cadet life in the summer

AFA17

5-Year Member
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Feb 14, 2013
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I understand that instead of having a typical 2-3 month summer vacation like a regular college student, the cadets have a choice (?) between picking 1 out of 3 three week vacation breaks.

I know that during sophomore summer they have to choose either skydiving, paragliding and something else I cannot remember right now.

What else do they do during their summers besides that one 3 week break?
 
I understand that instead of having a typical 2-3 month summer vacation like a regular college student, the cadets have a choice (?) between picking 1 out of 3 three week vacation breaks.

I know that during sophomore summer they have to choose either skydiving, paragliding and something else I cannot remember right now.

What else do they do during their summers besides that one 3 week break?

I'm not sure how much choice there is but you are in general correct that there have been summer training sessions, or perhaps summer school, in the past. This may be changing due to the sequester. I have seen slides where USNA is planning on cutting midshipman summer training. I have heard USMA is also considering this. I wouldn't be surprised if its also up for consideration at USAFA, if it hasn't already been decided. Of course there were lots of caveats on the slides I saw, so who knows? I'll leave others more knowledgeable than I to explain the details of the choices in the past.
 
They also have ESET(?) in another three week session. In this class they do chemical warfare training, and some evasion techniques. This had changed since my DD went through several years ago. They no longer have survival in the wilderness, without much food, that I am aware of. I am sure others can fill in the blanks on this session.
 
The summer between Doolie and Sophomore year you will do one session of either Parachuting, Space and Missles, RPAs, or Glider Flying. The other session is Combat Survival Training. The third period is leave or an academic class if needed.

The next summer is one session of Operation Air Force which is three weeks at an operational Air Force Base learning the basic duties of active duty personnel. The second session is leadership training, ie: being cadre for CST or BCT. The third session will be leave or academics if needed.

The last summer will be one session of Operation Air Force, but more indepth interaction with the officers on the base. The second session will be another leadership training, but you will have more command positions for the CST or BCT activities. The third session is leave or academics. This summer is also the opportunity to do Deployed Ops which takes two sessions so you will give up leave. In this you will deploy to a forward base (currently one of three bases in the Middle East) and work with the officers there. My son got to do this and he loved it.

These sessions may happen in any order, since they rotate one third of each class into different sessions each three-week period.

These were what was available when my son did it, so things may be a bit different now.

Stealth_81
 
The last summer will be one session of Operation Air Force, but more indepth interaction with the officers on the base. The second session will be another leadership training, but you will have more command positions for the CST or BCT activities. The third session is leave or academics. This summer is also the opportunity to do Deployed Ops which takes two sessions so you will give up leave. In this you will deploy to a forward base (currently one of three bases in the Middle East) and work with the officers there. My son got to do this and he loved it.

No OpsAF firstie summer anymore.

3* summer: Mandatory is airmanship program and ESET. Optional leave or academics.
2* summer: Mandatory is Ops AF and 1 period of leadership. Optional leave, academics, or another leadership period.
Firstie summer: Mandatory is 1 period leadership. Other common options include powered flight, CSLIP (language immersion), CSRP (summer research), or another period of leadership. Optional leave or academics.

Leadership positions can be BCT cadre, ESET cadre, summer seminar, soaring/jump instructors, sports camp, and other command positions.


For example for me:
3*: Jump/GE, leave, CST (now = ESET)
2*: Ops to Dover AFB, leave, BCT cadre
Firstie: 4 week CSLIP to Panama, leave, easy BCT cadre job. (this is probably the best schedule a cadet can get)
 
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