My BFE Concerns

S

shodeadman

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2014
Messages
9
Okay so my BFE came in the mail on Jan 18, but it seems like im missing something. It just contained my appointment in a fancy holder and a tassel topper.... From what I've read on the forum it should have included important information about my upcoming life at West Point. I accepted my appointment on the portal on Jan 20 but there was nothing else for me to read or sign except for my unfiorm size in the admit kit. So my question is am I missing something, is there another BFE that suppose to come to me? How do I know how to prepare for Beast, like what to bring? What came in everyone else's BFE?
 
Don't worry be happy.

Sing the song and take a deep breath. It'll all come in time. The Boot Letter, the 20 pager for the incoming class. You got the fancy folder with the appointment. That's all you need for now. Congratulations!
 
Lol. That's a nice problem to have. Congratulations!

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
The Boot Letter

Boot letter? I havent seen that listed anywhere on the forums everyone made it seem like the BFE held all the info I needed. When should the Boot letter come roughly?
 
Shodeadman, all the information you will need to prepare for West Point (R-day, Beast...etc.) will come via your portal. You will have plenty of time to get everything done...especially since you received your BFE so early. Congratulations! One word of advice, break in those boots and low quarters and show up to R-day rested and hydrated! Good Luck!
 
Deep breath. Keep checking your portal. You will get communication telling you what to buy to bring with you (i.e. boots and low quarters). The letter will tell you how to get on a post to purchase or where to order online. It will tell you exactly what to buy. Right now, you should just be happy for the BFE. congrats to you!
 
Yes but when will I get this 20pg letter will it be ASAP or sometime closer to R-Day
 
On here, search "boots for Beast" and there is a thread or two where folks from Class of 2017 talk about that, and when they got the boot letter. Also search "packing list for Beast" - I remember seeing that thread a few times last spring. It is great to be excited - congratulations!
 
All things in time....

I love your enthusiasm!! The boot letter will be sent to you soon. It gives you authorization to go to the nearest PX and purchase a pair of boots and low quarters from a list. Soon on your portal will be the second step kit that will allow you to continue the pursuit of turning red dots into green. Items will be finger printing, 7th and 8th semester transcripts, purchase of a computer, $2000 deposit to front load expenses. You must purchase the computer from WP so all 1200 of you have the same hardware, it may be different than the previous years. You may not bring your own, and thump drives are not allowed anywhere.

There will be a suggested list of things to get for Beast. You can show up on R-Day with just the clothes on your back and you will be assigned everything. So I wouldn't stress out too much.

Push Hard, Press Forward

and Congrats!!
 
Will I be reimbursed for the boots and computer? I thought going to West Point was free except the intial $2k deposit which is technically optional.

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
No one purchases a computer and takes it to USMA. Your computer is issued during re-orgy week.

Your $2000 offsets some of the fees that are heavy at the onset. The rest come out of your pay. Those who don't have the $2000 have more taken from their pay each month. Items you are told to report with are purchased by you before you go. So, you pay for the boots and shoes...and whatever else is on this year's list.
 
Tug-boat you said that thumb drives are not allowed? What do you mean I have an external hard drive that holds all of my digital stuff... will I not be allowes to to use that at WP and why?

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
shodeadman said:
Tug-boat you said that thumb drives are not allowed? What do you mean I have an external hard drive that holds all of my digital stuff... will I not be allowes to to use that at WP and why?

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
Click to expand...

No. You will not be allowed to use that for security reasons.
 
Data Transfer

There are a multitude of ways to get ur data on ur school computer. Just put it "in the cloud" and accessories as needed. U can also just email it to urself.
 
read through the countless other threads that have answered these questions already. 1,200 people have gone through this process every year for the past 200 years. take a breath, read the forums, then go have fun and stop worrying about west point stuff.
 
I know your not suppose to promote but...

Mom’s Guide to Surviving West Point is an excellent book to help prepare mom for the next 47 months. The book just isn’t for moms. Its great read for dads as well. It is a big help for my family to understand what our applicant, cadet candidate (CC), Plebe; cadet will go through for the next 10 months. It also addresses the correct protocols with the Army. Your child is an adult! Who has joined United States Army! A mom can not go tell the sup he is doing things wrong and has to do it this way cause “my baby” is stressed.

Get it!!


Push Hard, Press Forward
 
There are 4 mailings that are sent to admitted candidates that answer a lot of these questions and they are timed throughout the spring. They'll cover a range of topics from how to prepare for Beast, to the packing list, to forbidden objects, to your mailing address, to getting your boots/low quarters, etc. These will be posted to your portal instead of physically mailed. You will not be reimbursed for boots, etc. You could show up without them, but then would have to go through Beast while at the same time breaking in your newly issued shoes (while most of your peers come with a broken in pair saving them from blisters).

Like was mentioned before, you don't have to pay the deposit. The Army doesn't pay for everything, especially for officers, and that comes out of your cadet pay. You either offset some of that cost up front, or more comes out of your cadet pay. Pretty much anything that you can/will keep, you will pay for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top