Hello from the USAFA Parents Club of Indiana! You should have received this invite in the mail but I wanted to send an e-mail reminder that our Annual Summer Family Picnic is coming soon.  Attached you will find a reservation form.  Please plan to attend on Saturday, August 15th at the Ft. Harrison State Park at Noon. This is one of our favorite gatherings because we meet so many new families of our USAFA Cadets from Indiana and we celebrate with the parents of our newest basic cadets by donating to and packing goodie boxes for each 2013 cadet and 2014 Prep school student from Indiana. We will probably hear many stories about the swine flu that hit our basics this summer!

The summer has been very busy for all cadets. The members of the class of 2009 can now call themselves graduates of one of the greatest academic institutions in the world. Also, and more importantly, they can be called 2nd Lieutenant in the greatest Air Force in the world.

The cadets of the class of 2010 are now in charge. They have the incredible responsibility of leading over 4,000 cadets through the next year.

The class of 2011 will begin the academic year with possibly the greatest decision they will ever have to make. Each one will need to commit to the Academy and the U.S. Air Force for at least the next 7 years of their young lives.

The class of 2012 has burst out of the pressures of being at the bottom of a 4 class system. This summer, many have jumped out of airplanes, solo piloted a glider through the beautiful skies of Colorado, visited bases around the world and, most importantly, many have spent some quality time at home with loving relatives. These cadets will now face the great, but sometimes stressful, task of becoming leaders. Mentoring the class of 2013 is the first step.

The class of 2013. What a summer of change. From the beaming high school grad to the serious, 100% focused Basic Cadet ready to take on the world, all in a matter of weeks. These young boys and girls will be transformed into men and women. The summer has brought them to the greatest challenge that most have or will ever face…becoming a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy. They will graduate from basic training and be accepted into the Cadet Wing. They will begin the hardest academic, physical and mentally challenging program in the world. This is something that each one of them wanted and embraced and we know that they will do a great job.

All of the great events, struggles and hardships that the cadets will face will become yours also as their parents or family members. The USAFA Parents Club of Indiana is here to share all of this with you. Most importantly we are here to help you get through it. And we ask that you be there for the other parents when they need a helping hand.

We will be hosting our summer picnic at Ft Harrison State Park---Cherry Tree Shelter Picnic Area in Indianapolis on Saturday, August 15. This is a great opportunity to learn about the upcoming events at the academy, namely Parents Weekend, and to share those wonderful, and maybe not so wonderful, stories with others that know this institution well. Below is a link to the directions for the park:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=indianapolis&state=IN&address=6002+north+post+road&zip=46216&zoom=5

This will get you to 6002 N. Post Road Indianapolis, IN 46216 Just follow Post Road until you get to the T. Turn left and you will come to the gate.

PLEASE NOTE – The club does a mailing to all of the new Cadets regardless of membership. Each one will get a box of goodies as congratulation for finishing BCT. PLEASE bring an item for 20 boxes. Candy and snacks are great. You can also be creative. Please keep the items rather small and non-perishable. Remember, chocolate does melt during shipping. The club picks up the cost for mailing.

We look forward to seeing you at this great annual event.

Thank you,
Randy and Kelly Huffman
President-USAFA Parents Club of Indiana