Questions for a Freshman Cadet

glblwarmng said:
I've been looking at the wings of blue parachuting team for a while and have been thinking that would be a cool thing to get involved in. Does anybody have any information on how cadets are chosen for the team and such? I haven't been able to find information anywhere else.
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You have to take jump the summer after your freshmen year, once you do that they have tryouts for the team which are pretty selective.
 
glblwarmng: A cadet that i stayed with while visiting the Academy was part of the Wings of Blue. He made it out to be incredibly competitive. As did everyone else i talked to about it. He said first you have to stand out when you do jump training in your summer after your 4 degree year, and you have to get in with the wings of green. Once on the wings of green you progress to the wings of blue. To get on these programs you basically do an interview with the current cadets on the team, and the decision on whether you join or not is up to them, and it's basically whether or not they think you are personable, and whether or not they want to work with you for the next however long. That's what i got from what he said, anyway. :thumb:

I'm interested in the team as well.
 
bsa07eagle said:
I-Day: Depends on how you react to yelling. They can't do PT for a couple days so they will make up for it with yelling.
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What goes on for the first couple of days where they can't do PT? I know a lot of it must be paperwork, etc.
 
AFBound12 said:
What goes on for the first couple of days where they can't do PT? I know a lot of it must be paperwork, etc.
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The restriction is more because people are adjusting (and will be adjusting for a while) to being at 7,258 feet above sea level.
 
buffalo said:
The restriction is more because people are adjusting (and will be adjusting for a while) to being at 7,258 feet above sea level.
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True, but I think he was asking what the basics do those days when they would be otherwise doing PT.
 
They are issued equipment, attend briefings, learn how to set up rooms, learn how to march, etc. There is plenty to do without PT.
 
johnd9090 said:
glblwarmng: A cadet that i stayed with while visiting the Academy was part of the Wings of Blue. He made it out to be incredibly competitive. As did everyone else i talked to about it. He said first you have to stand out when you do jump training in your summer after your 4 degree year, and you have to get in with the wings of green. Once on the wings of green you progress to the wings of blue. To get on these programs you basically do an interview with the current cadets on the team, and the decision on whether you join or not is up to them, and it's basically whether or not they think you are personable, and whether or not they want to work with you for the next however long. That's what i got from what he said, anyway. :thumb:

I'm interested in the team as well.
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Well you pretty much got the jist of it. It's definitely a lot about the type of person you are. and yes it can be very selective. There are only 25 people each year who can make the wings of green and that number doesn't change. So the competition is all based on how many people come out for it. I graduated in 08 and my year had about 125 people show up for the "tryouts." Some years only 50 people are interested, others it's nearly 200 or more. Just depends on the year. If any of you have any specific questions on it, please let me know. I'd be happy to help. Blue skies...
 
When March rolls around and letters start getting sent out, will the letters offering appointments be thick envelopes with a lot of papers in them? (just so I know what to expect when a letter gets here)
 
Yes, "Big Fat Envelope" is what many call it. It will have pictures and other stuff on the front, with the message "Appointment Offer enclosed" or something like that
 
I got a white envelope close to the one you described. It had a nice folder which said offer of appt., but it wasn't fat by any means. Will there be a larger one coming soon. That one simply had the acceptance paperwork, and stuff to set up my bank account.
 
(sorry i haven't been able to post recently - it's been crazy with 40 days and recognition prep!)
I personally got a plain white envelope and it wasn't thick. I also found out about 2 days later than most other people just because mail takes a little longer to get to my town. SO look for any kind of envelope and don't worry it you don't get it the exact same day as most other people.

As for the restriction in the first few days of basic, it's true that you have to have some time to get used to the elevation. Also, the first day, they take a blood sample from you (yeay) and so they don't want to PT you when you lost blood (even if its a little tiny amount). They also want to make sure that most or all the paperwork gets through and completed before they start training and having basics potentially injured. Dont worry though - it's still stressful even though they can't physically "beat" you.
 
Well, the uppers keep a lot of recognition a secret until you go through it - kinda like a surprise. The main point of recognition is to knock out anyone who doesn't to be at usafa bad enough. It's from thursday evening until saturday morning. All the upperclassmen descend on the freshmen and "beat" them. You're basicaly pushed to ur limits - and then pushed further. Many people cry after finishing recoginition! It's a huge challenge to get through!
I haven't gone through it yet (10 days!!) but after I do, I'll let you know =)
 
Recognition is the culmination event of freshman year. It's the time where everything you've learned is supposed to come together. It's also a special bond that every class (well except '07 and '08) share. There is more to it that strictly "beating Smacks", but as Jezzie said, upperclassmen keep quiet. The entire event is just special, and certain aspects people who didn't go through it just wouldn't understand. That's why you'll notice that anytime Recognition is brought up on this board, specifics are omitted. Until you go through it, you can only see it as "a very special event where the freshman prove the deserve to be accepted fully into the cadet wing".
 
That's interesting. Everytime I saw someone bring up "recognition" I always got thoughts of like some ceremony, similar to a graduation type event. :yllol:
 
Jezzie, you've got this in the bag. You've been waiting for this for nine months. Grab those props and rip it out of there hands.:thumb:
 
Thanks Seamonkeydo!! And McCoy, there is a ceremony... but that's after you survive recognition lol
 
some questions

Would anyone recommend buying boots early and getting used to them?

The catalogue said to bring a photo ID. What should I do if I have neither a permit nor a driver's license?

What will happen if I bring extra undergarment (female)? Will they be taken away?

Things such as toiletries have to be hand carried--- so can they be in a seperate bag, or do they have to be in a plastic bag?

Anymore suggestions for I-Day and BCT? I would greatly appreciate any tips.

--Thanks :smile:
 
15USAFAap said:
Would anyone recommend buying boots early and getting used to them?

The catalogue said to bring a photo ID. What should I do if I have neither a permit nor a driver's license?

What will happen if I bring extra undergarment (female)? Will they be taken away?

Things such as toiletries have to be hand carried--- so can they be in a seperate bag, or do they have to be in a plastic bag?

Anymore suggestions for I-Day and BCT? I would greatly appreciate any tips.

--Thanks :smile:
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Some people would recommend getting the boots early. I don't think it is necessary. They phase you into them over the first week and they are actually fairly easy to break in.
You can get a non driver's id from the DMV for this. Passports also work.
Not a female so I don't know about that.
Just bring everything you need in a backpack or small piece of luggage. They will give you time that night to get all of your toiletries out and turn in any contraband and the civilian clothes that you in processed with that day.

Tips: Get ready to be yelled at and put out all the time. If you do that you will be fine.
 
I love snowboarding and have all of my own gear. I live in California and was wondering if the Academy would allow my parents to send me all of my gear.
 
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