Summer break / scheduling

2026

2026

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Joined
Feb 27, 2021
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158
Good AM forum people :)

My DS received his USAFA appointment and will be a doolie this year. I know it may be WAYYY far ahead but I wanted to know when/how, etc his first summer break 2023 is scheduled/given? I think I have read its for 3 weeks?
For context: our DD graduates HS June 2023 and we are trying to see if he will/can be home for that and we may try to plan a family trip also.

Any insights would be MOST appreciated!!
 
Summer period is broken into three separate 3-week blocks. One block is for leave, the other is for an Airmanship Course, and the final one is for Combat Survival Training (CST). There is no order into which these blocks have to occur. You can have break 1st, Airmanship 2nd, and CST 3rd or you can have Airmanship 1st, CST 2nd, break last…. Etc etc. You do have the ability to put in the preference of which order you would like.

For Class of 2025, we put in our preferences over winter break and still haven’t received our summer schedule as of today (2/27). If your DS has a military course (Airmanship or CST) it is possible to take special leave in order to attend a “direct relatives once in a lifetime event”. However, he could only miss maybe 1-2 days. For CST and Airmanship you have to attend the trainings as it’s a very fast paced course leaving little to no room for missing any days.
 
You can see the calendar now to get a feel for the 3 blocks.
Preference is only that.

You will drive yourself crazy by preplanning something nonrefundable and then nailbiting all the way up to if and when your DS is able to go. I highly suggest any vacation plan be flexible so you have refundable plane tickets/hotel, etc. Because of so much uncertainty, I now always book one ways. But the great news is the refund and cancellation policies are pretty generous, and now is a great time to review your credit card travel insurance, particularly trip delay/cancellation coverage.

Congratulations on the offer of appointment! I hope in the meantime you have made Parents Weekend travel arrangements, and then I-Day. Put a note for April 2023 with "All State Night?" for now. There are no more State Nights but they are working on an All State Night, sort of like PW Lite in the Spring starting in 2023 (NOT this year 2022). Another reason to get involved so you are in the know!
 
My DD is class of 2023. Our DD usually got her schedule mid March each year.

You won't know until two months before summer break.
 
Now is also the time to mentally prepare for the future announcements of :
- “I’ve signed up for this cool language trip as an elective instead of taking my summer leave block, we’re going to X and doing Y and I can’t wait to try Z.”
- “My friends and I are going to do NOLS this summer instead of just going home on leave. We want to do the Alaska one.”
- “My roommate’s mom is stationed at Naval Station Key West, so I am going home with him for spring break. They have a boat, and we’re going fishing. I want to take scuba lessons.”
- “I’m coming home for Christmas, but I’m leaving the day after, because I am meeting up with two guys from the rugby team for a ski trip we booked through AF recreation services with a big military discount. We’ll go right from the trip back to school.”
- “My GF/BF’s family has invited me to come to the beach house they have rented for the summer. I’ll go there for most of my summer leave period, then try to fit in a few days at home.”
- “I’ve decided I want to double major/do an exchange semester at USMA, so I am going to take a voluntary summer school course instead of a leave block to manage my academic schedule better.” (I assume USAFA has summer school, voluntary and involuntary.)

We do counsel our USNA sponsor mid family to be conscious of and sensitive to the impact of shifting patterns on dads and moms who have literally seen them almost every day of their lives, who have also been adjusting to seeing their son or daughter leap out of the nest and not necessarily rush right home at every opportunity. We tell them the minute they plan to do something that will probably run counter to family expectations and assumptions, they need to do the adult thing and keep family informed.

As is often said here on SAF, parents find themselves shifting from active parenting to available to consult roles.
 
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The point has already been made above, but I thought I’d give our real-life examples. Our son’s summer schedule changed last-minute for two of his three summers.

He was scheduled first period leave in his second summer so we booked a cruise. A month before his leave he had his cadre assignment changed to CST and his leave changed to third period. We paid the change fees for the cruise and air tickets. We ended up on a different cruise destination in order to make it happen.

For his third summer, his leave period disappeared because he was selected for Deployed Ops which is 6 weeks instead of Ops Air Force which is 3 weeks.

Be prepared to roll with the changes. It’s also good practice for his time after USAFA when things change often.

Stealth_81
 
Capt MJ said:
Now is also the time to mentally prepare for the future announcements of :
- “I’ve signed up for this cool language trip as an elective instead of taking my summer leave block, we’re going to X and doing Y and I can’t wait to try Z.”
- “My friends and I are going to do NOLS this summer instead of just going home on leave. We want to do the Alaska one.”
- “My roommate’s mom is stationed at Naval Station Key West, so I am going home with him for spring break. They have a boat, and we’re going fishing. I want to take scuba lessons.”
- “I’m coming home for Christmas, but I’m leaving the day after, because I am meeting up with two guys from the rugby team for a ski trip we booked through AF recreation services with a big military discount. We’ll go right from the trip back to school.”
- “My GF/BF’s family has invited me to come to the beach house they have rented for the summer. I’ll go there for most of my summer leave period, then try to fit in a few days at home.”
- “I’ve decided I want to double major/do an exchange semester at USMA, so I am going to take a voluntary summer school course instead of a leave block to manage my academic schedule better.” (I assume USAFA has summer school, voluntary and involuntary.)

We do counsel our USNA sponsor mid family to be conscious of and sensitive to the impact of shifting patterns on dads and moms who have literally seen them almost every day of their lives, who have also been adjusting to seeing their son or daughter leap out of the nest and not necessarily rush right home at every opportunity. We tell them the minute they plan to do something that will probably run counter to family expectations and assumptions, they need to do the adult thing and keep family informed.

As is often said here on SAF, parents find themselves shifting from active parenting to available to consult roles.
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But, but, but, i miss my son!!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣 All that you said will become a reality for 95% of us parents, right? Good advice
 
luqui03 said:
But, but, but, i miss my son!!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣 All that you said will become a reality for 95% of us parents, right? Good advice
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You taught him to fly.
Now you get to step back and watch him soar. Repeat this as necessary to yourself. And - as the nest empties out, you can gleefully and without guilt tackle the things you’ve been waiting to do for yourself.

Look forward to when you go visit him. My parents had never traveled outside the U.S. except to Canada, Bermuda, Bahamas, other Caribbean places. They flew to Rome and stayed with me a month in Naples, blown away by my top floor apartment with views of the Bay of Naples from every room, going to see the gardens of the Pope’s summer palace, me chattering away like a local in Italian, Dad and I strolling every evening we could to the gelateria down the street, Mom marveling at the insalata caprese with real mozzarella di bufala, me sending them off on USO day guided coach tours while I was at work. My CO threw a garden party at his villa for the staff officers, the British officers I played squash with on the NATO base came with their spouses (a memorable afternoon, the Brits brought the makings for Pimm’s Cup), and my parents got a glimpse of “The Navy, not just a job, but an adventure.” I reminded my mom I came by the independent streak honestly. She and a HS girlfriend signed up for the Army Air Corps civil service right after Pearl Harbor at age 19, and traveled on troop trains and troop ships to Honolulu. They worked in air traffic control at Hickam Army Air Base for the duration of the war, then she worked in the business department of a Waikiki hotel afterwards, then moved back - but not home to NY. Nope, to The Breakers hotel in Miami for work, then to The Homestead in VA, then The Greenbrier in WV, where she met my dad, marrying in her 30’s, unusual for that era. Sorry - I went traipsing down Memory Lane, but I find myself appreciating my parents even more as I look back over the arc of my life.
 
Beautiful story, I am looking forward to that and to visit him wherever he goes. And gelato will be an amazing plus!
 
My son is c/o 2024. His squadmates, if for a family event (a wedding, a graduation, etc.), all got the 3 week block that they requested last summer in order to attend. It definitely sounded like USAFA really did try to accommodate for special events. I think you at least have a good shot at getting him home for the graduation.
 
I am following this also to obtain some information. Also, this maybe a stupid question , but is the expense to come to and from home for Thanksgiving and Christmas break on the family ?
 
Capt MJ, I just read your thread and boy, did I need that !
My DS, received his USAFA appointment last week so I had a week of being on cloud 9 and today the nervousness set in.
How will I go all summer without any communication from him?
I will miss him !
Last child to fly out of the nest !
All selfish reasons on my part but, nonetheless, kind of melancholy today .
Any tips for parents coping with all of these changes ?
 
Dismissal on November 22 is at LMD, or Last Military Duty. For a lot of cadets this may be their last class of the day. Others may possibly have to sit CQ or have meetings. While not overly common, it can happen. They won’t know their class schedule until after BCT and academic classes start.

Travel expenses for breaks and leave are the responsibility of the cadet.

Stealth_81
 
Stealth_81 said:
Dismissal on November 22 is at LMD, or Last Military Duty. For a lot of cadets this may be their last class of the day. Others may possibly have to sit CQ or have meetings. While not overly common, it can happen. They won’t know their class schedule until after BCT and academic classes start.

Travel expenses for breaks and leave are the responsibility of the cadet.

Stealth_81
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Thank you !
 
somuchbetterthanme said:
Capt MJ, I just read your thread and boy, did I need that !
My DS, received his USAFA appointment last week so I had a week of being on cloud 9 and today the nervousness set in.
How will I go all summer without any communication from him?
I will miss him !
Last child to fly out of the nest !
All selfish reasons on my part but, nonetheless, kind of melancholy today .
Any tips for parents coping with all of these changes ?
Click to expand...
Congrats to your son on his appointment. If you haven’t already join the USAFA Class of 2026 parent Facebook group. That group and access to webguy photos will help you and other parents get through BCT and your cadet’s time at USAFA. Another helpful Facebook group is USAFA Parent Resource.

You will need to provide a proof of appointment to both before acceptance so make sure to have that handy and ready to email.
 
somuchbetterthanme said:
Capt MJ, I just read your thread and boy, did I need that !
My DS, received his USAFA appointment last week so I had a week of being on cloud 9 and today the nervousness set in.
How will I go all summer without any communication from him?
I will miss him !
Last child to fly out of the nest !
All selfish reasons on my part but, nonetheless, kind of melancholy today .
Any tips for parents coping with all of these changes ?
Click to expand...
You shouldn't go all summer without ANY communication. You can write letters. When my son went off to BCT, I decided I would write him a letter every day. I really didn't expect him to write back, since I'd not ever seen my son write a snail mail letter, but I got about 2-3 letters per week. I lived for these. Also, I recommend you join the Association of Graduates for their Webguy photos- You will spend hours looking for glimpses of your cadet. While you may go blind from searching, it really does help you get through it!
 
somuchbetterthanme said:
Capt MJ, I just read your thread and boy, did I need that !
My DS, received his USAFA appointment last week so I had a week of being on cloud 9 and today the nervousness set in.
How will I go all summer without any communication from him?
I will miss him !
Last child to fly out of the nest !
All selfish reasons on my part but, nonetheless, kind of melancholy today .
Any tips for parents coping with all of these changes ?
Click to expand...
So my cadet is our only and we are very close. Cutting off communication is tough, not going to lie. I was glad in a way because I liked him getting a break from his phone so he could focus. He loved every minute of BCT.
I, on the other hand, sucked at it. I was depressed and quiet all summer. Fortunately I work at a school so didn’t have to worry about work responsibilities. I wrote my kid every day. I saved every letter he wrote us. I made a mistake of sitting by my phone July 2nd when the kids were “supposed” to call. Apparently there was a miscommunication on the paperwork. There was no call. I was devastated. Lesson learned quickly that things aren’t always black and white in the military. We are non military family so we have had a huge learning curve.
Our cadet is thriving even though it’s ramped up so close to recognition. I’m doing better but it takes awhile to adjust to your new “normal”.
 
Another quick thought for parents with a candidate in BCT summer:
Answer every phone call, even those that you don’t recognize the number! I know with spam calls being rampant it will be a pain, but occasionally a benevolent upperclass person will reward them with a quick use of their phone. We got one from our son while he was at the airfield during BCT because he knew a lot of the aviation questions that their tour guide asked and she rewarded him with a 1-minute call.

Stealth_81
 
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