What happens after BCT ends?

Leslie_P_E

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Nov 22, 2019
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Hi!

My son is likely going to USAFA in June for BCT. The end date is Aug. 1st. Do the new cadets then go straight into classes, or is there a break before classes resume.

My husband and I are trying to coordinate travel schedules, so any information would be welcome.
 
There is no vacation period between BCT and the academic year. In totality, there are a few days to move into their new squadron, hit the bookstore, and then start class right away. There is a celebratory parade to mark the end of BCT and acceptance into the Cadet Wing. That would be an opportunity to say hi (briefly), but it would be highly unlikely to score an overnight visit with the family.

You can view next year's academic calendar here and will observe the 3 transition days prior to the start of school. The first day of class is called M1
 
You will have roughly 2 hours to be with you son after basic graduation then you will have to leave. They will start processing for school like getting their class schedules, computer logins etc. The next real time to fly out is parents weekend which is Labor Day weekend.
 
Thank you. How about in the years that follow? What is the summer break like for cadets after year 1.
 
Each summer is split into 9 weeks. Within those 9 weeks, you typically have three 3-week programs/courses. One of those 3-week periods would be open to "leave" or vacation back home. The order of which these activities fall is generally randomly selected, but there is some input based on planned family activities. Students can opt for summer school during that leave period to either retake a class they failed or to get ahead and reduce the load on the future semester. As an example, I took thermodynamics and astronautical engineering over the summer to avoid them during the school year. You have 1 class, but attend it all day/every day for three weeks.

The rotation has changed over time, but long ago, this was the rotation schedule - others can chime in with the current experience.

Summer after 4 degree year (in no particular order)
Block 1: Leave
Block 2: Aviation program (soaring, jump, drones)
Block 3: Combat Survival Training (no longer offered to my knowledge)

Summer after 3 degree year (in no particular order)
Block 1: Leave
Block 2: Leadership (running another program on camp like BCT, Sports Camp, Summer Sci, etc)
Block 3: Operations Air Force (go see a base and look at life in the Active Air Force)

Summer after 2 degree year (in no particular order)
Block 1: Leave
Block 2: Leadership
Block 3: Leadership
 
Each summer is split into 9 weeks. Within those 9 weeks, you typically have three 3-week programs/courses. One of those 3-week periods would be open to "leave" or vacation back home. The order of which these activities fall is generally randomly selected, but there is some input based on planned family activities. Students can opt for summer school during that leave period to either retake a class they failed or to get ahead and reduce the load on the future semester. As an example, I took thermodynamics and astronautical engineering over the summer to avoid them during the school year. You have 1 class, but attend it all day/every day for three weeks.

The rotation has changed over time, but long ago, this was the rotation schedule - others can chime in with the current experience.

Summer after 4 degree year (in no particular order)
Block 1: Leave
Block 2: Aviation program (soaring, jump, drones)
Block 3: Combat Survival Training (no longer offered to my knowledge)

Summer after 3 degree year (in no particular order)
Block 1: Leave
Block 2: Leadership (running another program on camp like BCT, Sports Camp, Summer Sci, etc)
Block 3: Operations Air Force (go see a base and look at life in the Active Air Force)

Summer after 2 degree year (in no particular order)
Block 1: Leave
Block 2: Leadership
Block 3: Leadership

Thank you so much. This is extremely helpful.
 
Parents Weekend is always Labor Day weekend. That is the first time your cadet will be able to spend any amount of time with you away from the Academy. My suggestion is to prioritize that weekend to visit your cadet over all other times of the year. If you can visit other times it is nice, but that one is the best.

Stealth_81
 
A long time ago I believe my parents visited USNA three times while I was there: I-Day, Parents' Weekend, and Graduation. All three days were important to me and I was glad they could come!
 
There is no vacation period between BCT and the academic year. In totality, there are a few days to move into their new squadron, hit the bookstore, and then start class right away. There is a celebratory parade to mark the end of BCT and acceptance into the Cadet Wing. That would be an opportunity to say hi (briefly), but it would be highly unlikely to score an overnight visit with the family.

You can view next year's academic calendar here and will observe the 3 transition days prior to the start of school. The first day of class is called M1

@shiner , any idea what this is referring to?

NOTE: THE SUMMER 2021 CALENDAR IS DEPENDENT ON BOTH THE NEW STUDENT INFORMAITON SYSTEM (SIS) IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE AND THE SUPERINTENDENT’S FINAL DECISION ON THE TRANSITION PLAN TO AN ALTERNATE SCHEDULING FORMAT.

Edit: just found this. Is this what they’re talking about? http://inside.mines.edu/~anewman/inte.2017.0935_final.pdf
 
A new but related question:What is the approximate Parent Weekend activity schedule?

In other words..When do parents usually arrive for events? Can we take our cadet off campus? When do cadets need to return?
 
@THmom they are considering vast changes to the way the academic calendar and summers look. I wouldn’t worry about it right now as nothing is set in stone and we are still two years out from when the system they have shown us would be put into effect.
 
A new but related question:What is the approximate Parent Weekend activity schedule?

In other words..When do parents usually arrive for events? Can we take our cadet off campus? When do cadets need to return?

4th class cadets are free to leave base after class and squadron picnics on Friday which is around 1630. Then they must be back for the football game and tailgates Saturday morning around 1000 and then are free to leave after the game until 1915 on Monday night.
 
A new but related question:What is the approximate Parent Weekend activity schedule?

In other words..When do parents usually arrive for events? Can we take our cadet off campus? When do cadets need to return?

I would suggest planning to arrive on Thursday before Parents Weekend. The parent activities start right away Friday morning so it is nice to be there right away. It is often possible to meet your cadet for a while on Thursday evening if they have a bit if free time. You can just go to the Chapel and have them meet you there. (It's closed for renovations, but there will still be places to meet.)

The schedule for Friday varies each year but can include tours of the classrooms, lunch at Mitch's, a parade, etc. Friday afternoon/evening there are squadron picnics and some of the state parent associations have receptions for their cadets and families. Friday night the cadets can stay with you off base, but as said above, they need to be back on base before the football game, especially if they have some squadron duties for the tailgate. That is why it is best to stay near the Academy on Friday night. We stayed right in COS for every Parent Weekend but some people like to get out of town.

Saturday they are free after the football game. They must stay within 150 miles of the Academy and need to be in service dress anytime they are out in public. Our cadet liked to just stay in the room or maybe swim in the hotel pool (wearing USAFA PT gear, of course). Don't be surprised if your cadet just wants to sleep a lot, especially the first year. We rented a 2-br suite so that he could have a place to go and sleep as much as he wanted.

They need to return to the Academy Monday evening. We always flew out Tuesday morning to get as much time as possible with them. However, don't wait too long to bring them back because traffic gets heavy. Every year we saw cadets bailing out of cars stuck in traffic and running to the cadet gates so they wouldn't be late.

Stealth_81
 
I would suggest planning to arrive on Thursday before Parents Weekend. The parent activities start right away Friday morning so it is nice to be there right away. It is often possible to meet your cadet for a while on Thursday evening if they have a bit if free time. You can just go to the Chapel and have them meet you there. (It's closed for renovations, but there will still be places to meet.)

The schedule for Friday varies each year but can include tours of the classrooms, lunch at Mitch's, a parade, etc. Friday afternoon/evening there are squadron picnics and some of the state parent associations have receptions for their cadets and families. Friday night the cadets can stay with you off base, but as said above, they need to be back on base before the football game, especially if they have some squadron duties for the tailgate. That is why it is best to stay near the Academy on Friday night. We stayed right in COS for every Parent Weekend but some people like to get out of town.

Saturday they are free after the football game. They must stay within 150 miles of the Academy and need to be in service dress anytime they are out in public. Our cadet liked to just stay in the room or maybe swim in the hotel pool (wearing USAFA PT gear, of course). Don't be surprised if your cadet just wants to sleep a lot, especially the first year. We rented a 2-br suite so that he could have a place to go and sleep as much as he wanted.

They need to return to the Academy Monday evening. We always flew out Tuesday morning to get as much time as possible with them. However, don't wait too long to bring them back because traffic gets heavy. Every year we saw cadets bailing out of cars stuck in traffic and running to the cadet gates so they wouldn't be late.

Stealth_81

Thank you so much for all of this good information. It is extremely helpful. I am really grateful I found this forum.
 
Agree with all the above posts.
I found the Parents Liaison Ms. Rose Nikovits a great help. This site has her contact as well as a lot more related info.
https://www.usafa.edu/parents/

PS: Hotels & rental car reservations fill up early for PW/Labor Day weekend. Reserve early (ASAP). Lots of threads on this using the Search button. Also sign up for the parents newsletter.
Good Luck!
 
Hi!

My son is likely going to USAFA in June for BCT. The end date is Aug. 1st. Do the new cadets then go straight into classes, or is there a break before classes resume.

My husband and I are trying to coordinate travel schedules, so any information would be welcome.
Classes begin August 6th!
 
What happens to cadets whose parents can not/ do not attend?
For any number of reasons, there are times when members of the cadet wing have a "leave" opportunity and their parents do not have the ability to visit them. Financial, deployment to warzone, schedules not align - you name it. In these times, the student still can leave just like everyone else - they are adults at this point. A cadet could stay with a sponsor family, join a classmate and their family, they could stay in the dorm, or take a trip with ski club or the scuba club or just go some place on their own. There is/was a car rental outfit on base and as members of the military, they have a waiver on the age requirement (as I recall).

So - they are not forced to be left behind and have MANY options.

I would also say that it is rare for anyone from outside of Colorado to attend any event at USAFA other than Parents Weekend. There are Federal Holidays, random Parades, sporting events, and many other cadet activities that would potentially garner a parental visit for someone attending a college near to their home town, but it is not common for Parents to swing by USAFA outside of Parents Weekend.

As a student, I saw my parents on what works out to essentially quarterly basis -
1) Parents Weekend (3-day weekend)
2) Thanksgiving (1 week)
3) Christmas (2 weeks)
4) Spring Break (1 week)
5) Summer Break (3 weeks) - I chose summer school instead 2/3 summers
 
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What happens to cadets whose parents can not/ do not attend?

Shiner has a great reply above, so I don't have much to add. There are all kids of situations with the cadets at USAFA and you will see every sort of family interaction in the 4 years there.

Some families are very involved in their cadet's time at USAFA, some are not, and most fall in the middle somewhere. I think that the parents/families who are on this forum tend to be more involved (which is why they are here, right?). This can give the general impression that being very involved is the norm, but it is really on the top end. Every family needs to decide what works for them. If a cadet's family cannot attend, there are many other options as Shiner said.

I will share a story that I haven't told before to illustrate. I figure it has been long enough for anonymity. My son has a very good friend from USAFA. This friend's family consisted of a first-generation, non-English speaking single mom, the cadet, and one sibling. The mother worked in a hotel doing everything from housekeeping to cooking to get as many hours as possible. They lived in one of the hotel rooms as part of her pay, so there was not much money. The mother always made sure that the kids went to school, studied, and excelled. The cadet left for USAFA to go to BCT and did not see his mother or sibling again until graduation. He never left USAFA for breaks, rarely spent any money, and he sent as much of his cadet pay as he could back to his mom to help with expenses. He saved a little each paycheck so that he was able to fly his mother and sibling out to USAFA for graduation. The cadet graduated with honors and went directly to a master's program, and then on to UPT where he graduated #1 in his class and is now flying fighters. He bought his mom a small house soon after graduation. My son stood up in his wedding a couple of years ago.

The above story is way on the other end of a family's ability to be involved with their cadet at USAFA. I just wanted to show that if you cannot make it to Parent's Weekend, your cadet will not be alone by any means, and they will survive.

Stealth_81
 
The above story is way on the other end of a family's ability to be involved with their cadet at USAFA. I just wanted to show that if you cannot make it to Parent's Weekend, your cadet will not be alone by any means, and they will survive.


Awww, you got me all teary-eyed! Should DS get to a SA, I'll make sure he is on the lookout for people we can help in this area :angel:
 
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