CTC 111-08 Week 3!!

[HAMMY]

Well my hubbie is on his way home from completing week 2 of the academy! I cant wait until he gets home!!! It is about a 5 1/2 hr. drive so he will get home around 1am or so, but it is worth it!!! How did everyone's Cadet do??! Congrats to all who made it through another week!!!

[taliwags84]

Mine is doing great! I am so proud of him (and them all!). Unfortuantly he stays up there on the weekends. I won't see him for two more weekends...can't wait though! Hope you all are having tons of fun with your cadets this weekend!

[Eagl5]

Unfortuantly he stays up there on the weekends.
At the academy? On purpose? He needs to get out of there when he can or he will go koo koo......

[iheartmycadet]

My cadet made it through another week. =] Congrats to all the other cadets and their families that made it through week 2 also! We are just enjoying his time now. It's really nice.

[taliwags84]

At the academy? On purpose? He needs to get out of there when he can or he will go koo koo......


Well, we live too far to drive and it costs a lot to fly every weekend. He said he will probably stay at a local hotel sometimes.

[Sampa]

That sounds like a plan...yet to find out if it's a good one or not...I see a lot of people have different opinions about staying over the weekend or not...I don't think I want to drive 6 hours every weekend either...

[Eagl5]

My .02, I drove 5 1/2 hours each way every weekend. I left right after 5 and was home before midnight. On Sunday I would leave at 3 be at the Academy by 8 have my stuff done and in bed by lights out eady for the week. I did study while home, but it did a world of good for me to see family and friends, go to a movie or out to dinner its good for them. Plus the drive gave me time to think and go over stuff in my head as well. Just my experiance I know others mayvary but the benefits for me outweighed the long drive. :biggrin:

[Sampa]

My .02, I drove 5 1/2 hours each way every weekend. I left right after 5 and was home before midnight. On Sunday I would leave at 3 be at the Academy by 8 have my stuff done and in bed by lights out eady for the week. I did study while home, but it did a world of good for me to see family and friends, go to a movie or out to dinner its good for them. Plus the drive gave me time to think and go over stuff in my head as well. Just my experiance I know others mayvary but the benefits for me outweighed the long drive. :biggrin:

Thank you Eagl5...What about staying over in a hotel or a B&B, did you experience that at all? I am just thinking way ahead, convincing my husband that I need to come home every once in a while it's being pretty hard...all he can think is how much gas is going to cost....MAN!!!:rolleyes:
I am really trying to see how the different "stays" worked for some of the ones that went to Camp Snoopy already.

Thanks for your 0.02

[HAMMY]

Well my Cadet is off and on his way back to the academy. It was great to see him! Even though the time seems short it is way worth it! It is gas money well spent!! Hope everyone has a great week 3!

[Mom]

I am really trying to see how the different "stays" worked for some of the ones that went to Camp Snoopy already.

Thanks for your 0.02The times my son stayed, he stayed Friday night at the academy, then would check in early on a Sat to the Doubletree, order room service, use the pool/hot tub, and order pay per view. For him, it was worth it just to get away.

[Gittinready]

For those looking at (or currently) staying at a Hotel on the weekend, or even driving home, you might consider looking at Southwest as a good alternative. When I went through such a LONG time ago (II-06) I flew home on Southwest EVERY weekend. I didn't care how much it cost I just needed to leave and see my friends and family. The key to making it through is being able to decompress and shut down. The academy is not a sprint...it is a dang ultra marathon. The mental and physical stresses will shut you down. I had planned on staying up there and just flying home maybe once or twice a month...until the first week. Then I got the hell out of there every chance I got

All that being said, the key to Southwest is booking way in advance. I just booked a flight from Orange County to Sac and it was $69 each way. Price out a hotel for two nights, or gas home and back, and it isn't near as expensive as it could be. Plus you'll get to sleep in your own bed and see your loved ones. Not to mention Southwest actually lets you check TWO WHOLE BAGS for no extra charge! Whoo hoo SCORE!

Moral of the story, who cares how much it costs. If you have to bust out the plastic a little bit then so be it. You'll be able to pay those off easy with your first overtime checks. Just do what you need to do to get through.

Good luck

[proudwife]

Hello eveyone, well my hubby just got back and I miss him already. He loves taking on this new challenge and has his heart and soul set on this. He has been wanting this for years. I am so proud of him as well as the other cadets that have made it to this 3rd week. Good luck everyone and do not ever count the months, for some weird reason it feels shorter to say 2 weeks down, 25 more to go and not 5 1/2 months to go..that sounds way too long!! LOL.:rolleyes:

[Fire1]

Just checked southwest and they have flights a few weeks in advance for $59 each way to san diego. That is a hell of lot cheaper except for the nastiest hotel. I say fly and get the hell out of dodge

[dw]

Just checked southwest and they have flights a few weeks in advance for $59 each way to san diego. That is a hell of lot cheaper except for the nastiest hotel. I say fly and get the hell out of dodge+1

Having commuted weekly on WN (that's FlyerTalk for SouthWest :wink:) for the past two years, once you get into the routine, it's not bad. Book in advance and reuse the fare if you have to cancel a trip.

[OfficerWife]

My hubby was in the I-08 class and flew home every weekend, except for a few weekends when I flew up to Sac. Initially we didn't intend to have him come home every weekend, but after the first week he wanted to get out of there and come home...and he was home every weekend thereafter. We both agree that it was money well spent. Yeah, we had to put some on plastic, but it was still worth it for his sanity and mine. He flew Southwest 99% of the time and my only caveat to those $59 rates are that you won't get those rates while he is at the academy. Those low rates are weekday rates and your cadet will be flying during the peak flight times. The good thing about Southwest, as opposed to other seemingly cheaper airlines, is that the flight are changeable and refundable/re-usable. We both like JetBlue a lot better, but they charge $100 to make any changes to your flight (I changed his flights often, sometimes even hours before it was scheduled) and now charge extra to check luggage and even to sit in the front of the plane (the extra fees really add up). We also racked up lots of free flights, so when he manages to get some time off, we'll be able to fly anywhere Southwest does for free :smile:

[iheartmycadet]

I totally agree with you. I miss mine too and next weekend I only get to see him for about 3 hours. =[ It's better than nothing though. It is totally easier on the mind and heart to say 25 weeks hehe! I am sooo proud of all our cadets. CONGRATS on making it this far, you can do it. One day at a time!

Hello eveyone, well my hubby just got back and I miss him already. He loves taking on this new challenge and has his heart and soul set on this. He has been wanting this for years. I am so proud of him as well as the other cadets that have made it to this 3rd week. Good luck everyone and do not ever count the months, for some weird reason it feels shorter to say 2 weeks down, 25 more to go and not 5 1/2 months to go..that sounds way too long!! LOL.:rolleyes:

[Mom]

CTC II-08 Blog and pics are up. Keep checking for CTC III-08.

[mvasquez]

Hi,
I would just like to say congrats to you and your hubbie on completing week 2 of the academy. My hubbie just graduated on July 11 with CTC I-08. I remember the first weeks of the academy thinking that this was going to be the longest 27 weeks of my life. Hang in there. It is so amazing at graduation when you see them walk across that stage. Definitely worth it and such a rewarding career. congrats to all!!!!

Mallorie






Well my hubbie is on his way home from completing week 2 of the academy! I cant wait until he gets home!!! It is about a 5 1/2 hr. drive so he will get home around 1am or so, but it is worth it!!! How did everyone's Cadet do??! Congrats to all who made it through another week!!!

[mvasquez]

Hi,
My husband graduated with CTC I-08 and I remember thinking it was going to be a long 27 weeks. Trust me it goest by really fast after about week 6. Good luck to you and your hubbie. We lived about 1.5 hours away from the academy. I can remember waiting for him to come home on Friday nights, and Sundays were extremley hard, because he had to leave. There were some weekends when he didn't get to come home, and I would drive that 1.5 hours just to have dinner with him. I used to think that some time was better than no time. It is all worth it. stay strong!

Mallorie



I totally agree with you. I miss mine too and next weekend I only get to see him for about 3 hours. =[ It's better than nothing though. It is totally easier on the mind and heart to say 25 weeks hehe! I am sooo proud of all our cadets. CONGRATS on making it this far, you can do it. One day at a time!

[mvasquez]

It is great to know that there is another wife from CTC I-08. How is your hubby doing on break-in? I hope things are going well. My husband was in Company C in CTC I-08. How about yours? Look forward to talking with you.

Mallorie



My hubby was in the I-08 class and flew home every weekend, except for a few weekends when I flew up to Sac. Initially we didn't intend to have him come home every weekend, but after the first week he wanted to get out of there and come home...and he was home every weekend thereafter. We both agree that it was money well spent. Yeah, we had to put some on plastic, but it was still worth it for his sanity and mine. He flew Southwest 99% of the time and my only caveat to those $59 rates are that you won't get those rates while he is at the academy. Those low rates are weekday rates and your cadet will be flying during the peak flight times. The good thing about Southwest, as opposed to other seemingly cheaper airlines, is that the flight are changeable and refundable/re-usable. We both like JetBlue a lot better, but they charge $100 to make any changes to your flight (I changed his flights often, sometimes even hours before it was scheduled) and now charge extra to check luggage and even to sit in the front of the plane (the extra fees really add up). We also racked up lots of free flights, so when he manages to get some time off, we'll be able to fly anywhere Southwest does for free :smile:

[dw]

Welcome to the forum, Mallorie.

Could I ask you to reply below the quoted text? I get confused easily and it makes my head hurt. :doh: Also, you can click on the little (" +) icon to quote multiple posts in one reply. :biggrin:

[rayni]

It is great to know that there is another wife from CTC I-08. How is your hubby doing on break-in? I hope things are going well. My husband was in Company C in CTC I-08. How about yours? Look forward to talking with you.

Mallorie


Welcome to the forums I'm a CTC I-07 wife, but here is a link to where you can find other wives/s.o from your Officer's class.
http://http://www.chpforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3567&page=17 (http://http//www.chpforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3567&page=17)

Good luck to your class during break in.

[christeeny]

Hi,
My husband graduated with CTC I-08 and I remember thinking it was going to be a long 27 weeks. Trust me it goest by really fast after about week 6. Good luck to you and your hubbie. We lived about 1.5 hours away from the academy. I can remember waiting for him to come home on Friday nights, and Sundays were extremley hard, because he had to leave. There were some weekends when he didn't get to come home, and I would drive that 1.5 hours just to have dinner with him. I used to think that some time was better than no time. It is all worth it. stay strong!

Mallorie

I so appreciate your encouraging words. I've been trying to stay positive about this whole experience but I have to admit that in the back of my mind I wonder how will we get through the entire 27 weeks. It seems so long!!!! It's also nice to know that I'm not the only one who wonders that. So many people have gotten through- my hubby and I will too. I'm really good at encouraging him and reminding him to keep the big picture in mind...I guess I need to tell myself the same thing. :smile:
As far as flights go...I'm with everyone else who is flying their cadets home. Southwest IS awesome. The first couple of flights we spent double, what I recently booked. I've learned that if you book them way ahead of time, you get a great deal! I booked for the entire month of August. Plus if you sign up for RapidRewards, you get your 8th flight free...something like that. I encourage you frequent flyers out there to check that out.
I am so proud of our cadets. They are almost half way through Week 3! Yay!:biggrin:

[CHPWife]

Couple great things about Southwest.

canceled flights get a full credit toward a future flight

After you fly a lot you are on the "a" list and always get an a pass no matter when you check in.

They changed the boarding so in addition to letter groups they split you into small number groups - no more standing in line.

Someone at home can check you in and you just reprint the boarding pass when you get to the airport

Southwest rewards - a flight is a flight (usually 1 point each way but sometimes they have bonuses). My husband earns points on the Burbank to Sacto run and every year we have at least 4 free passes that we use to someplace like Florida. other airlines use miles so short flights don't earn you very much. Disney world in 10 days!!!!

[DBEB03]

Pretty soon you're going to fall into a routine. The first couple of weeks are hard, but you'll get used to it. Keep encouraging your cadet. If he feels supported by you, life will be much better for you both. Make sure you listen well to what he says about accademy life 'cause its all he's going to be talking about for the next 6 months. Keep on top of it so you can relate back.

I so appreciate your encouraging words. I've been trying to stay positive about this whole experience but I have to admit that in the back of my mind I wonder how will we get through the entire 27 weeks. It seems so long!!!! It's also nice to know that I'm not the only one who wonders that. So many people have gotten through- my hubby and I will too. I'm really good at encouraging him and reminding him to keep the big picture in mind...I guess I need to tell myself the same thing. :smile:
As far as flights go...I'm with everyone else who is flying their cadets home. Southwest IS awesome. The first couple of flights we spent double, what I recently booked. I've learned that if you book them way ahead of time, you get a great deal! I booked for the entire month of August. Plus if you sign up for RapidRewards, you get your 8th flight free...something like that. I encourage you frequent flyers out there to check that out.
I am so proud of our cadets. They are almost half way through Week 3! Yay!:biggrin:

[proudwife]

I so appreciate your encouraging words. I've been trying to stay positive about this whole experience but I have to admit that in the back of my mind I wonder how will we get through the entire 27 weeks. It seems so long!!!! It's also nice to know that I'm not the only one who wonders that. So many people have gotten through- my hubby and I will too. I'm really good at encouraging him and reminding him to keep the big picture in mind...I guess I need to tell myself the same thing. :smile:
As far as flights go...I'm with everyone else who is flying their cadets home. Southwest IS awesome. The first couple of flights we spent double, what I recently booked. I've learned that if you book them way ahead of time, you get a great deal! I booked for the entire month of August. Plus if you sign up for RapidRewards, you get your 8th flight free...something like that. I encourage you frequent flyers out there to check that out.
I am so proud of our cadets. They are almost half way through Week 3! Yay!:biggrin:


Christeeny.
do you have to call to cancel a flight or you can do it on line and it will be a credit ? How does that work ?:think:

[LovemyCADET08]

Christeeny.
do you have to call to cancel a flight or you can do it on line and it will be a credit ? How does that work ?:think:


I can help you out with this one....You need to call and cancel and let them know you plan on using the ticket credit in the future. Then when you book online there is a section that say use travel funds where you can enter in the confirmation number and they put in the funds.

Just be careful, because they will only allow up to the price of the ticket, so if you paid $100 for a roundtrip ticket and you cancel it, when you rebook, you will pay the difference in fare if there is any. So make sure when your re-booking to pay attention to the cost of the flight. It is really nice they can do this other airlines charge $75 for each change plus the fare difference.

Also keep track of your FF trips online, and you can get points (.5) for hotel stays, so if he does not fly but goes to a hotel, he can get Southwest credit if he gives them his FF card.

[smallblackfly]

If you book a SW ticket online and need to change it for any reason you can click View or Change Your Flight from their homepage. It's easy to use and you won't be charged anything as long as the flight cost the same or less. I've had to use this feature in a jam once or twice. I've had great phone support from the airline as well.

Frequent SW Flier!

[proudwife]

I can help you out with this one....You need to call and cancel and let them know you plan on using the ticket credit in the future. Then when you book online there is a section that say use travel funds where you can enter in the confirmation number and they put in the funds.

Just be careful, because they will only allow up to the price of the ticket, so if you paid $100 for a roundtrip ticket and you cancel it, when you rebook, you will pay the difference in fare if there is any. So make sure when your re-booking to pay attention to the cost of the flight. It is really nice they can do this other airlines charge $75 for each change plus the fare difference.

Also keep track of your FF trips online, and you can get points (.5) for hotel stays, so if he does not fly but goes to a hotel, he can get Southwest credit if he gives them his FF card.

thank you LovemyCADET08 and Smallblackfly!:smile:

[dw]

Christeeny.
do you have to call to cancel a flight or you can do it on line and it will be a credit ? How does that work ?:think:

I can help you out with this one....You need to call and cancel and let them know you plan on using the ticket credit in the future.

If you book a SW ticket online and need to change it for any reason you can click View or Change Your Flight from their homepage.

I've flown weekly and never made a call -- everything can be done online. If you cancel a flight, your "old" confirmation number (for the unflown flight) becomes your credit for a future flight. Canceling ahead of time is really just a courtesy. You can no-show on an active reservation and still use the credit later. In fact, you can no-show on the outbound leg of a round trip booking and they will not cancel the return leg.

Just be sure to keep track of the unused confirmation numbers/funds. It is very difficult if not impossible to find them again.

I just keep a running log of travel funds and their expiration date. When I book a new flight, use the oldest credits first. Never lost a cent.

[CHPWife]

I've flown weekly and never made a call

Wow, you just might fly more than my hubby. Also the credit is a $$$ value not a "flight" credit.

You can always tell the Burbank frequent flyers because hey go straight to the BACK of the plane:biggrin:

My husband has my 11 year old trained in how to check him in online. I guess he figured out that the boy was more eager to drop what he was doing and run to the computer than I was.

[christeeny]

Christeeny.
do you have to call to cancel a flight or you can do it on line and it will be a credit ? How does that work ?:think:

It looks like lots of people responded to your question....just wanted to say, phone or online works. :biggrin:

[christeeny]

Pretty soon you're going to fall into a routine. The first couple of weeks are hard, but you'll get used to it. Keep encouraging your cadet. If he feels supported by you, life will be much better for you both. Make sure you listen well to what he says about accademy life 'cause its all he's going to be talking about for the next 6 months. Keep on top of it so you can relate back.

Thanks for the advice. I try to relate as much as I can. I actually find it interesting. :biggrin: I definitely need my routine back. Once I start work again and go back to school, that should help. Only a couple of more weeks until my own craziness starts! :lol: