<p>Wow - Can you believe that Beast is almost over and A-Day is just over a week away? Is anyone going up for the March Back?
The A-Day parade is wonderful. Safe travels to those who will be attending, and enjoy your time with your son/daughter :).</p>
<p>Does anyone know if video of March Back will be available online? And how about A-Day? I googled both but didn't get a firm answer. I'm sure there will be after-the-fact videos, just wondering if USMA is offering live coverage. Would really like to see both live if possible ... and Ann, you're right -- it's hard to believe that the new cadet summer has gone so fast!</p>
<p>winnie96 - Unfortunately I don't believe that there is a live feed for the March back. </p>
<p>Congratulations to the class of 2012!</p>
<p>“For More Than Ourselves” </p>
<p>The 2012 class motto sums it up :)</p>
<p>These young men and women never fail to inspire me.</p>
<p>Ann - I have to agree with you - when I saw the motto it just gave me the chills. </p>
<p>Marchback was terrific - the weather was perfect and the New Cadets looked great! They were so pumped up!</p>
<p>JustAMomOf4 - welcome back - it was lonely celebrating on my own ;)</p>
<p>Academy Photo usually offers a DVD of "Beast" and there should be footage of both the Marchback and the A-Day Review/Parade on it. I highly recommend getting it.</p>
<p>the weather woulda been much better if it was cloudy marching in that heat was bad... great to finally have a computer again i can answer any questions about beast. nice to see everyones doing well.</p>
<p>bc328 - I'm sure it is great to have contact with the outside world again. So was Beast what you expected it to be? Congratulations and good luck with re-orgy week.</p>
<p>bc328,</p>
<p>Welcome back!! </p>
<p>Question: What was the best part of Beast for you? And the worst?</p>
<p>Good luck during Reorgy Week and enjoy your privileges on A-Day!</p>
<p>bc328 - your class is awesome! You guys looked great!
I loved seeing you all at the campground and the parade was terrific. The sun did get hot by noon - none of you fell out though! </p>
<p>It was dark when we got back to the campground. An old grad's wife had made poster and put them up all around - the old grads really admire and respect these kids - I am in awe of them!
That was when I first saw the Motto - standing there in the dark staring at this poster and it gave me goose bumps. I read it over and over.</p>
<p>BTW - the news reports say that 1241 cadets participated in the marchback - this would mean that 95% of New Cadets made it through beast! </p>
<p>After the marchback we hung around and saw the cadets scramble into their new companies - what a sight!<br>
On to A-Day!</p>
<p>beast went really well, for the most part it was what i expected. There was a lot of awesome things that happened during beast, but i would have to say the black hawk ride with the doors open was my favorite. The worst part of beast was proboably being on patrol during the night when we were in the field for beast. It was always very cold during those.</p>
<p>Whew! What a ride this has been as a parent, I can't possibly imagine what it has been like to be experiencing everything first hand as a cadet! My congrats to those who made it through, and my thoughts and prayers are with those who will be entering or re-entering with the Class of 2013. </p>
<p>We did get to attend A-Day but honestly are all so tired that we have still not fully recuperated. Still, it was worth the long drive home into the wee hours of the night. Our Plebe was very talkative and I learned a lot this weekend. </p>
<p>Overall, he has actually decided Beast was easier in many respects than learning the ropes all over again during the academic year. Since Re-Orgy Week, he has had to learn new upperclassmen's names and their ranks and jobs in addition to required knowledge (current events articles?) and getting into the coursework. It has been a stressful few weeks, and I can tell there are already going to be lots of ups and downs on an everyday basis. :) But the biggest thing he has noticed is that at Beast someone was always telling you what to do and as long as you listened and did what you were told, things went fairly smoothly. Now all at once he is having to organize himself and figure out what to do and when to get it done. He said in reality, it was easier to have someone constantly yelling directions at you than to make your own decisions! </p>
<p>I, too, love their new motto. JustaMom, did you take photos of the Marchback? If you did and you posted a link, I don't think I've come across it. I am trying to pour through all of the shared photo links and know I have still missed a few.</p>
<p>Anonagron - </p>
<p>I have myself in a bit of a pickle. I took video - megabites of it! My chief video editor went off to college last week between the marchback and A-day. There is no way I can upload it raw.
I am going to hog tie her soon and get her to edit it for me. Then I will make it available.</p>
<p>I know what you mean about being tired - I am still exhausted. Huffing and puffing up all those hills - I never went down hill even once!</p>
<p>JustAMomof4, I will gladly wait ;) ... patiently, even! (or at least I will try). Thanks, I was afraid I'd overlooked your link!! </p>
<p>And regarding the hills... yeah, as I told my younger son, if I lived on post there, I would be in great shape! :D So... how many days and a butt until Plebe Parent Weekend?</p>
<p>How many days?? Way too many!!</p>
<p>Ooooops, what was I thinking? Thanksgiving and Christmas really will be sandwiched in there before PPW! But I didn't get all my souvenir shopping done in the 2 short visits we've had there... so much to see and do, too little time!</p>