<p>Thanks Wheelah44. It sure is helpful having input from "those who have been". :D</p>
<p>Broke-in tennies, glasses, contacts and , did you have the athletic inserts?</p>
<p>beachmom-
is your daughter going to swim here?</p>
<p>hey hey wheelah and the rest of the gang...definitely dont dont dont bring the 6 socks/shirts/ whatever...you are wasting your money. like two seconds i walked into Alumni on I day they took EVERYTHING. i had my paper work my id card and the clothes on my back. i should have just shown up like that! so def. skip all the extra stuff. i do recommend bringing your own shoes broken in...you dont want blisters all day. alright i have some recommendations though for the first care packages though...ok send shout wipes most grocery stores have them, its and easy way to touch up the white works before running out into the hallway. next, youknow thos fake credit cards you get in the mail or in a new wallet, send those...it sounds funny, but when you go to put your name tag on your uniform, if you dont have "backing" your name tag droops..so the cadre make you get backing on it...and the best backing if seen are these fake credit cards. the other thing to send...is pictures...every plebe has a like 2ftx2ft cork board to put picture up...of course there are rules like you have to have a tac in all four corners, but just to come back and see those pictures, is worth all teh trouble to put them up. but, dont put any like wild crazy ones up cuz the cadre will see them. ok well thats all i have for now. and beachmom...im on the team too (wheelah and i are like best friends if you guys havent figured that out yet) so, is your daughter coming here to swim??</p>
<p>BIG GRIN. I'm lurking around and see the very best idea to steal! Thanks Imatnavy! Hope you don't mind but your idea about the fake credit card is brilliant! At parent's week-end at USMMA, all the Mom's got to pin on their eagle. Ya shoulda seen what he wanted me to try & push that pin thru. Four layers of cardboard for his backing. In high school for NJROTC, he used card stock so I just didn't get it. GREAT idea. I'll save those useless things from now on! Thanks!</p>
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send shout wipes most grocery stores have them, its and easy way to touch up the white works before running out into the hallway.
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</p>
<p>Good idea! However, make sure it's DRY when you head out! ;)</p>
<p>
[quote]
next, youknow thos fake credit cards you get in the mail or in a new wallet, send those...it sounds funny, but when you go to put your name tag on your uniform, if you dont have "backing" your name tag droops..so the cadre make you get backing on it...and the best backing if seen are these fake credit cards.
[/quote]
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<p>IMO, the best thing to use is the length you cut off your web belts when you size them. You always end up with a good eight inches of material. Simply cut to length (as the width is nearly perfect), fuse the end with a lighter (in the case of black nylon belts) or seal with Crazy Glue (in the case of whites), and you have a backing that a) matches the uniform color (won't show through), b) has softer edges (won't print as much on the outside as a piece of plastic will), c) is free and easily available in your issue, d) won't pinch you with sharp edges, and e) is the perfect thickness to keep the frogs (clips) and the nameplate in place.</p>
<p>DO NOT USE CARDBOARD as it bends and gets soaked when you sweat.</p>
<p>SWEET! I am so stealing that one too. I saw an NROTC kid once where I could actually read words through his uniform. LOL </p>
<p>Yep on the big no-no to cardboard. I just looked at him when I saw it and raised my eyebrow. He said, "Its the first thing I could lay my hands on going out the door. They gave us three seconds to get it down here". It looked like a brick in there. I kid you not. He had to take it out & rip it in half then refold it. If he would have had the belt idea, he would have bowed before you oh great one. Will pass along these ideas for sure. What a time saver too! Wait till I tell my NJ kids!</p>
<p>i did wear my orthotic inserts in my shoes. i have wicked bad flat feet and had to get a waiver for them. they issue inserts, but if you have ones specially molded to your feet already, its that much more convenient. and yes, let imatnavy and me know if we have any future swim girls to take into the fold!</p>
<p>beachmom
Hey there! I don't know if you have been checking earlier posts, but some of us are planning on connecting on sunday August 13th after we drop our mids off at the end of PPW...send an email to <a href="mailto:peskemom@yahoo.com">peskemom@yahoo.com</a> if you want to be included!</p>
<p>congratulations to you and your daughter!
GO NAVY!</p>
<p>I am soooo rude! I'm sorry! I just stole the ideas and left. LOL</p>
<p>Congrats to Beachmom & daughter!! I didn't mean to ignore something so GRAND. What an exciting time for her and the whole family. Peskemom is gonna need help in that cookie kitchen. Add one more! Let me know if you need a 10 lb bag of chocolate chips! I'll donate.</p>
<p>I'm a USMMA mom but.....</p>
<p>GO NAVY!</p>
<p>Some great info. That's why this IS the site for USNA! GOOOOO NAVY!</p>
<p>Leave it to Z to drop another helpful hint, did everyone get it? :confused:</p>
<p>I have it on my list from much earlier posts.... FROGS! I will be sending a box of these little jewels! I know from NJROTC they can become a hot commodity! :D</p>
<p>Wheelah44 - while Sierra is a XC gal, I think she's considering crew at USNA. Don't ask me how that switch came about but I think it's related to her CVW. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>a lot of girls pick up crew. most don't have any prior experience. they like it a lot.</p>
<p>The thing that concerns me is I know crew (well, any varsity sport really) at our high school takes up a lot of time. But, time mangement IS the name of the game.</p>
<p>As for swimming, I know that another West Virginia mid (Jennifer?) came to speak at the high school and made contact with Sierra. Made a very good impression so I'm told.</p>
<p>By the way, good luck at Herndon! :)</p>
<p>Hey, do mids need those little American flags for plebe summer or should these be sent later in care packages? :confused:</p>
<p>Z - did they use the flags when you were there to get out of a "mutiny"?</p>
<p>Any other "required" items to appease upperclassmen?</p>
<p>jennie spencer! yes i know her well.</p>
<p>That's her! Let her know Sierra made it and that speaking to her really helped reassure Sis on her decision. :D</p>
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Z - did they use the flags when you were there to get out of a "mutiny"?
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<p>Plebe cover on the deck outside any room where (IIRC) 5 or more Plebes were present.</p>
<p>Sorry for the slow reply. I can only check this board sporadically.</p>
<p>Yes, my daughter will be swimming at Annapolis. Swimming is what got her interested in USNA in the first place. One of the men's assistant coaches saw her at a meet last year and told the women's coach he had found a distance swimmer. The rest, as they say, is history...</p>
<p>I love the idea of using a piece of the web belt for the backing. Have to tell hubby and my older daughter about that one. He is still in the Navy and she is a Marine. We have that sea-service thing covered!</p>
<p>Thank you for all the kind words. Now that the paperwork is done, I guess we can sort of relax for the next two months? Maybe? Hopefully?</p>
<p>BTW, the thicker cotton-poly belts are FAR superior for this that the thinner nylon ones. The thicker material will keep the uniform material and name plate snug against each other, and the frogs from floating, much better than the thinner stuff.</p>
<p>The cool thing is that once you've punched the holes through the material (which is no big deal) and using the backing for a few days, the holes will become permanent, so it's not like you have to punch through each time. You'll be able to put them on, in the dark, just by feel. It doesn't get any easier.</p>
<p>Since we're on the subject of uniforms, a few words about tucks.</p>
<p>A tuck is simply a means of tucking (hence the name) the extra material in your short in a smart (i.e. - military) manner. In other words, just stuffing your shirt into your trou (trousers - start picking up the lingo) is unacceptable, and will result in upperclassmen yanking on the back of your shirt and asking you where you're planning to jump with that parachute.</p>
<p>You will be issued shirt stays. I hate them, and IMO cause more problems than they solve. Some companies may mandate their use, so keep that in mind. You can, however, give YOURSELF a stellar (another buzz word) tuck without them.</p>
<p>So how do you do it? Easy.</p>
<p>Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, and lean back slightly. Roll the waistband and belt of your trou outward over your trou, so that the inside of the waistband is facing outward. Tuck your shirt into your trou straight down, ensuring that there are NO WRINKLES either in the front or back (all excess material should be equally distributed under each arm). Ready?</p>
<p>Now, on each side of your torso, BUT SLIGHTLY BELOW YOUR WAIST (about a half-inch), grab the excess material with a GOOD GRIP (i.e. - GRAB it, don't just youse your fingertips), pull OUTWARD to the sides, and then roll all the material back over your thumbs. Without removing the pressure applied by your four fingers, pull your thumbs out and transfer them so THEY are holding the fold against your sides, and then use your now-free fingers to grasp the waistband of your trou and roll it back over. Once the waistband and belt are in place, keep tension on your belt as you buckle it. Once the belt is buckled, stand up straight. You're done! You should have ZERO wrinkles in front and back, ZERO baggy material anywhere, and two flat, sharp folds at approximately your 4 and 8 o'clock positions.</p>
<p>Now, this will eventually become second nature, and you'll be able to do it while walking around your room, in the dark, practicing rates, and dodging your roomate. The tuck will remain in place almost indefinitely, and if it pulls lose, just slip into a classmate's room or head and repeat.</p>
<p>The trick is to ensure the fold of the tuck is DEEP. If it's only at the waist, it will come out, and the jumbled material in your trou won't earn you any good comments. By having it down low, the material is smooth, and the trousers as well as the belt help hold the tuck for you.</p>
<p>The only exception to what I posted above is when you're in Whiteworks and donning the drill belt with your bayonet on it. You'll need help from a classmate for that because the belt can't be held like in trousers.</p>
<p>Now, does everyone know what a Gig Line is, and how to properly wear a web belt?</p>
<p>Here's a hint, supplied by an Army officer (typical!) with a lousy tuck, and completely hosed Gig Line and an improperly adjusted web belt:</p>
<p>Show up looking like that at USNA (Plebe or not), and you will not be smiled at.</p>
<p>(To his credit, this poor man was involved in fighting the Nazis in Europe, and I doubt strict uniform regs were much of a priority when you might get killed in the next few hours.)</p>
<p>beachmom- did your daughter drag here? if so, do you know who she stayed with? because i most likely have met her if she's a recruited swimmer.</p>