And, They're Off!
The appointees have all arrived. The last Hellcat has boarded the bus and as I write this, the last of 1186 basics has come up the stairs from the tailor shop in Sijan Hall in their new uniforms and joined their new BCT squadrons. They are now officially basic cadets.
Doolittle Hall is now quiet again. The only people left in the building now are the WebGuy folks, editing away! Take a glance at the 2022 Inprocessing Gallery for the start of our uploaded pictures. You can view them oldest to newest or news to oldest. I just checked status with the photo editors and they have assured me that all the photos will be up tonight. Of course for you folks on the east coast, that means late.
Today was full of activities. Right now your Basics have probably experienced their first BCT dinner meal and tonight they will meet their cadre, start to go over the knowledge they must memorize inclluding rank and quotations as well as their Squadron Flight and Squadron Commander Cadre's names and making up their rooms.
You will be amazed when you see them march onto Stillman Parade Field tomorrow morning. I saw them practicing their marching tonight on the Terrazzo and they already looked pretty good. That is no surprise, actually. They are the best of the best after all.
Here is a word about tomorrow's public swearing in ceremony. It is scheduled for 8:30am. I would plan to be early. Not Zero Dark Thirty early, but I would certainly plan to be in your seats by 8:00am at the latest. There will be plenty of seating this year, so don't stress. You will have a bit of walking from the field house up to the parade field, so allow for the walk and also the altitude. The north gate will be your entrance again tomorrow and you will be parking where you did this morning. The basic squadrons will be lined up in alphabetical order A-H (from left to right) in front of the bleachers, so plan you seating accordingly.
For you folks who weren't able to be here in person, tomorrow's photos will be up much earlier in the day.
It was great to meet so many of you both at the Field House this morning and later at Doolittle Hall today. I'll be back with a longer blog tomorrow with more info about what's in store in the coming weeks.
See you tomorrow as the adventure continues!