<p>I had the privilege to participate in the visit of the Mr. Daniel Denning, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs to Kings Point Friday and Saturday. As you can imagine, he was very impressed by the Academy and Midshipmen. But the highlight of the visit was the trip to West Point on the new flagship of the Academy. It has been renamed Mariner, but there hasnt been time to get it repainted yet. I thought you folks would enjoy some pictures from the trip.</p>
<p>LFWB dad, what a fabulous trip! It looks like the Kings Point Midshipmen were running the show on Mariner. I'm sure that made a very positive impression on Secretary Denning. Great views of Manhattan. Great fall colors. Sorry TCU beat Army 31-17, but it looked like a great march-on. Thanks for sharing.</p>
<p>The Midshipmen did a great job! The harbor master at West Point was blown away that the whole deal was being run by Mids.</p>
<p>Very cool. And what a beautiful ship the "Mariner" is! Loved seeing some Mids in your photos & of course ya'll as well. Thats one for the memory books. Thanks for sharing the wonderful photos.</p>
<p>Cool. </p>
<p>I think our young men and women learn more self competence and confidence in running these ships than what any college education anywhere else in the world can give them. </p>
<p>Well maybe with the exception of medical or allied health training.</p>
<p>KP10sMOM, you might want to include the school ships too. After all, thats where the great majority of the officers in the Merchant Marine graduated from.. :)</p>
<p>I disagree on the school ships. I think the state academies produce a fine product, but I don't think that one can get the same experience on one of the state school ships as KP'ers get from sailing as the only deck/engine cadet on the ship. This is not a knock on someone going to a state school, they get the same license as a KP grad and can do the job just as well, I think those from KP just get a better experience as a cadet.</p>
<p>Well, KP2001, all Im saying is that school ship grads should be acknowledged in any post about the education received to competently and confidently run a ship. Especially if there is mention of medical or allied health training ahead of that education!!!! My experience on the TS GOLDEN BEAR was invaluable to me after I got to sea and started working. You can do things on a school ship you are unable to do on a merchant ships due to union restrictions on what work a cadet can perform. Besides, school ship cadets nowadays are all getting some sea time on merchant ships during the commercial cruise phase of sea training. In my opinion school ships are providing a much better blend of training.</p>
<p>dd: agreed, but this is a Kings Point message board so you won't see many mentions of the state schools in any of the threads. I think the main point being made was that KP (and you can include the state schools) provides an education that prepares them for the career in which they are going into better than any other school in the world. Versus a business school or something like that. </p>
<p>I think the mention of health related schools was made because students at those places simply spend even more time working in the environment into which they will be going prior to graduation than those from the maritime schools.</p>