the ones who didn't have the straps wished they did!

 

[Chockstock]

Urrrrgh why do I even have bad eyes Its not even my fault!


More questions

1. I saw some videos about R-Day on Youtube, and I'm wondering if the rest of your time at West Point is like that? I mean the relationship between upper and lower classmen...is it always a top-down relationship, or after CBT do cadets generally become more "friendly" with each other, ranks/age aside?

2. Would you recommend using protein shakes to prepare for Beast? Do they even work (has anyone tried them)?

3. Following up on America's Finest's answer...so after your 1st year, you can basically go anywhere you want on weekends (as long as its a "free"day)?

EDIT
4. Whats West Point's policy on mustaches and beards?

 

[LSSmith]

Appointment decision

My son has been found fully qualified and received a call from our Congressman that he will receive his nomination (competitive) to USMA. He has also been offered a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship which he must either accept or decline by January 17th. Since he hasn't been offered an appointment to USMA yet, does anyone know if accepting the ROTC scholarship will have any impact on whether or not he's offered an appointment to USMA?

 

[BeatNavy]

Urrrrgh why do I even have bad eyes Its not even my fault!


More questions

1. I saw some videos about R-Day on Youtube, and I'm wondering if the rest of your time at West Point is like that? I mean the relationship between upper and lower classmen...is it always a top-down relationship, or after CBT do cadets generally become more "friendly" with each other, ranks/age aside?

2. Would you recommend using protein shakes to prepare for Beast? Do they even work (has anyone tried them)?

3. Following up on America's Finest's answer...so after your 1st year, you can basically go anywhere you want on weekends (as long as its a "free"day)?

EDIT
4. Whats West Point's policy on mustaches and beards?

You aren't officially "recognized" by upperclassmen untill yuk year. This means they are not supposed to use your first name, be friendly, etc

Protein Shakes work great to help build muscle SO LONG AS: you take them within 30 minutes within making them, and you know what you are doing when you make them (actually more complex than it looks)

However, strength building from the lifting weights type aspect won't really help that much because calisthenics are really based more on muscular endurance. You can lift to help with pullups, but the best way to prepare for muscular PT is to do calisthenics (pushups, flutter kicks, the rower, the engine, etc) It would probably be a good idea to look up how PT is conducted and how to do common exercises to make Beast a little easier.
Honestly I think the cardio aspect is more of an issue for most people (at least it is for me: ive never been a great runner) Id focus on making sure you can do a decent amount of pushups/situps/etc and you are a good runner, rather than trying to lift weights heavily

 

[2010]

My son has been found fully qualified and received a call from our Congressman that he will receive his nomination (competitive) to USMA. He has also been offered a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship which he must either accept or decline by January 17th. Since he hasn't been offered an appointment to USMA yet, does anyone know if accepting the ROTC scholarship will have any impact on whether or not he's offered an appointment to USMA?

I would definitely suggest he go ahead and accept it. I received an NROTC scholarship to A&M, and my ALO told me to just go ahead and accept it even though I hadn't heard back from any of the academies. There's no obligation for the scholarhsip between now and when he starts college, wherever it may be. If he does accept it, and then later finds out he's been accepted to West Point, he can notify his LOA and tell him he's no longer going to take the scholarship. They'll be fine with that. If he doesn't get into USMA, spending a year at an AROTC unit somewhere will make him an even stronger candidate if he reapplies. Also, there should be no obligation for the scholarship up until he starts his junior year in college, so he could have two chances to reapply. Accepting the scholarship will have no negative impact on his chances of getting into USMA. Double check with your LOA though, to make sure the AROTC's obligations are the same as the NROTC's.

 

[2010]

You aren't officially "recognized" by upperclassmen untill yuk year. This means they are not supposed to use your first name, be friendly, etc

Protein Shakes work great to help build muscle SO LONG AS: you take them within 30 minutes within making them, and you know what you are doing when you make them (actually more complex than it looks)

However, strength building from the lifting weights type aspect won't really help that much because calisthenics are really based more on muscular endurance. You can lift to help with pullups, but the best way to prepare for muscular PT is to do calisthenics (pushups, flutter kicks, the rower, the engine, etc) It would probably be a good idea to look up how PT is conducted and how to do common exercises to make Beast a little easier.
Honestly I think the cardio aspect is more of an issue for most people (at least it is for me: ive never been a great runner) Id focus on making sure you can do a decent amount of pushups/situps/etc and you are a good runner, rather than trying to lift weights heavily

Your plebe year at USMA isn't supposed to be easy. That's the reason you're called a plebe, you're a low-life there. The tougher the upperclassmen are on you, the stronger you'll be mentally later in your career. If it makes you feel better chockstock, they are a lot easier on plebe's nowadays than they used to be, seeing as how hazing has been looked upon in recent years.

As far as protein shakes go, they're usually intended to be used by the bodybuilder/football player type. However, they do have some benefits for the endurance athlete. I reinforce what beatnavy said about just focusing on endurance activities.

 

[America's Finest]

Urrrrgh why do I even have bad eyes Its not even my fault!


More questions

1. I saw some videos about R-Day on Youtube, and I'm wondering if the rest of your time at West Point is like that? I mean the relationship between upper and lower classmen...is it always a top-down relationship, or after CBT do cadets generally become more "friendly" with each other, ranks/age aside?

2. Would you recommend using protein shakes to prepare for Beast? Do they even work (has anyone tried them)?

3. Following up on America's Finest's answer...so after your 1st year, you can basically go anywhere you want on weekends (as long as its a "free"day)?

EDIT
4. Whats West Point's policy on mustaches and beards?

1) The top/bottom relationship will remain until you are recognized. It does get slightly easier after Beast (the constant yelling doesn't extend much beyond the first half of Beast) but you will by no means be friends. Recognition will happen May 21 this year (the day before graduation).

2) I currently use protein shakes and I found they help. It is all up to you but really isn't necessary. I rarely used them prior to Beast.

3) Not anywhere, OPP are limited to a 75 mile radius. It also will only be on certain weekends and restrictions will ease up as you go up in years.

4) No beards or mustaches allowed all four years. Once you commission you are allowed to have a mustache (no beard) as long as it is neat and meets certain requirements.

My son has been found fully qualified and received a call from our Congressman that he will receive his nomination (competitive) to USMA. He has also been offered a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship which he must either accept or decline by January 17th. Since he hasn't been offered an appointment to USMA yet, does anyone know if accepting the ROTC scholarship will have any impact on whether or not he's offered an appointment to USMA?

I accepted a 4 year ROTC scholarship prior to receiving my appointment to USMA. It won't affect you negatively.

 

[vampsoul]

1)

2) I currently use protein shakes and I found they help. It is all up to you but really isn't necessary. I rarely used them prior to Beast.

What kind do you use? I used GNC brand shakes for a long time, but they are hard on the digestive system.