Facebook for parents?

mmor9260

5-Year Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Messages
6
My DS is a recent appointee. Is there a Facebook for c/o 2018 parents? I have MANY silly questions about the Colorado trips, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc... I also am in the beginning stages of freaking out and I am hoping to find a more level-headed parent mentor. : )
 
Parents' Clubs

There are 90 parents' clubs around the Country. Their job is to provide information and support to Appointees and their parents. Most clubs will have some kind of meeting or event prior to I-Day where you will have an opportunity to meet others with similar questions and concerns. As Presidents of our local club, if you PM us we can put you in touch with the Parents' Club in your area.
 
You can certainly request to join the facebook parents resource page or the facebook my life is a cadet parent page. You will get a lot of helpful information. We are all willing to help each other out.:thumb:
 
Actually there is a very active parent group in Alaska called Alaska All Academies Association (AAAA). It provides support to appointees, cadets, midshipmen and graduates of all five Service Academies, and also provides information and support to their parents, guardians and families. They have a Facebook page, or you can pm me and I can provide more contact information.
 
Thank you for posting the links. I am a complete and utter newbie when it comes to all this. It's nice to know there are other mom's out there who are experiencing "my bird is leaving the nest". It is going to take a while to get used to my son not being around once he leaves. June 26th is coming up fast!

My main concern now is logistics! Transportation, shipping items, visitation, etc. etc. etc.. It's a long way from CT to CO. It's not just about him, it's about us getting out there for the important dates to be with him.
 
Momba Bomba, I feel your pain, we live in Rhode Island, so I can appreciate the distance that you are talking about. I have a DS that is a C3C and if you have any questions that you would like to ask me, you can always email me at sportsmomt10@gmail.com. If I can help you, I would be more than happy to share any experiences I have with you.
 
my experience

our cadet was just recognized so here are some things we learned along the way...

1)read the forums-lots of useful info and insight. i dont know how past parents survived without the internet LOL. and facebook - look at all the resources there too. we have made many friends there who will forever be friends.
2)webguy - a must! i cant imagine going through bct without it. prepare for pretty much a useless summer because you will spend so much time trolling that site. just dont get fired from work.
3)http://write2them.org/ - easier than snail mail. its not free but worth it many times over.
4)Large USPS flat rate boxes - worth the $18 when you can put in as much as will fit in it. we sent so much stuff after BCT.
5)remember that letters go to USPS PO Box and UPS/Fedex packages goes to PAK Mail. look for the actual address online.
6)dont ignore phonecalls from strange area codes - DD/DS could be borrowing someones phone. they will sometimes do that at the rodeo and sponsors house the first time they ever get out. we got calls from TX, WA area codes.
7)make reservations for parents weekend YESTERDAY. prices go up significantly.
8)did not attend A day - 50/50 recommendations here
9)book a place away from the academy for PW - my kid wanted to get as far away from there LOL.
10) I-day was weird - felt like a carnival at first, fun and festive then your DD/DS goes up the stairs then comes down the other side then it feels like you lost your kid at that carnival. utter panic and sadness ughhh. trip back to hotel was harsh and empty. plane ride home to the east coast was worse LOL. and nothing ever prepares you for it.
11) its a roller coaster for sure - never understood what it meant until you ride it. lots of ups and downs, frantic phonecalls, injuries, frustrations but also a lot of triumphs and successes. they actually grow up.
12)spend a few days before I-Day at COS. time to maybe look for PW hotel locations, go to garden of the gods, pikes peak or just chill with your child and also get used to altitude. or just let them eat their last decent meal haha.

sorry for the long post. hope it helps someone.
 
another thing about the flat rate boxes, I actually have the post man pick them up from my house. You can prepay for them online and it's like 10% cheaper and then the post man will pick them up from your house, wherever you want to leave the box. I also suggest bringing binoculars to IDay if you are going out for Inprocessing. :thumb:
 
couple more things

sorry, i knew i forgot a few more things so bear with me...

1)if you want to watch the swearing in the day after I-Day, get there early otherwise you will be looking above heads 10 people deep or be on the steps of the chapel and basically not find your child. this was my first boo-boo.
2)lots of souvenirs at I-day and you can easily spend $$$ there. the challenge coin is special because its unique to the incoming year. some people i know regretted not buying it.
3)go to the picnic after I-day - u get to meet the same anxious parents as you - misery loves company LOL.
4)dont expect a letter back from you cadet. they are tired and would rather sleep the five minutes it takes to write a letter. keep writing though, they really look forward to getting them. you will see pics of basics looking so sad because they are the only ones without anything to read.
5)keep the letters simple - no perfumes, smiley faces, pictures or cut-outs, your cadet will be singled out and sometimes the letters get read in public. they can be embarassing. tell those girlfriends to keep it simple too, no lipstick imprints or other things that will get them in trouble. you do not want to attract attention as a basic.
6)doolie day out - usually the day before jacks is usually the first day you will ever hear their voice. drop everything when that call comes LOL. dont let your 4 year old pick up the phone and hang up - you might not get that call again.
7)denver is about 75 minutes drive from the academy and COS is about 45. sometimes worth the direct flight to denver from the east coast vs the layover to cos.
8)things that they will need or ask you for by parents weekend - a printer and a monitor.
9)when you send a package, it doesnt go to their mailbox - they have to pick it up at PAK MAIL at Vandy's and will have to lug that package around to their dorms so dont send them a huge, heavy box filled with cans LOL esp if they live at Sijan.
10)you will be experiencing something that only about 4000 other families will this summer (all the service academies). it is unique, frustrating and sometimes scary. people who dont have kids there will never understand how it feels and some could care less. some people are antimilitary and may even be antagonistic. just remember what the end point to all this is - becoming and officer at the USAF or whatever service academy they are in.
11)you will also meet people who will ask (MANY TIMES) if your cadet is enlisted, where they are stationed and if they went to basic in Lackland AFB in texas. a lot of people dont even know that USAFA exists and that there are cadets there who go to college and how competitive it was to get in. its usually an interesting conversation.

ok, i told myself to write a sentence - i guess i wrote a little more than that.
 
Thank you for posting the links. I am a complete and utter newbie when it comes to all this. It's nice to know there are other mom's out there who are experiencing "my bird is leaving the nest". It is going to take a while to get used to my son not being around once he leaves. June 26th is coming up fast!

My main concern now is logistics! Transportation, shipping items, visitation, etc. etc. etc.. It's a long way from CT to CO. It's not just about him, it's about us getting out there for the important dates to be with him.

I am a USAFA class of 2013 parent and our class had a Yahoo page with loads of information. :thumb:
 
Thank you for posting the links. I am a complete and utter newbie when it comes to all this. It's nice to know there are other mom's out there who are experiencing "my bird is leaving the nest". It is going to take a while to get used to my son not being around once he leaves. June 26th is coming up fast!

My main concern now is logistics! Transportation, shipping items, visitation, etc. etc. etc.. It's a long way from CT to CO. It's not just about him, it's about us getting out there for the important dates to be with him.

MombaBomba -- Logistics! We're from Hawaii and this forum and its participants were so helpful in thinking about what to bring, where to stay, I-Day, A-Day, PW, shipping, sponsor families...everything! I used to do searches with key words and was able to get tons of info without asking new questions. I've noticed as I'm now on my 3rd year on the forum that the questions are relatively similar every year and while there are changes, many things are pretty much the same! So do a search, ask questions and PM anyone whose responses seem to resonate with you. Congratulations and enjoy your son at home for the next few months. More importantly, let him enjoy his time home and don't get too caught up in the prep for USAFA. Very soon, life will change dramatically!
 
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