The TWE season is here, it’s true. Saturday brought a storm of the darn things and the coming days will probably bring more. But listen, don’t despair, any of you - really - don’t…at least not for long. That slim envelope does NOT erase or diminish the drive, the accomplishments, the focus or the desire to serve one’s country! It’s just a TWE - a piece of paper – indicating only that this ONE track to the GOAL is closed off FOR NOW. The goal of course being to serve this country as an officer in the military. That goal isn’t obliterated by the TWE, not by any stretch! Just one of the tracks is closed – for now. Just one out of quite a few out there. You TWE holders, and parents of TWE holders, the train has not been derailed - it’s just going to need to take a different track.
This “wisdom” I’m spouting comes from experience. Experience x 3! Three of my six children set their eyes and souls on one goal – to serve as officers in the military. Over the past decade I have seen each one of these kids wind up on a different track to that goal. Different tracks – same goal. All three began their respective journeys with a USNA application and nomination while in high school. Only one made it in the “usual” way. She marched into Bancroft on I-Day as a just graduated high school senior. Four years later she was commissioned at the ’09 USNA graduation – 2nd Lt. USMC. Now she’s a Captain stationed near Pearl Harbor.
She plans on returning to the main land, to our home, at the end of May to perform the commissioning ceremony of her younger brother even though he received the dreaded TWE April 7, 2010 of his senior year. On that late date, his USNA Class of 2014 “track” to becoming a Marine officer was closed (DQ unwaiverable - one of his eyes was not correctable to 20/20) so on to a different track he went - NROTC/Marine Option College Programmer at the in-state school – Class of 2014. During his sophomore year he applied to and was admitted to the PLC Marine Commissioning program (2 six-week summer sessions in Quantico) which he successfully completed this past summer. And now, just four years after the TWE, he will have earned his Civil Engineering degree and his Marine Officer commission – 2nd Lt. USMC. That TWE did NOT derail his train – he just took other tracks – ones that have been pretty amazing and got him to that Marine Officer goal.
As for the third kid with the Officer goal who started on a USNA ’16 candidate track during his senior year in high school two years ago, that one wound up taking yet another track when the potentially derailing news began arriving. I say “began arriving” because his news arrived piecemeal back in 2012. First, he was informed he was NOT scholastically qualified (not stellar ACT/SAT scores the culprit), but possible NAPS consideration – that was mid-February 2012. Mid-March BGO e-mailed DS that his scholastic not-qualified status was reversed - no further explanation. Late March – BGO e-mail indicating DS now being considered for Foundation. April 15, 2012 – Call from USNA Admissions, Foundation sponsored prep year offered to this kid. He was ecstatic and immediately accepted. He attended NMMI for the year following high school graduation and exactly one year later on April 15, 2013, his MOC called him out in New Mexico and told him he had been appointed to USNA Class of ’17! He is there in Annapolis now, a happy Plebe looking forward to Herndon and a few days later a quick trip home to witness his brother being commissioned a 2nd Lt. USMC by his sister, Captain USMC and then back to the Yard for him for his 3/C summer training schedule – surface and OSTS (offshore sailing).
So take it from a family who knows TWEs - Don’t let those skinny envelopes derail you, they don’t wield that much power – they really don’t. Your drive, your goal, your desire to serve is way, WAY more powerful than some old piece of paper! So square your shoulders, hold your head up, and march, keep marching towards that goal. It's. Still. There.
