After USMMA Appointment Acceptance - Next Steps

Progress so far:
1. TWIC card - done
2. wisdom teeth -extracted
3. white shoes - bought two pairs and they have been worn to break them in;
4. white socks - bought 12 pairs; nothing beats the gold toe
5. white t-shirts and underwear - WIP; probably will order from the Academy's Navy Exchange store
6. running, working out every day
7. health insurance - checked if compliant with USMMA requirements
8. Navy Federal Credit Union joint account - he opened an account, but it took longer than we expected. Someone made a mistake and his SSN was used to open an account. NFCU did an investigation and made changes in their system.
9. USMMA related Health Services doc's have been posted on USMMA web site - https://www.usmma.edu/academy-life/related-health-services-documents
10. Logging book 2023 arrived as an attachment in an email to DS. File too big to post.
11. Airline ticket to KP for DS booked through USMMA's Travel Management Center - 1-850-678-6688 although hard copy Logging book 2023 hasn't arrived yet, where are the Orders to Report.
12. EVERFI training started.
 
The 2023 LOGGING IN DOC says to bring 14 pair of socks, 14 undershorts and 14 Tee Shirts. Also six towels.
1.) Can my DS bring more of each so he doesn't have to wash as frequently ?
2.) Can he also bring his own pillow?
3.) I assume sheets and pillow cases are provided; correct?.
4.) Can he also bring a desk lamp?
5.) LOGGING IN DOC also says to avoid bring certain electronics, but can he have and wear his SMART watch which can also serve as an alarm clock?
6.) Is there need for an electric power strip and if so can you bring it?

THANKS for answering so many questions!
 
Do not bring anything more than the minimum required. As a plebe candidate, your DS will need to learn to follow directions, starting with what he is directed to bring. He will not have all the comforts of home, and he is not meant to be comfortable.
1. No. The list gives him plenty of socks, underwear, and t-shirts for INDOC. He will not be doing his own laundry during INDOC. He may want you to send replacements after INDOC because things will be well worn.
2. No.
3. Yes.
4. No. He will not be living in a college dorm.
5. No. Part of the torture of INDOC is not knowing what time it is and being awakened by your cadre.
6. No.
You can revisit these questions at Parents Weekend or later, and let your DS take the lead on what he needs/wants/can have. What is allowed will vary by company, and he will let you know what that is. After recognition, he will be allowed more privileges, but until then, less is better. Resist the urge to try to make his life easier. It is supposed to he hard. Have him bring exactly what is on the list, stand back, and prepare to be amazed.
 
kpmom2013 as always you are super helpful. And just fyi my DS is not asking these questions nor is he concern. It's only me and as you imply I should back off and let it flow naturally as it is supposed to do and let him enjoy the ride. Can't wait unit July 5 and later parent day!
 
kpdad2023 said:
kpmom2013 as always you are super helpful. And just fyi my DS is not asking these questions nor is he concern. It's only me and as you imply I should back off and let it flow naturally as it is supposed to do and let him enjoy the ride. Can't wait unit July 5 and later parent day!
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I'm glad to not be the only parent feeling this way. Definitely different sending a student to the academy than sending one to college. I'm more concerned than my DS is.
 
Hang on. You will be even more concerned during the first 8 days of INDOC when you will have no communication from your DS/DD. If you are very lucky, you will get a letter that you will read over fifty times trying to read between the lines and get a hint of how they are REALLY doing. Then that first five minute phone call which seems to be over in about 20 seconds... The good news is that it gets easier. Oh, but then comes sea year, and it gets harder again. You will do as much maturing as a parent as your kid does as a young adult. Have faith that it is all worth the ride.
 
Progress so far:
1. TWIC card - done
2. wisdom teeth -extracted
3. white shoes - bought two pairs and they have been worn to break them in;
4. white socks - bought 12 pairs; nothing beats the gold toe
5. white t-shirts and underwear - WIP; probably will order from the Academy's Navy Exchange store
6. running, working out every day
7. health insurance - checked if compliant with USMMA requirements
8. Navy Federal Credit Union joint account - account opened
9. Logging book 2023 arrived as an attachment in an email to DS. Posted on USMMA site under admissions - https://www.usmma.edu/admissions/reporting-instructions-class-2023
10. Airline ticket to KP for DS booked through USMMA's Travel Management Center - 1-850-678-6688 although hard copy Logging book 2023 hasn't arrived yet, where are the Orders to Report.
11. EVERFI training part I - finished.
12. USMMA related Health Services doc's - WIP; USMMA web site - https://www.usmma.edu/academy-life/related-health-services-documents
 
sunny_dreamer said:
Have you attended last year a barbecue or some kind of meeting the night before reporting for indoc organized from USMMA sports coaches? What was the duration and was it only for future USMMA athletes or family members were also invited? I know that each year and for each sport is different and this year the reporting date has been moved to July 5. Asking for planning purposes.
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For INDOC 2018, the track/ cross country coach had a meeting with students and parents in an on-campus facility. He sent the new students with his current track students who were already on campus, and he talked with us parents for about an hour. It was very helpful for all of us. One of the things he told us was that he would have the students off campus often for runs. He did just as he said- he took out kids to Central Park, to the beach, and to the Brooklyn Bridge for practice runs. Our Plebes would have not gotten off campus if not for this coach.

Another benefit for student athletes was the ability to bring a duffel bag of necessary clothing/ equipment for the sport, to be stored in a storage locker (cage) until after INDOC. The bags were turned in for storage at the end of the meeting. The track coach told us in advance that students could put things in their bag that they would want after INDOC, for example, a watch or an alarm clock, a couple of pictures, or any other small items that are not allowed during INDOC. This kept us from having to mail those things. Don't send too much, because there just isn't room for extra stuff. Also, once students get their computers, they can order anything they need from Amazon, WalMart, etc.
 
joriebelle said:
For us, we drove to drop our son off for INDOC. We have 5 kids, and it was nice having the time alone with just my husband and I and our son. He reported for INDOC at 7 a.m. I don't think I saw any parents crying (I personally saved my tears for the drive home!) although I'm sure there were some. Seeing the Plebe Candidates go through the beginning of process was really neat. The area is roped off so you can't get close, but we still got to see them run to their barracks, get put into company formations, and we got to see their first official muster. We also were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of my son a few different times and some those pictures are my treasures. Like this one LOL :

View attachment 2193
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I didn't see any parents crying at INDOC, but I did see a Plebe Candidate crying as she said goodbye to her parents and walked into the gym. I've always wondered how she is doing. I felt so sorry for her and her parents. My son, on the other hand, was laid back and in no hurry to go in the gym. He was one of the last to sign in. He paid dearly for this- his leadership was really tough on him from the start!!

As for family at INDOC, we flew to LaGuardia several days early, took one grandparent to help with our younger son, and had a wonderful time exploring the city together before the reporting date. I'm glad we had some family time- vacation time- just before our son began INDOC!
 
@joriebelle - just wondering, why did you send an over-sized white towel for your DS to use on top of his bed instead of just a small blanket? Do they not allow blankets? Thx! Trying to figure out everything DS will need...
 
Correct. No extra blankets allowed. Every morning he takes off the towel and hangs it up. He sleeps on a top bunk which is close to the ceiling so it's hard for him to set his bed, so instead of getting under the covers every night and having to reset the bed every morning, he sleeps on top of his set bed and uses a towel for a blanket.
 
Makes sense, my son has been doing the same at prep school this past year. He was on the top bunk too but he was able to use a small blanket and put it in his foot locker. Thank you for the information, it's very helpful!
 
vbval said:
@joriebelle - just wondering, why did you send an over-sized white towel for your DS to use on top of his bed instead of just a small blanket? Do they not allow blankets? Thx! Trying to figure out everything DS will need...
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joriebelle said:
Correct. No extra blankets allowed. Every morning he takes off the towel and hangs it up. He sleeps on a top bunk which is close to the ceiling so it's hard for him to set his bed, so instead of getting under the covers every night and having to reset the bed every morning, he sleeps on top of his set bed and uses a towel for a blanket.
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Alternate bedding is a first class rate, but after taps, and once your door is closed how is anyone going to know if you have an extra blanket??? Your kid will figure this out on their own, but I used an extra fleece blanket all fours years. Don't buy anything until after indoc and your kid says "Hey send me a blanket."

Learning how to break the rules and not get caught is part of being plebe, so is paying the price when you do.
 
Woobie -- could be your DS/DD most coveted item after they order one after indoc.

It is contraband, but it will serve all the blanket purposes, sleeping on the floor behind the desk purposes, etc. that you need. Of course, its contraband, so, as KPbeyond says, you may have to pay the price.
 
kpdad2023 said:
The 2023 LOGGING IN DOC says to bring 14 pair of socks, 14 undershorts and 14 Tee Shirts. Also six towels.
1.) Can my DS bring more of each so he doesn't have to wash as frequently ?
2.) Can he also bring his own pillow?
3.) I assume sheets and pillow cases are provided; correct?.
4.) Can he also bring a desk lamp?
5.) LOGGING IN DOC also says to avoid bring certain electronics, but can he have and wear his SMART watch which can also serve as an alarm clock?
6.) Is there need for an electric power strip and if so can you bring it?

THANKS for answering so many questions!
Click to expand...

ALL electronics are considered contraband during indoc and are required to be turned over to the honor board staff during in-processing. If contraband is found throughout indoc it will be taken seriously.

Not sure if any information has been sent out yet regarding this but I recommend having electronics ready to turn in i.e, at the top of your bag/easily accessible during in-processing. This includes electric razors/trimmers, watches, phones, tablets, headphones, computers. Basically everything electronic.
 
kpdad2023 said:
The 2023 LOGGING IN DOC says to bring 14 pair of socks, 14 undershorts and 14 Tee Shirts. Also six towels.
1.) Can my DS bring more of each so he doesn't have to wash as frequently ?
2.) Can he also bring his own pillow?
3.) I assume sheets and pillow cases are provided; correct?.
4.) Can he also bring a desk lamp?
5.) LOGGING IN DOC also says to avoid bring certain electronics, but can he have and wear his SMART watch which can also serve as an alarm clock?
6.) Is there need for an electric power strip and if so can you bring it?

THANKS for answering so many questions!
Click to expand...


Stick to the list. Nothing more. Nothing less. Following directions is like kind of one of the things KP is trying to get you to figure out.
 
The 2023 Logging Book doesn't include towels on the list of things to bring. Towels (3) are included on the list of personal items purchased from the NEX. So the notion of packing a large towel to use as a blanket means they would be packing something NOT on the list of things to bring.....
 
You don't have to purchase everything from the NEX. I think I bought the socks and underwear on my own, and of course the extra towel. But yes, that towel was extra - I only bought it based on a recommendation from another parent last year. I guess it technically was contraband but I know he was glad he had it. Especially during the fall/winter when he had 7 weeks without a heater in his room and it got down to 54 degrees in his room. . .

Ultimately, your son/daughter/you will decide if they'll bend the rules and how far. My son tends to be a rule follower BUT he did bring that oversized towel which technically isn't allowed. And I'm sure he's breaking more rules than he's telling me about LOL. You may want to wait until after INDOC and have your kid tell you what he/she wants. Sometimes one group will have less strict COs than another and can get away with more.

Grads, speak up about this; I'm only a parent. :)
 
Yes, I just wanted to clarify what is on the list of things to bring this year.

Male Plebe Candidates must report in appropriate casual summer attire: collared shirt (short sleeve polo or button-up shirt) and lightweight slacks or shorts with a belt (if applicable). Jeans are not permitted. Athletic shoes may be
worn. Male Plebe Candidates must bring the following:
• Running shoes – Any brand is acceptable; however, the shoe must be predominantly white. If the shoe
has stripes/trim it must be blue or gray/silver in color. It is recommended to break in the shoes prior to
reporting.
• Socks, white cotton athletic (without stripes or trim and crew length) – 14 pairs
• T-shirts, white crew neck (round neck) – 14
• Toiletry articles – razor (electric or manual), shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, foot
care products (as required), nail clipper, etc.
• Undershorts (your preference of type), white – 14

My son is also a rule follower. So I guess he has a decision to make. :)
 
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