Academies are urged to change course

Zaphod
Tue, 06 Feb 2007 13:08:10 +0000

Zaph-
You brought up the idea of eliminating plebe year.

No, just the Plebe System as it exists today.



Maybe send in some DIs from quantico to give them a swift kick in the butt, but you also complained that mids did not get good hands on leadership experience. One of my best experiences in the past 4 years had been plebe summer cadre, followed closely by summer seminar squad leader.

I am willing to acknowledge that there may be some significant differences in place from when I was there, but I can still assure you that anything you learned as a Plebe Summer Detailer must be treated with extreme caution when applied in the Fleet. You’re not dealing with Plebes out there; you’re dealing with sailors and Marines, many of whom have been in uniform longer than you’ve been able to walk.



For example, on YPs and CSNTS, most boats are entirely mid run. In fact, many do not even have an officer on board. They call this place a “leadership laboratory.” Many people agree or disagree with this statement.

I would disagree. It is one thing to give Mids the responsibilities of command and such, but to leave them completely unsupervised? What are the qualifications for a Mid to be the CO of a YP? Are the senior enlisted personnel normally assigned to each YP still aboard? Frankly, I think not having an Underway OOD and Inport CDO-qualified line officer aboard is nuts.



It has been my exerience the opportunities for anyone to learn leadership are out there, and all you need to grow in your ability to lead is a desire to develop yourself. Throughout the 4 years you will be given numerous opportunities to lead, and whether or not you take advantage of them is entirely your choice. Depriving mids of leadership opportunities such as cadre is only having an adverse effect on midhsipmen’s development.

Incorrect. I am not advocating denying them any opportunities. I am suggesting that the opportuinities offered by the Plebe System may not be the best, and that alternatives should be considered.



I guess I am such a big propenant of the current system because I have felt that it was beneficial to me. My year spent as a lowely plebe taught me an immeasurable amount about leadership. Throughout both the summer and the Academic year I saw examples of leadership every single day. Some were good, and some were bad. But the perspective of an entire year in a wholly subservient position showed me the leader that I would hope to become. It also showed me what I did not want to do as a leader.

Again, this is not about the Plebes. You mention that you saw examples of how not to lead, right? Perfectly valid. I saw my share, too, and many of those were in the mirror, though I didn’t recognize it until later. My point is that the upperclassmen in question should never have been placed in a situation to behave that way. Also, and this is the tricky bit, leadership is a very flexible entity; what works on some may not work on others. To “practice” leadership on a person who must obey you at all costs (i.e. - a Plebe) teaches nothing of how to deal later with people who have to obey you, sure, but also must RESPECT you in order perform well. You don’t get that (or at least didn’t) at USNA too much.



If you go subs, you need to get through power school first… Aviation, you have flight school. It seems to me that there should be a greater emphasis on the humanities. As a leader, humanities classes develop to a greater extent the junior officer’s communication and general social skills which are invaluable when leadeing others. Furthermore, are actions, even aboard ship or subs, can effect people of other cultures. Having the cultural awareness to realize the implications of your actions can be valuable as well.

You don’t need more than one course to learn that, and if parents did their jobs, you’d know it before I-Day. As for the technical, yes you go to nuke or aviation or SWO school, but those are based upon the assumption that’s you understand basic scientific and engineering principles. Also, when you have an ET1 standing before you explaining that the high-speed whamadine short-circuited the inertial whozit, and that therefore the vertical discombobulator is now fused, and that’s why the ship can’t fire missiles, it helps to have some idea of EE and electromechanics. Not enough to fix the thing (nothing more dangerous than an officer with a screwdriver, remember?), but enough to understand what he’s saying and ask good questions rather than standing there with your tongue glued to the roof of your mouth.

The Plebe System has its benefits, especially when it comes to Plebes. However, I continue to believe (and perhaps there have been sufficient changes to convince me otherwise) that its the upperclassmen that it harms because the techniques used don’t translate well to the Fleet.