Wedding Pickle

^^^

What happens at USAFA and/or what happened to a dear friend at USNA in a prior year has no bearing on what will happen to a plebe at USNA this year. The officers who must approve the chit can change. The views of what is important can change. The views on giving privileges to plebes can change. Priorities can change. These changes can make a favorable decision more likely . . . or less likely. Welcome to the military!

I think the OP fully understands the situation.
 
So what @usna1985 is saying here, is that things can change. :biggrin:
 
THParent said:
So what @usna1985 is saying here, is that things can change. :biggrin:
Click to expand...

Capt MJ said:
The one constant thing in the military...change.
Click to expand...

Semper Gumby ....be flexible :)!

A little nostalgia -- I used to carry a minature Gumby figure in the sleeve pocket of my flight suit for luck....he flew on every flight. Still have the little bugger at home !
 
For the OP, changes in military leadership can lead to significant changes. This is generally true in the USN/USMC (new CO of a ship/squadron/ground unit) but especially true at USNA. The biggest change that affects mids is a change in Commandant, because he/she is directly responsible for the midshipmen (closest, but not great, civilian college analogy is Dean of Students). However the 'Dant is much more than that. He/she sets policy for things affecting plebes such as: (1) will they get WEs, (2) will they change companies after PS, plebe year, (3) do they get extra privileges after a football victory, (4) are they allowed to travel to away football games . . . and much, much more.

Even if the 'Dant doesn't change, his/her view of things might change from year to year. For example. he/she might want to observe the way things currently work year 1 and then make adjustments in year 2.

In addition, there are others in the chain of command who may influence the 'Dant's view of things, both in the general sense with respect to a specific issue. These include the Company Officer, Battalion Officer, and Deputy Commandant. For plebes, there is also the plebe's midshipman chain of command, but the real decision makers will be the officers.

For those who attended USNA, the "this is the way it was done when I was at USNA," can sometimes drive decision-making. That can be a good or bad thing (depending of course on how it WAS done when he/she was there).

It's not entirely unlikely the civilian sector. The main difference is that, in the military, leadership constantly rotates (at least every 4 years and frequently much more often [squadron COs in my day stayed for only one year]), unlike a civilian company where a leader may stay in his/her position for decades. At USNA, officer turnover is typically 2-3 years. When you consider the number of decision-makers in a plebe's life and the turnover, you can see why we're all hedging our bets on your son's situation.
 
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