New Student Indoctrination (Summer 2019)

Being prepared doesn't much matter. I've taken some quotes off a USNA thread because this is NROTC's plebe summer...
Trying to help the plebes through this is not good for their development and believe me, the stress of being the Officer of the Deck on a dark and stormy night, flying the ball for a night approach, etc are MUCH more intense than the "kid stuff" of plebe summer but that building block of plebe summer stress is part of being able to handle it later.
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The stress of Basic training, either in the Big services or an SA is by design. All the breaking down of the once civilian to building up of a future Cadet, Mid, Soldier, etc..is stressful. The challenges both mentally and physically are different for everyone who has experienced it, but everyone is challenged and pushed to a limit. Most will come out the other side and graduate, but some will not, and that is good.
That stress has now become manageable.....
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The stress IS the point, not the knowledge. Do what you will with this.
 
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abbyad01 said:
Thank you everyone for your kind words, they truly mean a lot.

To agree with a previous comment here, learn the knowledge before arrival! It is not some big secret, you can find this knowledge anywhere and will definitely have learned it in your NROTC units coming up. By knowledge, the main ones being Navy and Marine Corps enlisted and officer rank structures and all 11 general orders. Let me tell you from experience- trying to learn the information at NSI and under pressure is not a good time. It is much harder to retain information while you’re being yelled at and stuck staring at the book for hours upon hours due to waiting for processing of 500+ other candidates.

For the physical aspect- definitely be in good shape. Although you don’t start any physical activity until pick up day on day 5, you will be mentally and physically exhausted before then.

If anyone has anymore questions, do not hesitate to ask me! I will do my best to answer
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I hope you are doing better now? So do you remember seeing a tall skinny kind of long neck kid named Devin? Lol kidding (well kind of)
 
njrotcmom1035 said:
I hope you are doing better now? So do you remember seeing a tall skinny kind of long neck kid named Devin? Lol kidding (well kind of)
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I am doing a lot better, thank you!

And I don’t, I’m sorry[emoji22] But there is some pictures up on the Naval Reserves Officer Training Corps Facebook page (that is the name of their Facebook page as well) so maybe he’s in one of those!
 
I'm really sorry but reading through some of these comments amazes me. Getting yelled at by some MIDN (and maybe a few DIs) for 3 weeks at Great Lakes will be one of the least stressful parts of time in the military. I've only been in a little over a year but I would go back in a heartbeat to my fish year at Texas A&M (which is a lot longer than just three weeks) vs being an Ensign/Division Officer. And standing watch on a ship in the middle of the night when Iranians are coming out to play with you is much more stressful than 3 weeks at Great Lakes.
 
kinnem said:
@SWB1972 Thanks for the feedback. Exactly as I imagined it would be. No doubt many will question if they want to be there, and some will decide 'no'.
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I am excited that the NROTC program has finally developed this initiative! The value of going through an indoctrination process to weed-out those who are not mentally tough enough cannot be overstated. The Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges all have similar processes - and this will help to bring the ROTC members to a similar state of mental toughness. Sorry mom's & dads... I know it's hard to watch your child go through this. But as both a graduate of an Academy - and the father of my DS who is also attend an SMC - I can promise you that this will be good for them!!! They will be better prepared for a life of military service - and if they drop, that is ok too! This isn't for everyone.

Just be happy they will be at an NROTC unit living a very different life (vs. SA/SMC) - having the freedom to see/call/visit you more frequently - instead of in a military school for the next 9 months straight. Also remember - those days are short and they will join the Fleet sooner than you know! God Bless you and your DS/DD!
 
SWB1972 said:
kinnem said:
As USMCGrunt point out, part of the training is not knowing and dealing with the angst as well as learning new material on the fly and under pressure, just like on the battlefield. They WILL find stuff you don't know and always make you pay a price for not knowing it. I'm always disappointed when parents pass along info like this. They, in part, defeat the purpose. My son would be up in arms!!!
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Why up at arms? It’s not a secret. This is information that can help kids succeed and excel as they walk into a space to learn and grow to be future great leaders of our country. They are our future.

They were given no information whatsoever and, in many cases, have no military experience or history as a baseline. There was no preparation offered. None. They were given no guidance as to what they were landing in. There was no precedent. The promo video is just that. It is not reflective of the meat and potatoes. There was no previous class that could mentor and lead this class. These kids have not walked a day yet in NROTC yet they are at bootcamp which was never depicted to be the landing point. I don’t think any past or present NROTC midshipmen would say their NSO was anything close to a 3 week legitimate bootcamp. The current and past midshipmen did not experience this program. NSO is not even close to touching NSI. It is like applesauce to steak comparatively. We can not wax profound on what we do not know out here in Internet forums. It was my understanding this was a platform to share, support, grow and give back. Even Plebes go in knowing what’s coming. They have been educated and counseled about the process and had Blue & Gold officers to guide and mentor and they get ready. Bootcamp recruits have opportunities to learn and educate themselves on exactly what they are signing up for prior to their commitment to enlist with recruitment officers. Nobody sends their soldiers to battle unprepared if they are strong leaders. When midshipmen go to OCS after their junior year of college they have been prepared for that great journey for 3 years with information, guidance and mentorship to help them succeed and excel while there.

I come from an extensive very highly decorated famiky of service (all officers) and also have a strong understanding.

I sincerely believe that NSI could be a terrific tool. That said, we owe it to these amazing young men and women who have given so selflessly to rise up and offer to lead by their choice information to prepare.
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The Point USMCGrunt was ultimately trying to make is that it really doesn't matter how much information you have in advance... or if you get the book to memorize the answers - because the mental and physical stress will still be applied. Ultimately - trying to "prep" your son or daughter in that fashion will likely backfire. The best way to prep your kid:

First off - anyone willing to serve in USN/USMC better focus on physical fitness. If they can't run, swim, do tons of pushups, pull-ups and crunches... focus on that first. It will make their life easier.

Second... work to get your kids mentally tough. Mental resilience/toughness is ultimately the key to survival. You can give them books to memorize - "plebe knowledge" all you want... but to USMCGrunt's point... the DI/Leaders will still find the things you DON'T know - and what's more - if your kid is the one with all the knowledge - they will more likely attract attention to themselves as Sea Lawyer Know-it-Alls than come across as being prepared. There is a method to the madness. This is about breaking them down and building them back up... not about memorization skills. It might seem counter to all the parenting we (and I include myself here) have been doing for 18-years... but at this point in their lives - we need to NOT make life easier for them... that won't teach them mental toughness. The stress is part of the process.
 
NAVYCAPT93 said:
kinnem said:
@SWB1972 Thanks for the feedback. Exactly as I imagined it would be. No doubt many will question if they want to be there, and some will decide 'no'.
Click to expand...
I am excited that the NROTC program has finally developed this initiative! The value of going through an indoctrination process to weed-out those who are not mentally tough enough cannot be overstated. The Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges all have similar processes - and this will help to bring the ROTC members to a similar state of mental toughness. Sorry mom's & dads... I know it's hard to watch your child go through this. But as both a graduate of an Academy - and the father of my DS who is also attend an SMC - I can promise you that this will be good for them!!! They will be better prepared for a life of military service - and if they drop, that is ok too! This isn't for everyone.

Just be happy they will be at an NROTC unit living a very different life (vs. SA/SMC) - having the freedom to see/call/visit you more frequently - instead of in a military school for the next 9 months straight. Also remember - those days are short and they will join the Fleet sooner than you know! God Bless you and your DS/DD!
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Well said. Thank you!
 
Son just got this - I assume all the session 2 people did.

Midshipmen Candidates,


Since we are a learning organization, we would like to reiterate a few points to improve the quality of training provided to you during NSI.


· Candidates need to bring proof of medical insurance. Candidates will be provided basic level of care on base, however, in the case a candidate needs to go to the ER, we send them to an off base civilian hospital.

· Female Candidates need to bring ample feminine hygiene products. Candidates will be afforded the opportunity to buy more while at NSI, but that opportunity will not occur until day 3 or 4. It is recommended that you bring a weeks’ supply.

· For the candidates flying in, bring clothes to sleep in the first night. You will not be issued Navy/USMC PT gear until the second day.

· You need to bring some form of 200 dollars (Cash/Debit card/Pre-paid Card, pre-paid card preferred).

· Candidates will be directed to call their parents when you arrive at the USO to say goodbye to families, then directed to shut your phone off. Once you arrive at Great Lakes, your phone with be confiscated and stored with the remainder of the items you brought until the day before graduation.


V/r,

NSI Staff​
 
Phase 2 candidate here. Have not heard any correspondence from my advisor or unit.

Im hoping they will allow us to bring moleskin at least. I'd imagine breaking in boots is gonna be a lot less fun without that.
 
ab24 said:
Phase 2 candidate here. Have not heard any correspondence from my advisor or unit.

Im hoping they will allow us to bring moleskin at least. I'd imagine breaking in boots is gonna be a lot less fun without that.
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My son is at nsi now. I've heard from some that got sent home for medical reasons that they took her moleskin they let you keep prescription meds only.
 
rholt said:
Son just got this - I assume all the session 2 people did.

Midshipmen Candidates,


Since we are a learning organization, we would like to reiterate a few points to improve the quality of training provided to you during NSI.


· Candidates need to bring proof of medical insurance. Candidates will be provided basic level of care on base, however, in the case a candidate needs to go to the ER, we send them to an off base civilian hospital.

· Female Candidates need to bring ample feminine hygiene products. Candidates will be afforded the opportunity to buy more while at NSI, but that opportunity will not occur until day 3 or 4. It is recommended that you bring a weeks’ supply.

· For the candidates flying in, bring clothes to sleep in the first night. You will not be issued Navy/USMC PT gear until the second day.

· You need to bring some form of 200 dollars (Cash/Debit card/Pre-paid Card, pre-paid card preferred).

· Candidates will be directed to call their parents when you arrive at the USO to say goodbye to families, then directed to shut your phone off. Once you arrive at Great Lakes, your phone with be confiscated and stored with the remainder of the items you brought until the day before graduation.


V/r,

NSI Staff​
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This went to DS for NSI#2 (Univ. San Diego - MO NROTC.) Followed by an email from the coordinator who had provided the email travel reservation.

Seems from other posts a set of actual orders and air ticket record locator numbers will be sent but often delivered just before travel dates.

Does this capture the process correctly?
 
As for items to bring with you. a current glasses prescription if you don't have one. My DS typically wore contacts, but did have a older (several years) pair of glasses for emergency use. If they aren't providing a pair, and they aren't allowed to wear contacts, then it should have been mentioned ahead of time. I'm confident that he will be struggling to read the whiteboard in the classrooms and anything else distance related with his old glasses.
 
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