Anyone else have a 4/C that has vanished?

My heart soars when we get an unexpected phone call from DS and he's excited and happy and telling us stuff we have no clue about! I've learned not to ask what he's referring to, just listen and throw in a "that's great" and "wow" when I have a chance to comment. He re-surfaced and called home yesterday - afterwards I asked if he was going out to DTA to celebrate later that evening. He replied, "No, I have a paper due." Amazing!
 
Plebe year is almost done! 16 and a butt. Classes end tomorrow. Our son called to say he'll be home for 13 days starting 5/22. Unbelievable that soon our cadets will be "Plebes No More!" Where has the time gone and what a difference a year makes. I'm already fantasizing about that first hug. :)

How about you?
 
If you go to Herndon you might want to wait for that first hug until they shower, they are so gross! ;)
 
There is nothing like a lard-slimed, sweaty, stinky, wet (if it's hot enough, they will have hoses there spraying them down), muddy, 4/c (no longer plebe) midshipman who has been packed inside a heaving mass of bodies for an hour or two. They usually have shower stations set up outside Bancroft Hall so they can get most of the muck off before going inside to get cleaned up and going on liberty. They do not go from Herndon direct to family.

For parents attending, it can be a long time standing in the sun. Wear comfortable, casual clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses, bring water.

If your DS is a big man, he will likely be one of the stalwarts locked arm in arm around the base of the monument, as the bottom layer of the human pyramid, being climbed over non-stop.

Here's a clip, one of many on YouTube. This class was lucky enough to not have to build the final top human layer because of a great throw. What the goofy soundtrack replaces is the very real sounds of grunting, groaning, cheering and collective "ahhhhh" as a pyramid collapses.

I do miss the hailstorm of over 2000 running shoes that used to be thrown as the plebes charged the momument, with the aim of knocking off lard. Too many spectators got beaned, so that was stopped. Visually, though, it was hilarious.



This one has the right sound track. The trick is to get the lard off so a solid base is built and mids have a chance to stabilize a few layers, and someone agile with long arms can get to the top and throw or place the midshipman cover on top. The plebe dixie cup would have been knocked off earlier.



Finally, there are plenty of corpsmen and safety observers there to deal with anything that might happen.
 
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Plebe year is almost done! 16 and a butt. Classes end tomorrow. Our son called to say he'll be home for 13 days starting 5/22. Unbelievable that soon our cadets will be "Plebes No More!" Where has the time gone and what a difference a year makes. I'm already fantasizing about that first hug. :)

How about you?
Me too! I get to see my Plebe in just a few days...next Wednesday, May 11th. He has Zero Block leave, so he will miss the Sea Trials and Herndon. He was rather disappointed about not being a part of Sea Trials, but is looking forward to playing in the Black Hills for a couple of weeks before going on his First Block Cruise.
 
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We will be picking him up from the airport. I believe USMA cadets shower and always smell nice. ;)
 
Herndon! Here we come! When is sea trials? VelveteenR and SDMom, have a great time with your "plebes no more" - crazy that it was a short while ago that their SA journey began and here we are at the end of plebe year! No joke that the time will pass quickly. DS has his cruise Block 2 and vacation Block 3. Trying to figure out the date range for his vacay so I can book his flight home - he says summer cruise typically lasts 2 weeks (?) but to be safe, I think I should book his airfare based on the start and end dates for Block 3. NavyHoops. Capt MJ, any suggestions?
 
Herndon! Here we come! When is sea trials? VelveteenR and SDMom, have a great time with your "plebes no more" - crazy that it was a short while ago that their SA journey began and here we are at the end of plebe year! No joke that the time will pass quickly. DS has his cruise Block 2 and vacation Block 3. Trying to figure out the date range for his vacay so I can book his flight home - he says summer cruise typically lasts 2 weeks (?) but to be safe, I think I should book his airfare based on the start and end dates for Block 3. NavyHoops. Capt MJ, any suggestions?


Based on years of summer observations, be ready to be flexible. Some blocks are very dependable, in terms of start-stop as scheduled. Anything that involves a ship can be subject to last-minute change - one ship "breaks" or is ordered to do something else, so they sub in a ship leaving a day earlier. Scenario: Original plan, brief at USNA on Sunday, bus to Norfolk Monday. Oops - DS checks his schedule (should be a habit) and voice mail, it's now brief on Saturday, bus early Sunday morning. Or, ship due back Friday, gets in day before, "mom, get me home." Additionally, plebes who fail Chem, Calc or both (a reliable occurrence), will now have their summers switched around so they can do summer school, in, say, Block 1. Now, whatever they were scheduled to do that Block, other new youngsters may have their blocks swapped to fill the gaps made by the mando summer schoolers. It's a domino effect. With the ac year ending, final exams, grades and ac boards, those decisions are all made in a busy period this month. Ships may have to avoid a storm or have some other delay, and return late to port. These things happen, not all the time, but it is very dynamic.

Best advice: Use Southwest out of BWI or any airline that imposes minimal penalties for switching. SW will only charge the difference if new fare is more, or keep a flight credit for a year. Your DD will have to step up and be responsible for proactively confirming his schedule. At some point, put your son in charge of his own travel planning and booking. That's a key life skill in the military.

We had a sponsor daughter who returned to the USNA for shore duty, who was one of the Summer Training Officers two summers running. After complaining about sudden changes when she was a mid, she had an eye-opening change in perspective at the operational and logistics challenges of managing 3 classes X 4 summer blocks. She would come over to the house and collapse after being up most of the night untangling mid travel from overseas.
 
At some point, put your son in charge of his own travel planning and booking. That's a key life skill in the military.

^^^This. We just let him tell us when he's coming home. He's an adult now. ;)
 
How's your "plebe no more"? On a summer cruise? On vacation, or ... ? DS is a NASS detailer and called home to chat a bit (having a great and busy time) ... and to ask us to load $ on his yard card so he can do laundry! It's great to watch him grow and mature as a mid. When are they officially recognized as 3/c? Maybe start a new thread: Anyone have a 3/c that vanished?
 
Yep! The very instant the class of 2016 was commissioned I received a photo of my new 3/c's new shoulder boards with that well deserved first stripe. He said it felt great and he couldn't help but to keep glancing at his shoulder...lol
 
At graduation, while family and friends in the Navy Stadium are focused on new officers throwing their covers up in the air, up in the stands, brand-new 3/c, 2/c and 1/c are digging in pockets and helping each other fasten on new shoulder boards.
 
My 3C is on a cruise right now. As I understand it, he's officially a "Youngster" when he returns. I just saw a post on the Facebook page of the ship he is on that 5 sailors went overboard yesterday.
 
My 3C is on a cruise right now. As I understand it, he's officially a "Youngster" when he returns. I just saw a post on the Facebook page of the ship he is on that 5 sailors went overboard yesterday.

The tradition used to be the first time you saw the USNA Chapel dome after returning from a summer block, you were transformed into a youngster.
 
All 3/C used to do YP cruises so it was tradition when you returned from YPs and could see the Chapel Dome you were now a Youngster in spirit. They all officially became 3/C at graduation. 3/C is a mix for many Mids. I enjoyed it personally. Was able to improve my academics, mentor my Plebe's and was mostly left alone. A lot of 3/C start to get frustrated because they want more. It's honestly a great year if you make it one and push themselves. Join a new club or team, really focus on academics and start to get into majors courses, and workout a lot! Right now they are just happy to not be Plebes (it becomes real when they see Plebes for the first time) and enjoying training.
 
SDMom congrats to your youngster when he returns and sees the Chapel Dome!

Hoops, Capt MJ, thank you for your insightful posts - looking forward and curious to what the youngster year will be like for DS. When we talked last he said it was weird when a NASSer called him "sir" - I agree, the reality that he is no longer a plebe will hit when the c/o 2020 arrives on the Yard.
 
SDMom congrats to your youngster when he returns and sees the Chapel Dome!

Hoops, Capt MJ, thank you for your insightful posts - looking forward and curious to what the youngster year will be like for DS. When we talked last he said it was weird when a NASSer called him "sir" - I agree, the reality that he is no longer a plebe will hit when the c/o 2020 arrives on the Yard.

You are most welcome.

Your DS will find that without the "plebe stuff," he will feel more in control of his time. He will have the hang of everything and how to get it all done. It's a year to focus on academics and explore ECAs without having too much leadership responsibility yet, and settle into the major. He'll have Sunday town liberty too, and the ability to go places in cars with upperclass friends. Of course, many say it is just like being plebes with a few more privileges, but this time next year, he will be halfway through and looking forward to civvies on liberty and planning when he wants to bring a car to Naptown. Many wait till 1/c year, though.

From a former BattO POV, it's also a time when "stupid youngster bonehead tricks" occur - mostly involving underage alcohol consumption, yielding to peer pressure in a group situation, or trying to get away with something and failing to execute a thorough operational risk analysis. My DH and I often had "date night," on Sundays, knowing we wouldn't run into any mids after 6 pm. Imagine the horror of 4 youngsters who snuck off the Yard and sat down in the movie theatre in front of me...

The Grads will have "been there" insights.
 
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As CaptMJ posted above, you're a 3/c the moment the Second Lieutenants and Ensigns toss their caps into the air.

You're not a Youngster until you see the Chapel Dome for the 1st time returning to the Yard after either leave or 3/c Cruise.

I relived that moment from the summer of '91 this past weekend with my 10-year old when he visited the Yard for the 1st time. We were on the MD 450 approach using the "new" bridge in the overlook parking lot when the goosebumps hit and I was a 22-year old Youngster again...

Beat Army (again)!
 
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