<p>That is just sad anyway you look at it. As a prior the academy basic will be my third basic training, and I still wouldn't call it a "cake-walk". Basic training never is.</p>
<p>To the cadre - please be a little forgiving; the cadets have no idea what they are in for. Remember that it is the job of those below you to make you look good in the Air Force.</p>
<p>This is very true, but lets also remember that SERE is not going to be fun either! Do you believe in the end that you are a better servicemember for surviving Basic? If you do you must remember that you will feel the same after BCT. I believe the purpose of BCT is to break you down and build you back up, it is also there to make you realize that you are not in this alone, you are a team and to succeed you will need to act as one. Many of the cadets here have even stated if you want to shine be the one to fall back on the run if you are the fastest to motivate the last one who is fighting to get across the line, don't be the one who breezes past the line and starts hi-fiving people on your time!</p>
<p>In the end, every cadet who will be attending and reading these type of threads are probably now getting the pic, they may even be making it worse in their mind, which will help them. All the class of 12 needs to know is they won't kill you, it might feel like it, but after it is done your heart will still be beating. If you can keep saying that to yourself while they are screaming in your face or doing flutterkicks than you have it made!</p>
<p>BTW there is at least one new cadet who realizes that it is a right of passage:
[quote]
I would like to know some things about Beast in USAFA, but I cannot ask my brother (a 2008 Grad) because I know he would screw me over for fun. What can I expect? Are there any current cadets who would mind telling me
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If you can expect family to do this to you, you know they are expecting the strangers to do it!</p>
<p>The group commander for BCT has taken names (and will continue to) of kids who make disrespectful comments. they will begin to be taught their lesson fairly quickly on I-day. i kind of wish i was going to be here to see it. bring popcorn, it's going to be a show!</p>
<p>HAHA! I'm going to be here for jump when 2012 inprocesses. I never thought I would become sadistic, but I'm not going to lie, I might feel a little happy inside seeing 2012 take their I-day beating... :) In a lot of ways it is a big game, but that doesn't mean that basic is to be taken lightly! haha this is going to be fun.</p>
<p>And I am sure that the class of 12 will feel the exact same way as you do in a few yrs.</p>
<p>I think that is really the pt., that everyone is missing. One aspect of BCT is the right of passage, and that guy or gal will look back in a few yrs and laugh about how he /she thought they knew it all and was proven wrong.</p>
<p>All of you need to get the guy from you tube on to kindly, gently explain that a. he lived and b. whether he would redo is myspace/facebook page if he knew he would be on you tube</p>
<p>dont bring any air force/usafa stuff to basic training ;]</p>
<p>my prior here would definitely agree.</p>
<p>OK wet towel moment....I know these guys/gals have opened the door to this type of initiation. They will truly be introduced to the rigors of the BCT experience, and 4* year. I know, no one here really has a desire to see these unfortunate individuals truly crushed for their miscalculations. The character and discipline you have already displayed by achieving your current station demands professional behavior. They will surely be corrected, but being exhuberant may not be the appropriate behavior. That said have your fun folks.</p>
<p>ds lets remember at our age the wet towel hurts :)</p>
<p>I think there also is a difference...the cadets are the cat that has cornered the mouse. Remember cats don't try to kill the mice, they just like to use them as ping pong balls...eventually the cat loses interest and walks away... now the smart mice stay away from the cat</p>
<p>Truthfully I have no room to talk. I spent some time at the DoD Fire school. USAF introduced an instructional protocol called "Time Out". The student when they felt overstressed were allowed to declare a "Time Out". They would have to be separated from the current instructor, and isolated with a new instructor for a period of 15 minutes to decompress the situation. The exception was Marine instructors not only did not have to abide by this instruction, but had the ability to use additional methods of motivation (push-ups or other physical activities). We always made sure a Marine was close by U-rah.</p>
<p>Although it may look like we want to have fun seeing them get pushed harder for their stupid comments/attitudes, we really just want to be there to see them succeed and learn from that mistake. None of us would honestly "enjoy" watching someone get the crap kicked out of them during a training session. It's just cool to watch as people pull through.</p>
<p>IMHO my belief is you all would call out the instructor who was enjoying it too much, but then again my faith in the AFA would tell me that that person would never be allowed near anyone at BCT!</p>
<p>You can bet that when an appointee says "I'll break all of the cadre at X," the cadre are going to put him or her to the test, break them, then keep going to prove the point. There is only one stronest person here, and it usually isn't the basic!</p>
<p>Most basics are decently fit, but few are used to being constantly worked and expected to perform to their top level anyway. BCT usually wears people down physically...but the cadre know what to expect, and know the little tricks and quirks of the system. The same thing happens at recognition. Most of the upperclassmen do the same amount of work, but don't break. The system favors the trainer over the trainee.</p>
<p>It's also just a lot easier to do pushups when you are the one dictating the pace and amount...that all I have to say!</p>
<p>Everybody notice the banner on the staff tower? ('12>'09)
The phrase "don't pimp your classmates" comes to mind...</p>
<p>there's a difference b/w class pride and being idiots.</p>
<p>2012 are idiots. haven't even graduated high school (the majority) and already are making problems. first lesson in teamwork: when any one you screw up, it reflects the entire group</p>
<p><strong><em>thats not meant to offend anyone individually, its just stating the feeling of current cadets against 2012. i know most of the class is the same as most of us are, but the way things work, you get identified as a class</em></strong></p>
<p>I'm not entirely sure it was 2012 who did that...I wonder if 2009 did it to get 2012 in even more trouble after the Hartwin incident. I'm not sure a random group of appointees would have the coordination or the opportunity to pull something like that off...but I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Eagle36, G4C, et. al,
I am sure all the current cadets, and especially this summer's cadre, are aware of the awesome responsibility this country has placed upon each of you: successfully prepare the next class to become the future leaders of our proud AF. Far be it from me to lecture (you are the experts there, I am not), but the first lesson I see that you all need to install is teamwork and acting together to get the mission accomplished, something these young men and women have little to no clue about ouside of an athletic coach ot two yelling at them to do extra wind sprints because one of their team-mates screwed up. They WILL learn this lesson, harshly and in a traumatic fashion during BCT. I support their enthusaism, and hope you don't intend to beat it out of them as revenge for silly bravado on their part. In the immortal words of Obi-Wan Kenobi: "They will LEARN patience". </p>
<p>Continue to take notes on these sites, observe which cadets are all thrust and minimal vector, and plan your ways to correct the situation accordingly. A friendly observation at this point, a warning per se to the new cadets not to dig a hole even before they get there, is always encouraged and serves as a valuable bit of information for the future cadets on this forum. I know you will all do your best to make 2012 a class you, and the people of this nation, proud of. </p>
<p>I do, however, understand and also encourage friendly "rivalry" between the classes.</p>
<p>As to the future cadets: keep dreaming, keep fighting for your dreams, and keep up the attitude of nothing will get me down. I LOVE your enthusiasm, it will get you through some tough times, both at the Academy and in your future careers. I WANT new Lts showing up at my squadron eager to learn, eager to participate, and eager to become better. I would hate for it to be otherwise. </p>
<p>But allow me to provide my own "vector check" per se. Focus that enthusiasm from now and until I-day on getting yourself mentally and physically prepared. Don't boast on-line how you will kick-butt, boast instead on how your ENTIRE class will gel together to overcome the obstacles. Boast how you ALL will be the ones who fall back to carry the person struggling on the 10 mile run across the finish line. Boast that you will ALL work together to get everything done right, maybe not the first time but definetly the second, as you learn the lessons the cadre passes on. Boast how the cadre can keep some of you down sometimes, but the cadre can't keep ALL of you down ALL of the time because your team-mates will be there for each other (Of course, I'm laughing now because I can hear the shouts from C. Springs of "Heck Yeah! We can keep ALL of you down ALL of the time!" :) ). THAT will earn their respect, not a silly boasting game on an anonymous forum (which isn't as anonymous as you think, choose your words wisely here!)</p>
<p>Just my two cents, and perhaps even less worth less than that as I did not have the privilege of going to the AFA. But I have seen many situations in my 20+ years serving this great country which were similar. We love enthusiastic team-mates, and we also LOVE to beat down or correct those who don't show it and need the lesson that we are a TEAM!</p>
<p>All of you, current cadets and future cadets, continue to make us proud!</p>
<p>Well, anyone else smelling glue about this topic? I think the horse is dead enough.... Bullet</p>
<p>
THAT is a GREAT way to go about it!</p>
<p>Frankly, I get annoyed whenever one class tries to belittle or criticize another class. 06 complained about 07, 09 complained about 08, 08 complained about 10, 10 complained about 09, etc. etc...I'm sick and tired of that. It just spurs more anger/resentment and accomplishes noting positive.</p>
<p>If you want to boast and be proud, that's fine. Just don't criticize people you haven't even met to do it.</p>
<p>I totally agree with you raimius. Respect is important here, and once we're actually out in the operational Air Force, an Academy grad is an Academy grad no matter what the class year.</p>
<p>So we can officially close this thread with a few words...</p>
<p>We ALL know it is 2011 that's completely legit. :)</p>