Questions about breaks

Trinigirl

Trinigirl

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Joined
Jun 21, 2023
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1. Are there opportunities that the academy offers the mids to do during spring break?
2. What does the summer look like for mids after plebe year?
3. If they have to take a summer class, how long is it? Do they get to come home for a shorter period?
 
Trinigirl said:
1. Are there opportunities that the academy offers the mids to do during spring break?
2. What does the summer look like for mids after plebe year?
3. If they have to take a summer class, how long is it? Do they get to come home for a shorter period?
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You can start your summer training research at the primary source - usna.edu. Summer 2024 info is still posted. Google search string: USNA summer training.

www.usna.edu

Summer Training

Summer Training Info page for Training at USNA.edu. Updated Wed May 22 13:13:54 EDT 2024.
www.usna.edu

Roughly, the summer is broken up into 3-week training blocks plus/minus a few days here or there. One of the blocks is usually mandatory. Others are elective. One is a leave block. Many midshipmen choose to take voluntary summer school during a block to lighten the regular ac year load, support a double major, or get ahead on their matrix for a variety of reasons. Some mids have to do involuntary summer school, because the plebe-killers of Chem or Calc got them. Dive into details at the link above, which has many links itself.

Spring break. That’s personal leave time. There are some ECAs which go on group trips. Glee Club often does a concert tour overseas or in the U.S. Some sports teams don’t get a break. Unfortunate mids who made bad choices conduct-wise may be on restriction.

The one thing you can count on is change and fluidity to the summer schedule. Or, as Navy folk say, “It’s written in jello.” You may think you have Block 1 leave (starts right after Comm Day), but too many 4/C failed Calculus and are being placed in Block 1 Summer School, which left too many vacant spots in the mandatory Block 1 training, which you get moved into, and your leave is pushed to another block.

It’s excellent training for the dynamic and unpredictable nature of Fleet and Corps life down the road.
 
For the OP as an example. DS did two voluntary summer classes rising 3/C summer to make room for a foreign language minor and an aero major. First block of that summer (during Herndon, Sea Trials, and commissioning) he was OCONUS on a USNA sponsored LREC which he fought to be selected for.

Gave up some leave time to do those things. Wouldn’t change a thing. Rising 2/C summer he took another voluntary course. Reflecting back, he said it was easier then doing a course spread over a semester along with all of the other courses. 3 weeks focused solely on one subject. No other mando events or obligations. More focused.

And as always, @Capt MJ is correct, don’t make plans for any break or summer without the understanding things may change up to the departure time of your flight.
 
@Heather21 always gives good examples.

Though many here will use “rising” as it would be used in high school to help those unfamiliar with a SA to understand what class the “student” would be entering in the fall, that is not the actual reality. Plebes, after completing Herndon climb, physically or in spirit, become fully recognized 4/C midshipmen. On Commissioning Day, as soon as the first class are commissioned and take their oath, at that moment, 4/C> 3/C, 3/C> 2/C, 2/C>1/C, with the rights, privileges and responsibilities pertaining to that rank. They are fully advanced that day and execute the rest of that summer at their new rank.
 
Capt MJ said:
@Heather21 always gives good examples.

Though many here will use “rising” as it would be used in high school to help those unfamiliar with a SA to understand what class the “student” would be entering in the fall, that is not the actual reality. Plebes, after completing Herndon climb, physically or in spirit, become fully recognized 4/C midshipmen. On Commissioning Day, as soon as the first class are commissioned and take their oath, at that moment, 4/C> 3/C, 3/C> 2/C, 2/C>1/C, with the rights, privileges and responsibilities pertaining to that rank. They are fully advanced that day and execute the rest of that summer at their new rank.
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Totally correct. I only used the term as others less familiar might not know. But as usual, you are well versed and accurate. Those wearing those shoulder boards sure earned and appreciate the recognition.
 
Heatherg21 said:
Totally correct. I only used the term as others less familiar might not know. But as usual, you are well versed and accurate. Those wearing those shoulder boards sure earned and appreciate the recognition.
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The passing along of class shoulder boards is a great tradition that occurs right after the Cover Toss.
 
Don't Give Up the Ship said:
The passing along of class shoulder boards is a great tradition that occurs right after the Cover Toss.
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Something DD told us after attending commissioning at the end of plebe year: "I woke up at 5 a.m. to sit in the stadium and get new shoulder boards, a sunburn and a $100 raise." She said it with a big smile.
 
Someone can correct me if things have changed and as Heatherg21 shared, if you ELECT to take VOLUNTARY summer school, you typically FORFEIT your leave (i.e. home break) block/time. If you are REQUIRED to attend summer school, then the leave block is normally preserved. There might be opportunities to still go home, but it might be very small and limited.
 
usnabgo08 said:
Someone can correct me if things have changed and as Heatherg21 shared, if you ELECT to take VOLUNTARY summer school, you typically FORFEIT your leave (i.e. home break) block/time. If you are REQUIRED to attend summer school, then the leave block is normally preserved. There might be opportunities to still go home, but it might be very small and limited.
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One major change in the last 25 years is the availability of Zero Block in addition to the usual Blocks 1, 2 and 3. Zero block (roughly end of exams to Comm Day) used to not be available to plebes because they would miss Herndon, and it was typically upperclass and varsity athletes who needed to use it for summer school and still get some leave. All that has gradually disappeared. There are essentially 4 training blocks.
 
usnabgo08 said:
Someone can correct me if things have changed and as Heatherg21 shared, if you ELECT to take VOLUNTARY summer school, you typically FORFEIT your leave (i.e. home break) block/time. If you are REQUIRED to attend summer school, then the leave block is normally preserved. There might be opportunities to still go home, but it might be very small and limited.
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Can only speak to voluntary, each time he took voluntary (space available is the limiting factor) he gave up his leave.
 
IronmanDaremo said:
Kid has given me a set of each so far (4/C and 3/C). So, I'm assuming they have a few pairs??
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I always had a spare set of boards and collar insignia. There were instances where two sets of board were needed and having extra collar insignia allowed you to have more than one uniform rigged and ready to go. It was the same for me in the fleet.
 
Same, but almost everything was sewn on our BDUs (Army enlisted), and all I had to do was move my rank pins over, so it made it easy to switch uniforms quickly. NAPS was pretty straightforward, and that didn't matter. DORed before getting boards at the Academy.
 
IronmanDaremo said:
Kid has given me a set of each so far (4/C and 3/C).
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Great practice. Perhaps not a big deal for the mid, but certainly meaningful for parental units. I have a set of shoulder boards for each of DD's years, plus her butter bars. I look forward to adding to this collection.
 
DS gifted all four years of shoulder boards to me. Along with his white works and Dixie.

Haven’t figured out what to do with them yet. But they are treasured.
 
Heatherg21 said:
DS gifted all four years of shoulder boards to me. Along with his white works and Dixie.
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The other day, I was putting on a pair of pants that I hadn't worn since May. When I stuck my hand into the pocket, I accidentally got poked. "What the...?" I thought. With my fingertips, I pulled out a butter bar, without the clasp.

And then I remembered: I was wearing those pants when I was at Camp Lejeune for DD's promotion to O-2. After removing her gold bars, I put them in my pocket and promptly forgot about them. And now one is found. I don't know where the other is. Fortunately, I have an intact pair that DD gave me.

Moral of the story: Take care when sticking your hand into the pocket of a garment you wore to a promotion ceremony. 😂
 
MidCakePa said:
The other day, I was putting on a pair of pants that I hadn't worn since May. When I stuck my hand into the pocket, I accidentally got poked. "What the...?" I thought. With my fingertips, I pulled out a butter bar, without the clasp.

And then I remembered: I was wearing those pants when I was at Camp Lejeune for DD's promotion to O-2. After removing her gold bars, I put them in my pocket and promptly forgot about them. And now one is found. I don't know where the other is. Fortunately, I have an intact pair that DD gave me.

Moral of the story: Take care when sticking your hand into the pocket of a garment you wore to a promotion ceremony. 😂
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I always called those clasps “frogs.” Don’t know why.
 
Capt MJ said:
I always called those clasps “frogs.” Don’t know why.
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There are almost as many nicknames for them as there are people who wear them.
One of my friends called them "Dammits" and another called them "Goddammits" because supposedly,
that's what was generally said when you lost or dropped one.

Typical usages:
  • "Dammit, where did it go?"
  • "You have any Dammits, I can't go out like this."
  • "Hey, lend me a pencil eraser, I need it because goddammit I can't find any goddammits"
 
OldRetSWO said:
One of my friends called them "Dammits" and another called them "Goddammits" because supposedly,
that's what was generally said when you lost or dropped one.
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While removing DD's butter bars, I in fact dropped one of them. It landed in the grass and I momentarily stooped down to find it. I couldn't, so I straightened up to pin on the silver bars. Surely in my mind I was thinking, "Dammit!"

You know what's nerve-wracking? Switching out your kid's bars in a dignified ceremony while her whole platoon and company commander and battalion commander and staff are watching. Afterward, her battalion commander said, "Well done. It happens."
 
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