Class of 23 & 24 Shotgunning

ders_dad said:
My DS says they have not been assigned new companies yet. Probably be a while.
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I know ... my understanding is they get assigned for next academic year - after plebe summer. So you won’t be in the same company as your plebes you lead.
 
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I can tell you that the 2/C and 1/C MIDs I talked to on the yard (just this weekend) weren't all that angsty about it, because they haven't gotten to know their Plebes yet anyway. With everyone kept to their rooms, no King Hall dining and the various ROMs involved, the normal training (which really is a good way of training) just hasn't happened. The one thing that the upperclass miss the most are all the meal times when they're all together. That's when you get to know your Plebes and Youngsters. At least that's what I was told.
 
I think in a nutshell, my Youngster feels like they were yelled and reprimanded "stay in your rooms do not socialize with anyone else" now they are being yelled and reprimanded "you stayed in your rooms, you did not meet new people"! I think a town hall where it could be discussed and questions asked would go a long way to quell the discontent. Honestly I don't think this is too much to ask. Also she wonders how it will work next year when 75% of each company has no relationship?
 
I cannot take credit for the following, because I got (most of this) from my pal @Capt MJ. I thought that it sounded very astute, so I ran it past my DS and his shipmates. They all said that it was pretty spot on. I embellished a little, because @Capt MJ is way nicer than me.

PLEBE YEAR
All about the RAH! Will parrot back anything that the upperclass say. Hopes and dreams not yet crushed. They are still so soft. Sort of like civilians, playing "military".

YOUNGSTER YEAR
Prone to the dreaded Youngster Slump. They begin to realize that they have three more years of this. Still no civvies on Liberty. Still no cars. Plebes are lazy. 2Cs shotgunned in last year are "soft" and have no idea how the company should be run.

2C YEAR
Cynical about everything. They talk about "bad leadership" all of the time and can't wait for the Firsties to commission, so they can start running the place the right way.

FIRSTIE YEAR
Just beginning to get a clue. Starting to realize that the Fleet or Corps awaits them shortly, and they don't know nearly enough to take on being a Junior Officer in that show. They are astonished that it is so hard to get Midshipmen (especially other Firsties - and even ones in Striper positions) to simply do what is asked of them. They complain constantly about underclass being so much worse than they were, "back in the day".

ALUMNI
Been there, done that. It was way tougher on everyone when they were there. Only a handful of Plebes even made it through Plebe Summer "back in the day". There was no air conditioning in Bancroft Hall. You got to see your parents once per year, at Christmas. No phones, just letters. There were formations for every meal and every meal was mandatory. You got bread Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and water on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Saturday and Sunday you got bread AND water. No one slept more than 2 hours per night for all 4 years. Parades were every weekend, and twice on Sundays. Life was good. Would do it all over again, if those whiteworks didn't shrink so much, over the years.
 
eiei said:
I think a town hall where it could be discussed and questions asked would go a long way to quell the discontent. Honestly I don't think this is too much to ask
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USNA (and the Navy ) is not a democracy, and the Skipper isn't expected to explain his/her actions to subordinates. Imagine being on the bridge of a ship, and the Skipper gives the command "Come right 090.... " , the response is "Right 090 aye sir (ma'am)", not " why.... ?"
 
Don't Give Up the Ship said:
Actually better to do SeaTrials with the new team and let them build and form a cohesive team.
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Just reporting what I hear from my Mid who is one of the sea trials squad leaders/trainers in his company. He says they are doing ST as current company. Agree that it would be a good opportunity for team building.
 
eiei said:
I think in a nutshell, my Youngster feels like they were yelled and reprimanded "stay in your rooms do not socialize with anyone else" now they are being yelled and reprimanded "you stayed in your rooms, you did not meet new people"! I think a town hall where it could be discussed and questions asked would go a long way to quell the discontent. Honestly I don't think this is too much to ask. Also she wonders how it will work next year when 75% of each company has no relationship?
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I don’t think it’s a matter of being reprimanded for staying in their rooms. That was the best course of action at the time. Of course they didn’t meet new people due to that. No ECAs, club sports, summer training, etc. 3/C generally really start to form relationships within their majors and from things outside their company. Which they really didn’t get to do this year. With the cheating incident and COVID, this will force the class to really look at themselves as individuals and as a group and decide what they want to be known for... a cheating scandal or the class that really stepped it up after everything they have faced. This time next year they will have formed tight relationships on their majors, new friends from summer training and their new company, while still fostering old relationships.
 
THParent said:
I cannot take credit for the following, because I got (most of this) from my pal @Capt MJ. I thought that it sounded very astute, so I ran it past my DS and his shipmates. They all said that it was pretty spot on. I embellished a little, because @Capt MJ is way nicer than me.

PLEBE YEAR
All about the RAH! Will parrot back anything that the upperclass say. Hopes and dreams not yet crushed. They are still so soft. Sort of like civilians, playing "military".

YOUNGSTER YEAR
Prone to the dreaded Youngster Slump. They begin to realize that they have three more years of this. Still no civvies on Liberty. Still no cars. Plebes are lazy. 2Cs shotgunned in last year are "soft" and have no idea how the company should be run.

2C YEAR
Cynical about everything. They talk about "bad leadership" all of the time and can't wait for the Firsties to commission, so they can start running the place the right way.

FIRSTIE YEAR
Just beginning to get a clue. Starting to realize that the Fleet or Corps awaits them shortly, and they don't know nearly enough to take on being a Junior Officer in that show. They are astonished that it is so hard to get Midshipmen (especially other Firsties - and even ones in Striper positions) to simply do what is asked of them. They complain constantly about underclass being so much worse than they were, "back in the day".

ALUMNI
Been there, done that. It was way tougher on everyone when they were there. Only a handful of Plebes even made it through Plebe Summer "back in the day". There was no air conditioning in Bancroft Hall. You got to see your parents once per year, at Christmas. No phones, just letters. There were formations for every meal and every meal was mandatory. You got bread Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and water on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Saturday and Sunday you got bread AND water. No one slept more than 2 hours per night for all 4 years. Parades were every weekend, and twice on Sundays. Life was good. Would do it all over again, if those whiteworks didn't shrink so much, over the years.
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Ha! From an alum: Guarantee that some of us existed at Bancroft without AC. It was most definitely brutal. There were phones and letters - there were rooms full of pay phones - in pretty picturesque Harry Potter like booths, where you could use a prepaid calling card if you were lucky enough to have one. And your parents could call Main Office and leave a note saying "Midn x/c so and so, please call home immediately," and that note would get delivered to your desk.... Thank goodness you actually got bread, peanut butter, and jelly every day of the week..... but yeah, life was good, and we still say we loved it:) As a last thought though, I will say I never, in 4 years, saw a rat in Bancroft. On that note, today's mids might have it a bit tougher. Ugh.
 
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A little perspective from 35 years later ...when attending Reunions, you see someone on the streets of Annapolis that looks about your age, or they are wearing an '85 ball cap, or the little name tag lanyard they give you..the first thing that goes through your mind is how did I know them.... Company, Major, Protramid, Cruise, Sports or ECA? It really doesn't matter 35 years later -- they are all brothers (and sisters) from different parents. Shotgunning just gives one more category to classify and the opportunity to meet and bound with more classmates. While it may be a shock to the system for some, it really shouldn't have much impact on the strong Midshipman, and may give that Midshipman who got off to a slow start a chance to redeem him/her-self.

As an aside .. my class didn't scramble or shotgun, but did have handful of classmates moved to other companies their First Class year. This was reportedly to give conduct cases and others with professional development issues a fresh start, but doubt it had much real effect.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
USNA (and the Navy ) is not a democracy, and the Skipper isn't expected to explain his/her actions to subordinates. Imagine being on the bridge of a ship, and the Skipper gives the command "Come right 090.... " , the response is "Right 090 aye sir (ma'am)", not " why.... ?"
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While they know it is not a democracy, they received this info second hand from a video message to the company commanders. My point was if the Dant talked to the two classes that are being shotgunned for the first time, it would help morale. Remember the Youngsters were also the class that was left behind, literally left at home in the fall.
 
eiei said:
While they know it is not a democracy, they received this info second hand from a video message to the company commanders. My point was if the Dant talked to the two classes that are being shotgunned for the first time, it would help morale. Remember the Youngsters were also the class that was left behind, literally left at home in the fall.
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It's called the Chain of Command... Information is frequently funneled down from the top. I don't know what current COVID protocols are, but I can't imagine it is appropriate to put an entire class in Alumni Hall right now.

These aren't the first two classes to be "shotgunned". It might be the first time that it was two classes as once, but '23 probably would have been shotgunned last year, but the 'Dant and leadership team had much bigger issues to address. It's unfortunate that '23 feels they were left behind...but the hard truth is College students across the country, and the world, were left behind. In many ways USNA Midshipman had it better than others. There are two ways to deal with the COVID situation we are all in -- bemoan the hardship, or embrace the challenge and excel. I am sure that there are plenty of Midshipmen who "embrace the suck" and will come out better Officers in the long run.
 
Hearing rumors that they are to hear today (or soon thereafter) regarding their new companies...

Good luck to all Mids! Hope the new one prepares you as well or better than the old one.
 
My brother is moving from 26 to 18. His best friends are moving from 26 to 25 and 26 to 21. He’s devastated about it being roommates with his best friends, but has seemed to accept it.
 
The shotgun has begun! Scattering them to every wing of Mother B. Turning the page to a new chapter.
 
They’ll survive — and thrive. For two years, DD and her two roommates were as close as it gets. Circumstances led them to split up. Now DD and her two new roommates are as close as it gets. And tomorrow, she has plans to hang out with one of her former roommates. The bonds go deep, well beyond sharing a space for a short while.
 
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DD just told me she is moving from #22 to #15

22 is closer to gate-1 where she receives her food deliveries ... but 15 is closer to all the Academic buildings and library.

She is on the 7th floor now ... more ladder well to climb ...
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Dr. Strange Love said:
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DD just told me she is moving from #22 to #15

22 is closer to gate-1 where she receives her food deliveries ... but 15 is closer to all the Academic buildings and library.

She is on the 7th floor now ... more ladder well to climb ...
.
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22 is closer to liberty, too!!
 
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