USNA Mid Mom & BGO Willing to Answer Questions...Yes, Even That One

Heatherg21 said:
So as an Arizonan I know our son will not be home for Thanksgiving for the next 4 years. That being said, will he likely be with a sponsor? Holed up in Mother B? Thank you in advance.
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If his sponsor is willing I'm sure Thanksgiving can be spent with them. Sponsor families & their time commitment to the Mids is all over the spectrum. There are no guidelines as far as what they are required to offer their Sponsor kiddos in terms of time in their home. Many Mids will go home with roommates, teammates or companymates. My son's best friend has parents who live overseas so he's with us for the holidays. Each year for your son will likely be different if the opportunity to come home in November isn't an option.
 
JmeBeMe said:
If his sponsor is willing I'm sure Thanksgiving can be spent with them. Sponsor families & their time commitment to the Mids is all over the spectrum. There are no guidelines as far as what they are required to offer their Sponsor kiddos in terms of time in their home. Many Mids will go home with roommates, teammates or companymates. My son's best friend has parents who live overseas so he's with us for the holidays. Each year for your son will likely be different if the opportunity to come home in November isn't an option.
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Got it, thank you. He is already excited about the prospect of traveling over spring breaks and seeing other parts of the country and the world, possibly via roommates and friends at USNA. What an adventure this will be!
 
Heatherg21 said:
Got it, thank you. He is already excited about the prospect of traveling over spring breaks and seeing other parts of the country and the world, possibly via roommates and friends at USNA. What an adventure this will be!
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Also, in case your Mid does decide/end up having to stay at Bancroft, there is generally a big Thanksgiving meal prepared and served to all the Mids just before the holiday. No having to miss out on that turkey and dressing!
 
Many West Coasters/Western Staters make the trip if the budget allows. Crazy turnaround and a chunk of change close to winter holiday, but the Escape from Bancroft, the food, home comforts and pet reunions are usually worth it.

As @NavyHoops notes, he won’t lack for invitations from others who live closer.

If he is truly stuck in Bancroft, I’ve seen the Commandant and Deputy Commandant gather those mids up for Thanksgiving Dinner.

I’ve seen many families take the opportunity to meet up in NYC or a “halfway” city for an innovative family vacation, or take the opportunity to visit East Coast relatives and friends. This year, COVID will likely impact those alternatives.

We’ve had our share of Thanksgiving orphans and adoptees, often the international midshipmen or whose parents live overseas. I have fond memories of the Turkish midshipman wanting to be involved with all the preps and sending photos home throughout the process. I invited him to have his family send a recipe for a holiday side dish, and we made it together for a taste of home.
 
All of that is why I am glad he chose USNA, what a family of support he already has! Thank you!
 
In some cases, parents come out east and enjoy T-giving at a hotel, resort. Or they meet someplace in between. We've hosted friends and roommates who couldn't go home. No mid who is in good standing and wants to go somewhere will be left in Mother B!

Cross-posted with Captain MJ.
 
usna1985 said:
In some cases, parents come out east and enjoy T-giving at a hotel, resort. Or they meet someplace in between. We've hosted friends and roommates who couldn't go home. No mid who is in good standing and wants to go somewhere will be left in Mother B!

Cross-posted with Captain MJ.
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No surprise there.
 
T-day is the perfect time to travel TO usna! Long weekend with your mid.

There are lots the don’t go home. It’s only a short few weeks until the longer break....

And who knows this year 🤷‍♀️? Maybe they all go home and don’t come back until the next semester. Finish up finals online. Ive heard of other schools considering doing that due to Covid. Makes sense to me personally, depending on where things are with covid/influenza.

(I really need to remember to turn the page before responding🙄)
 
If your Mid is in an in season athlete, the chances they go home are slim. We used to travel on Thanksgiving morning together to whatever tournament we were playing, have a practice, then have a team Thanksgiving dinner at a hotel/restaurant or with a family (if one of the players was from a city we were playing in). The same can be said for Christmas and Spring Break for athletes too. And if you play basketball... you will miss all 3!
 
Formerly sitting on a desk a few times on a long holiday weekend and then in a later life bringing DD home with traffic backed up on the way to Annapolis after Thanksgiving and DD freaking out that she will miss report time. Call the duty desk and explain the situation (they have the number and extension). DD finally called and the response was "you are logged in and a lot of your Company is in the same situation". The OD doesn't want to hear about it. That's how NCOs run the service on weekends and holidays
 
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usAwesome said:
Hi! maybe this year will be different then in years past, but how does thanksgiving break usually work? specifically, what day do we get off that week?
Thank you guys for doing this!!
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Generally after all classes and military obligations that Wednesday before. Has typically been early afternoon.
 
6th Period ends at 1235 (class starts at 0655 and they go through straight). It is also typically a Friday schedule. If you're one of the lucky ones and have a Friday Youngster (no afternoon classes) then you can be at the airport before some of your friends who are still in class. Some Plebes and Youngsters go to class in SDBs with their seabag/suitcase(s) so they can bolt immediately after.

Also, the USNA Community is pretty good about helping people with no place to go get away from Bancroft. I've even had professors offer up spots in their homes for mids.
 
One of my favorite USNA memories - trip to family Thanksgiving during plebe year.

Catch the Amtrak from BWI to Philly. Hard to find a seat and end up in one of those four facing seats at the end of the car. Sit down with a couple who are on their way to NYC. I think the guy looks familiar but am so excited to get a break that I don't pay much attention. Wife says that they are going to have a snack and would l like to share something with them. I say thank you very much. She produces this enormous picnic basket and the first thing out of it is a bottle of 1973 Dom Perignon. The then the cheese, caviar - you name it. Finally the light bulb went on - I was sitting with LCDR Neeb (the USNA food services officer) and his wife (the Cordon Bleu chef) who were famous at that time for driving their his & hers Silver Cloud Rolls Royces around the yard. The best Amtrak trip I've ever taken.
 
8th Wing Refugee said:
Finally the light bulb went on - I was sitting with LCDR Neeb (the USNA food services officer) and his wife (the Cordon Bleu chef)
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What Class were you ? Must be early 80's with the Neeb's loaf and 8th Wing references. (I used to love the 8th Wing Players !)
 
Old Navy BGO said:
What Class were you ? Must be early 80's with the Neeb's loaf and 8th Wing references. (I used to love the 8th Wing Players !)
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'85. 8th Wing Players were another great memory. We used the Rolls in the opening skit one year and had the Panther come out of the back.
 
We had the 8th wing players in the mid to late 70's
 
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