USMMA Parents News Archvive
Posted: Jul 18 2010 03:27 PM
Parents Weekend is a weekend in September for parents to come to campus and visit their child for the first time since they dropped them off at Indoctrination. The weekend includes Acceptance Day when the new class of plebes is accepted into the Regiment of Midshipmen. This is also the first time plebes may leave the Academy and enjoy some down time with family. The weekend is also open to parents of all other midshipmen as well. Please check back to this page as we get closer for a full detailed schedule of events.
Future Parents Weekend Dates
September 3 - 6, 2010
September 16 - 18, 2011
2010 PARENTS' WEEKEND SPECIAL RATES FOR HOTELS
The National Parents Association has negotiated special rates for Indoc and Parents' Weekend 2010 at the hotels below. Make sure you say you are with the US Merchant Marine Academy Parents Association! When booking these rooms you must tell them you are part of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Parents' Association. Click on each hotel name to get information about the hotel.
EXECUTIVE INN at Woodbury at Woodbury -- $99.00 + Tax per night. Call 866-EXEC-Inn
BEST WESTERN Woodbury -- $99.00 + Tax per night. Call 800-800-1245
LONG ISLAND MARRIOTT -- $120.00 + Tax per night. Call 516-794-3800
HAMPTON INN GARDEN CITY -- $109.00 + Tax per night. Call 516-227-2720
PARENTS WEEKEND 2010 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
BELOW IS TENTATIVE SCHEDULE based on 2009 Parents Weekend
**DO NOT MAKE PLANS BASED ON THIS SCHEDULE**
FRIDAY, September 3, 2010
OPEN CLASSROOM VISITATIONS 0745 – 1600
Visits are on a space available basis. All classrooms are open for visitations except for Physics and Chemistry laboratories. This is your opportunity to visit the classrooms and observe the learning atmosphere your midshipman experiences. Obtain your midshipman’s class schedule and have him/her ask the instructor if there is space for you to attend.
PARENT’S REGISTRATION, INFORMATION AND TICKET PICKUP and Continental Breakfast 0800-1000
Melville Hall & Land Hall
TOURS OF THE STEAM AND RADAR LABS – 0900 – 1100
Tours begin at 0900, 0930, 1000, and 1030 at Fulton and Gibbs
TOURS OF THE SOLAR HOUSE 0930 – 1100
Tomb Field
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DoIT) TOUR AND DEMONSTRATION 1030 – 1130
CAORF, Second Deck, Samuels Hall
LUNCH BASKET -- Melville Hall (time TBD)
MIDSHIPMAN LIFE PANEL 1300 – 1400
Ackerman Auditorium (topics to be determined)
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR DEMONSTRATION 1400 - 1500
CAORF Ground Floor
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DoIT) TOUR AND DEMONSTRATION 1500 – 1600
CAORF, Second Deck, Samuels Hall
FAMILY DINNER 1630 – 1830
Delano Hall (eat with your Midshipman)
BEAT RETREAT PROGRAM 1930
O’Hara Hall – Guests invited
Dress for Friday is informal: e.g. slacks and sport shirts for men; dresses, skirts or slacks for women.
SATURDAY, September 4, 2010
COLORS FORMATION 0720
CLASS OF 2013 GROUP PHOTO 0810
Tomb Field
HOSPITALITY HEADQUARTERS 0800 – 1000
Land Hall (Refreshments sponsored by National Parents Association and the Alumni Foundation)
DORMITORIES OPEN FOR VISITORS 0800 – 0930
Waterfront Parents Weekend Open House
FORMAL PARADE AND ACCEPTANCE DAY CEREMONY 0930
Tomb Field (In event of rain – O’Hara Hall)
BUFFET LUNCH* FOR MIDSHIPMEN, PARENTS AND GUESTS -- Melville
*Prepaid tickets and registration packet are to be picked up at MELVILLE HALL on Friday between 0800 and 1000 -- Continental Breakfast for registered guests only
IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICK UP YOUR PACKET & TICKETS AS ABOVE, THE PACKET & TICKETS WILL BE LEFT WITH THE MIDSHIPMAN OF THE DAY (MOD)
REGIMENTAL MARCH-ON 1400
Tomb Field
FOOTBALL – USMMA VS Gallaudet
Tomb Field
AFTER THE FOOTBALL GAME, LIBERTY COMMENCES FOR 1/C, 2/C AND 3/C.
PLEBE CLASS MUSTERS 30 MINUTES AFTER COMPLETION OF FOOTBALL GAME. PLEBE CLASS LIBERTY COMMENCES AND EXPIRES AS DIRECTED BY THE REGIMENTAL COMMANDER.
Dress for Saturday is casual. Low-heeled shoes are recommended.
SUNDAY, September 5, 2010
Waterfront - Parents Weekend Open House
LDS 0930
CATHOLIC MASS 1000
Mariners Chapel
BRUNCH 1100-1300
Delano Hall - Parents may attend Midshipman Brunch (payable at door)
PROTESTANT SERVICE 1115
Mariners Chapel
MONDAY, September 6, 2010
Federal Holiday. Plebe Class liberty commences and expires as directed by the Regimental Commander.
Posted: Jul 17 2010 12:15 AM
We hope all Plebe Candidate parents are planning to attend Parents' Weekend at Kings Point, Friday, September 3 through Mon , September 6. It is so important to the kids! Not to mention fun and interesting for parents!!
Who can't wait to see their Plebe Candidate in uniform? If you are not able to attend, be sure your Plebe Candidate has someone to leave Kings Point with – a roommate or friend, or a sponsor family.
It can be HOT at Kings Point in September. Remember to wear a hat,
comfortable walking shoes, and sunscreen, and carry a water bottle. Finding bottled water for sale can be a bit tricky at Kings Point!!
Remember your camera!! You will be allowed into the barracks. Pictures of those well-organized quarters are priceless!!
Find out your Plebe Candidates schedule for Friday and arrange a meeting place. The lawn by the grinder (paving bricks area where they form up) or the flagpole is good areas.
The Midshipmen and Plebe Candidates will sit together at Beat Retreat, Acceptance Ceremonies and at the football game.
Be sure to arrive early at all events, as seating is first come, first-served.
Try to make Colors (flag rising) one morning. This is a very memorable
event. If your Plebe Candidate is agreeable, you can attend one classroom session. Tour the Simulator and the Kings Pointer if you have the opportunity! Be sure to visit the
ship's store and all the state parents' organizations tables where great Kings Point logo stuff will be for sale.
Maps of the campus are available on the Academy website, and can be picked up as you enter the grounds. This is a great opportunity for Plebe Candidate parents
to get to know one another, and to pick the brains of the “veteran” parents!
Posted: Jul 11 2010 07:07 PM
Adam Smith was informed by the US Coast Guard on May 20, 2010, that he had met all requirements for 2nd Engineer and was issued his upgraded license on that date, only eleven months after his graduation from the USMMA." Adam has sailed on two ships this year including stops in the Azores, Poland, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Israel, and the home ports of Norfolk and Wilmington, NC.
Posted: Jul 10 2010 08:50 PM
When the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank, she was assigned as the Coast Guard Liaison for Plaquemine Parish, the parish with the most waterfront in the New Orleans Area. For those of you following the crisis, Billy Nunbusser is the parish president and has been in the news frequently. She worked 37 days in a row, some of them starting at 0500 and ending after 2300. She was with Billy daily and has lots of stories.
She was the sole Coast Guard representative in the planning for Pres. Obama's first visit and was in the room with him for 30 seconds! After that she spent one entire day and one afternoon with Gov. Jindal touring the area, one afternoon with Secretary of the Interior Salazar, and on Mother's Day afternoon she sat across the table from American CEO of BP Doug Sutter. As the crisis has prolonged, the Coast Guard has activated more personnel and pulled officers from around the country. She was replaced with two officers, an Admiral and a Lieutenant, but may be called back later this summer.
Posted: Jul 10 2010 12:55 AM
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Parents' Association and its local Parents' Associations constitute a network of state and regional groups who support the Academy's midshipmen and who have a common bond of pride and camaraderie. The Parents' Associations share information and their experience with candidates for admission and their parents. Individual associations sponsor meetings and social events for the families of current midshipmen, and encourage participation by candidates and their parents.
Posted: Jul 09 2010 12:25 AM
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s newest students, the Class of 2014, reported to the federal maritime school in Kings Point, Long Island, NY on July 8. These “plebe candidates” are now embarked on a rigorous Indoctrination period until they begin regular classes with the other members of the Regiment of Midshipmen at the end of July.
Indoctrination is a challenging 16-day program of intense physical and regimental training coupled with strict discipline. Indoctrination prepares the new students, called plebe candidates, for the rigors of life at the Academy – in the classroom, on the parade and athletic fields, and at sea. Among of the most important skills imparted to the plebe candidates during this early training are the concepts of time management and teamwork.
The Class of 2014 numbers 342 plebe candidates. Its members represent 43 states, plus the District of Columbia and the Northern Mariana Islands. Included in the class are 43 women, 51 students from minority groups, and six foreign students hailing from Panama, South Korea and Malaysia.
Twenty percent of the Class of 2014 finished in the top 10 percent of their high school class. Forty-two percent finished in the top 20 percent. Their average College Test scores were 587 in Verbal/English and 629 in Math.
The next milestone for the Class of 2014 is Acceptance Day on Sept.4. The plebe candidates will be sworn in as official members of the Academy’s Regiment of Midshipmen and into the U.S. Navy Reserve. The word “candidate” will be dropped from their designation and they will be subsequently known simply as “plebes.”
When this class graduates in June 2014, its members will receive bachelor of science degrees, U.S. merchant marine licenses as third mates and third assistant engineers, and commissions in the U.S. Navy Reserve or other branches of the Armed Forces.
The USMMA is part of the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Posted: Jul 08 2010 01:52 AM
THE MISSION OF THE UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY
"To educate and graduate professional officers and leaders of honor and integrity, who are dedicated to serving the economic and defense interests of the United States in our Armed Forces and Merchant Marine, and who will contribute to an intermodal transportation system that effectively ties America together."
The Academy is a national institution, operated by the Federal Government's Maritime Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Academy's four-year program centers on a regimental system that instills its students - called midshipmen (a term used for both men and women) - with the traits of leadership, discipline and dedication required for a career that typically may include service at sea, maritime employment ashore, and serving as a commissioned officer in a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces.
The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point, New York, has a long and proud history of graduating outstanding young men and women who have given devoted service to the United States, in peace time and during war. The mission of the USMMA is " To educate and graduate professional officers and leaders of honor and integrity, who are dedicated to serving the economic and defense interests of the United States in our Armed Forces and Merchant Marine, and who will contribute to an intermodal transportation system that effectively ties America together."
Undergraduates of this institution, one of five federal service academies, have even given their lives in the pursuit of the cause of freedom. Our graduates have gone on to serve with pride not only in this country’s merchant marine, but in many other areas of service in both the public and private sectors. Their successes, across a broad spectrum of careers and in a wide range of corporate and governmental endeavors, provides copious testimony of the value and benefits to this country (and the world) of the investment made in the individuals who are proud to call themselves Kings Pointers. The Academy's four-year program centers on a regimental system that instills its students - called midshipmen (a term used for both men and women) - with the traits of leadership, discipline and dedication required for a career that typically may include service at sea, maritime employment ashore, and serving as a commissioned officer in a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Posted: Jul 08 2010 01:49 AM
ALL ACADEMY DAY 2010
Interested in a Service Academy Nomination?
Senator Herb Kohl & Senator Russ Feingold
along with
Congressman Tom Petri & Congressman Steve Kagen
invite interested high school students,
teachers, and parents to meet representatives from:
U.S. Air Force Academy – Colorado Springs, Colorado
U.S. Coast Guard Academy – New London, Connecticut
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy – Kings Point, New York
U.S. Military Academy – West Point, New York
U.S. Naval Academy – Annapolis, Maryland
Date: Sept. 25, 2010
Time: 10 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.
Place: Experimental Aircraft Association
EAA Aviation Center
3000 Poberezny Rd., Oshkosh, Wisconsin
For more information: contact your guidance counselor,
Senator Kohl’s office: 608-264-5338 or Senator Feingold’s office: 608-828-1200
Posted: Jul 08 2010 12:56 AM
June 26, 2010
Dear USMMA Plebe Class of 2014,
As you gear up for your upcoming report date to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a few Alumni have decided to provide you with a glimpse into what lies ahead for your Indoctrination (Indoc) at the Academy.
Being academically and physically ready is a prerequisite to thriving in your new environment; being mentally prepared is a necessity to survival. Attitude is everything and developing a mind strategy to get through the challenges of Indoc is paramount.
The USMMA Indoctrination is the process that teaches Plebe Candidates “followership”. To become a leader, you must first become a good follower and that means taking orders from your superiors. Indoc is a 2½-week experiment in testing your mental and physical limits, developing a group of individuals into a cohesive team and generating class spirit. Your best friend and confidant will be your classmates and, especially, your roommate. The Bearings Book will become your second holy book and you will learn to do things by rote. You will rise early, be taught many basic military and seamanship skills, and be physically active throughout the day. You will develop a life-long respect for good appearance and teamwork to achieve common goals. You will learn to live by an Honor Code in an organization where honor is expected.
Please keep these words in mind, as you experience the reality of Indoc -- take one-day at a time, and sometimes. . . one-hour at a time. Life, as you currently know it, will cease to exist. Regardless of how hard you try, you will not meet your drill instructor’s expectations, you will be downright wrong even though you may be doing everything right, and you can expect chaos and unjust retribution to descend upon you and your fellow Plebe Candidates. You will experience humiliation (nothing you cannot get through), you will be humbled, and you will be treated as a life form beneath contempt (normally referred to as pond scum)! And, this will only be the beginning! But take heart, and know that this phase of your existence will be limited, that you will not suffer bodily injury or harm, that you will not be required to do anything against the moral code, and that you and your classmates will be stronger, more honorable and confident because of it. In short, you will survive!
Survival and success at USMMA will depend upon YOU:
- YOU wanting to be a Kings Pointer,
- YOU helping your fellow classmates through team work and class spirit,
- YOU knowing that you have what it takes to be an alumnus of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
We cannot stress enough that YOUR success depends primarily on YOUR determination to be at Kings Point and to succeed.
Remember that Indoctrination is not aimed at you individually but is a shared experience with all of your classmates. The stresses and your responses at Indoc should not be taken personally as the experience will equip you to face the unexpected, to accept seemingly unjust demands, and to help others for no other reason than it benefits your entire class.
Indoctrination will weed out those who do not want to be Kings Pointers, those who can’t handle the demands and challenges, and those that "cannot take the pace.” Failure at this point is not shameful. Rather it is an admission that being a Kings Pointer is not for everyone. There is nothing wrong with this, and many who have dropped out of the program have gone on to honorable careers in other professions. But for those who remain (about two-thirds of those who enter), your ability to cope with these rigors and your ability to work together as a team will build a class spirit and a class identity that will be the Class of 2014!
The following plebes are currently slated to report to Kings Point as the Class of 2014:
Andrew Collins
Avery Edson
Conner Satterfield
There is safety in numbers so please be advised of the following Wisconsin Midshipmen who have survived Indoc and continue to thrive at the USMMA:
Class of 2013
Daniel Galginaitis
Daniel Gillis
Natalie Jones
Richard Kern
Class of 2012
Joshua Just
Laurellee Kopras
Justin Riedel
Anna Simons
Class of 2011
Christoph Gabaldo
Cheyanne Loppnow
Nicholas Mann
Adam Smits
William Szigat
Brian Ublacker
If you retain one thing from this message, remember that determination is the key to success. Now, stay healthy, mentally and physically prepared, and keep a clean police record so you can report to Kings Point on time and ready to endure Indoc and thrive at the USMMA. Good luck and smooth sailing, Class of 2014!
Wisconsin USMMA Alumni/Parent Committee,
Alice Clausing
Brigitt (Clausing)Kincaid
Chris Kincaid, USMMA 2000,
Jeff Thornton, USMMA 1974
Posted: Feb 12 2008 08:36 PM
Hello Everyone,
This past week I have been on a mission to Guam. I
left on the 1st of February and barely got out of
Milwaukee. It had snowed all morning and we had to
wait for the runways to be cleared before we could
take off. Our plane was also covered in snow and had
to be de-iced. Once off the ground, everything went
smoothly.
We spent a night in Hawaii on the way out. Just the
temperature was enough to make us all happy. Our crew
stayed at the Outrigger Waikiki right above Dukes
restaurant. My friend, Kurt, from high school had
dinner with us there.
While in Guam, we flew missions with the B-2’s
stationed there. They needed to do some training and
we flew with them every day besides Monday. We were
16 hours ahead of Milwaukee time, so it was Superbowl
Monday for us. The guys were definitely happy to have
that day off. Amanda (a boom operator) and I were not
as interested and we did a little shopping and just
watched the last quarter of the game. That was
apparently the best part anyways.
The B-2’s are really cool looking jets. I had a lot
of fun flying with them. Our missions were fairly
short each day. We went straight up to the refueling
track, gave them their gas and headed right back down.
From going in to work till heading back to the hotel
was only about 5-6 hours. We usually went to the
beach or did a little snorkeling in the morning before
work and then had time to go out to a restaurant in
the evenings. Our hotel was right in the middle of
all the action in Tumon Bay. The beach was right
behind the hotel and all the shopping and restaurants
were in front of it.
On the way back through Hawaii, we were able to stay
two nights. This time we were at the Outrigger Reef.
They have remodeled their rooms. My room was on the
2nd floor overlooking the beach. I almost didn’t have
to leave my porch, but I did take a walk down the
beach eventually. After finally dragging myself away
from my room, we went to Hanauma Bay. The view of the
Bay from above is breathtaking. The water is clear so
you can see the reef structure and white sand under
the turquoise water. This time of year the water is a
little chilly though. Even so, Matt (the other pilot
and Kings Point Alumnus) and I managed to get in and
do some snorkeling. It is lucky we did because we
spotted a sea turtle! We followed the turtle around
for 30-45 minutes while it swam around and stopped
here and there to eat some of the coral. I have never
been able to hang around a turtle for that long. I am
sure it is very used to all the other tourists. I was
in heaven.
For dinner we went to the Chart House. That place is
now on the top of my list for Hawaii restaurants. It
is a steak and seafood place right in front of a
marina to the West of Waikiki. The service was
amazing and everyone’s food was delicious. I had a
tuna steak that was just perfect.
The last leg of our flight was the most challenging.
We started to get turbulence after passing Utah. The
weather into Milwaukee was fore-casted to be gusting
winds, low visibility and blowing snow. When we were
finally in the Madison airspace, we had to hold over
Madison while the runway was being cleared in
Milwaukee. Luckily the cloud deck had lifted and the
visibility was good. Matt made a very nice crosswind
approach and landing into Milwaukee and we were all
happy that we didn’t have to divert to another
airport. Then it was time to get out the coats, hats
and gloves and face the February weather again.
Take care.
Brigitt
Posted: Feb 08 2008 04:51 PM
16 comments
Hello USMMA Wisconsin Parents!
I am Chad, Adam Smits' (2011) cousin, and I do freelance web design and development, and am donating the work and hosting for this site.
Adam's Dad, Jim, and I are ramping up efforts to make this page a one stop shop for news, pictures and resources relating to USMMA, parent's events, student events and other resources. Over the next couple of days we'll be adding photos and more info.
Stay tuned!
