<p>Matthewcod…back to your question on “vacation”. Also recall that you’re not only a student, but an employee of the Navy, so they own you 24/7/365. Your employer will have plans for you for the vast majority of the weeks in the year…some type of training somewhere…be it academic, physical, military. So, plan on military and/or academic training in the summers. What will your summer look like? Depends on the year, as well as the needs of the Navy. Plebe year: what summer? You report I-Day, and you’re there until Thanksgiving, or maybe even Christmas if it’s too far to travel home for Thanksgiving (or, if you’re in a sport that will need you to stay through a holiday leave). Youngster year: You’ll be training for at least 5-6 weeks (depending on your summer cruise training block schedule, and, again, on your sport). You <em>might</em> have off to as much as 9 weeks (ours did as a 3/C Youngster), but it can be as little as a week, or even days. Second Class year: About like Youngster year, but that can change. Firstie Year: probably less leave time. Speciality cruise will command a full 3-4 weeks and a leadership cruise will take in another 3-4 weeks. Ours is a fall varsity athlete, as well. He <em>may</em> be home for a week to 10 days. Most likely, 4-5 days and just before Reform in August (when the Brigade comes back to rejoin the Plebes just before the Academic Year (AC Year) gets started. We will not have seen him since Christmas leave expired. (he’s traveling exotic for spring break leave). But, that’s training for us for when he’s in the Fleet… Don’t give up the hope of doing some volunteering, but don’t make any solid plans just yet. Your life is not your own once your cross the threshold and take the Oath…</p>