New Dant vs. Old Dant.
- Thread starter Miidaangg
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2008
- Messages
- 20,470
The Dant Question
I wouldn't worry about it too much. During any midshipman's time at USNA (and ditto for all the other SAs), there will probably be a change of Commandants, because the tour length is usually 2-3 years. By the time you get there, you might just have 1 year under the current Dant and then have another one, and possibly a third, over the course of 4 years.
Every new Superintendent and Commandant brings with them their own leadership styles and beliefs, in part grounded in their experience as midshipmen and then informed by the leadership style they have developed during their career.
It is in the nature of midshipmen to get comfortable with one Dant, then a new one comes in, and the ripples of change cause disturbances. This is actually a great lesson for your active duty career, because changes in department heads, Executive Officers and Commanding Officers are a normal part of any tour. Nothing is static, and learning to roll with the changes, adapt and survive is part of the whole experience.
I'm fond of referring to the pendulum swinging back and forth at USNA. Things will be going well for a while, then major misconduct gets splashed into the news, and the Brigade gets smacked down. Stays that way for a while, perhaps incrementally lightening up, then a change of Dants swings the pendulum another way. Before reporting for my BattO tour, I did a lot of reading and went to see senior officers who were former Commandants. They told me USNA oscillates between being a professional military school and an academic college offering a commission. Trying to keep the Academy focused on its mission - producing qualified junior officers for the Fleet and Corps - while navigating a course down the middle of the two extremes, is the biggest challenge. "Keeping the Brigade happy" may or may not be a side effect of that focus on the mission. How the execution of that mission is expressed to the Brigade and to what extent the Brigade gets on board with the current leadership philosophy can greatly affect the general morale level.
Any time changes are made, even if it's adjusting things back to the way they were 3 years ago (which were probably adjusted themselves back the other way, according to Pendulum Theory), it's the ones that affect midshipman's liberty and privileges that cause the comparative comments.
Not much you can do about any of it. It's part of the experience and transformation from plebe to 1/C to ready to go out the door as an ensign or second lieutenant.
Am sure the current mids on here can speak to any specific changes.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. During any midshipman's time at USNA (and ditto for all the other SAs), there will probably be a change of Commandants, because the tour length is usually 2-3 years. By the time you get there, you might just have 1 year under the current Dant and then have another one, and possibly a third, over the course of 4 years.
Every new Superintendent and Commandant brings with them their own leadership styles and beliefs, in part grounded in their experience as midshipmen and then informed by the leadership style they have developed during their career.
It is in the nature of midshipmen to get comfortable with one Dant, then a new one comes in, and the ripples of change cause disturbances. This is actually a great lesson for your active duty career, because changes in department heads, Executive Officers and Commanding Officers are a normal part of any tour. Nothing is static, and learning to roll with the changes, adapt and survive is part of the whole experience.
I'm fond of referring to the pendulum swinging back and forth at USNA. Things will be going well for a while, then major misconduct gets splashed into the news, and the Brigade gets smacked down. Stays that way for a while, perhaps incrementally lightening up, then a change of Dants swings the pendulum another way. Before reporting for my BattO tour, I did a lot of reading and went to see senior officers who were former Commandants. They told me USNA oscillates between being a professional military school and an academic college offering a commission. Trying to keep the Academy focused on its mission - producing qualified junior officers for the Fleet and Corps - while navigating a course down the middle of the two extremes, is the biggest challenge. "Keeping the Brigade happy" may or may not be a side effect of that focus on the mission. How the execution of that mission is expressed to the Brigade and to what extent the Brigade gets on board with the current leadership philosophy can greatly affect the general morale level.
Any time changes are made, even if it's adjusting things back to the way they were 3 years ago (which were probably adjusted themselves back the other way, according to Pendulum Theory), it's the ones that affect midshipman's liberty and privileges that cause the comparative comments.
Not much you can do about any of it. It's part of the experience and transformation from plebe to 1/C to ready to go out the door as an ensign or second lieutenant.
Am sure the current mids on here can speak to any specific changes.
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2008
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- 70
Good guy, generally well liked.
This is not something that an applicant or appointee needs to even think about. He is my third in 3 years, previous two lasted 18 months each. Class of 2010 dat Captain Grooms for 6 months, Captain Klein for 18 months and now Captain Klunder. Things change - it is called the Military, nothing stays the same or the way you think is should be.
Probably what made the previous change (to Captain Klien) more difficult as it occurred with a new Supe following soon after. In one fell swoop the curtain fell. It is being lifted a bit.
This is not something that an applicant or appointee needs to even think about. He is my third in 3 years, previous two lasted 18 months each. Class of 2010 dat Captain Grooms for 6 months, Captain Klein for 18 months and now Captain Klunder. Things change - it is called the Military, nothing stays the same or the way you think is should be.
Probably what made the previous change (to Captain Klien) more difficult as it occurred with a new Supe following soon after. In one fell swoop the curtain fell. It is being lifted a bit.