BEAT NAVY!!!

As to the March On, it always appears that the Cadets are marching as if they will be throttled if they misstep, and the Midshiomen look like they are the Olympic team waling into the stadium for opening ceremonies.

Yet, they are not the Olympic team. Honestly, there was a significant difference between the Corps and the Brigade. My dad - who never served - commented on the difference.

Why is it acceptable to chalk it up to a "sea faring" cliche?

Meeting standards is important, correct?
 
Having had a USMA cadet in our company, I can tell you that the attitude toward marching differs greatly between the two SAs and that isn't something new. USNA views march-ons as a means to an end . . . getting onto the field in an organized way. USMA views them as an opportunity to demonstrate their military precision. Just a different perspective.

For the USN in general, marching something that you do at boot camp, ROTC, USNA or OCS and are almost certainly NEVER going to do again unless assigned to a ceremonial unit. Different story in the US Army. There's a reason Army bases have parade fields and Navy bases (other than training facilities) do not. :)
 
Having had a USMA cadet in our company, I can tell you that the attitude toward marching differs greatly between the two SAs and that isn't something new. USNA views march-ons as a means to an end . . . getting onto the field in an organized way. USMA views them as an opportunity to demonstrate their military precision. Just a different perspective.

For the USN in general, marching something that you do at boot camp, ROTC, USNA or OCS and are almost certainly NEVER going to do again unless assigned to a ceremonial unit. Different story in the US Army. There's a reason Army bases have parade fields and Navy bases (other than training facilities) do not. :)

Seems like a lot of excuses that don’t add up for a place that has a parade field, does regular parades, and claims the drill-happy Marine Corps as part of their character, tradition, and ultimate product. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
I don't think it's excuses, I think the fact is that USNA just doesn't care much about drill, and they're not afraid to say so. I recall seeing a West Point spirit video (can't find the link), something like "Top 10 reasons why Army is better than Navy", and #6 was something like "Navy does drill like a bunch of first graders" or something like that.
Adm Carter (the supe) made a video in response. For each of the items on the list, he showed some badass Navy stuff to show it was wrong, but for #6 he said something like "#6, drill, yeah that's pretty much true"- or something to that effect
Seriously - during Plebe summer, most of the 'drill' is done wearing sneakers...

USNA certainly has all the resources necessary (and plenty of drill-happy Marines) to make it a bigger priority but for whatever reason they choose not to. They have a decent silent drill team, so the institutional knowledge is there.

It's not even a Navy thing, so much as it is a USNA thing. I remember the professional USMC drill instructors at AOCS, and drill was a VERY big priority, though I'm not sure if that is still true at OCS in Newport. At NROTC, it varies by unit, but drill is a priority (albeit part time) and usually taught by real drill instructors. After commissioning, nobody in the Navy will EVER drill again, and none will miss it

It must drive the Marines at Annapolis nuts
 
Seems like a lot of excuses

No excuses...just fact. The average Midshipman doesn't give a damn about prowess on the Prade field. It's something to be endured, and everyone wants to do well enough that their Company doesn't catch sh!t from the Battalion Officer for not doing well on the graded prades and marchovers. (Been there, done that -- Saturday remedial prade practice is not fun, particularly when your girlfriend flies in to town for a visit). Marchovers to games are really the most orderly way to get 4000 people from Pt A. to Pt B). The Woops take it a lot more seriously.
(Yes, we have the Marine Corps, but most of the Marine Corps types get assigned as Prade judges and don't march with the Company).

Navy folk happily leave all moving formations ashore to the Army.
. Can't believe that is coming from a former BattO ! I thought that BattO's just lived for Prade scores. :):)
 
Having had a USMA cadet in our company, I can tell you that the attitude toward marching differs greatly between the two SAs and that isn't something new. USNA views march-ons as a means to an end . . . getting onto the field in an organized way. USMA views them as an opportunity to demonstrate their military precision. Just a different perspective.

For the USN in general, marching something that you do at boot camp, ROTC, USNA or OCS and are almost certainly NEVER going to do again unless assigned to a ceremonial unit. Different story in the US Army. There's a reason Army bases have parade fields and Navy bases (other than training facilities) do not. :)
The winning of wars begins with the shining of a boot.
 
We can all debate whether USNA should care deeply about how it looks on the parade or football field, but we don't. Haven't cared all that much for as long as anyone can recall. And it's not likely to change.;)

Doing the minimum in marching is almost a point of perverse pride: We're the Navy; we don't march any more than we absolutely have to.

I recall when I was in a Navy unit stationed at a USAF base. The AF had Saturday morning parades. The CO wanted our group of officers to participate. Our CO (who, thankfully, was good friends with the base CO), said no; the Navy doesn't march. We never had to participate. It's just a thing.

And, BTW, we totally respect USMA for their professionalism in marching. There's a bit of: "Wow, wish we could look like that when WE march . . . nah, we're the Navy and we don't march."
 
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It was a good game, and I liked watching it from the relative warmth and comfort of my home with a beverage from Islay Island.
 
It was a good game, and I liked watching it from the relative warmth and comfort of my home with a beverage from Islay Island.

Yes , there are certain advantages to watching it in the comfort of home, but you should try to make it out to the game at least once during DS's prison stay, oops, tenure at USNA. I hear its much more pleasant as a civilian who can dress according to the weather (and if creative, can still enjoy that dram of Islay's finest export).
 
@Old Navy BGO I don't know. I manage to never look good or be warm...every year. Last year, total drowned rat in the snow. This year my cadet and I were on the field for a presentation/thing--looking a mess on the jumbotron. However. GO ARMY! Won the March On. Won the game. Won the Commander in Chief's Trophy. This is the year. Next year is the year, too. The original OP...is all set to be a cadet. BEAT NAVY, ALWAYS!
 
BEAT NAVY, ALWAYS!

LOL! Yeah, Army won football the for a couple of years but we compete in a lot of sports. I find it amusing that Army fans NEVER bring up the annual
star competition results. Anyone know the record for that over the last. . . I don't know ten or twenty or thirty years?

icbjh.jpg
 
I will officially remove myself from discussion of marching as after plebe summer, the next p-rade that I marched in was the graduation parade for MY June week ad
to be honest, I was only there because I wanted to jump into the reflection pool with my companymates. P-Rade exemption was a great thing (for me)!
 
Discipline, organization, details, and pride should be important in all components of the military, or private enterprises for that matter. I have always been surprised that USNA is okay with it's sloppy March On; particularly in light of the fact that it is on public stage.
 
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