Anyone who is familiar with USNA campus entry protocol....Question

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kris10

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Hi, My ds's friend is a 3cmid at the USNA. She wants to bring him balloons on his birthday. Can she bring balloons onto the USNA campus?
Thanks!
 
Midshipmen can entertain guests on the Yard if it’s a period of Yard liberty, and in specified places, unless the mid is on watch. The time frames are somewhat tied to class year. A general question to your DS, “hey, DS, explain to me again the difference between Yard and town liberty” could help narrow down a legitimate window.

Of course, there is also town liberty on the weekends, unless the mid is on watch.

I do not know the current policy on deliveries hand-walked into Main O. That’s the Main Office, staffed by mids on watch, in the public area inside the main doors of Bancroft Hall. Your DS may or may not be able to leave what he is doing to come to Main O.

One of the realities of military life is often celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and holidays on other than the actual date. There may be a better time to plan the surprise.

If normal threat conditions are in place, anyone with valid ID meeting DOD regulations can walk through the Gate 1 Security Center.

That’s all the official stuff. Who knows what happens when a mid goes for a run at night and who he runs into while doing an inner or outer route.
 
Don’t know if the friend can bring balloons onto the Yard, but the mid may not be able to — or want to — keep a big bunch of balloons in the room. The rooms are small and shared with two or three others. So could be a distraction or a nuisance. Something to check on.
 
I had those same thoughts but hope for a current mid or recent grad to give insight. It’s definitely N*ot College, as the t-shirt says.
 
Capt MJ said:
If normal threat conditions are in place, anyone with valid ID meeting DOD regulations can walk through the Gate 1 Security Center
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As I recall, that was true during the day, but in the evening you had to be escorted by the mid you were planning to visit. Best to check with your mid to understand the current practice.
 
Capt MJ said:
It’s definitely N*ot College, as the t-shirt says.
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I've recently returned from a visit to the Yard and the football game. At the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon, I'm not sure that saying is true anymore -- it's certainly creeping in that direction,.
 
MidCakePa said:
@Old Navy BGO, please elaborate. I like hearing various perspectives.
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Don't have time to go into detail, but I had the opportunity to observe the Midshipman in town, around the yard, and at the Football game. , and my impression, along with several of the others I was with, was that things are a lot more relaxed than they used to be. For example, plebes walking in town BEFORE marching over to the Football game, 'Dant granting everyone overnight liberty after the football game. Plebes sitting in the stands with friends and family instead of the Brigade during the game. I even ran into a Midshipman wearing khaki shorts, polo and boat shoes during the game ... he was a 3/c, and told me that was an approved uniform.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
Don't have time to go into detail, but I had the opportunity to observe the Midshipman in town, around the yard, and at the Football game. , and my impression, along with several of the others I was with, was that things are a lot more relaxed than they used to be. For example, plebes walking in town BEFORE marching over to the Football game, 'Dant granting everyone overnight liberty after the football game. Plebes sitting in the stands with friends and family instead of the Brigade during the game. I even ran into a Midshipman wearing khaki shorts, polo and boat shoes during the game ... he was a 3/c, and told me that was an approved uniform.
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I think the ones with khaki shorts were the ones that volunteered to work concessions. He was probably just taking a break.
 
2022mom said:
I think the ones with khaki shorts were the ones that volunteered to work concessions. He was probably just taking a break.
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He was dragging some foreign Midshipmen (who happened to be in whites) around. Midshipmen working concessions ? Never heard of that , and unlikely - unless they do that now instead of marching punishment tours.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
He was dragging some foreign Midshipmen (who happened to be in whites) around. Midshipmen working concessions ? Never heard of that , and unlikely - unless they

Hmm! No idea then. Maybe it’s a new thing. Although I wouldn’t have wanted to be in a T-shirt and shorts Saturday.
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I definitely think some things are more relaxed, but I also believe this was 2/C Parents Weekend, so usually they grant permission for 2/C Mids to sit with their parents. Not sure in current regs, but 1/C Mids were allowed to sit with parents all season. Also depending on where you sit in the stadium, it can appear like a lot if it’s where athletic recruits sits. The Blue Over Khaki uniform is a fairly new one. I like it, but think it’s granted to wear too often. I know they took away for awhile a few years ago. No reason for a Mid to wear that to a game unless working concessions. Can’t ever remember Mids working concessions, but maybe it’s something new for an ECA to earn some money??? With a 3:30 game, Mids are marching over around 1-2 PM probably. It’s not like back in the day when we could march over and stand around in the staging area for hours. That area is gone now with the locker room and stadium expansion so there is no room for Mids to stand around for 1-2 hours for the final field march on. If they get libo before march over then hey good for them. It’s enough time for a Plebe to walk into town for sandwich. The over nights after a win have been granted for nearly every win for years now. I know we never got over nights, heck they would of been nice. Over nights seem to be granted much more liberally when us old guys went through.
 
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I know recruits are taken out breakfast in town with plebes and a coach or captain. They also walk over early and have lunch with the recruits and their families at the stadium. Mids definitely worked concessions in blue over khakis, some were doing so to raise money for clubs. The kids in civvies with the mids were probably recruits as well. I also think things were much more relaxed with 2c weekend. I thought overnight liberty after a win was pretty standard as long as you are in good standing.

my 2 cents (which isn't even worth that :)
 
Mids working concessions is either new this year or within the last few years. And yes, we always enjoyed having recruits. Supt’s tent before the game is a nice place with a great spread of food. Games are much later than when I was Mid. I think when I was there kick off was around noon. So we didn’t march over, we had practice from around 8-10/11 then shower, uniform, Supt’s tent, game, then usually a dinner with coaching staff, parents of recruit and recruits.
 
NavyHoops said:
Mids working concessions is either new this year or within the last few years. And yes, we always enjoyed having recruits. Supt’s tent before the game is a nice place with a great spread of food. Games are much later than when I was Mid. I think when I was there kick off was around noon. So we didn’t march over, we had practice from around 8-10/11 then shower, uniform, Supt’s tent, game, then usually a dinner with coaching staff, parents of recruit and recruits.
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My DD has Saturday swim practice from 7-11...its brutal. They shower, breakfast, come back to pack up recruits, head over for reception in a banquet room overlooking the field until after fly over, then head down to their seats. Recruits sit with the mids. Thankfully as a youngster she is no longer on recruit duty. Last year she was also in gospel choir and expected to be at the stadium by 1. overachievers!
 
NavyHoops said:
Mids working concessions is either new this year or within the last few years. And yes, we always enjoyed having recruits. Supt’s tent before the game is a nice place with a great spread of food. Games are much later than when I was Mid. I think when I was there kick off was around noon. So we didn’t march over, we had practice from around 8-10/11 then shower, uniform, Supt’s tent, game, then usually a dinner with coaching staff, parents of recruit and recruits.
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Mids have been doing concessions since at least 2014.
 
There are definitely a lot of changes since our day. Home games always started at 1330 and they were almost never televised. We had formation for march-on around 1030 or so. Walked over and threw candy to the kiddies who lined the route. Upperclass could get permission to sit with family/friends in a special section. Games were less than 3 hours long (since no TV commercials) so you'd be finished by 1600/1630 at the very latest.

Plebes NEVER got overnight liberty for a win -- not even when we beat #2 South Carolina. I don't think upperclass got a WE either -- unless they were already on one. Plebes had evening meal formation every Saturday at 1830. If we won a home game, that formation was canceled, meaning we could stay out in town until midnight without going back to the Hall.

Concessions consisted of hot dogs, Coke, and maybe hot chocolate in the cold weather. Nothing like there is now. I'm not sure plebes even rated eating concessions -- hard to recall. But since we only took home $30/month, there wasn't a lot of extra money for that. The big deal was going to tailgaters after the game -- win or lose, there was home-cooked food and beer (drinking age for beer was 18 in those days).

Not saying the old days were necessarily better or worse, but there was a lot less freedom, especially for plebes.
 
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