What Is The Schedule for Induction of Mustang Sailors?

ProudDad63

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My son after going through the application process out of high school and then enlisting secured his appointment to USNA, class of 2027. There is lots of copy on what to expect on Induction Day for Plebes who are not already in the Navy. There is almost nothing for sailors coming up from the ranks. All we have so far is that he is to report to USNA on June 27th. As proud parents, we are definitely going to be there for his official induction on 29th. However, the schedule between the 27th and his taking the Oath is vague at best. Here's the list of questions that his Chiefs and Officers didn't know the answers...
  • Does anyone know the schedule for Mustang inductees?
  • What will he be doing on June 28th?
  • Those currently in his command structure think they will outfit him on the 28th which leaves him with the question, "What are the mustangs doing on the morning of the 29th when the newbies are getting outfitted?"
  • If he is being outfitted on the 28th, will he be allowed off campus when the detailers are finished with them?
 
No answers for you. Just congrats.

What an appropriate screen name.
 
My son after going through the application process out of high school and then enlisting secured his appointment to USNA, class of 2027. There is lots of copy on what to expect on Induction Day for Plebes who are not already in the Navy. There is almost nothing for sailors coming up from the ranks. All we have so far is that he is to report to USNA on June 27th. As proud parents, we are definitely going to be there for his official induction on 29th. However, the schedule between the 27th and his taking the Oath is vague at best. Here's the list of questions that his Chiefs and Officers didn't know the answers...
  • Does anyone know the schedule for Mustang inductees?
  • What will he be doing on June 28th?
  • Those currently in his command structure think they will outfit him on the 28th which leaves him with the question, "What are the mustangs doing on the morning of the 29th when the newbies are getting outfitted?"
  • If he is being outfitted on the 28th, will he be allowed off campus when the detailers are finished with them?
He should call USNA Admissions to discuss with the enlisted admissions contact. Inductees do all the same things on I-Day, and similar to NAPsters, check in earlier to get transition admin done closing out enlisted status. I think they stay in Bancroft, not in Plebe Summer mode yet though.

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And - “mustang” is usually seen with “mustang officer” to indicate they started their career in the enlisted ranks. Of course, slang usages morph over decades of use, so it could be looser now.

He will be new to being a midshipman, the same as his 1100-1200-ish newbie classmates. He will be valued for the military knowledge he already has, never fear. He may well be the same age or older than his detailers, who will not have his Fleet or schoolhouse experience, but they do know how to be midshipmen. I was blessed with a prior enlisted as my roommate at Navy OCS. She got us through room and uniform inspections and quite a bit of ProKnow; I got her through naval engineering survey courses, analytical writing and other things.
 
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Thanks Capt MJ. I think it's morphed. The officers and chiefs at his "B" school are calling him and his ilk this.
 
Thanks Capt MJ. I think it's morphed. The officers and chiefs at his "B" school are calling him and his ilk this.
The way of all slang. He should avoid referring to himself as a mustang midshipman, though, just blend in with the class and bond with them.

Prior enlisted can go two ways. Be some of the best leaders and peer leaders in the Brigade, with a willingness to help all, a good sense of humor about the “fun and games,” and a willingness to adapt to a new culture. Those that go down in spectacular flames typically have a chip on their shoulders and struggle with being at the bottom of the heap again. Especially if they have real Fleet and Corps time, not schoolhouse out of boot camp.

Best wishes for a great journey!
 
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NAPS and priors usually report the day before. It helps to lower the number on I Day and sort of give a dry run. On I Day it self they will be running around helping their new classmates set up rooms, how to fold clothes, how to make a bed, etc. They will not be sitting around.

Prior experience can vary greatly. From being pulled out of Nuke School and really only having boot camp experience to those with 3+ years and warfare quals. I had a full fledge Trident wearing SEAL and then I had 2 young men who were barely 19 who had finished boot camp and a month of Nuke school. In terms of experience, it was very wide. Even the barely priors did well with the yelling as they have gotten the home sickness out of their systems and were used to yelling. Straight from the fleet can find USNA an odd place. And they may being using that at his school house, but Mustang isn’t a term Mids use, just priors. Definitely used more often once commissioned.
 
I was a NAPSter, so reported a day early. It was actually very chill. Checked into my company, got my room assignment, did some paperwork, got ready for I-Day. Same shenanigans as everyone else on I-Day. Granted, this was in 1992!

I came to NAPS from the Army, after being released from my Army contract. I had done boot, AIT, been at my permanent duty station, and had just returned from a tour of duty in Saudi for Desert Shield/Storm, so had a pretty decent ribbon stack as well as aircraft crewmember wings. Quite a shock to my detailers when we finally got to wear our accolades later in PS. ;)
 
I don’t think the term “Mustang” has really morphed. All commissioning ceremony scripts I have seen align with the attached article. Midn who come from the fleet or FMF are just termed “prior enlisted.”
 
I don’t think the term “Mustang” has really morphed. All commissioning ceremony scripts I have seen align with the attached article. Midn who come from the fleet or FMF are just termed “prior enlisted.”
It could be a semantics prism - people telling an enlisted appointee “You’re gonna be a mustang,”when what is really meant but omitted is “when you graduate.”
 
Upon further review…looks like USNA created a Mustang Club. Interesting…I’m certain I know of a few LDOs/CWOs who would challenge the “qualifications” of being a Mustang. Normally it’s at least one GCM. There appears to be no differentiation on membership in the USNA club other than prior enlisted.

 
It could be a semantics prism - people telling an enlisted appointee “You’re gonna be a mustang,”when what is really meant but omitted is “when you graduate.”
Agree with Capt MJ-not a mustang yet, gotta make it through four years of the Academy and then commissioning day. Then the prior has earned the moniker of Mustang!
 
I agree with @Capt MJ in terms of the types of priors. Plebe summer DS had a prior enlisted who just made the age limit and had 4 years active sea service. He was and is awesome.

Shared his knowledge, didn’t have a chip on his shoulder, and helped mentor fellow plebes through inspections, rack races, ProKnow and other things.

Then there are the priors that DS said appear to be inconvenienced and are condescending to fellow plebes. And have attitudes toward Detailers, who granted, may be younger and less experienced.

When all else fails, be a good shipmate.
 
Does navy even use the term mustang?

i have only seen it usd with marines where it means a lot. A former enlisted commissiomed out of the ranks. I have never heard a USMC prior who graduated USNA ever referred to as a Mustang.

There was a completely different term my USNA grad son used to refer to prior enlisted who became,naval officers from the enlisted ranks but it sure was not Mustang.
 
Does navy even use the term mustang?

i have only seen it usd with marines where it means a lot. A former enlisted commissiomed out of the ranks. I have never heard a USMC prior who graduated USNA ever referred to as a Mustang.

There was a completely different term my USNA grad son used to refer to prior enlisted who became,naval officers from the enlisted ranks but it sure was not Mustang.
Yes, Navy uses that term. I learned it as an ensign, as my first department head was a LCDR LDO mustang. We just had a sponsor daughter marry a mustang in her HR community (she’s a former SWO out of USNA); he’s a CDR who started his Navy career as a personnelman, went through BOOST, and got his degree and commission.
 
...If he is being outfitted on the 28th, will he be allowed off campus when the detailers are finished with them?
I am going to answer this one with a no. I am fairly sure that there will be no going off The Yard (alone, anyway) until Plebe Parents' Weekend in August. I could be wrong, however!
 
I was a NAPSter, so reported a day early. It was actually very chill. Checked into my company, got my room assignment, did some paperwork, got ready for I-Day. Same shenanigans as everyone else on I-Day. Granted, this was in 1992!
1981 NAPS here. .and my experience was much the same. To be honest, I remember checking in the day before I Day....doing initial issue, and then trying to lay low. The Detailers actually left us alone more or less. I really don't remember much of I day itself except meeting new classmates as they straggled up into the Company area. My most vivid (and first real I day) memory was after the Induction -- I don't think we had the whole meet with parents for a half hour, form up and march into the Hall with slamming doors...that was at the end of Parents weekend. (Maybe '85 or 8th Wing Refugee can confirm... my Parent just dropped me off at the Airport the day before, so I wouldn't have paid much attention to the Parental goodbye thing). Things got real right after Induction -- we were left to get back to our rooms individually, and navigating Bancroft Hall back to 3-4 was a daunting task if you had no idea of the layout-- I got a very fast (and loud) lesson in the fact that certain doors and ladders (stairways) in the Hall were reserved for Upperclass. chopping and squaring corners. It's fun comparing notes with Classmates of their experience and recollection of that trip back to the Company area after induction --everyone has a wild story.
 
I could be wrong but I thought this past IDay was a 3 day event?

Priors

Napster's who were not priors

The direct admits
 
I have told my story once or twice. My parents were still stationed in San Diego when I reported, so had no one there for I-Day. So after swearing in, I didn't have anything to do, and figured I would just go back to Kilo Co. area and get ready for the fun. My first mistake ..... not going around the outside of Mother B to where I knew I could go right up a stairwell to get to our floor.

I went through the side doors off of T court (at least I knew not to go through the big ceremonial ones!).

I swear, I barely made 100 feet before I was on the deck. It was a gauntlet the rest of the way. It took me almost the whole time that people had with their parents to get back to our hall. So, I was fairly p-ssed off and sore before the fun even started with our actual set of detailers!

I can't hear Nine Inch Nails "Head Like a Hole" without memories of the detailers going into their room to crank it up before putting us on the deck or bracing up against the bulkhead repeatedly!

The kids these days don't get the fun of making 30 chins by bracing up, and still getting yelled at that there weren't enough!

Good times. :p
 
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