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Ok, You knew that sooner or later your daughter or son was going to leave the nest, but so soon? For a BMT cadet’s parents, the challenge might be as hard as basic military training itself, only at a mental and spiritual level. We hope this post lets you ease into a mind set that is less scary and much more gratifying.
It's a different kind of challenge for a parent to adapt to the idea of their children leaving, probably harder for those who do not have a tradition of being in the armed forces, and as the hardships of the BMT’s extreme training process will only make a cadet stronger, wiser and more aware of their potential and capabilities, parents will come out of this with more wisdom, inner strength and faith in their children’s inner strength and wisdom. In today’s crazy world, this is quite rare. Check out the pride and sense of accomplishment these young cadets rightfully feel on BMT graduation day:
Allowing yourself to appreciate the moment and let yourself feel rightfully proud of your loved one’s brave commitment, to savor the precious and noble intent expressed by a young man or woman in the context of being welcomed to an elite fighting force whom also share the same convictions, who strive to live their core values: “The Air Force Core Values of Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do, are not just a way to support our country and the U.S. Air Force, but more importantly a framework for approaching life and all of our different roles to be better men and women and support those we love and care about.(2)”
You have before you the opportunity to celebrate feeling proud about your boy or girl, be proud! Celebrate it!, You’ve helped form one of the few good people that understand the benefit and the sacrifice required to live in freedom. Feet on the ground, but heart and ideals in the sky... its quite appropriate they call it the Air Force. So be proud and not keep it to yourself. Let them know. The real heroes are not the leaders history writers were paid to write about, the true benefactors of our cultural wealth and freedom is an anonymous silent group of well meaning generous do-gooders, who’s big hearts and gentle souls align with the cry for justice and freedom. You might make the mistake of thinking that a parent’s posture and attitude might seem of little importance to a young adult, but its all a big charade, in reality your children are extremely sensitive to how you view them and their self worth and self confidence are some of the most influenced aspects, being open and sincere about your trust in their instincts and ideas, in their capacity to react to challenges with agility and strategy will exponentially increase their own self worth and sense of confidence to confront reality and grow.
The Lackland Graduation is a 4-day event starting on Thursday and ending on a Sunday. Get day a day ahead, as things start very early on Thursday morning. Learn about lodging and booking early here.
Advise No. 1: Always let your airman know you are coming. Parents have missed their Airman due to lack of communication. Before we even start, have a look at this awesome video on nature and what to expect on graduation day. Trust me, it will be a great use of your next 7 minutes:
Lackland AFB BMT Graduation Day – OverviewThe Lackland Graduation is a 4-day event starting on Thursday and ending on a Sunday. Get day a day ahead, as things start very early on Thursday morning. Learn about lodging and booking early here.
Advise No. 1: Always let your airman know you are coming. Parents have missed their Airman due to lack of communication. Before we even start, have a look at this awesome video on nature and what to expect on graduation day. Trust me, it will be a great use of your next 7 minutes: This is a great way to plan ahead with a fantastic advice from “Our Gray House” including specific dates:
Lackland AFB BMT Graduation Day – OverviewThe Lackland Graduation is a 4-day event starting on Thursday and ending on a Sunday. Get day a day ahead, as things start very early on Thursday morning. Learn about lodging and booking early here.
Advise No. 1: Always let your airman know you are coming. Parents have missed their Airman due to lack of communication. Before we even start, have a look at this awesome video on nature and what to expect on graduation day. Trust me, it will be a great use of your next 7 minutes: This is a great way to plan ahead with a fantastic advice from “Our Gray House” including specific dates: GRADUATION SCHEDULEThursday: Airman’s Run, Orientation Briefings, Retreat, Honor Graduate Ceremony, and Base Liberty.
Lackland AFB BMT Graduation Day – OverviewThe Lackland Graduation is a 4-day event starting on Thursday and ending on a Sunday. Get day a day ahead, as things start very early on Thursday morning. Learn about lodging and booking early here.
Advise No. 1: Always let your airman know you are coming. Parents have missed their Airman due to lack of communication. Before we even start, have a look at this awesome video on nature and what to expect on graduation day. Trust me, it will be a great use of your next 7 minutes: This is a great way to plan ahead with a fantastic advice from “Our Gray House” including specific dates: GRADUATION SCHEDULEThursday: Airman’s Run, Orientation Briefings, Retreat, Honor Graduate Ceremony, and Base Liberty.
Also please note:
This is what to expect at BMT at Lackland AFB.
Its how to begin to be part of the air force, its the first step. To do so you need ot complete what is called :BASIC MILITARY TRAINING: or BMT, and its probably the biggest challenge most cadets have ever faced, but its designed to make you grow and to give you the skills needed for sucess in the airforce.
On week 0 You are going to be assigned to the care of a Military Training Instruction. You are going be evaluated and get set up. On Week 1 Full immersion, hit the ground running, but be aware you are learning, this week is designed to get you to up to pace, both for the body and the mind. On Week 2 Learn about the rich heritage forged by the warriors of the most preeminent air and space power. On Week 3 You will come to terms and embrace the responsibility of defending freedom while opening your eyes to the nature of the threats to national security. On Week 4 You will be prepared save your fellow airmen through defensive combat. On Week 5 The pinnacle effort of BMT lies in overcoming field training exercises and combat scenarios posed on this week. On Week 6 Your physical fitness and airmanship skills will be evaluated, including some strategic history. On Week 7 Airman's Run and Graduation Ceremony On Week 8 Airman's Week - About Looking into your Values and today's needs. Understanding the community and your roll in it today.
So is it really that hard? Ask some Cadets!
On Base? Off Base? Lackland Air Force Base has 3 lodging hotels inside the base. The Gateway Villa, The Gateway Inn, and The Gateway Lodge. In a few words, if you like convenience and practicality book early on base. Another important thing to note is that your airmen need a "Hotel Waiver" in order to enter the hotel room.
Booking a room for the Air Force BMT graduation can be tough. On base, hotels are very practical, but you might also end up having to share a bathroom with a stranger, o so says Zoe Wolf from Military Spouse Guides*.
The hotels are basic but comfortable. Comparable to a best western, they are not luxurious but they aren't bad either. Prices range from $35 - $65 per night. You can request to stay at a specific hotel, but it's really subject to available rooming.
It's also important to note that officers on active duty have priority on booking. This means that if there is a reservation conflict or over-booking you might have to give up the room. Off-base alternatives are usually arranged for you in case you are asked to "surrender" the room. Still, Zoey recommends you always have a backup plan, such as these off-base alternatives. The benefits of booking on-base are being close to everything, also the disposition of areas where to spend time with your airmen when they have base liberties. As there are little other options to spend time together. More about the Gateway Inn
Here is a video from Karey Ellen, who stayed at the Gateway IN, in San Antonio, Texas for her husband's graduation from basic military training in August of 2011.
More on the Gateway Villa
All of them were built to provide facilities to duty airmen, reservists, and families.
Now for some insights into the Gateway Lodge we could not find a video, but found these reviews instead.
For example:
"Well…the room was clean and decently decorated. The sleeping area is about 12 x 13 with enough space to walk around the queen bed. There is a desk on one side of the bed and an easy chair on the door side. At the foot of the bed there is about three feet of walking space and a large cabinet that the TV (a flat 32”) site. If someone is sitting at the desk they occupy all the space between the desk and bed. On the other side of the wall that had the desk is another small area with a sink, closets, refrigerator/microwave and the connecting door to the shared bathroom. If you share the connecting room with a family member the set up isn’t too bad. Bad - The worst thing I noted was that you can hear bathroom noises very loudly (since there is only a slab door for separation) and the toilet is extremely loud when you flush. In fact it was so loud that I felt bad flushing the toilet on my nightly sojourns. There was new carpet in the room but it is a thin industrial grade carpet glued to a concrete floor. This is not very comfortable underfoot. I stayed here for five days and our toiletries were never replaced. Shower head was awful as it was mounted at about 5’6” and the spray came out in a circle pattern with a fine mist. The head has settings available but it was calcified in place so there was no chance of changing it. Good - The bed slept very well and the room seemed to stay nice and dark in the early morning hours so it was easy to sleep in. The internet was fast and reliable. The price is reasonable as you pay less than $45 for the room - I think $44 as of 1 Oct 2014. I wouldn’t stay here if I had to pay more! Stayed: September 2014, traveled with family" AIRFORCE BMT GRADUATION OFF BASE HOTELS
If you are reading this, ods are you or a family member is going to go through the BMT course for the Air Force, so we created this list of recommendations that will help you have a better time during the first weeks of BMT.
1. Air Force’s core values, know'm by heart: Integrity First, Service before Self, Excellence in all we do. Its in the strength of the spirit and the courage of the heart that we find the power go grow beyond our expectations. Its from internal and hidden motivation from the self that we get the drive to transform our selves into the future. The energy and motivation must come from within. The 3 core values of the Air Force speak to your internal strength, and as they will become, if you choose so, the main drivers of your career. Play this video about USAF's core values, and remember these are the core strengths of airmen.
2. Some basic stuff about Lackland Air Force Base: Lackland Air Force Base is located in Bexar County, Texas and is the only entering processing station in the Air Force for basic military training and thus its called the “Gateway to the Airforce”. Lackland Air Force Base is part of Joint Base San Antonio which is a union between the United States Army Fort Sam Houston and the United States Air Force Randolph Air Force Base and Lackland Air Force Base, which were merged on October 1st, 2010.
3. Know the Reporting Statement. A "Reporting Statement" is the way you address your superiors. "Sir/Ma'am, trainee (Your Last Name) reports as ordered". Be sure never to confuse a Ma'am or with a Sir or vice versa. Also be sure to avoid saying a "Sir Sand-witch" where you state "Sir, blah blah blah, Sir". As Staff Sgt. Antonio Gonzalez says "Nothing makes an MTI’s day like a sir sandwich from a new trainee fresh off the bus!" (MTI = Military Training Instructor). 4. Know the Airman’s Creed. "I am an American Airman, I am a warrior, I have answered my nation’s call, I am an American Airman, My mission is to fly, fight, and win, I am faithful to a proud heritage, A tradition of honor, And a legacy of valor. I am an American Airman. Guardian of freedom and justice, My nation’s sword and shield, Its sentry and avenger. I defend my country with my life. I am an American Airman. Wingman, leader, warrior. I will never leave an Airman behind, I will never falter, And I will not fail." 5. When appropriate, (and there are many occasions for this) join in singing the first part of the Air Force Song: " Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun, Here they come zooming to meet our thunder, At ’em boys, give ‘er the gun!, Down we dive, spouting our flame from under, Off with one helluva roar!, We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!, Nothing can stop the U.S. Air Force!
6. Get ready to work very very hard... for 8 weeks: Seriously, get into the mindset of increasing your resistance to psychological stress and physical stress. Get in shape, get ready, visualize yourself going through it all till the end and hold on to that vision. This is so you get an idea of the mindset you need to be ready for:
7. Its got one of the best Obstacle Course anywhere!. And this is a little of what your body should be in shape for. The idea is to get ahead of the game by prepping your body before hand. So play this video about the famed BMT obsticle course and get familiar with it:
8. Get familiar with the United States Air Force Ranks: "For thousands of years, military forces worldwide have maintained a strict rank to keep order.*1" A military rank structure helps because it helps maintain order, assure a continuation of command and honor with the prestige generated by higher ranks. "he rank of United States Air Force Academy cadets is denoted by the insignia on their shoulderboards in all "blues" uniforms, including "blues", service dress, overcoats, mess dress and parade dress. All cadet shoulder boards carry the heraldic nebuly device, (commonly referred to as "clouds" by cadets). Third class cadets have one thin bar (ground) underneath the clouds; second and first class cadets wear two thin bars, one each above (horizon) and below the clouds. Additional chevrons denote cadet non-commissioned officer ranks, while additional bars denote cadet officer ranks.*2".
9. Common terms and abbreviations: In Lackland Air Force Base a number of terms are used in such a way that your airman will probably end up using them with you. If you want to learn more about those terms and abbreviations follow this link.
10. Communication: Communication in Lackland is completely different from things in the real world. Yes, you heard it, students in Lackland are not allowed to use their cellphones and sending videos and pictures is prohibited. Families will only hear from their airman in phone calls and letters. 11. Transportation: You can take your personal car with you if you do take exit 4 I-410W and go through airman’s gate, which is open 24 hours a day. You can also rent your car too which as an easy way of not complicating yourself just make sure you check which are the car agencies available at San Antonio International Airport. The airport is located 18 miles away from Lackland Airforce Base. Taxi drivers can take you from the airport to Lackland but you have to check that the driver has a valid military ID because they won’t be able to ride in the base. Some of the taxi companies around that are available are: * Yellow Cab Taxi (210) 222-2222 * A1 Express Taxi (210) 224-8294 * AAA Taxi Service (210) 599-9999 * National Cab (210) 434-4444 * Towne Car Taxi (210) 826-8294 Weather: During the graduation ceremony, there is not a specific dress for the visitors. Comfortable clothes are recommended since you will be sitting in bleachers. The experience of 3rd CCS from Lackland Air Force Base told from day zero till graduation. Know what is the real life in the AFB. Information is taken from: http://www.lackland-afb-graduation.com/ http://afwm.org/
This blog post was based on the following sources and resources, we very much welcome you gain more insights from these great places online
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