‘25 PS so far

I may not want to know the answer, but what do orange wristbands mean?
 
It means your plebe is doing plebe things and will be just fine. They have the best Detailers who are invested in the class of 2025 and their success.

Try to enjoy the pictures without overthinking (I know, easier said than done).

You sent a young man or woman who was selected by the academy because they had what it takes to go through this. Hang in there mom or dad!
 
UA2025 said:
I may not want to know the answer, but what do orange wristbands mean?
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Also I don’t think I can message you yet until you have a certain number of posts. But if you need anything, questions, support, safe place to vent I am happy to try to help or at least listen.

I am a 2024 mom and we have had lots of roller coaster, merry go round, bucking bronco moments and have become pretty seasoned as a result. You are in great company here on the forum and will find sage advice from seasoned posters who have been there and done that in their careers. I’m just a civilian mom, but I get you!
 
The colors represent ability groups for running workouts so that the plebes are being pushed while able to keep up. I’m not sure which color corresponds to what speed group, nor should anyone care other than that individual plebe.
 
Heatherg21 said:
Also I don’t think I can message you yet until you have a certain number of posts. But if you need anything, questions, support, safe place to vent I am happy to try to help or at least listen.

I am a 2024 mom and we have had lots of roller coaster, merry go round, bucking bronco moments and have become pretty seasoned as a result. You are in great company here on the forum and will find sage advice from seasoned posters who have been there and done that in their careers. I’m just a civilian mom, but I get you!
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Blasphemy, there's no such thing. But I know what you're saying.
 
Devil Doc said:
This in response to my comments it seems, but I want to say I meant no disrespect in them. I've actually seen glimpses of PS during the two summers my son was at football camp. I watched from outside and even inside Bancroft. I was still on active duty and left one yard to go to another. In the middle of the day. I had it like that. I'd be in khakis with full rack and I walked around the place like I owned it. I even went up to Coach Johnson's office to use the head. Not his private one but the one the admin assistant told me I could use. He was on the practice field.

Detailers I observed did a magnificent job. And with the mature voices of grown-ups. My point with the photos of the screaming DI and RDC was young people like the kids of the parents here, are going through boot camp and as far as I know, do not have a photo service documenting every move or head call. I would also put money on the fact that not one DI texts a mom or dad to say their offspring are doing just fine.

Perspective.
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I wish I could like this more than once. It is critical that loved ones remember that the experience their DS/DD are going through is no different, or more harsh, than what thousands of recruits across the country are currently facing - recruits that their DS/DD will one day lead. It is a necessary step that their adult DS/DD signed up for when they chose to accept their appointment at any of the SAs.

To be honest, I place a large amount of blame on photo services. Just like social media and the 24/7 new cycle, these services are a great vehicle of information while simultaneously bringing every negative worry and thought to the forefront of a parent's mind if the story isn't quite what you thought it would be. I was fortunate to go through swab summer prior to USCGA's volunteer (the famous and fantastic Paul Duddy) was given greater access to the program. While I would love to have some more photos from that time in my life, I think the lack of access to information gave parents the ability to more quickly adapt to their child no longer being a child in the truest sense of the word. Now, that doesn't mean parents never tried to get access. I know of parents of my classmates who would just randomly show up at USCGA (public access) and HIDE BEHIND BUSHES to take photos of random swabs for the Parents Association-run message board. I recently saw a mother of a current cadet confess to doing the same thing a year or two ago so that hasn't even changed.

This is the safest and most secure environment the current plebes/swabs/doolies will ever find themselves in as a member of the military. One day, they will be flying fighters, patrolling the South China Sea, chasing down drug runners in the Eastern Pacific, flying in storms to rescue mariners lost at sea, or deploying to some of the sketchiest parts of the world alongside those same thousands of recruits. This experience is the very start of the process designed to prepare them for the difficulties associated with those future environments. So, parents should take heart in that fact that SA leadership across the country is so dedicated to that mission, believe that the military knows what it is doing, accept that they do not need all of the information and answers, and trust the process.
 
Heatherg21 said:
It means your plebe is doing plebe things and will be just fine. They have the best Detailers who are invested in the class of 2025 and their success.

Try to enjoy the pictures without overthinking (I know, easier said than done).

You sent a young man or woman who was selected by the academy because they had what it takes to go through this. Hang in there mom or dad!
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We are not seeing photos of him at all since we saw the orange wrist band and are not trying to overthink but his absence led to our question. Someone since posted that orange means medical/restricted. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to fly the parent helicopter over to the USNA landing pad. We are reasonable people; however, knowledge is power or these forums wouldn’t exist. We trust the process and are fully aware our son is tough but also assumed that questions regarding same were the point of parents signing up here.
 
UA2025 said:
We are not seeing photos of him at all since we saw the orange wrist band and are not trying to overthink but his absence led to our question. Someone since posted that orange means medical/restricted. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to fly the parent helicopter over to the USNA landing pad. We are reasonable people; however, knowledge is power or these forums wouldn’t exist. We trust the process and are fully aware our son is tough but also assumed that questions regarding same were the point of parents signing up here.
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It appears you are taking the wrong read on the post of @Heatherg21. She is offering encouragement and a listening ear. Ask all the questions you desire.

Also, if the orange band means medical, it may be the plebe wearing it has tweaked an ankle or pulled a hammie. May be nothing bad at all.
 
trackandfield08 said:
I wish I could like this more than once. It is critical that loved ones remember that the experience their DS/DD are going through is no different, or more harsh, than what thousands of recruits across the country are currently facing - recruits that their DS/DD will one day lead. It is a necessary step that their adult DS/DD signed up for when they chose to accept their appointment at any of the SAs.

To be honest, I place a large amount of blame on photo services. Just like social media and the 24/7 new cycle, these services are a great vehicle of information while simultaneously bringing every negative worry and thought to the forefront of a parent's mind if the story isn't quite what you thought it would be. I was fortunate to go through swab summer prior to USCGA's volunteer (the famous and fantastic Paul Duddy) was given greater access to the program. While I would love to have some more photos from that time in my life, I think the lack of access to information gave parents the ability to more quickly adapt to their child no longer being a child in the truest sense of the word. Now, that doesn't mean parents never tried to get access. I know of parents of my classmates who would just randomly show up at USCGA (public access) and HIDE BEHIND BUSHES to take photos of random swabs for the Parents Association-run message board. I recently saw a mother of a current cadet confess to doing the same thing a year or two ago so that hasn't even changed.

This is the safest and most secure environment the current plebes/swabs/doolies will ever find themselves in as a member of the military. One day, they will be flying fighters, patrolling the South China Sea, chasing down drug runners in the Eastern Pacific, flying in storms to rescue mariners lost at sea, or deploying to some of the sketchiest parts of the world alongside those same thousands of recruits. This experience is the very start of the process designed to prepare them for the difficulties associated with those future environments. So, parents should take heart in that fact that SA leadership across the country is so dedicated to that mission, believe that the military knows what it is doing, accept that they do not need all of the information and answers, and trust the process.
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You said it more better than I. I'm sure I come across as too um...uncaring at times but no, I care a lot.

The thing that wows me in my attempt at providing perspective is the young American volunteers going through boot camp today will be seasoned petty officers in four years when these plebes are newly minted ensigns and second lieutenants. Of course I already knew that. I lived it for 26 years. I always got along with officers, especially after making HM2 and beyond. The relationship between the ship's corpsman and the ward room is closer than the rest of the crew. Same with the Marines.

My perspective became even more tuned after my son was commissioned and then got his first platoon. As @Old Navy BGO stated, parents aren't dropping off their kids at college. I've said on here before. This ain't a game. I know parents are coming to this thread looking for assurance their dearly beloveds are doing great things and that's okie dokey by me. Just keep a sense of reality about what they signed up for.

My biggest fear for my son beside the obvious, especially because of the nature of his job, is for him to lose a Marine. That pain never goes away.
 
@UA2025 it very well could mean that. Idk. And if it does, it could be anything. I do know, that photographers do not photograph those on a medical chit. For privacy reasons. And for the reason that they don’t want parents seeing thei plebe on crutches and panic.

No news is good news!! If there were significant issues, you would most likely know. Unless your person insisted otherwise. That does happen! And in 3 days that phone call comes.

Our oldest was absent from photos for a bit at the end. Didn’t think anything of it. Then we went to PPW, found him the parade and were so excited to see him.

It wasnt him. He was SIQ with an eye infection. Hence the ‘not finding our Waldo’ in pics. So there are many different scenarios why they aren’t in pics. Sunday you will know ♥️

Do you belong to your class parent Facebook page? That’s a good resource for questions. Similar parents going through similar things, in real time. You will get good result to your class specific queries there.
 
justdoit19 said:
Do you belong to your class parent Facebook page? That’s a good resource for questions. Similar parents going through similar things, in real time. You will get good result to your class specific queries there.
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Not only there is a class parent FB page, but also a company page for parents. If you search of USNA Class of 2025 BLB, you can find a post of that has company FB group info.
 
I remember Plebe Summer like it was yesterday. I was never worried, but Mrs. THParent was on pins and needles for the first few weeks. I helped by combing through the thousands of photos on the alumni site (worth the membership, in my opinion) and putting the ones of our Plebe on the computer as a screen saver. Each morning, my wife would say thanks for the photos and it made her feel better.

I would look at the photos and write to him about how could he possibly be seen carrying an M14 that was that rusty?!!...telling him that I would be sending him a care package of cleaning supplies to rectify that situation immediately. His Mom would write him too, with words of encouragement that only a Mom could come up with. We wrote to him individually and staggered mailing the letters, to maximize his joy (we of course thought that our letters would elicit joy) at finding one in his mail call.

A week into Plebe Summer, we received our first letter from him. It was on USNA stationary and I waited for my wife to get home so that we could read this cornucopia of thoughts and images from our beloved Plebe.

I posted about it 4 years ago here:

THParent said:
Just received our first letter from A.J. Squared Away, today.
I laughed when I opened it. It was an entire sheet of USNA letterhead with the four (4) words;

"I love you both"

Yeah. He signed it with his first initial and his last name.
My wife was livid. She yelled out loud: "I waited over a week for this???!!!!"

And then she changed gears right before my eyes; "Do you think he hates it?" "Do you think he is alright?"
To which I replied; "He's fine." "He obviously didn't have the time or the inclination to write something longer, but he was being forced to."
"He complied with what the Detailer was telling him to do, and probably enjoyed the free time afterward."
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From July 8, 2018 (exactly 4 years ago today):

THParent said:
Okay reporting back after 1st phone call home. The letter that DS wrote (with only four words "I Love You Both") was mailed on I-Day.
We have written every day since then, and so far the one letter that we sent him on I-Day (in Annapolis) is the only one he has gotten from us, as well.
So, ten (10) days of mail are piling up somewhere and will find their way to him at some point, I assume.

Everything was positive during call. This set Mrs. THParent's mind at ease (hallelujah!). He says it's easy, and lots of fun.
Says he doesn't need us to send anything, as he has everything he needs.
He and roommate made it through an inspection with perfect marks.
I told him that they are sure to fail the next one, and he is ready for that outcome and whatever comes with it.
I think he'd be happy to do six months of this, instead of six weeks.

Ooh Rah.
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Also from that thread, a classic from @USMCGrunt:

USMCGrunt said:
I have been saving this to let this thread progress for awhile but figured it was time to share. What follows is not a letter from a Plebe but from a farm kid going through USMC boot camp in Parris Island. I thought some of you might enjoy reading it.

Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well. Hope y’all are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps is easy and beats working for old man Minch by a country mile. They really ought to join up quick before all the places are filled.

I was restless at first because they make you stay in bed till nearly 5:00 a.m., but I am getting so I like to sleepin in late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you has to do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine your boots and buckles. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, hay to lay… practically nothing. Men gots to shave but it is not so bad, they’ve even got warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on the pork chops, fried potatoes, salt cured ham, steak, sausage, gravy and biscuits and other regular breakfast foods, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by some city boys that live on coffee and doughnuts. Their food plus yours holds you till noon when you get fed again. It’s no wonder these city boys can’t walk far.

Speakin of walkin; we go on “route marches” which the Platoon Sergeant says are long walks to toughen us up. If he thinks so, it’s not my place to tell him different. A “route march” is about as far as to our mailbox at home. The countryside is nice but awfully flat. We don’t climb hills or nothin. Them city guys get sore feet and we all get to ride back in trucks. The Sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags us a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and Colonels just ride around and frown. They don’t bother you none.

This next part will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting! I don’t know why. The bulls-eye is purt-ear as big as a chipmunk’s head and it don’t move, and it ain’t shooting back at you like the Higgett boys do at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don’t even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain’t like fighting with that ole bull at home. I’m about the best they got in this except for that guy Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I’m only 5’6″ and 130 pounds, and he’s 6’8″ and weighs near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Gail
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trackandfield08 said:
It is critical that loved ones remember that the experience their DS/DD are going through is no different, or more harsh, than what thousands of recruits across the country are currently facing - recruits that their DS/DD will one day lead.
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Devil Doc said:
The thing that wows me in my attempt at providing perspective is the young American volunteers going through boot camp today will be seasoned petty officers in four years when these plebes are newly minted ensigns and second lieutenants.
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Two incredibly helpful perspectives here. SA parents seem to easily forget that there are 18–year-old recruits deep into boot camp, who didn’t get dropped off to a warm and welcoming reception, didn’t get sworn in amid pomp and circumstance, don’t get care packages on the second day and every three days after that, don’t get photographed so that Mom and Dad can be assured via Facebook that all is well.

I’ll make a broad and gross generalization here, but it’s something I deeply believe: Many of those recruits are there because they didn’t have helicopter or lawn-mower parents. Many of them have smarts, fitness and leadership acumen that are equal to or better than that of many cadets and midshipman. And in a few years, they’ll be showing our junior officers how things are done. And our junior officers will need to earn their respect.

I grimace whenever I see parents post on social media that Junior didn’t get enough tasty options at mealtime or walked into a filthy Mother B room when reassigned quarters or didn’t get the care package with brownies baked by lovely Aunt Judy until two weeks later. Meanwhile, somewhere downrange…

USNA is N*OT COLLEGE. It’s different. And in many ways, it’s better. I know that, other than the other SAs, there is no college in America where the students are more closely watched or more highly regulated or better cared for. And nowhere else are the powers that be so fully invested in the students’ success. Because of that, I sleep quite well at night.
 
MidCakePa said:
Two incredibly helpful perspectives here. SA parents seem to easily forget that there are 18–year-old recruits deep into boot camp, who didn’t get dropped off to a warm and welcoming reception, didn’t get sworn in amid pomp and circumstance, don’t get care packages on the second day and every three days after that, don’t get photographed so that Mom and Dad can be assured via Facebook that all is well.

I’ll make a broad and gross generalization here, but it’s something I deeply believe: Many of those recruits are there because they didn’t have helicopter or lawn-mower parents. Many of them have smarts, fitness and leadership acumen that are equal to or better than that of many cadets and midshipman. And in a few years, they’ll be showing our junior officers how things are done. And our junior officers will need to earn their respect.

I grimace whenever I see parents post on social media that Junior didn’t get enough tasty options at mealtime or walked into a filthy Mother B room when reassigned quarters or didn’t get the care package with brownies baked by lovely Aunt Judy until two weeks later. Meanwhile, somewhere downrange…

USNA is N*OT COLLEGE. It’s different. And in many ways, it’s better. I know that, other than the other SAs, there is no college in America where the students are more closely watched or more highly regulated or better cared for. And nowhere else are the powers that be so fully invested in the students’ success. Because of that, I sleep quite well at night.
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If there were 100 likes, I would have given them..
Thank you.
 
UA2025 said:
We are not seeing photos of him at all since we saw the orange wrist band and are not trying to overthink but his absence led to our question. Someone since posted that orange means medical/restricted. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to fly the parent helicopter over to the USNA landing pad. We are reasonable people; however, knowledge is power or these forums wouldn’t exist. We trust the process and are fully aware our son is tough but also assumed that questions regarding same were the point of parents signing up here.
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The band of orange wristbandead plebes will likely increase as many experience shin splints and other overuse injuries. The mids are really well cared for and are observed and inspected for injuries. Once when we were there our DS roomie was absent from PEP and it turns out it was a toe issue, which resolved with proper attention. The best thing you can remind yourself is that no news is good news. If you’re like us, we just worried that our plebe was missing out on all the “fun”!
 
UA2025 said:
We are not seeing photos of him at all since we saw the orange wrist band and are not trying to overthink but his absence led to our question. Someone since posted that orange means medical/restricted. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to fly the parent helicopter over to the USNA landing pad. We are reasonable people; however, knowledge is power or these forums wouldn’t exist. We trust the process and are fully aware our son is tough but also assumed that questions regarding same were the point of parents signing up here.
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Ugh, I’m sorry if you thought I was implying you were “helicopter” parents. Not at all. There are all kinds of parents and I haven’t even figured out which kind I am. I truly was trying to help and reassure.

Our DS experienced medical challenges during plebe year and is still working through them. I can attest to Bancroft medical being amazing and handling bruised and bumped plebes very well. I wish you and your plebe well.
 
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