Should incoming class of 2016 be worried about KP's future ?

With the 're-assignment' of a very popular Superintendent, and now the Kings Pointer being assigned elsewhere, is there something here that the class of 2016 should be worried about ?

Personally I am more worried about how and why Rear Admiral Greene was re-assigned.
I would like to find out more details concerning the future for USMMA before advising my son on whether or not to accept his appointment to USMMA, or to steer him toward USNA or somewhere else.

NO

NO you shouldn't be worried about KPs future. DS 2015 isnt worried a bit. KP just got additional funding over last year. Dont waste your time thinking about drama with superintendant changes at any SA. Would you cross MIT off your list because of similar news? Budget cuts will effect all SAs differently at any given time. You dont have enough visibility to consider school budgets in your choice of any college. How do you know the school isnt budgeting to buy a new ship. The school chose to use the maintenance money being sunk into the kings pointer to upgrade the extensive peer at USMMA. They have plenty smaller ships there. Dont assume that the school didnt ask to remove the kings pointer.

YES, you should worry. Worry not about changes at the school but changes in the service you are selecting to join. How will a reduction in force effect your abilty to serve in your chosen career field. What options will you have if you dont get that dream job. The number of remotely piloted vehecle caps and aircraft, ship or division funding will have a greater inpact on your life in the service than what happens to a superintendant or funding for the king pointer.

Im career AF, asked my DS. If you dont get a UPT slot out of USAFA would you be happy serving as a missilier, cop or CE officer? Choose a SA that will get you to your goal and provide you a backup plan that will make you happy well into the future.

Please dont take the brevity of my answer as sarcasm. Im just trying to make a point in the fewest words. Your question is a fare one and i wish you and your DS the best of luck. PM me or any other parent and we can discuss at greater length.

I agree.

Bugsy, I agree 100%. KP, although being the most rigorous academically, gives you the most options after graduation, By Far. Graduating from KP gives you the ability to see what the needs of the Military and Merchant Marine are in four years and make an educated choice at that time. You have multiple back up plans all which are excellent choices.

Tomcat87 said:

With the 're-assignment' of a very popular Superintendent, and now the Kings Pointer being assigned elsewhere, is there something here that the class of 2016 should be worried about ?

Personally I am more worried about how and why Rear Admiral Greene was re-assigned.
I would like to find out more details concerning the future for USMMA before advising my son on whether or not to accept his appointment to USMMA, or to steer him toward USNA or somewhere else.

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Answers notwithstanding, i have the same concerns about the budget. Times are tough and cuts need to be made. The difference btwn the SAs and colleges are we should be able to see what the govts intentions are through the authorization and appropriations bills that fund the services and DOT. I don't think there is anything in there about closing MMA but that would be the place to check.
Agree that MMA gives our kids the broadest number of options after graduation, it's return on investment to the govt is something i hope is recognized by the budget types.

Bugsy, I'm not fretting over the Kings Pointer loss or the reassignment of the supperintendent. My point was there are a lot of circumstancial things going on along with the rumors of some wanting USMMA off the federal government funding list and made private. When you look at it as a whole it definitely is something that has to be taken into account when a young man is trying to decide where to commit his future to. I try not to push my sons into anything, but i do try to give them all the information I can so they can make an informed decision on their future. I totally agree that USMMA gives a young man a lot of choices and flexibility in deciding their future. I am just worried about what the plan is for the immediate future for USMMA, especially if the current administration gets re-elected.

Tomcat87 said:

My point was there are a lot of circumstancial things going on along with the rumors of some wanting USMMA off the federal government funding list and made private.

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This has been going on from even before me reporting in '97. I wouldn't let the increase in reporting and knowledge via the internet deter you/your son. It is simply easier to find information and hear about it. Before the internet there was really no way for someone outside of the general KP vicinity to have any clue about the goings-on to the level we now know.

kp2001 said:

This has been going on from even before me reporting in '97. I wouldn't let the increase in reporting and knowledge via the internet deter you/your son. It is simply easier to find information and hear about it. Before the internet there was really no way for someone outside of the general KP vicinity to have any clue about the goings-on to the level we now know.

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Do we really know more, or just know more rumors. . . . .

Their has been a rumor floating around the past few years that the Air Force may be reabsorbed into the Army. Does that mean USAFA would close?

Just trying to demonstrate the silliness of using these rumors for decision making. The government doesnt move that fast. No matter the rumor, nothing being discussed today will result in an outcome that would effect my or your DS in the next 4 years.

If you are really concerned, call your MOC providing the nomination, call USMMA admissions and ask the tough questions. Conspiracies abound with regard to the federal government.

My career field in the AF was going to be civilianized at 3 seperate points in my 26 year career, yet here I sit still on active duty. Im sitting in a meeting on the F22, plenty of congressional staffers that what funding cut. Im sure that their are plenty in congress that would like to cut funding to KP, funding to one or more SA's, change admissions standards or any other host of things. Getting congressional opinions into signed legislation is a whole different thing. Luckily it takes a long time to flush itself out. Also understand that cuts being discussed today are cuts to growth of programs in the 5 yr FYDP.

no

no

Don't mean to be rude but give it a rest Bugsy. Really don't need the condesending attitude stating obvious things and making unrealistic comparisons.
I have my own opinions and ideas but wanted to generate some discussion on the subject from some KP insiders.
Was looking more for some replies from KP grads that have seen this progress the last ten years or so, and had some opinions about the direction USMMA was going.

Something else to consider.

This latest CO incident is another example of what I was referring to with the question of this thread.
In another thread posted there was some parents commenting on their shock of the poor conditions of some of the buildings, especially the dorm rooms at USMMA. I too felt that way on my visit to KP but tried to hide my reactions from my son so as to not influence him with my own feelings. However after visiting the USNA campus he was stunned by the difference in the two. My point is that I have always preached to my kids that actions speak louder than words. So in seeing the conditions at USMMA, the CO incident, the firing of an outspoken leader, etc., etc. it makes one start to question the future of USMMA. This is suppose to be one of our nations service academies. Why isn't it being run like one ?

common sense

Tomcat........all of your common sense questions will certainly hurt some feelings on this site. You will get censored if you keep it up.
And this latest incident is just another disappointment at USMMA.

Tomcat87 said:

This is suppose to be one of our nations service academies. Why isn't it being run like one ?

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Because it's not a DOD entity. Get the money that the DOD gets and you would see a vastly different place. If I remember correctly in recent years West Point built a new athletic facility that cost more than the entire operating budget of KP.

I haven't been there in many years; however, when I compared it to USCGA the facilities seemed to be quite similar.

My DS has started taking pride in the conditions at KP. No, not that they are great, but that if you survive four years at USMMA, it is more of an accomplishment than at the other service academies. He has friends at USNA and USMA and he "brags" that at KP the food is worse, the facilities are worse, the teachers are worse, etc. However, he still has more military and non-military options than they do on graduation. It is similar to my Navy Corpsman son assigned to Force Recon Marine unit bragging that the Marines can do more with less than any of the rest of the special forces from the other branches. It is a point of pride at KP and makes the bonds among the midshipmen stronger than at other academies where they are spoiled prissies by comparison. (according to DS and his KP friends)

Not saying we would not love KP to get the money to be fixed up the way it should be, but DS has learned through hardship to make the best of sometimes challenging situations. He does insist that his sea year accomodations are luxurious even by DoD academy standards. And the regular steak and lobster feasts aboard ship more than make up for the mediocre and boring food at Delano. It's all about attitude.

kpmom2013 said:

but DS has learned through hardship to make the best of sometimes challenging situations. He does insist that his sea year accomodations are luxurious even by DoD academy standards. And the regular steak and lobster feasts aboard ship more than make up for the mediocre and boring food at Delano. It's all about attitude.

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Attitude may help at sea, attitude may help living in less than stellar conditions, attitude can help a mid survive on food from Delano,
what attitude CANT do is wake a mid from a carbon monoxide induced coma

IMHO heads should roll.

Imagine--- a whole barracks could have been wiped out because of negligence
shame on them

Do you think the response or chatter would have more if almost 15% off the student body USNA or the others would have been sickened?

Why would Tomcat get censored if they keep asking serious questions that involve the safety of her son or daughter?

Well, for me this is a "here we go again" thread. This sort of thing comes up every few years with KP. I recall when Al Gore stated that he wanted to close KP...others in Congress have made the same comments from time to time BEFORE they really knew anything about the place. Then you have the conditions of some of the facilities, which, frankly, could use some upgrading. But, many have been upgraded in recent years, and KP did receive an increased budget just recently. Yes, the "replacement" of Admn Greene is worrisome, especially if you believe any of the rumors swirling around as to why, and then there was the Kings Pointer episode. Ask many current and former Midshipmen and the Kings Pointer event is a non-event. It has in some degree to do with the upgrading of facilities at KP. That, seems like a good thing in some respects, no?

As far as the recent boiler problem, well, that's not good. But, that sort of thing can happen in newer facilities as well. I currently work in a newer and well maintained multi-storied office building. Guess what? I came to work one morning to a flood in several of our offices due to a problem with a hot water heater! The heater was relatively new but failed. It happens. The fact that the KP situation caused health issues for our Midshipmen is the only point of concern I have with the whole matter. Get it fixed, get it properly fixed and make sure you check every other one on the campus grounds ASAP. My guess, they did just that.

I, too, was an AF "guy", and I can tell you that every few years the AF "rifs" officers due to the fact that the AF is always in need of a "special appropriation" for officer levels. It's a fact of AF life, but good folks get "riffed". It's happening now. How do you think the AFA handles that? There are proposed draw downs in the Navy and Army as well and in weapons systems. Think that might have an effect on the Naval Academy and West Point? These are all government owned and operated academies. being so, they are all under the wonderful budgeting and thinking processes of government number crunchers, political appointees and career bureaucrats. This stuff happens. Bottom line here...Kings Point will be fine and one should have no qualms about accepting an appointment to the Class of 2016 IF one wants a great education, a very challenging academic program and a great start on a wonderful and rewarding career.

Just my two cents worth.....everyone gets to decide for themselves if they are fortunate enough to have earned an appointment to Kings Point. Good luck with that decision. It is a very important one indeed.

Thank you, well said.

Kram1,

Your point is well taken about most of the issues @ KP. The health & safety of the midshipman SHOULD be priority ONE! You forgot however to mention the lack of CO detectors within Barry Hall.

Midshipman sleeping... flood, water wakes them up. Eat food @ Delano... severe stomach craps, get stomach pumped, CO leak... midshipman DEAD. My DS now has a CO Detector in his room that HE purchased.