PLEBE ARRIVAL – INDUCTION DAY

 Read I-Day/Plebe information  and take an I-Day virtual walking tour on the www.usna.org site; they are invaluable. 

Reporting times will be sent to your mid before I-Day. This time is an appointment for reporting and you should arrive accordingly, leaving enough time to park and find your way to Alumni Hall.  Do not arrive at 6AM for a 9AM appoint time.  You will be turned away.  In the past, everyone wanted to get there early, the lines to get into Alumni Hall were long and traffic going into the Yard was congested.  The Academy has changed that and has asked that everyone adhere to the report times assigned.   You will get in line and wait with your plebe. As you approach the doors, say your goodbyes, because once your plebe is “next”, there is no waiting for a final hug. Your plebe must go in, and must go in alone.

The following is a brief description of what happens during I-Day:
The candidates are divided into squads led by upperclassmen (detailers) who take them through dozens of stations. Alumni Hall resembles a huge factory on I-Day.

The first stop in Alumni Hall is for an initial uniform issue where the candidates are given several hundred dollars worth of uniforms. Other stops include medical and dental areas for shots and examinations, and the barbershop for a nice shaved haircut for the men and a short, blunt haircut for the women (so if you want a more attractive layered cut, get it in advance). Civilians walk in the front door and future midshipmen march out the backdoor to board busses and be transported to temporary “holding areas” near Bancroft Hall. The candidates are dressed in partial uniform of USNA blue rim tee shirts and “whiteworks” pants with “dixie” cups on their heads. It is quite a transformation!

Next, the candidates are led to their company area, assigned rooms, and have their first lunch in King Hall. Their designated companies and platoons have been selected by computer before arrival. They will meet their initial set of detailers who will lead them through the first days of orientation and placement testing.  During the first day, a lot of time is devoted to the folding and refolding of clothes, marking clothes with their alpha number, and marching – a lot of marching. By this time, it is late afternoon and the candidates form up for their swearing-in ceremony in Tecumseh Court. The plebes will have been briefed regarding the Oath they will take and their willingness to commit to it.

Seating is VERY limited for this ceremony, so get there early if you want a seat. Plebe candidates will march in and take seats in the center section. Then the upperclass detailers will march in and flank the candidates. You will be struck by the crispness in appearance and demeanor of the upperclass, a stark contrast to the incoming plebes, although they will look more organized than you would have expected on their first day. It is a short, but emotional ceremony for everyone.

Following the ceremony, the new plebes will have a few minutes to find their parents and say goodbye. All along Stribling Walk (which cuts through the grassy area beyond Tecumseh Court) there will be placards with the first letters of Last Names. This is where you should wait for your mid to find you. Your plebe may look totally overwhelmed. A lot has already happened to her and a lot more is to come. Wish her well and be upbeat.

VERY IMPORTANT – your plebe will have spent an exhausting day and will be terribly thirsty by now. Have with you a bottle of water for him to drink during your good-byes. Bottles of water are available at the Mid Store and at the Drydock Restaurant in Dahlgren Hall.

For the plebes, it is obviously an extremely busy day. For the parents, there are a number of things to do between the drop-off at Alumni Hall and the swearing-in ceremony that evening. First, look for the tables set up near Alumni Hall that will give you information about your plebe’s alpha number and address.  You will also want to shop in the Mid Store and start buying all of the Navy related items. Of particular interest are the class tee shirts that list all of the plebes on the back. There will probably be a picnic lunch on the Yard for families of the new plebes. It is also quite interesting to wander around the Yard getting accustomed to the place you will revisit many times over the next four years. You may even catch a glimpse of your plebe. Two places to look would be the back of Alumni Hall where the plebes load the busses and the terraces on either side of Mitscher Hall where the plebes wait to be brought into Bancroft Hall with their squads. If you do see your plebe, do not make any sign of recognition. You do not want to do anything that would draw unnecessary and unwanted attention to your plebe.

Most plebes will collapse into bed that night thinking, “What am I doing here?” That continues to be a question, sometimes up until commissioning, that is answered in a variety of ways, usually one day at a time.

For parents, it will be a very emotionally draining day. Depending on how long a drive home you have, you may want to plan to spend another night in Annapolis. If you do, be sure to buy the local paper, The Annapolis Capital, the next morning, which will have covered the events of the preceding day and will probably contain some interesting facts about this new class – and it will be a great memento.