Plebes Dropping Already

Old Navy BGO said:

BZ ! Nicely done '21 ...

If there is one good things about this whole COVID thing, it's the opportunity to create these memorable events. Plebe summer has become so scripted that an incoming class has enough information available that they can pretty much predict what's coming next. The book has to be completely rewritten this year.

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Seriously!! And think about how it looks on a resume: ‘successfully inducted and trained 1,200 Midshipmen during a global pandemic’

NBD

Most Mids volunteer for detail. It can vary in competitiveness by company. With COVID, not sure how it all fell out in terms of getting Mids back and other blocks of training, especially for 1/C with Leatherneck and mini-BUDS. I did it as a 1/C and it was a love hate relationship. For the most part I hated it, but understood it’s importance and took it very seriously. I do agree there are no surprises left in plebe summer anymore with social media. What most don’t see are the hours spent with open time. In general those are the hours that are not fun and are not photographed. It’s hours of PTing generally. Not sure how many hours of that they have this year as the schedule is so compressed.

Thank you @Kierkegaard for your leadership and insight! Now go rest your voice - DS told me the detailers weren't nearly as scary once they lost their voices - hope he was prepared for fresh voices!

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Take a moment to center your thoughts and prayers to those Marines and Sailors (and their families) that were lost and injured recently.
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Haven’t gotten the full debrief from DD the Detailer, but agree with @NavyHoops that it seems like a love/hate relationship. DD was very fired up to be chosen and remained so despite all the CV19-induced changes. She had ups and downs over the two weeks, just as plebes do. There was some drama around injuries, illness and DOR. She said gray space (those periods that are so critical but elude the photographers) was a casualty of too little time, and important things weren’t being covered. Toward the end of first set, she said it was taking a toll and she craved time for herself.

No doubt it was a great leadership exercise — her first real taste of what it means to be responsible for the welfare and care of others. But she was clearly ready for some relief, both mental and physical. I’m sure she’d love a hot shower, warm meal and long nap at her sponsors. Alas, that’s not possible.

Plebe Summer as a detailer was an amazing experience, and by far the most educational time at the Academy. Seems like it’s the only time where the work being done by mids somewhat resembles the dynamic of real leadership in the Fleet.

Seeing the growth in the Plebes every day was what made it the most rewarding: Watching them go from a deer in headlights the first night, to eventually being able to tune out much of the stress we imparted on them to focus on the task at hand. They went from individuals to collectivist members of a team, and started to hold each other accountable even when they didn’t realize we’re watching. They went from total strangers to having each other’s backs during what for many of them were their most difficult moments in life. Being able to guide them through these challenges was a tremendous honor.

Kierkegaard said:

They went from individuals to collectivist members of a team, and started to hold each other accountable even when they didn’t realize we’re watching. They went from total strangers to having each other’s backs during what for many of them were their most difficult moments in life. Being able to guide them through these challenges was a tremendous honor.

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Makes this mama's heart full! Thanks to you, @Kierkegaard and all detailers!

@Kierkegaard

My DH remembers many of his detailers’ names, a few profs, his team O-rep, his Supes and Dants. Brigade stripers, company officers, all the rest, nope.

You’ve made a difference. Not some glorious, shiny, movie-worthy moment, but a solid push toward becoming successful members of the Brigade and solid classmates on their way to becoming junior officers. It’s hard, hot, frustrating, thankless work, but those moments where you see progress, priceless.

Do you have to stick around the Yard now? Any chance to leave Fortress Bancroft?

Capt MJ said:

@Kierkegaard

My DH remembers many of his detailers’ names, a few profs, his team O-rep, his Supes and Dants. Brigade stripers, company officers, all the rest, nope.

You’ve made a difference. Not some glorious, shiny, movie-worthy moment, but a solid push toward becoming successful members of the Brigade and solid classmates on their way to becoming junior officers. It’s hard, hot, frustrating, thankless work, but those moments where you see progress, priceless.

Do you have to stick around the Yard now? Any chance to leave Fortress Bancroft?

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Just as locked down as the Plebes! Dant required almost everyone who came back to the Yard for summer training to stay here afterwards to make reform the least hectic it could be, and off-yard liberty is still secured for the foreseeable future. I appreciate everyone’s kind encouragement—I’ll admit though we were learning just as much as the Plebes. (The OIC told us that 60% of the purpose of Plebe Summer is to be a learning experience for the detailers, 40% is to be a transformation for the incoming Plebes. Not sure how he derived that, but sounds right). Waking up this morning after sunrise and realizing I don’t have to bang on doors and escort plebes to sick call, I could just sleep as much as I want, was a bittersweet feeling indeed.

Kierkegaard said:

Turned over with second set today...halfway through evening meal the anchor bell rung and then came the announcement “First Set, dismissed”, catching the Plebes all by surprise. We smartly walked out instantly and then second set marched in to take the detailer oath. Heard it was an eventful evening in Bancroft after that.

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Your class’s impact will extend well beyond 2024’s plebe summer. 2021’s genetic print has been passed on to 2024. In turn, ’24 will transfer (they aren’t thinking about it right yet) the parent gene to ’27; ‘27 to ’30. Genetic transfer will continue with successive classes that bear the imprint of the Class of 2021. Now that’s quite a USNA family tree.

Good Luck Second Set! Keep the turns up on 2024.

My ds shared in a letter that their company was delayed getting end of rom test results back, so in lieu of o course ropes etc they did one sailing evolution and 5 days grey space in a row. He said that was tough.
He really dreads it when they get out the mood and buckets to clean up their sweat.

He respects his OIC and company commander immensely. He has seen examples of leadership styles he would want to emulate and some that he wouldn’t. He also understood how much the plebe summer was really 60% for the Detailers to prep going to the fleet and 40% to convert plebes to military life. Great job to the first set of Detailers! You are appreciated.

Heatherg21 said:

My ds shared in a letter that their company was delayed getting end of rom test results back, so in lieu of o course ropes etc they did one sailing evolution and 5 days grey space in a row. He said that was tough.
He really dreads it when they get out the mood and buckets to clean up their sweat.

He respects his OIC and company commander immensely. He has seen examples of leadership styles he would want to emulate and some that he wouldn’t. He also understood how much the plebe summer was really 60% for the Detailers to prep going to the fleet and 40% to convert plebes to military life. Great job to the first set of Detailers! You are appreciated.

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Mop and buckets. Not mood buckets. Maybe their moods were at the bottom of the bucket?

Kierkegaard said:

Can’t say it’s more or less hard. Just a different hard.

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Just got off of our 2nd Plebe Summer call home. One great thing we heard--his company detailers told Plebes prior to the Switch that they have been part of a concerted, deliberate effort to improve the company's culture. First set intended (and succeeded) in putting the focus on teaching, demonstrating and correcting as opposed to punishing and humiliating. Our son both respected and liked first set. So happy that he feels lucky and honored to be part of his company.

Those that were able to communicate during ROM likely had it the worst. They were able to engage in Instagram DMs and email while watching the unrealistic constant flow of pictures at the beach from their HS classmates. We know of a plebe that left 4 days after ROM - 5 others from that same company left with her. Our DD's company hasn't lost any and were super strict during ROM. We have a DS that is a USMA grad and this summer experience has been much more mentally challenging than his. She's lived in previous restrictive, residential environments without internet/phone in foreign environments and ROM was still rough due to the very limited intellectual engagement. The boredom was the enemy. Plunging into "regular" Plebe Summer, these Plebes are also found out that they were not getting a Plebe Parent Weekend, Fall sport uncertainty, likely no Thanksgiving break and maybe no Christmas break. Not huge deals individually, but it does mess with your head after the ROM. Her civilian backup option is still going on as normal with sports, sororities, living on campus only slightly modified. Our daughter seems to be loving it and had a great first set of detailers that were tough, but also accelerated the camaraderie that they couldn't build while isolated in their rooms. She's worried more about the company having to return to ROM is they have positives like some have experienced. We're grateful that USNA is keeping them safe and working to give the Plebes the right of passage that the Summer is intended to provide. With all of the uncertainty, I think many approached this summer with a "try it out" attitude. This will be a strong, close class after this experience. We're a military family and this summer is most comparable to a deployment than a SA experience. It will pay dividends in the long-term and the Class of 2024's unique challenges shouldn't be discounted.

Therese_In_Denver said:

Just got off of our 2nd Plebe Summer call home. One great thing we heard--his company detailers told Plebes prior to the Switch that they have been part of a concerted, deliberate effort to improve the company's culture. First set intended (and succeeded) in putting the focus on teaching, demonstrating and correcting as opposed to punishing and humiliating. Our son both respected and liked first set. So happy that he feels lucky and honored to be part of his company.

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Heard the same thing from our DD - super impressed with the first set of Detailers.

Capt MJ said:

Perhaps a book on plyometrics and body weight exercises, for when they are bouncing off the bulkheads in their rooms.

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We bought and sent "The Cell Workout" - a prison cell workout using only your body weight and what you had in the room. It helped a lot!

MidCakePa said:

today, she sent a photo of her squad, muddy from the confidence course but donning broad smiles.

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Oh, boy--if that was her squad in the set Flickr posted yesterday....those are by far, the very BEST PHOTOS posted anywhere, all summer. All of the other Plebe parents are green with envy...the photos are technically superb, and the photographer obviously developed a rapport with the company that helped him/her get truly amazing photos. Your DD got very lucky for her own memories of her Plebes through that particular combination of mud, perfect lighting, and a great photographer!

mjacmoses said:

super impressed with the first set of Detailers.

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And at the same time, appreciation for their own detailers was heightened because they could hear (same hall?) plebes in another company being dropped and screamed at over and over and over again for something they did not understand.

Devil Doc said:

at Walter Reed the other day I saw a Plebe with a cast and sling on his right arm

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On today's call with parents, we heard there have been a LOT of injuries and medical issues. We had one company mate end up at WR for assessment of what was feared to be a cardiac problem. He checked out OK, but the Mom reported that the detailers and medical folks believe we're seeing more than the usual number of problems because 2024 sat in rooms for 14-17 days. These were strong, fit, kids who got deconditioned. I know some have posted about working out in room during ROM, but my son's Task Force told him and roommate they were not supposed to be exercising in the room and Task Force would be in trouble if they were seen. Apparently, going from almost complete inactivity in AC to Plebe summer resulted in far more incidents than previous years. Just another part of the unique COVID class experience.

justdoit19 said:

And think about how it looks on a resume: ‘successfully inducted and trained 1,200 Midshipmen during a global pandemic’

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To be honest -- none of the stuff you do at USNA appears on a Resume. My resume includes a few Academic Honors, but things like being a Detailer, or anyone of a myriad of things that makes the USNA experience special , doesn't even make the cut. Even when applying for Law School, and my first job after , my Resume was focused on what I did and achieved after USNA.