I-Day Question

I'm a crier and my son knows it so he was prepared. Didn't shed a tear on I day, proud of myself.
Swearing in was a different story. They play the national anthem, Air Force song and solemnly swear to protect and defend.... even my husband needed a tissue. Totally worth it, don't miss the swearing in. 9 am, get there early and you can see practice. Looking out from chapel wall, low squad numbers on the left, high on the right.

Last year they did a nice thing and sent a few cadre to the chapel wall to speak to parents. They were able to answer questions, etc. I heard many that really appreciated that.


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I'm a crier too...but suprisingly, when we went through this with our older son, there was a sense of peace about it all. Pride, yes. Tears, not so much. I think I did all my crying in the two weeks leading up to his reporting in date. I am hoping for the same, this time around. But, pockets will be stuffed with tissue just in case. Since he is our last to leave the nest, I think that adds another layer of emotion to the situation.
 
This is our youngest also, I got through our daughter's college drop offs and wedding without tears, but this will be the biggest test. Thanks for all the great tips everyone. :D
 
shellz said:
Another I Day question.... Once the kid is dropped off, is there anything worth sticking around for? At CGA they had a parent presentation that was informative (and inside an air conditioned building!) Will there be a swearing in that parents are privy to, or should we just plan on gettin' outta Dodge?
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Shellz,
We stuck around an extra day or two afterwards. At first we were going to do 'us time' and see Colorado. Tourist around a bit, but each day, we would up just heading to the chapel wall and watching the kids train from up there. It was a little boring and totally awesome at the same time watching DS make his own stories and memories.

If you have the time, I would hang out a day or so after.

One other tidbit.....Subscribe to Webguy. You will have many late nights scouring literally 1000's of photos. We came out with somewhere around 200+ photos of DS, and a few were even good.
 
shellz said:
Thanks for the experienced perspectives. So, if we are flying home on Friday, what time would y'all guess the swearing in will be? Looking at flights and they are pretty cheap right now, so I'd like to book now.
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Last year's swearing in was at 8:30 am. We left USAFA by 10 a.m. I suggest getting there early to get a place on the wall to view the ceremony. If memory serves me correctly, our family arrived very early, between 6:00-6:15 a.m. so we would be there when the gate opened (and we were not the first there!). We went straight to the wall and spent time visiting with other parents and families until the ceremony began.
Also, USMC_Ordie is 100% correct. Webguy is a must! The highlight of every day last summer for my wife and me was scouring through pages of photos and finding a picture of DS. I've never counted how many we got but I'm confident it would be at 200+. Between the pictures and the blog on Webguy we were able to follow and chronicle our son's experience from across the country. Well worth the money.
 
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shellz said:
Another I Day question.... Once the kid is dropped off, is there anything worth sticking around for? At CGA they had a parent presentation that was informative (and inside an air conditioned building!) Will there be a swearing in that parents are privy to, or should we just plan on gettin' outta Dodge?
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After the swearing in ceremony we headed to the visitors center. We then decided to head back up to the chapel wall for one more look over the campus with the slight hope that we would get a glimpse of our son. Well as luck would have it one of the BCT squadrons was stretching for what appeared to be a workout. It turned out that each squadron had to run 3 laps around the Terazzo as their first Aerobic test. One by one each of the squads proceeded to run right below the chapel wall. We were there for a few hours and eventually we saw our son run by and his Mom got a wave and a smile as he ran by each time. It made for a happy flight home.
 
We wound up with 250+ photos. Most looked like agony :-) but a few were good. If you went through basic, it'll bring back memories....if you never did, it may scare you a little, but it's known as 'The Best Thing You Never Want To Do Again'.
 
My two cents: Don't miss I-day. Sorry about missing your high school graduation, but high school graduations are over-rated..Ha! Now the USAFA graduation is something else! Parents: Go to I-day and spend the night so you can see the swearing in ceremony. I-Day is a huge experience for your son or daughter, but it is also a huge experience for parents. After your DS boards the bus at Doolittle and you realize your DS is now in the very caring hands of the cadre, go to the picnic held by the Colorado Parents Club, then buy some more schwag at the Visitor Center, then walk to the Chapel Wall and take in the sights....and if you listen closely, the sounds. If you're lucky you'll see your DS walk by on the T-zo carrying a duffel bag and being escorted by those always-happy cadre. Finally, Parents join your local parents club!!! Your DS will be provided information about the local club in the next few months. A lot of kids mistakenly think, "my parents wouldn't be interested" and toss the information. Tell your child you want to join the parent's club and to keep an eye out for any information about it. (And if you don't have that information, send me a private note and I can probably get your club's contact info to you.)
 
For the cadet.... don't miss I-day. High School will be a distant memory far sooner than you know. Invest in every USAFA experience you can.

For the dads.... You may want to ask your cadet if they want you to bring them to Colorado Springs. Neither of ours did. They wanted to start their new lives in the military on their own; including travelling alone. So in our case, we would have gone for a 90-second goodbye only.

For the moms..... Don't worry. As it turns out there are many many cadets with no parents for I-day (for whatever reason) and USAFA has a wonderful program to put them up with host families the night before. The wonderful host families pick them up at the airport, feed them dinner, put them up in their home, feed them a good breakfast and bring them to USAFA the next morning. :)

For parents and families.... Invest in both WebGuy and WriteToThem. WebGuy is expensive but worth the investment that first summer no matter what. WARNING - You will invest hours of your day combing through pics. And you will learn to identify your cadet and their squadmates in ways you never quite imagined. "Oh, see that ear, that's his squadmate so he must be nearby....":D As for WriteToThem, great service that converts your emails into actual paper letters that are hand-delivered to USAFA daily. Much quicker and your friends and neighbors can easily write to the cadets with the same email link. The woman that runs it is amazing and you will be glad you spent the nominal fee as you realize how easily you can keep your cadets mailbox full (the #1 motivation/request for cadets in BCT).
 
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MedB gives great advice. We asked our DS about going to I-Day and he wanted us to be there. We went out as a family (with our 2 younger sons) ahead of DS. He flew out by himself and met us in COS. On his flight were 3 other appointees, none of which had their parents with them. We had the opportunity to meet and talk with these outstanding young men on a couple occasions on the day before I-Day. They did fine getting to COS and were well taken care of.

Also, "Write 2 Them" is an amazing organization. They were very helpful in the beginning when I initially inquired about their service. They were prompt and courteous in answering all my questions. They seem really passionate about what they do and truly care about connecting service families. Any time I wanted to write my son a letter (which seemed constantly!) I simply typed out an email and sent it, knowing they would convert it into a letter that would be in his mailbox. Well worth the fee.
 
Great ideas here! For those moms and dads who want to write their own letters, we pre-addressed and stamped our older sons envelopes and included a blank card inside for anyone who wanted to write to him over the summer. We even assigned a certain week to each envelope (noted on the inside flap) so that there was a steady flow of mail for him. These notes were available at his grad party. I think we may try to do the same again, but it's nice to know that this other option is available.

Will they get their mailing address prior to I-Day? If not my plan may not work...
 
They will get their PO box prior to reporting for I day. That will be their number for all 4 years.
Used to be in the BFE but now is electronic version.
Some people put out cards at graduation parties which are pre-addressed.


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I don’t quite understand those giving the ‘advice’ to the OP to not miss I-Day…….that’s really not a choice. I don’t believe you can call up the academy and say that you’ve got something else going on in late June so you’ll be a few days late. This is the military people. I’m continually floored at how many candidates and parents do not seem to fully understand this.
 
I would skip graduation. For the young man who is going to miss graduation, does your high school conduct a senior awards night prior to graduation? If they do, and you haven't left yet for I Day, can they spend 2-3 minutes giving you your diploma and recognizing why you won't be at graduation? Just a thought that you can have that closure and spend time with your friends, but still be at I Day on time.
 
It's definitely obvious that about half the people really "Get It", and half don't. As mentioned, there is no choice here. If the individual in question chooses to attend his scheduled High School Graduation.... then you've chosen to tell the Air Force that you've changed your mind and no longer want an appointment to the academy. You can't start Basic Training late. So, you obviously need to prioritize your life:

1: Priority is celebrating a culmination of your past accomplishments as a "Child", which will last approximately 2-3 hours, with YOUR PARTICIPATION in this celebration lasting approximately the 2 minutes it takes for your name to be called and for you to walk on stage, shack hands, and leave.

or

2: Priority is "STARTING you NEW LIFE" as an adult. A beginning which will shape your entire future and the next 50, 60, 70, or 80 years. Vs celebrating the last 12 years which has come to a conclusion.

The only choice is whether or not you want to be a cadet at the academy, serve your country, and develop the cornerstone for your entire future. If you choose going to your high school graduation, then you choose to give up your appointment. You can't have both.

And it's definitely true how so many people cannot comprehend; or will not accept the fact, that they "or in the case of mom and dad, their son/daughter" has actually joined the "Military". Sorry, but they are not "Off to school". This is not the same as all of the high school friends who are "Off to College". These new cadets are now "Adults". They are no longer "Dependents" of mom and dad like the high school friends who went "Off to college". Even the 17 year old cadet. Once mom/dad signed that one piece of paper, little Johnny or Mary became an Emancipated Adult. They are legally bound by any military contracts and paperwork they sign. Mom and dad can't claim them on their taxes. Even information that mom and dad receive from the academy about little johnny or mary is because Johnny or Mary SIGNED a release to ALLOW mom and dad to have certain information.

The only caveat to this military vs college commitment, is that little Johnny or Mary can "Change their mind" up until the completion of their 2nd year. At any time, they can simply quit and go back home without any obligation. Do not however believe that the academy is NOT the military. It most certainly is. Including the UCMJ which is the military's own judicial system; which these cadets are bound to.

Basically, just trying to say. The parents of the 17-18 year old who graduates high school and "ENLISTS" in the military.... parents recognize and ACCEPT the fact that they have indeed "JOINED the Military". But for some reason, many parents of "Academy Cadets" don't recognize or accept that their kids have "JOINED the Military". Many tend to think their kid is "Off to College". They aren't. They are indeed in the military. It just so happens that their full time job for 4 years happens to be "Student".
 
Thank you, as always, Christcorp. You explain things so very well, whereas I’m just a cantankerous New Yorker who states the obvious. But I’m just so curious how a question like this one can even be asked by a candidate? Are the academies themselves really not explaining how accepting your appointment works, and how you are actually joining the military? That orders are issued and you must report in for your basic training as a cadet or mid on the military’s schedule and not your own?

I’ve said it on here before and I’ll say it again. I cannot comprehend the civilianization of the service academies. I find it very sad.
 
Part of the problem is that while the academy and being a cadet is indeed "Joining the Military", it is also a University that is competing with other schools for the Creme of the Crop. So, the academy has to use "Common Denominators" so they can compare themselves with OTHER universities; in a language that 17-18 year old kids and their parents (With little/no military background) can comprehend. Whether it's the academy admissions office concentrating their advertizing, town hall meetings, college fairs, etc. and concentrating on the exceptional education you'll receive; or the athletic department using words like "Blue Chip", "Recruited Athlete", etc. to attract a student athlete. It is the academy's attempt to compare Apples to Apples. The Air Force academy vs USC vs Ohio State vs UCLA vs Princeton vs the UniversityofWhateverTheHell.

The "Enlisted Recruiter" that most people are familiar with, do similar comparisons. They talk about the "Enlisting in the Military" as a "JOB". They talk about unemployment rates around the country. They talk about the cost of health care insurance. They talk about the "Training" you'll receive in the military and how you'll be able to use this training later on to expand your career and future. The difference however is; everyone knows that when you "JOIN" the military...... "It's not JUST a Job, it's an ADVENTURE". Corny phrase, but it's true. People realize that the military, while a job that you get paid for, is "THE MILITARY".

The academies emphasize so much about their education, which is definitely 5 of the best schools in the entire country, but they don't mention as much about the "Military Service". Yes, they mention that after graduating, you owe 5 years on active duty. But they explain it in a way that makes it appear that the academy and the "REAL MILITARY" are 2 totally separate things. Throw in the fact that you're told you can change your mind any time in the first 2 years, and it's no wonder so many people don't realize the academy actually is "Joining the Military". Few realize that in time of war, there's a process in place to move academy seniors out early so they can get into the "Real Military". Many don't realize that there are actually things you can do at the academy that can put you in JAIL for a number of years; while if you committed the same offense while "Off to College" at Purdue, you'd probably get a slap on the wrist.

17 year old, graduating high school, and ENLISTING in the military....... 17 year old, graduating high school, and ACCEPTING AND APPOINTMENT to a military academy..... "EXACTLY THE SAME THING" when it comes to being in the "Military". The only difference, is that the cadet, has the option of changing their mind for the first 2 years. The pay structure may be different as a cadet. The responsibilities of a cadet are much lower than that of an airman. A cadet may have other rules, policies, and restrictions on them vs the 18 year old airman. But make no doubt about it; the cadet has definitely "Joined the Military".
 
It seems lots of families only truly realize this when they receive the boatload of online forms that accompany an appointment and they have to name a beneficiary for the life insurance. For their 17 or 18 year old kid. It is, at that point, sobering; as it should be.

It’s funny, we watched The Duke of West Point this weekend (it’s free on Amazon Prime). The film was made in 1938 and we were just laughing and comparing all the things that are the same and different about the place today.
 
Or then again, perhaps some parents really do get it. But offer advice predicated on the notion offered by a veteran poster that there may have been an allowance made in the past.

A simple correcting of the record to say no such allowance existed would probably have been all that was needed here.
 
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