<p>Thanks for the great insights and advice.</p>
<p>I have just got to get used to the roller-coaster of highs and lows. My son is never critical of cadre or the other cadets in his letters. He really, REALLY likes his room mate and the other members of his flight. He’d do anything for them. He loves the Academy and never fails to express his thoughts in that regard. He just gets discouraged with himself and worries himself sick that he’s going to get “kicked out” for not being perfect. The things he obsesses over–it’s just not like him. He’s always been such an emotionally serene, optimistic young man. I try to reassure him that his is NOT going to be kicked out for accidentally dozing off during a video or failing a SAMI. These things are transient in the greater scheme of life.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I remind him that honor, honesty, and integrity are absolute, eternal, and nonnegotiable. He has written of two incidents where he was queried by the cadre about some minor performance failing (that he thought were the end of the world) and he immediately owned up to them–and paid a painful price. I told him I was really proud of him for that. </p>
<p>I also reached back into my Air Force memories and told him to always be looking to cover his wingman’s “six.” If he sees them failing, falling behind, or about to be ambushed by upperclassmen or cadre, then within the strict bounds of the honor code, he should do everything he can to assist them. </p>
<p>I keep assuring him that he can get this done, but that he’s got to learn NOT to take things personally.</p>
<p>And I describe what is happening in his favorite comic strips and Internet media (e.g., Dilbert, Homestar Runner/Strongbad’s emails etc).</p>
<p>So far this is a tougher thing for me to handle than I ever thought it would be.</p>