Presidential Graduation Speaker

Kings Point is not in the "rotation". Just take a look at the amount of time prior to President Bush.

Although it is always possible to have the President speak at a graduation, I wouldn't count on it.
 
Does not bother me - tickets would have been limited perhaps a max of two to four per family. This way our DS will have his entire family join him to see him walk down that aisle.
 
The rotation unfortunately only applies to the four military academies. It would certainly be a nice surprise to find out he was coming, however.

Here in New London, CGIS and the Coast Guard Police haven't stopped swearing since the announcement was made.
 
Ahh see me and my classmates in 2010 atleast were told that now USMMA would be in the rotation since it is one of the 5 federal service academies along with being present at Presidential Funerals and Inaugurations and from what I've been told by my friends in the Class of 2011 they were expecting the President to be at Graduation. Oh well, maybe one day KP will be recognized.
 
Ahh see me and my classmates in 2010 atleast were told that now USMMA would be in the rotation since it is one of the 5 federal service academies along with being present at Presidential Funerals and Inaugurations and from what I've been told by my friends in the Class of 2011 they were expecting the President to be at Graduation. Oh well, maybe one day KP will be recognized.

As much as it pains me as a Coastie to say it, KP clearly deserves to be included in the rotation. It escapes me why they have been omitted.
 
Does not bother me - tickets would have been limited perhaps a max of two to four per family. This way our DS will have his entire family join him to see him walk down that aisle.

I agree 100%. It would be nice to have a President speak for the class of 2011's sake, but I for one am glad we do not need to put up with the security. I think it will be a much more enjoyable day and the focus will be on the graduates not the speaker.
 
Ahh see me and my classmates in 2010 atleast were told that now USMMA would be in the rotation since it is one of the 5 federal service academies along with being present at Presidential Funerals and Inaugurations and from what I've been told by my friends in the Class of 2011 they were expecting the President to be at Graduation. Oh well, maybe one day KP will be recognized.

I know this is not going to be popular

We (Admissions, Recruiting, Marketing....the Whole Nation) need to stop lumping KP in the same category as the other four SAs....period. There are just too many differences.......starting with the 900 lb. gorilla in the room - We are DOT, they are not.......

To continue to call it out in the same breath with the other four, and then single it out time and time again for differences is not positive.

Too many times we come across too many differences. (oh, let's name a few....midshipmen are treated like ROTC, from anywhere else for commissions, no pay for the midshipmen, not in the Presidential rotation for graduation, midshipmen time there not counted as Federal Service toward retirement like the other four, no health insurance for the midshipmen...etc. etc)

Please, by now, most of us know the "becauses" for all the above. It's just time to call this what it is. KP is in a TOTALLY different category and that category should be celebrated and not muddled up by lumping these hardworking midshipmen with their brothers and sisters at the Military Academies, then loudly proclaim KP is one of our five Federal Service Academies........except the federal service is different, much different. Oh.
 
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DOT

Just for the record ... Coast Guard Academy is also DOT
 
Just for the record ... Coast Guard Academy is also DOT
I thought not...... I thought they were funded by The Department of Homeland Security.....Thanks though.... I made the edit to my previous post.
 
Unless it changed pretty recently, I could have sworn Coast Guard was Homeland Security
 
I know this is not going to be popular

We (Admissions, Recruiting, Marketing....the Whole Nation) need to stop lumping KP in the same category as the other four SAs....period. There are just too many differences.......starting with the 900 lb. gorilla in the room - We are DOT, they are not.......

To continue to call it out in the same breath with the other four, and then single it out time and time again for differences is not positive.

Too many times we come across too many differences. (oh, let's name a few....midshipmen are treated like ROTC, from anywhere else for commissions, no pay for the midshipmen, not in the Presidential rotation for graduation, midshipmen time there not counted as Federal Service toward retirement like the other four, no health insurance for the midshipmen...etc. etc)

Please, by now, most of us know the "becauses" for all the above. It's just time to call this what it is. KP is in a TOTALLY different category and that category should be celebrated and not muddled up by lumping these hardworking midshipmen with their brothers and sisters at the Military Academies, then loudly proclaim KP is one of our five Federal Service Academies........except the federal service is different, much different. Oh.

Thank you. If you're going to lump KP into any other sort of group, we are far closer (curriculum, career path, etc) to the state maritime academies than the other four SA's. Which is good because KP is a maritime school first and foremost.

I'll never get the obsession that lies over comparing KP to Annapolis or CGA or whoever. They are all different schools and KP needs to retain its own identity.

Oh, and as someone who was a Plebe when Bush came... it was a pain in the butt, from all the security requirements and limited tickets for seniors, to the general hoopla generated in town (including some protests). It distracted from the graduation of the class of 2006, which is who it should have been all about. KP shines in what its graduates do before AND after graduation. We don't need the president coming in on a rotational basis to steal the spotlight from that.
 
Mea culpa

USCG is a branch of Homeland Security (not DOT which it once was) .. my bad. Sorry. ... still not DOD.
 
Not to start anything but just to clarify: the USCG falls under DHS but during times of war, or when the President chooses, we fall under the Department of the Navy...effectively DOD.
 
Commencement Speaker

Forgive me but is it not our turn to have a President as Graduation speaker if it is on a rotational basis? The last time a president came to speak at the Academy was 2006 when Bush came and I was under the impression that this would be a more frequent thing. Enclosed is the link to the article...feel free to chime in on opinions.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/03/ap-obama-to-speak-at-coast-guard-graduation-032811w/

CGA has been planning all year with the strong probability that the President would speak at their commencement this Spring (Normal rotation). They discussed this at their Parent's Weekend in the Fall. They said because of security reasons, President's schedule is not normally announced until about April.
 
I know this is not going to be popular

We (Admissions, Recruiting, Marketing....the Whole Nation) need to stop lumping KP in the same category as the other four SAs....period. There are just too many differences.......starting with the 900 lb. gorilla in the room - We are DOT, they are not.......

To continue to call it out in the same breath with the other four, and then single it out time and time again for differences is not positive.

Too many times we come across too many differences. (oh, let's name a few....midshipmen are treated like ROTC, from anywhere else for commissions, no pay for the midshipmen, not in the Presidential rotation for graduation, midshipmen time there not counted as Federal Service toward retirement like the other four, no health insurance for the midshipmen...etc. etc)

Please, by now, most of us know the "becauses" for all the above. It's just time to call this what it is. KP is in a TOTALLY different category and that category should be celebrated and not muddled up by lumping these hardworking midshipmen with their brothers and sisters at the Military Academies, then loudly proclaim KP is one of our five Federal Service Academies........except the federal service is different, much different. Oh.


We don't get time our cadet time counted for retirement in the military, only if we choose to work at a federal agency after we separate or retire.

Yes, KP is different than the other SA's...something that bothered me when I was applying was that they pointed out the commissioning opportunities, but their majors and program was more along the lines of the maritime academies.

Let's face it, KP is a great institution :thumb: and produces world leaders, but it isn't the same as the other four...it's more "maritime" than "military".
 
I know this is not going to be popular

We (Admissions, Recruiting, Marketing....the Whole Nation) need to stop lumping KP in the same category as the other four SAs....period. There are just too many differences.......starting with the 900 lb. gorilla in the room - We are DOT, they are not.......

To continue to call it out in the same breath with the other four, and then single it out time and time again for differences is not positive.

Too many times we come across too many differences. (oh, let's name a few....midshipmen are treated like ROTC, from anywhere else for commissions, no pay for the midshipmen, not in the Presidential rotation for graduation, midshipmen time there not counted as Federal Service toward retirement like the other four, no health insurance for the midshipmen...etc. etc)

Please, by now, most of us know the "becauses" for all the above. It's just time to call this what it is. KP is in a TOTALLY different category and that category should be celebrated and not muddled up by lumping these hardworking midshipmen with their brothers and sisters at the Military Academies, then loudly proclaim KP is one of our five Federal Service Academies........except the federal service is different, much different. Oh.

I'm a simple guy and there's just so much here I don't understand?

1) What does any of the above have to do with wether or not the President chooses to speak at graduation? That was/is the topic of this thread, no?

2) kp2010 used the proper nomenclature and description - the USMMA is one of the five (5) Federal Service Academies.

3) You are correct - the USMMA is not a Military Academy, kp2010, kp2001, myself and most others here, especially alumni and most current members of the Regiment - always strive to make clear, USMMA is a federal service academy, further as noted by SamAca it is indeed a Maritime Academy and that is central to it's mission.

4) Subsequently SamAca who is a current USCGA Cadet that explored the possibility of attending USMMA prior to opting for what was always his first choice also then seems to latch on to some confused discussion of these points so I'd like to chime in here as a proud alumnus -

USMMA is NOT a military academy, federal or otherwise. It is one of the five Federal Service Academies. Further, let's be perfectly clear, all five have their pluses and minuses and all are great institutions, however USMMA isn't as good as any of the other four - NOT EVEN CLOSE - WE ARE BETTER, THATS RIGHT - WE ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST. So if the the leader of the free world wants to come to our graduation, I'm sure just like when President Bush came for the graduation of the Class of 2010 we'll welcome him with open arms and be quite grateful for his time and consideration. If he chooses instead to go to one of the other four of our Federal Service Academy sisters, we'll understand that they need the presence of his office at their graduation ceremonies on a more regular basis than do we because of their insecurities in order to validate their unfounded, unjustified feelings of entitlement and superiority to the other four of their sister institutions of which we are among. :wink:
 
I'm a simple guy and there's just so much here I don't understand?

1) What does any of the above have to do with wether or not the President chooses to speak at graduation? That was/is the topic of this thread, no?

2) kp2010 used the proper nomenclature and description - the USMMA is one of the five (5) Federal Service Academies.

3) You are correct - the USMMA is not a Military Academy, kp2010, kp2001, myself and most others here, especially alumni and most current members of the Regiment - always strive to make clear, USMMA is a federal service academy, further as noted by SamAca it is indeed a Maritime Academy and that is central to it's mission.

4) Subsequently SamAca who is a current USCGA Cadet that explored the possibility of attending USMMA prior to opting for what was always his first choice also then seems to latch on to some confused discussion of these points so I'd like to chime in here as a proud alumnus -

USMMA is NOT a military academy, federal or otherwise. It is one of the five Federal Service Academies. Further, let's be perfectly clear, all five have their pluses and minuses and all are great institutions, however USMMA isn't as good as any of the other four - NOT EVEN CLOSE - WE ARE BETTER, THATS RIGHT - WE ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST. So if the the leader of the free world wants to come to our graduation, I'm sure just like when President Bush came for the graduation of the Class of 2010 we'll welcome him with open arms and be quite grateful for his time and consideration. If he chooses instead to go to one of the other four of our Federal Service Academy sisters, we'll understand that they need the presence of his office at their graduation ceremonies on a more regular basis than do we because of their insecurities in order to validate their unfounded, unjustified feelings of entitlement and superiority to the other four of their sister institutions of which we are among. :wink:

I understand that this post is tounge-in-cheek; however, I think there was some confusion over the "Service" portion of USMMA as a "Federal Service Academy" (that's with a capital "S").

I think USMMA is great, but what is the "Service" it represents? The Merchant Marine isn't a single organization, right? It's the collection of US-flagged ships/mariners that sail for different private companies and the government. In that sense, it isn't a "Service" anymore than our civilian aircraft fleet and pilots are. Our commercial ships and commercial aircraft are certainly vital to the nation's economic interests, so I'm not knocking that or anything.

Indeed, I know that USMMA is called a Federal Service Academy because Congress says so. Still, you have to admit that there is some confusion with the nomenclature of that designation.
 
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