My son was in the VTCC (HT, too). Out of HS, he went up two weeks early with all the other cadets. Others went early too. Athletes, foreign exchange students, etc. Well the first day, they are issued a Guidon (which is to be held three inches in front of the nose anytime left standing in line), get the buzz cut, get issued essentials, and get yelled at a lot. LOL. Hell weeks. We parents doing the drop off were ushered into an assembly and told under no uncertain terms that the best support of our new cadets was to encourage them to stick it out and endure the suck and that certainly there'd be many calling the parents saying "Mom, dad... I'm just not cut out for this. This sucks! I want to come home or drop out). About two weeks into the school year, a guy in my son's company went to commandant and said, "I'm in the wrong place. I don't belong here. This is all wrong" "Ah, stick it out. You'll be glad you did later! This is the hardest part and the rewards will make it all worth while~!" "You don't understand. This is all wrong. I don't belong here" Turns out, he didn't. His folder had somehow ended up in the wrong pile of "two weeks early" students. He never signed up for the corps. He was an exchange student from India. LOL. What was going through his mind, with the buzz cut and all the yelling? LOL. "this America thing isn't what I thought it'd be" I'm sure. The boy transferred out and integrated into foreign student life. ...with shorter hair and a better understanding of making a bunk.