<p>
[quote]
The march to the oath ceremony is not on the parade ground. It is on the street that winds its way to Trophy Point from Washington Hall.
[/quote]
right - but there is a little parking area there for drop offs. We stood across the street from Trophy Point right behind the bleachers for the parade grounds.
You won't actually be able to sit in bleachers but most likely stand along the road. Some folks with really good cameras went to the top of the bleachers and snapped pictures from there.
You can pick up a card with their company and PO box on it in Ike Hall and know what company your NC is in. Females are a little easier to spot than the males - I stood right behind my daughter during the oath.</p>
<p>One thing that surprised me was how we were able to hang around post all day on R-day. I had a great time watching the new cadets and meeting other parents. I didn't expect to have a "front row seat" and see the new cadets lugging their big green bags around in the morning. I spent several hours watching them go in the barber, then out, newly buzzed. </p>
<p>I never spotted my kiddo though (later he told me he saw me).</p>
<p>It was an interesting day, to say the least. R day was a bittersweet day, but A day was absolutely joyous.</p>
<p>I'm glad someone mentioned acquiring the new cadet's address in Ike Hall that day... so one more fun little piece of advice: Be sure you take a plain white envelope and paper onto post with you that morning. The USMA Post Office had a table set up where they were selling stamps and accepting the stamped mail for delivery, but they were not selling the equipment to write on!! I went scavenging the merchandise booths to find paper and the only packaged note sets I found were beautiful embossed sets that were a little too pricey for me. I finally settled on a small USMA memo pad, but hey, it worked for that first letter from home! I could have saved some time and energy if I had taken that with me if I had thought that far ahead.</p>
<p>Does anyone know what day A day is on? Also parent weekend. The old calendar is still on the website and I do not want to miss A day. Knowing now would help insure my husband could also attend. Thanks if so. And maybe they don't publish it ahead?</p>
<p>Are cadets in basic training allowed to receive mail? If so is there mailing address really just: West Point, NY 10996? Are they allowed to call home once they start classes in the fall. Thanks…if anyone can answer …ellimom</p>
<p>Cadets in beast can receive mail and love receiving it. On R Day you will be given your new cadet’s Beast Company Information for mailing during Beast. There is a booth at Ike Hall that is fairly easy to find that gives out that information. You will also receive his or her P.O. Box number for their entire stay at West Point a week or so before Beast. However, if you include his or her Beast Company information on the envelopes you send during Beast they will receive their mail much faster. If you are not going to R Day, ask someone else who is going to R Day to pick up the information and call you with it. I picked up Beast Company mailing information for someone else and caled them immediately…only to wake them up on the West Coast.</p>
<p>ellimom - I concur with Sierra1. Join prospective-net.</p>
<p>Your son/daughter will be able to call home a couple of times during beast and anytime after A-day. Plebes get their cell phones back on A-day and also will have phones with free long distance in their room.</p>
<p>I definitely will join prospective net. Hoped I could get an address before graduation party. Someone had suggested having a basket with pre-addressed stamped envelopes available for friends and family to pick up. I reallhy appreciate all the imput!!!</p>
<p>One of the things I did while my guys were at Beast was to carry pre-addressed, stamped post cards (just the plain ones you can buy at the post office) in my purse wherever I went. That way when I ran into anyone I thought likely to write them, I would hand them a post card and ask them to drop a line. The guys really enjoyed getting the postcards, and it made it easy for poeple to do.</p>
<p>You need to be comfortable in something lightweight. You will see people in everything…most women wear nice shorts, sundresses, or capris. Men wear nicer shorts, khakis, sport shirts. Siblings dress like kids!</p>