This is going to be a really exciting post!!!!! Keep reading to find out why ;-)
But first, the boring stuff (the schedule from WebGuy):
Well, Tuesday looks like this.
They had Breakfast open at 0630 for folks to go over and eat. From 0700 - 0800, they had Key Personnel Training on the Terrazzo. This training is for Squadron Commanders, bearers of guidons and colors, group staff, and wing staff. These are the people who need to look sharp and knowledgeable tomorrow at the parade. At 0800, all cadets were required to attend the Acceptance Parade Practice. This would be the full dry-run of the parade tomorrow.
After the practice, the basics go back to the schedule I reported on previously. Some have Clothing issue. Others have the library briefing. Then at 1230, all basics are scheduled to continue self-paced computer instruction in their rooms. At 1530, they receive a briefing from the Academy Leadership.
From 1700 - 1800 they will have dinner. Then from 1800 - 2000, they receive their Academic Schedules.
Okay, now that the boring part is out of the way - the FUN part!!! You see the mention of the Parade Practice up above? Well, Mom heard that parents could go watch that - so we did! :D
At first we went to the wrong place. We could see the basics and cadets forming up, but they were going to be marching to a different area for the actual rehearsal. So we hurried over there. A few minutes after we got there, the basics started marching down the field. I was 99% sure that Aggressors would be the first squadron, and thus that Nathan would be near the front. So I shot this picture, not knowing where exactly Nathan was.
On the left is Aggressors B Flight, and on the right is Aggressors A Flight, Nathan's flight!!! :D
Below is a WebGuy picture {all pictures except the two noted as mine are from WebGuy} of Nathan (between the two guys on the left). He is in the back row of the first group in the formation above.
Well, when I saw all these basics and knew Nathan must be in there somewhere, I got a little....um, overly excited....... And I wanted to see Nathan so bad, so I suddenly hollered "NATHAN!" And right as I hollered, I saw him. So I tacked on "I SEE YOU!!!" for good measure because I knew that his first inclination would be to ignore me and keep his military bearing/stone face on. I didn't go there intending to yell at him.........it just happened ;-)
BUT - I got a big smile out of him for doing it :D
In the picture below, Nathan is the one in the background. Yep, that's the one - the one with the big grin on his face. He couldn't help it :D :D
Below, Nathan is starting to get his military bearing back (he's partly "hiding" behind and to the left of the girl). I think that the girl and the guy behind her and to her right are smiling because of what I did. But I don't know that for sure.
And here is Nathan back to stone face again - but the other two are still smiling :)
It's amazing what a difference being there makes! For example, I know that in the above pictures they were marching onto the field. Then they stood in formation for a while (mostly at "parade rest" {feet apart, hands behind back}) while a practice and abbreviated script of the first part of the ceremony was read. After a while the basics were able to stand "at ease" while the cadre did some things. Once they were "at ease" the basics could talk to each other, look around, basically do whatever they wanted to as long as they kept their right foot in the same place! Well, as soon as they got into "at ease," Nathan looked around and saw us on the bleachers and smiled another big "real" smile :) (Earlier he had been smiling more of a "I'm not supposed to smile but I can't help it" smile). So here's a picture I took of him after he smiled at us.
The basics performed an "inverted wedge" move (see this blog post by WebGuy for info on that) to go join their new academic squadrons. Once they had done that and a few other things, all 40 squadrons (about 4,500 cadets) marched off the field in a "pass and review". The poor grass was quite downtrodden by the time it was over!
Below is a picture of Nathan during the pass in review. He's in the row second from the left, and he's the one closest to the camera. His roommate is the right one in glasses.
And here's a picture of Nathan's new squadron from the pass in review.
And another one of Nathan...as you can see, he had fully recovered his military bearing :P
Well that's all folks. Remember, all this was just the rehearsal for the real parade tomorrow. The basics and cadets will be in blues for that, and we'll actually get to spend time with Nathan (hopefully). So I am SOOOOO pumped about that!!!!!!! :D
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