Plebe Send Off Picnic

Plebe Summer actually starts sometime in June with a get together sponsored by your local Parents' Club.  It usually takes the form of a Picnic with the club's membership on hand to exchange ideas and share advice with the new Plebe's parents.  Current upper-class Midshipmen are also usually there to pass on words of wisdom to the incoming Plebes.  Look for an invitation in the mail or contact the Club directly if you haven't received an invitation by Memorial Day.  You can find a listing of all Parents' Clubs by clicking here.

Whether you plan on becoming a member of the local Club or not, this is an event that must not be missed.  Most Clubs send an invitation to all parents and family of incoming Plebes.  Even if you're not a joiner, Go to this Picnic !  You won't be sorry.

This will be your first exposure to the rest of your extended Navy family. Other Parents will be there to make you feel welcome and to share advice about what to expect and how to get through the next four years as a Parent of a future Naval Officer.

Preparations for I-Day

As Induction Day (I-Day) approaches, there are many things that should be taken care of...

Encourage your Plebe to...

• Get into the best physical shape possible.  Train hard EVERY day.  Running is encouraged as well as working on upper body strength (Pushups and situps). CLICK HERE for the RECOMMENDED Exercise Schedule for the 8 Weeks prior to I-Day.
• Eat three well balance meals daily.
• Take your Plebe-to-be to the local US Post Office and apply for a Civilian Passport.  Mids will need one for travel later in their four years at the Academy and there is no time like the present to get the passport picture taken when they still look like civilians.
• Get as much sun as possible within safe limits to avoid sunburn later.
• Begin making adjustments to the Eastern Time Zone by changing sleep patterns and meals accordingly.
• Encourage your Plebe-to-be to read Strategies for Academic Success by Eric Bowman.  The entire book is available on-line and is an excellent source of Tips and Tricks on How to Scceed at the Academy.  Just click on the link above.
• HAIR
  • Male Plebes: Get a "Regulation" haircut from your local barber as soon as possible to make the adjustment easier when the Navy administers the "official" buzz on I-Day.
  • It's a good idea to get this cut several weeks before I-Day to allow exposure to the summer sun to avoid sunburn.
  • Female Plebes: Have your hairdresser at home give you a short, easy to care for cut prior to I-Day.  Your style should be one that you can shampoo, run your fingers through and go.  You can grow your hair longer later in the year.
  • Click HERE to see photos of female Plebes on I-Day.  These photos were taken AFTER the USNA barbers had had their chance to adjust their length on I-Day.
  • Ladies with a pony tail of at least 10" might consider donating your hair to Locks of Love, a charitable organization that supplies wigs to children with hair loss due to medical problems.  It's going to go, anyway, so instead of having your beautiful hair swept off of a floor and tossed in the trash, it can help a needy child!  Wouldn't that make you feel good?
• If possible, get a complete physical from "your" family Doctor and Dentist so that you're aware of any problems going in.
• You're NOT in good enough physical shape!  It doesn't matter what you think.  Plebe Summer will teach you what shape you should be in.  Remember, we warned you!

Things that the Parents should do...

• Get a copy of Brief Points : An Almanac for Parents and Friends of U. S. Naval Academy Midshipmen.  Read it from cover to cover.  Order Here
• Set up a telephone calling card or personal 800 number so that your Plebe can reach you without needing funds or having to Call Collect.
• Get Call Waiting and Call Forwarding for your home phone line.
• Make sure that your Plebe has everyone's telephone number and address in the event of an emergency.
• Get set up with email service and a decent computer.  Email is the best and most reliable way to communicate with your Mid - especially Plebe Year.
• Learn to use IM (Instant Messenger) like a pro.  You will be able to IM your Mid when there is no other way to communicate.  A copy can be downloaded HERE for FREE!
• Book Hotel and Airline reservations NOW!  It's never too soon to reserve Hotel and Airline space.  Hotels fill up quickly, especially for I-Day which is a heavy load on the local facilities.  Make sure you have all travel plans guaranteed.
• Plan on being on the Yard ahead of schedule.  This means spending the night before in the area.  Expect long lines and traffic jams at all of the Gates.

Ten Things To Take To I-Day

Ckick Here for a special list of ten things to bring with you as a Plebe headed to I-Day.

I-Day CHECK LIST

• Get together the following must have items to take on I-Day...
  Officially Approved Items:
  • Small, inexpensive Gym bag containing...
  • One Pair (Only) Mostly White Running Shoes - Broken in.
  • Minimum Six Pair Full Length White Crew Socks
  • A two week supply (Minimum) of the following Toiletries...
    • Razor, Blades & Shaving Cream or
      Electric Shaver (may be rechargable &/or Wet/Dry)
    • Toothbrush and Toothpaste
    • Soap, Shampoo
    • Mouthwash
  Men:
  • A minimum of Six Plain White Cotton Briefs (Boxer-Brief Style)
  • A minimum of Six Plain White Cotton T-Shirts (Round Neckline)
  Women:
  • A minimum of Six Plain White Cotton Panties
  • A minimum of Six Plain White Cotton T-Shirts (Round Neckline)
  • A minimum of Six Plain White Bras
  • A minimum of Six Plain White Sport-Support Bras
  • A one month supply of your favorite sanitary napkins or tampons
  UnOfficially Recommended Items:
  These Items are best delivered in the first and subsequent Care Packages
  • Bleach Pen.
  • Small Package of spring clips that hold on Name tags and tie tacs.
  • A small (3" x 5") American Flag for their desk.
  • Several soft cloths to polish shoes, boots and brass.
  • Small Wind Up or battery powered Alarm Clock.
  • Personal Toiletries including a bottle of Aspirin or Tylenol, cough drops, blister pads.
  • Medicated Foot Powder for Athlete's Foot.
  • Medicated Body Powder for Heat Rash & Chafing.
  • They can't have enough white crew socks.
  • Disposable Lighter and an extension cord.
  • Stamped and addressed envelopes and postcards to make it easier for you Plebe to write home.
  Note:  The list of UnOfficially Recommended Items are NOT on the approved list of things that the Mid can bring on I-Day and may be confiscated if brought to I-Day.  If you'd rather not take the chance of them being stored until the end of summer, pack them up and mail them to your Mid via US Mail from the Annapolis Post Office before you leave town on I-Day or immediately upon your arrival back home.  Your Plebe will know his/her mailing address at the end of the day.   See Care Packages
  
  

I-Day

Reporting times will be sent to your Mid before I-Day.  Plan on being there at the EXACT scheduled time.  Arriving early is NOT recommended by the Academy.  

13 APR 2005 Subj: I-Day Report Times Dear Naval Academy Alumni Parents and Friends, As the summer approaches, we are busy preparing for the Induction of the Class of 2009. This is an exciting time for everyone involved, especially the candidates that will soon make up the incoming class. I know that many of you are in contact with these candidates, sharing with them wisdom and advice on how to succeed at the Naval Academy. You are a great resource for them as they prepare to report! I would like to offer my guidance to you in a particular area, namely the reporting time that they will be asked to check in at the Naval Academy. The Office of Admissions will issue Alumni Hall reporting times via the Permit to Report Form beginning at 0600 on I-Day and continuing on throughout the morning. The reporting times for the class as a whole will be staggered so that the processing of candidates through Alumni Hall may be done in an efficient, timely manner. We do not need candidates and families standing in line at 0530 - or in fact standing in line at all. Our sole goal is to enable an orderly in-processing of midshipman candidates. They get no points - and no advantage - for reporting early. If they report early they will be extra tired by needlessly getting up early on a long, tiring day. I would ask that, as you counsel the candidate's, you reiterate the importance of reporting to Alumni Hall at their assigned time. Furthermore, if you know of any websites that offer conflicting guidance (such as advice to arrive as early as possible), I would encourage that you alter them to conform to Naval Academy plans. This would help us greatly in making I-Day a success this year. Once parents have dropped off their son or daughter at Alumni Hall, then suggest they join the Alumni Association picnic to relax, meet other parents and learn more about the Naval Academy. Please encourage them to come to the Superintendent's address to the Parents and Families at 1430 in Alumni Hall. Once again, I'd like to thank you for the great job that you're doing in helping us prepare the future Midshipmen of the Class of 2009. Rodney P. Rempt Superintendent

Parents will not be permitted to drive onto the Academy Grounds unless they have an ID Pass with the driver's name and their Midshipman's Alpha Number on it, (which should come in a separate mailing to your Mid's home of record) or a DOD Vehicle Sticker PLUS a valid Photo ID for everyone in the car over 16 years of age.  Alternately, it is STONGLY suggested that you park at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium and ride the shuttle to the Yard.  There is NOT enough parking on the Yard for all of the parents.  Don't waste time looking for a parking spot.

Bring only those civilian clothes that the Mid will wear on his/her body that day.  The less the better.  All items that the Mid is not permitted to keep will be stored along with his/her civilian clothes and returned to your Mid on Plebe Parents Weekend, not before.

Parents are permitted to wait in line with their Mid until they enter the doors of Alumni Hall.  Once inside, Mids will be issued their gear, assigned a room, get a physical exam, a haircut, and begin indoctrination.  Mids will have lunch in King Hall.  You are on your own until the Swearing-In Ceremony that evening.  Take a moment to see the Visitor's Center, the Naval Academy Museum, the Naval Institute Book Store (in the basement of Prebel Hall) and most of all, The Mid Store.  They have great deals on name brand merchandise from Nike to Rolex and most items are sold at near cost without sales tax.  

You won't see your Mid again until about 6:00 PM (1800 Hrs) when they march into Tecumseh Court (the large oval brick courtyard in front of Bancroft Hall)  where they will be sworn into the United States Navy.  If you want to get a good seat, get there early.  Seating is VERY limited. Seats up higher in the Bleachers are Best because Latecomers and several hundred Detailers will be standing in front of the first row of seats.

Following the ceremony, the Plebes will be allowed about 30 minutes to find their families and say their "Good-byes."  All along Stribling Walk (which cuts throught the grassy area beyond Tecumseh Court) there will be placards with first letters of your Plebe's Last Names.  You need not arrange a meeting place with your Mid since he will be instructed to go to the sign with his initial and find you there.  Your Plebe may be penalized for not following orders.  So, meet your Plebe there.  He has to be back inside Bancroft quickly.

For a complete PHOTO TOUR of a typical I-Day, Click Here

Be strong.  You won't see your Mid again until Plebe Parents' Weekend.  Let Mom have the last hug.

A Typical Day

0545 Reville
0610 - 0740 Physical Education Program (PEP)
0740 - 0810 Room clean-up
0810 - 0845 Morning Meal Formation/Morning Meal

0900 - 1200 Morning Training (Moral Development, Mental Development, Physical Development, Professional Development)

1210 - 1250 Noon Meal Formation/Noon Meal

1300 - 1600 Afternoon Training (moral, mental, physical or professional development)

1610 - 1810 Sports Period

1830 - 1915 Evening Meal Formation/Evening Meal
1930 - 2100 Evening Training (moral, mental, physical or professional development)
2100 - 2145 Personal Time/Mail Call/End of Day Instructions

2145 Taps/Lights out

Plebe Summer for Plebes

Plebe Summer is short.  It represents about 15/100 of one percent of your life.  Nobody said it would be easy.  You're not going to the Yard for a restful summer getaway. You're going there to accomplish something.  Do it!

We could lecture all day but instead, here is some sound advice to really help make the difference...

• Know why the Academy has Plebe Summer.  It's Boot Camp.  Period.  The objective of the training is to break you down and then build you back up in the image that the Navy has decided is best for a Naval Officer.  The sooner you realize this basic fact, the sooner you can allow it to happen and get on with your life.
• Set small daily goals and take great pleasure in the smug knowledge that you achieved them each day despite your Detailer's opinion of you.
• Stay on top of everything.  Never let a moment pass that you aren't thinking ahead and using your time productively.
• Plebe Summer is more MENTAL than physical training!
• It's about team work.  Offer help to classmates and seek help when needed.
• Stay focused!  Nothing can get in the way of a successful Plebe Summer faster than a loss of personal focus.  It opens the floodgates of confusion, self-doubt and frustration.  Managing the stress of each moment comes with a clear understanding of what is required , how to do it and why you're doing it.  You're doing it because you want to!  You're the best of the best!  You wouldn't be there if the Academy Admissions Board didn't think you were the best.  No one is admitted to the Academy without the officers and faculty on that Board voting to accept you.  They thought you could do it, so go out there every day and prove them right!
• Your Detailer is not Satan, he only acts like he is.  He/she did not have the benefit of Incremental Physical Training that was instituted two years ago to reduce physical stress injuries to incoming Plebes, so the Detailers think you have it too easy compared with their Plebe Summer.
• Don't take it personally!  You are a face in the crowd.  If you believe that the Detailers are out to get you - you are right.  The Mid who is standing beside you also thinks that they are out to get him - and he is right. It is your Detailer's JOB to get in your face.  Just remember that your face will soon be another Mid's face.  It isn't personal. It's tradition.

• Get your act together before the end of Plebe Summer.  When the brigade reforms at the end of summer, there will be three times as many upperclassmen returning to the Yard as there are Plebes at the Yard during Plebe Summer!  So, be prepared!

Plebe Summer for Parents

OK.  Here's the reality of Plebe Summer.  On I-Day your son or daughter swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and to Serve and Defend the United States of America.  Your Mid is not away at college!  Your Mid is in the United States Navy.  Plebe Summer is Boot Camp!  And not just any Boot Camp.  This one is especially designed for men and women who aspire to be Naval and Marine OFFICERS!   It's tougher and more demanding of these young men and women than any Boot Camp ever devised!

You cannot call them.  They cannot contact you.  They will be told what to do, what to think, when to eat, when to sleep... for the next six weeks.  They will not have a free moment or be allowed an independent or original thought for the duration of Plebe Summer.

Rest assured that the Academy will take very good care of your Mid.  After all, they just signed a contract with him for an education costing over a Quarter of a Million Dollars and intend to see that their investment is well tended.  The Academy has top shelf Medical Facilities and are prepared for just about anything that can and will happen.  And let's not forget that they are VERY experienced with this sort of thing.  This may be your Mid's first time but the Academy has done it for the past century and a half.  The Academy is very organized.

The best way to support your Mid is with cards and letters.  Every Day!  Never let a day go by that you don't send some small note to your Mid.  There is nothing more disheartening than for your Mid to go to his mail box and find it empty when other Mids have received a note from home.  Keep it upbeat!  Fill each with something positive - news of hometown activities, brother or sisters, family activities, etc.  And never pass on bad news that can wait until summer's end.

The Letter...    Sometime during the summer you will get a letter that says "I can't do this!" or "I made a terrible mistake!" or "I'm going to die if you don't come and get me!"  Almost every Mid writes one sometime during Plebe Summer and we can almost guarantee every parent will get one this summer as well.  This is the moment when you will have to be your strongest.  Your Mid will write this letter (or maybe sneak away to make a phone call) at the point where he will be at his lowest.  He will have been broken by the system.  At this moment in time, your Mid's future will literally be hanging in the balance.  You must offer encouragement, support, and be more courageous than ever before as a parent.  The desperation will pass.  You know he can do whatever is asked of him and do it better than he thinks possible.  Your job at this moment is to convince him that he can do it.  That he has what it takes!  That he will become a Naval Officer!

The Call...    A week to ten days after I-Day your Mid will be allowed to place his first phone call home and will know in advance what day and approximately what time his company will be able to call.  Most Mids will know far enough in advance to write to you with the information.  Don't be out when the call comes through.  There are a lot of Mids who will be making the call, so let your Mid do the talking and don't waste the precious time with too many trivial questions.  This is your Mid's first opportunity to hear something positive in the sea of negative to which he has been exposed.  Enjoy the time and keep the mood of the call upbeat!  Offer support and let your Mid know that you're behind him 100%.  Remind your Mid that if the Detailer did it two years ago, your Mid can do it too.  The Academy would not have chosen him if they felt he was not up to the challenge.  Whatever you do, make the call a positive experience!  NO TEARS!

Our best advice is to hang tough.  Summer is only six weeks and then your Mid will be done with the worst of his experiences at the Yard.

Plebe Parents' Weekend

If you must chose between attending I-Day and Plebe Parents' Weekend (PPW) with your Mid, Go to PPW !  This is the most important break for your Mid of his Academy experience.

The Academy will mail information to parents about PPW activities.  You'll want to get there during the day on Friday although most parents try to arrive sometime the day before.  There will be information exhibits and department presentations on display in Dalhgren on Thursday from 1300-1800 with all sorts of information relating to plebe summer and Ac year!

Mids will be free for Town Liberty on Friday after noon formation.    You are invited to dine at King Hall for the Friday noon meal but reservations are required!  Please check with your Mid before you commit to dining in King Hall.  Your Mid may not wish to do this, and after all, this weekend is more about your PLEBE than it is about YOU.  Saturday morning there will be a Dress Parade on Wordon Field.  Liberty begins after the noon formation.   Remember, your Mid must return to the Yard each evening.  Make sure you allow extra time for the return trip.  If you do not give yourself enough time you will find traffic will be horrible at all gates and many Mids are forced to leap from cars and run back in order to be back on time.  You may want to return earlier, park in the parking garage in town and make a leisurely walk back to the Yard so that you have time to say good-bye.  On Sunday your Mid will have Yard Liberty in the morning and, after noon formation, Town Liberty until 1800 (6:00 PM).  There will be a mandatory meal formation after the expiration of liberty - one last chance to see your plebe.

The most important thing to remember is that your Mid will want to Get Away from the Yard.  Don't expect a guided tour.  They want out!  The most requested place is to your Hotel room.  Expect long showers, sleeping, TV watching, and lots of talking.  The most sought after menu items are fast food!  And lots of it.

Enjoy the time with your Mids but let them set the schedule of what to do and when to do it.  Be sure to visit your Plebe's room in Bancroft Hall!  This experience will not be repeated until Second Class Parent's Weekend.  You all will enjoy the time most if there is no pressure to go here, go there or be over there at a certain time.  The Mids need time to decompress and get into a talkative mood but once they do, most will open up and share all sorts of stories and emotions.  Just sit back and listen.

Leaving your Mid at Bancroft on Sunday evening will be an emotional time for both you and your Mid.  There mat be tears (at least from you, Mom) but try to keep this in perspective.  Remain upbeat and positive!  Your Mid needs to know that you love him and are proud of him!

Just one more thing...   As you walk around the Yard or in town with your Mid, there is a chance that you will meet up with one or more of his Detailers.  Most Mids will introduce them to you and you should be cordial but remember, Detailers are NOT your Mid's friends.  Enjoy meeting all of the other Plebes and make sure to give them all a hug, in case their parents couldn't come to PPW.  Perhaps (funds permitting) you could even sport a meal for a few Mids that are orphaned that weekend.  Think how YOUR Mid would feel if you had not been able to come!

Midshipmen Rank and Insignia

				All Midshipmen wear Insignia designating their Class (or their Rank within the First Class). Shoulder Boards are worn on certain Uniforms.   On others, just the Insignia are worn on the sleeve.
4th Class	3rd Class	2nd Class	1st Class

						First Class Rank is designated by the Shoulder Boards shown to the left.   Rank increases from left to right.
ENS	LTJG	LT	LCDR	CDR	CAPT