new cadet to the academy questions

skismuggs

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Jan 12, 2013
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i have a few more questions about new cadets to the academy.

1) i read somewhere that they get laptops, are they new and do the cadets get to keep them forever?
2) how does the laundry service work? do they do their own laundry or does the academy take care of that?
3) do we need to buy boots for her and if so what are good womens boots that she can break in before bct?
4) i know the first year is very restrictive, when are cell phones allowed? can we skype with them once the school year has started, or when's the earliest?

again many thanks to the helpful people on here.
 
1)They are issued new laptops, the specifications for said laptop will come later this year and before BCT. (they do pay for these and are able to keep them)
2) The laundry service is explained in detail when they arrive for BCT. They have a series of bags that they put their dirty laundry in and when it is clean it comes back to them. Pretty sure there are tickets of some sort than need to be filled out. There are also laundry marks on all clothing for identification purposes. Freshman have the fee automatically deducted from their pay the first year. After year one it is optional, many cadets do their own laundry after this as it gets cleaner and smells better than the mass washings.
3)You are not required to buy boots. The newer boots require much less break in than previous models(black boots). Some squadrons will allow them to have the boots they brought/bought previously after BCT is complete, some will not.
4)Again cell phones are squadron dependent. Skype is chancy unless the new ISP is better next year. It can be spotty in the dorms, depending on the amount of bandwidth being used at any given time. Cell phone coverage can be spotty as well. Some are lucky depending on location. A few years ago we DD didn't have her phone until second semester except on Sundays. DS, a C4C this year had his phone from almost the beginning. Just depends. I always have found that FB chat or just email works well and I always have it to refer to in case I forget something. :shake:

Best of Luck! Enjoy the next few months, they will go quickly.
 
Laptops are new. It's deducted from the cadet's pay. They can keep them forever if the machine survives the four years. They get a lot of use.

Laundry is done for the freshmen (it's deducted out of the pay). Upperclassmen do their own.

Boots usually get talked about a lot on the other threads, so I'll pass on that one.

Cell phones are restricted during boot (except for the phone calls on Doolies Day In/Out) and then it's up to the squads how they handle it. My cadet could have the cell on the weekends but not during the week.
 
I think our c4c said something like this about the laundry: I'm not sure what they are doing with my laundry, but I've never seen "clean" clothes that are that color.

She now does it at her sponsor's house.
 
Laptops are new. It's deducted from the cadet's pay. They can keep them forever if the machine survives the four years. They get a lot of use.

An interesting perspective on this: My son and his roommates are almost two years out of USAFA and three of the four of them still use their USAFA-issued Fujitsu laptops as their main computers. They are a pretty nice unit. At graduation the cadet IT desk will clean and upgrade the laptop for use after the Academy. I think it cost $60 to have it done.

Stealth_81
 
I think our c4c said something like this about the laundry: I'm not sure what they are doing with my laundry, but I've never seen "clean" clothes that are that color.

She now does it at her sponsor's house.

That's because C4Cs don't understand how gross they are. Cloths get that color because your body makes it that color.
 
An interesting perspective on this: My son and his roommates are almost two years out of USAFA and three of the four of them still use their USAFA-issued Fujitsu laptops as their main computers. They are a pretty nice unit. At graduation the cadet IT desk will clean and upgrade the laptop for use after the Academy. I think it cost $60 to have it done.

Stealth_81

I think I know two of my classmates whose laptops lasted more than a year past graduation. Most had theirs fail prior to graduation. Then again, my class was an anomaly, and got issued the terrible Gateway "tablets."
 
i guess they cant bring their own laptops even if it meets specs? the laundry issue sent shivers down my spine - LOL.
 
Bathrooms and Showers

ALSO a BIG question of mine... HYGIENE! During BCT, is there time to wash faces, tidy up, or shave??

During the school year... What are the showers like? Cold? Open? Privacy?

Is there a limited number of them or a line for them in mornings?
 
i guess they cant bring their own laptops even if it meets specs?

Once they are allowed to have personal electronics they will be able to have their own laptop if they want it. They will not be able to connect to the internet through the USAFA network with it, however, and they still will be issued an Academy computer and will pay for it.

the laundry issue sent shivers down my spine - LOL.

I have never heard of a cadet being harmed by the laundry system at USAFA. :shake: It may not be perfect, but there will be many larger issues for you to expend energy worrying about!

Stealth_81
 
didnt know where to ask this but does the USAFA have any type of swearing in prior to reporting to the academy in june or do they just show up there. im sure the details will be out with the mailing from the academy but we want to get a headstart on plane tix before the mad rush.
 
The official swearing in takes place on I-Day, and a ceremonial swearing in takes place in front of the Chapel Wall the next morning. Quite a site to see all of the new Basics marching together for the first time in formation according to their new squadrons. Definitely a moving experience for parents to see.
 
ALSO a BIG question of mine... HYGIENE! During BCT, is there time to wash faces, tidy up, or shave??

During the school year... What are the showers like? Cold? Open? Privacy?

Is there a limited number of them or a line for them in mornings?

There is time for hygiene during Basic, you just have to take care of stuff quickly.

The showers are warm during the school year, but occasionally hot water is lost. In that case you just go to a different shower room. In Jack's Valley, you shower in one open room without any dividers. In the dorms, there are side-dividers without any curtains.
Privacy does not become an issue after Jack's Valley. :wink:

During Basic, there is often a wait for showers as the cadre all try to push the Basics through them at the same time. During the Academic Year, I have never encountered a bathroom which had all of the showers occupied.
 
Tried to find the info but maybe im looking at the wrong place - is I-Day the same or held during the parents weekend???
 
Tried to find the info but maybe im looking at the wrong place - is I-Day the same or held during the parents weekend???

I-Day = Induction day. That is the day you report (June 27, 2013), ride the bus, and begin basic training. You will be called Basic Cadet until you complete BCT. In early August, you will be recognized as a C4C (on A-Day = Acceptance Day) and prepare for academic year. Parent's weekend is held on Labor Day weekend (after classes have begun).
 
thanks so much - now if you have a choice between coming on I-Day, A-Day or Parents weekend because of whatever reasons where you couldnt do all three and just do one, what would be the one to choose? reasons would range from travel distance, financial, taking time off from work. i know everyone has an opinion on this.
 
thanks so much - now if you have a choice between coming on I-Day, A-Day or Parents weekend because of whatever reasons where you couldnt do all three and just do one, what would be the one to choose? reasons would range from travel distance, financial, taking time off from work. i know everyone has an opinion on this.

I attended I-Day and PW. DW attended all three. All three were great and a bit different but if we could do just one, it would hands-down be PW. PW provides some quality time with the cadet, time at USAFA (tours, open house, eating with the cadet, seeing the cadet in class and their room, meeting squad mates), the ability to bring supplies (printer, monitor, etc) to the cadet and a tailgate and football game. It's just a great weekend. We are looking forward to our second PW later this year.
 
Parents Weekend... follwed by A Day. My son chose the B&B route for I Day and was perfectly fine. I was unexpectedly able to attend A Day at the last minute, and it was nice, but Parents Weekend is IMPO the must attend event of the three.
 
thanks so much - time to make those reservations now i guess. now correct me if im wrong, during parents weekends, you DS/DD is with you for that whole time from friday to monday right???
 
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