Things I Wish I Knew About COT and JASOC

I haven't updated in a while. I've noticed that is a reoccurring issue with most post I've read about COT and JASOC. The blogger will almost always drop out of contact for a few weeks. Now that COT is over and JASOC is well underway, I'll just post a few things I wish someone would have told me before this all started.

Things I Wish I Knew About COT

1. COT sucks, by design. Just be supportive and try not to drag drama into the few conversations you will be able to have while he is gone. Try not to be a whiner. I finally cracked after I had been sick for a week and a half and really needed to find out about the insurance. It stressed him out and I still feel bad about it. Unless someone dies, try to keep the conversations light. Send a few pictures each week. My dogs would occasionally hijack the computer and send him messages and a photo. Don't send anything you don't want someone else to see and don't be upset if he doesn't really have a chance to look at what you send. It got to the point I was shooting off two or three random emails a day, just keeping him updated on funny things going on at home.

2. COT is horrible the first few days. Pat him or her on the head and let them know that it's alright if they don't call on the first couple of days but you would like a text or email update letting you know if they're still breathing. Once they get their COT legs they will be able to email and text more, but the first two weeks is hit and miss.

3. Watch those stupid videos on folding underwear and making sock nuggets. They're going to have room inspections based on one of the most vague and poorly scripted manuals ever written. They're going to freak out. Then they're going to realize that no one has ever been kicked out of Air Force COT for an improperly rolled sock. 

4. They do kick you out for not keeping your hands to yourself.

5. Read up on the Dining Out before you attend. The Dining Out at COT seemed more semi-formal and even ladies at the head table were wearing very conservative knee length dresses. I'm not sure if that is a COT specific evolution of the event. It does make sense for COT Dining Out to have a less formal attire standard as there are so many graduates bringing their parents or even grandparents. I'll update you more after JASOC.

6. I wish someone had started a spouses page on Facebook for his COT class. I think if we had one we could have posted when we received updates or if we heard about something big happening in their schedule that would make it harder for them to contact home. It would also be helpful to meet some of those spouses online before all of the graduation events. 

Things I Wish I Knew About JASOC

1. JASOC comes with a lot more freedom. Hubs has been able to come home for two weekends and I've been able to visit him there on one other weekend. We're lucky because home is only a few hours from Maxwell. A new AF friend (and I suspect he will be a dear friend for many years) has a wife a children back home on the west coast. Try to squeeze a little extra in the budget for hubs to fly home for a weekend. It may be tough to take the whole family to Maxwell, but your significant other may be able to come home for a weekend or two. Some spouses have moved to Maxwell full time and will just move again when it's over. 

2. JASOC seems to be more social and they are encouraged to build friendships with everyone else there. I think they're planning a touristy trip as a group somewhere this weekend or next. 

3. The DC trip was supposed to be a lot of fun. It was canceled due to budget cuts. :( I haven't heard if they will bring it back for future classes. They took a bus down to Florida for the other field trip. Yep, a bus. They had an amazing time and you'll hear lots of cool stories about the fun stuff they were able to see and do. If you live near DC and were hoping to meet up with your JASOC person there, time to develop a Plan B.

4. They are in ABU 4 days a week at COT but in their blues 4 days a week at JASOC. 

5. The University Inn at Maxwell has efficiency hotel rooms with a mid-size fridge, microwave, two burner stove and small kitchen sink. On my last visit I took hubs the crock pot, extra kitchen towels, a small cutting board and a proper cutting knife. They have some pet friendly rooms but I don't know what the demand is like for those. I think I'll make my first trip to the commissary on my next visit and pick up meat and veggies to grill at the Inn's outdoor grill area. It should give hubs enough leftovers for the week or some to share with friends.

Daddy, we went on a long walk. It was cold and wet so we made Mama carry us the last block. 

COT Dorm Room Inspections

Hubs left for COT ten days ago and it seems like he's been gone forever. Please don't confuse me for one of those needy and clingy wives as I am not one. It really does seem like a long time. Part of that could be because I've been fighting a wicked chest cold. I've been feeling really gross but very happy that it isn't the flu. I've also been out of work as my industry shuts down for Christmas and having a hacking crew member is just bad for morale. (Audio equipment is very sensitive.)

Hubs had a dorm room inspection today and his flight failed the test. If you're going to COT I suggest you look up the details for a dorm room and start working on your folding. There is a lengthy list of do's and don'ts and you might save yourself some trouble by planning ahead of time.

Hubs got dinged for having a coffee cup on his desk. Others had more serious infractions resulting in demerits.

There are several video tutorials on the folding of t-shirts, socks, etc. on YouTube. Look for the Air Force ones and try to practice before you leave.

I'm not allowed to send any care packages until they pass room inspection.

Part of my nervous energy over him being gone has been directed towards care packages and cooking soup.

I'm drowning in soup.

I've also put together a lovely package for a friend stationed in Afghanistan.

Next week I may send her my living room couch.

COT Day 1

I just got a text message that said he was alive and trying to go to bed. While I was tempted to ask him more questions I decided to suck it up and just tell him to kick butt, take names and message me when he could. Sometimes I think being a good wife is about just letting things go and not wanting details.

I sent him off this morning with two suitcases, a gym bag full of towels and his briefcase. I hope he didn't show up looking like a pack mule. Again...sometimes you just need to let it go.

He called about an hour from Maxwell when he realized he forgot some paperwork. It was paperwork he may or may not have needed but to be on the safe side I made a lovely dash to Maxwell and got there about 10 minutes to spare. (Almost three hours in driving with the traffic from Atlanta and the overturned syrup truck...I-85 was sticky...Ha!) My phone was dead, I hadn't showered and I was a hot mess. I was also in my pajamas.

I tossed him the paperwork, he took off and then I went in search of a charger for my iPhone 5.  It's a new phone and I needed a charger but never got around to it. Nothing says needing a charger like being almost three hours from home and wearing pajamas.

I came home, opened a 750ml bottle of Blasphemy beer and hung out with my neighbor, Jason.

Jason's wife is traveling abroad and we've committed to grabbing a meal or sharing leftovers since we're both solo for the next several weeks. Jason's mom is a retired Colonel and he's familiar with the nuttiness. Another neighbor has offered to cook dinner the nights the movers are packing us up. I've had two other neighbors offer to come by for mover oversight duty while they pack our goods.  Living in a condo has its perks.

Lesson learned: Wait until after he leaves before starting the task of purging and cleaning closets. My house needs a good torching, as with a bomb or big set of matches. I started buy had to stop halfway through. I couldn't get anything done last week as we were prepping for COT. Now I'm stuck with piles of clothes, hangers and assorted random all over my house. I don't know which end is up and I would bang my head on the table if I could find it.

Good news: We got the antique furniture out of storage in SC.

Bad news: It's a dusty mess and I needed more time to get it cleaned up. It took longer than expected and we both got sick from all the dust and crazy schedules.

Lesson learned: Check the calendar and plan an early celebration for any big dates he'll miss. We made dinner reservations and celebrated our anniversary last night since he'll miss it later in the month. A nice steak at a great restaurant meant he could relax and I didn't have to cook. I'm guessing Maxwell has great restaurants but taking him to a REALLY great restaurant was a nice send off.

Military IDs and prepping for COT

Last week the hubs took a long lunch and we drove to Dobbins to get his ID so we could get his uniforms before COT. I'm glad he was able to take a long lunch because the process took closer to two hours with the drive.

There were lots of retirees and people in uniform getting their new cards and several children in the waiting area.

Once our name was called it was a pretty quick process. We were only expecting to get his ID but she asked if I had two IDs and the marriage license. We did so I got one too!

My ID is red and I have no idea what access I am allowed with it. Hubs was listed as a reservist and I think they will issue a card of a different color after the start of COT. Not 100% sure.

(I'll post about buying his uniforms in my next blog.)

I've been picking up a few toiletry items each time I go to the store and I think I've got him stocked for the duration of COT and JASOC. He'll probably need to buy contact solution and deodorant before it's over but he won't need it for several weeks.  I like that he'll be able to focus on school and not worry about running to the store for a basic need item.

When he had his internship I bought him the LL Bean hanging toiletry bag. It will be perfect for COT and JASOC. It holds full size items so he'll be set for a while. We're also sending along his smaller toiletry bag since his class will be making a trip to DC and Florida and he'll need smaller travel sizes for those trips. I blogged about the LL Bean toiletry bag here.

I decided to send him with Tide PODs. It will be easier to take a few PODS to the laundry room instead of lugging around a bottle. I may scoop Oxyclean into ziplock snack bags but I suspect he's about to put his foot down before requiring the need of a pack mule to move in.

I'm also packing a snack box for him. The measurements for the approved seal-able container are the size of a shoe box and I was able to find him one at Target. I've read that meal times are pretty hectic and they sometimes only have 7 minutes to shovel food in their mouths and drink three glasses of water. I don't want him starving while he's trying to study so I'm sending along some healthy snacks with good calorie sources for his dorm room. In addition to granola bars I am sending along fruit leathers. I thought it would be nice to have something sweet available without sending straight up junk.

I got this kind from Trader Joe's and a few other flavors from Whole Foods. They only cost $ .55 each and there are a number of flavors available. They're also very small and are about 60 calories each.

Some other items going in the snack box:

Gatorade drink mix packets
Country Time lemonade drink packets
Beef Jerky
Various granola bars
Gu or other sports gel (in case he is able to squeeze in a long run on the weekends)
Chex Mix or other snack
Fruit cups

JAG and Military Life Questions...Your Comments and Wisdom are Appreciated

There is a tremendous amount of information on the internet about somethings and a lack of information about other things. I thought I'd toss these questions out there in case someone happened to know. Any advice you have can be left in the comments. Lay it on me!

Help me, Yoda...show me the force.

1. When do we move?  He won't get orders until November and we'll meet with the travel office after that. Just looking for educated guesses as I know it can vary. I'm just trying prepare myself. AF Jag used to have two weeks between COT and JASOC but it looks like hubs will finish COT on a Friday and report to JASOC on the following Monday in Feb. I know people have blogged about moving during this two week window. I've also heard of people moving before COT begins and others while the spouse was away. I would appreciate a ballpark idea as well as what your timeline experience was with this.

2. Do lots of people move while the spouse is away at COT and JASOC? I suspect it will be more difficult in some ways but easier in other ways. I'm pretty independent and self-sufficient so it will work out either way.

3. What did you find yourself lugging around that you wish you'd donated? Just wondering if it's on my "OMG...can't forget to pack that" list.

4. Will they let me pack my opened spices if I vacuum seal them and then store them in a seal-able container? I'm very attached.

5. If we find out we're staying CONUS I want an SUV with ample cargo room. Good plan? Will it make moving me and the dogs easier? We live in an area with minimal (less than 1 inch) of snowfall each year. All wheel drive is very appealing since there will be traveling done over the next several years. 

6. How much food should I send with him to COT? Any thing you or your spouse wish you had while there? How about supplies or comfort items?

7. Base housing? We think immersing ourselves in the culture will be a good experience. We'd like to do base housing. What was your timeline and experience getting into it.

8. We've been married for almost ten years. We've got stuff for days and a house full of furniture...and three chihuahuas. I'd like to hang on to a respectable amount and donate or sell the rest. From your experience in base housing, will a 0-2 with a wife and no kids get a two or three bedroom? Is there a long wait?

9. Did you inventory your house? Is there a good way to do it? It seems a lot like climbing Mt. Everest to me. (And I wouldn't climb Mt. Everest if it were made of chocolate and cash.)

10. I'm thinking about ditching the older mattresses and getting new once we move. No sense moving old mattresses around. The cost of moving the weight vs. the actual value of the mattress or taking something I'd rather have. We'll really have to reduce our household goods to get below the weight. Happy anniversary to me! (He'll be gone for our 10th anniversary. I want a nice present...something sparkly.) Good idea or am I over-thinking it (the mattress, not the present)?

Thank you for reading this and sharing your wisdom!

L

JAG Base Assignments

The hubs received a email about Air Force JAG base assignments. In the past they would offer new officer candidates an option of two bases. The Air Force has stopped offering two base choices and now only gives you a take-it-or-leave-it base. While I am disappointed they have removed a choice, I do see their point of view. There just aren't that many openings available. I suspect it is also a way to find out which candidates are serious and eliminate some of the fence-sitters. Go big or go home, right?

I've been looking at this as a great adventure and I really don't care where we are assigned so long as the hubs enjoys his job. My sense of wanderlust is the stuff of legends. I'm not sure why the military lifestyle didn't appeal to me sooner. The idea of moving every 2-4 years is so perfectly aligned with my personality it's comical. I think it would be interesting to live in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest (or is it just the Pacific northwest?), the desert or anywhere overseas. I've never been to North Dakota. The weather is supposed to be dreadful but I think it can be as good or as bad as we make the situation. I'd love to live somewhere with mountains, four seasons and measurable snow fall.

I grew up near an Air Force base and it's the one base I have absolutely zero interest in ever seeing again. My avoidance of the area borders on hostile. I still have friends and family there and I try to visit occasionally. The visits usually involve a good sense of humor, patience, beer and less than 24 hours in town. There is also the part about avoiding all ex-boyfriends. "Anywhere but there" is the mantra I've been using every time we talk base assignments. Please keep your fingers crossed. Ugh! Been there, done that. It's just one base out of many so I'm hoping for the best since the odds are with us.

My family is smart and they can work email and buy plane tickets as easily as I can. We did pick bases close to my brothers because I'm a good sister and no fool when it comes to living near the kitchens of my sisters-in-law. (Awesomely good cooks!) Most of the choices on our dream sheet are places we've never lived and many places we've never seen. 

A few months ago I added all of our dream sheet bases to the weather app on my phone. It has been interesting to follow their weather and see the photos that people have posted about the weather. It has given me the chance to see how the weather differs from where we are now. I'm really jealous of the current conditions in quite a few places. Many places with notoriously bad weather aren't like that year round. Just looking at the high and low temps today helps ease the upcoming culture shock as I know about long springs, crisp falls and snow plows in their natural habitats. 

Housewife Approved: Travel Accessories

I thought I'd post information about items that I've purchased that I've been very happy with. Here are two items that fall into the travel accessories category. One I purchased for my husband and the other for myself. 

Housewife APPROVED: The LL Bean Personal Organizer

Housewife APPROVED: The Vera Bradley Hanging Organizer

The LL Bean Personal Organizer:

The hubs did his internship with JAG and had to live out of a hotel for ten clean house lonely weeks. Prior to his internship I did lots of shopping for items he'd need on his summer away. I completely forgot about the LL Bean's travel bags and I'm geeked I rediscovered them while shopping online. I ordered a blue one for him and got it monogrammed. I do wish there were more options for the monogramming colors. His bag is the Royal color and the monogram was done in black. It was very well done and as ordered but I would have preferred a more contrasting color that could be easily seen.

These are the options. I selected a large since he needed regular sizes and was driving to his destination. 

Here's another close up. The mirror attaches with a piece of velcro so it can be removed.

I really like this one. It's the smaller option  and I think it would hold travel sizes well for shorter jaunts like overnight stays and car trips. There may be one in my future. :) The larger bags would require taking a bigger suitcase and not an overnight bag.

I ordered him the large size that LL Bean suggest for 3+ days. I thought he would get more use out of it and it wouldn't be too big to take on most trips. I really like the hanging hook so the bag can hang instead of cluttering the small hotel counters.

He has a shaving kit that can hold travel sizes and a few essentials and it works well for short trips. What he needed was an organizer that could hold full sized shampoo, shower gel, contact solution, razor with extra blades, shaving cream, bandaids, deodorant and other toiletries.

In retrospect, I was shopping while imagining him traveling to a third world country. I didn't know much about the town and I wasn't sure he would have time to shop or realize he was out of something before it was completely gone. (Men are strange creatures that way.) Honestly, it was just easier for me to pick things up a little at a time while I did the household shopping. It also allowed me to take advantage of sales and coupons. Score!

The LL Bean site says the following:

• Improved with innovative side-zip storage pockets, so you can quickly access toiletries
• Built-in hook allows you to hang it anywhere, from shower rods to tree branches
• Main compartment has multiple soft mesh pockets and includes a removable shower caddy
• Made of water-resistant fabric

And now on to the hanging organizer...which I also love.

Housewife APPROVED: The Vera Bradley Hanging Organizer

The Vera Bradley Hanging Organizer:

I am not usually a fan of anything floral or girly which is why this was my first Vera Bradley purchase. I opted for the color you see above because it wasn't as vibrant as the other patterns available. I was about to buy one of the LL Bean bags for myself but decided I needed a makeup system more than a toiletry system at that time.

This bag is large with four large compartments. As you can see from the photos, the two compartments in the middle are see through. I keep my eye makeup and my face colors in there so I can see what I'm grabbing. Having clear lids on my eye shadows, powders and blushes makes it especially efficient. The top zip container is large enough for my makeup brush bag as well as a 5" cosmetic mirror. There's a nice quilted divider in the top compartment that protects the mirror side from the brush side. Good thinking.

The bottom compartment is the largest compartment of the bag. I have several small bottles as well as my foundation, travel hair spray, a pack of makeup remover cloths, travel Q-tips and body lotions. There's even room to spare. It could handle the addition of travel sizes of a shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and my small puffy sponge.

I could easily covert this bag to handle full size shampoos, conditioners, etc. by removing excess makeup and accessories. I've used it for events where I tend to have multiple makeup options. By packing my everyday makeup, the necessary brushes (and not all 25), and eliminating the magnifying mirror I could easily make room for my full size bath items providing they are a normal size and not economy. I have some mid-size refillable bottles that would be perfect for this bag and could last much longer than the store bought 3 oz sizes.

I really like the cotton quilted fabric exterior. My last few bags have had very stiff zippers that often scratch my hands and wrist. I like the zippers on this bag. They move easily and have fabric pulls. It's a nice touch. I may treat it with a stain repellent (Scotchguard) the next time I go on a Scotchguarding frenzy.

The bags folds on to itself and ties at the top. The handles are long enough to carry it easily and the attached hook is sturdy and will fit around the shower rod in my bathroom.

I liked this bag so much I ordered a small makeup bag for my everyday makeup to replace the uber expensive one with the brutal zippers. I went wild and ordered something flowery and nuts. I like it. Now I'm wishing I ordered the hanging organizer in something wild like this. It grows on you.

While I will never be a fan to the point of collecting all of a pattern, I do like the quality of these bags. They usually have several patterns on sale as they launch new patterns. I'm not sure of their system so if you want to get a matching set, you may want to plan your purchases accordingly.

I do think this would make a lovely gift for a bride or an expecting mother. I think this would also be good for grandmothers. I know my mother could organize her medications in the clear pouches and have room for her beauty regimen. It arrives in a very nice box and wrapped in tissue paper with the paperwork tucked in a discrete envelope.

Here are the features listed on the Vera Bradley website for the hanging organizer:

• Metal hanger tucks away
• Top zippered, quilted compartment plus two taffeta-lined, clear plastic compartments
• Gusseted, plastic-lined bottom compartment opens wide when unzipped
• Easy-tie closure and two carry handles

They've launched sheets and bedding and I'm really liking the Indigo Pop. Cool, no? And I like the cotton of their fabric. I think it would be cozy.

MEPS, Papers, Wonder Files and Trapper Keepers

Hubs found out today that he has his MEPS physical scheduled this week. Things are getting really exciting around here. He's so pleased it wasn't scheduled for next week. You aren't supposed to do any running or exercise for 48 hours before the physical to reduce any chance of injury. Had they scheduled it for next week he wouldn't have been able to run in the Peachtree Road Race. Who doesn't want to run in 100 degree Atlanta heat? 

I read that Air Force JAG had about a 5-7% acceptance rate. I also read that in December they had something like seven hundred applicants and only 25 were selected. To make things even more tense, one of his law school classmates was accepted for JAG and was later disqualified following the MEPS evaluation. Nope, no nail biting here. 

A few weeks ago there was some scrambling to get copies of medical records. Let me say it now: Even if you are just thinking about going into JAG, get a hold of your medical records as soon as the thought runs through your brain. It turns out that most doctors and hospitals only hold records for ten years. Crazy, right?

I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to get copies of immunization records. It took a phone call and four days later they arrived in the mail. Booyah!  While he won't need them for MEPS he will need them for COT. If you don't have your immunization records they will re-vaccinate you within the first four days of class. Feeling like he's been hit by a truck the first week of COT doesn't seem like a wise use of time so I'm sure he'll take his records.

I found these on an end cap at Target and bought one. It seems to work  for our paperwork gathering needs.

We started researching what he would need for MEPS, COT and other situations and started gathering those records (birth and marriage certificates, etc.) and putting them into a central location. I read on other blogs and forums that a lot of people had tried the Wonder File as an alternative to the accordion filing systems. So far it works but we're just getting started. While I can always open it up and spread it across the kitchen table the accordion may be easier to manage on long travels. I'm also going to look at school notebooks. I'm beginning to think a Trapper Keeper may be easier to organize, wouldn't scream "steal me" in case of a break in and be sturdier in transit. 

Doesn't this just scream "I'm ORGANIZED"? 

Mead has never let me down. If they can keep a 9 year old organized, I'm sold.

The current Trapper Keeper design.