New Cadet Survey

Colleges and Universities A-Z Military Academy - West Point
1

<p>Got an early release of an upcoming survey that the Department of Defense intends to send to USMA New Cadets. May want to give your new cadet a heads up.</p>

<p>Dear New Cadet:
As Assistant Secretary of Defense for USMA Cadet Morale, I want to thank your for giving us the opportunity to serve you. We know you had other choices than the USMA. Please help us to serve you better by taking a couple of minutes to tell us about the service that you have received so far from your CBT Counselors (Previous surveys have led us to conclude that the title of Counselor better conveys the intended parity between New Cadets and CBT Leadership). We appreciate your selection of USMA and want to make sure we meet your expectations. To show our appreciation we have enclosed a booklet of “Sleep-in Day of your Choice”, “Respectfully Decline your Order, Sir”, and “No Sir, You drop and give me 50” vouchers. We hope that you will accept this valuable gift as a token of our good will. </p>

<p>Please be assured that your responses will be kept completely confidential and that your SS# on the bottom of the survey is for administrative recording keeping purposes only.</p>

<li>In evaluating your CBT and CBT Leadership, the quality of service you received has been:</li>
</ol>

<p>Very poor – Had better service and more freedoms at Attica State Prison</p>

<p>Somewhat unsatisfactory – Only been beaten when I deserved it.</p>

<p>About average - Room Service was good but some of the vegetables were consistently overcooked.</p>

<p>Very satisfactory – Love not having to make a decision. Makes me feel like I’m already a second lieutenant.</p>

<p>Superior – Love it here. BDU’s are much more comfortable than my old straightjacket.</p>

<li>How could your experience with the CBT Leadership been improved? </li>
</ol>

<p>Issue Bianca mouth spray to CBT Leaders </p>

<p>Instruct CBT Leaders to include “Please” and “Thank You” in commands.</p>

<p>Give New Cadets option to accept or decline commands.</p>

<p>Require CBT Leaders to help New Cadets clean rooms.</p>

<p>Let us room together with CBT Leaders to expedite “bonding” experience with counselors.</p>

<li>Once informed of a problem or concern you had, your CBT Leader… (Select all that apply)</li>
</ol>

<p>Quickly identify the problem - Told me I was the problem</p>

<p>Appear knowledgeable and competent - Yelled “The Army Way or the Highway.”</p>

<p>Help you understand the cause and the solution to the problem – Dropped and gave him 50</p>

<p>Handled issues with courtesy and professionalism - Ripped me a new one.</p>

<li>Over the next 12 months, how likely are you to leave USMA to attend another Academy or University?</li>
</ol>

<p>Certain – I have been hiding in the Cadet Uniform display at West Point Museum for the last three days.</p>

<p>High chance – Will only stay if barracks get air conditioning</p>

<p>Low chance – Plan to leave after Army Football team has winning season.</p>

<p>Never – Love the food and slow pace of life.</p>

<p>Take care. Keeping all the cadets in our daily prayers.</p>

2

<p>I like this one. </p>

<p>"Low chance – Plan to leave after Army Football team has winning season."</p>

3

<p>Thanks, aspen. I needed a good laugh today after that first phone call that I've been on pins and needles to receive went home while I was at work. She talked to her twin sister for 10 minutes. At least all of the news was good.</p>

4

<p>momoftwins:</p>

<p>We still haven't received our call. Don't know if my wife anxious but she's taking her cell phone to the bathroom when she showers.</p>

<p>Did get our first letter from our son. It was a masterpiece of brevity.</p>

<p>" Dear Mom & Dad, I have like 10 secs to write this letter. Real letter will come later. It's going well. Love,"</p>

<p>Made our day.</p>

5

<p>Daughter called us last night at abt 7:15 pm her time. Her feet are sore, her muscles are sore, she gets yelled at a lot (but so does everyone else she says), and she says mail is a big big deal for them. She also wanted us to mail her lots of band-aids in our letters for those blisters that are starting to blossom (she mentioned a recent 3 mile hike with 50lb packs). A letter arrived today, two sides of a 3x5 pocket notebook paper (actually a lot more than we expected).
Thanks for the survey Aspen, I will send it off to her right away--I have a feeling she will need a laugh or two before this is over!</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
Don't know if my wife anxious but she's taking her cell phone to the bathroom when she showers.

[/quote]

LOL. And I'm sure you're just as calm.</p>

<p>Great survey.</p>

7

<p>Finally got the call last night. Momma bear can finally rest.</p>

<p>Our son was in good spirits. Said new cadet life is hectic and his only personal time is in the bathroom - where he reads his mail. What a romantic sounding life!</p>

<p>His major complaint with CBT is all the standing around they do. He says the running and hiking (3 miles is longest hike so far) aren't a problem, but the standing kills his feet. Asked us to send him some Dr. Scholl's gel pads. He wants to start "gelling".</p>

<p>Likes his squad leader (lets the new cadets take more than 5 chews during meals) but is concerned that second half of CBT could get worse when they get a new squad leader(thinks that his squad will llikely get a tougher squad leader). </p>

<p>Says that there have been a few dropouts already but that most new cadets are too busy to consider quiting.</p>

<p>His biggest challenges so far have been to get the shine right on his boots and to remember to tuck his shirt inside his gym shorts. Figure he's doing alright if these are his biggest problems.</p>

8

<p>We've gotten two letters and a call. Theme of letters - "this place s<strong>ks but it's not too bad" and "this place still s</strong>ks but whatever it's not bad it's just boring" Doesn't seem to be having any problems with the athletics, etc. - really no worse than his practices for hockey/lacrosse this past year - but I think his comment re: "boring" echoes Aspen's son's complaint about "standing around". My son seems to have fully accepted his decision to attend WP, and will make the best of what they throw at him. He also told us that a kid in his squad had quit yesterday - but it didn't seem to be a big deal to my son.</p>

<p>Luckily his first letter asked me save some candy bars he had in his room refrigerator - good thing, if I'd seen them without his note I surely would have eaten them myself.</p>

9

<p>I'm glad everybody is hearing good news. My daughter also said that she has not had time to read any of the letters we have sent to her yet. She mentioned that a letter is on the way home, but that we shouldn't expect much. Now I can't wait for the ice cream social on the 17th for that second call.</p>

<p>I have to admit that I'm curious about the new cadets who are quitting already. I understand that there is a solid counseling program in place for them, but really wonder If they are just unprepared for the experience of CBT. Between "Surviving West Point", all of the videos sent by WP, the reading materials, the ALO interviews, the extended application process, prospective.net, parents' clubs, media focus on negatives of the military(and of course college confidential), how is this such a shock that they are quitting after 1 week? </p>

<p>Maybe I'm unrealistic - I just think that if you can get through the admissions process and get into WP, then maybe you have the maturity to make a decision a little bit later. Get through Beast and then decide.</p>

<p>I certainly don't mean to offend anyone by asking, but I can't help my curiousity.</p>

10

<p>MofT: I've thought about the same issue - how does someone slog through that admissions process and now know what they are getting into. My son made a day visit to West Point - sat in classes, ate with the cadets, etc. And, after he was admitted, spent the night. That sealed it for him and I was confident he knew what he was getting into. I can only think that some of these kids were put on the West Point "conveyor belt" early on and the process took on a life of its own. Once they get to WP, they realize for the first time that this is their life, not their parents, grandparents, etc. Here's an interesting link I found today - <a href="http://www.west-point.org/parent/plebe-net/quitting.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.west-point.org/parent/plebe-net/quitting.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

11

<p>oib,</p>

<p>I read each of the posts on this link and found them to be inspiring, heartbreaking and bittersweet at the same time. But I couldn't stop until I finished. One thing I noticed is that many of the posters were from the class of 1980, which was the first class to accept and graduate women. There is absolutely nothing statistically significant about the number of responses, but I just thought I'd mention it. </p>

<p>Thanks for the link. I don't expect to need it, but neither did any of the parents of the posters.</p>

12

<p>If you take a look at the CBT schedules that have been published, the first 1-2 weeks is heavily devoted to additional inprocessing - getting more gear, more health checks, basic classes/sessions on personal hygiene, diversity, etc. All of this is 'hurry up and wait' stuff. It starts getting better weeks 3-6. </p>

<p>If, of course, better to you is slogging through mud, hanging from ropes, and hiking with packs!</p>

13

<p>I think my son would say yes, slogging through mud is better. And once they start to use the M-16's they issued, I think he'll be very happy.</p>

14

<p>Received TWO letters from our new cadet today. In one she she listed some "high points of the past week:"</p>

<p>Sleeping till 6:30 am on sunday</p>

<p>Complemented on her hair bun by a cadre sergeant</p>

<p>Successfully cut the cake properly at the platoon leader's table at dinner</p>

<p>Passed platoon leader's room inspection</p>

<p>Got something called "big bites" (?) for room being in order</p>

<p>More "big bites" for a high score on her APFT</p>

<p>finding out the new style boots don't have to be shined</p>

<p>Some of the "downers" :</p>

<p>Lost ID tag (resulted in 150 push-ups)</p>

<p>A Uniform party (evidently the other squad members were slow getting dressed so they ran this 2 minute drill--change into BDU's, then white over grays, then in PT uniform then back again)</p>

<p>Having to clean the ladies rest room singlehanded as she is the only female member of her squad </p>

<p>Running up and down the 6 floors of stairs 6 or 7 times a day to get to their rooms (then being told that company assignments will remain as they are after A day)</p>

<p>finding out the boots are more comfortable than the low quarters dress shoes</p>

<p>Flashlights and alarm clocks have been taken away till after Beast so letters are being read under the sheets at night by the light of a wristwatch!</p>

<p>She does say that each day is "a little better" than the one before...gotta love it!</p>

15

<p>Shogun: Sounds like your daughter is doing great. I think the "big bites" must have to do with the number of bites the New Cadets are allowed to take before swallowing. Normally it's three, sounds like your daughter has been rewarded with a few extra bites per swallow. Glad I got my son a watch with Indiglo - hope the battery holds up.</p>

16

<p>Ahhh, I hope you're right Big Green! She says they get almost no time to eat (not to mention they are not allowed to let their back touch the chair at meals!). Amen on the batteries!</p>

17

<p>Thanks for posting the highs and lows. I'm especially pleased to hear about the boots. When I found out that my daughter had not had time to read any of the letters we sent I had visions of her trying to make those hospital corners for hours on end.</p>

<p>Being the only female - does this mean she has a private room?</p>

18

<p>She is rooming with a female from another squad. It was interesting to note also that some squads had up to 3 females in them while others had only one. I am now wondering if the pairing of females to squads is more than just random assignments or spreading them out evenly amongst the Regiment. I do know that all the XC runners are in H company so that may have something to do with it as well.</p>

19

<p>Boot Shining:</p>

<p>Glad to hear your daughter is doing well Shogun.</p>

<p>When I talked with our son he said the new boots had to be "brush polished" but not shined. He felt the brush polishing of the boots was harder than shining the dress shoe. My guess is that the boots may be harder to clean/polish since they likely get much dirtier than the dress shoes.</p>

<p>If you're not already doing so, keep checking for new photos on the USMA website under CBT Photos. New photos appear every day or so. Found one of our son doing PT. Looks like he has learned to tuck in his T-shirt. Amazing what a little pushup motivation will do to improve one's dress code.</p>

20

<p>:)
I don't think our daughter will lose her ID badge any more either!</p>