27 Dec 2008
BIG SANDY, Texas – Day Two of encampment started at 0500 as the basic cadets stumbled out of bed. They were quickly brought to full consciousness by morning formation and  physical training, or PT, which included pushups, sit-ups, flutter kicks, and a run.

After finishing their regimen of exercise, the cadets changed into their Battle Dress Uniforms and marched off to the mess hall for breakfast. The mess staff had prepared bagels, cereal, and fruit, which energized the cadets for their busy day. Hygiene time and room preparation time after breakfast gave the cadets a chance to get both themselves and their barracks in shape for the imminent inspection.

The Standardization, Evaluation, and Training (SET) Team looked over every cadet’s uniform and bunk, watching for even the most miniscule error. Anything that did not meet the SET Team’s high standards resulted in a point deduction for the entire flight of the cadet who committed the infraction.

The inspections were followed by training time. Each flight commander decided what subject his flight needed to learn about the most and then trained the flight on that subject. The flights learned about such diverse topics as drill, uniforms, and the contents of their SOIs, which are little white booklets that contain almost everything the cadets need to know about encampment. At 1200, the cadets went from training time to lunch, which everyone was eagerly awaiting after working hard all morning.

Lunch was quickly over, and it was time for classes. The cadets were engrossed in learning about the Air Force when 1630 arrived and marked the transition from classes to more training time. After 45 minutes of training time, the cadets attended evening formation and then quickly marched to dinner.

Dinner was followed by classes covering Emergency Services and opportunities in Texas Wing. The female cadets were then treated to an extra class on how to fix their hair in a proper bun. Day Two ended for the basic cadets with an hour of personal time before lights out. The cadet staff, however, attended a staff meeting before they went to bed at the close of a successful day at encampment.

Article submitted by C/SMSgt Eric Womboldt and photos submitted by The Encampment PAO Staff