Injured prior to aviation physical for summer block PROTRAMID

Parent1stTimer

Parent1stTimer

Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2021
Messages
110
I thought I'd ask if anyone knows what happens if a MIDN can't take the aviation physical and pass it due to current injury that they got at the academy? What do they get to do during PROTRAMID? Will this be a problem if they recover and would like to go aviation later after after commissioning? My DS is a great swimmer but currently is recovering from a stress fracture.
 
PROTRAMID is for exposure to the differing warfare communities. They aren’t screeners for service assignment.

‘22 and ‘23 didn’t have a PROTRAMID.

He can gain additional exposure in other ways as well. On the yard, different clubs/EC’s, as well as firstie summer aviation cruise or powered flight.

IDK what happens this block for him. Perhaps he is limited to ‘no flying’ during the aviation session. They didn’t actually fly much, if at all (ie weather issues). There is a lot more to the aviation session, other than flying.
 
I believe he will miss going up in planes, only for PROTRAMID, if he can't take/pass. Will not hurt his chances later for aviation.
 
Summer Training staff is used to adjusting all kinds of things for mids who “break.” Similar to the DoDMERB process, the pre-comm physical people understand injuries happen. There will be follow-up and re-evaluation.

Your mid can brief you on what’s happening in his case. It’s not one size fits all. The medical people will determine what he can and can’t do on summer training, activity-wise.

We had a USNA sponsor daughter who returned to USNA for a shore tour; she was a Summer Training Officer. She said every day was a new buffet of problems to solve, rather like herding cats and playing Jenga simultaneously. They did their best to find the optimal solution given any restrictions.

Think of PROTRAMID as a “survey” course.

More fun reading, of course at usna.edu:
www.usna.edu

Summer Training

Summer Training Info page for Training at USNA.edu. Updated Fri Apr 19 07:54:32 EDT 2024.
www.usna.edu
 
Capt MJ said:
Think of PROTRAMID as a “survey” course.
Click to expand...
Can't speak authoritatively about now but when I did it, PROTRAMID was probably among the most fun months I had during my
four yrs at USNA. It would have also been fun even if unable to fly during the familiarization rides.
 
Capt MJ said:
Often known as PROTRAPARTY.
Click to expand...
I agree with OldRetSWO . Back in the day ... the Protramid budget included money for the host locations to "entertain" the Midshipman. That entertainment budget was close to the cost of a keg of beer in New London and Quantico. :) ,. My group got to spend Memorial Day weekend in Pensacola -- I think we lost one training day, but made up for it on the beach ! Good times.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
I agree with OldRetSWO . Back in the day ... the Protramid budget included money for the host locations to "entertain" the Midshipman. That entertainment budget was close to the cost of a keg of beer in New London and Quantico. :) ,. My group got to spend Memorial Day weekend in Pensacola -- I think we lost one training day, but made up for it on the beach ! Good times.
Click to expand...
Yes, great parties in Newport and Pensacola, a somewhat "meh" party in New London and then a week of playing marine in the woods of Quantico. They even let us "play" with C4 and blow stuff up! Grenade launchers on the range!
 
As mentioned, 2022 and 2023 didn't have PROTRAMID and the Navy still managed to induce some of them into aviation. FWI, my mid (about to commission) has never been in a Navy or Marine plane (went on a Osprey once that visited the Yard), never been on a US Navy surface vessel (other than YPs), never got to shoot a weapon of any kind other than to qualify during PS. COVID absolutely shot the crap out of their exposure to the Fleet and Corps.
 
OldRetSWO said:
Yes, great parties in Newport and Pensacola, a somewhat "meh" party in New London and then a week of playing marine in the woods of Quantico. They even let us "play" with C4 and blow stuff up! Grenade launchers on the range!
Click to expand...
Had to laugh at comment about New London... all the Submarine officers circled the keg and we actually had to talk to them to get to the beer !

Quantico was great fun ...this was shortly after Caddyshack, and they gave each of us a block of C4 to mold into whatever shape we wanted.. then wrapped it up in det chord, and KABOOM ! Highlight for me was the night ambush --I was navigator for my group, and I came out of the woods 50 yards from where we went in (Boys Scouts and Orienteering paid off!).

We didn't get to go to Newport --our SWO orientation was conducted driving the YP's down to Norfolk.. Newport would have been great ..my then fiance lived right over border in Massachusetts .
 
ders_dad said:
As mentioned, 2022 and 2023 didn't have PROTRAMID and the Navy still managed to induce some of them into aviation. FWI, my mid (about to commission) has never been in a Navy or Marine plane (went on a Osprey once that visited the Yard), never been on a US Navy surface vessel (other than YPs), never got to shoot a weapon of any kind other than to qualify during PS. COVID absolutely shot the crap out of their exposure to the Fleet and Corps.
Click to expand...
I thought a surface cruise (visit) was a requirement of commissioning? I could be wrong.

Yes, so unfortunate for them. 20 and 21 had commissioning celebrations affected. 24 no Iday or PPW.

No one was untouched by Covid.
 
justdoit19 said:
I thought a surface cruise (visit) was a requirement of commissioning? I could be wrong.

Yes, so unfortunate for them. 20 and 21 had commissioning celebrations affected. 24 no Iday or PPW.

No one was untouched by Covid.
Click to expand...
It is. But I also had a senior Navy boss who said unless an older man with a white beard brought it down from a mountaintop inscribed on stone tablets, it could be changed or waived. I suspect it was waived due to the circumstances.
 
Last edited:
@Parent1stTimer, stress fractures are no joke, DS had dual leg long bone fractures plebe fall. Following the advice BMU provides and the ortho doc are critical. Swimming actually was one way DS was able to stay fit without stress during that long healing period. Low impact was recommended by docs.

Hope your kiddo heals up soon.
 
ders_dad said:
never been on a US Navy surface vessel
Click to expand...
How is this possible ? Don't they have ships visiting the Yard anymore ?
The surface cruise "requirement" might have been satisfied with YPs ?

I would be curious how much impact Protramid has on service selection.. I don't recall anyone changing or making up their minds based on a week show and tell
 
I think DS said he enjoyed his week at Pendleton, and gained a lot of respect for the Marines, but he also decided then that he didn't want to select Marine. :)
 
Old Navy BGO said:
I would be curious how much impact Protramid has on service selection.. I don't recall anyone changing or making up their minds based on a week show and tell
Click to expand...
Actually, the Aviation week convinced my son to go subs instead of Aviation as he'd planned. The folks he talked to in Aviation were complaining a lot and the sub folks seemed to be happier. Three months later (fall of 2/C yr), right after his Lasic eye surgery. he signed a nuke contract and had a bonus check by Thanksgiving.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
How is this possible ? Don't they have ships visiting the Yard anymore ?
The surface cruise "requirement" might have been satisfied with YPs ?

I would be curious how much impact Protramid has on service selection.. I don't recall anyone changing or making up their minds based on a week show and tell
Click to expand...
The only statistic I heard during BGO training, was that historically, 80 (maybe 85?) pct of Mids putting subs as their first choice request, come from PROTRAMID exposure. Which he affirmed makes sense, as most aren’t familiar with that community. And when they get them down there to see all the cool electronics (oooohs and aaaaaahs), some are hooked. This was from the person in charge of service assignment (including the presentation on how it happens…one of the most interesting sessions). He discussed that this was a concern for ‘22 (next class to select during covid).

It would be interesting to know if there was an effect on initial service selection, or not. It wouldn’t have an effect on assignment I suppose, since needs of the Navy.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
How is this possible ? Don't they have ships visiting the Yard anymore ?
The surface cruise "requirement" might have been satisfied with YPs ?

I would be curious how much impact Protramid has on service selection.. I don't recall anyone changing or making up their minds based on a week show and tell
Click to expand...
A month at Camp LeJeune + 5 day underway in a sub counted as cruised for 2023 because of COVID. 2022 was also effected and so was NROTC. Then there was the decision to change PROTRAMID from after plebe year to after youngster year. More demand than supply. I believe they offered weekend trips to Norfolk during the AC year but it was voluntary.
 
ders_dad said:
A month at Camp LeJeune + 5 day underway in a sub counted as cruised for 2023 because of COVID. 2022 was also effected and so was NROTC. Then there was the decision to change PROTRAMID from after plebe year to after youngster year. More demand than supply. I believe they offered weekend trips to Norfolk during the AC year but it was voluntary.
Click to expand...
Actually protramid was changed from after youngster year, to after plebe year. Maybe that’s what you meant. Net effect was 23 missed it.

I recall at the time, discussion was that it used to be after plebe year, and was changed years ago to youngster. This was a change back.

The supply issue was partly bc of Covid, too. My ‘22’s firstie surface cruise was cancelled bc of supply issues. Thankfully it seems to be running smoothly now!!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top