<p>Thank you all for your kind words. May you all receive letters tomorrow. Try not to scare any mail carriers. <g></g></p>
<p>What does it mean for the cadets to "Prepare Hometown News Releases"? The schedule Webguy has posted has said it a couple times.</p>
<p>They have a standard release form that allows the Academy to notify the local newspaper that (Redhead) (Potterfan) etc. has begun their Basic Training at USAFA and during the rigorous weeks ahead will be educated in military customs and courtesies, proper care and shining of combat boots, appropriate wear of military uniforms, how to shop in the cadet store without speaking etc...</p>
<p>Just curious - does anyone know about the young lady in the wheelchair (AOG picture 6557)? I think she is in Flying Tigers.</p>
<p>Patriot Mom - I was wondering about her too. I think she is the girl in the close-up picture with the big grin. I think the big guy at attention in the Flying Tigers picture in line just across from her is my son. In the last letter I sent him, I asked about it. I'll let you know if I hear something.</p>
<p>Last year during our basic there was at least one kid who was put in a wheelchair...among others in crutches. We assumed he was hurt pretty bad...I don't think he was able to stay, since chances were that he would be incapacitated longer than the allowed 6-7 day limit (not sure on exact limit). Hopefully this girl isn't another one of those cases.</p>
<p>Interesting...one wonders HOW in 4 days one could injure themselves that badly. Hopefully she will not be outprocessed.</p>
<p>Yes, she looks like the same girl as in the close-up picture, and she looks like she has a great attitude. Hope she is okay, but also wonder how someone could get hurt doing what the cadets have done so far. I would love to hear about her.</p>
<p>If she's a BC already in a wheelchair, I'd put my bets on medical turn-back.</p>
<p>The guy in our BCT last year in a wheel chair had some sort of really bad skin infection, like staff on steroids. Can't remember quite what it was (in a wheelchair on July 4th).</p>
<p>There was a lot of talk about her among the cadres on Inprocessing Day. Apparently, she arrived in the wheelchair. I'm surprised they let her inprocess, but since they allowed it, it's probably a minor injury she incurred right before she arrived.</p>
<p>Great pictures on the WebGuy blog page. I bet everyone is looking at them. found the best picture yet of D with a big real from the heart kind of grin. Makes up for no mail....!!! Hope everyone else is as lucky in seeing a nice one of their loved one. Would be better if it were closer up - but that is the first real smile I have seen since she left!!!</p>
<p>I wondered if one of those girls was your daughter. Give me a link to the picture. I am trying to recognize her when I see her.</p>
<p>I'd set a link if I could! The page frequently won't open up - too many people checking out the photos! If you can get it to open - she is in the first set of intramural photos (first photo is girls in green sitting down) click on the words above and it brings you to the whole group of photos. Go down towards the bottom and you will see a photo with two girls in yellow and three in blue. My D is the one in blue with the smile sitting next to the girls in yellow. </p>
<p>Did you get to see any of your son?</p>
<p>None of son, but the great letter makes up for it.</p>
<p>Yes, I found her. Great picture! Great smile! </p>
<p>Is that her three photos below - walking?</p>
<p>The photos below show girls in blue shirts that look like or almost like the blue Jaguar shirts, but they are marked with an E. I really think the blues are confusing.</p>
<p>yes - that is her - not as good a photo though. </p>
<p>I agree - the blues are confusing. I think we got the short straw having to sort through the blues!</p>
<p>MomofHopeful - glad to see your daughter smiling/having some fun at intermurals. </p>
<p>Dan & Judy Knight
Dknightfam (from our Orientation dinner)</p>
<p>Momof"Basic"2011 - that smile is beautiful. I recognized your d from the orientation dinner. Of course, my son always retains that military scrowl.<g> I thought intramurals would be a nice change of pace. Glad to see they enjoyed it.</g></p>
<p>Dknightfam - yes, I remember you and fam from orientation dinner. Great time! Yes, she was clearly having fun in that photo. </p>
<p>Falcons '11 - I like that new name for me! Can't get them to change it so I call myself "MomOfHopeful for mail" these days! No mail from D yet. But not for lack of stalking the mailman. Her not sending mail seems out of character to me - I figured best friend got the mail instead of me but that was not the case. Well, she'll write when she's good and ready and if she doesn't like something I'm sending everyday she can get the hint and respond accordingly!!!!!! ha ha ha ha (No, I am not sending candy or photo's!!!!). </p>
<p>That photo of her real smile will "hopefully" tide me over for days (as once again she must have hid under the table when WebGuy showed up at lunch today because there is no sign of her in any of them!).</p>
<p>Just found a whole new batch of photos on the AFA website. Go to Cadet Life / Photos. They have started adding photos for 2011 class.</p>