What do you do when...

Not a bad post Marine. Here's a question, you're free not to answer, unless you'd like.

You said you had two underage drinking offenses. What do you think the people around you could have done differently with the first underage drinking offense to prevent that second offense?
 
My offenses

It boils down to one thing as I see it: a failure on my part to fully appreciate the consequences of my actions and how it could and did affect others. My first event involved a sanctioned Mvmt Order (MO) to a city on the West Coast. I travelled in a large group and we attended/participated in a black-tie, formal event. At the end of the event, many of the other attendees were thanking us with bottles of Napa Valley wine... Who were we to say No!!! well.. thats what I thought at the time... End result: I had toasted about 1 1/2 glasses of wine down my gullet. My actions, my choice, my responsibility, and my consequence to bear (or so I thought, again...). Given my class year, and some extenuating circumstances (stemming largely from a senior officers presence at the event, apparent willful ignorance for the actions of underage MIDN, and belated confrontation [approx. 3-4 weeks after the event we were reported by said officer after volunteering our own names], I was given a slap on the wrist... more like a pinch actually (14 days restriction, 5 of which were suspended). I thought, "meh, no matter its only two weeks!"
The second violation (for which I was caught mind you) also involved an MO to a Bowl Game over leave. I was a 2/c going into the semester as a Plt Sgt in my Co. Post-game, I met up with some classmates at the hotel (I had been drinking earlier, though did not consume at the party), and there were some 3/c there. I thought to myself, 'It doesn't matter we're, Companymates!" And the classic, "They can't FRY us all!" And then the already drunken Plebes arrived (we chose to keep them in the hotel room rather than allow them to wander the hotel and cause trouble). Contrary to popular belief; yes, yes they can... I was summarily relieved of my billet (heart-crushing as it was), and served 45 days restriction. I was spared a Black N* by the goodwill of my adjudicator. This hit home to me more because it affected my ability to do my job. I compromised myself, and let down those beneath me, because I allowed something to happen I knew to be wrong and did nothing to protect them from themselves.

-Malachy Marine
 
I don't know if this is true for every cadet and midshipman, but I would say it is true for a number of them.

There is one point in your cadet career where it dawns on you..."it is not hard from them to kick me out of here." That's generally associated with some thing you're doing that is wrong. For some, it takes getting caught. For some it takes someone else getting caught for it to hit home. Others just figure it out.

My "coming of age" was watching someone get roasted in a Mast. The person was a 3/c. I was a 2/c. He was my subordinate, reported by someone else, but because I was in his chain of command, I attended the Mast. I was scared straight right there. I stopped doing the thing I shouldn't have been doing and didn't do it again.

I was never caught. Had I been, I probably would not have graduated.

You want to figure out how to do the right thing well before your caught, at the point when the action first comes up "should I do this?" You will always know the answer in your heart. it's following that answer that's hard.

Thanks for sharing Marine. Like any cadet or midshipman....we all have skeletons in the closest.
 
Thank you both for your thoughts; I plan to share them not only with the cadet candidate son, but with the two who will likely never go near the military.

What is a "Black N"?
 
Thank you for sharing your experience, Marine. My son doesn't usually read this forum (he just says "let me know if you find out anything interesting" :rolleyes:), but I had him read your post. I think it's a great example of behavior that might be commonplace at a civilian university but could get you in a heap of trouble at a SA.

LITS's advice to ask yourself "should I do this?" is very good to remember.

I also wondered about the Black N* - sounds scary! :wink:
 
Black N = Receiving 100 or more demerits for a single offense.

Often a point of pride of those who wear them, they are worn on a yellow varsity sweater. Traditionally they parade through king hall on halloween wearing them. (at least I think it was halloween, its been too long)
 
LineInTheSand said:
When I was a firstie (senior) I had a classmate in my company who was walking the line. He worked in a division that handled drill for the company. He asked the Company Commander (also our classmate), if he could go out to get ice cream for the company after drill as a little "morale". The company commander said no. The classmate when out anyway. He was reported for disobeying an order, and he was masted. He didn't break a LAW. He did something contrary to what his cadet chain of command said.

Do you think he graduated? Do you think he's an officer in the Coast Guard today? No. That cadet showed an inability to follow orders, and at that stage, could he be expected to enforce any kind of rules? Probably not. The company commander got some grief from classmates, but she had made her decision, and while unpopular at the time, followed through. He threw almost four years away because he did not do the right thing...and he didn't even break a law. It wasn't even an honor violation. Had he been "checked" earlier in his cadet career, maybe he would have learned his lesson before it resulted in is dismissal.
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Ouch. Dude got kicked out for going off-post for ice cream after a cadet told him not to? That's a little like getting the death penalty for a traffic violation.
 
Kero said:
Black N = Receiving 100 or more demerits for a single offense.

Often a point of pride of those who wear them, they are worn on a yellow varsity sweater. Traditionally they parade through king hall on halloween wearing them. (at least I think it was halloween, its been too long)
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks for the explanation! I was picturing something like the scarlet A! :biggrin: Maybe a suggestion for folks at Army?
 
sprog said:
Ouch. Dude got kicked out for going off-post for ice cream after a cadet told him not to? That's a little like getting the death penalty for a traffic violation.
Click to expand...

Or being canned for chewing bubble gum.
 
They get a standing ovation at Halloween, but that and the croquet match are the only times they're allowed to wear them.
 
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