I-Day information

Crazyboyz2027 said:
Hello! My son just accepted his appointment to USAFA class of 2027 and since we aren't a military family, we have lots of questions. We live in Michigan, and we are wondering when he should arrive for I-Day this year (some threads recommended a couple days early to get use to the altitude). Also, should both my husband and I go? I can't really find information about the amount of contact that we would have with with our son after we drop him off for I-Day (if any at all). Any information or advise about this would be appreciated. Thank you!
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Congratulations to your son! What a journey he as accepted and welcome to your new USAFA family. I have 2 cadets, DS 2024 & DD 2026. Just to be brief and answer your questions:
Fly out at least the day before I-day maybe even 2 days depending on flights. No need to do the altitude adjusting. Gives you time to grab last minute items and just be together before the big day.
If you can financially afford to fly out and your son wants you to then YES both go for I day. Keep in mind that this only happens one time so take advantage of what you can. I-day is amazing. Yes drop off is quick but there are things to do after that which makes you feel good being with other parents in the same boat. Plus there is a parade the next day so if you can stay DO IT. You will not be able to talk to your son but you will see him in his uniform from a distance. I can go on and on. Message me if you would like more info.
 
I'm another who would recommend both of you going with your ds to I-day. I traveled alone for I-day (many moons ago) and I'm so glad we went with ds last summer. He had a late dropoff and it was so nice to have his last dinner and breakfast before not seeing him for months. DH and I then had a blast with all of the planned events and trying to spot our basic marching on the T-zo. For parents unfamiliiar with USAFA, it is a good introduction.

A Webguy membership is priceless! Block out your entire summer to pour over pics of many bald basics who look exactly alike. You'll get to know and have nicknames for all of their flightmates. We knew to look for the blond girl becuase our ds was usually next to her. LOL!

We chose not to go to A-day becuase the expense and time coming from TX was not worth the couple of hours we'd see our ds. Instead, we brought the entire family out for Parent's Weekend. USAFA puts on a great show for the families (especially if you have an 11 year old who wants to attend USAFA and be on both Falconry Team and Wings of Blue...he's unrealistically ambitious).
 
What I wish I had known:
1. pack cough drops in bag for BCT. Jack's Hack is real and the cadet store ran out pretty quick.
2. pack more undergarments than requested, laundry gets lost and some of it will get ruined in Jack's Valley

Things I am glad we did

1. spent 4 days in Colorado Springs before I-day at an Airbnb - last few home cooked meals and time to relax/acclimate and we stayed to see them take their oath the day after I-day, bring binoculars
2. went to A-day, took a picnic and set up in the parking lot, was it a $1000 lunch? yes, but worth every penny, bring binoculars, lots of people passed out during the ceremony and that was a bit scary
3. WEBGUY, I spent a lot of time searching for my son, he had cauliflower ear from wrestling and that was sometimes how I found him
4. parent's weekend - did an airbnb instead of hotel, was glad because my son wanted to relax in regular clothes and I did A LOT of laundry, he also wanted some home cooked meals

As a doolie your son or daughter will have to wear service dress when you go out in public during parent's weekend, my kid just wanted to relax with good food and a comfy bed and we brought him some regular clothes to hang out at the airbnb in!
 
Congratulations!! We drove to CO 3-4 days before I-Day for our '25er so he had a few days ahead of time. There was an event a day or so ahead where we met some other families and he got to meet some other doolies including some that ended up in his same squadron which was great.

On I-Day, say your goodbyes before you get there. We stopped just outside the North Gate on our way in and did one last photo and hug. The actual drop off is FAST...cars pull up, barely stop and they jump out and head up the steps and you quickly drive away. Ugh, I still remember that feeling.

Later that evening, they were allowed one VERY brief phone call to convey they were safe then phones were taken and we didn't get another call until weeks later. After that, our first contact was a letter a week later followed by a call a few weeks after that.

Webguy will be your BEST friend as you look for any photos with the smallest of glimpse of your doolie. Be sure to sign up in advance because I recall there was a 10 day processing period to get activated.

If you can swing it, A-Day, do it. It was the most expensive Jimmy Johns 90 min lunch ever but worth it. If you have to choose, definitely do Parents Weekend and as mentioned, get an AirBnB or VRBO vs. a hotel so they can relax without being in service dress.

Good luck!
 
hopefulmom1972 said:
What I wish I had known:
1. pack cough drops in bag for BCT. Jack's Hack is real and the cadet store ran out pretty quick.
2. pack more undergarments than requested, laundry gets lost and some of it will get ruined in Jack's Valley
Click to expand...
Seconded!!! Trust me it's now a doolie joke to see what was lost. So far
1) OCP Pants
2) 8 sets of undergarments
3) Three pairs of socks
Once had a person in basic lose all his undergarments and a whole uniform set, fun times at jack's lol

And yes they lose the stuff with your name on it. We joke about how the couldn't even return our poor class president's gear. Oh and you might not have time to get you stuff back when going to jack's, having extra garments means you don't have to worry AS much.
There is a lost and found but, yea

Congrats to them! Can't wait to see the in 2027 class. Feel free to reach out!
 
FlyFalcon said:
Seconded!!! Trust me it's now a doolie joke to see what was lost. So far
1) OCP Pants
2) 8 sets of undergarments
3) Three pairs of socks
Once had a person in basic lose all his undergarments and a whole uniform set, fun times at jack's lol

And yes they lose the stuff with your name on it. We joke about how the couldn't even return our poor class president's gear. Oh and you might not have time to get you stuff back when going to jack's, having extra garments means you don't have to worry AS much.
There is a lost and found but, yea

Congrats to them! Can't wait to see the in 2027 class. Feel free to reach out!
Click to expand...
Thank you!!
 
Crazyboyz2027 said:
Hello! My son just accepted his appointment to USAFA class of 2027 and since we aren't a military family, we have lots of questions. We live in Michigan, and we are wondering when he should arrive for I-Day this year (some threads recommended a couple days early to get use to the altitude). Also, should both my husband and I go? I can't really find information about the amount of contact that we would have with with our son after we drop him off for I-Day (if any at all). Any information or advise about this would be appreciated. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Congratulations fellow Michigander! My daughter received her appointment last week just as we were flying our to USAFA for FVE. So exciting. This forum is great. There is also a Facebook page for Parents of the class of 2027 and it's super helpful!
 
My daughter wants to fly out for I-Day on her own or with just one parent. Says it will be too hard to say goodbye to everyone. Book your lodgings for Parent Day ASAP (Labor Day weekend.)
 
USAFApa said:
We are in the same boat with my son. We’re from PA and very new to all this excitement. I found a private parents FB page today. USAFA Class of 2027 Parents Group, make sure to choose the private group. You’ll need to email the acceptance letter first and answer questions. Good luck to your son! 😊
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Congratulations to you all!
Would you mind sharing the dates for I-day and A-day if you were able to find out? Thank you!
 
luqui03 said:
www.usafa.edu

Academic Calendar

The Air Force Academy academic calendar provides cadets an at-a-glance look at upcoming Commander's Calls, exams, holiday breaks and more.
www.usafa.edu www.usafa.edu
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Thank you for adding the link.
I saw this calendar on the AFA website but it's still confusing to me. I thought traditionally, I-day suppose to be the last Thursday of June each year which I thought it will be 29th of June this year, but based on the calendar, BCT starts on 28th of June which is Wednesday.
So is I-day the 27th or 28th, and A-day is Aug, 4th? My son sent an email to his ALO today. Hopefully he can give him exact dates for clarification.
 
I-Day is Wednesday the 28th per the calendar. Last year it was on a Thursday, but nearly a week earlier (June 23rd). It depends on the weeks in the month and how many days they need for BCT. A-day will not be until after the cadet wing returns on August 4th, so probably sometime on the 7th-9th. You will get solid information about dates as the process continues.

Stealth_81
 
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hopefulmom1972 said:
What I wish I had known:
1. pack cough drops in bag for BCT. Jack's Hack is real and the cadet store ran out pretty quick.
2. pack more undergarments than requested, laundry gets lost and some of it will get ruined in Jack's Valley

Things I am glad we did

1. spent 4 days in Colorado Springs before I-day at an Airbnb - last few home cooked meals and time to relax/acclimate and we stayed to see them take their oath the day after I-day, bring binoculars
2. went to A-day, took a picnic and set up in the parking lot, was it a $1000 lunch? yes, but worth every penny, bring binoculars, lots of people passed out during the ceremony and that was a bit scary
3. WEBGUY, I spent a lot of time searching for my son, he had cauliflower ear from wrestling and that was sometimes how I found him
4. parent's weekend - did an airbnb instead of hotel, was glad because my son wanted to relax in regular clothes and I did A LOT of laundry, he also wanted some home cooked meals

As a doolie your son or daughter will have to wear service dress when you go out in public during parent's weekend, my kid just wanted to relax with good food and a comfy bed and we brought him some regular clothes to hang out at the airbnb in!
Click to expand...
do you have any recommendations on which airbnb you used? as in would you use them again?
 
h22882 said:
Thank you for adding the link.
I saw this calendar on the AFA website but it's still confusing to me. I thought traditionally, I-day suppose to be the last Thursday of June each year which I thought it will be 29th of June this year, but based on the calendar, BCT starts on 28th of June which is Wednesday.
So is I-day the 27th or 28th, and A-day is Aug, 4th? My son sent an email to his ALO today. Hopefully he can give him exact dates for clarification.
Click to expand...
Schedules can change at anytime, get used to that 🤣🤣it is the Academy and everything can change. ALO will not know either. I-Day is on June 28th and like @Stealth_81 mentioned, A-Day will happen after the entire wing returns.
 
FlyFalcon said:
Seconded!!! Trust me it's now a doolie joke to see what was lost. So far
1) OCP Pants
2) 8 sets of undergarments
3) Three pairs of socks
Once had a person in basic lose all his undergarments and a whole uniform set, fun times at jack's lol

And yes they lose the stuff with your name on it. We joke about how the couldn't even return our poor class president's gear. Oh and you might not have time to get you stuff back when going to jack's, having extra garments means you don't have to worry AS much.
There is a lost and found but, yea

Congrats to them! Can't wait to see the in 2027 class. Feel free to reach out!
Click to expand...
Thank you for the great information. I have a few questions to add:
Read somewhere they should consider getting wisdom teeth out and vaccinations needed ahead of time. Any thoughts?
Do the Basic Cadets bring any civilian clothes, liPad or anything like that to I-Day or just what’s noted in the kit? Do we bring with us for A-Day or parents weekend? Any advice would be great. 😊
 
USAFApa said:
Thank you for the great information. I have a few questions to add:
Read somewhere they should consider getting wisdom teeth out and vaccinations needed ahead of time. Any thoughts?
Do the Basic Cadets bring any civilian clothes, liPad or anything like that to I-Day or just what’s noted in the kit? Do we bring with us for A-Day or parents weekend? Any advice would be great. 😊
Click to expand...
The document at link below will be updated for Class of 2027, but certain basic things will not change.


Wisdom teeth. If his current dental provider thinks they should come out, get it done sooner rather than later, so the recovery doesn’t fall too close to reporting and make him ineligible to report.

Vaccinations. Read the document. If he doesn’t have a document with proof with him on reporting in, he will get them. Nothing like sore arms for endless push-ups.

Stuff. Resist the urge to load him up with stuff you think he might need. Focus on the list. Everything else will be issued. Go browse back through USAFA I-Day threads that pop up every spring and look for common sense things, such as an extra few pairs of compression shorts.

Passport. If he doesn’t have one, get that started now. He’ll be ready to go when opportunities arise for foreign travel.
 
USAFApa said:
Thank you for the great information. I have a few questions to add:
Read somewhere they should consider getting wisdom teeth out and vaccinations needed ahead of time. Any thoughts?
Do the Basic Cadets bring any civilian clothes, liPad or anything like that to I-Day or just what’s noted in the kit? Do we bring with us for A-Day or parents weekend? Any advice would be great. 😊
Click to expand...
Lots of good advice on previous threads about this-
1. They need to bring their list items on I day and not extras (except underclothes). They don’t even need socks- those are issued. Remember that they have to carry everything around in their left hand for hours. Backpack with items is best. No extra clothes as they are not allowed to wear them and there is very little extra space in their rooms.

ONE EXCEPTION- have your cadet get an extra pair of boots and break them in. There is a general list of approved boots and guidelines. They will want to wear those on I day and put the fairly new (but broken in) running shoes in the backpack. Search threads for recommendations on which boots to look at. Also note that your cadet is probably eligible for military discounts from some retailers even before they report- particularly Nike and Oakley.
2. iPads, etc, would be for A day l, and you will get them more for over parent’s weekend. Remember that PW is about a month into school. The Academy will issue each cadet a computer which they will use A LOT. Mine still wanted his iPad, AirPods, sunglasses, etc on A day.
3. Vaccinations and wisdom teeth. They will get a list of ALL vaccinations they are required to have and they should show up with those done. Otherwise they are a pincushion in addition to everything else in that first day or two. Wisdom teeth- this is a more debatable topic. If they are likely needed out in the next couple of years then here is the balance- they get more care and comfort in recovery at home. If they get them out at the Academy it is a day procedure and they are sent back to the dorm - and I think it is locals, not general anesthesia. On the flip side, if cost is an issue then the military will take care of it if it is necessary. If they are impacted then both of those topics are serious considerations.

Ask questions- there are a lot of us only a year from where you are sitting. And I remember not necessarily trusting that my cadet was telling me everything. (He was, mostly.)
 
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