R-Day.......

tug_boat

10-Year Member
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Jun 18, 2012
Messages
2,101
R-Day is just around the corner!! This marks the culmination of years of hard work. Not only by you but your family and community support. You're about to embark on a very unique education unlike any other and after your 47 month journey, you'll be a member of a very exclusive graduating class, the Long Gray Line.

Work hard!! It is important!! There will be times when you want to give up, but don't!! We need you to work hard, there is no other path to success!!

In todays political environment there is a void of leadership. I don't think the American people have the ability recognize it anymore. Its up to you to hone those skills and prepare to fill the voids in the public, private and global arenas. We need you!!

Thus, Push Hard, Press Forward
 
We are busily preparing with our son. Proud beyond words and looking forward to supporting him and all the cadets in the coming 4 years. What a special place he is going.
 
This is supposed to be a hard year for New Cadets. Make sure you guys are mentally prepared just like you should be physically. Good luck!
 
They brought in drill sergeants to teach cadets how to correct new cadets and they are really harping on making beast hard to instill more discipline
 
Oh wow. How do we know this. Very interesting. Hmmm debating whether to share this with DS. Guess I will. Thanks for the info.
 
They will be fine. Deep breathes. Nothing to lose sleep over. Every kid selected has the ability to make it. 1,000s upon 1,000s have gone before them, they will join the long gray line like those before them. They can do it if they want it bad enough. Keep a positive attitude, remember it ends, and laugh at yourself when you get the chance. On bad days, remember a new day is near and that if they can make it before them, so can they.

Just a little story, USNA has senior enlisted Marines and Chiefs on staff. One of the requirements when I was there was all Marines had to have served on the drill field to be eligible for USNA. They trained us as Plebe Summer cadre every year (I believe they still do, not sure to what extent). One year they decided to bring up a crew from Parris Island to train us. It didn't change things all that much.

Remember this as much a training evolution for the upperclass as it's for new cadets. Their job is to enforce the standards, be tough but fair and train a new cadet who can function in the Corps. Cadre tend to get mad at 'rules being added every year to make it easy.' More than anything the sergeants can provide a reminder to focus and how to keep the pressure on while working within the rules and maintaining professionalism. They aren't being commissioned after Beast, it's a 4 year program for a reason. Beast has a purpose of tearing down the individual to build the team and the individual in the Army and West Point way and be a functioning member of the Corps. A drop out or poor performing cadet is not what the Cadre want, they want them to succeed (it won't feel like it).
 
Oh wow. How do we know this. Very interesting. Hmmm debating whether to share this with DS. Guess I will. Thanks for the info.

If he's on the 2020 page, he already knows.
 
Well, that was a memorable day for us to be sure. R-Day 2016 is in the books and our son is in the hands of the USMA. While there is undeniable pride, trepidation, and eager anticipation for the challenges just around the corner (literally), there is a an unmistakable tinge of sadness too as you realize that things just changed.
 
R-day was the full spectrum of extreme emotions, from the lead up in the morning before driving to Ike hall, and the waiting in line for the anticipated 60 second goodbye (which in our case was less than 20), to the oath ceremony, which is one of the proudest moments any parent could ever experience. I don't get emotional often, but I was choked up bad a few times yesterday.

I wish that I had spotted my son earlier than when my daughter finally identified her brother as C Company was marching off the field, but I did get a glimpse of him long enough to see how proud and wonderful he looked in his whites over greys. I knew that he was standing tall and proud, knowing that he earned every bit of the great honor he was experiencing.

R-day is something I am glad I experienced, but as a parent I am glad it is over. I look forward to A-day much more, and literally count the moments until I get to hear from then see my son. He was ready for this for sure, and I am certain he is handling it as well as is possible, but I wish he could give me his thoughts on how it is going.

I would do anything for a picture of him during the oath ceremony, but we were looking at the wrong company, and didn't have a good camera regardless. If anyone took good pictures, and think you may have some of Company C, please share. If so, I will be your friend for life. Lol.
 
R-day was the full spectrum of extreme emotions, from the lead up in the morning before driving to Ike hall, and the waiting in line for the anticipated 60 second goodbye (which in our case was less than 20), to the oath ceremony, which is one of the proudest moments any parent could ever experience. I don't get emotional often, but I was choked up bad a few times yesterday.

I wish that I had spotted my son earlier than when my daughter finally identified her brother as C Company was marching off the field, but I did get a glimpse of him long enough to see how proud and wonderful he looked in his whites over greys. I knew that he was standing tall and proud, knowing that he earned every bit of the great honor he was experiencing.

R-day is something I am glad I experienced, but as a parent I am glad it is over. I look forward to A-day much more, and literally count the moments until I get to hear from then see my son. He was ready for this for sure, and I am certain he is handling it as well as is possible, but I wish he could give me his thoughts on how it is going.

I would do anything for a picture of him during the oath ceremony, but we were looking at the wrong company, and didn't have a good camera regardless. If anyone took good pictures, and think you may have some of Company C, please share. If so, I will be your friend for life. Lol.

I can identify exactly with the emotions you are experiencing. When we drove away from WP last year from R day it was an emotional day knowing things were never going to be the same as a family unit. That being said, the emotion was mitigated a bit because we knew we were going to be back at end of summer. For me, as emotional as R-day was, I-day was way more emotional.

With respect to I day, I wish I had established my expectations a bit better. If you were proud on R day, wait until I day. Its fantastic! But, your child will have gone through a lot over the next six weeks and it is going to change them. I had this expectation that on I-day it would be just like in the movies and we would all run across the field and embrace as a family and everything would be whole for a while just like it was when she left. It didn't exactly work that way. Our DD loved beast. She actually enjoyed it and said it was fun. But, she was initially very different on I-day - mostly tired and emotionless. It took about 48 hours for her to adjust back into herself and the game face wore off. There was a 48 hour period there where my wife and I were like "Oh my...."

This may not be your experience. I have talked to others who did not have that. But I wish someone would have prepared me for that possibility. The other thing that hit me was that when we drove away from R-day, I knew we were going to be back shortly. It was like dropping her off for camp. But when we left her after I-day, it was sob city. The realization that it wasn't camp hit all of us.

Write letters over the next six weeks. Its great for them and it is very therapeutic for you as well. It's going to be a great summer and a great year. Enjoy every moment!
 
@brovol - if you are on FB, then you'll see many pics/photo albums posted there. If you are ever on the Mom's page, you will find lots to look at. Tonight I put 'H company' into the search box on that FB page and I was amazed at how many moms had posted pics of company H. Yay for me. :)
So, try this with company C in the search box. If you are unfamiliar with how to do this, let me know.

WP will be posting pics here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/west_point/sets/72157667595088623/
 
Yes, we have been looking through all of the above. Actually last night, through the Facebook group, someone posted pics, and we got some great shots of my son. It fired up our family in a huge way. Then Deb Dalton posted more pics last night of yesterday's activities, and there was a great picture of him. So we finally found Waldo.
 
Have not returned home yet to upload pics, but DD in H company too. I took some of the other companies as well, so keep looking next week at face book.
 
Lol. That's funny. And you are correct, I am a sensitive guy; I just didn't realize it, or manifest my sensitivity until Monday morning. But my tough guy image is blown. My son is the true tough guy, as are your son's and daughters. We are home now, but are having a real tough time adjusting to him not being there. Time will loosen the tightness in my neck and throat.

It's funny that you mentioned the exclusivity of the moms and dads Facebook groups. My wife and I kid each other about it, and although we will share the information we get from our pages, we also respect"the code". But we also were hoping that one of our respective brethren members would come up with a picture of our son, and game was on in terms of who's group would come through. Then, last night, boom, Daddies group with a huge win on that.

So, just so that it is clear, both moms and dads groups are equal; its just that the dad's are a little "more equal". Lol
 
LOL. Too funny.

Today Deb Dalton announced that she will set up a flicker page where parents can post pics so everyone can easily see them.
Fingers crossed for LOTS of H company photos!!
 
@brovol - if you are on FB, then you'll see many pics/photo albums posted there. If you are ever on the Mom's page, you will find lots to look at. Tonight I put 'H company' into the search box on that FB page and I was amazed at how many moms had posted pics of company H. Yay for me. :)
So, try this with company C in the search box. If you are unfamiliar with how to do this, let me know.

WP will be posting pics here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/west_point/sets/72157667595088623/

We are H company too, I started a group for us to share our information and pictures on FB if you're interested https://www.facebook.com/groups/145635069178098/
 
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