1. Explain to your loving mother, joking dad, gushing girl-friend or boy-friend that your mail will be opened in the presence of Cadre. If there is contra-band, it belongs to Cadre and you get smoked. If it’s full of glitter, sealed with a kiss, overly personal or in any other way embarrassing you’ll get to read it out loud for the troops, and you get smoked.
2. Stop worrying about the boots and break-in your low quarters. If you don’t you’ll have both feet covered with blisters by the end of week one and no boot will make rucking on raw open blisters comfortable.
3. Say your good-byes no later than the night before R-Day. You will get 90 seconds to part ways on R-Day and you don’t want to start Beast in an emotionally upset state.
4. Be sure you are committed. Every year at every Academy a handful of kids show up then walk away.
5. As a Pre-Cadet you are a dull knife, a diamond in the rough. You will be ground down to a sharp edge and brilliant shine. Just when you think things are looking up, more grinding. It’s part of the process, expect it.
