USMMA Indoc day prep

HonorKP

Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2018
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20
Hi, so excited to start USMMA, and the Indoc date is June 29, 2018.
Very exciting -Indoc will be tough but it is the great beginning.
I have a few questions to those who have been and done, or know:
  1. What personal items are allowed?
  2. I wear eye contacts, and how much supply do I need to bring in with me in advance?
  3. Our family plan to fly in to NY a few days prior to Indoc. Any suggestion for a new plebe right before Indoc in NY?
Thank you.
 
1. No personal items at INDOC, with very few exceptions. Our DD brought her Bible and her piccolo (she is in Band Company); athletes are allowed to bring essentials for their fall sport (check with your coach), but nothing other than that is allowed until after INDOC. We had our DD leave a box of stuff she wanted us to send after she completed INDOC.
2. Bring enough of what you need to get through three weeks. Your DS/DD will be able to go to the NEX after INDOC.
3. Honestly, time with family and getting really well rested will be most important before they report. We sent both our kids off by themselves so they would not have any distractions. We saved the sightseeing for parents weekend.
 
Plan on wearing eye glasses with an 'idiot strap' (holds your eye glasses on your head). Might be hard to deal with contacts in early indoc.
 
Hi, so excited to start USMMA, and the Indoc date is June 29, 2018.
Very exciting -Indoc will be tough but it is the great beginning.
I have a few questions to those who have been and done, or know:
  1. What personal items are allowed?
  2. I wear eye contacts, and how much supply do I need to bring in with me in advance?
  3. Our family plan to fly in to NY a few days prior to Indoc. Any suggestion for a new plebe right before Indoc in NY?
Thank you.
Echo what @kpmom2013 and @1842 say, but we did your #3 and had one of our best vacations ever. We stayed in the city for 3 nights and then moved to a hotel nearer to KP for the two nights before Indoc. That way we had a fun time (didn't cram in TOO much in the city, but did a couple things each day which were highlights), and then had that downtime. The day before Indoc we went to KP (for the first time for our son), explored it a bit for familiarization for him and us, and then he was ready and raring to go on Zero Day. Do what works best for your family. It made for great memories for our whole family. I think it also depends on if you're coming from farther away and your family dynamics. :)
 
Hi, so excited to start USMMA, and the Indoc date is June 29, 2018.
Very exciting -Indoc will be tough but it is the great beginning.
I have a few questions to those who have been and done, or know:
  1. What personal items are allowed?
  2. I wear eye contacts, and how much supply do I need to bring in with me in advance?
  3. Our family plan to fly in to NY a few days prior to Indoc. Any suggestion for a new plebe right before Indoc in NY?
Thank you.

Our DS (2021) completed Indoc last year. His one piece of advice: "Don't be first, and don't be last."
I agree with kpmom2013. Three weeks of supplies (toiletries, etc) should be enough. If you run out, borrow some. Hit the NEX to resupply after you've made it through. Best of luck to you. Keep your head down, and work through the grind. You'll do just fine....
 
Plebes will have limited NEX privileges and will only allowed a brief phone call home on Sunday after a few weeks. Your plebe will also have limited ability to write as they will be exhausted. Care packages are also regulated. Give them about $75 in cash to buy incidentals. We used Amazon a lot to send items once we got our son's address. Use a military duffel bag for indoc day to carry all your gear. Make sure your kid shows up with white sox and broken in running shoes. There was a girl in flip flops last year. :) Pro-Tip: Get them a extra large white towel for their bed to lay on. They will not be able to sleep under the covers.
 
Plebes will have limited NEX privileges and will only allowed a brief phone call home on Sunday after a few weeks. Your plebe will also have limited ability to write as they will be exhausted. Care packages are also regulated. Give them about $75 in cash to buy incidentals. We used Amazon a lot to send items once we got our son's address. Use a military duffel bag for indoc day to carry all your gear. Make sure your kid shows up with white sox and broken in running shoes. There was a girl in flip flops last year. :) Pro-Tip: Get them a extra large white towel for their bed to lay on. They will not be able to sleep under the covers.

Why don't they sleep under the covers?
 
Why don't they sleep under the covers?

It's a military school and beds are made to regulation with 45 degree angles/hospital corners. It's impractical to make your bed everday to standards. So, you sleep on top of your made bed so its ready for inspection. You don't have a lot of spare time. Upperclassmen are allowed extra covers for the bed, plebes are not. No rule against large towels though ;)
 
Like the rest, I'll add: Don't overpack. Just a counterpoint to KPmom, you might not want to save the sightseeing for Parent's Weekend. (But make sure they get a good night's sleep before Indoc.) If your plebe is like my DS, all they want to do over Parent's weekend is sleep. (He ate, slept, and took in a movie. We also took him to Walmart to restock.) You'll have to play it by ear and like all things KP...be flexable.
 
I have a question - do us parents have a chance to take some pictures of the school/grounds when we're dropping DS off for INDOC or no?
 
I have a question - do us parents have a chance to take some pictures of the school/grounds when we're dropping DS off for INDOC or no?

Somewhat. You're limited to where you can go as they keep parents 'corralled' so that there is no interference with the proceedings with the new class. I would recommend going the day before to wander around and get pictures as you'll have free rein of the grounds. Indoc reporting day is a terrific time and we got some great shots of our son from a distance and met lots of parents and alumni/parent groups. There is a briefing for the parents as well as a luncheon (usually out on the football field under a huge tent) after everything is over.
 
I have a question - do us parents have a chance to take some pictures of the school/grounds when we're dropping DS off for INDOC or no?

When you arrive for INDOC day there were will be things to consider.

1) Traffic and limited parking. Plan ahead. Don't be late to INDOC. Traffic on Long Island is unpredictable.
2) You and your plebe candidate will stand in a long line to in process. Your plebe will have his/her bag with essential gear. Shorts/collared shirt (polo) and a folder with all required paperwork and identification.
4) There will be a parents briefing by the admiral. He will give some good advice and info.
4) You will have a chance to kiss/hug say goodbye and then you will have a narrow window to watch your plebe run to get their uniform/haircut. The parents association will host a generous lunch/reception/opportunity to buy swag/visit the NEX to buy souvenirs.
5) Lastly, you will see your DS/DD assemble in their company platoons and swear in. They will wave goodbye and you will have a limited opportunity to see/take photos.
6) You will then see them march away and your job is done until Parents Weekend. You can cry in the car on the way home.
7) Join your 2022 USMMA facebook parents group, parents of older midshipmen will help answer your questions/concerns.

Encourage your DS/DD to not give up. Last year kids left for reasons such as being homesick, injury, and missing their girlfriends. Our son reached his limit during INDOC and broke down crying due to the physical/mental stress, we had to encourage him to make it one day at a time. Don't sugar coat the experience, be realistic. It will be hard.
 
Everyone's Indoc reaction will be different. It's mostly a mind game. Both my kids found it easy. We live on a farm and they work all day during the summer, so they found indoc easier than being home. They also had coaches who yelled at them and worked them very hard for their sports. Some kids showed up so on edge and so scared that they were on the verge of breaking down the whole time. The experience will meet your DD/DS expectations. Best advice is to do what you are told, have the back of your fellow plebe candidates, try to stay under the radar as much as possible, and keep your sense of humor! If you did not have what it takes to be successful, you would not have received an appointment.
 
I think it’s intresting that the only people who comment on the indoc threads are the parents. Mids and alums are so meh about the whole thing, none of us seem to post.... indoc represents such a small sliver of our time at KP, and certainly not even on the list of things that could be classified as “challenging.” As a result I think very little of the storage space in our brain gets used for indoc related memories.
 
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I have a question - do us parents have a chance to take some pictures of the school/grounds when we're dropping DS off for INDOC or no?

Somewhat. You're limited to where you can go as they keep parents 'corralled' so that there is no interference with the proceedings with the new class. I would recommend going the day before to wander around and get pictures as you'll have free rein of the grounds. Indoc reporting day is a terrific time and we got some great shots of our son from a distance and met lots of parents and alumni/parent groups. There is a briefing for the parents as well as a luncheon (usually out on the football field under a huge tent) after everything is over.

I didn't know it was an option to get there the day before and walk around. Thanks!
 
I didn't know it was an option to get there the day before and walk around. Thanks!

It really isn't. The reason they don't advertise this in logging in is because you'll be getting gawked at by the DIs who are on campus doing last minute prep work.
 
Ah. . . maybe we should just wait for the pictures until Parents Weekend. I don't want to be one of "those" moms.
 
Ah. . . maybe we should just wait for the pictures until Parents Weekend. I don't want to be one of "those" moms.

I wouldn't hesitate. You're just strolling around campus. Nothing wrong with that. Didn't chat with anyone except some other families doing exactly what we were doing. Stopped at NEX. Took pictures. Looked in the chapel. Went down by the water. Totally fine. I'm sure you're not going to go crazy introducing your candidate to every midshipmen you come across! Go ahead. Enjoy the beautiful campus. :)
 
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