<p>My boyfriend and I want to get married and I was wondering are naval cadets able to get marriage while at the school or must they wait until they graduate?</p>
<p>Automatic exclusion and expulsion. Can’t do it.</p>
<p>Same w/ offspring. Disallowed. And don’t lie.</p>
<p>The best thing you can do for your boyfriend is to give him plenty of time to study so he can do well and graduate.</p>
<p>Wanted to add: Watch the 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman.” The film isn’t about the USNA, but the situation resembles its policies on the subject.</p>
<p>i believe the rule is no dependents allowed. also they are not cadets, they are referred to as midshipmen</p>
<p>And they are referred to as such because they are. :p</p>
<p>Back in the day, being found out that you were married or a parent meant instant expulsion, no questions asked. I had at least one classmate tossed for fathering a child.</p>
<p>Now, if I understand correctly, the policy is that you are allowed to separate in order to “make arrangements” so that the dependency is no longer there, and then return. I guess this means you can get divorced, kill the kid, or hand it off to someone else without any parental rights being retained, and then return. If anyone with current knowledge of the policy could confirm or correct that, it would be helpful in answering the OP’s question.</p>
<p>That said, I can assure you that the very LAST thing you want on your mind while you are at USNA (or any other SA for that matter) is a spouse or a child (whether you have rights or not). TRUST ME.</p>
<p>BTW, it’s “Midshipmen”, not “Naval Cadets”. This isn’t Star Trek. ;)</p>
<p>Are you serious? Hopefully that would NOT be the case. Is this one aspect of retention? priorities of USNA/USN/USMC? Diminishment/disregard for honor system? Can anyone(s) verify, edify?</p>
<p>Serious as a heart attack.</p>
<p>I pray that whatever it was that I read/saw/heard was totally WRONG.</p>
<p>Whistle, I got ya but you’re not gonna like it:</p>
<p>This issue came up last year, the mid got a lawyer involved and they were retained. It’s complete shenanigans but a fact.</p>
<p>Also XCI wraith, the other day me and my buddy watched a star trek episode (old school) online (we’re youngsters we’ve seen everything on the internet in video form), and young William Shatner said “back when I was a midshipmen.” We freaked.</p>
<p>Oh yeah…don’t get married right now. Multiple reasons.</p>
<p>zooie, XCI … can you tell us the specifics of this case/scenario? I’m ignorant of it and hoping it is so bizarre it cannot be replicated.</p>
<p>Sorry to disappoint, but the same thing is happening at our small school in the Rockies. I know of at least two parents who will be graduating and commissioning next month.</p>
<p>I have heard of a Mid from our neck of the woods (previous to our arrival at USNA, os before 2007) that got pregnant, separated for a year and had the baby, gave it up for adoption, then rejoined USNA in a subsequent class. Yes, it happens…</p>
<p>And, if you’re just out of high school and considering beginning a career with the Navy and want to be an Officer…marriage will be a massive issue (as others have said, on a large number of fronts). Don’t recommend it. Even through ROTC or OCS, it can destroy the relationship. Better to wait a bit. (like 4-5 years). I had a college roomie who was engaged nearly all four years of college to a NRTOC student. They waited for one more year after college graduation (got him through his winging), then got married. He ended up being a Top Gun instructor and now flys commercial jets. From their example, I’d say it’s a very good way to go.</p>
<p>I guess I’m a bit confused on the honor part of it? This isn’t new - at least for West Point. When I was there in the mid-80’s the options for a female cadet were resign, take a weekend to “take care of it”, or take a year leave of absence, returning without legal obligation for the child (usually signing the baby over to their parents to raise until they graduated). I can think of at least one classmate off the top of my head who took one of each of the 3 options. I really don’t think there was a stigma attached to it or a thought that it was dishonorable (unless of course you lied about it) - just stupid. Similarly if a male cadet got a GF pregnant, and she reported it, he would have to give up all legal ties to the child (and I knew male classmates who did this), then regain them (if they were still together) after graduation. I just don’t think I ever saw it as a big deal - and that was a quarter century ago.</p>