CBT New Cadet Visitation Day

TheEvanCat

5-Year Member
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Sep 14, 2014
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63
I just have a quick question on if we're getting phone usage for New Cadet Visitation Day (be it through them giving our personal cell phones back for the day, sponsor family phones, or some other sort of phone service.) I know my parents are expecting a call then, but I'm not sure how that call happens.
 
Cadet Visitation Day happens midway through beast. It's the day cadre from beast 1 leave and cadre from beast 2 begin. Typically, whoever takes you home for that afternoon has phones and often computers for your use. It will not be your phone. Coaches, teachers, and others living on post sign up to sponsor a few cadets on this day.Some brave cadets even go home w/ the Sup! Your parents need to have their phone charged and ready and then answer any and all calls.
 
You get a short phone call about a week to 10 days in, potentially at the visitation day (ice cream social) depending on your sponsor, and then again near the end of beast. It won't be with your phone (locked away in the trunk room with the rest of the stuff you bring), so you'll need to know what numbers you want to call (ie, if you only know how to call home by looking up Mom or Dad in your contacts, you need to write those numbers down somewhere).
 
The general instructions to NC parents is to answer all phone calls while their New Cadet is at Beast, even if it is an unfamiliar area code and number. There are a couple of other opportunities for calls home during Beast and parents will have an idea of the day and possible window of time for calls. However, training comes before calls so not everyone gets to call because some might be in the woods or doing other things. Life will go on!
 
...and then there are the cadets who call the girlfriend/boyfriend and not mom and dad....
 
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I had my home phone forwarded to my cell phone so that DS could call any number. As it turns out he called our home phone. It helps to not be tethered to home.
 
Parents, just be aware that while every attempt will be made for your new cadets to get their call, it's not guaranteed. And you need to just be patient, it will be OK.

It seems to have improved some, but I'm aware of multiple cases for 2015 and 2016 New Cadets where things happened and the calls did not. Most were unavoidable. Just remember that it's usually the squad leader enabling the first call, and they are normally just a couple years older than your kid. And the ice cream social sponsors are just well intentioned families. They may have years of experience, or this could be their first time.

Our grad's Ice Cream Social experience was great, they had 7 borrowed cellphones, multiple tablets and laptops, and the biggest pile of junk food you could imagine. Mid CBT1 call was just 3-4 minutes, unavoidable. No CBT2 call except a 1 minute "I'm OK" due to tragic events that CBT.

No need to rehash details, just remember the calls are not guaranteed, and be thankful if you get one or two.

It's good training for you as when they are cows/firsties it can often be weeks between calls due to workload. And later in their training & deployments longer than that!
 
New Cadet fatality during c/o 2015 CBT land nav. Heat exhaustion related. Taps vigil during CBT.
 
The general instructions to NC parents is to answer all phone calls while their New Cadet is at Beast, even if it is an unfamiliar area code and number.

This holds true well beyond Beast……..more like for their entire military career. Come R-Day, you are military parents, therefore, you will always answer the phone regardless of the number.
 
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