Most Plebes have spent time away from home. This is different then going off to camp for a week or a month. This is... I am no longer a kid, I am an adult and my new home is here. Actually with other schools adjusting things I think it will make plebe year easier as they won’t see as many photos of their buddies doing whatever at State U. They are in an oh goodness moment. Every new Plebe has them. Usually mom and dad are not privy to it. Trust me when I say parents knew very little about what we did at USNA not all that long ago. They will have another one big moment when ROM ends. About a week into they will think ROM wasn’t so bad! With ROM they have much more time to sit and think and dwell upon this all. If they are quitting now, honestly it’s not the right place for them. ROM is boring and not fun, but it isn’t hard.
Once they get moving again with Plebe Summer it will help to form that bond of classmates. For those of us who have been there and done that, we know that these two weeks or even the prospect of being locked down to yard liberty until Thanksgiving isn’t a big deal. To a Mid, this is tough. The 4 years at USNA prepares them for these future years at sea and deployments. There is a carrier at sea right now that hasn’t had a port visit in nearly 6 months. These Sailors are working 8-16+ hour days, shift work and trying to find a single minute of alone time is nearly impossible. I did a nearly 1 year deployment and another 8.5 month one. No R&R or mid tour breaks. All combat zones. This is the reality of what their future holds and why us old grads emphasis that this is the military, not just a college when candidates are applying. I know for parents new to this it can be concerning, strange and odd. They will all be okay and be ready to join the Brigade of Midshipmen in August. Even though Plebe Summer will be harder, it will be much better once they can come together as a company and they will feel like they are all in this as one.
Once they get moving again with Plebe Summer it will help to form that bond of classmates. For those of us who have been there and done that, we know that these two weeks or even the prospect of being locked down to yard liberty until Thanksgiving isn’t a big deal. To a Mid, this is tough. The 4 years at USNA prepares them for these future years at sea and deployments. There is a carrier at sea right now that hasn’t had a port visit in nearly 6 months. These Sailors are working 8-16+ hour days, shift work and trying to find a single minute of alone time is nearly impossible. I did a nearly 1 year deployment and another 8.5 month one. No R&R or mid tour breaks. All combat zones. This is the reality of what their future holds and why us old grads emphasis that this is the military, not just a college when candidates are applying. I know for parents new to this it can be concerning, strange and odd. They will all be okay and be ready to join the Brigade of Midshipmen in August. Even though Plebe Summer will be harder, it will be much better once they can come together as a company and they will feel like they are all in this as one.