Leaving The Yard

NewNavyMom

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I think that I have read that Plebes may only ride in the car of an official sponsor or parent. We have a family friend who would like to have our son visit them to relax, when he can, during his time at the academy. They do not want to be an official sponsor. They live about 15 minutes from the academy. My question is: Will he be able to go to their home? Can he take public transportation to get there? How would this work? Can it work?

Thanks!
 
Plebes can ride in personal vehicles with parents, officers, 1/C sponsor family "siblings," sponsor parents and a couple of other specified cases. Unrelated folks or girlfriends/boyfriends, not. They are supposed to take public transportation otherwise.

I recommend they just do the paperwork via the online app and just specify his name. That way, all will be legit, and they can get a FONA (friends of the Naval Academy pass) to drive on and pick him up.

http://www.usna.edu/Sponsor/application.htm

The only risk there is that if he wants a full-on sponsor family relationship and a home available to him on the Saturdays he's free, are they willing to be that available?

Now, do the powers-that-be stick their heads in car windows out in town and ask if the civilians he's riding with fall into an approved category? No. Do powers-that-be go to the same movies and restaurants as plebes, and do some feel inclined to report infractions? Yes. The plebe will then have to be very careful how he talks about those folks and how he got to see them in front of others and realize he's gambling a bit. There will be plenty of opportunities to break rules, intentionally and unintentionally, over the 4 years, why rush?

He can certainly walk out in town and join them for lunch or dinner in DTA. He can be in their home if he follows the rules about traveling to and from - paying a taxi seems awkward, but could be done.
 
I think that I have read that Plebes may only ride in the car of an official sponsor or parent. We have a family friend who would like to have our son visit them to relax, when he can, during his time at the academy. They do not want to be an official sponsor. They live about 15 minutes from the academy. My question is: Will he be able to go to their home? Can he take public transportation to get there? How would this work? Can it work?

Thanks!

Here is a link to the rules by which the midshipman must live.
http://www.usna.edu/Commandant/Instructions/COMDTMIDNINST 5400 6L.pdf

It gets updated on occasion. Right now, it bears the signature of Captain Matthew Klunder. The new commandant, Capt. Clark, may make some changes.

The rules regarding riding in vehicles (for all classes) is outlined quite clearly in the manual. Each parent should read through this and get an idea of some of the restrictions. Most of it applies more to the routine of the academic year. There are additional rules that are unique to Plebe Summer that are not published. The Plebes learn those rules on the fly and the parents should be careful that some of the things that would be "OK" for the academic year are strictly prohibited during Plebe Summer. The Plebes will learn those things ... the parents are usually woefully ignorant of the restrictions.
 
If a Midshipman feels that special circumstances warrant an exception to any regulation or directive, that Midshipman may submit a special request to an approval authority to obtain relaxation or modification of the regulation.

NewNavyMom,

If being caught is a concern, your son could submit a special request chit asking for specific permission to ride in the friend's vehicle. MIDN Regulations is specific when it comes to the approving authorities for different circumstances. This relaxation isn't specifically addressed, but most likely falls under the Company Officer.

Also, as a previous poster mentioned -- don't necessarily go by the black ink in the instruction. Sometimes the record of change or modification (i.e. verbal order) to an instruction isn't published. Again, your MIDN knows!
 
Thanks for all the replies. We're not going to push this along this year. We'll just let son get settled and see how it goes. He already has a sponsor so I know that he has a place to go. No worries. Our friends can just meet him for lunch now and then.:smile:
 
Hey, the rule about not riding with anybody other than your sponsop parent's and such really doesn't apply in this situation. It really isn't an enforced rule at all. The reason the rule exists is to make sure there's a way to get plebes in trouble if they're riding with a fellow plebe or an uperclass who's not supposed to have a car. I recommend submitting the Friend of the Naval Academy form, just so the friends can come on they yard to pick up your son and drop him off, but if you don't submit it don't worry about it. No uperclass will get your son in trouble, even if they see him at a movie theater or restaurant.
 
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