Ah yes another "strange" thread on the USMMA Service Academy Forum ...
Wow anther strange thread that just seems to get stranger or sillier, depending on your perspective, with each additional post...
First we started the thread with what I'd say is basically an "I've heard and I'm shocked and appalled by dblomomkp2013:
" I have heard from a few 'veteran' parents to be prepared that there is a good possibility that while the mids were away at sea, their personal items that were LOCKED and stored at KP may be broken into. You've got to be kidding me!! Can anyone shed some light on this???
If this holds so much of one shred of truth that this type of behavior is on the campus this is shameful. Why have an honor code? AND if this holds any truth perhaps the new superintendent should become aware of the environment that is tolerated at the academy!!
Someone please respond to this post... "
Of course many just couldn't resist responding ranging from other equally appalled parents to a few mids and then of course some of the others on the network here like Luigi and Bruno. All of course trying to be helpful and that's the nice part of these forums but let's go back to the first post and examine it. before we move forward.
Do things occasionally get pilfered or stolen at any and all of the Service Academies? You betcha; do midshipmen occasionally get caught lying or cheating as well, yep, they do.
Does that mean there's no reason to have and enforce an honor code? Quite the opposite, I would say. As for whether Rear Admiral Green needs a post from a Class of 2013 parent, based on what they heard through the grapevine network of other "experienced parents", to be made aware of the fact that the USMMA exists in the real world, and that some members of the current regiment might be human beings who have lapses of judgment and might break the honor code today, just as the same thing happened from time to time while he attended the Academy as a midshipman from 1974 until he graduated in 1978; I doubt it will be a surprise or news to him. I also doubt that if some concrete facts and evidence were to accompany such a situation that he would ignore the situation, nor would he likely take into account the numerous pleas from outside sources without firsthand knowledge of the events or the situation while deciding what to do about it.
Of course from time to time things get stolen or "borrowed without permission." Should these issues be dealt with - yes. Should they be reviewed by an honor board and executive review board, yes. Will they be, most likely yes. Of course they should only be handled when they actually occur, not when someone hears about something without any specifics and details and chooses to become outraged without any specific evidence or reason to be so.
I just got back from the USMMA last evening. I took some stuff up to my own DS who flew right to KP from the West Coast after his second sea year. Do I believe the sort of stuff that was alluded to at the beginning of this thread occurs - yes. But without specifics and evidence damning the entire regiment and questioning the basis for the existence of the honor code seems totally unfounded and counter-productive. I helped my son carry some stuff to his room, then he, I and one of his classmates went to lunch yesterday. When lunch was over I returned them back to their rooms so they could finish their sea projects. I then went down to the waterfront to try and watch a little of the regatta that was underway. I say tried because in their current conditions the ends of neither of the two piers are open to the public. Their condition is horrible and basically unsafe. Why do I mention this? Well because if you are going to get outraged and driven to action about something that you think Rear Admiral Green should be doing something about then I think you ought to go to this thread and follow it's instructions:
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=15114
Perhaps with appropriate funding our new Superintendent will be able to address truly obvious pressing issues where the facts are well known and documented rather than asking him to focus on responding to hearsay and innuendo. But hey what do I know - I mean it's just my opinion and we all know what opinions are like.