New Cadet Initial Order for Vanguard

[Stonewall]

I attached a copy of the format we used for CAPMart, but was wondering if anyone has something similar in use for Vanguard at the squadron.  NIN?  Maybe you with your 2,000 cadets in T-Flight?

[NIN]

I attached a copy of the format we used for CAPMart, but was wondering if anyone has something similar in use for Vanguard at the squadron.  NIN?  Maybe you with your 2,000 cadets in T-Flight?

Not 100% sure what my supply officer has been using (my guess is that she just goes on the website and orders).

We do a "bulk order" to take advantages of "economies of scale" where we buy 21 sets of c/Amn (well, ok, not really. My supply officer has minimum stockage levels that she maintains, and buying 21 sets of C/Amn 2x/year virtually ensures we'd have at least 25 sets of C/Amn laying around in 6 months time.  So when we do a Vanguard order following inprocessing night, she orders whatever we need for C/A1C, c/SrA, c/SSgt, etc, and projects needing [insert number of basic cadet who just inprocessed] sets of C/Amn and orders the difference.), Curry ribbons, wing patches, American flags, BDU belts, etc. 

She doesn't just use Vanguard, however. 

See, for $50, we provide our cadets with a "new member supply kit":  BDU Cap, BDU belt, boot blousers, Civil Air Patrol & name tapes, squadron patch, wing patch, American flag,  flight cap device, collar insignia (cutouts *and* their C/Amn insignia), nametag, ribbon & ribbon holder and shirt garters.   All of that isn't always available thru Vanguard, however (or what is available from Vanguard sucks in the quality department, so we refuse to order it), so we get things from a couple different suppliers for a better price. 

EDIT: We used to do that form, Kirt, right out of our inprocessing database, but since CAPMart went away, we stopped.  After inprocessing the database used to generate a full-up CAPMart order form, including individual name tags (ie. "599M 1 Nameplate.  NAME: NINNNESS  $2.75") and insignia ("646L  22 C/Amn Chevrons  $2.87"), etc.  But with the demise of CAPMart, that doesn't work.

Plus, we needed all the other stuff that didn't come from CAPmart.

My Supply Officer puts each cadet's new member kit into a shoebox-sized dollar store plastic bin with a lid, and about 6-8 weeks into basic training they get it.

[Pylon]

I use a $40 package that gets them set-up with basic blues and BDUs. 

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pH2sPgJCT0CKluNBm9oErFw

The squadron issues a set of long-sleeve blues (and short-sleeves until their FCU arrives), plus BDUs and an M-65 field jacket.  Boots and shoes are also issued if I have them in their size (I seem to have lots of weird sizes).  So they just need the insignia and accessories to make those issued sets and their FCU complete.  This $40 gets them the bare minimum to get started and has worked pretty well for the past year or two.  Prices were recently updated. 

About every 6 months I go through and re-check prices on all the items with Vanguard and Hock (prices went up about 10-20% on almost everything recently, in case anybody hadn't noticed) and go with the vendor that can do the entire package for the cheapest.  The Hock has always come out on top.

Like Ninness' squadron, I package everything up in a zip-lock bag for each new cadet and when they get to the uniforms module of the intro courses, they receive their bag o' goodies.  Collecting the money, ordering the supplies, and tracking that they've received it is all part of my In-Processing Checklist.  When a member joins, I start an In-Processing Checklist that gets put on a clipboard with all the other recent recruits.  As they move through the process of becoming a member, I can keep track of what they're still missing, what they owe us, what we owe them, etc.  That inprocessing checklist is attached.

[NC Hokie]

^^^ Nice stuff.  Got a copy of the cadet contract and uniform return agreement to share?