Sponsor Family

baileydb

5-Year Member
Joined
May 27, 2014
Messages
636
I have a question about the sponsor program at USAFA. I am a CO native, and my parents think that I should not get a sponsor family because they are intended for cadets that are from out of state. First off, is this an option, to not get a sponsor? Secondly, my parents are considering becoming sponsors, but they live about 1.5 hours from USAFA. Is it still possible to have them as sponsors? Do you guys think it's a good idea to use your own family as a sponsor family? (I personally think having a sponsor family would be great, giving me a chance to branch out and meet new people, but I think my parents might be hurt that I want a sponsor...)
 
1.5 hours is a ways to drive for Sunday trips or Doolie Day Out. 3 hours round trip of driving would take up a good chunk of what is sometimes you're only day off. There's nothing against you having a sponsor fam to spend some Sundays away with, and then still going home on longer blue weekends if you have the passes/aren't restricted.
 
1.5 hours is a ways to drive for Sunday trips or Doolie Day Out. 3 hours round trip of driving would take up a good chunk of what is sometimes you're only day off. There's nothing against you having a sponsor fam to spend some Sundays away with, and then still going home on longer blue weekends if you have the passes/aren't restricted.
And sponsor families won't be offended if I didn't spend holidays or weekends off with them, right? My parents are worried that sponsor families would expect me to spend that time with them, and so I wouldn't get to see my actual family as much. Is this a valid concern?
 
I don't know anyone who spends every single weekend with their sponsor fam. People spend the holidays with their sponsor family if they're stuck at USAFA for something, but otherwise almost everyone goes home. It's a nice home away from home, but the sponsor family does not expect to replace your real family.
 
I don't know anyone who spends every single weekend with their sponsor fam. People spend the holidays with their sponsor family if they're stuck at USAFA for something, but otherwise almost everyone goes home. It's a nice home away from home, but the sponsor family does not expect to replace your real family.
Thanks! My parents are being kind of weird about this...not what I expected, so I'm trying to deal with this without hurting their feelings. Also, every cadet is REQUIRED to have a sponsor family, correct?At least for Doolie Day Out?
 
I think the purpose of a sponsor family is to give cadets a place to to get some time away from the academy. Being from Virginia, I am very happy about this program and lucky to have found a family that will sponsor my DS for DDO and the academic year.
 
Everyone leaves on DDO and yes everyone is assigned a sponsor for the academic year - taking advantage of them is entirely up to you however.
 
For what it's worth, my son never had a sponsor family. We live 2 hours away, so on his long weekends and such, we came to visit. Most weekends and time off, cadets don't spend it with their sponsor families. They spend it with each other. In the winter they go skiing or boarding. They hang out and do what normal people do. They make friends and hang out with them. Not to say that you can't have a sponsor family. Just that you don't have to have one. And most, by the time recognition rolls around, spend very little time with any sponsor family.

And for what it's worth, my son was a recruited football player. During DDO in basic training, all the recruited football players in basic went to the coach's house. So if you're an athlete on one of the teams, you'll have your own secondary family per se with them.
 
I never had a "sponsor" family...my mother lived in Denver while I was at the Zoo. I LOVED going "home" to visit.

When we lived at USAFA (I actually graduated from Air Academy High School) we sponsored some guys from the class of '79; two of whom I still regularly keep in touch with, they're like my "pseudo older brothers." They were close to my mother, almost like their second mother, to the day she passed. Their reaction was much like my own...

Sponsoring a cadet is awesome; as is being sponsored by a family!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
So if I didn't want a sponsor family, where would I go during DDO? Could I just go home (update: I found out yesterday that we might be moving to Castle Rock, which is only about 30-45 mins from the Academy!-I think)
If my parents wanted to sign up as sponsors, are they allowed to place a limit on how many cadets they sponsor?
 
You'd just go to someone else's sponsor. A lot of the times people go to houses on DDO that don't end up being their sponsor families. I don't think you could go home then, if I recall there's a limit that you have to stay inside of relative to the Academy.
 
My kids' sponsor fam is destined for sainthood. They were a refuge, a hang out, a guide... My kids had their own room in their home (and bathroom!), were allowed to bring any/all fellow cadets for holidays, weekends, bbq's... HOT TUB! They made what could have been a tough time, much easier. Unlike most cadets, my sons maintained their relationship with their sponsor fam all four years and their sponsor dad issued the oath for them
 
So if I didn't want a sponsor family, where would I go during DDO? Could I just go home (update: I found out yesterday that we might be moving to Castle Rock, which is only about 30-45 mins from the Academy!-I think)
If my parents wanted to sign up as sponsors, are they allowed to place a limit on how many cadets they sponsor?

No, you're not required to get a sponsor family. For DDO, all doolies will be sent to a sponsor family who may or may not be your permanent sponsor family. You will be lined up and waiting for your DDO sponsor family to pick you up and later take you back. It's well organized and controlled.

There were some doolies, this year, who wanted sponsors and there weren't enough, so it would be great if your parents sign up. They aren't required to take more doolies than they can handle. My DD's sponsor started with 3, 1 doolie never came over so they picked up another doolie. Then they were asked if they would take a 4th. When asked to take a 5th, they declined.

My DH said that he spent more time at his friend's sponsor family than his own. By this 3deg year, he stopped going all together.
 
Bailey - Doolie day out during basic is different than the regular sponsor family. I think we were told last year on our appointee tour that on Doolie day out, if your family was your sponsor, the Basic was not supposed to visit them. My DS signed up for a sponsor family but as far as I know he has never met with them. He did go to a family the night before I-day and to a different family on Doolie Day out, but my parents live in Castle Rock so they pick him up when he has time off and have since become an official sponsor so they can have easier access to the campus. Also one of his roommates is from Colorado so he and a few buddies head to his house when they have a chance. I can understand that you might think that you want to have a sponsor other than your parents so you can meet other people and get away, but you will be meeting a LOT of new people and it might be nice to have your own bed to curl up in when you have a break. There is no guarantee that you will be assigned a sponsor family because I don't think the class of 2018 who signed up requesting a sponsor were all assigned one and I have heard stories where the sponsors don't always work out so great. If your parents are not military, they might sign up to be your sponsor so they can enter either gate. They don't have to be sponsors for anyone else, but you can always bring a buddy home with you. Also it sounds like sponsors are invited to things that parents aren't. My parents will be at USAFA this weekend for the Founder's Day parade and they are having a sponsor appreciation lunch. I didn't even know about either till they told me. I also understand your parents being "weird" about it - they are just trying to find a way to stay close to you while you are off a new adventure. Just give them an extra hug and they will be okay. :)
 
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