Restoration to 36 Companies

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Proud Father: DD USNA '27, DS USNA STEM, 2 Midsibs
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Per Dant: starting Plebe Summer '28, USNA will restore the Brigade to 36 Companies of 120 Midshipmen each.

Background: From 1964-1996 there were 36 Companies. End of Cold War brought the belief of a smaller Navy. Now USMA has 36 Companies, USAFA has 40 Squadrons.
 
Trainer said:
Per Dant: starting Plebe Summer '28, USNA will restore the Brigade to 36 Companies of 120 Midshipmen each.

Background: From 1964-1996 there were 36 Companies. End of Cold War brought the belief of a smaller Navy. Now USMA has 36 Companies, USAFA has 40 Squadrons.
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Do you know if they are going to shotgun the whole brigade over the summer?
 
Interesting.... what is current size of Company ? Does this mean an increase in overall class size or just a restructuring ?
Obviously will need to "shotgun" everyone to expand the number of Companies. That has got to be a administrative nightmare...
Semper Gumby
 
Shotgun would seem the easiest method, but they set up a RTF (Restoration Task Force). This weekend, each Company will choose.

Bn SgtsMaj and Co 1stSgts will be '25 reps to RTF. '26 & '27 will select one rep per Company. Input will then be made for new Company formations.
 
This was floated again a few years back, and it crashed and burned. The challenge is adding more warfare officer billets as company officers, and also senior enlisted leaders, to a non-operational shore duty command. They must have figured out where to rob the billets from. I arrived on staff in the summer of 1996, in the immediate aftermath of 36>30. It was indeed an admin cluster.

The one constant in military life is change. Including changing things back! And forth.
 
Wonder if the remodeling of some of Bancroft has anything to do with it? If it’s still happening. Seems weird, to increase companies (and their spaces) if spaces will be shut down due to remodel? Maybe that’s not happening anymore.

Semper Gumby

BTW, ‘24 was shotgunned after their plebe year. So we have a solid group of friends and parents that are OG XX Company. And our son made additional besties post-shotgun. It’s NOT a bad thing. Making new friends, and keeping the old. No downside to that.
 
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Capt MJ said:
This was floated again a few years back, and it crashed and burned. The challenge is adding more warfare officer billets as company officers, and also senior enlisted leaders, to a non-operational shore duty command. They must have figured out where to rob the billets from. I arrived on staff in the summer of 1996, in the immediate aftermath of 36>30. It was indeed an admin cluster.

The one constant in military life is change. Including changing things back! And forth.
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IW billets are being stood up for USNA COs/LEAD, when before they wanted strictly URL officers. That will account for a few of the 6 extra companies. In many cases, RL career progression also penalizes non-operational shore duty far less.

Good for MIDN trying to commission into those designators to have more officers with those experiences available and in Bancroft.
 
Wow, never thought I’d see that. Sounds like a good idea. I found that many companies didn’t have much cohesion or culture to them, especially after the shotgunning a couple years back. Smaller companies will help.

I remember seeing something this year about how certain restricted line designators are now allowed to be company officers—perhaps this is what enabled the change.
 
... 31 companies currently. I know because my DS is in 30th, next to the last 31st company. Last several pass in reviews, we had to wait for the tail end of the Brigade to catch a glimpse of DS.
... '28 Plebe Summer? N/A here.
 
I wonder if they'll try to reinstate the old companies from days of yore, or if the MIDN will get to make their own. I think likely the latter, since there will exist some identity conflicts.

Case in point, The Club is 28th Co., and with the same slogan...
 
nuensis said:
I wonder if they'll try to reinstate the old companies from days of yore, or if the MIDN will get to make their own. I think likely the latter, since there will exist some identity conflicts.

Case in point, The Club is 28th Co., and with the same slogan...
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"They" didn't use to give companies nicknames and there were actually no "official" nicknames when I was a mid. No patches that could be worn on uniforms, etc. Companies did have very unofficial nicknames which appeared on thing like mugs and T shirts which were (illegally) sold by enterprising midshipmen.
For example, First Company was "Fun One" and Second Company was "Loose Deuce" which was kind of an inside joke as 2nd was anything BUT loose.
 
severn said:
... 31 companies currently. I know because my DS is in 30th, next to the last 31st company. Last several pass in reviews, we had to wait for the tail end of the Brigade to catch a glimpse of DS.
... '28 Plebe Summer? N/A here.
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To my knowledge there are currently 30 companies. DS is on protocol team and I get some cool info. And he gets crazy time with very high up brass. Great networking and experience.

Also, while initially my DS was infuriated by the shotgun, mind you on the heels of a hell Covid year and PS, he actually ended up seeing it as a positive. Met friends he wouldn’t have otherwise. And roomies that have become his besties. Also exposure to different company culture and leadership. Positives all around.
 
severn said:
... 31 companies currently. I know because my DS is in 30th, next to the last 31st company. Last several pass in reviews, we had to wait for the tail end of the Brigade to catch a glimpse of DS.
... '28 Plebe Summer? N/A here.
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... stand corrected - 30 companies. The band closed out the tail end of the Brigade.
 
justdoit19 said:
Wonder if the remodeling of some of Bancroft has anything to do with it?
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I think that was (at least part of) the impetus in going from 36 to 30 (that was probably 20-25 years ago). Whole wings of Bancroft were shut down to do renovations.

OldRetSWO said:
They" didn't use to give companies nicknames and there were actually no "official" nicknames when I was a mid
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Same in the '80's, but certainly some informal names ...often based upon Company culture, and current events and Company officer at the time.. Level of use also varied by the Company -we were 7th Company "Sea Dogs" but I don't anyone ever used it or identified themself by it.
 
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