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...Halfway through

Update: Taking a printer/scanner was a very good call. At one point the copier was out of paper and it saved him (and some flight mates) some headaches. We packed the printer/scanner, new cartridges and a pack of paper for COT/JASOC. I think I'll take another pack of paper for JASOC, just to be safe.

I finally got to see the hubs. On the computer. Today is the halfway point for COT and we were finally able to video chat. I realize people have been doing this for years without the benefit of frequent emails or the occasional cell phone call. It makes me appreciate the connectivity we have these days. 

Streaming isn't allowed on the Maxwell supplied Wi-fi but we got a thingie from Virgin Mobile so he can have his own Internet access. I'm not sure of the data plan but it's very similar to Clear, which wasn't available in Montgomery as of Dec. 2012. He can connect multiple computers and Virgin Mobile offers it month to month so we can cancel once he's finished at Maxwell. We'll probably keep it until we finish the move to allow for any gaps in Internet service at the new base.  There isn't a Virgin Mobile store in ATL but he was able to order it and set it up online before he left. Thank goodness. 

The connection is a little slow and we had to reconnect twice but it was so nice to see his face. 

I'm so happy he has the Internet connection. 

Facetime wouldn't work without the web connection on his iPhone and we didn't have everything set up. We used Google Plus and were able to "Hangout" using the connection on his laptop through the Virgin Mobile device. I've had a Google Plus account since the invitations first went out but this is the first time I've actually used it. I used my iPad but I will charge my Netbook for the next video chat. It was hard to hold the iPad and lift dogs into the frame.

The dogs were very excited to see their daddy. 

Now maybe they will stop being spiteful jerks. They've had some potty training setbacks since the hubs left for Maxwell. It isn't like they're having accidents. They're really going out of their way to show how much they disapprove of the hubs being gone. Two pairs of shoes won't make the move. The shoes were already in a pile to be donated so it wasn't as if they killed my best work shoes. I just made sure the shoes went into the dumpster. You're welcome, Goodwill.

The first week Hubs was gone the dogs seemed miffed but not really devastated. After week one, all of that changed. Week two brought some behavior problems and they slept on his side of the bed...

All day.

There was lots of moping.

I think that they think that I ran him off or made him move out. They were probably fine for the first week because we've traveled and had to be apart for about that time. I think they started getting nervous after the first week when he didn't come back with a suitcase of dirty laundry for them to nap in.

This week they've started running to the door around 5pm-6pm. That was the time he used to come home. They also seem to bark at noises outside more frequently. 

Sometimes they get silly when I mention the word "Daddy".

Zoe is nine years old and no spring chicken. She doesn't really run and prance but she did today. All I said was "Daddy".

And then she took a nap.

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.

Holy Non-Refundable Pet Fees, Batman

It's my anniversary and Hubs is at Maxwell so I thought I'd do something to perk up my afternoon. I decided to make my hotel reservations for Montgomery for his graduation.

They're such hellions. 

Interesting thing I just discovered. While some hotels in Montgomery allow you to bring pets at least one charges a $100 NON-REFUNDABLE pet fee.

What?

I called.

I asked.

They said it's so they can deep clean the carpets and room once you checked-out.

I know I can board my chihuahuas for less than that. I just want to take the dogs because it's a short enough drive, it will be good PCS practice for the dogs and the hubs misses them terribly.

I'm not doing this to call out a particular brand of hotels for their fine print. I try to limit the snark on my blog, avoid giving scathing reviews and limit that to my other other Twitter account. I'm just pointing this out in case anyone is planning to travel with your pets to any graduations in Montgomery. Check the fine print.

Anyway, if you're going...I hope to meet you there.

And your dogs.

COT Day 3

I've received one text and an email. Things seem super hectic at COT. I wish I started a Facebook page for friends and family for this particular class. We could probably string together the cryptic emails and frantic texts to draw a conclusion about what they're going through. Besides, having someone to toss care package ideas around is always a good thing.

Future COT'ers, take note.

I did put his first care package together. It contained the following:

One pillow from our bed, packed in a Spacebag along with a dryer sheet
One package of Oreos to share with his flight-mates
One package of powdered Gatorade drink mix
One package of 100 Calorie Cocoa Almonds
One package of granola bars
One package of organic fruit leathers
One hand written card with an update on stuff at home...all good news.

In other exciting news...

Hubs forgot to pack his cold and take it with him.

I had a scratchy throat this morning and it got worse over the day.

I bought NyQuil and cough drops at Publix.

I drank my NyQuil out of a shot glass.

Big pimpin'...housewife style.

Buying Uniforms for COT and Christmas (before a big move)

Here are some things I picked up on while hubs and I were shopping for his uniforms last week. He begins Commissioned Officer Training (COT) soon and then he's off to JASOC. We've been in prep mode so there hasn't been much time to blog. I'm also including some gift ideas if you're looking to have some COT friendly gifts as part of your holiday, give a send-off gift, pack something in the suitcase as a nice surprise or mail a care package later on.

Our tree.

We live about 2 and a half hours from Maxwell and decided to make a day trip to buy uniforms before COT. The Exchange that has the uniforms is actually a block or two behind the main base exchange (the big one is a lot like a small Target and the smaller only has uniforms). There was also another store where items could be purchased but they were closed for the holiday. The store that was open had 95% of what he needed so there are only a few things left to pick up. He may even wait until the first day of COT. We were actually able to get almost everything from the COT uniform list but items like the flashlights need to be picked up at the other store. Yay!

We were told the PT uniforms sold at Maxwell and required for COT are different than the ones sold at most other bases. We thought we'd pick those up and anything else we could and pick up the rest at Dobbins or Robbins. We lucked out and got almost everything he needed.


Tips: 

What I learned: Green goes with green, blue goes with blue, BLACK GOES WITH EVERYTHING!

• The PT shirts are huge, so go down a size. They're also 85% polyester and I kept shocking myself so I'm sending hubs to COT with Static Guard.

• We were the only ones in the store when we got there and the associate went through the list with a fine tooth comb. She provided a lot of information. She was so amazing I'm going to send her a thank you card. Her name is Julie and if you're within driving distance of Maxwell it's totally worth a day trip (that you can write off your taxes in 2012 BTW.) We were there for almost three hours. She even knew how the shoes were supposed to fit. 

• They chalk your uniforms while you're there and they go straight to alterations along with the ABU shirts to have the velcro sewn on for the name tapes and such.

• We were told they don't give you a chance to try on if you buy the first day of COT. She said they just hand it to you based on what size you think you are. Oy! She said lots of people come back through to get a better size shoe.

• Julie said that good socks are key since they will spend so much time on their feet and marching is a lot harder than walking. Leave the Gold Toe or Calvin Klein socks at home and invest in the Under Armour and the Thorlo boot socks. If you're heel is slipping in the low quarter (black oxford shoes for the blues) you should get the thick socks they sell there and consider the gel inserts. We ended up spending close to $70 on socks. 

• Mess jackets run small in men's, not sure about women. We didn't get his mess jacket since he was between sizes and the woman who does the complicated alterations wasn't in. They advised us to come back after the holiday so she could be there to get him fitted.

• We grabbed an extra ABU uniform and extra PT uniform just so hubs wouldn't be on the same laundry schedule as everyone else/

• They'll keep your ABU shirts to sew velcro on them. They'll place orders for your blue name tags and name tapes for the ABUs. You aren't allowed to wear the JAG pin until you complete JASOC so you start with just your name and the Air Force tape on the front of the ABU. 

• If you're buying at a different base, make sure you tell them that you're a 1st LT and make sure they get the right rank. Most people starting off as officers are 2nd Lieutenants. They grabbed the wrong rank at first but as soon as I said he was a lawyer she knew he was a 1st Lieutenant and got us straightened out.

• I'm glad I took some time to read through parts of the AFI before going shopping. I started reading up when I was trying to shop for Christmas. With a 1,000 mile move I wanted to buy things that could be used at COT or JASOC (Read: I don't want to pack it while he's gone). We were also pretty good about buying smaller things this year. I wanted everything to fit inside a shoe box.

Here are a list of gifts that could be used at COT:

Last minute Christmas ideas or send off presents...

Remember: Green goes with green, blue goes with blue, BLACK GOES WITH EVERYTHING!


Black gloves (no logos). These can be worn with ABUs or the service blues. Grab a pair (or three) so he can wear them for PT as well. It actually gets cold in Maxwell in the winter, no snow, but cold enough to suck if you don't have gloves. Obviously, go with machine washable. He has a pair of Nike running gloves that he can use for PT but I'll have to kill the logo with a black sharpie.

Black watch cap. Like the black gloves these can be worn with any of their uniform combinations in cold weather. It's just the plain black knit hat that you can find for $2-$5 most anywhere. It appears as if polar fleece hats are also acceptable.

Ear muffs: Navy or black, over the head or behind the head. (Ross has the behind the head ones for $3.99). Again, blue can only go with the blue uniforms but black can go with anything.

Ipod or MP3: Yeah, I know you have one but unless it's black, dark blue or silver you'll need another one. My hubs had a bright blue iPod (I don't think they've ever released a dark blue one) that wasn't regulation according to the AFI. I opted for silver since much of their PT will happen in the early morning when it's still very dark. If he drops it at night it should be easy to find.

MP3 Player armbands have to be black too, no bedazzled armbands.

Watches:  Have to be black, silver or gold and trend neutral. I think it looks more professional to check your watch for the time instead of fishing out your cell phone. Hubs is definitely taking a watch. I'm not sure if they can even have cell phones with them during the day and while in class.

Thermal Underwear: Must be cream to wear under the ABU

T-shirts: Must be the sand color (for ABU) or white V-neck for the blues

Socks: Sage green boot socks for the boots and black for the low quarters. We went with a thicker black sock sold there but will look for a black hiking sock at REI. Invest in the good hiking socks that provide lots of support.

Shoe strings. The shoe strings for the black shoes and boots seemed a little on the thin side to me. I suspect a broken shoe string could spell extra stress so I'm going to look into picking up a spare set for the shoes and the boots. They don't take up much room and if you need them, you REALLY need them. Besides, he'll use them eventually.

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