Haveaniceday
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2019
- Messages
- 199
The academy will provide lots of information in the next few months before you report and they are your very best source of information. I would like to emphasize a few areas to help each of you get the best start possible:
1. Ensure your applicant is still working out, it will make summer SWAB training much easier arriving in shape, not overweight, and with some good broken in newer tennis shoes with comfy inserts. Don't get discharged on Day 1 for being 10 pounds over weight on R-day.
1A. Swimming - Your cadet will be given a swim test early. The Academy defines swimming as being able to swim freestyle for 500 yards and tread water for 10 min. If this does not come easy to your cadet, now is the time to find a pool and practice. Every year a few kids report almost completely unable to swim, and this adds unnecessary stress to their first months at the Academy. They don't have to be an Olympic speed swimmer, but they will spend a lot of time on the water and it is a safety concern for all involved if they can't swim very well. Incidentally, during 4/c year they will take a PE class to earn their Red Cross Lifeguarding qualification. So, being able to swim moderately well will really help here as well.
2. Try to get a dental hygienist in before you report, don't want to be slowed down by a cavity. (They schedule future appointments there, but more in the fall or so.)
3. If you have a retainer from wearing braces and it is on it's last leg, replace it in advance, one less thing to worry about. They will replace a lost one at the academy but it will take at least two appointments for fitting etc. and you will miss some training while at the clinic.
4. When female cadets, birth control should be discussed as your family sees fit. Most female cadets choose to get an IUD and that requires 3 off-base appointments during the semester (One for information at the OBGYN, one to fit, and one follow up), the academy will schedule and Tri-care will pay. Some parents like to be part of the discussion, if that is you, now is the time before they report.
5. Banking and passports have been discussed. There is a Navy Fed credit union on base if your cadet likes to do things in person. Others go with USAA 100% online and they provide very cheap dorm insurance for the military gear and laptops. Any bank will do.
6. Try to have some fun and make some family memories (covid safe of course) before they report because once they report, they are on the Academy schedule and you will not see them nearly as often.
7. Some of the summer cadre may search up incoming cadets social media, (I think it is required they do so to make sure incoming cadets comply with the no social media rule; someone will correct me if I guessed wrong on this) so if your social media needs a little housekeeping, now is the time. No reason to attract extra cadre attention the first week
and it is never too late to professionalize your online image.
8. ** Most important ** Write a letter to your Swab for them to take with them when they report to Swab summer to only be opened when they are thinking about quitting. Each year some kids quit and the first the parent hears about it is when they call from the airport to say pick me up. They are adults. Summer training is hard, and with covid it is even harder. Every Swab at some point will question why they are there. A nice letter from home reminding them why they made the choice they did and offering some encouragement can go a long way to assisting your child. Mail is notoriously slow, especially in the beginning of Swab summer so put the letter in their reporting backpack now so they have it if/when they need it.
9. The Security Clearance process.
After all the fun forms on the USCGA website are done, some will be contacted before they report, others over Swab summer, but at some point every incoming cadet will get an email from USCGA with instructions and a link to fill our their on-line security clearance forms (SF-86 automated I believe). This is an important step. The instructions are detailed and you want to follow them precisely. This SF-86 is not to be confused with some initial screening forms you will have to complete before reporting where they do some preliminary security checks.
First, let me explain there are two camps of parents, the first who do everything for their kid, can't stop from being involved with every detail and have their kids AO on speed dial. The second camp includes parents who say their kid is an adult and let the kid handle 100% of tasks. Each type likes shaming the other type just for fun especially in online forums and the class Facebook page. Other phrases you will often hear is "Semper Gumby" which means always flexible, chill, and things change; also get used to hearing "your cadet is the best source of information" well opinions vary on that as well. I say all this to let you know, regardless of which camp you are in as a parent, at least offer to help you kid with the security clearance forms, they make IRS forms look easy
The security clearance paperwork is one area to take very seriously, the forms are signed under penalty of perjury, and the goal is to be as complete and accurate as possible, so your paperwork moves smoothly through the process, gets investigated, adjudicated and a clearance granted as timely as possible.
For example you generally have to list every foreign country the cadet visited with dates, foreign born relatives, every residence and every job the kid has ever had etc. It is by far the most demanding of all the forms you will complete. It will also have a quick suspense date to complete as there is a government wide push to clear out the backlog of security clearances. So, if you get the email before you report, read the academy instructions fully, gather all the address, trip info, etc you need, clear a few hours and work with your kid on this form. Mistakes, omissions and errors will require follow-up up inquiries and delay your clearance. FYI-you do not need a full field background to be completed in advance of reporting, the process takes 6 months to a year from when you submit the form until you are granted a clearance, but it is in everyone's best interest to get this done correctly and quickly.
I know this is a bit long, but of all the forms, this one matters and is not often discussed.
Finally, read everything the Academy sends you and on the class page when they provide the link. They have been doing this for a while, it helps if you listen to them.
Again Congratulations on the adventure.
1. Ensure your applicant is still working out, it will make summer SWAB training much easier arriving in shape, not overweight, and with some good broken in newer tennis shoes with comfy inserts. Don't get discharged on Day 1 for being 10 pounds over weight on R-day.
1A. Swimming - Your cadet will be given a swim test early. The Academy defines swimming as being able to swim freestyle for 500 yards and tread water for 10 min. If this does not come easy to your cadet, now is the time to find a pool and practice. Every year a few kids report almost completely unable to swim, and this adds unnecessary stress to their first months at the Academy. They don't have to be an Olympic speed swimmer, but they will spend a lot of time on the water and it is a safety concern for all involved if they can't swim very well. Incidentally, during 4/c year they will take a PE class to earn their Red Cross Lifeguarding qualification. So, being able to swim moderately well will really help here as well.
2. Try to get a dental hygienist in before you report, don't want to be slowed down by a cavity. (They schedule future appointments there, but more in the fall or so.)
3. If you have a retainer from wearing braces and it is on it's last leg, replace it in advance, one less thing to worry about. They will replace a lost one at the academy but it will take at least two appointments for fitting etc. and you will miss some training while at the clinic.
4. When female cadets, birth control should be discussed as your family sees fit. Most female cadets choose to get an IUD and that requires 3 off-base appointments during the semester (One for information at the OBGYN, one to fit, and one follow up), the academy will schedule and Tri-care will pay. Some parents like to be part of the discussion, if that is you, now is the time before they report.
5. Banking and passports have been discussed. There is a Navy Fed credit union on base if your cadet likes to do things in person. Others go with USAA 100% online and they provide very cheap dorm insurance for the military gear and laptops. Any bank will do.
6. Try to have some fun and make some family memories (covid safe of course) before they report because once they report, they are on the Academy schedule and you will not see them nearly as often.
7. Some of the summer cadre may search up incoming cadets social media, (I think it is required they do so to make sure incoming cadets comply with the no social media rule; someone will correct me if I guessed wrong on this) so if your social media needs a little housekeeping, now is the time. No reason to attract extra cadre attention the first week
and it is never too late to professionalize your online image.8. ** Most important ** Write a letter to your Swab for them to take with them when they report to Swab summer to only be opened when they are thinking about quitting. Each year some kids quit and the first the parent hears about it is when they call from the airport to say pick me up. They are adults. Summer training is hard, and with covid it is even harder. Every Swab at some point will question why they are there. A nice letter from home reminding them why they made the choice they did and offering some encouragement can go a long way to assisting your child. Mail is notoriously slow, especially in the beginning of Swab summer so put the letter in their reporting backpack now so they have it if/when they need it.
9. The Security Clearance process.
After all the fun forms on the USCGA website are done, some will be contacted before they report, others over Swab summer, but at some point every incoming cadet will get an email from USCGA with instructions and a link to fill our their on-line security clearance forms (SF-86 automated I believe). This is an important step. The instructions are detailed and you want to follow them precisely. This SF-86 is not to be confused with some initial screening forms you will have to complete before reporting where they do some preliminary security checks.
First, let me explain there are two camps of parents, the first who do everything for their kid, can't stop from being involved with every detail and have their kids AO on speed dial. The second camp includes parents who say their kid is an adult and let the kid handle 100% of tasks. Each type likes shaming the other type just for fun
especially in online forums and the class Facebook page. Other phrases you will often hear is "Semper Gumby" which means always flexible, chill, and things change; also get used to hearing "your cadet is the best source of information" well opinions vary on that as well. I say all this to let you know, regardless of which camp you are in as a parent, at least offer to help you kid with the security clearance forms, they make IRS forms look easy The security clearance paperwork is one area to take very seriously, the forms are signed under penalty of perjury, and the goal is to be as complete and accurate as possible, so your paperwork moves smoothly through the process, gets investigated, adjudicated and a clearance granted as timely as possible.
For example you generally have to list every foreign country the cadet visited with dates, foreign born relatives, every residence and every job the kid has ever had etc. It is by far the most demanding of all the forms you will complete. It will also have a quick suspense date to complete as there is a government wide push to clear out the backlog of security clearances. So, if you get the email before you report, read the academy instructions fully, gather all the address, trip info, etc you need, clear a few hours and work with your kid on this form. Mistakes, omissions and errors will require follow-up up inquiries and delay your clearance. FYI-you do not need a full field background to be completed in advance of reporting, the process takes 6 months to a year from when you submit the form until you are granted a clearance, but it is in everyone's best interest to get this done correctly and quickly.
I know this is a bit long, but of all the forms, this one matters and is not often discussed.
Finally, read everything the Academy sends you and on the class page when they provide the link. They have been doing this for a while, it helps if you listen to them.
Again Congratulations on the adventure.
