Principal
- Thread starter t&omom
- Start date
17TexasMom
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2012
- Messages
- 65
Congratulations!!!
Oh, YEAH!!!!!
How exciting!!!!
My DS's portal just changed to PRINCIPAL....should we be excited?!?!
Oh, YEAH!!!!!
How exciting!!!!
WisconsinMMAMama2015
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2011
- Messages
- 36
YES!!! BE EXCITED!!! The BFE should be arriving shortly! CONGRATULATIONS and Welcome to the KP family! 
WisconsinMMAMama2015
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2011
- Messages
- 36
17TexasMom....do you know if that means he will be offered an appointment? I am hesitating with total excitement. I want to shout from my rooftop to be honest but I don't want to jump the gun.
Yes...It means offer of appointment. With a BFE (Big Fat Envelope) on the way!!
CONGRATULATIONS!goaltoserve
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2012
- Messages
- 75
Tomon
My BFE came via FedEx so keep an out out for that truck also! Congrats!:
My BFE came via FedEx so keep an out out for that truck also! Congrats!:
Jasperdog, how did we go through our process back in the days before the Internet. I am not casting aspersions (for a change) in any way. It was a much different experience from what little of it I recall, other than making many trips down to the local Air Force bases for physical and medical testing and trying to make sense of what I would find in the mail box. I know things may have changed, but for me, I got my nomination first, and that was done fairly early (I had multiple nominations since I was not yet even a sea puppy and I thought that my life might be better in the air or on gray ships).
I remember getting a letter telling my that I was an alternate, 3rd in the national pool and 6ths or so in the state (California at the time) and that my appointment was "likely". I still remember that word. Confusingly my next correspondence was an invitation to KP Orientation, something that was reserved for Principal Nominations. Not that I was planning to go since my personal funds (and my parent's, too) was not sufficient. It was a couple of days later that I then got a letter telling me that I was now a Principal Appointment.
It certainly was an exciting time, the anticipation. Then Indoctrination came along. . . .
Good luck to all the young men and women that manage to get through the process. I hope that everyone really makes an effort to be part of the maritime industry, even if that was not their orginal reason to go to KP. One thing for sure, you will be tested in ways that you don't yet have an understanding for. It will be a tough row to hoe, but I do find and have found my life in this crazy business to be rewarding most of the times. The times it isn't rewarding, there is usually a pretty good story to share. . . .
I remember getting a letter telling my that I was an alternate, 3rd in the national pool and 6ths or so in the state (California at the time) and that my appointment was "likely". I still remember that word. Confusingly my next correspondence was an invitation to KP Orientation, something that was reserved for Principal Nominations. Not that I was planning to go since my personal funds (and my parent's, too) was not sufficient. It was a couple of days later that I then got a letter telling me that I was now a Principal Appointment.
It certainly was an exciting time, the anticipation. Then Indoctrination came along. . . .
Good luck to all the young men and women that manage to get through the process. I hope that everyone really makes an effort to be part of the maritime industry, even if that was not their orginal reason to go to KP. One thing for sure, you will be tested in ways that you don't yet have an understanding for. It will be a tough row to hoe, but I do find and have found my life in this crazy business to be rewarding most of the times. The times it isn't rewarding, there is usually a pretty good story to share. . . .
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2009
- Messages
- 1,027
cmakin:
The life of a prospective candidate and how we "explored" our higher education options and opportunities was indeed much different when we were in the PC's positions 35 and 36 years ago respectively. We didn't have home computers let alone the internet or cell phones - in fact pagers had not yet become prolifc.
More importantly the ways colleges, perhaps especially the Service Academies "recruited" prospective students/interested candidates was different too.
As in your case I ended up with multiple nominations from our Member of Congress, so I did at least look at several (USMMA, USNA, USMA< and USAFA) some before deciding on USMMA as my first choice. That said the decision was made without visitng any of them save USAFA when we visited the chapel on our way to Philmont while I was a 14 year old Boy Scout. My examination and choice was based on the most information all often had to make the decision"back in the day". Using the catalogues in the local library and the information "snail-mailed" to me by the various colleges, as well as "Lovejoy's Guide to Colleges & Universities", I poured over it all and tried to talk to people who actually went to those schools that lived in our area. As far as the Academies go, I was a Boy Scout and a Sea Cadet growing up so had opprtunites to talk to recent and older grads ho came as a result of the various outreach programs they ran. There was also a large college fair I went to where some out of town schools came to recruit students from SE PA as well. My parents were "middle - middle class" and money wasn't always in large supply in the home I grew up in so my college options were limited by financial considerations, and multiple trips for finding the "right college" for me wasn't feasable, or all that practical since a large part of "right fr me" involved them deciding I was "right for their University" and helping me afford being there. If I didn't get some kind of scholarship I was expecting the 5-6-8 year "work/study self-financed" program at one of the colleges near home.
When I started looking at Service Academies, USNA was my first choice - I too wanted to fly, what 18 YO guy doesn't want to at least consider that - I mean how cool can you be and remember the era "Top Gun" wasn't a box office smash just because Kelly McGillis is a "10". My eyes made Naval Flight impossible (remember this was before lasix surgery so to even be considered for Naval Flight as a pilot you needed 20/20 uncorreted); so I started thinking surface navy and then when the Chairman of my Congressman's Review Board, a Rear Admiral JAG, took a liking to me while I was discussing wha going to USNA and being in the Navy would be like that sounded pretty cool. Except for one thing - he had two sons the oldes 3 1/2 years older then I, a senior at SUNY-Maritime College (aka -Fort Schylur); the youner one was a Plebe (Clas of 80) at USMMA. He explained thattheir first choice was USNA but they didn't get in. He believed I had a shot at a principle nomination to USNA so he was very high on my going to USNA as I originally had been. However, I knowing I needed both Plan B and Plan C began to explore USMMA with his youngest son during a break home. Longer story shorter - USMMA became my first choice over USNA since I couldn't become a Navy Pilot, etc. One of my high school classmates got our Congressman's slot at USNA and did go on to fly Navy Jets. I went to KP and never looked back.
Even though we lived a short train ride away, money was always tight and both my parents worked, so, while I did go to the KP orientation, after I accepted my LOA, it was the first time I saw the campus "in 3-D." The next time, I saw the USMMA Campus, was when I was dropped off for Indoc in July 1978. No overnight visit - even though I highly, highly recommend if at all possible a serious PC do that today. No USNA, USMA or USCGA summer program while in high school. Not sure if USMMA even had any sort of formal overnight program in our day, though I do seem to recall USNA and USMMA either having their summer programs or starting them a long time ago. I showed up wearing a suit, like most of my Classmates, carrying a single, large ugly burnt orange suitcase, with exactly what was listed on the short list of items to bring when you report they sent us --- LOL. Oh and a total buzz cut. Yep I was one "squared away" - follow every rule to the letter USMMA Plebr Candidate. That version of young JasperDog lasted about a week and a half until one of your classmates who ws a pusher got into my face during a "plebe beat" and said something I though was hilarious and I started laghing and couldn't stop. "Fly under the radar" as we say often here at SAF --- that was not happening was it? Pretty sure every pusher in the Class of 81 and 80 knew who I was by lights out that night of Indoc, but all that is another story, we're talking about how we decided we wanted to go to and ended up at KP; not how we got through there.
I'd say back then the process of presenting the opportunity to go to any Service Academy contained and touched on the Service aspect and emphasized the value of doing so for the nation as well as the PC somewhat more directly than we all do now. Though in USMMA's case clearly the Service Obligation of the recent graduatingclasses is greater and more robustly enforced than "back in our day." That's why I am glad to see and be supportive of RADM Helis and his team's greater focus on that; in the long run I believe it will serve our Alma Mater, the Nation, and the current members of the Regiment well, and is needed.
Thanks for the opening to walk down memory lane before we were al so "connected" and "wired".
The life of a prospective candidate and how we "explored" our higher education options and opportunities was indeed much different when we were in the PC's positions 35 and 36 years ago respectively. We didn't have home computers let alone the internet or cell phones - in fact pagers had not yet become prolifc.
More importantly the ways colleges, perhaps especially the Service Academies "recruited" prospective students/interested candidates was different too.
As in your case I ended up with multiple nominations from our Member of Congress, so I did at least look at several (USMMA, USNA, USMA< and USAFA) some before deciding on USMMA as my first choice. That said the decision was made without visitng any of them save USAFA when we visited the chapel on our way to Philmont while I was a 14 year old Boy Scout. My examination and choice was based on the most information all often had to make the decision"back in the day". Using the catalogues in the local library and the information "snail-mailed" to me by the various colleges, as well as "Lovejoy's Guide to Colleges & Universities", I poured over it all and tried to talk to people who actually went to those schools that lived in our area. As far as the Academies go, I was a Boy Scout and a Sea Cadet growing up so had opprtunites to talk to recent and older grads ho came as a result of the various outreach programs they ran. There was also a large college fair I went to where some out of town schools came to recruit students from SE PA as well. My parents were "middle - middle class" and money wasn't always in large supply in the home I grew up in so my college options were limited by financial considerations, and multiple trips for finding the "right college" for me wasn't feasable, or all that practical since a large part of "right fr me" involved them deciding I was "right for their University" and helping me afford being there. If I didn't get some kind of scholarship I was expecting the 5-6-8 year "work/study self-financed" program at one of the colleges near home.
When I started looking at Service Academies, USNA was my first choice - I too wanted to fly, what 18 YO guy doesn't want to at least consider that - I mean how cool can you be and remember the era "Top Gun" wasn't a box office smash just because Kelly McGillis is a "10". My eyes made Naval Flight impossible (remember this was before lasix surgery so to even be considered for Naval Flight as a pilot you needed 20/20 uncorreted); so I started thinking surface navy and then when the Chairman of my Congressman's Review Board, a Rear Admiral JAG, took a liking to me while I was discussing wha going to USNA and being in the Navy would be like that sounded pretty cool. Except for one thing - he had two sons the oldes 3 1/2 years older then I, a senior at SUNY-Maritime College (aka -Fort Schylur); the youner one was a Plebe (Clas of 80) at USMMA. He explained thattheir first choice was USNA but they didn't get in. He believed I had a shot at a principle nomination to USNA so he was very high on my going to USNA as I originally had been. However, I knowing I needed both Plan B and Plan C began to explore USMMA with his youngest son during a break home. Longer story shorter - USMMA became my first choice over USNA since I couldn't become a Navy Pilot, etc. One of my high school classmates got our Congressman's slot at USNA and did go on to fly Navy Jets. I went to KP and never looked back.
Even though we lived a short train ride away, money was always tight and both my parents worked, so, while I did go to the KP orientation, after I accepted my LOA, it was the first time I saw the campus "in 3-D." The next time, I saw the USMMA Campus, was when I was dropped off for Indoc in July 1978. No overnight visit - even though I highly, highly recommend if at all possible a serious PC do that today. No USNA, USMA or USCGA summer program while in high school. Not sure if USMMA even had any sort of formal overnight program in our day, though I do seem to recall USNA and USMMA either having their summer programs or starting them a long time ago. I showed up wearing a suit, like most of my Classmates, carrying a single, large ugly burnt orange suitcase, with exactly what was listed on the short list of items to bring when you report they sent us --- LOL. Oh and a total buzz cut. Yep I was one "squared away" - follow every rule to the letter USMMA Plebr Candidate. That version of young JasperDog lasted about a week and a half until one of your classmates who ws a pusher got into my face during a "plebe beat" and said something I though was hilarious and I started laghing and couldn't stop. "Fly under the radar" as we say often here at SAF --- that was not happening was it? Pretty sure every pusher in the Class of 81 and 80 knew who I was by lights out that night of Indoc, but all that is another story, we're talking about how we decided we wanted to go to and ended up at KP; not how we got through there.
I'd say back then the process of presenting the opportunity to go to any Service Academy contained and touched on the Service aspect and emphasized the value of doing so for the nation as well as the PC somewhat more directly than we all do now. Though in USMMA's case clearly the Service Obligation of the recent graduatingclasses is greater and more robustly enforced than "back in our day." That's why I am glad to see and be supportive of RADM Helis and his team's greater focus on that; in the long run I believe it will serve our Alma Mater, the Nation, and the current members of the Regiment well, and is needed.
Thanks for the opening to walk down memory lane before we were al so "connected" and "wired".
Last edited:
aooga15
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2010
- Messages
- 289
congratulations!!
yes... it's bubble wrap time!!!
congratulations and Welcome Aboard! 
My DS's portal just changed to PRINCIPAL....should we be excited?!?!
yes... it's bubble wrap time!!!
congratulations and Welcome Aboard! Yeah. I often wonder how much better off we are. It seems now that I invariably never really get a full vacation anymore. Meh, I will live, I guess.
That said, and again, not to cast aspersions to the parents here in the forum, I DID like the fact that being 3,000 miles from home, I could feel that I was independent of my folks for the first time. It did make those rare calls home during Plebe year special; AND it was good training for a life at sea back then.
Happy Camper
5-Year Member
- Joined
- May 27, 2012
- Messages
- 18
Congratulations!!!!....
How exciting for you and your family!
We are still waiting,.....status still shows, "application on file". (Crickets)
How exciting for you and your family!
We are still waiting,.....status still shows, "application on file". (Crickets)
Congratulations!!!!....
How exciting for you and your family!
We are still waiting,.....status still shows, "application on file". (Crickets)
Thanks Happy Camper! Trust me, I know what you are feeling, I was beginning to wonder if my DS's portal was broken...lol. Prayers for you and your DS or DD!