Change: I know this will reverse things, but I'll start writing with the earliest entry at that top.  This will allow people who read this at the end of the day to read it easier.

0900 MDT
It's going to be a hot day today, and for the entire 4th weekend.  Just so non-Colorado parents can get the advanced weather, here is the weather report for the rest of the summer in Colorado. 

Tomorrow it will be hot.  In the morning, there will be clear skies.  As the day progresses, we will see clouds forming behind Pikes Peak, with thunderclouds spreading over Colorado Springs at 3PM.  Moderate to severe thunderstorms could occur with the possibility of pea to quarter-size hail.

Well that should cover it.

0930 MDT

If you looked at today's schedule under, you saw that this morning, the Basics had activities such as: Clothing Issue; Room Set-up; Flight Drill

What the heck are these things?  Glad you asked.

Clothing Issue
Surprisingly, clothing issue is where the get issued clothing items.  With the number of different uniforms and the need to supply over 1300 Basics, clothing issue is completed over a number of days.  The standard procedure is to march a squadron across the Terrazzo to stairs between Mitchell Hall and Sijan Hall. 
(Graduate Note - This staircase off the Terrazzo did not exist when I first arrived at the Academy.  Access to Clothing Issue was from Sijan Hall) 

Once the cadre lead the Basics down this stairwell, they are led into the hallways for inevitable waiting.  This is a prime opportunity for Basics to study knowledge.  After the waiting, the Basics are cycled through to receive whatever issue item is being distributed.

After that, they carry the uniforms back to the dorms.

Room Set-up
You may be wondering why there is endless Room Set-up.  Well, you are adding new issue items all the time.  (See clothing issue above)  When you get them, the cadre have to tell you "where and how" they must be placed in the room.  No longer, can your former teenager drop clothes on the floor, shove clothes under the bed, or hide them in the bottom of their closet.  They must be placed in an "exact location", with "precise folding techniques", and within "exacting measurement tolerances".

I laugh along with all of you parents!  Ha Ha Ha!   
I have four children (including two teenagers).

Is that not the sweetest entry you have read so far!

0945 MDT
Lest I forget Drill.
The Basics are taught to march.  (and march, and march).  This is extremely important to know while serving in the Air Force because a major Air Force victory was won a few years back due to Air Force marching skills. 

You see, there was a group of marching Air Force Officers racing a group of marching Army Officers to the Officers Club.  The Army Officers were marching with impeccable sharpness and in the lead.  It looked bad for the Air Force Officers.  But the Leader of the Army group happened to glance at the Air Force group.  Once he saw how bad they were marching, he fell on the ground laughing hysterically.  Of course, his Officers stopped to help him, allowing the Air Force Officers to arrive at the Club victoriously.

Just Kidding.  An now back to something completely different.

Moving the troops from place to place can be done effectively through marching.  It also teaches the troops discipline and the ability to hear a command and react immediately. 
If you happen to visit the Academy during 1st BCT in any year, you will notice the Basics getting better and better each day.  Most of the Drill is completed on the Vandenberg side.  I'm going to stop here and try to upload a short clip of basics marching yesterday.

1055 MDT
The short clip of Basics marching is taking forever to upload on my dial-up.  It's on 65% done.  I'll let it keep chugging along and link to it when it's up there.

1140 MDT
Here's the short clip.

1155 MDT
Below are pictures to show you the approach to Clothing Issue yesterday.  It shows the cadets marching over, past the F-4, to the stairs I mentioned above in the 0930MDT entry above.  When I look at the schedule for yesterday, it shows that Squadron I and J were in the area at that time.  I checked one of the Basic Names.  Looks like it is Squadron I.
 

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1215 MDT
Here are links to articles on other sites about the Class of 2010 coming in.
NewsBlaze.Com This is a website

Academy Spirit  This is the link to the .pdf of the Base Newspaper yesterday.
Warning: This is a 4MB plus pdf.  Long load on dial-up.

1700 MDT
I just activated the schedule for tomorrow.  Most of the day the Basics are in Placement Tests - Math/Comp Sci/Chemistry.

By the way.  I was wrong on the weather report.  The lightning and rain began at 1445, not 1500.

1715 MDT
After this post I'm calling it a night.  Here's another good deal for Squadron I parents.  I took some photos yesterday when the Basics were waiting in the hallway for Clothing Issue.  Here is what happened. 

The Basics got there early and had to wait.  Photos 1 and 2.  In Photo 3, the cadre ask if anyone has to use the latrine.  In photo 4, Basics put out their hand to indicate yes.

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In these photos, the Basics who wish to take advantage of the facilities, head out.
 

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Double-click to add photos

Now this is a good "Lesson Learned". 

When a cadre member gives you the choice of being engaged in a task or to remain in a hallway exposed to cadre members, NEVER choose to remain in the hallway! 

Here we see the Hallway Basics reading their "knowledge" at attention. 
(Except for Basic Number 1 where I snapped the photo before he raised his "knowledge")
 

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With some free time in the hallway, the cadre notice one Basic did not shave.

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Of course, that caused a search for unshaven basics and "counseling" on the importance of shaving during Hygiene times. 

I show the single photo below to drive the lesson home.  He is one of the Basics who chose the "task" over the Hallway.  He returns blissfully unscathed.

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So endeth the lesson.