Early yesterday evening, 1,186 plebes, including 16 international students took the Oath of Office to finalize their move from civilian to enlisted personnel in the US Navy. The 6 pm ceremony took place in Tecumseh Court in the shadows of Bancroft Hall, their dormitory for the next 4 years.
This class has 348 women and 838 men. International students (who will commission into their home country’s military after graduation) hailed from Egypt (1), Fiji (1), Ghana (1), Indonesia (2), Jordan (1), Maldives (1), Malaysia (1), Peru (1), Philippines (2), Sri Lanka (1), Taiwan (1), and Thailand (1), and Tunisia (2).
All images ©2021 Glenn A. Miller Photography for Eye On Annapolis
After the Oath, Plebe Summer begins in earnest.
Plebe Summer is a very challenging period of seven weeks of basic training. During this time, they have no access to television, movies, the Internet, or music. They are allowed to make three phone calls during the summer.
The pressure and rigor is deliberate. The 1st Class Midshipmen (Seniors) will be their mentors and guide them along the way–oftentimes not so gently. These plebes are being trained for their first academic year at the Academy and the four years of challenges that lie ahead.
During the summer, they will learn basic seamanship, navigation, sailing and handling yard patrol craft. In addition they also learn marksmanship in 9mm pistols and M-16 rifles. By the time summer is over, each plebe will have completed more than 3000 push-ups and sit-ups and run more than 100 miles. By the end of summer, they will be required to complete a Physical Readiness Test which includes (for males) 45 push-ups, 65 curl-ups, and a 1.5 mile run in under 10 minutes and 30 seconds. The female test requires 20 push-ups, and they must complete it within 12 minutes 40 seconds.
Their days begin at 5:30 am and continue unabated until lights out at 10:00 pm. The only real free time in the schedule is from 9-10 pm where they have mail call, letter writing, journal entries, and study time. And rest assured, they are fed well. The average plebe consumes over 4,000 whopping calories per day!
