Plebe summer numbers?

SCMids said:
My info is from a Tango detailer. When I said 30, the response given was "Not true." Not Yak
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Interesting. I can only go off what I was told but I do believe that number includes iday turn aways and DOR's maybe he/she is only referring to those that have processed through tango. Regardless the number is definitely north of last year.
 
SCMids said:
My info is from a Tango detailer. When I said 30, the response given was "Not true." Not Yak
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According to Mids, 30+ people are no longer part of 2020. That also included no shows and those that didn't take the oath, but according to detailers less than 10 people did that.

Your source may be talking about plebes in Tango, but Mids is the most accurate place to look.
 
I really wouldn't get too wrapped around the exact numbers. The number who leave during plebe summer is minuscule compared to the next 3.5 years.
 
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They haven't met the Dean yet. The Commandant can punish you, but it is the Dean that normally does the killing.
 
Introverts abandon ship Plebes: As 87 midshipmen drop out this summer, the Naval Academy is considering ways to help the introverts.

August 16, 1998|By Neal Thompson | Neal Thompson,SUN STAFF

Far from his South Carolina home, Gary Moody sat glassy-eyed and tremble-lipped amid the din of the Naval Academy dining hall as upperclassmen pummeled him for answers eluding him: You got a 1500 on your SAT but can't remember our names or what's for dinner?

"It's all about how hard you try, and I don't think you're giving it your all right now. Do you have a little bit more left in there?" asked Kerry George, a senior-ranking upperclassman.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," Moody said, making it sound more like a question. He left a half-eaten sandwich on his plate, knocked a fork to the floor and walked off, forgetting his towel. "I thought he was going to cry," George said. "It amazes me how many guys will cry here."

It's not easy being a plebe. And that, sir or ma'am, is the whole point.

The first step in molding officers is weeding out the weaklings. But that is a delicate and imperfect process, and academy officials are increasingly concerned that their traditional initial testing of midshipmen's physical and emotional limits, plebe summer, may be burning off the most-promising freshmen.

Officials are considering using personality tests to identify potential dropouts they want to keep and then offering them some relief from the stressful regimentation of life in the academy and military.

When Moody and 1,250 classmates signed on as the Class of 2002, people spoke to them of honor, courage and commitment. Nobody mentioned such plebe summer realities as "plebe hack" and the ominous "Tango company." When those realities hit, 87 of them walked out the door.

Moody was among them. He and his near-perfect SAT score are back in South Carolina. Academy officials worry that they might have scared off a future admiral. Again.

........The Facts

.. .. .. .. .. Plebe summer .. .. .. ..Plebe year

Year .. .. .. .. .dropouts .. .. .. .. .dropouts

1994 .. .. .. .. .. 8.4% .. .. .. .. .. .. 11.0%

1995 .. .. .. .. .. 7.4% .. .. .. .. .. .. 11.4%

1996 .. .. .. .. .. 6.8% .. .. .. .. .. .. 11.8%

1997 .. .. .. .. .. 7.4% .. .. .. .. .. .. 11.0%

1998 .. .. .. .. .. 7.1% .. .. .. .. .. .. ..n/a

......Four years ago, the academy tried to include more personal time during plebe summer to help the "individuals" unwind. But there were a record 102 dropouts "because the other extrovert types had more time to think, 'Why am I here?' " Gottschalk said........

Page #1 of 3 Pages
 
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"Perspective"

It sure is fun to look at the Present with a Perspective taken from the Past !

The hard part is finding the material ! Here is a 19 Page PDF of some great news stories going back to 1991 on Plebe Summer at USNA.

You can tell that when these were written at the Baltimore Sun, it was during the times when the Paper had reporters who were good enough to write stories longer than two paragraphs.

Enjoy !
 

Attachments

  • PLEBE SUMMERS.pdf
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Sometimes it sucks reading some of the comments about the numbers of plebes who could not handle a normal summer here in Annapolis. The only job that most plebes have is learn to embrace the suck. Be it memorizing news articles, menus, rules of sentry, rates or what ever. if they cant do this basic stuff, then its right for them to leave. What are they going to do when it really hits the fan after 4 years/graduation? The stress during PS, is extremely low compared to what they will encounter in the fleet/Corp. Hey, (pick any adversary country here), I need a time out to get my head on straight... Sometimes I wonder why admissions goes out the way to make the class as they fit. I do know that they have orders to make it more representative of the country but at what cost. I know that there are LOT of well deserving plebes here. Im not knocking them, Im just upset that, the numbers are well north compared to years past of people who have quit for what ever reason.

To me, the hardest thing, is trying not to laugh when I have talked to some a waiting out processing. I still run on USNA grounds and have talked to several that DOR. Two biggest issues, that I have heard are heat/humidity ( again embrace the suck and STAY HYDRATED, not hard to do) and that they were not used to someone yelling/correcting them. I dont know their family backgrounds, however, that being stated. USNA is for future officers of USN/USMC!! not some place where you go to work and punch in and out. All you have to do is read some of post from various academy alumni claiming how easy it now compared to when they had to embrace the suck. None of them had "time out cards". We were fortunate to have one of old plebes come to visit this past weekend ( he normally tries to visit whenever in the WDC area) He is in specwar just like his father was and he even lamented about how easy it is during a morning run. Yes, I was turned down to USNA (only school to turn me down) Im upset as to the numbers DOR as I consider it a wasted appointment. For every DOR there are literally hundreds who would have given almost anything to have been given a PTR in the mail! Understand Im not trying to upset anyone, just venting at the numbers as they sadly keep going up.

Its August!! PPW is right around the corner and yes PS will be coming to an end and with that brings AC year!
 
Speaking of "embrace the suck" Here is a excerpt from a letter I got from plebe DS today. It is written on one of those little note pads that they carry around with them:

Hey guys! At this very moment I'm standing with my fellow glorified sheep outside the barber shop. That may sound boring but it is not...because there's a radio out here! The funny thing is that "Had a bad day" just came on and everyone was humming along (the detailers are always watching). Before that "shake it off" was playing and we snuck in our first dance moves of plebe summer, which was awesome! Gotta enjoy the little things.
 
md403 said:
Sometimes it sucks reading some of the comments about the numbers of plebes who could not handle a normal summer here in Annapolis. The only job that most plebes have is learn to embrace the suck. Be it memorizing news articles, menus, rules of sentry, rates or what ever. if they cant do this basic stuff, then its right for them to leave. What are they going to do when it really hits the fan after 4 years/graduation? The stress during PS, is extremely low compared to what they will encounter in the fleet/Corp. Hey, (pick any adversary country here), I need a time out to get my head on straight... Sometimes I wonder why admissions goes out the way to make the class as they fit. I do know that they have orders to make it more representative of the country but at what cost. I know that there are LOT of well deserving plebes here. Im not knocking them, Im just upset that, the numbers are well north compared to years past of people who have quit for what ever reason.

To me, the hardest thing, is trying not to laugh when I have talked to some a waiting out processing. I still run on USNA grounds and have talked to several that DOR. Two biggest issues, that I have heard are heat/humidity ( again embrace the suck and STAY HYDRATED, not hard to do) and that they were not used to someone yelling/correcting them. I dont know their family backgrounds, however, that being stated. USNA is for future officers of USN/USMC!! not some place where you go to work and punch in and out. All you have to do is read some of post from various academy alumni claiming how easy it now compared to when they had to embrace the suck. None of them had "time out cards". We were fortunate to have one of old plebes come to visit this past weekend ( he normally tries to visit whenever in the WDC area) He is in specwar just like his father was and he even lamented about how easy it is during a morning run. Yes, I was turned down to USNA (only school to turn me down) Im upset as to the numbers DOR as I consider it a wasted appointment. For every DOR there are literally hundreds who would have given almost anything to have been given a PTR in the mail! Understand Im not trying to upset anyone, just venting at the numbers as they sadly keep going up.

Its August!! PPW is right around the corner and yes PS will be coming to an end and with that brings AC year!
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I hear you. You have a great path ahead of you, and your posts over your journey of the last year and insights into plebe life as a sponsor brother have been insightful and balanced. I hope you continue to post.

I do think some plebes have no idea of their personal "wuss factor," and they arrive and in various ways, disintegrate, either physically, motivationally (is that a word?), psychologically, emotionally, spiritually. No doubt some percentage of those who did not get an appointment would have had a wuss factor too, and would have dropped. We will never know. Populating a class is an art and a science, and there is no test for sticktoitivity IQ.

There is no shame in realizing USNA, for whatever reason, is not for them. The reason only has to be valid for them. Many who did not get an appointment ache for the spot that coulda/shoulda been theirs, absolutely sure they wouldn't bail out of PS, but they have no way of knowing that.

I continue to be surprised by those who are taken aback by vigorously voiced leadership initial training culture (yelling), physical demands and optempo- that tells me they didn't do their homework on fit.

Let's hit the farm stand for some Eastern Shore sweet corn, pour an iced tea, pop into the hammock under the ceiling fan and think kind thoughts about the laboring, sweaty, smelly, exhausted 2020 plebes. Yes, it's far, far easier than previous years, decades and centuries, but still significantly harder than "College Freshman Orientation Week" that their HS classmates will be enjoying.
 
Brawny77 said:
Speaking of "embrace the suck" Here is a excerpt from a letter I got from plebe DS today. It is written on one of those little note pads that they carry around with them:

Hey guys! At this very moment I'm standing with my fellow glorified sheep outside the barber shop. That may sound boring but it is not...because there's a radio out here! The funny thing is that "Had a bad day" just came on and everyone was humming along (the detailers are always watching). Before that "shake it off" was playing and we snuck in our first dance moves of plebe summer, which was awesome! Gotta enjoy the little things.
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We got a similar letter from our DS late last week. While the losses are disappointing and unfortunate, the Class of 2020 is being forged and their spirit remains unbroken.
 
Has anyone else gotten the sense from their plebe that there is some (albeit very innocent sounding) mischief afoot? I've had some very strange requests with a very cryptic "I'll explain later". Can any former plebes enlighten as to whether pranks are big during PS?
 
HopefulDad3210 said:
Has anyone else gotten the sense from their plebe that there is some (albeit very innocent sounding) mischief afoot? I've had some very strange requests with a very cryptic "I'll explain later". Can any former plebes enlighten as to whether pranks are big during PS?
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Yes.
 
Though prudent plebes should consider anything they do to detailers, can return upon them in compound ways. Good fun, though, that doesn't destroy anything or injure anyone or put USNA on the national news, can be hilarious.

During the ac year, one plebe class kidnapped the hundreds of Honey Bears on King Hall tables, complete with "Have You Seen" posters of forlorn Honey Bears tied together with shoelaces. The desired ransom was carry on. The Dant declared amnesty if the Honey Bears were returned unharmed, saying he did not negotiate with kidnappers. They were found in formation on Stribling Walk.
 
Capt MJ said:
Though prudent plebes should consider anything they do to detailers, can return upon them in compound ways. Good fun, though, that doesn't destroy anything or injure anyone or put USNA on the national news, can be hilarious.

During the ac year, one plebe class kidnapped the hundreds of Honey Bears on King Hall tables, complete with "Have You Seen" posters of forlorn Honey Bears tied together with shoelaces. The desired ransom was carry on. The Dant declared amnesty if the Honey Bears were returned unharmed, saying he did not negotiate with kidnappers. They were found in formation on Stribling Walk.
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That's hilarious. No, this was simply compiling publicly available (but inaccessible currently to Plebes) information. I fear if I say much more it will give too much away.
 
I heard one company got in a bit of trouble for mailing live cockroaches to their detailers. Not my son's company.
 
Mids generally have an incredible sense of humor. They come up with some crazy stuff. 99% of it is in good fun. Every once in a awhile it goes beyond fun and crosses the line, but it is extremely rare compared. Pranks and a few traditional things like bets, 100s night, service selection, Beat Army week are all times Plebes get a chance to 'revenge' their favorite upper class!

Also sounds like the Plebes are settling in nicely. They are now at the phase of 'I can make it. It's August, it's almost Parent's Weekend. They can yell at me all they want and I can do push ups all day!' Soon it will move to Mom and Dad are almost here! They meet their sponsors, wear whites for the first time, go to the baseball game. Then it moves to reform and whole different set of emotions and mental processing. The tables turn and they are out numbered 3 to 1 and realize the Academic Year is harder in a totally different way.
 
socalfan said:
I heard one company got in a bit of trouble for mailing live cockroaches to their detailers. Not my son's company.
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Messing with USPS strays into federal offenses. Oops. Course correction!
 
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