Naval official rejects Mid's appeal

Moonmaid
Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:23:40 +0000

A talented football player who also attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School for a year, Shannon is the first to admit that the physical rigors of life as a midshipman were tough on him.

He failed his biannual physical fitness test 12 of 18 times. He could handle the push-up and sit-up tests. But he said he found the distance run - where Mids have to cover 1.5 miles in 10 minutes and 30 seconds or less - particularly grueling.

Shannon was put in a remedial program to help him meet the requirements and always passed with coaching from friends, until the final test of his fall semester of 2005. After failing several consecutive tests, the academy dismissed him. His final time was 10 minutes, 50 seconds.



I hate to say this, but my 49 year old husband could pass this, and he is not a particularly fast runner.

Those 20 seconds could make the difference in a life and death situation. I guess they have to draw the line somewhere. Too bad for this young man, though. I don’t think they should make him repay, that is just awful.