Two things happened this week, both related to the United States Naval Academy and while I could have addressed them on my USNA blog, I feel compelled to share them here. The theme is simple, drawn from a classic Rolling Stones tune ... You can't always get what you wantBut if you try sometime you'll … Continue reading The needs of the military, the desires of your child

We celebrate Veterans Day this week and when you're a military academy parent with no military experience of your own, it hits differently. I remember being at a football game for the first time after my son entered the Naval Academy. Standing for the national anthem, I found myself choking up. A friend turned and … Continue reading The many faces of Veterans Day

23 October 2022 Dear Catie: When you read this, you’ll be 21 years old. As I write this, I am trying to wrap my head around the whole concept. As you know, your birthday has always been complicated. I mean, we don’t really know for sure that today’s your birthday. Around this time of year, … Continue reading A letter to my daughter on her 21st birthday

This post is heavy on Naval Academy mentions, but the themes apply to us and our kids at USAFA, too. It’s often said that a person doesn’t get appointed to a military academy, an entire family gets appointed. Sure, the son or daughter does the really hard part - they endure Induction Day, live at … Continue reading Parents commission, too, and the training pays off

Despite the fact that I document (or have documented) a fair amount of both my kids' experiences at their respective academies (as well as their journeys to those academies), neither one has a particular interest in my writing. Oh, they are fully aware that I write about their lives - and supportive of it - … Continue reading My daughter told me not to write this post

Every parent who headed to Colorado Springs for Parents Weekend spent weeks anticipating the trip and the time with their cadet. I did as well, but likely with some markedly different emotions. Last year's Parents Weekend was a difficult one. Incredibly difficult. I won't bore you with the details except to say it was the … Continue reading Parents Weekend bookends a challenging year

When you become a military academy parent, you quickly learn that much of the next four years of your life will be about milestones. From the time your child earns an appointment, you set your calendar by events like I Day, A Day, and Parents Weekend and look cautiously forward to things like job drops … Continue reading Of unexpected milestones

A Day is behind us, meaning the Basics are now Doolies, and Transition is also in the rearview mirror, signaling the return of the entire Cadet Wing and the beginning of the academic year. That means the focus for most USAFA families turns toward one thing - Parents Weekend. Over my six-plus years as a … Continue reading The only way to do Parents Weekend correctly

Some of the best parts about being connected to a military academy are traditions and milestones, which are often intertwined. It starts with I Day and ends with Commissioning with a countless blur of them in between. The Air Force Academy Class of 2026 now has two major ones in their pockets with I Day … Continue reading Putting A Day in the rearview mirror

Summer for Basics and Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy means something different to everyone involved. The Basics, of course, grind their way through BCT. The Cadets have a wide range of experiences that may include BCT as part of the cadre, professional training, and the coveted time off. But there's one thing … Continue reading “T” is for Transition