Plebes are in good hands for Re-Org Week

aspen
Sun, 06 Aug 2006 14:52:25 +0000

Our yearling son headed back to USMA this morning after spending his post-Buckner leave at home. I asked him how this coming week before Acceptance Day would go.

He said he was looking forward to “reorganization week” and the chance to meet his assigned plebe(s) that he would mentor this academic year. Almost all the yearlings he spoke with during Buckner CFT were intent on helping their plebes get “squared-away” as soon as possible. “Squared-away” is a positive thing at USMA and means that the cadet is meeting expectations in all areas of house-keeping, uniform maintenance, knowledge and other cadet protocal. Some of the concern for their underclassmen is altruistic and some is selfish since your duties as a yearling go much smoother if your assigned plebe is “squared-away”.

I asked about the plebes getting hazed during Re-Org Week. He said that was strongly discouraged and that most of the stress felt by the plebes during Re-Org was not hazing but the avalanche of new rules, knowlege and procedures they were getting exposed to. His memory of last year’s Re-org week was that it was a busy week with a lot of boring waiting-in-line for newly-issued items, parade practice and then getting ready for the room inspections that no plebe ever passes the first time. Getting their new white hats (to replace the new cadet grey hats) for the Saturday A-Day parade was a highlight of the week.

Relax parents, Beast is almost over. Get ready to beam with pride as your "new cadet’ is formally accepted into the USMA Corps of Cadets.

Those of you able to attend A-Day are in for a great weekend.