<p>I feel like I am starting all the threads here.</p>
<p>Son just called at 10:00 AM on his cell phone. Everything going fine has lost 2# since arriving at USMMA. Sounded very upbeat. It was over before you know it.</p>
<p>Wait is that you phone ringing?</p>
<p>CPASteve</p>
<p>We just got ours about 9:45. Had to call everyone with the good news. Everything is fine, yes the DI was standing right there, KP is everything he wanted and more. Yes he was tired, send food (enough for 28+) and the last word was his NCO likes Oreos.
Thrilled Dad</p>
<p>Just got off the phone with my son. He sounds good says its pretty much what he expected. </p>
<p>It did go quickly and he got cut off mid sentence! Now I have to call his girlfriend and tell her to bake cookies and that my son loves her! What we do for our kids.</p>
<p>We also got our call at 10:05 and both ends had a few cracks in their voices. He was doing great except "they" are mad at us and we didn't get breakfast this morning". That would be 4th Co., Platoon 402. I see now why they don't let them call to much. "What our son didn't get fed!!!" :) We aren't the type to call and complain so don't worry.....but our son lives to eat with a high metabolism. I told him he will enjoy lunch even more so today. The 5 minutes went very fast as Dad was out watering the plants and I spent some of that time trying to find him. When I got told, "I have 90 sec left" Dad finally got on the phone. It most definitely went TOO fast. I had so many questions and none got answered. And we have received three letters and he thinks the DI's are hilarious but isn't telling them that. Trying to keep a sense of humor as we told him he should. :) He is doing fine!</p>
<p>We talked to our son (DI) last night. He did mention on Sunday they serve brunch. I don't think anyone ever goes hungry.</p>
<p>As my form letter I received stated he was leaving the table full and satisfied, I wasn't to worried. Also, I sure don't want to get him in trouble, :) he thought they were hilarious as they had no voices left and were still yelling. He didn't say the DI's or what they were doing was hilarious. He has a high respect for the routine and definitely didn't think what they were induring was funny. Anything but.... He has Alex, Suzanne's son, as one of his DI's and he stated he was helpful but very professional. Thanks Suzanne for your son!</p>
<p>chiefnerdnc, that whole oreo thing sounds a little too familiar (& a wee bit suspicious). :rolleyes: Send your kid's favs as I can swear that a giant bag of oreos is in the guy's possession as we speak. Talk about greed......</p>
<p>Glad the phone calls are going for ya'll!</p>
<p>Hi Jazmom,
I just got a box of powerbars (30) and a box or oreos (30) and will send both. Maybe the DI's will get a conscience and share as it will get there later in the week.
Thanks for the encouraging words.</p>
<p>My plebe candidate called the girl friend. Guess I know my place in the pecking order : ( But at least I got a letter earlier in the week. He seems to be taking everything in stride. Just the begining of the journey</p>
<p>
[quote]
We also got our call at 10:05 and both ends had a few cracks in their voices. He was doing great except "they" are mad at us and we didn't get breakfast this morning". That would be 4th Co., Platoon 402. I see now why they don't let them call to much. "What our son didn't get fed!!!" We aren't the type to call and complain so don't worry.....but our son lives to eat with a high metabolism. I told him he will enjoy lunch even more so today.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yet another reason why parents never have the full picture of what is going on and "helicoptering" is a bad sport. The DI's are obviously playing some nice mind tricks on the kiddo's as there is never breakfast on Sunday's, only a brunch. </p>
<p>Glad to see you weren't going to call, because you would have had a good laugh when you got the Academie's response. The DI's don't have the power to withhold meals.</p>
<p>Last week they got breakfast. This week it was switched over to brunch which is the regular schedule at KP. That runs from 10:15am-12:15pm. I heard candidates and DI's talking this morning. The candidates thinking they were getting punished, and the DI's laughing that they had fooled the candidates. They were just pulling their legs. Cheer up I haven't seen a candidate skeleton yet. They are eating fine.</p>
<p>There is a rule book the DI's must follow...I forget the exact name for it, but the MIDN officers know it as well and they make sure the DI's follow it...and the adults make sure the students follow it...i think in this day and age it would qualify as illegal to not feed them, or how about just terrible leadership given the heat and most likely lack of sleep. Don't worry your kids are gonna feel like crap/bad/etc. but they aren't going to stave, be beaten, etc. heck i think that swearing is a no no</p>
<p>Thank you KPMOM for clearing that up for me. If he had brunch last week why didn't he realize he was getting it today and not breakfast? Now it makes sense. I think that was a good one on them from the DI's. I bet they did get a kick out of fooling the candidates. With four children, we have learned to listen and wait and not jump to conclusions. A very smart Dad of two graduates from the USMMA told us at the waterfront barbeque to listen and then wait a few days and it would all be forgotten. I've seen our son in pictures and he definitely is not a skeleton yet. Being raised in a military family and marrying an ex navy man, I am not the worrying Mom type as I know if so many have done this, my son can too! We are very proud of his decision and commintment as I know all the parents are. Thanks again for the first hand info. I envy you being there to see it all. I'm sure you have lots of stories we could all listen and learn from.</p>
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<p>Don't even think that it ends after plebe year. Three Persian Gulf cruises later, each with at least a Valentine's Day and Birthday, and the accompanying email, "dad, send girlfriend/wife roses", I have realized it never ends. At least I get some poetic license with the accompanying card.</p>
<p>You will always look back and remember that first phone call....</p>
<h2>the most anticipated call (from both sides) we've ever gotten.</h2>
<p>Yes, we sent power bars too.
The message for our YOUNGER son was a little muddled, apparently.</p>
<p>He went to school one morning. As he was getting out of the car, he said "I didn't have time to eat my powerbar for breakfast. I'll leave it here." He then proceeded to put the KingSize SNICKERS bar on the console... ???</p>
<h2>So, we had a teaching opportunity that afternoon on the difference between a PowerBar and a CANDYbar --- truth be told, however, we HAD sent both :) </h2>
<p>Now, I ain't saying nuttin ...
Sometimes, they'll ask you for cleaning supplies.
Have you seen the big white Clorox cleaning wipes in the tall opaque/White plastic bottle? you know the one, that's even TALLER than (oh say) Snickers KingSize candy bars?? (but, wait a while)</p>
<p>Yesterday, I heard from a candidate who had talked to his parents and told them he wanted to quit. They told him no, he should not quit, and they would not support that decision. Those are wise parents. That student is now seriously considering staying. I've seen them before. When he graduates he will tell his parents that he is so glad that he stayed, and he is proud to graduate from USMMA.</p>
<p>There are very few students, at the beginning, who don't contemplete quitting. If parents just agree with them, then they leave. Parents who tell them to stay, have helped them learn to stick to it, even when it's hard.</p>
<p>Basically, when they call, they need someone they can complain to, who is not their DI. They need a sounding board, and encouragement. They let it all out, then they get off the phone feeling so much better. True the parents are then in agony until the next phone call, but the candidate is doing okay and will be fine.</p>
<p>It's very hard at the beginning, but they are more than half way through INDOC already. This is not something that lasts for all four years or even for a year. When classes start, the DI's have to settle into their own studying, so they don't have as much time to be in the candidates' faces.</p>
<p>In the final analysis, it's not the regimental system, or the sports that they are at the academy for, it's for the academics. If they get a setback or are disenrolled, other than breaking rules, it will be because they got behind academically. Encourage your candidate to keep his/her priorities straight, and that is to study.</p>