Summer Training
- Thread starter AVT
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2011
- Messages
- 869
Out of the three summer blocks, you have to spend at least two on training. We break training up into fleet cruises and professional development (PRODEV) cruises.
After plebe year, one of the blocks will either be on a ship or submarine and that's your fleet cruise. After 3/C year, PROTRAMID (week with Marines, aviation, subs, and surface) counts as the fleet cruise. The first time options really come into it is before 1/C year. Those who want to go Marines go to Leatherneck in Quantico, VA, and those wanting to go Navy spent a block with a sub, ship, or aviation squadron. There's also a few spots for SEAL or EOD cruises which are very competitive to get.
Fleet cruises are a mixed bag. You could get sent to an aircraft carrier on deployment in an exciting location and get to do really neat stuff, or you could be tied to the pier in Norfolk on an amphib for a month. A lot depends on the individual mid to make stuff happen, and a lot depends on the willingness of the ship to help you get something out of your cruise.
PRODEV cruises are a little different. You always (ostensibly...realistically anything except for YPs and OSTS is 2/C summer onwards) have options, including:
-YPs (this is a bad deal)
-OSTS (sailing, good deal)
-internships (almost always a good deal, but only some count for training.)
-detail (summer seminar for 3/C and 1/C, weapons for 2/C and 1/C, plebe summer for 1/C), which is usually both rewarding and looks good, depending on billet and performance.
-LREC/LSAP: spend a month or so in another country learning the language and doing cool stuff.
-NOLS: I did NOLS and the only downside is you have to fund yourself. Mine, including airfare to the Yukon and all the equipment, was like $6000-7000.
-FOREX (foreign exchange) cruises.
-Soaring
...And much, much more! One of my former plebes is in India on a 8 week long language study trip, for example.
Though during my time at the Academy they lost the funding for it, historically we've been able to send a few kids to airborne, air assault, or dive school. Supposedly we had the spots for about 50 or so people to go this summer but that's all I know about that.
That's probably more than you ever wanted to know.
After plebe year, one of the blocks will either be on a ship or submarine and that's your fleet cruise. After 3/C year, PROTRAMID (week with Marines, aviation, subs, and surface) counts as the fleet cruise. The first time options really come into it is before 1/C year. Those who want to go Marines go to Leatherneck in Quantico, VA, and those wanting to go Navy spent a block with a sub, ship, or aviation squadron. There's also a few spots for SEAL or EOD cruises which are very competitive to get.
Fleet cruises are a mixed bag. You could get sent to an aircraft carrier on deployment in an exciting location and get to do really neat stuff, or you could be tied to the pier in Norfolk on an amphib for a month. A lot depends on the individual mid to make stuff happen, and a lot depends on the willingness of the ship to help you get something out of your cruise.
PRODEV cruises are a little different. You always (ostensibly...realistically anything except for YPs and OSTS is 2/C summer onwards) have options, including:
-YPs (this is a bad deal)
-OSTS (sailing, good deal)
-internships (almost always a good deal, but only some count for training.)
-detail (summer seminar for 3/C and 1/C, weapons for 2/C and 1/C, plebe summer for 1/C), which is usually both rewarding and looks good, depending on billet and performance.
-LREC/LSAP: spend a month or so in another country learning the language and doing cool stuff.
-NOLS: I did NOLS and the only downside is you have to fund yourself. Mine, including airfare to the Yukon and all the equipment, was like $6000-7000.
-FOREX (foreign exchange) cruises.
-Soaring
...And much, much more! One of my former plebes is in India on a 8 week long language study trip, for example.
Though during my time at the Academy they lost the funding for it, historically we've been able to send a few kids to airborne, air assault, or dive school. Supposedly we had the spots for about 50 or so people to go this summer but that's all I know about that.
That's probably more than you ever wanted to know.