R companies really that different?

Prep

5-Year Member
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I read that there are some different traditions (croquet, carrying the football for army/navy) but are the companies collectively very different from one another? If so how? And how does it come about?
 
Every company is just a little bit different. They all have their own character and whatever attitudes, mannerisms, leadership styles, and traditions that are passed down, starting with Plebe Summer detailers and their plebes. This is especially true now, since the Academy hasn't shuffled or shotgunned companies in a long time.

And because you stay in one company for four years, you have a high level of investment and ownership in your company. The plebes of one class can completely change a company by the time they graduate.

Technically, there is no difference. You will not be at any particular advantage by being in any specific company. But they each have a unique culture.

You live together for four years. Your class within your company will become a very tight group.
 
I read that there are some different traditions (croquet, carrying the football for army/navy) but are the companies collectively very different from one another? If so how? And how does it come about?

If there are things about your company you don't like, you'll have the opportunity to change them. Not during plebe summer or plebe year, but as time goes on. That's one of the reason the lists of company traits are pretty useless - as one group of firsties leaves and the next takes over, the character of a company can change dramatically. Same if the cadre changes.
 
If there are things about your company you don't like, you'll have the opportunity to change them. Not during plebe summer or plebe year, but as time goes on. That's one of the reason the lists of company traits are pretty useless - as one group of firsties leaves and the next takes over, the character of a company can change dramatically. Same if the cadre changes.

Fact.

A lot of times companies have weird little three year cycles. My class in my company ended up being a lot like 2009, and 2015 was looking a lot like us us when we left (complete with, slightly creepily, making one for one plebe/firstie analogies). Though 2/C have more face time over the course other academic year to make an impression, plebe summer tends to stick. It's because of this that company officers and CO staff should be (and usually are) pretty invested in picking detailers; it can impact the flavor of the company in the future long after the retailers themselves have graduated.
 
It's really interesting to "older" grads such as myself the influence specific companies have today. In our day, there really wasn't much difference. Most decisions (e.g., when plebes rated music, etc.) were brigade-wide. There were relatively few company activities. Thus, while some companies had stricter firsties, etc., there was not much company "character" the way there seems today. An interesting change . . . and probably more reflective of the USN where different ships/squadrons have very unique personalities.
 
My DD has said that the personality of the company was in no small part dependent on the Company Officer and Senior Enlisted. As these change at least once during each MID's 4 years the terroir can be very different over the years.
 
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