<p>Help! Nick heard last week that he has an appointment. He accepted yesterday via phone with his regional director. We haven’t gotten anything by mail yet. As I read the other threads, I realize we are woefully ignorant of what we need to be doing. We ordered boots last night online. What is AOG B&B? What are molded cleats and why do we need them? What else is on the list of things to do/bring? We did not get to attend orientation and have been told only self-guided tours of the Academy are available now. You are my only real source of information right now. Please help us fill in all the blanks!
Thanks!</p>
<p>Congratulations! Sorry, I can't help out much (USMA-bound guy right here), but check the Academy's site-I believe they have a virtual tour on it, and that could help out a bit.</p>
<p>OK -- check out the orientation threads, they will help. AOG-BB is simply that the Association of Graduates (AOG) offers a BEd and Breakfast arrangement to Cadets that come alone on I-day. We're going with our son (posts here as Benjo6) but you may want to contact them on that. They will send you a complete list of things but there isn't that much. A few key items: if he needs to have wisdom teeth, do it now but not within 6 weeks of I day and only if your dentist thinks it would avoid an eventual problem, break in the boots - he should run in them, bring proof of citizenship -- a certified copy of birth certificate is better than a passport becasue the academy is known to lose things (no kidding), bring his social security card not just the number- -- very important, vaccinations -- check out the thread, someone has listed them. You will get this in your packet and you don't have to do this UNLESS you want Nick to avoid a sore arm on Iday! A cheap watch is allowed though it will be taken during Basic but given back, NO CELL PHONE but send him his phone just as he finishes Basic or bring it on parents weekend, book parents weekend hotel NOW, no medications unless approved, toothbrush!, have him wear long pants not shorts since when he leaves it will be Thanksgiving and cool!,
That's all I can think of right now -- others chime in!!m Congrats to you and Nick!</p>
<p>nickmom, Congratulations!!!!! I am now in the thick of paperwork that I reviewed briefly when it came and set aside. Now I am pushing my son to complete and sign forms in the heat of AP exams. </p>
<p>ADDAD2010 gave you a go start of the things to come. Here are a few more that will help.</p>
<p>Eye exam: if nick wears glasses or contacts, he will need to fax a current prescription and be fitted for BCGs (birth control glasses) :)<br>
There is a specific form that will need to be completed by the doctor but at least you can schedule an appointment and get the exam done. My son had his eye exam today. If he wears contacts, he won't be allowed to wear them during BCT. They really want to get any glasses made before BCT.</p>
<p>Dental exam: nick will have to HAND CARRY a set of bitewing AND one panoral xray taken in the last 12 months. ALSO, NO braces. The braces must be removed before BCT. </p>
<p>If nick has had any orthopaedic injury or xrays in the last YEAR, he is REQUIRED to HAND CARRY the most recent films and medical reports to I-Day. I still have to get xray films and CT from my son's Oct 05' rib injury even though he has been cleared by DODMERB. </p>
<p>I'm sure there is more but I got to get to bed. </p>
<p>Other than paperwork.......spend time with your son and make the best of the time you have left.</p>
<p>Get your vaccinations done as fast as you can.</p>
<p>What most people should have left is meningitis, Hepatitis A, TDAP (diphtheria tetanus, pertussis) and a Polio Booster.</p>
<p>w00t! Congrads nickmom! I knew how bummed you two were earlier when your son didnt get an appointment but its happening now!</p>
<p>Congrads and i know its well earned!</p>
<p>You'll get an initial packet of information with a bunch of forms, like a security clearance form to fill-out to bring on I-day, along with some other stuff. It'll come in your P.O. box-marked folder and should be the first packet (and the only really large one). This has the tailor card as well, AOG information, Service Member's Life Insurance, etc. Tailor card should get there no later than 3 weeks before June 29, the sooner the better.</p>
<p>You'll get a letter from the math department about taking the practice exam online.</p>
<p>You may get a letter about the online language test and the pre I-day form to fill out (with some contact information and whatnot).</p>
<p>You'll get the contacts/glasses packet, along with the immunizations packet. The immunizations "I understand" form needs to be there by May 15 (but you'll obviously be given extra time, just get it out ASAP).</p>
<p>You'll get your travel itinerary, which is just a government-issue plane ticket.</p>
<p>That's all I can think of for now. It'll come, and you'll just have to fill it out and send it back.</p>
<p>"have him wear long pants not shorts since when he leaves it will be Thanksgiving and cool!"</p>
<p>That part didn't really make sense to me. Yes he will be coming home for Thanksgiving, but he won't be able to travel in civilian clothes - he'll be wearing service dresss, so it really doesn't matter if he inprocesses in shorts or pants.</p>
<p>Poor Nickmom! I can just see her reading all this stuff and rubbing her temples. Got aspirin? LOL I feel for ya! Its alot to think about but it'll all come together. Its good to find all this wonderful advice here. </p>
<p>I wanted to add something about the shot deal for our area that you might find helpful. You may want to call and schedule the meningitis because it has to be ordered. We tried to get it & were told that the doctor (Collins) makes a mass order and lines up all the college kids on one day to pop them all at the same time. Problem was that they had it scheduled for July 20th or some such date & our kid had to report July 9th. We were too late as the shot takes two weeks to come in & my son had the late appointment thing as well. So we sent him off to his academy and they did it up there. But Collins did do all of the other shots he needed just not that one. GOOD LUCK!!</p>
<p>congrats, I had the late appointment thing happen to me because of dodmerb, it was stressful, but worked out fine.</p>
<p>the thing about cleats, don't worry about it, nick could use them for intramural sports, but that's it, and he doesn't even need to have them. and don't worry too much about this stuff, even though it's a lot of paperwork, if you at least get the important stuff like proof of citizenship, medical records, and security stuff, you should be fine. I didn't get any extra immunizations before I came here, and they just gave me what I needed here, and it was fine. The shot people were nice haha. I didn't even finish the security paperwork until the day before I-day since I couldn't get fingerprinted back home and had to do it in the springs with a lot of other people. And there's a lot of kids who go through a good part of basic in their normal glasses before they can get their BCGs since they didn't have time to get in the prescription, just gave it to the people when they got here and got the glasses a few weeks later. no biggie. just do what you can, get the important stuff out of the way. Good luck!</p>
<p>Uncynical -- you're right about the long pants, LOL. Someone from the Academy told me that one and I passed it on without thinking. Good thing cadets who are already there are monitoring us parents! I'll just take this opportunity to thank you for ALL the incredibly helpful info you've given to us on CC. Thanks!</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you for all of your help! I've made eye appts. and contacted doctors for x-rays and vaccines. The boots came in Saturday and have barely been off of his feet. Your information has been invaluable! We finally got the appt. offer in the mail last Friday and sent it back to USAFA on Monday (overnight mail). The database is updated to show "Appointment Accepted", but he is still listed as "Candidate" and not 'appointee'. Is this normal????</p>
<p>That seems to be normal. It dosen't change to apointee.</p>