Your son/daughter goes where???

I am trying to compile a list of questions and responses from people when you talk to them about your child. Anything from the silly to the uneducated ones are fine. 1-5 sentences preferable. Thanks.

Background story to this is that over the weekend, I found myself answering what i thought was obvious questions from "educated" people at a party. It was kinda fun and irritating at the same time. I'm sure a lot of you have been asked the same questions or gotten the same reactions before.

*So how long is his commitment? 3 years, 4 years, 8 years?
*Where is he stationed?
*Will she go to college after her four years are up? (Heard last weekend).
*He goes to the AFA? Can he talk to my DD/DS? She's wants to go there really bad.
*I thought he did so well in high school? Did he not want to go to college right away?
*Why are you dropping out of college to join the Air Force?
*But he is so smart, why would he want to do that? Or "you're so smart why don't you wanna go to college?"
*Must be nice to be getting a free education.
*To sign off of at the very least 8 or 10 years of your own life to serve isn't really free.
*Let me take you on a personal tour of the West Point cemetery. Then we can discuss exactly how free his education is.
*Where is that?
*What is your job for the Air Force?
*We thought you would be the type of kid that would go to college.
*It must be great to retire at age 30.
*I thought you had to have perfect vision to do that.
*How often will you be allowed to come home and visit?
*Are you sure you're not too tall to be a pilot?
*So when do you ship?
*Are you sure you want to commit to all that?" In reference to basic training, the tough academic load, and, oh yeah, pretty much giving yourself to the AF for the next decade!
*People are always shocked when I tell them I leave in late June.
*Oh really? My nephew just left for basic training.
*Me: "I'm going to the Air Force Academy." Them: "Which one?"
*Me: "I want to attend the Naval Academy after high school." Inevitable response: "I thought you wanted to go to college, and then become a marine officer?"
*Me: "The Naval Academy is a four year institution that commissions officers into the Navy AND Marine Corps." Inevitable response: "But it's called the Naval Academy....."
*The Marine Corps is a department of the Navy.... the men's department!
*Wouldn't state university be much more fun because you can party?
*What does it cost to go to West Point?" or "Is it expensive?
*What's the Air Force Academy? I thought you were going to college.
*That's in Colorado Springs isn't it. I've been there, and that place is awesome !! Congratulations to you all !!!
* I thought she got that thing from the Congressman- you mean she's still not in? Then what were all those interviews for?
*Our wait on the A&M decision took forever (2months) "... me "try 4 months, 22 days, 6 hours and we still don't know"
*When people get that hazy look when we say "Air Force Academy" and then we say "it's the Air Force version of West Point"..... and the light bulb goes off. "Ohhhhh"
*ANNAPOLIS is a HIGH SCHOOL in a small fishing village on the banks of the Severn River. YOU go to the U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY!!
*Why would you want to do that when you're so pretty?" What the.......o_O
*You can't go in the Air Force. They only let cute girls in!
*Where is that?
*So is that like boot camp? And so, when do you leave for Lackland?
*Naval Academy? Thought you wanted to be a Marine?
*How do you join?
*Me: I'm going to the United States Naval Academy. It's a service academy in which after graduation I will hopefully commission into the Marine Corps. Them: So...what is it?
*Them: Good school! What do you want to do after? Me: Become a Marine Officer. Them: Oh...can't you just join?
*Why don't you go to the Marine Academy?
*Oh, my [relation] went there! It's in Chicago, right? (Referring to Navy boot).
*Not really a question but they'll ask how to get in and I'll go into deep response about the preliminary application, then the nomination applications and how a nomination functions, then about the different facets of the actual application, etc. Their usual response: Oh...
*So are you going to USAFA on scholarship?
*Oh that's too bad. With his grades and accomplishments I thought he'd want to take on more of a challenge.
*Oh that's wonderful. Will he be flying planes like Maverick from Top Gun?
*One of my old teachers asked me if the Coast Guard was its own branch...Just had to casually shake my head!
*So I hear your son is going to the Air Force Academy, well I just want you to to know I talked to my husband about it and he says he won't have any fun and we think he'll regret it. Followed by, well if he does somehow manage to get through it, and that's a big IF, he should at least have a decent education.
*Just wait until your DS is mistaken for a doorman or the curbside baggage guy when he is waiting for you to pick him up curbside at your hometown airport when he comes home on Christmas break 4th class year wearing his doolie/plebe uniform and overcoat ...
*How are you going to survive at the Naval Academy coming from a land locked state? Me: "You do realize Oklahoma has more shoreline than the east and west coast combined? Also, I can drive 5 minutes to the rec center and swim in the Olympic pool. But think you for your concern about my ability to swim.
*I think the absolute worst might be when they ask, "so how hard is it to get in?" Then you start explaining the admissions process and about halfway through they are usually so confused that they don't even care anymore. I think only the families and the applicants themselves can truly even appreciate that emotional roller coaster.
*I was mistaken for an airline pilot at Denver International by the TSA luggage screener. (puzzled look) "Are you aircrew?
*But wasn't your dad in the Navy? Why aren't you following in his footsteps?
*The Air Force makes you go to their college first?, you should just join the Army like everyone else.....
*Q: Where are you going to school? A: The Air Force Academy, R: Oh, that place is cool. We stopped there when we were in Georgia.
*They forget that when he hit the submit button to accept his appointment - he just gave 16 years of his life to this commitment and he probably won't be home for quite some time as he wants to get involved in "everything related to flying.
*Do you and they realize they won't be allowed to eat normally, for four years?
*Your children are being trained to kill civilians.
*
There are no __ (fill in religious denomination of your choice here) there." Or the converse: "There are so many __ (same) there.
*He'll never see a woman, for four years.
*Does he get to fly free now?
*Dose he want to be a pilot? "No" Then why bother going there?
*Doesn't he have to become a pilot?
*It's a US military academy? Really? Does he understand this?
*Wait, you mean he has to serve in the military after this?
*Don't they live in barracks?
*I thought he wanted to be challenged.
*Do they allow women there yet? (You would think this would be asked by a senior citizen, but no, it was from a young lady)
*Wait, that's the one with planes, right?
*I thought he wanted a real life.
*Well-meaning relative: So the air force academy, hmm? Us: Yes, we are pretty excited for him. Well-meaning relative: I'm sure, and then he will get money to go to college.
*Well-meaning coworker: So where is your daughter going after high school? Us: The US Air Force Academy Well-meaning coworker: Oh that's ok, it took ours a while to figure out what they wanted to do too.
*Which airline are you guys with? A: The Big One
*
He'll be going to the US Air Force Academy!" Reply: "Oh, that's nice...um, what exactly is that?
*I just don't get it. All the kids who are smart in math just don't use it!
*When explaining the initial costs for WP to my sister (who has two college graduate DDs), she kept saying repeatedly "but it's free, isn't it?" I finally said, "yes, there is no tuition or R&B but he will pay back with 5+ years of active duty service." Her response -- "but it's free, isn't it?"
*Do you have to file the FAFSA?"
*At DIA -Passenger: Excuse me. When does the flight leave? DD: I don't know, ma'am. I don't work for the airlines. Passenger: Then why are you wearing a uniform? DD: Because the President told me to.
*Why would the Naval Academy be in Maryland? Isn't that in the middle of the country?
*Just be careful there. You've heard about..." and they proceed to warn me about various scandals at the academies.
*I never want my kids to be in the position that they have to serve. Best Answer: Ma'am, I chose that path. I was accepted at Princeton among many other schools. My parents supported me regardless of my choices. I wanted to serve my country and I didn't sacrifice anything by going to USNA. I loved it all (minus parts of Plebe Year), got an Ivy League level education, played D1 basketball, made the greatest friends on the planet and tomorrow I will hold hands with my closest friends as we bury our buddy. We all chose it, none of us regret it.
*So you're going to West Point? I live out at West Point, I didn't even know we had a college out there
*New Friend: So where did you go to college? Me: The Air Force Academy Friend: Oh, my cousin went there Me: Oh Wow, when did he graduate? Friend: He just graduated High School last year, he's stationed in Iraq now...
*Friend: So what did you Major in? Me: Biology Friend: Oh, so are you a health professional? Me: No, I am a personnel officer
*Friend: And what about your husband? Me: He majored in Mechanical Engineering Friend: Oh Wow, my husband's an engineer too Me: Well, mine's actually a pilot Friend: (Totally confused now)


thread cleaned and updated. thanks guys/gals.
 
A family member was giving me advice about attending USAFA....
"I'm not saying don't go [to USAFA] but I'm just saying college isn't fun when you're older. The Air Force will still be there if you just wait until after college to join."
 
I've heard these comments a couple dozen times. "What base is he on in Colorado?" I then explain it is the AIR FORCE ACADEMY and it is a 4 year degree in which you need a nomination. The the wheels start to turn. "But how many years does he have to be in the service.." It's as if some people view it as some kind of penalty.

I then have to explain why the military has these academies. Then I see the wheels turn again in their head as they calculate when he gets out. "So he has to commit 5 years?.... WOW!" As if it was some sort of punishment. I then explain that he probably will be in much longer than that because he likes it. Some people will feel comfortable enough to discuss why they personally would never go into the service. They want to share why they think he is dumb for serving his country.

Some people will never get it.
 
I was thanking/telling my teachers that I got into USMA and one of the responses was:
Me: I got into West Point
Teacher: I bet you'll have fun!
My thoughts while shaking my head and slowly walking away: Yes, I going to USMA for the purpose of "having fun." They'll be fun moments but "fun" isn't the right way to sum up the experience I'm going to have.
 
Haha, funny list up there. Some of those questions aren't so bad!

At Penn Station in NYC, while I was still a cadet at CGA and in uniform, people would ask for directions. You would think the anchor on the hat is fairly "non-traditional" in the train world. Ha! To make it worse, our name tags actually say "U.S. Coast Guard." I once had someone walking up to me, start to ask a question "Can you tell me where track...." look down at my name tag, look up and say "Oh, I'm sorry."

My mom still beats that though. She and my dad were very supportive of my decision to attend CGA, but she never really learned about the ranks and system. We were in Port Angeles, WA, one summer (during my 1/c summer, 10 weeks on a 210' cutter, but I was in port at the time) and headed to Victoria, B.C. I had already been to Victoria earlier that summer, but they were up visiting. When going through Canadian customs, we were asked if we had been there before. I replied I had, because I was in the military and on a ship out of Port Angeles. My mom cut in "No he's not.... he's a student." HAHAHA. I'll just say there was quite a conversation after we got through customs.
 
I was thanking/telling my teachers that I got into USMA and one of the responses was:
Me: I got into West Point
Teacher: I bet you'll have fun!
My thoughts while shaking my head and slowly walking away: Yes, I going to USMA for the purpose of "having fun." They'll be fun moments but "fun" isn't the right way to sum up the experience I'm going to have.

Man, you need to lighten up. Most teachers probably don't have a great idea of what Academy life is like. Everyone on here seems to treat the Academies as this holy site where you are always serious and solemn. Service to our nation is honorable and a terrific thing but I promise you that your view of West Point (to include the oncoming cynicism and frustration) will change dramatically once you're here. Just respond with something to the effect of "I hope so. I'm looking forward to the challenge." Don't take yourself so seriously.
 
Man, you need to lighten up. Most teachers probably don't have a great idea of what Academy life is like. Everyone on here seems to treat the Academies as this holy site where you are always serious and solemn. Service to our nation is honorable and a terrific thing but I promise you that your view of West Point (to include the oncoming cynicism and frustration) will change dramatically once you're here. Just respond with something to the effect of "I hope so. I'm looking forward to the challenge." Don't take yourself so seriously.

Oh, I don't know. I think it will be easier to assume that it will be tough topped with a few sprinkles o' fun than thinking it's going to be fun with a little serving of "tough times". Assume the worst and you'll never be disappointed with the added benefit of having those nice surprises with all the fun/exciting times. :eek:

BTW - cynicism isn't exclusive to the SAs. Believe, there is cynicism in every University - some worse than others. How you handle it and whether or not you become cynical is solely dependent upon you.
 
Love all these questions. What I get a lot is "yeah its free but you have to serve afterwards!" I think people are still surprised i'm going into the military! haha
 
Love all these questions. What I get a lot is "yeah its free but you have to serve afterwards!" I think people are still surprised i'm going into the military! haha
I feel ya! I have lots of people that were surprised when I first told them I want to be in the Air Force...especially when I do something insanely stupid (which happens a lot) and people go "And you want to fly multimillion dollar aircraft?"
 
If you are savvy like the fencerschildren, you can get DAD to pay your way to fly home on breaks (TG, Christmas, Spring, Summer). They were firsties before Dad figured out they should/could pay their own way home.
then, they started driving instead of flying. That is a REALLY long ride in the car the weekend before Christmas, with long stretches of dark between COS and the STEELER NATION.
 
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