Plebe Duties at West Point

[westpointdreamer2004]

I've seen a lot of videos showing certain Plebe duties like calling out the meals and I was wondering if that's a daily task? For like the entire school year as a plebe...

 

[retiredradar]

It is at USNA!

 

[Casey]

Yes, calling minutes for formations (not just meals) is a normal plebe duty. The other big ones are taking out trash, laundry delivery, setting up the table for meals, and area beautification. You’ll also have knowledge you’ll have to be able to recite when asked that usually focuses on current events, the countdown to big USMA events, and other random things dependent on your upper class.

My take on plebe duties is they’re not hard, and you only have to do them the first year. Then someone else will be doing it for you for three so it works out in your favor. Plus you build memories and relationships with your classmates during these team building exercises that’ll last a lifetime

 

[Capt MJ]

Yes, calling minutes for formations (not just meals) is a normal plebe duty. The other big ones are taking out trash, laundry delivery, setting up the table for meals, and area beautification. You’ll also have knowledge you’ll have to be able to recite when asked that usually focuses on current events, the countdown to big USMA events, and other random things dependent on your upper class.

My take on plebe duties is they’re not hard, and you only have to do them the first year. Then someone else will be doing it for you for three so it works out in your favor. Plus you build memories and relationships with your classmates during these team building exercises that’ll last a lifetime

Great points by @Casey. There are actually professional development reasons behind all of these duties. As noted it builds teamwork and classmate relationships.

As a commissioned officer, you will have soldiers doing very mundane duties, so now you will have some empathy and understanding of what it is like to do them. The recitation of meals, schedules, military knowledge on demand builds memory skills, public speaking ability and the ability to perform under pressure. Famous graduates of all SAs have written about how the challenges of that first year gave them the confidence to operate in chaotic situations, relying on training and memory to help them focus.

When I was on the USNA staff, I traveled as the O’rep with the Navy women’s basketball team. At a tournament banquet in a big hotel venue with the other teams, all the seniors on a team took turns standing up, introducing themselves, and talking about their major and career plans. With few exceptions, the women from the other teams did not know how to stand up tall and project their voice, make eye contact, articulate clearly without lots of “uhs” and “likes,” and many had no clear goals of what they were going to do after graduation, many mumbled. One by one, the Navy women stood up, in service dress blues, and in well-spoken style, with easily heard voices, clearly communicated their majors in mechanical engineering and minor in a strategic language, their selection for naval aviation and their hope to fly fighter jets in defense of the nation, or their B.S. in whatever and selection for the _____ community. Warriors all. They commanded the room. Coaches’ heads snapped around. I had my game face on, but inwardly I was grinning from ear to ear. They learned how to stand up and deliver from doing chow calls in the p’ways of Bancroft Hall at USNA just over 3 years ago.

And one of them was:

Becky Calder Blazes a Trail for Female Fighter Pilots

In 2002, on her first combat deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom, Cmdr. Becky Calder, née Dowling, flew her F/A-18 Hornet over Afghanistan on a challenging mission. When friendly forces on the ground were ambushed; Calder and her wingman were tasked with supporting them in the air.It...

parade.com

I so appreciate Casey’s on-scene comments that paint a true picture, and I have no doubt those plebe skills will pay off in uniform and eventual civilian life for her.

 

[PT Doc]

Great points by @Casey. There are actually professional development reasons behind all of these duties. As noted it builds teamwork and classmate relationships.

As a commissioned officer, you will have soldiers doing very mundane duties, so now you will have some empathy and understanding of what it is like to do them. The recitation of meals, schedules, military knowledge on demand builds memory skills, public speaking ability and the ability to perform under pressure. Famous graduates of all SAs have written about how the challenges of that first year gave them the confidence to operate in chaotic situations, relying on training and memory to help them focus.

When I was on the USNA staff, I traveled as the O’rep with the Navy women’s basketball team. At a tournament banquet in a big hotel venue with the other teams, all the seniors on a team took turns standing up, introducing themselves, and talking about their major and career plans. With few exceptions, the women from the other teams did not know how to stand up tall and project their voice, make eye contact, articulate clearly without lots of “uhs” and “likes,” and many had no clear goals of what they were going to do after graduation, many mumbled. One by one, the Navy women stood up, in service dress blues, and in well-spoken style, with easily heard voices, clearly communicated their majors in mechanical engineering and minor in a strategic language, their selection for naval aviation and their hope to fly fighter jets in defense of the nation, or their B.S. in whatever and selection for the _____ community. Warriors all. They commanded the room. Coaches’ heads snapped around. I had my game face on, but inwardly I was grinning from ear to ear. They learned how to stand up and deliver from doing chow calls in the p’ways of Bancroft Hall at USNA just over 3 years ago.

And one of them was:

Becky Calder Blazes a Trail for Female Fighter Pilots

In 2002, on her first combat deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom, Cmdr. Becky Calder, née Dowling, flew her F/A-18 Hornet over Afghanistan on a challenging mission. When friendly forces on the ground were ambushed; Calder and her wingman were tasked with supporting them in the air.It...

parade.com

I so appreciate Casey’s on-scene comments that paint a true picture, and I have no doubt those plebe skills will pay off in uniform and eventual civilian life for her.

Tying into another thread, but it's interesting to note that the first attribute used to describe her is: grit.

 

[USNAhopeful2025]

Great points by @Casey. There are actually professional development reasons behind all of these duties. As noted it builds teamwork and classmate relationships.

As a commissioned officer, you will have soldiers doing very mundane duties, so now you will have some empathy and understanding of what it is like to do them. The recitation of meals, schedules, military knowledge on demand builds memory skills, public speaking ability and the ability to perform under pressure. Famous graduates of all SAs have written about how the challenges of that first year gave them the confidence to operate in chaotic situations, relying on training and memory to help them focus.

When I was on the USNA staff, I traveled as the O’rep with the Navy women’s basketball team. At a tournament banquet in a big hotel venue with the other teams, all the seniors on a team took turns standing up, introducing themselves, and talking about their major and career plans. With few exceptions, the women from the other teams did not know how to stand up tall and project their voice, make eye contact, articulate clearly without lots of “uhs” and “likes,” and many had no clear goals of what they were going to do after graduation, many mumbled. One by one, the Navy women stood up, in service dress blues, and in well-spoken style, with easily heard voices, clearly communicated their majors in mechanical engineering and minor in a strategic language, their selection for naval aviation and their hope to fly fighter jets in defense of the nation, or their B.S. in whatever and selection for the _____ community. Warriors all. They commanded the room. Coaches’ heads snapped around. I had my game face on, but inwardly I was grinning from ear to ear. They learned how to stand up and deliver from doing chow calls in the p’ways of Bancroft Hall at USNA just over 3 years ago.

And one of them was:

Becky Calder Blazes a Trail for Female Fighter Pilots

In 2002, on her first combat deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom, Cmdr. Becky Calder, née Dowling, flew her F/A-18 Hornet over Afghanistan on a challenging mission. When friendly forces on the ground were ambushed; Calder and her wingman were tasked with supporting them in the air.It...

parade.com

I so appreciate Casey’s on-scene comments that paint a true picture, and I have no doubt those plebe skills will pay off in uniform and eventual civilian life for her.

This!!!! I loved reading this. I am so proud my DD will be experiencing this!!!

 

[USMAGRAD1988]

Some of my clearest memories from plebe year (37 years on) were my plebe duties...calling minutes, reciting knowledge/daily menus, delivering laundry/dry cleaning to upperclass rooms, delivering newspapers (yes, we had to do that 7 days a week), etc. As @Casey correctly states it is a great tradeoff once you become an upperclassman

 

[minos]

'23 here. I'll echo what others have already said in this thread a bit. Plebe duties are not difficult. However, in the beginning, there will be many days when you question why you are doing them. You will likely find yourself frustrated with how time-consuming the duties are as well. But as plebe year progresses, you will grow accustomed to the routine. A typical day for a plebe in my company looks something like this:

0610-0615 Morning Duties. This can be picking up trash from the bathrooms and upperclassmen's bins. It could be cleaning the bathrooms (the worse duty, Imo. Gross!). It could be taking out laundry.

0645 Morning Duties finished. Typically you'll have some time between morning duties and minute-calling to gather your last bearings and get ready for class.

0700 Minutes begin. You will call the type of formation, the uniform for the formation, and the meal for that formation time. You will repeat this at the 10th minute, so 0700, the 5th minute (0705), 4th minute (0706), all the way until the second minute. Then following this, you will go to formation.

From 0710 until lunch, that time is reserved specifically for your academics. Unless there is some pressing matter like the plebe class did not execute their duties and the morning and have to redo them (occurs sometimes, but not often), you will only be going to class. Depending on what day it is, Day 1 or Day 2, you might have some kind of Commandant or Dean's training. This lasts about an hour and is not optional. Not necessarily a duty, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

After that lunch/training period (1145/1200-1310ish), you go back to your academic schedule. That time is yours. If you don't have class, you can work out, sleep, etc. Time management is up to you. When the school day is over at 1625, you'll typically have some kind of intramural athletics, corps squad practice (NCAA sports), academic club practice (like debate), and that will consume maybe an hour or hour and a half. Whenever that is over, you're free for the night to grab dinner, work out, do homework, etc.

At least once a week, your Team Leader will sit down with you to conduct fourth class developmental training counseling. This training is usually team leader dependent and they will tailor those counselings to address your personal strengths, weaknesses, and military interests. When I do this with my plebe, it could take anywhere from 20min to an hour.

THEN, you'll really be free to do as you please (almost) after all of this stuff. Homework, additional instruction, working out, sleeping, whatever it may be. Just keep in mind that this entire routine will repeat itself every day. I remember during my plebe year that going to sleep really late was a really bad idea. It just does not work out ideally because you have to get up before the other 3 classes every morning to get those morning duties done.

Last bit of advice: It will probably feel as if you don't really have any free time to yourself and you want to stay up late to do the midnight social media surfing or talking on the phone (FOMO). Put the phone away. Those extra few hours of sleep really count. Trust me. (I am still struggling with this.)

Hope this helps! Feel free to PM if you have any questions!

 

[westpointdreamer2004]

'23 here. I'll echo what others have already said in this thread a bit. Plebe duties are not difficult. However, in the beginning, there will be many days when you question why you are doing them. You will likely find yourself frustrated with how time-consuming the duties are as well. But as plebe year progresses, you will grow accustomed to the routine. A typical day for a plebe in my company looks something like this:

0610-0615 Morning Duties. This can be picking up trash from the bathrooms and upperclassmen's bins. It could be cleaning the bathrooms (the worse duty, Imo. Gross!). It could be taking out laundry.

0645 Morning Duties finished. Typically you'll have some time between morning duties and minute-calling to gather your last bearings and get ready for class.

0700 Minutes begin. You will call the type of formation, the uniform for the formation, and the meal for that formation time. You will repeat this at the 10th minute, so 0700, the 5th minute (0705), 4th minute (0706), all the way until the second minute. Then following this, you will go to formation.

From 0710 until lunch, that time is reserved specifically for your academics. Unless there is some pressing matter like the plebe class did not execute their duties and the morning and have to redo them (occurs sometimes, but not often), you will only be going to class. Depending on what day it is, Day 1 or Day 2, you might have some kind of Commandant or Dean's training. This lasts about an hour and is not optional. Not necessarily a duty, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

After that lunch/training period (1145/1200-1310ish), you go back to your academic schedule. That time is yours. If you don't have class, you can work out, sleep, etc. Time management is up to you. When the school day is over at 1625, you'll typically have some kind of intramural athletics, corps squad practice (NCAA sports), academic club practice (like debate), and that will consume maybe an hour or hour and a half. Whenever that is over, you're free for the night to grab dinner, work out, do homework, etc.

At least once a week, your Team Leader will sit down with you to conduct fourth class developmental training counseling. This training is usually team leader dependent and they will tailor those counselings to address your personal strengths, weaknesses, and military interests. When I do this with my plebe, it could take anywhere from 20min to an hour.

THEN, you'll really be free to do as you please (almost) after all of this stuff. Homework, additional instruction, working out, sleeping, whatever it may be. Just keep in mind that this entire routine will repeat itself every day. I remember during my plebe year that going to sleep really late was a really bad idea. It just does not work out ideally because you have to get up before the other 3 classes every morning to get those morning duties done.

Last bit of advice: It will probably feel as if you don't really have any free time to yourself and you want to stay up late to do the midnight social media surfing or talking on the phone (FOMO). Put the phone away. Those extra few hours of sleep really count. Trust me. (I am still struggling with this.)

Hope this helps! Feel free to PM if you have any questions!

Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this out! I appreciate it IMMENSELY!! I would love to hear some of your thoughts on your West Point experience so far and the application process or just general advice (only if your rigorous schedule allows) )

 

[westpointdreamer2004]

Great points by @Casey. There are actually professional development reasons behind all of these duties. As noted it builds teamwork and classmate relationships.

As a commissioned officer, you will have soldiers doing very mundane duties, so now you will have some empathy and understanding of what it is like to do them. The recitation of meals, schedules, military knowledge on demand builds memory skills, public speaking ability and the ability to perform under pressure. Famous graduates of all SAs have written about how the challenges of that first year gave them the confidence to operate in chaotic situations, relying on training and memory to help them focus.

When I was on the USNA staff, I traveled as the O’rep with the Navy women’s basketball team. At a tournament banquet in a big hotel venue with the other teams, all the seniors on a team took turns standing up, introducing themselves, and talking about their major and career plans. With few exceptions, the women from the other teams did not know how to stand up tall and project their voice, make eye contact, articulate clearly without lots of “uhs” and “likes,” and many had no clear goals of what they were going to do after graduation, many mumbled. One by one, the Navy women stood up, in service dress blues, and in well-spoken style, with easily heard voices, clearly communicated their majors in mechanical engineering and minor in a strategic language, their selection for naval aviation and their hope to fly fighter jets in defense of the nation, or their B.S. in whatever and selection for the _____ community. Warriors all. They commanded the room. Coaches’ heads snapped around. I had my game face on, but inwardly I was grinning from ear to ear. They learned how to stand up and deliver from doing chow calls in the p’ways of Bancroft Hall at USNA just over 3 years ago.

And one of them was:

Becky Calder Blazes a Trail for Female Fighter Pilots

In 2002, on her first combat deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom, Cmdr. Becky Calder, née Dowling, flew her F/A-18 Hornet over Afghanistan on a challenging mission. When friendly forces on the ground were ambushed; Calder and her wingman were tasked with supporting them in the air.It...

parade.com

I so appreciate Casey’s on-scene comments that paint a true picture, and I have no doubt those plebe skills will pay off in uniform and eventual civilian life for her.

This (along with the other responses of the thread) really changed my perspective on what seemed like a questionable and exhausting portion of plebe duties! Hopefully, I get to experience these next year ) Thank you so much for your insight!

 

[westpointdreamer2004]

Yes, calling minutes for formations (not just meals) is a normal plebe duty. The other big ones are taking out trash, laundry delivery, setting up the table for meals, and area beautification. You’ll also have knowledge you’ll have to be able to recite when asked that usually focuses on current events, the countdown to big USMA events, and other random things dependent on your upper class.

My take on plebe duties is they’re not hard, and you only have to do them the first year. Then someone else will be doing it for you for three so it works out in your favor. Plus you build memories and relationships with your classmates during these team building exercises that’ll last a lifetime

I noticed that you have replied to my other posts so thank you for taking the time to help me understand these things! I also noticed your username and 'USMA 2015'. May I ask what your post-graduate life looked/looks like? And your honest thoughts on your West Point experience?

 

[Heatherg21]

I know our plebe likely questioned or disliked some of his plebe duties at USNA last semester. But the growth between 1st and 2nd semester is immense. He can see big picture in a way he couldn't before. The duties are just that, duties. Not a 'punishment' as they may have been viewed during plebe summer and semester 1.
Now, it's something they do together, joke about, there is camaraderie in it.

I am sure that he will look back on it years from now and have some fond memories. Except for the shower cleaning. That he is not a fan of.

 

[Casey]

I noticed that you have replied to my other posts so thank you for taking the time to help me understand these things! I also noticed your username and 'USMA 2015'. May I ask what your post-graduate life looked/looks like? And your honest thoughts on your West Point experience?

You caught me on a snow day from work with time on my hands while I catch up on Netflix.

Honest thoughts about West Point: it was a truly special experience that while difficult and frustrating at times left me a better person, leader, and officer for having spent the time there. Days can be long but overall the 47 month flies by and suddenly you’re at graduation out the door. The bonds you make with your friends there are for life, and the opportunities afforded to cadets who take advantage of where they’re at is hard to match. I never would have had all the combined opportunities for the academic research, internship, foreign travel, and military schooling plus a top rated engineering program all while playing a sport that involved travel all across the country if I had attended another college. You might get pieces of it in other places, but it’s hard to find it all in one place and fully funded at the same time.


For post graduation, I branched Aviation so my first duty station was Fort Rucker, AL for flight school where I ended up in Black Hawks, the best airframe flown by the Army. I then spent a couple years in Korea as a LT/junior CPT before coming back to the states to attend mandatory Army schooling (yay) and start grad school. The overseas experience was what I was looking for getting out of the states to travel and explore, and I’ve been incredibly blessed to be in positions that have afforded me quite the opportunity to fly which is an absolute blast from a professional standpoint. I’m back to an operational unit stateside that involves flying and quite a bit of travel which is fun but busy.

Life where I have been minus the periods I was in school and where I am at currently is busy, but those are the kinds of assignments that I’ve been looking for. There have definitely been opportunities for “easier” assignments (in quotes because even lower optempo jobs bring their own challenges), but I like flying and a challenge. Typical schedule as a PL as a LT when I wasn’t flying was PT in the morning 0600-0730, work call at 0900, and from there, work until it was time to go home which at the time, were very long days (12-14 hours the norm based on operational requirements at the time). Weekends were hit or miss if they were free depending on operational concerns and field problems. My responsibilities were pretty in line with a normal PL’s: help oversee maintenance of vehicles/aircraft, assist my platoon sergeant with whatever personnel actions we were working on for our soldiers, attend dumb meetings (because that’s what officers do), and plan/resource training (ranges, convoy training, field problems).

Most of my classmates have hit their first decision point of whether to stay or go from the Army. We’re past our five year commitment, and unless you did something like I did with flight school that tagged on an additional service obligation, they’re free to leave to go find new opportunities outside of the Army. Many have left and many are staying. My take right now is I enjoy what I’m doing but I’m not necessarily sold on staying twenty years. There’s quite a bit of bureaucracy to navigate, as with any government agency, that can make it feel like you’re banging your head against the wall, but overall, my job gives me a sense of accomplishment that I am contributing something to my soldiers’ lives by staying to fight the system from my little foxhole. Plus the flying is pretty sweet (buzzing trees with your wheels at less than 20 feet from the tree tops at 100 knots never gets old) and I’m not going to be out of an operationally flying position for the foreseeable future so it’s a good trade.

At some point, I might get tired of the frequent travel and pace of life, but until then, I’m on for a good ride and it’s been fun. One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give if you’re considering this lifestyle is to be deliberate with planning your downtime and leave. An Army officer’s schedule can be hectic and unpredictable, depending on the mission you are supporting or area of the world you find yourself, and it can meant a lot of time away from family. Being deliberate with setting aside time for you and family is one of the huge things that will recharge and refresh you to stay an effective member of the team. It’s also important you watch your subordinates to do the same for them. The Army is always going to have a mission, and it isn’t going to win the war on the back of one person. Finding personal or family time, hobbies, time to read a book or play video games, whatever is your jam, will keep you going for the long haul if you’re in it for a career or just not hate your life for the five years if you decide to leave at your commitment.

 

[westpointdreamer2004]

I know our plebe likely questioned or disliked some of his plebe duties at USNA last semester. But the growth between 1st and 2nd semester is immense. He can see big picture in a way he couldn't before. The duties are just that, duties. Not a 'punishment' as they may have been viewed during plebe summer and semester 1.
Now, it's something they do together, joke about, there is camaraderie in it.

I am sure that he will look back on it years from now and have some fond memories. Except for the shower cleaning. That he is not a fan of.

This makes me somewhat look forward to such duties just so I can look back at the memories haha (though bathroom cleaning of any sort does not sound fun at all). Thank you for your insight!

 

[westpointdreamer2004]

You caught me on a snow day from work with time on my hands while I catch up on Netflix.

Honest thoughts about West Point: it was a truly special experience that while difficult and frustrating at times left me a better person, leader, and officer for having spent the time there. Days can be long but overall the 47 month flies by and suddenly you’re at graduation out the door. The bonds you make with your friends there are for life, and the opportunities afforded to cadets who take advantage of where they’re at is hard to match. I never would have had all the combined opportunities for the academic research, internship, foreign travel, and military schooling plus a top rated engineering program all while playing a sport that involved travel all across the country if I had attended another college. You might get pieces of it in other places, but it’s hard to find it all in one place and fully funded at the same time.


For post graduation, I branched Aviation so my first duty station was Fort Rucker, AL for flight school where I ended up in Black Hawks, the best airframe flown by the Army. I then spent a couple years in Korea as a LT/junior CPT before coming back to the states to attend mandatory Army schooling (yay) and start grad school. The overseas experience was what I was looking for getting out of the states to travel and explore, and I’ve been incredibly blessed to be in positions that have afforded me quite the opportunity to fly which is an absolute blast from a professional standpoint. I’m back to an operational unit stateside that involves flying and quite a bit of travel which is fun but busy.

Life where I have been minus the periods I was in school and where I am at currently is busy, but those are the kinds of assignments that I’ve been looking for. There have definitely been opportunities for “easier” assignments (in quotes because even lower optempo jobs bring their own challenges), but I like flying and a challenge. Typical schedule as a PL as a LT when I wasn’t flying was PT in the morning 0600-0730, work call at 0900, and from there, work until it was time to go home which at the time, were very long days (12-14 hours the norm based on operational requirements at the time). Weekends were hit or miss if they were free depending on operational concerns and field problems. My responsibilities were pretty in line with a normal PL’s: help oversee maintenance of vehicles/aircraft, assist my platoon sergeant with whatever personnel actions we were working on for our soldiers, attend dumb meetings (because that’s what officers do), and plan/resource training (ranges, convoy training, field problems).

Most of my classmates have hit their first decision point of whether to stay or go from the Army. We’re past our five year commitment, and unless you did something like I did with flight school that tagged on an additional service obligation, they’re free to leave to go find new opportunities outside of the Army. Many have left and many are staying. My take right now is I enjoy what I’m doing but I’m not necessarily sold on staying twenty years. There’s quite a bit of bureaucracy to navigate, as with any government agency, that can make it feel like you’re banging your head against the wall, but overall, my job gives me a sense of accomplishment that I am contributing something to my soldiers’ lives by staying to fight the system from my little foxhole. Plus the flying is pretty sweet (buzzing trees with your wheels at less than 20 feet from the tree tops at 100 knots never gets old) and I’m not going to be out of an operationally flying position for the foreseeable future so it’s a good trade.

At some point, I might get tired of the frequent travel and pace of life, but until then, I’m on for a good ride and it’s been fun. One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give if you’re considering this lifestyle is to be deliberate with planning your downtime and leave. An Army officer’s schedule can be hectic and unpredictable, depending on the mission you are supporting or area of the world you find yourself, and it can meant a lot of time away from family. Being deliberate with setting aside time for you and family is one of the huge things that will recharge and refresh you to stay an effective member of the team. It’s also important you watch your subordinates to do the same for them. The Army is always going to have a mission, and it isn’t going to win the war on the back of one person. Finding personal or family time, hobbies, time to read a book or play video games, whatever is your jam, will keep you going for the long haul if you’re in it for a career or just not hate your life for the five years if you decide to leave at your commitment.

Wow. I cannot thank you enough for this in-depth response. It really provided a glimpse into the rigorous but fulfilling role you have in the Army and makes me even more motivated to attend West Point! Thank you so so much for taking the time to write out this response and thank you for serving our country! I personally think aviation is one of the coolest but challenging branches so it is so awesome to hear about your experience. And I'm actually Korean so it's cool to see that you spent your time in Korea!

Obviously, you can't speak from first-hand experience since you are still in the Army. But do you happen to how easily or quickly graduates are able to find jobs in the civilian world after their active duty requirements?

 

[Heatherg21]

This makes me somewhat look forward to such duties just so I can look back at the memories haha (though bathroom cleaning of any sort does not sound fun at all). Thank you for your insight!

I made my DS responsible for his own bathroom early in his teen years. I told him it was practice for USNA, he always said (trying to get out of it) "but what if I don't get in, this will have been yucky for nothing.". I of course replied, "but what if you do?". And, it was his bathroom and I am not his maid.
I also pointed out that living as an adult keeping your own house in good order is necessary, and nobody should be above cleaning the bathroom they themselves use and dirtied.

He had lots of practice!!! I suggest you add it to your list of chores. Also, proper bed making to include hospital corners is a must.

 

[Casey]

Wow. I cannot thank you enough for this in-depth response. It really provided a glimpse into the rigorous but fulfilling role you have in the Army and makes me even more motivated to attend West Point! Thank you so so much for taking the time to write out this response and thank you for serving our country! I personally think aviation is one of the coolest but challenging branches so it is so awesome to hear about your experience. And I'm actually Korean so it's cool to see that you spent your time in Korea!

Obviously, you can't speak from first-hand experience since you are still in the Army. But do you happen to how easily or quickly graduates are able to find jobs in the civilian world after their active duty requirements?

No worries, glad you’re finding the conversation useful and good on you for doing as much research as you can.

I have zero concerns about finding a job after the Army. From watching my peers and folks ahead of us, between the options afforded to help you transition from the Army and the headhunting done for Academy grads, as long as you aren’t trying to bounce into a field that’s completely outside your wheelhouse and you maintain your humility that you are starting over in some respects professionally, it seems like it’ll generally work out pretty well.

The long gray line extends past military service. If I needed help finding a job right now, I have quite a few senior mentors I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to for help in placement for the specific industry I would be looking to jump into. More generically, the AOG and specific job fairs exist to help transitioning Academy grads. Additionally, the reputation of what an Academy grad generally brings is out there that can help you stand out against applicants with the same stats and Academy grads still tend to be highly recruited. As a junior officer, you’re going to be entrusted with more responsibility far quicker than the majority of your civilian peers which will give you experience that can help make your hireable. It’ll make you marketable if you build a good reputation to back yourself up to get your foot in the door.

You’ll also be in a great position financially in consideration to student loans and if you are smart with your pay. LT/CPT pay is nothing to scoff at as entry level pay coming out of college and can definitely put you in a position to not have to be as worried about a transition if you plan ahead. Your service can also put you in a position to earn GI bill benefits (requires additional service past your 5 year commitment to start building benefits as an Academy grad but nothing crazy) that can be used towards a graduate degree if you want to go back to school before jumping into the civilian workforce as well. Lots of folks do this to go get their MBA, law degree, or bounce into a new field that they’re interested in.

 

[Muggle127]

'23 here. I'll echo what others have already said in this thread a bit. Plebe duties are not difficult. However, in the beginning, there will be many days when you question why you are doing them. You will likely find yourself frustrated with how time-consuming the duties are as well. But as plebe year progresses, you will grow accustomed to the routine. A typical day for a plebe in my company looks something like this:

0610-0615 Morning Duties. This can be picking up trash from the bathrooms and upperclassmen's bins. It could be cleaning the bathrooms (the worse duty, Imo. Gross!). It could be taking out laundry.

0645 Morning Duties finished. Typically you'll have some time between morning duties and minute-calling to gather your last bearings and get ready for class.

0700 Minutes begin. You will call the type of formation, the uniform for the formation, and the meal for that formation time. You will repeat this at the 10th minute, so 0700, the 5th minute (0705), 4th minute (0706), all the way until the second minute. Then following this, you will go to formation.

From 0710 until lunch, that time is reserved specifically for your academics. Unless there is some pressing matter like the plebe class did not execute their duties and the morning and have to redo them (occurs sometimes, but not often), you will only be going to class. Depending on what day it is, Day 1 or Day 2, you might have some kind of Commandant or Dean's training. This lasts about an hour and is not optional. Not necessarily a duty, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

After that lunch/training period (1145/1200-1310ish), you go back to your academic schedule. That time is yours. If you don't have class, you can work out, sleep, etc. Time management is up to you. When the school day is over at 1625, you'll typically have some kind of intramural athletics, corps squad practice (NCAA sports), academic club practice (like debate), and that will consume maybe an hour or hour and a half. Whenever that is over, you're free for the night to grab dinner, work out, do homework, etc.

At least once a week, your Team Leader will sit down with you to conduct fourth class developmental training counseling. This training is usually team leader dependent and they will tailor those counselings to address your personal strengths, weaknesses, and military interests. When I do this with my plebe, it could take anywhere from 20min to an hour.

THEN, you'll really be free to do as you please (almost) after all of this stuff. Homework, additional instruction, working out, sleeping, whatever it may be. Just keep in mind that this entire routine will repeat itself every day. I remember during my plebe year that going to sleep really late was a really bad idea. It just does not work out ideally because you have to get up before the other 3 classes every morning to get those morning duties done.

Last bit of advice: It will probably feel as if you don't really have any free time to yourself and you want to stay up late to do the midnight social media surfing or talking on the phone (FOMO). Put the phone away. Those extra few hours of sleep really count. Trust me. (I am still struggling with this.)

Hope this helps! Feel free to PM if you have any questions!

Thank you for this. It is a more detailed description of a day in the life of a plebe than we've been able to get out of ours.