Roller coaster I: Get You (The Parents) Through Plebe Year - Class of ‘27 🎢

MidCakePa said:
One year, DD was a first-set detailer. Another year, she was in second-set leadership. She’d say that the real fun starts when second set takes over. Can’t let the plebes get too comfy. 😳
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I can still remember our first set detailer's words - Second Set, Death Set
 
⬇️Where’s Waldo opportunity - Annapolis Capital-Gazette I-Day photos:

www.capitalgazette.com

Naval Academy Class of 2027 Induction Day | PHOTOS

Plebes learn to salute by upperclassmen. Almost 1,200 incoming freshman, or plebes, reported to the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, for Induction Day to begin their Plebe Summer of train…
www.capitalgazette.com www.capitalgazette.com
 
Multiple name tags can mean multiple things and varies from company to company. Same with multiple covers. Don't read to much into the wrist bands - they disappear after plebe summer. enjoy the Waldo hunting! Have a great call today!
 
As for the call today - remember you are their safe venting place, the face they can’t or won’t show to detailers or classmates.

They will alternately love and hate USNA during their 4 years there. You do not have to solve any of their problems today. Express confidence they can handle it, ask them how they plan to tackle Problem X if something specific is mentioned. If it’s just general lamenting, turn on the soothing “I can’t imagine how tough that is, can’t wait to see you on PPW and get you off the Yard and hear all about it.” Ask them if there is anything they want you to bring. Be supportive and loving, and prepare for your DS or DD to not sound quite like themselves, because they might be hoarse or rattled or evolving.

If they say words that shake you, ask if they think they can get through until PPW or just the end of PS, and re-evaluate, take it a day at a time, or even a few hours. I think every USNA grad who posts here had those days where they just wanted to walk out the gate and be done with the place. I had the same feelings at OCS, thinking “what have I done, I hate this BS.”

USNA has been doing this a long time. There is a phalanx of hand-selected officers, senior enlisted leaders, mid detailers and recent grads wearing thrmselves out looking after the plebes, with Chaplains and corpsmen right there.
 
As a contrast... dont be surprised if they dont really say anything negative because they don't want their feelings heard around them and used against them. My DS was always that way.

We learned to pick through the answers and nonanswers to get a read on his current wellbeing.

If you can, record it. That way you can focus on the call and not taking notes.
 
And most Mid parents here, have received some of the thoughts mentioned above. Although it may be hard to hear today, tomorrow those thoughts were yesterdays….and most likely gone. And they are on to the next adventure or challenge.

Don’t worry. Have faith. Plebe summer is almost 1/3 over!
 
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justdoit19 said:
And they are on to the next adventure or challenge.
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So true! During plebe summer and plebe year, we learned that DD’s mood on a call was driven mainly by what happened most recently. So she could be quite high one day, quite low another day, and no single mood lingered for very long. I guess if you averaged it out, she was steady as can be — a low-key satisfied kind of feeling. Most plebes are probably like this.
 
USNAhopeful2025 said:
Things will improve each day and will get lots better when she has some time away during the day with sports period. It was my daughters favorite part of the day during PS.
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She is so pumped for sports period. She thought it was tomorrow and about 2 hours long. That will be a big boost. Is it every day?
 
Scenario planning question for PPW:

Does fishing and swimming off a small motorboat in the Chesapeake require UOD or PT gear? Should he have a USNA-issued bathing suit for PPW?

And if we pull up to a crab joint from the water, is the plebe required to be in full uniform?
 
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