<p>Just received an e-mail from Son "somewhere in the Atlantic . . ." aboard a guided missile cruiser.</p>
<p>After application angst, after waiting to see if you are in, after plebe summer, after the initial shock of reform, after the football games, after Christmas break, after the dark ages, after spring break, and after Herndon.</p>
<p>What has your plebe/cadet done this summer after plebe year? It may be a long nine months away, but, while the '10s wait for their son/daughter to emerge, describe what your son/daugter has done in the summer after their first year as plebe/cadet.</p>
<p>1) lots of mud
2) rehydrated in the hospital (I didn't get the call until the next day)
3) learned that in the Army you don't pack up your gear and go home just because of a lightning storm
4) more mud
5) and the best part: plebe no more!</p>
<p>Our yearling cadet is having the time of his life at Buckner. </p>
<p>Highlights include:
. Riding the 75 ft high zip line at Buckner's Water Confidence Course
. Night firing weapons with tracers. Especially the 50 caliber machinegun
. Using tank simulators at Ft. Knox (more fun than real tanks since you get to blow up other tanks in simulated battle)
. Feeling the concussion from the tank and artillery shells
. Experiencing macho feeling as you carry 60lb ruck plus 20lb radio on manuevers.
. Blowing up claymore landmines
. Riding Helicopter around West Point
. Being allowed to talk with the upperclass cadets
. Spending time talking to the 82nd airborne soldiers
. Having "take home pay" increase from $200 to $300 in July</p>
<p>"Low" lights include:</p>
<p>. Incredible amounts of rain and hot, hot temps.
. Wearing wet uniforms since dryers not working.
. Getting half your squad "killed" during Convoy Ambush
. Realization that Buckner ends shortly and classes resume in August.</p>
<p>My S just finished his first year of NROTC at state u so don't know if this counts but this is what he did this summer:</p>
<p>Week 1- A week at Camp LeJuene (NC) living in unairconditioned WWII era barracks. Lots of marching/hiking, lots of yelling, lots of gun shooting, the gas house. Lots of real life stories from those who have just returned from Iraq. Fractured wrist fighting with pugil sticks (made it to the final 4 of the tournament before getting hurt). Got a splint and mega doses of Tylenol and kept marching. Called me 2 days later to tell me about it.</p>
<p>Week 2- Aviation week at Ocean Naval Air Station (VA), tossed the splint so as not to get dq'd from any activities. Had to pass tough swim test where he was blindfolded and had to find way out of sunken aircraft, surface and swim 50 meters with full gear on, toured aircraft carrier, lots of flight simulators but best of all got to fly backseat and take the controls once up in the air. Took full advantage by doing barrel rolls and a 360. The pics show him grinning from ear to ear. </p>
<p>Week 3- Submarine week at Kings Bay (GA). Was delivered by boat out to the Sub. The food was great but don't think he'll be earning his Dolphins anytime soon. Was very impressed with the nuclear reactor and the amazing power of the sub.</p>
<p>Week 4 - Norfolk (VA)- Surface Warfare week aboard guided missle destroyer. Loved it. Learned shipboard firefighting, how to patch leaks, standing watch, shooting guns off the side of the ship at moving targets pulled by remote control jet ski, riding the ribbies and going airborne jumping the wake of the ship.</p>
<p>Great stuff...the parents of the current plebes/swabs/candidates should print these out and show them what them what they can look forward to.</p>
<p>A lot of this I've posted about my son before but here goes:</p>
<p>Following two weeks of participating in the crew New England and National championships, he was off to Alaska for four-plus weeks. He served on the USCGC Acushet and sailed from Ketchikan to Kodiak Island. Lots of beautiful scenery. On the cutter he helped put out a fire, conned this ship, and went fishing "for the halibut." :D</p>
<p>Also worked on small boats and learned about firing off flares and participated in fishery compliance patrols.</p>
<p>Flew back to Connecticut, had a one day liberty then sailed on the training ship Eagle, with stops in Bermuda, San Juan, Ft. Lauderdale and now Charleston. While on board he has served in the Engineering, Support, and Operations departments. Climbed to the top of the main mast(147 ft high) several times. Steered the ship, manned watches, and peeled potatoes!</p>
<p>While on both the cutter and barque the cadets must get about 100 qualifications signed off in everything from fire-fighting to celestial navigation.</p>
<p>BTW after his swab summer he also went to Spain and Portugal!</p>
<p>It's a great life these kids lead. They work hard but the opportunities are fantastic!</p>
<p>Well, our plebe is just ending week three of his plebe summer, and so I know this doesn't really compare with the awesome posts above, but he has only been there a little less than 3 weeks and they already had him at the helm of the YP from Baltimore to Annapolis......amazing!!! those boats are 110FT LOA!!!!! (wonder how he did with his docking.....hmmmmm)</p>
<p>-kicked b*tt (along with Wheelah) during Sea Trials
-conquered Herndon in record time with Bills son and Wheelah
-earned her first, and so Ive heard, most significant stripe
-visited the original Tiffany & Co.
-qualified on a 50 caliber machine gun on a grey hull cruise from<br>
Pearl Harbor to Seward, AK, and back to Hawaii along with 10 other
midshipmen
-went kayaking at midnight in Alaska
-hung out in the O.C. (ah, home-sweet-home)
-found the perfect Dooney & Bourke purse for summer whites!
-principal navigator on her sailboat for the trip north from Annapolis
-sailed in regattas all day everyday in Long Island Sound for two
weeks straight<br>
-looking forward to supporting the Great Class of 2010!</p>
<p>My Mid will be on Waikiki Beach this time tomorrow. Truly must be awful to be 19 in Honolulu. Catches his ship Monday morning then off to sea for four months. To Saipan, Guam, Hong Kong & every island in between. He tells me that he has to have so many hours at the helm. Hope that ship has good insurance is all I can say. He put a 2 ft. scrape down the side of our truck while at Long Island. It really was a tight corner with a stone wall jutting out BUT maybe driving the big boat might be different in open waters with nothing around.... I told him I was gonna come home & take my keys down the side of his car for paybacks. :)</p>
<p>Funny, but some of our kids seem to be passing each their in their travels. Sounds like they are learning sooo much with all of these adventures. This was an awesome thread to read to see what they're all doing. Glad momoftwins DD is ok. These are all such great stories (all but getting an iv)</p>
<p>Uh oh...Jamz at the helm! At least he'll have a lot of open water. Steve called yesterday and he got stung by one of your mean jellyfish down there! Ha ha. But he toughed it out I guess.</p>
<p>Good luck to Jamz and all the others academy summer kids.</p>
<p>OH NO! Tell him everyone uses vinegar here to take the sting out if you get a chance to talk to him. We travel with it when we go to the beach. They leave a wicked sting for days. Some people run fevers so I hope he'll be alright. Tis the season for those nasty critters. Of all the things to have happen...... :(</p>
<p>Thanks for the great video Boss. We saw the Eagle docked at Manhattan's South Street seaport back in 1992, when the tall ships were in New York harbor for the 500th celebration of Columbus's first voyage. Navy_Hornet was in a stroller! </p>
<p>Jamzmom, congrats to Jamz on the start of his first sea tour! Aren't our kids just the luckiest in the world sometimes? I know they're serving there country in all their different ways, but it just sounds so gosh darned fun sometimes!</p>
<p>LFWB attended the June 19 graduation of the Class of '06 at KP and on June 21 he left Baltimore on a military cargo run to Iraq and Kuwait. He was in Umm Qasr for 3 days unload in about 2000 4x4's for the Iraqi Police and Military and then was in Kuwait unloading vehilces and supplies for US troops. Currrently he is on his way to Japan and Korea to pick up cars and then to Mexico and through the Panama Canal to Puerto Rico, Jacksonville, Savannah and NY, then another trip to Iraq and Kuwait and back. </p>
<p>Every day he stands watch for four hours as officer of the deck and then four hours working as an AB chipping, painting and checking cargo and hopefully staying on top of his sea project.</p>
<p>He was able to spend time with some Iraqi longshoremen and he said they seemed happy and glad the Americans and allies were there. The Poles and the Brits pretty much run Umm Qasr.</p>
<p>He says he expects to have 130 days at sea when he gets back for the 2nd trimester.</p>
<p>Well, my mid daughter went from San Diego to Pearl Harbor earlier this summer on an amphib ship and got to do navigation, ride on two different types of helicopters, got to ride on a hovercraft to a beach for a party on the beach for all the mids and had the time of her life in San Diego (Disney, Sea World, Zoo, Beach, Padre's games etc.). Spent a TON of money and kept making withdrawls from the "Bank of Tom" (my husband LOL). We met up with her in Pearl Harbor and had a wonderful vacation. She was home and then checked her schedule for her sailing tour and saw that it had been moved up a week. It was 5PM and we saw that her cruise started the NEXT DAY. Ack! Since she is supposed to report a day ealy, I quickly got online and saw that we could get her on a plane that night if we left in 20 minutes. She got on the phone with her officers and they told her it was fine to come in the following day. So, without much warning (and her project of refinishing our deck 1/2 done) she was off. The good news is that now she has 10 days on the back side before school starts up again. So that is good. She is sailing from Newport to Annapolis and will be home on the 5th of August. What a great experience she has had this summer.<br>
Tricia</p>
<p>Guess I should contribute that Plebes may look forward to:</p>
<p>A couple of weeks worth of sailing to/from Annapolis/Newport R.I.
Son spent a couple of days at Annapolis early in the summer, then bused up to Newport for the sail back. Spent a few days enjoying Newport [received some great recommendations for restaurants; he really enjoyed an Italian spot that was recommended courtesy of CC] Then sailed from Newport to Coast Guard Academy, then from Connecticut to Maryland.
Honed his navigation skills; discovered that he really enjoys sailing; climbed the mast, and generally had a great time.</p>
<p>Now, "somewhere in the Atlantic" aboard a Cruiser, enjoying as he says: "A million stars in the night, watching carrier operations."</p>
<p>boss,
Your son takes great pictures, and the Eagle is a handsome ship! Looks like the cadets were having a great experience. I do have a couple of questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>How often do they have "sunbathing watch" on the aft deck?</li>
<li>Where are the 50 cal guns?</li>
<li>Is the new stripe heavy?</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>The sunbathing is part of a "swim call." They stop in the middle of the ocean and give the kids a chance to swim and/or sunbathe.</p></li>
<li><p>None of those on the Eagle :D</p></li>
<li><p>You have to ask him...ha ha.</p></li>
</ol>