Breaks

marine

10-Year Member
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Oct 20, 2006
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I was wondering how many breaks midshipmen receive and for how long each year. In particular, is there a break after plebe summer? How long for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.? Also, what goes on during the summer at the academy? Do midshipmen have assingments? I know the first summer is plebe summer, but what about the other three summers? By the way, I will be taking the Marine option, if that makes a difference in the breaks. Please let me know about this. Thanks.
 
well i know there is no break after plebe summer cuz when i went for my cvw the guys told me they couldnt wait to go on break for thanksgiving cuz it would be the first time they would be home in like 4 months, and there is a break for christmas, and then there is a spring break but plebes usually go on a trip somewhere instead of going home.
 
Marine all of the academies have some form of summer training. The kids usually get three weeks leave during the summer. Some kids also have to go to summer school. Thanksgiving Break is usually Tuesday-Sunday of that week. Christmas break is about 2 and a half weeks.

Good luck. Do you already have an appointment?
 
Plebes don't get a significant break until Thanksgiving. Then it's usually Wed after last class until 1800 Sunday. Sometimes, if the football team does well, plebes might get Saturday night liberty (i.e., until sometime Sunday) after a game. Depends on the Dant and Supe.

Christmas break is after last exam until around Jan 2nd (depending on the day of the week Jan. 1 falls). They get a week in March for spring break. Of course, being allowed to take leave depends on being in a satisfactory status in terms of grades, conduct, and physical education. Also, some mids will have watch (duty) during breaks. Unfortunately, it generally falls to those who live near Annapolis and/or those unsat.

Upper class get a certain number of "weekends" each semester, depending on their level of seniority.

First summer is plebe summer. The second summer involves about a month on a Yard Patrol Craft and/or a sailboat, a month on a real Navy ship working as an enlisted person and about a month of leave. Third summer includes 2-3 wks of summer school for all, about a month visiting Jax, New London and Quantico to learn about Navy Air, Subs and USMC, and another several weeks doing any number of things. 3-4 weeks of leave.

Final summer involves a month on a Navy ship as a junior officer (I believe those wanting to go Marines do a stint at Quantico), and a month doing leadership (commanding a Yard Patrol craft or sailboat, working Plebe Summer detail, etc.).

After graduation, mids get a month of "basket leave" and then either report to a school or an interim command.
 
Duty varies depending on your seniority and the type of break. At a minimum, there are "CMODs" (Company Mates of the Deck) who provide security in Bancroft Hall. That is (or at least was) about an 18 hr watch (0600-midnight) divided between two plebes or 3/C. There are CMODs during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring breaks. For Tgiving and spring break, they try to use people who aren't going away and thus you may have one day of watch. The other days you have leave. At Christmas, you might have 2 days of watch during the 2-week break. The other days you would have leave just like everyone else.

There are other duties for more senior mids, but the same general "rules" apply.

Yes, it sucks (especially if you live near Annapolis). But folks in the local area also generally have many more opportunities to see family and friends than people who live more distant.

And, remember, you're in the military. You will be working and/or deployed on WEs, holidays, etc. many, many times. It's like nurses, policemen, pilots and other professions where work continues on Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter, etc. Just goes with the territory. National security doesn't take days off -- we learned all about that at Pearl Harbor.
 
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