I think they will hear about it being shortened and lighter in some aspects, not necessarily individually about if they got sent to ROM. I think there are evolutions that were cut out of the summer due to time that they will get as a part of Saturday morning training during the academic year. Saturday morning trainings usually start out very early and run until shortly before liberty. Many can be physically challenging. It's a great time to come back to training events that maybe got bumped from the Plebe Summer calendar. I think those Saturdays are great times for additional training for the entire Brigade. The value Mids can learn from having different communities come and talk about career paths and JOs discussing what it's like being on their first ship are invaluable. Those interested in flying deep dives into the airframes, training pipeline and uniqueness of squadrons for each airframe are important. Same thing with Marine Corps.
Uncertainty is at the core of the military. Everything they do is part of it. It's why they take away clocks, watches, schedules, identity during Plebe Summer. It makes them not know what is next. It's why second set detail is so ominous. Even if their first set detailer was miserably tough, the unknown is even worse. But, its why its so important. The entire military is uncertainty. Its making decisions in high stress environments with limited information. Plebe Summer is the start of it. We used to hear, "What now Lt!!!!!" all the time at TBS. There is the great debate... "The only bad decision is no decision." I don't agree with that, but I understand the sentiment. The Ac year doesn't stress this as much, but alot of summer training, Saturday morning training, ethics courses, leadership courses, character development training is all based on these types of things. First rule of leadership is learning how to follow. The 4/C are learning that now and developing the building blocks to join the Brigade. Plebe Summer is one phase of training and if you listen to the oath the Detailers take... its to prepare them to join the Brigade. Plebe Year is meant to be a grind. Push their grit, team work, desire to be there, learning to follow, peer leadership. The remaining years each have a leadership lesson in them and the culmination of the 4 years is meant to commission a well prepared officer.