Dare to stand out

funnyesq · 06-10-2008, 06:43 PM

I say make I-Day "memorable"...

Wear that t-shirt that makes you stick out like a sore thumb and gets you that extra attention you know you want (e.g. "Go Army, beat AF")

Have your hair long, flowing in the breeze and all over the place (although I understand the guy from 2011 that had the very wild hair didn't complete his first year)

DO something, SAY something ridiculous.

Parents: send your sons letters in bright pink envelopes with perfume, egg on their Cadre with "my son can do more push ups than any of his cadre" be creative.

Most important....HAVE FUN!

PatriotCPM · 06-10-2008, 07:00 PM

You will regret this in the extreme if you actually do any of these things...

the point of I-Day and Basic is not to have fun.

AFPJ · 06-10-2008, 07:06 PM

Yes I woudn't do anything that gives you extra attention.

HNeedle · 06-10-2008, 07:18 PM

try to be humble?.......

USAFA10s · 06-10-2008, 07:28 PM

I am planning on doing the OPPOSITE of what funnyesq said, lying low.

AZcadet · 06-10-2008, 07:30 PM

Memorable, huh? Easy to say, you're not entering Basic with us.

AirforceHokie · 06-10-2008, 07:35 PM

Sounds like someone who didn't get in and is on the outside looking in. I'd stay simple and be willing to learn.

missmuff · 06-10-2008, 07:44 PM

yikes, people! let loose and laugh once in a while!

i mean, it's not much longer we can do that, right?

kbd12 · 06-10-2008, 08:54 PM

So i'm thinking about changing my hair color before I go... What do you all think about pink highlights?

That's within regs right?

undercoveraviatr · 06-10-2008, 09:02 PM

i have thought about doing some of these things before, but MANY people have advised against it. not only some cadets i met at orientation, but high ranking officers (a Lietenat General in the Marine Corps for example) have told me that the object of BCT is to get us used to being part of a team and the best way we can do that is to just lay low.

now, no doubt these things are HILARIOUS to think about, and i don't even think there is anything WRONG with actually doing some of them, but in all the "fun" i think the most important thing we as appointees can do is to embrace the principles that BCT is designed to instill.

Guy4Christ · 06-10-2008, 09:41 PM

Perhaps I can offer a good perspective on what funnyesq said as someone who did I-day, did BCT, and is still here after 2 years and loving it...

I followed the majority of the advice I got to lay low, blend in, and be silent on I-day (unfortunately I didn't stay silent all through basic). I wore a white t-shirt and khaki shorts, was as silent as the grave, and did everything right. The end result of all that was that I-day was unmemorable, tense, and somewhat dull. I listened to all the "you should have been there" stories from my buddies (some intentionally planned, most unintentional) and laughed with them, wishing I had my own stories to share.

Yeah, I-day is scary. But don't make it boring on top of it. I'm not saying you all should go dye your hair and buy "Train this!" t-shirts. However, I AM asking you to consider my example and my regret that I didn't have any kind of story or memory from I-day to share or look back on. If you hit the ground running TOO fast and TOO ready to become Mr./Mrs. military and toe the line, you'll leave all your classmates behind you and alienate yourself, much like I did.

You will have the rest of basic to fall in line and learn to be team. Trust me, it's long enough. Being a little bit (read: LITTLE) of a goof the first day and having a fun story to tell just might be worth it. If you do something TOO crazy, you might regret it all of BCT. But if you play it right, you'll have a great memory (and a few extra pushups for a day or two) to share down the road.