Plebes and Personal Music

HMCoF2021

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Feb 29, 2016
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Hello. When I attended NASS, my squad leader told me that plebes are not allowed to listen to their own music. Can anyone confirm this? Thank you.
 
It's called "media privileges." There are some things in MidRegs that can be widely "adapted" by company. Learn the rules, then make your choices.
 
Capt MJ nailed it. This falls into the media category and is usually banned during the week. On Liberty it's another story. Plebes can get special permission for it and some companies are more liberal on it than others. My Plebe Year squad mate got caught listening to music. 3 miserable Plebes stood 30 days restriction for it. Yes, one screws up, we all paid the price.
 
DS won a bet with an upperclassman last fall - I think during football season - got media privileges for all the plebes in his company for the weekend.
 
Thanks for the response everyone. I was thinking my squad leader was just messing with me, but apparently not.
 
That is just one of many restrictions. Chopping, sounding off, using only certain ladders (stairwells), certain walkways on the yard cannot be used, no sleeping during the day, might not be allowed to use your computer for entertainment (i.e. social media) at certain times, etc.
 
DS is home and over dinner speculating how he could get a chit for a refrigerator. I asked about restrictions and he mentioned chopping "race track p-ways" and "plebing your cover." He is a Plebe No More but looks like youngsters have restrictions too.
 
That is just one of many restrictions. Chopping, sounding off, using only certain ladders (stairwells), certain walkways on the yard cannot be used, no sleeping during the day, might not be allowed to use your computer for entertainment (i.e. social media) at certain times, etc.

Sleeping during the day is now allowed for the incoming plebes...yeah I know.
 
One of the big differences regarding Plebe privileges (or lack thereof) when comparing today to yesteryears is that it used to be vary standardized throughout the Brigade. Generally, the Brigade Commander determined whether Plebes (throughout the Brigade!) could suspend chopping or had media privileges. It wasn't determined at the Company level.

I don't like the way they implement it today - at the Company level - because it breaks down the unity of the Plebe class. They should all suffer and celebrate together instead of getting the sense that they are in an "easy" company or in a "tough" company, all getting a different experience.
 
One of the big differences regarding Plebe privileges (or lack thereof) when comparing today to yesteryears is that it used to be vary standardized throughout the Brigade. Generally, the Brigade Commander determined whether Plebes (throughout the Brigade!) could suspend chopping or had media privileges. It wasn't determined at the Company level.

I don't like the way they implement it today - at the Company level - because it breaks down the unity of the Plebe class. They should all suffer and celebrate together instead of getting the sense that they are in an "easy" company or in a "tough" company, all getting a different experience.

Agreed. When it's company by company, it's an arbitrary loss, not purposeful. When your friend in "X" Company gets 30 days' restriction for media but your other friend gets 10 demerits or gets to use her iPod on weekends, it breeds resentment and possibly the questioning of leadership - people - instead of institutional rules (which can still stink, but aren't out to get me personally). It can erode away at "unity through shared adversity" because I don't know whether I'm really sharing it any more - I just feel dumped on.
 
The Dant I worked for as a BattO, who later went on to CNO, had a very good grasp on this issue. He told the 6 BattOs that consistency across the Brigade was key, that there were not 30 ships (companies) with individual steaming orders, and that as far as he knew, it was his signature at the bottom of MidRegs and he had not delegated the authority to grant certain privileges to midshipmen.... BattOs were expected to collaborate when approving exceptions, and we held our company officers' toes to the fire to get alignment across the Brigade.

It's a leadership issue. When I hear a plebe say she has more weekends than she can take (far more than what MidRegs specifies for her rank), because her company has either all these off-Reg ways to earn a weekend or her company is so lax they don't account for them - well, I have to take a deep breath.
 
I think this is a very difficult line to walk. On one hand, we want there to be consistency; on the other hand, USNA is a leadership laboratory and part of the MIDN experience should be making SOME decisions (where delegated to), accountability/responsibility, and ability to reward/"punish." The question then becomes WHAT gets delegated (and not). The whole decision making process CANNOT be so centralized to not allow MIDN to make decisions or to make them at a mundane level; they should have the opportunity to understand the ramifications of their decisions, etc. I agree that there should be some oversight...but if a company commander wants to suspend chopping for a few days to reward some type of good behavior, then why should only one person (i.e. Brigade Commander or Commandant) get to make the call -- besides that they have rank? It takes away the opportunity for other MIDN to make "leadership" decisions. As CaptMJ said...I think if "Commander's Intent" is properly pushed down from the Dant to BattO and CompanyOs, then they can command by negation. If those officers think that MIDN decisions are "way overboard" then they could step in, block it, and do some mentoring.

If I was a company officer (which I am not), I would want MIDN to experience all the factors that come with decision making; I would want them to have the opportunity to "fail" (just not fall on their face) at making some decisions...that is sometimes the BEST way to learn. They can't have this opportunity if it is TOO centralized. I think there is a way it could be done through a hybrid approach (i.e. Company Commanders are limited to suspension of one plebe privilege for up to 3 days...Battalion Commander 4 days, etc.).

I am not sure if this along the lines of what CaptMJ was implying with ADM Roughead? was Dant.
 
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I think this is a very difficult line to walk. On one hand, we want there to be consistency; on the other hand, USNA is a leadership laboratory and part of the MIDN experience should be making SOME decisions (where delegated to), accountability/responsibility, and ability to reward/"punish." The question then becomes WHAT gets delegated (and not). The whole decision making process CANNOT be so centralized to not allow MIDN to make decisions or to make them at a mundane level; they should have the opportunity to understand the ramifications of their decisions, etc. I agree that there should be some oversight...but if a company commander wants to suspend chopping for a few days to reward some type of good behavior, then why should only one person (i.e. Brigade Commander or Commandant) get to make the call -- besides that they have rank? It takes away the opportunity for other MIDN to make "leadership" decisions. As CaptMJ said...I think if "Commander's Intent" is properly pushed down from the Dant to BattO and CompanyOs, then they can command by negation. If those officers think that MIDN decisions are "way overboard" then they could step in, block it, and do some mentoring.

If I was a company officer (which I am not), I would want MIDN to experience all the factors that come with decision making; I would want them to have the opportunity to "fail" (just not fall on their face) at making some decisions...that is sometimes the BEST way to learn. They can't have this opportunity if it is TOO centralized. I think there is a way it could be done through a hybrid approach (i.e. Company Commanders are limited to suspension of one plebe privilege for up to 3 days...Battalion Commander 4 days, etc.).

I am not sure if this along the lines of what CaptMJ was implying with ADM Roughead? was Dant.

You got it. I encouraged decision-making the way a seasoned officer would approach it in the Fleet.
 
I am just still baffled about a Plebe having more weekends than they can use!
 
I am just still baffled about a Plebe having more weekends than they can use!

DS had more than he could use (the number of weekends granted to all midshipmen, plus a weekend for making Dant's list, I think). He plays a fall sport that has a spring season and with having weekend duty and keeping his grades up (and the fact that we live less than an hour away so it's easy to visit) he only took one weekend plebe year.
 
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