When a new cadet enters the Air Force Academy he starts BCT. That's short for Basic Cadet Training (Bill Prather is right, the military loves acronyms). Among other things, these new cadets are allowed no contact with the outside world except via hand written mail.
No phone calls, no e-mail, no text messaging, just old-fashioned snail mail.
We went through this a year ago when Dan started his year at NMMI. Then he was known as a RAT (Recruit at Training).
I look forward to his letters now the same as I did then. I think every parent of every new cadet wants to know what their child is experiencing and how they are holding up.
From what I can gather he is holding up well. It sounds like things are a bit tougher this time around. In his own words, and I quote, "Compared to the stuff that I put up with here NMMI was a joke. The people here are amazingly talented with words....."
I have of course written him back. Being the jokester that I am, I used a stamp with a picture of the earth on it, then wrote USAFA on the outside of the envelope and drew an arrow to the top of the stamp. It wasn't until the letter was mailed off that I read in the guide to parents that writing on the outside of the envelope will result in your cadet doing extra push-ups before he receives his mail.
Oops. I apologized in the next letter, but then I thought, well, paybacks are tough. This is the kid who, as my Best Man at our wedding last year made me give him 20 pushes as part of his toast. Besides, he kinda likes push-ups. Cadets are odd that way.
Next Sunday is Doolie Day. The cadets get a day off before beginning the next phase of training. I can't wait. I get to see my kid.
In the meantime, more letters to write, giving my encouragement without adding anymore little funny things written on the envelope.
Down there at USAFA are about 1300 new cadets, being yelled at and pushed both physically and mentally, and looking in their mail slots for letters from home.
Across the country are about twice that many moms and dads wondering if their kid they are so proud of is doing okay, and looking in their mailbox for a letter reassuring them things are alright so far.
One more week until Doolie Day. I can't wait.