Plebe Summer is the summer training program which is required of all incoming freshmen to the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
. The program lasts approximately 7 weeks and consists of rigorous physical and mental training. The stated purpose of Plebe Summer according to the Academy is to "turn civilians into
midshipmen".
Induction Day
![Plebes getting sworn into the military on Induction Day at the US Naval Academy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Plebes_getting_sworn_into_the_military_on_Induction_Day_at_the_US_Naval_Academy.jpg)
Plebe Summer begins at the end of June or the beginning of July. The first day is called
Induction Day or "I-Day". On I-Day, all the candidates say goodbye to their parents. Upon entering
Alumni Hall, they are greeted by the upper-class trainers, known as Detailers, who immediately begin their military training by requiring the plebes to address them with Sir or Ma'am "sandwiches" (e.g. "Sir, yes, sir"). Each plebe is assigned an "Alpha Number", which is their identifying serial number that they will use for the rest of their Academy career.
The plebes line up throughout Alumni Hall to receive standard issue gear which includes several uniforms, combat boots, running sneakers and a copy of ''Reef Points'', the book which they must become familiar with over the course of the summer. All the male plebes have their hair shaved off by
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
barbers. Previously, females had to cut their hair to chin length, in what was known as "the Plebe Chop." This was last done to the Class of 2022; the Class of 2023 and forward no longer have to cut their hair. This move was resented by some of the female upperclassmen in the Brigade.
Plebes are next put through a series of medical examinations and vaccinations until they arrive at the back door of Alumni Hall where they are taught the proper technique for
saluting
A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Boy Sco ...
. During this time, the parents of the plebes are given a glimpse of the summer that their son or daughters will be going through in the form of a presentation by an administrator of the Academy. After the plebes are done at Alumni Hall they walk to
Bancroft Hall
Bancroft Hall, at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is said to be the largest contiguous set of academic dormitories in the U.S. Bancroft Hall, named after former U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and famous historian/author Geor ...
, which will be their home for the next four years.
They are divided into 15 different companies, Alpha through Papa (there is no Juliet or "J" company in the U.S. Military). The companies are not changed for the entire summer and compete against each other for performance points. Each Company is divided into two platoons of approximately 40 plebes each. Each platoon is divided into 4 squads of approximately 10 plebes. The final public portion of Induction Day is the "
Oath of Office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Such ...
" Ceremony which occurs at 1800 (6 pm).
During this ceremony, the entire class of plebes is sworn into the Navy, as active duty midshipmen, by the Commandant of Midshipmen. After this ceremony the plebes are introduced to their trainers for the summer, referred to as detailers (previously referred to as cadre), and their summer begins with a night of being yelled at and running around the decks of Bancroft Hall.
First Set
The first half of Plebe Summer is known to the plebes as "First Set". The first session is dedicated to the basics of familiarizing the incoming plebes with military life. The plebes take classes on Naval Leadership, Honor, Naval Warfare and Tactics, Rank Structure and the
Unified Chain of Command.
The plebes are also required to begin memorizing much of the information in their copies of ''Reef Points''. This required knowledge is known at the Academy as the "rates". The plebe's rates consist of knowledge of the enlisted and officer ranks of all branches in the military, proficiency in the
NATO phonetic alphabet
The (International) Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, commonly known as the NATO phonetic alphabet, is the most widely used set of clear code words for communicating the letters of the Roman alphabet, technically a ''radiotelephonic spellin ...
, information on all current Navy and
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
ships and aircraft, and certain quotes which promote
esprit de corps.
An example of one of the quotes that the plebes are required to memorize
verbatim
Verbatim means word for word.
Verbatim may also refer to:
* Verbatim (brand), a brand of storage media and flash memory
* Verbatim (horse), an American racehorse
* ''Verbatim'' (magazine), edited by Erin McKean
* Verbatim theatre
Documentary th ...
to promote esprit de corps is the following quote,
The plebes learn to live based on the "Plan of the Day", a planned list of activities (all mandatory) which the plebes will experience each day. The plebes' days begin at 5:30 in the morning (referred to as 0530
Military time
The modern 24-hour clock, popularly referred to in the United States as military time, is the convention of timekeeping in which the day runs from midnight to midnight and is divided into 24 hours. This is indicated by the hours (and minutes) pass ...
) as they are loudly awoken by the cadre and escorted to a field where they participate in PEP (Physical Education Program).
PEP consists of various
calisthenics
Calisthenics (American English) or callisthenics (British English) ( /ˌkælɪsˈθɛnɪks/) is a form of strength training consisting of a variety of movements that exercise large muscle groups (gross motor movements), such as standing, graspi ...
and a run (either as a regiment or in groups based on an initial strength test) of increasing distance.
After PEP, the plebes go to morning meal formation and then morning meal itself (referred to as morning chow) where they are quizzed on their "rates" as they eat their food. The plebes have formations before every meal during which accountability (attendance) is taken and uniform inspections given. The formations are held in front of
Bancroft Hall
Bancroft Hall, at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is said to be the largest contiguous set of academic dormitories in the U.S. Bancroft Hall, named after former U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and famous historian/author Geor ...
for the tourists to see.
The rest of the average daily schedule is composed of various physical activities in addition to numerous classes on Naval oriented study. On most days the plebes practice marching in formation with their issued rifles in what is called "close order drill". Every night of Plebe Summer ends the same way: 30 minutes of free time to write letters followed by the singing of the
Navy Blue and Gold
"Navy Blue and Gold" is the alma mater of the United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during ...
before mandatory lights out at 2145.
Second Set
The second half of Plebe Summer (known as 2nd set) is focused on transforming the new plebes into members of the
Brigade of Midshipmen. At this point in the summer, the plebes are assumed to be familiarized with military life and have a firm grasp on their "rates," so the detailers concentrate on further polishing the plebes' abilities for the upcoming year.
Most of the plebes have memorized all of the information in ''Reef Points'' and can recite any of it when questioned by the detailers. Typically, this questioning on the plebes' rates occurs during meals and in between planned activities in order to test the plebes' ability to remember important information in stressful situations. For example, plebes may be asked to recite the ranks of officers or enlisted in any of the services.
When the second session begins there is a turnover of detailers, and each company receives an entirely new set. During the second session, the plebes begin attending lectures by several notable military speakers such as
Jim Lovell
James Arthur Lovell Jr. (; born March 25, 1928) is an American retired astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot and mechanical engineer. In 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, he became, with Frank Borman and William Anders, one of th ...
,
Jim Webb
James Henry Webb Jr. (born February 9, 1946) is an American politician and author. He has served as a United States senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Counsel for the United States ...
and
Joseph Galloway
Joseph Galloway (1731August 29, 1803) was an American attorney and a leading political figure in the events immediately preceding the founding of the United States in the late 1700s. As a staunch opponent of American independence, he would bec ...
. These lectures are called Forrestal Lectures named after former Secretary of Defense
James Forrestal
James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949) was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense.
Forrestal came from a very strict middle-class Irish Catholic fami ...
. The lectures are aimed at instilling a sense of honor in the plebes.
Official
parades
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of ...
are commonly held every week to provide the town of
Annapolis
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
with a glimpse of the new class and also to solidify the plebes' drill ability.
The end of Plebe Summer is marked by the beginning of plebe year, which is just as rigorous as Plebe Summer but with the added challenge of academic classes.
Brigade reform
A few days after Parents Weekend, the rest of the Brigade of Midshipmen return. All upper-class must be back on the yard and at their company areas for "reform formation", making ratio of upper-class to plebes now 3:1. Reform presents the plebes with a glimpse of what they will endure throughout the school year as it is the given mission of the upper-class to assist in "training" the plebes. For the rest of the year, the plebes will be viewed upon as second-class citizens by the rest of the Brigade of Midshipmen, who make it a point to "snipe" any plebe who is not doing his or her job correctly (verbally castigate in order to improve the performance of the plebe).
References
External links
*
Plebe Summer— Photo essay by White House photographer Pete Souza
{{USNA
United States Naval Academy