Getting Ready for R Day? Swab Year Video attached...

trackandfield08 said:
She will be fine! The first day is always emotional, it's a shock to the system. She is not the first, nor will she be the last, to fight back tears. I remember a classmate on our R-Day that could not stop crying and I honestly wasn't sure if that person would make it through week one, let alone swab summer. Fast forward seven years and that classmate is a successful Coast Guard officer. Write your daughter letters, encourage her that she can do anything, and remind her that the clock cannot be stopped. Soon enough, swab summer will just be a blur of memories.

As a side note, it's moments like what you've described that make me question the "10 min goodbye" after the swearing in ceremony. A swab shows up early, gets whisked through station after station by people yelling at them, using nautical terms they've never heard of, and calling them out on every mistake. Then, as soon as you start to adapt and somewhat internalize the experience, the swab is thrown back to their parents for a brief hug and a kind word. Ten minutes later, they're thrown back into the new world of time demands and stressful situations. It messes with your head, or at least it messed with mine a little bit. I get that it might reassure parents but it can also terrify them if their kid is a mess. I had a swab come to me right after his swearing in ceremony saying he wanted to leave and that he was going to go home with his parents that day. I told him that was not an option, he was officially a member of the military now, and that it would be at least two weeks before he could be out-processed. The look on his face, you could tell he hadn't really understood the gravity of swearing in and taking the oath.
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I actually agree- now that I have been through it, I would have preferred to have left having said our goodbyes in the morning and then see her sworn in and march by! I think she would have kept it together if she hadn't been able to be with us- even then she was fighting the tears. But if you told me that before going through this, I would have been panicked about being that close to them and not getting to spend those few minutes with them. I hear The USAFA does not give the family time after swearing in- not sure which other academies do.
 
One of the recent classes got marched down to watch the fireworks. Unbeknownst to them the cadre phase change was done behind their backs. When the they turned around it was an all new, unfamiliar set of cadre with entirely new "voices".
 
Idlewild said:
I hear The USAFA does not give the family time after swearing in- not sure which other academies do.
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True. Our last "contact" was before they entered Doolittle Hall. If you have decent binoculars, you might see your DD/DS during the swearing in ceremony the next morning.

AuxNoob said:
One of the recent classes got marched down to watch the fireworks. Unbeknownst to them the cadre phase change was done behind their backs. When the they turned around it was an all new, unfamiliar set of cadre with entirely new "voices".
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USAFA cadre swap while the basics are at Pike's Peak Rodeo.
 
AuxNoob said:
One of the recent classes got marched down to watch the fireworks. Unbeknownst to them the cadre phase change was done behind their backs. When the they turned around it was an all new, unfamiliar set of cadre with entirely new "voices".
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Our make change was traumatic. It was loud, in your face, and could not be missed. The second change was less traumatic.

I do not miss that summer.
 
Laguna said:
Good luck swabs and parents. My cadet was a swab the summer of 2010 and graduated in 2013. If I remember right we received a letter from the swab right after the July 4th. Said that on the evening of July 4th they were marched down near the river and watched the 4th of July fireworks. It was very emotional and patriot for all the swabs for be enduring swab summer and then watching the fireworks.

Enjoy the ride folks. Try to visit your cadet as often as possible as it will go faster than you think.
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I also graduated in 2013 and vividly remember the 4th of July. We were marched down to the Balcony on Leamy Hall and told to about face while three other companies that were there with us got to watch the fireworks. I can't remember exactly what we did wrong, but I'm sure it was something as simple as not meeting a "shower time" or leaving on a light in a room.

I do not miss that summer either... the subsequent three were much better.
 
AuxNoob said:
One of the recent classes got marched down to watch the fireworks. Unbeknownst to them the cadre phase change was done behind their backs. When the they turned around it was an all new, unfamiliar set of cadre with entirely new "voices".
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Do they always change cadre so early? The 4th of July seems very early in the summer training program to change cadre, considering they just reported a week earlier.
 
LineInTheSand said:
Our make change was traumatic. It was loud, in your face, and could not be missed. The second change was less traumatic.

I do not miss that summer.
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I didn't even remember that it was called a make until now. Our first set of cadre walked down the passageway as we were all lined up against the bulkhead, studying our Running Lights. Next thing we know, there's 8 new people "politely" introducing themselves. What a memory. The academic year make change was much smoother and I don't remember much of that. The make change from Fall to Spring, however, I clearly remember the name of the Regimental First Lieutenant being announced during the Holiday Dinner and all of the upperclass began laughing as one of my old cadre turned to my table of 4/c and said, "You are so screwed!"

USCGA13STN said:
I also graduated in 2013 and vividly remember the 4th of July. We were marched down to the Balcony on Leamy Hall and told to about face while three other companies that were there with us got to watch the fireworks. I can't remember exactly what we did wrong, but I'm sure it was something as simple as not meeting a "shower time" or leaving on a light in a room.

I do not miss that summer either... the subsequent three were much better.
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Or they were not allowed to watch so your cadre passed the tradition down and used it as an opportunity to push the head game a little further. While I was allowed to watch the fireworks (and ordered to "ooo" and "ahh" the whole time), I will say that the flag folding ceremony conducted in the company wing area was much more impactful. I still have the flag I folded on that day and I will never get rid of it or unfold it.

Firstie year swab summer was much more enjoyable ;)

Freda'sMom said:
Do they always change cadre so early? The 4th of July seems very early in the summer training program to change cadre, considering they just reported a week earlier.
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It does seem early but I suppose it would make sense if the training schedule for the 2/c got switched around. I believe when I was a 1/c, the first set of cadre stayed for the first week, then the second set came in. The swabs then finished up the summer with their first set of cadre.

Also, for any 2021 parents reading this forum, don't clue your DS/DD in on things like cadre shifts, ceremonies, etc. It ruins the experience if they know its coming. Part of swab summer is learning how to adapt to sudden changes.
 
OMG, your replies are so hilarious "ordered to ooh and aahhh" love it. But as you can see, there may be a tough physical push, but in reality, it is a head game. One my son made it through after wanting to quit on day 1. And now, into his first summer, he is already so much happier, and so dedicated to his goal of flying helicopters in the worlds elite flying corps. Hang in there parents!
 
I just remember the cadre from the first week lining us up in the pway and saying "something is about to happen that you won't forget. Don't give up."

Or something like that (maybe less positive). We were marched to the old quad where I'm pretty sure I almost lost my hearing. It was bad.

We may have been a little conditioned to it at that point because our cadre had already "messed us up" earlier that week... in a way that probably could have hurt someone.

I didn't like the Old Quad for a long time after that, although most of our swab summer took place in the new quad.
 
I know our cadet will report that Monday morning, but when is the swearing in ceremony and goodbyes? We are in an area that is difficult to get flights and it's either late Monday afternoon or not at all. But there's no way I'm missing swearing in.
 
flmom2024 said:
I know our cadet will report that Monday morning, but when is the swearing in ceremony and goodbyes? We are in an area that is difficult to get flights and it's either late Monday afternoon or not at all. But there's no way I'm missing swearing in.
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Just know that things will be different from what the original poster showed in their video. For class of 2024, reporting day was divided into blocks with one company reporting in each bloc from 6am to 5pm. Each cadet was limited to 2 guests. At our appointed time, we dropped off our cadet and went to a gym area. Our cadets did paperwork and other preliminary things and then were brought into the gym where we were able to witness them being sworn in. (the whole thing was livestreamed for anyone unable to attend). Parents had the opportunity after that to go to a different building to meet the Parents association reps and sign up for the PA if desired, and to go to the Exchange to buy CGA items if desired. We were asked to leave within a certain amount of time to clear the space for the next group. Here's a link to a short video taken from Day 1. https://www.fox61.com/article/news/...d-19/520-4fec7b48-cb19-41ae-ab7b-d4a306dbe5c7. Who knows how it will turn out this year, but probably won't be back to what it was 2 years ago. The Academy was very good about giving clear information in a timely manner. For your cadet, recommend focusing on completing all of the required paperwork, and continuing to work on physical fitness so they are ready for Swab summer. We used April and May last year to get Wisdom teeth removed, and to make sure all required vaccinations were complete, and my cadet worked out daily.
 
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