Word: classing
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Dates: during 1980-1980
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...objective criteria. "Appearance, now appearance counts quite a bit, the number of times you wear your uniform and all," Henderson explains. The U.S. government provides the uniforms free of charge, small, baggy replicas of real Air Force clothes. More importantly, they provide decorations. At the front of the class, all the pins and badges--right up to four-star general--are glued on a piece of cardboard...
...says, pointing to slightly gaudier decorations. "Can I get this one?" a kid asks, pointing at the four stars. "Maybe, if you sign up when you get out of school," Henderson says. Officers--squadron leaders and others--are chosen from among the students; at the end of each class, several volunteers come up to say they wouldn't mind the responsibility...
Snappy dressing counts, true, but it isn't enough. To excel requires proficiency in what Henderson calls "your military courtesies:" Courtesy here means avoiding first names; "in class, you can call each other cadets or Mr. Smith and Miss Jones." Unfortunately, there is a Mr. Jones in this class, so the explanation provokes some giggles. "You may address yourself by your cadet rank--Cadet Lieutenant Smith, Cadet Jones," Henderson adds...
...class seems more interested in the possibility of avoiding boot camp. "My brother was in the Navy, and he said that when he was in basic training three guys died, it was so hard. He said one guy couldn't do enough push-ups, and they kicked him in the stomach and he died." Henderson thinks for a second, then says, "I never saw anyone die. Could be, though, it's pretty rough...
Uniforms, salutes and the diverse other courtesies will also help cadets if they decide to join the drill team. The class will drill on the athletic fields only occasionally--"you'll get less in one year than in a single day at basic training"--but there is the "strictly extracurricular" possibility of drill team. Or even color guard. "If you really enjoy it, you can learn to get out there and twirl those fancy rifles and all," he says...