- Joined
- Aug 4, 2009
- Messages
- 16
What are proboards?
My only hope is that the training program at USNA has expanded to include graduated professional knowledge/training among each class (and I don't necessarily mean etiquette training, Saturday Morning Training, etc.). The Fourth Class training plan seems to be doing just fine (maybe a few tweaks) but there really wasn't a training plan for the other classes and within the military, there is always room for learning AT ALL RANKS.
Youngsters do their own SMT, but (in my experience) the training staff is usually too busy trying to get stuff done with the plebes to make it worthwhile. Planning good 4/C SMTs can be enough of a battle as it is. Ways we've found to try and make it worth something was by having the youngsters help run and plan SMTs for the plebes as a way to prep them for the things they'll be doing 2/C year.
This year it was expanded to more of a pro-knowledge format that took up an entire packet, sort of like the plebe pro-book. Items were more based on knowledge broken down by community and there was some really good stuff in there. It was put out as mando for first semester, then that changed and now I think it's at the Battalion Officer's discretion whether it's mandatory or not.
I think the idea is that after plebe year midshipmen should be suitably motivated to further their professional knowledge and keep learning without oversight or hand-holding from the administration. Of course, in practice this is true for maybe a third of mids. It's pretty disappointing because there's a lot of GREAT opportunities to learn about and experience different communities on your own time.
I've also never met an officer (worth talking to) here who wasn't willing to at least sit down with a mid and talk with them about their job and experiences.
The key is the proper use of the chain-of-command, delegation, and collabaration. In my day, the CoC was not used efficiently (and my guess still isn't). In my view, 3/C and 2/C should plan SMT's and the 1/C provides guidance and oversees the process and gut checks the plan (sounds like this might be happening). Then he/she briefs the appropriate officers.
Some of the 3/C really go above and beyond with helping us plan training, but it often ends up just being the training sergeants coming up with ideas and the training officer running around doing all the boring logistics to make it work.