Gift ideas for New Cadets

I would consider a handwritten voucher (so you don't have to commit to a date or place) offering to pay for a long weekend (a long is a Fri and Sat night) at a local hotel. Some like to go with friends to get away and others just need to be alone.
 
I know they can bring pillow not sure about heavy blanket. So a high end pillow, you may need to wait until Christmas break to send the blanket (you may need to ask what color) and a bed pad 3-4”. Chair pad or pillow, may be a High school or home town logo coffee mug, a nice winter jacket, and a nice watch.
 
corescue59 said:
When the swabs first go to USCGA they should bring only the items on the list. No more no less!!!
You can send them or bring them other items once their 4C year starts.
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We'll have our cadet prepack several boxes of snacks and other things she knows she'll want. This will be the third time she's left for a long time (HS exchange year abroad and year away at college). We send little things (primarily homebaked treats!) but relied on local purchases (Spain) or Amazon (direct ship to college) for things that were difficult or expensive to ship.
 
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vinsterX said:
I'm treating my wife and I to new USCGA sweatshirts. We've been on campus so many times but we didn't want to jinx the process!
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My DD was a college reapplicant. I purposely bought only a single Texas A&M Sea Aggie t-shirt last year, at DD's request. I told her I was buying no more as I expected her to be somewhere else for the next school year. Reverse-jinxing, perhaps?
 
PatrickC007 said:
I think better present something good and useful but not linked with Cadets because all the accessories and things they need they buy themselves according to their taste. But a bottle of good whiskey could be a perfect present.
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A worthy choice in many instances, but you do realize that this is for gifts for new cadets, very few of whom will be of legal drinking age (unless they lay it up for further aging!).
 
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When the swabs become 4Cs they will need a printer. Get them one and send it to them during CAP week or when you visit them over Labor Day or parents weekend.
 
corescue59 said:
When the swabs become 4Cs they will need a printer. Get them one and send it to them during CAP week or when you visit them over Labor Day or parents weekend.
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Can they use wireless printers? Or is there a cable connection that they need to bring? My daughter’s university did not allow wireless printers so thought I’d ask. I’m sure he can figure it out himself but easier to have everything when we bring it.
 
Fairfaxmom said:
Can they use wireless printers? Or is there a cable connection that they need to bring? My daughter’s university did not allow wireless printers so thought I’d ask. I’m sure he can figure it out himself but easier to have everything when we bring it.
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The last few years it has been wired printers with a cable. To conserve bandwidth they don’t allow outside wireless devices on the academy network.

Also, lately they have been issuing Dell laptops with a adapter that looks like a hockey puck, that you can plug the printer and external monitor into. Bottom line buy them a printer with a cord and it will plug into the academy supplied stuff.

There are usually a few tech savvy cadets on each floor that help others get connected For those of us that get confused with tech :)
 
We originally bought our DS a great Epson wireless printer but he could not get it to work. So he returned that one and got a cheap canon printer from Walmart and it is the one he has been using ever since. It is wired.
Wireless printers do not always work at CGA in Chase Hall.
 
Also, after Swab summer around October they will let the Cadets buy some additional long sleeve shirts they can wear around the dorm that match the short sleeve ones issued over the summer. Definitely tell them to buy those as it gets cold in winter and the Long sleeve shirts are the best.

Finally, gift cards are fine and all, but sending money or being able to direct deposit to their bank account will come in handy. There is always a few that have their pay delayed and being able to front the, some cash takes another worry off their plate.

Finally, after Swab most a lot of Cadets will get Apple Watches, so much easier than trying to get to your phone in uniform, so that would be a great gift.
 
My dad is a military man and he really loves steel jackknife and army wristwatch. No matter how much I give them, he will always will be happy
 
Get a cheap black timex digital watch for your future swab.
Then get them a nice black GPS-enabled watch for after swab summer that they can use for all 4 years. help them with their running workouts etc. My DS loves his Garmin Instinct watch that has GPS and a heart rate monitor.
Also, my swab really wanted a nice printer and a large monitor that we delivered after swab summer.
 
DualAcademyDad said:
Get a cheap black timex digital watch for your future swab.
Then get them a nice black GPS-enabled watch for after swab summer that they can use for all 4 years. help them with their running workouts etc. My DS loves his Garmin Instinct watch that has GPS and a heart rate monitor.
Also, my swab really wanted a nice printer and a large monitor that we delivered after swab summer.
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Suggestions on a particular type of printer or monitor?
 
ProudMom7 said:
Suggestions on a particular type of printer or monitor?
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I don't remember what kind we got him. Space is a premium, so we got him a small laser printer that printed fast and clear and and extra laser printer cartridge. Monitors must be under 21". We went there a few weeks before parents weekend (it was a three day weekend) and took him to best buy and bought it locally so we wouldn't have to worry about shipping. another excuse to get off campus and take a friend or two.
 
DualAcademyDad said:
Monitors must be under 21".
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There is no explicit rule stating this, nor any implied rule. Obviously the larger it gets, the more desk space it will take up and may pose a problem with fitting it beneath either the shelves or bed that are above a cadet's desk.
 
Also is a good idea about fitness watches. Why I didn't think about it. My dad also controls always takes care of his pressure and activity all day long.
 
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