I-Day C/O 2025 reflections

LT360

LT360

C/O 2025 Dad
Joined
Apr 9, 2021
Messages
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Wednesday was my first and only I-Day, as my DD has no intention of following DS to the Yard, so I have no way to compare to prior years. However I would expect every year some things are different and some things are the same. My DS had a "later" report time of 1130 on Wednesday. We arrived at Gate 8 around 1110 and had no line to get through security. We were able to park near Alumni Hall, take a few pictures by the sea wall and watch DS check in. We hung around a few minutes and had a nice chat with a Firstie who was on hand to answer any question. We then chose to park at Hillman Garage versus the Stadium. We paid more to park but we controlled our destiny versus being at mercy of shuttle buses. We ended up spending the entire day in the Yard. It was HOT, Humid and crowded. We did not choose to reserve seats behind the Plebe seats and not sure it really mattered. More on that later.

The parents fair was nice. Thank you to the NABSD for providing much needed cold water and cookies. We toured a YP and then attended the Supe talk at 1500 in a refreshingly cool Mahan Hall. Afterwards we made our way to Dahlgren to pickup our pre-ordered box lunches and were able to find a table to eat again in the nice AC. We headed out to the Oath ceremony around 1815and were not prepared for the crowds. We ended up standing behind the cannons. Thank you Supe for a short address. While I was jealous of those who saved seats that could sit, their view was not any better than mine as all we saw were backs of heads. After the Oath the Plebes were given ~45 minutes with families which seems alike a long time however it took 10 minutes for DS to find us and then he was anxious to find his company early. I was able to secure some chairs from the parents fair so DS was able to sit and not get dirty. We did see lots of people that had brought in lawn chairs but not sure how they got through security and I chose not to try to bring in ours.

Since he was the last to report to his company he had not even unpacked his gear nor made is rack. He could not tell us where is his room was located nor his roommates names as he said he positively pushed with a purpose the whole day by loud detailers. He was amused at the some of the practices---high stepping in B hall, squaring his turns, and something about reporting into the bulkheads??? He confirmed that while the boxes of stuff were delivered to his room he did haul around two large bags of gear throughout the day.

We did have a sandwich and food for him but he was not hungry just thirsty. He wanted something other than water which we did not have but did take the water. He still had a Gatorade and power bar back in his room that he had carried in with him and had not been confiscated.

Not sure what lessons I would pass along as I am sure logistics will change again for C/O 2026. However my advice FWIW: take advantage of the AC inside buildings--no one shooed us out of anywhere; be prepared for HEAT and Humidity; there is lots of shade on the yard but not many places to sit so either have a blanket or carry in chairs (You can claim a spot along Stribling Way and no one will bother your stuff); the drive home is hard and the day after is even harder. Only 9 days til first call home and 6 weeks til PPW.

Oh one last piece of advice, we sent a care pack on our way of town. There is a PO in Crownsville just north of Annapolis and parallel to I-97 so depending on where you stayed and direction of travel consider another PO other than DTA. They said it should be delivered to USNA today however who knows how long to get to DS.
 
My DS had a similar experience of scrambling, as his check-in time was 13:00. He barely had time to throw his stuff in his room and no chance to make his bed or put anything away before having to head back out. We had a blanket in a shady spot, and he seemed to appreciate the chance to sit down and have a snack and a drink after the oath ceremony. Seeing him smiling at that point made the final good-byes much easier!

The whole event appeared to be well-organized and everyone we spoke with - from the tour guide and vendors to the other parents - was friendly and helpful. If someone could have turned down the thermostat and shut off the humidifier, it would have been terrific. 🙂
 
Mine reported on Tuesday and she mentioned that she was so happy that she reported that day bc she was given a lot of time to get organized on Wednesday. the yelling started the minute she walked into alumni hall, which she thought it would not start till after the oath but nope......she said she did not sleep much on Tuesday night bc she was worried about getting up, then she laughed and said that is not an issue the detailers are VERY loud waking them up!! For drop off we walked on the yard bc we were staying so close to the yard. We had very little line to get through security and walked over to the alumni hall. We soaked it all in!!! We said a quick good bye and she was off......we stayed on the yard for most of the day just enjoying everything.

on Wednesday morning about 9:30 am we went over and did grab some seats on the side that she would be marching on to T court - we got front row seats and it was amazing and I highly recommend that for sure!!!! We could have touched her walking by us - got some amazing pics and videos of her. we just put a piece of paper down on the seats with painters tape - they stayed on all day. we also put a blanket down on Wednesday morning under a tree that we had discussed to meet at after the oath - she found us very quickly bc of the planning and we had lots of time together - but it flew by and she was ready to go and get lined up with her company. another little bit of advice is bc she left early to get lined up, we just walked on T court and stood in the bleachers to watch the companies march into bancroft - they closed off T court so we were so lucky to have an amazing view of the march in to bancroft hall and the doors slamming! of course my phone quit videoing right before the doors slammed but thank goodness my other daughter got it on video.

the Parent briefing was amazing and super impressive. everyone on the yard was so nice. the mid store is just a shoppers dream - I will be going back every visit!!! We had an incredible couple of days!!! I hope that future classes will learn from us and reach out if they have any questions!!!
 
The heat and humidity cannot be overstated. And managing that. It’s tropical!!

Sounds like many of the tried and true activities of late (sans ‘24). Usually there is also a big parent picnic. And yard tours by volunteers (which are FANTASTIC, even if you have been to the yard).

Honestly, for ‘24 parents who feel like the missed out, you could attend and still get the emotion, pride (and swag!!) despite not being a parent of that class. It’s still very cool!!

Congrats again!! Let us know how that first call goes!!

adding: I wonder if they will continue the 2 day reporting. It doesnt sound like it wasn’t a true drive thru/drop off that ‘24 had, as some walked through gates, etc, to report. Interesting. Is there any benefit to the 2 day reporting? 3 of you count NAPS ?
 
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justdoit19 said:
The heat and humidity cannot be overstated. And managing that. It’s tropical!!

Sounds like many of the tried and true activities of late (sans ‘24). Usually there is also a big parent picnic. And yard tours by volunteers (which are FANTASTIC, even if you have been to the yard).

Honestly, for ‘24 parents who feel like the missed out, you could attend and still get the emotion, pride (and swag!!) despite not being a parent of that class. It’s still very cool!!

Congrats again!! Let us know how that first call goes!!

adding: I wonder if they will continue the 2 day reporting. It doesnt sound like it wasn’t a true drive thru/drop off that ‘24 had, as some walked through gates, etc, to report. Interesting. Is there any benefit to the 2 day reporting? 3 of you count NAPS ?
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Yes agree on the heat - it was amazing bc we are from a very hot place and I was kind of shocked at how hot it was - we have been to Annapolis many times and never felt it like this before!!! there was not a parent picnic - there were tons of tours going on which was great - it seems like a 2 or 3 day reporting is easier for the staff and admin of USNA or so it seems - one of the mid we talked to said 400 kids were reporting on Tuesday and it seemed geographic to me - like everyone from our city reported on Tuesday. I am excited and nervous about that first call. It will be July 11!
 
Reading these after action reports somehow make me feel better about not experiencing any of it. I was in my living room watching the Facebook feed which was spotty at best. Trying to find my plebe in a mask and BCG’s. I found him like 9 times only for my mid to tell me over Christmas liberty, “ really, Mom? You thought that was me? You printed pictures?” I stand corrected.
I am so happy for 2025. And for the Detailers. For those of us across several classes who lost some things and didn’t get what we imagined for years? It’s okay. We made it. Our kids made it. We did it and so did they.
 
USNAhopefulmom said:
Good point, and thanks! I’ll maybe change it USNA thankful mom!
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It took a few years to let it go, but I’m glad my son didn’t get in. He wouldn’t be where he is today without the journey that got him there. I’m enjoying the experiences of those who did, via this site. Enjoying it without the crowds, humidity, and stress.
 
Devil Doc said:
He would murderize me if he knew I was talking about him here.
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It's a great story, and important to share here. This Forum is often so focused on the minute details of USNA Admissions that people tend to forget the ultimate purpose of the Naval Academy is service in the Fleet (or Marine Corps). Your son's story, as well as your own service. serves as a reminder that there are other ways to get there. Every year, some really outstanding candidates get the TWE and head to NROTC, or go to OCS after college, and they all end up at the same place.. USNA is just the starting point for some.

Back to regularly scheduled programming ...

Thanks to the Parents telling the stories of I Day. It will be interesting to see how the lessons learned from the last couple years get built into the future. Looking back, there has always been a two day process --as NAPS appointees check in the day before. (In retrospect, I have figured that is kind of a dress rehearsal for the real I-day; even though they do it every year, it is quite a complex evolution to get 1000 Plebes from the Alumni Hall intake to T-Court in a few short hours.

The perspective I'd really like to hear (and won't for a while) is that of the Plebes. Right about now they are probably wondering "what the He!! did I get into ?"
 
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Ya … it stings a little that us parents of the class of ‘24 couldn’t watch the induction in person, but I thought the ceremony was 1st class even though it was all virtual. We live close enough that my wife goes down there about every other weekend to see her. My wife even went down a couple days ago to watch the ‘25 ceremony and take daughter and her roommate out to dinner. Daughter and her roommate are in San Diego now for summer training.

We’re lucky to have memories of her at both NAPS and Naptown ceremonies. We would have never visited Newport RI if she hadn’t gone there. We’ve been there a bunch of times and plan to go back.

I was probably Waldo hunting for a week after the virtual ceremony. I would spot someone who I thought was her, but you could never be absolutely sure because of the face masks. My wife and sister are great at picking her out because of her hair color and blond streaks …

There is a certain way that our daughter holds her Ring and Pinky fingers that would help me spot her … over the years of watching her play the piano and cello, those 2 fingers are always slightly raised in the playing position, and it translates to this day. So I spotted her definitely by seeing that characteristic in several photos.

In one photo (Name tag) that was definitely her walking into King Hall with her plebe summer company, after I showed it to her when plebe summer was over, she said the guy in the photo behind her DORed before plebe summer ended. I guess he got more than he expected.

[Segue moment]

@Devil Doc … speaking of plebe summer DOR, you need to start another thread for the class of ‘25 called “Plebes Dropping Already” … or whatever you called it last year …. I think it broke the number of replies record. That was a really fun thread.
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Old Navy BGO said:
Every year, some really outstanding candidates get the TWE and head to NROTC, or go to OCS after college, and they all end up at the same place.
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Such an important reminder, @Old Navy BGO. On this forum, it would seem that landing the coveted offer of appointment is the culmination of a journey. Yet it’s only the beginning — and that beginning, beyond the adrenaline and hype of I-Day, can be a hard and harsh reality as the plebes settle into front leaning rest yet again.

We dropped DD off three years ago, to begin her USNA journey, amid much pomp and circumstance. In two months, we’ll drop off DS to begin his AROTC journey, without any poignant ceremony. Two different launches, but one no better or more meaningful than the other. They’ve each chosen the commissioning path that best fits their personality, goals and mindset.

Just as I know DD is exactly where she should be, I pray that DS will also be exactly where he should be. And as parents, that’s really all we can ask — that our children bloom where they’re planted.
 
Dr. Strange Love said:
We would have never visited Newport RI if she hadn’t gone there. We’ve been there a bunch of times and plan to go back.
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That would be a fun thread --which is better Newport or Annapolis ? Both are among my favorite places to visit -- I went to NAPS in 1980, right in the middle of an America's Cup race. America's Cup was a whole lot different then, and you could walk the piers and mingle with the crews. I was a Midwest kid, but fell in love with sailing. Both Newport and Annapolis are sailing towns, and full of classic bars and restaurants -- I go back to the same haunts in both towns every chance I get.
 
By the way, the wayward and mistaken searches for Waldo are not limited to plebe parents. Last year, I spotted DD several times in videos and photos, standing among her fellow detailers at the swearing-in ceremony. Except, I learned later, it wasn’t her. Of course not!
 
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Old Navy BGO said:
That would be a fun thread --which is better Newport or Annapolis ? Both are among my favorite places to visit -- I went to NAPS in 1980, right in the middle of an America's Cup race. America's Cup was a whole lot different then, and you could walk the piers and mingle with the crews. I was a Midwest kid, but fell in love with sailing. Both Newport and Annapolis are sailing towns, and full of classic bars and restaurants -- I go back to the same haunts in both towns every chance I get.
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In addition to being an Annapolitan for four years with many visits since, I was also stationed in Newport several times and wife 1.0 was a local so needless to say, I've had a 30+ yr relationship with Newport. I've also been a frequent sailor in both but Annapolis is a much greater (in terms of numbers) sailing area and destination. Restaurant wise, both are great with lots of out of the way "locals" spots such as "Flo's" in Newport which I really miss. I spent many a tourist-free winter evening at the White Horse Tavern (open since the 1670's) enjoying the ambience and places like Middletons in Annapolis as well.
 
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