King Hall Cranking!

20USNA23 said:
As one of those 3/C mids still ROM'ing at home for the TBD future, let me second Kierkegaard's comments on all fronts - from cranking in King Hall (I genuinely wish I could be on the yard helping serve) to remaining stoic about the challenges USNA leadership is facing as it navigates the pandemic -- including dealing with Bancroft density issues and identifying safe berthing resources for the entire Brigade.

As Kierkegaard says far more eloquently than I could, while it sucks to be at home when my roommates, best friends, company mates and shipmates are all back on the yard, I know I'm incredibly fortunate and blessed right now compared to so many who are truly suffering all over the world.

And as always, CAPT MJ (invoking hero Travis Manion) shares wisdom: "while it sucks to be among the few" (for me, it does suck being one of the 3/N's still at home,) but I didn't come to USNA for me -- I came to serve "us."

We'll get through this together -- and like so many of my fellow mids -- including the ones who like to complain :) -- we'll all get through this remaining positive, resilient and because we are fortunate to have leaders of character and integrity like the SUPE, DANT and the USNA leadership team looking out and genuinely caring about us.
Click to expand...
Posts like this from the upcoming generation of new officers make me feel content in my Elder Warhorse pasture that there are capable, adaptive and committed individuals heading toward my beloved Navy and Marine Corps.

This one made my day!
 
Last edited:
.
My Crystal Orb on the bookcase across from me woke up and said everything is fine down on the Yard .... Btw, it doesn’t take questions and you never know when it will wake.
.
 
Last edited:
.
My father, a retired Navy Captain, who was 65 years old in 1992, took the job of “Pushing a Broom for 3 years until 1995”, so he could realize his dream of vicariously building House, that he always wanted to do for himself, through me.

That is self-sacrifice. He learned that in the Navy, he taught it to his kids, and on to their kids.

I am not kidding. He was happiest watching us do everything, all the construction for 3 years, and he kept the construction site clean and tidy.

Every job is important, and everyone has to contribute in any way shape or form that they can. And those 500 or so ‘23 mids are not forgotten. There is a rhyme and reason for everything.
.
 
Last edited:
MidCakePa said:
That would be disappointing but ultimately I believe it’s OK. This is a test of each mid’s personal conviction and commitment. The Navy isn’t perfect. There were plenty of issues long before the ones you mentioned, and they were there when ‘23 came aboard. These are unprecedented times with no clear or consistent playbook for what to do. And really no way of knowing whether decisions are the right ones until we all have the vaunted 20/20 hindsight.

As @Capt MJ said, you can choose to be part of the problem or part of the solution, You can work with your chain of command to make things right, or you can choose not to. You can stick around and help find a better way, or you can choose another college and career path. The military needs officers who are willing to embrace the suck because, sadly, quite a bit of the military does suck (find me a meaningful profession that doesn’t have some level of suck). And yet, it remains a noble profession.

As many here have said, SAs and AD ain’t for everyone. At some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, USNA will do a debrief of all that’s transpired and they’ll learn from it. And they’ll discuss whether they needlessly lost more of ‘23 than they should have. But in the end, I trust that USNA leadership is doing their best in a fluid and unpredictable context, and that mids will find their proper place, whether it’s by staying or leaving.
Click to expand...
I appreciate the sentiment regarding personal commitment and conviction but I believe two things can be true at the same time. Good leaders communicate even if the situation is difficult. The absence of such communication to the 3/C Mid is the frustration. The USNA is a leadership institution and I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the leaders to lead these future officers by example. Embrace the suck together, in quanset huts on the athletic fields if necessary, but do it as a Brigade not remotely based on random selection or because you aren’t on a varsity team.
 
Heatherg21 said:
What better way to learn to be a leader than to also have to serve others?
Click to expand...

Well said. I once had the honor of working closely with a USNA grad who went on to write a book called “The Lens of Leadership.” It’s about servant leadership, the principles of which he learned at Annapolis and then practiced in the fleet. The whole point is that the very best leaders know that they’re there to serve their subordinates, not boss over them.
 
Hey they are not loading or unloading the clipper, pealing potatoes, cleaning pots and pans, running garbage cans through live steam or mopping floors or having an Officer scream at you to take your hands out of your pockets while on break. KP never bothered anyone. Suck it up. They are handing out boxed meals!!!. DSIL while waiting for class to start for flight school worked the snack bar and hot dog stand at flight school.
 
Goarmy85 said:
Good leaders communicate even if the situation is difficult. The absence of such communication to the 3/C Mid is the frustration.
Click to expand...

> No question that communication is important...and both the Supe and the 'Dant have clearly communicated their priorities and intentions clearly. Overcommunication in a constantly changing environment can be a problem -- if the leader is constantly changing the message, that leads to worse problems. (I've just experienced with my own DD grad school --they communicated their intent to conduct a mix of online/in person classes, so we had to commit to a lease; only to hear last week that they are going all virtual first Semester).

I get that it sucks to be a Third Class --the hard truth is they are the most (I hate to use the term in this context ) expendable when it comes to making this year work. I suspect that's true of the Sophomore at any college now ... the first year is critical, getting a good base both academically (and militarily at the Service Academies); the second year builds on this base , but the truth is that the second year is building upon that base, and someone who performed well the first year should be able to carry on the second year whether in person or virtual. It's the last two years of any college where the real learning is done (both academically and leadership).

Finally, I get the frustration factor -- but that is largely a factor of a desire for instant gratification. We are all facing situations where we can't plan ahead, and have to be flexible. (My motto through this whole thing is Semper Gumby ...always flexible). The truth is, Midshipman and Service Academy parents have iteasier than the those at "normal colleges"--there is little financial risk and logistical issues are less. When the Midshipman get the order to return, they will be expected to return -- and when they do, they will have food, shelter, and medical care ready for them.
 
My plebe was actually excited for her duty in King Hall today...🙄 She also told her dad last night that she LOVES the Academy so it’s apparent to me that they are doing something right at the Boat school. However my class of 93 husband was dumbfounded by the word LOVE being said by a plebe😜
 
Update: New feeding system is going quite well so far: walk in, get handed a box with the entree. Then grab your optional condiments, sugary snacks, side salad, orange or banana, water bottle, and get out. Most take the meal back to their rooms but there is also a makeshift socially-distanced dining room in smoke park under a big tent.

The support from mids is running smoothly as well. Saw Plebes in the morning filling up paper cups with coffee and standing up brown paper bags. A mix of mids from all classes within 2 companies make sure the table of options is stocked and directs traffic. One firstie is designated meal leader and bounces between the 3 wings. They seemed quite overstaffed with 50 mids assigned, a lot were standing around with nothing to do, but I’m sure the supply team will adjust as they learn how to implement mids. Every company only has to do this for one week, and I think it’s good because it develops an appreciation for the King Hall staff who have a hard job. It’s also nice that the Brigade will get to interact with the workers and get to know their names, etc. That along with the fact that getting food is much more time efficient, I actually like this system more, though it does suck not being able to sit down family-style with the Squad, but I bet we’ll figure out some other means of communicating. Again, semper gumby.
 
Kierkegaard said:
Update: New feeding system is going quite well so far: walk in, get handed a box with the entree. Then grab your optional condiments, sugary snacks, side salad, orange or banana, water bottle, and get out. Most take the meal back to their rooms but there is also a makeshift socially-distanced dining room in smoke park under a big tent.

The support from mids is running smoothly as well. Saw Plebes in the morning filling up paper cups with coffee and standing up brown paper bags. A mix of mids from all classes within 2 companies make sure the table of options is stocked and directs traffic. One firstie is designated meal leader and bounces between the 3 wings. They seemed quite overstaffed with 50 mids assigned, a lot were standing around with nothing to do, but I’m sure the supply team will adjust as they learn how to implement mids. Every company only has to do this for one week, and I think it’s good because it develops an appreciation for the King Hall staff who have a hard job. It’s also nice that the Brigade will get to interact with the workers and get to know their names, etc. That along with the fact that getting food is much more time efficient, I actually like this system more, though it does suck not being able to sit down family-style with the Squad, but I bet we’ll figure out some other means of communicating. Again, semper gumby.
Click to expand...

This is great! Now if they start helping out at the barbershop?? THAT could be interesting 🤔
 
THParent said:
I met a class of '93 guy last week. I was wearing a blue Brigade polo shirt and he said "I have one of those shirts".
Click to expand...
You meet grads and parents everywhere when you wear your Midstore specials...was walking the piers in Nantucket last summer (wow, that seems so long ago now), and an older grad stopped me when I was wearing the basic blue ringed Tshirt (issued to Plebes). I also ran into a Classmate at Disneyworld a few years ago when I was wearing a "Stay Calm and Beat Army" Class Reunion Tshirt. (That one was fun ...great conversation starter when standing in lines , so many people with Navy, Army and other military affiliations).
 
Was standing in the middle of the Grand Tetons, on a trail overlooking an alpine lake with not many people around. A gentleman spotted my hat, in honor of DD’s club sports team. He said, “Hey, I’m class of so and so. And you?” I could only feebly respond, “My daughter. Class of 2022.” The classes may be relatively small but they sure get around
 
To leap into the thread tangent - DH often wears a navy blue polo with the wings of gold insignia or his wings of gold navy blue tie when we travel. You either know what it is or you don’t. Great conversations have arisen in check-in lines for cruises, bars (well, of course) all over the world, a Russian palace in St. Petersburg, a night food market stall in Singapore, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, amazing encounters with both USNA grads and many former shipmates or once-removed acquaintance. Of course, for the two Navy-Notre Dame games in Dublin we have attended, blue and gold shirts from both sides with class years abound in every far-flung corner of the land. He saves the Tomcat tie, very discreetly patterned on navy blue, for special occasions. The HMS Brittannia tie and crested tie pin (that is a sea story for another day) worked wonders at the Army & Navy Club in London. I even have a tie from HMAS DARWIN, and that’s a sea story and a half. Tie exchanges during social occasions with UK/Commonwealth naval officers can be very convivial.

Thread unravel powered by my restlessness to travel. Apologies.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top