In-Processing Day 2018 Preview
Hello 2022 Families,
In-Processing Week is just about here! We are in the final stages of the countdown to I-Day. The Admissions Office is busy putting together the bags containing the in-processing packets which will be handed out on I-Day. One of the most important items in those bags are the colored ID cards that the Basics will wear during BCT. The cards are color coded to identify which BCT squadron they were in. Here's an example of Barbarians.
I know many of you are wondering what I-day will be like. As you all may have heard by now, this year will be a change from previous years in that it will begin with your arrival at the Cadet Field House. I'll try to walk you through the morning, step by step. Keep in mind, that this is a new process, so this is based on the most current information available. Things are always subject to change, so stay flexible!
In-processing begins about 0700. That’s 7:00AM for you non-military folks. Most appointees and families will now enter through the USAFA North Gate and follow the signs to the Cadet Field House, according to their assigned reporting times.
WebGuy will have photographers deployed at the various in-processing stations both at the field house and also in the cadet area. Be sure and stop for a family photo when you arrive in the morning. You can’t miss our photographers. They all will have a big WEBGUY on their shirts.
After parking, you will proceed up the steps and follow the crowd to a sign-in station on the west side of the field house where your appointee will sign in and you all will wait until you are called into the auditorium in groups of about 200 for a short welcome briefing. 
With the staggered reporting times, the wait isn't too long now. Make sure you wear sunblock. You will need it. There will be water available. Families are allowed to stay with their appointees at this point in the process.
Once your group is called, you will proceed down a short stairway and corridor and enter a small auditorium with seating for about 200. Here appointees will receive their first "welcome" from one of the senior leaders of the Academy.
Pictured below is the briefing room. (Photo was taken during an unrelated event.)
This stop only takes a few minutes. This is where you will say your goodbyes following the welcome briefing. Word of advice... Don't wait till then to say what you need to say.
Appointees will be exiting out one door of the auditorium to begin in-processing, and families will be exiting out another. This will be the last time you will have direct contact until you get that call on Doolie Day out. Parents will be guided to the info fair where the Academy has set up numerous information tables for the families to find out about Academy programs and get answers to questions. Be sure to stop by the AOG Table and say hello. We have Kleenex available. You WILL also be able to observe your appointee going through the beginning of in-processing and boarding the bus from the balconies above the indoor track and outside above the bus loading area.
After leaving the welcome briefing the appointees head down to the indoor track, get their in-processing packets and get started. The time that each appointee spends before heading to the buses is relatively brief since most of their info was submitted via their online admissions portal.
Once they have their packets they put on the ID lanyard with their name and squadron information, including their BCT squadron color. They will wear these ID badges throughout BCT. You will be thankful that they do when you see them all in uniform. We all use the badges to identify the squadron we are photographing. We sort our photos into galleries by squadron during BCT to make your search easier. The appointee in this photo below is a Barbarian. Next to her is a simple chart to help you identify each squadron by color.
Moving on with in-processing, after they pick up their packets, the appointees step over to another station to get the combination to their post office box. They also have an amnesty box where they can turn in items like fake IDs without any consequences.
One last stop for a scan of their ID to identify where they are in the process…
And it’s time to head out the door for the bus ride to the cadet area where the rest of in-processing will be completed and the cadet journey will begin.
Once they get on that bus, the training cadre are waiting to greet them.
There are many more steps ahead for them during this first day, (which our photographers will cover), but that will all take place in the cadet area.
There are, however also many activities for families including the info fair in the field house and the briefing by the Commandant of Cadets and other senior academy leaders at 1:30PM in Arnold Hall. Your next stop after your cadet gets on that bus should be the FAMFEST hosted by the Colorado Parents Club and the Assn of Graduates at Doolittle Hall. Buses will be provided by the Academy in order to get you from place to place.
Below is a a short video about that event. That's it for this blog entry. There will more to come between now and I-Day, so check back often and also be sure to like and monitor our WebGuy Facebook page. Here's the link. WebGuy Facebook. We use Facebook to keep you informed about whats going on over here on this website. Once the Class of 2022 arrives there will photos and blog entries every day, so check back often.
See you soon!