By: Jonathan Pederson
1. Your first day is the hardest.
This may be a shocker to some of you, but the first day of military school is very hard. I mean, c’mon, it is your first day at a new place. How isn’t it hard? You are meeting new people and nervously making new friends. The first day at ANY school is the hardest. First day of military school MIGHT be a little harder, because you have a lot more to get accustomed to, especially terms and procedures. That is why we give new students about a week to get adjusted before correcting their rank or telling them to put on their hat.
2. Everything is Seargent this and Cadet that.
This is only partially true; everyone does gain a military title, but you don’t HAVE to refer to them as it. Technically, you SHOULD refer to your instructors as their rank and last name. This isn’t because it’s an absurd rule they want to shove down your throat; it is a simple sign of respect. After all, these individuals risked their lives serving their country. It would only be respectful to call them by the rank they earned. As for the students, very few cadets call other students “cadet.” It’s a hassle, plus if you were to properly say their rank and name it would be Cadet Airman First Class…. Do you really want to say all that?
3. You have to march, march, and march some more.
This is true. We do have to march to chapel. We do have to march to ceremonies. And, we do have to march during parades. That’s about it though. We just march when marching seems logical, mainly to stay in an orderly manner. We do NOT have to march to and from classes. Although, that might be a good idea…. for a day or two. It might be funny seeing lines of people marching, doing left turns whenever they get to the class rooms. Whoever is spreading this myth, pitch it as a high school comedy!