<p>We dropped our USMA cadet son as a listed driver on our auto policy. However, under the terms of the policy he (as well as any other person who has our permission) is covered when he drives our cars during leave. Initially, our insurance company wasn’t going to drop him since they wanted to treat him like a normal college kid away from home. This changed when I explained that as a cadet he was an ‘active duty’ military person. Most insurance companies make a distinction between away from college students and active duty military. As they should.</p>
<p>Second regarding Cadet possessions at the academy. My understanding is that at USMA, the cadets are responsible for any damage or loss of their personal property. This includes their uniforms and computer equipment. Please let me know if I’m wrong. Although my son arrived with only a small duffle bag, after 3 years he’s accumulated several thousand dollars of stuff. While our homeowners policy provides some coverage for possessions away from home, we purchased a stand along ‘student’ policy that provides up to $5000 of property coverage with a $100 deductible for about $100 a year. In fact, the deductible is waived on the computer if you load a tracking software program on the computer. There are a number of these type policies available via the internet.</p>