Carpools for Appointees Traveling Alone...

SoleFalcon 9

SoleFalcon 9

USAFA 2025
Joined
Mar 11, 2021
Messages
23
My mom recently attended the Admissions Office parent briefing and Q&A and noted that there are many appointees traveling to Colorado Springs alone this year. Due to Academy rules that prohibit services such as Uber or Lyft from getting on base, she encouraged me to start a thread that may help appointees find classmates who can ride together for I-Day drop-offs.

She suggested that appointees who are traveling alone post their reporting time to the thread and that they would be interested in carpooling with another family. From there, any family that has an extra seat in their vehicle can reach out to them (privately) and discuss and arrangements for picking them up in time for reporting. It would make sense to arrange it such that both appointees have the same reporting times.

I hope this idea is well received and doesn't violate any forum rules. I also don't believe this method will violate any Academy rules but please let me know if I am crossing any lines on either side. I'm trying to help young appointees find a safe and stress-free way to report on I-Day and hope at least a couple appointees can find this beneficial. IF this idea is successful, it may be a good idea to close any formal requests once you've found a ride as to not get multiple messages from people reaching out to avoid any confusion.

For privacy concerns, it is solely up to the appointee to only reach out if they are comfortable asking for a ride and it is completely up to the other family if they are comfortable helping out. If both parties are comfortable with this, I think it would be acceptable to establish communication.

If I am making any errors that render this a terrible idea, please tell me immediately.
 
SoleFalcon 9 said:
My mom recently attended the Admissions Office parent briefing and Q&A and noted that there are many appointees traveling to Colorado Springs alone this year. Due to Academy rules that prohibit services such as Uber or Lyft from getting on base, she encouraged me to start a thread that may help appointees find classmates who can ride together for I-Day drop-offs.

She suggested that appointees who are traveling alone post their reporting time to the thread and that they would be interested in carpooling with another family. From there, any family that has an extra seat in their vehicle can reach out to them (privately) and discuss and arrangements for picking them up in time for reporting. It would make sense to arrange it such that both appointees have the same reporting times.

I hope this idea is well received and doesn't violate any forum rules. I also don't believe this method will violate any Academy rules but please let me know if I am crossing any lines on either side. I'm trying to help young appointees find a safe and stress-free way to report on I-Day and hope at least a couple appointees can find this beneficial. IF this idea is successful, it may be a good idea to close any formal requests once you've found a ride as to not get multiple messages from people reaching out to avoid any confusion.

For privacy concerns, it is solely up to the appointee to only reach out if they are comfortable asking for a ride and it is completely up to the other family if they are comfortable helping out. If both parties are comfortable with this, I think it would be acceptable to establish communication.

If I am making any errors that render this a terrible idea, please tell me immediately.
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Not a terrible idea but I believed reporting times haven’t gone out yet. Yes, appointees received a letter that says to plan to be in the area for a 7am reporting time on the 24th. I don’t think it’s a 7am reporting time for me. It’s all based on how the letter is read. I have all my boxes checked and the last one says it will generate squadrons and specific reporting information mid June.
I just wanted to put that out there. If someone with a different time in that letter posts here, maybe I really do have a 7am report time.
 
I'm all for a central place to plan carpools, however, I do think that the C/O 2025 Parents Page on Facebook is a better vehicle for this. The reason being that only verified appointee parents have access to that page, while anyone can look at this one. It would likely be safer.
 
Drenns3 said:
Not a terrible idea but I believed reporting times haven’t gone out yet. Yes, appointees received a letter that says to plan to be in the area for a 7am reporting time on the 24th. I don’t think it’s a 7am reporting time for me. It’s all based on how the letter is read. I have all my boxes checked and the last one says it will generate squadrons and specific reporting information mid June.
I just wanted to put that out there. If someone with a different time in that letter posts here, maybe I really do have a 7am report time.
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You are correct in assuming that is not a final reporting time. You will get new orders in June with your actual reporting time. Those who get assigned to be in the Aggressor BCT squadron will get the earliest reporting times. The Hellcats will get afternoon reporting times. I wouldn't be late, but you can be early, so carpooling is certainly doable with different reporting times.
 
I suggest letting the appointee decide on the platform, but I agree SAF isn't ideal platform and it will exclude a huge percentage of appointees. But not the Parent's facebook either. If an appointee wants to do this, let him/her take charge and run with it - parents page is only for parents. Last year it was understood appointees would travel solo, so reporting in at the time of your ride was acceptable, but there is comfort in arriving as close to your scheduled time as possible.

How about someone create an app? USAFA2025rideapp or something like that? Factors are your name, squadron if known, and if you are looking for a ride or if offering, how many seats.
 
Or just book in advance the taxi service mentioned in the cadet reporting in package, which has base access. As someone who tests introvert, I would treasure the last few minutes solo in a quiet taxi before checking into the bedlam about to come down on my head.
 
HCopter said:
I suggest letting the appointee decide on the platform, but I agree SAF isn't ideal platform and it will exclude a huge percentage of appointees. But not the Parent's facebook either. If an appointee wants to do this, let him/her take charge and run with it - parents page is only for parents. Last year it was understood appointees would travel solo, so reporting in at the time of your ride was acceptable, but there is comfort in arriving as close to your scheduled time as possible.

How about someone create an app? USAFA2025rideapp or something like that? Factors are your name, squadron if known, and if you are looking for a ride or if offering, how many seats.
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I'm all for putting the onus on the appointees, but since basic cadets cannot have cars and parents will have cars, the parents page will get out to the most families and those families will think to look there.
 
Capt MJ said:
Or just book in advance the taxi service mentioned in the cadet reporting in package, which has base access. As someone who tests introvert, I would treasure the last few minutes solo in a quiet taxi before checking into the bedlam about to come down on my head.
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As a fellow introvert, I would feel the same. It makes sense this is allowed, but I do remember last year some cadet parents on facebook looking for rides from other parents. This was not an option for some reason. Maybe they were booked-- maybe it was covid restriction related. I frankly don't remember.

My son is a decided extrovert, but not on I-day. He couldn't eat and was not in any sociable mood the morning he reported.
 
hopefulmom182 said:
I'm all for putting the onus on the appointees, but since basic cadets cannot have cars and parents will have cars, the parents page will get out to the most families and those families will think to look there.
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Yes, agree, I see I missed quite a few key words as I obviously can't order Pizza Hut pizza and type at the same time! I meant let an appointee connect with other appointees if they like, but appointees can't join the parents page. I do agree parents should connect among themselves on facebook page as that is ideal to meet and you will quickly learn who has DoD access as well for future connections. I did correctly order the most important thing, the chocolate chip cookie.
 
hopefulmom182 said:
As a fellow introvert, I would feel the same. It makes sense this is allowed, but I do remember last year some cadet parents on facebook looking for rides from other parents. This was not an option for some reason. Maybe they were booked-- maybe it was covid restriction related. I frankly don't remember.

My son is a decided extrovert, but not on I-day. He couldn't eat and was not in any sociable mood the morning he reported.
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I mentioned it just as an option, which of course should be checked with regard to the latest access policy. Everyone is different, I agree. Being in a car with strangers being asked kindly meant questions would not be my pick, but I am confident this next class will find each other on social media and figure out solutions.
 
Let me know if you need a ride for I-day, regardless of where you're staying! my family would be happy to take you out to dinner the night before and to check into I-day!
 
We dropped off a cadet staying at the same hotel on I-day who was traveling alone. No issues and his mom was so very thankful.
 
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