Plebe Induction Day and Oath of Office Ceremony

On I-Day the candidates report to the Alumni Hall at various assigned times during the morning (beginning at 0600 and every half hour until around 0900). They have been divided into companies and platoons by the computer before arriving. The candidates are divided into squads led by upperclassmen (first and second class) who take them through dozens of stations. Alumni Hall resembles a huge factory on "I-Day." Civilians walk in the front door and future midshipmen march out of another where they board busses and are transported to Bancroft Hall. The candidates are dressed in partial uniform, with a bag over their shoulder, a "dixie-cup" on their head, and a USNA T-shirt. It is quite a transformation!

The first stop in Alumni Hall is for an initial uniform issue: the candidates are issued several hundreds dollars worth of uniforms. Other stops include medical and dental areas for shots and examinations, and the barbershop for a nice shaved (for the men) or a short plebe haircut (for the women). Plebes get used to about one haircut each week henceforth. On parents weekend in August, many of the female Midshipmen make appointments at the nearby mall to repair the more creative hair styles received on I-Day. Then the candidates are bussed to their company area, assigned rooms, and have their first lunch in King Hall. It is in their company area that they have the pleasure of meeting the first and second that will lead them for the first half of the summer. During the first day, a lot of time is devoted to the folding and refolding of clothes, and marching - a lot of marching. By this time, it is late afternoon and the candidates form up for their big Oath of Office swearing-in ceremony.

"Having been appointed a Midshipman in the United States Navy, do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will, well and faithfully, discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you God."

Following the ceremony, the new plebes have about 20 minutes to say good-bye to their families before returning to Mother B and get their first taste of what being a plebe is really like. There is so much to learn, so much to do, and so many upper class to please. It is almost overwhelming. Most plebes collapse into bed that night thinking "What am I doing here?" That continues to be a question (sometimes up until graduation) that is answered in a variety of ways, usually one day at a time.

Plebe Summer

All midshipmen begin the four-year program with Plebe Summer, a period designed to turn civilians into midshipmen. The purpose of the Plebe Summer is to prepare carefully screened civilians and military servicemen to be productive and competent Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. Commissioned officers of the Navy and Marine Corps, assisted by Upper-Classmen from the Academy, are responsible for planning and supervising this transition. During Plebe Summer each Plebe is expected to acquire the basic military skills, professional knowledge and character qualities required by Academy standards. Plebes must overcome many demanding challenges and thereby develop increased stamina, mental alertness, and self-confidence. Plebe Summer is a time for personal rapid growth. It is both competitive and tough; but it is an exciting and rewarding experience which can be enjoyed and cherished for years to come.

Sample Plebe Summer Schedule

• 0600 - 0730 Physical Training Program
• 0730 - 0845 Room clean-up / Morning Meal
• 0845 - 1145 Morning Training
• 1145 - 1200 Administrative Activities / Squad Leader Discussion
• 1200 - 1250 Noon Meal
• 1300 - 1500 Afternoon Training
• 1600 - 1750 Sports Period
• 1800 - 1850 Evening Meal
• 1900 - 2100 Drill Period
• 2110 - 2130 Personal Time
• 2130 - 2145 Counsel Time
• 2200 Taps / Lights Out

Plebe Summer is no gentle easing into the military routine. Soon after entering the gate on Induction Day, you are put into uniform and taught how to salute by the midshipmen who lead the plebe indoctrination program. For the next seven weeks, you start your days at dawn with an hour of rigorous exercise and end them long after sunset, wondering how you will make it through the next day. Forget television, leisure time, or seeing family and friends. You will have barely enough hours in the day to finish your assigned plebe tasks. The frantic, exhausting pace of Plebe Summer leads you somewhere. It gets you ready for your responsibilities when the brigade returns from summer training and the academic year begins. The summer also builds the foundation for the tangible and intangible qualities that make an outstanding naval officer. You learn self-discipline. You learn to organize your time and decide which things are most important. You reach top physical condition. You develop your ability to think clearly under stress and to react quickly when the unexpected comes your way. Any officer who has stood the watch on the bridge of a ship in a storm or landed a jet on the deck of an aircraft carrier at night can tell you the importance of these qualities. Plebe Summer introduces you to the basic how-to's of the Navy as well. Aboard Naval Academy sailboats, you learn to respect the power of wind and current. In motor boats and yard patrol craft, you learn the basics of seamanship, navigation and boat handling. On the weapons range, you learn how to fire small arms safely and accurately. You also learn why we have high standards of honor, character and morality. And, you begin to develop your own ideas about leadership and the techniques that will make you an effective leader when your turn comes.

Plebe Academic Year

Some feel that the Plebe Academic [AC] Year is more demanding than Plebe Summer. Once the Brigade returns [mid August], following Plebe Parent's Weekend [PPW], there are as many as three upperclassmen for each Plebe, and the result is very intimidating.

Sample Academic Year Schedule

• 0530 Arise for personal fitness workout
• 0630 - 0730 Special instruction period for Plebes
• 0700 Morning meal formation
• 0710 Breakfast
• 0755 - 1145 Four class period, one hour each
• 1205 Noon meal formation
• 1215 Noon meal for all midshipmen
• 1240 - 1320 Company training time
• 1330 - 1530 Fifth and six class periods
• 1530 - 1800 Varsity and intramural athletics, extracurricular and personal activities; drill and parades twice weekly in the fall and spring
• 1700 - 1900 Supper
• 1930 - 2330 Study period for all midshipmen
• 2300 Lights out for Plebes
• 0000 Midnight Taps for upperclass

During the AC year, a typical day begins with Plebe wake-up [between 0500 and 0530], well over an hour before the upper-class gets up. Plebes need to read and be conversant with their newspaper articles, memorize menus, professional topics, and "chow calls". At around 0630 they will probably have their "come around" of the day with a youngster or second-class who will go over professional topics. Morning quarters formation is at 0700 for the entire company; breakfast is shortly afterwards, and the first AC class starts at 0755. There are four class periods in the morning, the last one ending at 1145. After this ten minutes grilling period, they will probably have "chow-call", will means standing in a prearranged spot in the company area and yelling at the top of their lungs:

"Sir, you now have ten minutes until noon meal formation. Noon meal formation goes outside. The uniform for noon formation is winter working blues, stripers carry swords. The menu for noon meal is: [this of course change with every meal]

• Tuna Salad Sandwich Kit
• Sweet Pickle Chips
• Cheese Doodles
• Mayonnaise, Sliced Tomato, Lettuce and Onion
• White Bread
• Lady Baltimore Layer Cake
• Iced Tea with Lemon Wedges, Milk

The officers of the watch are:

• The Command Duty Officer is Lt. [name] 1st Company Officer
• The officer of the watch is Midshipman Lt. [name], Brigade Assistant Operations Office.
• The professional topic of the week is Naval Aviation. The major events in the yard today are:
  • 0800 Blood drive on Deck 4-0
  • 1600 Men's Water Polo vs. Army, Lejeune Hall
  • 1900 Company Officer's time

As the Plebe is loudly yelling this, he is typically surrounded by several Second-class who are just waiting for him/her to make an error. Following this five minute "chow-call" [which is very similar to the ten minute call], they "chop" for formation in the center of the passageway, eyes straight ahead, squaring all corners, and greeting all upper-class with a loud "GO NAVY, SIR" or "BEAT ARMY, SIR". As a result of all this yelling, don't be alarmed at your Plebe's hoarse voice when he/she calls home. In fact, they sound as if they are catching a cold all summer and for the better part of the AC year.

All through lunch, the Plebes keep their "eyes in the boat", serve the upper-class, respond to all questions, sit on the front three inches of their chair, speak only when spoken to, and eat only one bite at a time. After taking a bite, they must then place their utensil on the plate and their hands goes back into their lap. Each table is set for twelve Mids. After serving seconds, the Plebes can request permission to "shove off" and if granted, return to their room.

After noon meal, there are two more classes period which end at 1520. Non-varsity athletes march in parades and play intramural sports during the fall and spring. Varsity athletes practice every day of the week and are exempt from marching in the parades when their sports is in its season. Evening meal is served buffet-style between 1700 and 1900. There is open seating during evening meal and Mids can eat at their convenience between the prescribed times. Evening meal is followed by a study hour at 2030. Plebe taps are at 2300, and upper-class taps are at 2400, with a muster each night. Plebe rooms are usually inspected daily and formal inspections [while glove and black sock] are conducted approximately twice each semester.

On the weekends, Plebes have town liberty from noon meal to 2300 on Saturday. They have Yard liberty from noon meal to 1800 on Sundays. Plebes cannot keep civilian clothes in the Hall and cannot wear civilian clothes unless on authorized leave. Plebes are not allowed to sit on the benches placed around the Academy grounds, they must remain on their feet.

For the Plebes, the hassles continue all the way through the first and second semesters. If Navy beats Army in football, "carry on" is usually granted until Christmas leave. This means that many restrictions are eliminated; for example, Plebes can sleep when they want to, even during the day! Periodically through the AC year, rumors circulate that maybe they can have stereos or their rates will be changed, but the privileges never come until after final exams.

Sea Trials

The Plebe Class finishes their year of training in a day-long event emphasizing endurance and teamwork called Sea Trials.

The goal of Sea Trials is to provide 12 hours of physical and mental challenges that create intense teamwork under a stressful environment. The action-oriented event is modeled after the Marine Corps 54-hour "Crucible" and forces plebes to use skills they have learned since Induction Day. The training evolutions will be in 5 phases at different venues (including across the river). There will be continuous rotation between venues throughout the day. The phases (approx. 2-1/2 hrs in duration) are at:

• Lejeune Hall - challenge plebes in an aquatic environment.
• Farragut Field - modeled after USMC combat conditioning.
• Hospital Point - teamwork and unit cohesion.
• Naval Station (West) - land and water obstacles and endurance challenges.
• Naval Station (East) - land and water obstacles and endurance challenges.

Herndon - Plebe Recognition Ceremony

During the Plebe Recognition Ceremony, plebes become fourth classmen by climbing the Herndon Monument. In late May, as part of Commissioning Week, the Plebe Class rushes out from Tecumseh Court in front of Bancroft Hall to the Herndon Monument across from the Chapel.

Upperclassmen have greased this 21 - foot granite obelisk known as HERNDON with over 200 pounds of lard. At the top of the monument, they have fixed a "dixie-cup" sailor's hat like the one the plebes wear.

Boosting classmate upon classmate, much like building blocks, plebes built a pyramid and climb the monument until one reaches the top. They must remove the "dixie-cup" or plebe cover and replace it with a combination cover, a symbol of their full membership in the Brigade and become officially members of the Fourth Class.

The new Fourth Class distinction is a short one, or until Commissioning of the Firsties. As soon as Firsties toss their covers into the air, the Fourth Classmen become Third Classmen or Youngsters and slap on their new Youngster boards.

The fastest Herndon climbing time so far is 1 minute and 30 seconds [1969, Class of 1972]. The slowest time so far is 4 hours, 15 minutes and 17 seconds [1995, Class of 1998].

Scaling times of the Herndon Monument (*source: Wikipedia)