two things i've seen that need to stop

Thanks. Looks like they either love him or hate him. Actually, sounds like most Gunny's I know.

I think it is actually more hate him or hate him.

I have heard horror stories about him, some of which I believe due to their source. He was the Gunny my senior year to give you an idea of how long he has been there.

I'm definitely not his biggest fan, I only hope the new Supe takes a close look at all of the USMS officers on campus and keeps those who are great, gives a chance to those who are improving, and cuts loose those who deserve to be.
 
........... I only hope the new Supe takes a close look at all of the USMS officers on campus and keeps those who are great, gives a chance to those who are improving, and cuts loose those who deserve to be.

Did the "old" Supe do any of that?
 
Did the "old" Supe do any of that?

I doubt Admiral Worley had time to do any house cleaning like this.

There were several departures and positional changes during Vice Admiral Stewart's tenure.
 
2013Parent:

As KP2001 indicates RADM Worley was actually only at KP less than a year. The only change in the Commandant's staff while Worley was Supe, was the departure of the prior Commandant Capt. Alee who resigned who was replaced by Capt Fell first as Acting Commandant and then selected for the position as permanent Commandant after a short search and interview process. Prior to that Capt. Fell had been part of the Athletic Department, He is a USNA graduate, retired USMC Col, and very qualified for the job. While Acting Commandant it is my understanding he was offered a position as Commandant at Cal Martime Academy and opted to stay at KP to see if he would get the job.RADM Worley really didn't have time to do much else in this regard though he and Capt. Fell did review certain policies and procedures and begin to make some changes, all those that I am aware of I would say are all for the better.

VADM Stewart USMS was a retired USMC MGEN when he came to KP, his tenure as Superintendent was the second longest of any USMMA Superintendent, ~10 years. During that time there were numerous changes to the personnel on the Commandants' Staff and to the USMMA's Regimental Training Program many of which VADM Stewart was very involved and or directly responsible for.

Further both VADM Stewart and RADM Worley were big proponents for and lobbyists for improvements or rehabilitation of the USMMA's Physical Plant and Facilities. However, as with pretty much all non-DOD facilities that do not have a dedicated revenue stream to use (such as the FAA's Airport Improvement (AIP) Program which is funded by federally mandated use fees), the maintenance of aging infrastructure is something that is often underfunded (chronically) until something happens to get the funding infused over multiple years to rehab, significantly enhance or renew such civil infrastructure - like Kings Point. Further over the past 11 or so years efforts by numerous groups of USMMA stakeholders were responsible for funding increase significantly above the growth rate of the rest of the non-DOD discretionary budget. That's actually now a contributor to some of the negative backlash with some formerly supportive Members of Congress due to the issues cited by the GAO investigations/audits.

All of these things are why KP's next superintendent needs to be the kind of person that when everyone hears his or her name, they say "Of course, GREAT choice."
 
"My Two Cents" from a 2013 plebe parent

This is a great thread… I have been lurking for a while and thought I would contribute to what’s been said about the good, bad & ugly of KP…There’s been a lot of “It’s Going-Downhill” posts here, and I just want toss in my two cents for what has so far been an extraordinarily positive experience for our 2013 plebe. 99.9% of what I have read on this thread and elsewhere in this forum lines up with his experience thus far at KP, or has been great advice.

Our DS came to I-Day in July with a great attitude, and that positive energy has sustained him through the hills and valleys of what he has encountered so far… InDoc was intense and a complete break from what he had ever experienced, but he did what he was told, & played the game… As he looks back now, those three weeks seem very short.

He had a near-death experience with Physics during his first trimester but survived. That experience gave him the strength to power through his second trimester, and he is surviving and thriving… For him, so much seems to be time management..

While back home for Christmas break, he heard all about “the other college experience” from his buddies at State-U, and, like others, he had that momentary “Oh-my-God.. Am I Really Ready for All This Again?”…Yes, he occasionally has to vent a bit, but we remind him to keep his eye on the prize…

With classes, the help is there for those who ask, whether it be teachers, tutors or classmates….and with the classes he finds easier, he is there for his classmates.. He hears about -- but doesn’t seem to get caught up in -- all the macro stuff that I see on the blog here (concerns about leadership, a change in superintendent, facilities , etc.) and instead is much, much more concerned with doing what he need to do to get a good grade on the next test or quiz.

The friendships he has made even now so early in the game with other plebes and even upper classman are incredible... Mom & dad can't keep all the states and sometimes even other countries straight...

Never forget that the kids now in KP or who graduated KP were selected to go there because they are really special. Someone saw that they had what the Italians call the “fire in the belly” to succeed. Most of them do. It seems that many KP students wanted to go to a service academy since middle school… It’s not (or shouldn’t be) about parental pressure or the federally financed room-and-board.. At least in my son’s case, he was one of three or four in a class of 425 who always dreamed of attending a service academy and serving their country…

KP may be a well-kept secret, but it can be an incredible, dead-on fit for students who accept the challenge of an insane course load & a regimental environment are intrigued by Sea Year, the training for a career in the maritime industry, and the multiple options available upon graduation.
 
jnblucy,

Thank you...thank you... thank you for your post. This is just the icing on the cake!

To know that kids that want to succeed at KP can...that is what we've (mostly me, not son) have been worried about.

Son is dead-set on a maritime career... there doesn't seem to be a better place to do it than KP!

Thanks, again!
 
jnblucy: Just piling on here - GREAT Post! and Welcome to the light and out of the shadows...:thumb:
 
Oh boy

You know, it sure sounds like there is a severe lack of leadership at KP. This isn't the school down the street where some parent complains about Anne Franke's Diary because it discusses sex so the school takes if off the shelf. Every parent has a right to call the school, but the leadership at the school needs to be able to explain to the parent why something is done, if only to say it's a part of the training process. This takes leadership.

In the same respect, upperclassmen cannot be given uncontrolled control over plebes. If you expect to have that, you are dreaming. There has to be responsibility for your actions up the chain of command and the chain of command has to provide the propper oversight. In my opinion this starts with the company officer. Leadership. He's got to be visible throughout the company and exhibit an direct interest in the going on's within his company.

We parents should be cheerleaders for our DD/DS. Let them sound off on us, cry on our shoulder as the case may be, give them the appropriate pep talk and push them on. We've got to remember we're only hearing one side of the story. Those of us who've been through this, one of the service academies or even boot camp, should understand this.

Unfortunately, one of the problems in today's electronic world is the ease of communications, specifically Skype or Facebook, which allows us to communicate daily (IM) with our DD/DS's. Dating myself, what would have been at the front of the brain today, would have been completely forgotten about at the end of the week, if we were that lucky, after standing in line at the payphones to finally make a call home.

Ready for incoming!

Woody, I am sure our folks "could of cared less" about our day to day struggles at school. Looking back I am not sure what they really wanted to hear from me. I guess they wanted to hear I was not coming home. Gosh, that would upset their new found empty nest and their wallets. It boils down to too much comms today. I took my parent's approach with Sean..........and hell, he made it through :cool: ( USMMA'08 grad). If I would of got involved, it would of not been good for him or me. I seem to screw things up and my stomach could not take his approach to anything.
 
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