Service Obligation

5Family
Sat, 25 Mar 2006 22:15:11 +0000

OK So here’s the “rest of the story” if anyone cares to read it. Our Midshipman (2008) began disliking USMMA upon return from first sea year. We(parents) were hoping that if they went to their second sea year, they would stay because there would be less than two years left. Our midshipman was very concerned, though, that it would not be possible to quit after the second sea year if the feelings of “I made a wrong choice” were still overwhelming , and so when the call came for report to USMMA on Mon to ship out, they resigned yesterday. I know a lot of kids do leave, but it’s been a pretty depressing day for us, so please don’t unload on me. There was every intention of completing 4 years when the appointment and decision to go was made. It was a huge decision for them, too, but then, I was surprised at the initial decision to go to USMMA. Perhaps the ret. Col father and active duty Army Major brother made this kid feel they needed to go military, too. If King’s Point cared at all, the time to have talked to this MN/3 class was in Nov when the first transcript request went through the registrar’s office. We’ve beaten ourselves up over getting them a cell phone and talking to friends going to more plush schools; maybe we should have paid for more tickets home during the first year. We don’t know. I do know that this was a very, very unhappy midshipman, and it didn’t look like things were going to improve in the next 2 years, plus obligation. I guess we parents enjoyed the USMMA experience more than our child.