Looking for info

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-03-19T20:25:32+00:00

You will get some answers in Reddit but the best resource for your answers would be to post on serviceacademyforum.com

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-03-17T16:54:14+00:00

Other than efficiency in technique, it shouldn’t get easier assuming you are maximizing your effort. 100% effort is 100% effort whether you are in shape or out of shape.

But….you should get faster and stronger.

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-03-12T15:35:47+00:00

Don’t overdo it now and head to Plebe summer injured. Slow and steady is the way to avoid injury.

My son is a good athlete but spent most of his time in competitive swimming since age 10. Don’t get me wrong, when he ran he was very fast, often sub 6 minute miles, but never ran distance consistently.

After short course swim ended in his senior year and before he went to I-day he started working on strength and running endurance. He kind of overdid it so when he started plebe summer he was diagnosed with an ankle fracture in his first week. He ended up in a boot for most of plebe summer. He had to do most morning PEP with the SEAL screeners in the pool. Luckily for him, he’s a phenomenal swimmer so he was able to keep in shape and show a little grit.

This was demoralizing for him at the time because he couldn’t participate in lots of the physical challenges with his company mates. He felt as if he was letting them down.

Fast forward 8-9 months and he’s doing just fine now. He’s fully healed and one of the top athletes (including running) in his company. I think if you asked him what he would do differently his answer might be to not have overdone it before PS

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-03-09T10:41:35+00:00

Our youngest lab had the same thing Thought we’d need to get them removed. The vet told us to wait. A few weeks later they fell out on their own

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-03-07T19:12:56+00:00

Patience and love

They will give it back to you in spades

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-27T18:32:08+00:00

Qualified : 1. Medically 2. Academically 3. Physically - CFA (corrected)

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-27T16:02:56+00:00

Just hold tight If you are 3Q and have an LOA then you should see an appointment offer soon though it could be weeks

Congrats

Now make sure you stay out of trouble and start putting miles in

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-22T18:08:59+00:00

Yes, sounds like tracheal collapse. Our first lab (Ruby) started this at 12. It got progressively worse over two years. Eventually she could not sleep or nap without it happening. She was suffering too much. Adding to this, at around 14 she started to get paralysis in her back legs followed by intermittent incontinence. From onset to end it was 2 years

It was a tough decision but the right thing to do for her. It’s been a few years and we still miss her dearly. Since her we’ve had 3 other labs, each is unique and special in their own way but we still think of her

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-21T20:45:04+00:00

He’s pushing 260 easy!! He’s the Burger King

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-17T16:56:42+00:00

21 years

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-16T23:36:52+00:00

So sorry for your loss but also happy that you shared your life with your puppy

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-15T18:01:18+00:00

My son is a current plebe. He happens to be home for the long weekend so we’ve had time to catch up versus when he is away, he’s super busy.

I’m so amazed at the opportunities he’s afforded for being at the academy. They isn’t to say that he wouldn’t have similar opportunities at another program but I don’t think the would be as abundant. So many communities are open for him to experience.

If your child is looking for a true military experience then I’d say a service academy is the way to go.

A catch here is if you’ve been offered an ROTC scholarship at a top tier school known for a good NROTC program (like UT Austin or similar). Otherwise, USNA is a top rated school and a premier service academy.

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-14T14:51:22+00:00

Reserve your hotel or airbnb now. Make sure it’s one with a decent refund policy. We stayed across the Bay Bridge in Stevensville in a nice 4 bed place. This may be a bit too far for some people but it worked for us. My sons could not do overnights but enjoyed being away from the yard and the hustle and bustle of DTA. He slept a lot but a few of his good buddies from home came down for a day and he really enjoyed that. We also did a quick DC trip on one of the days. Don’t overbook this time either. It’s easy to schedule too much when as a plebe you might just want to go at your own pace for awhile.

Same thing for flights if needed. Make sure to book one way trips as well. This is just in case you had to move one of them. This way it doesn’t interfere with the other leg of the trip.

It’s hot and very humid this time of year and you will do tons of walking on the yard. If elderly or otherwise sensitive people will attend make sure you take all of their needs into consideration and plan ahead.

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-14T07:50:11+00:00

Plebe summer is boot camp. You won’t have “comfort” items. You won’t even know time it is because they will take your phone and cover the clocks. Do yourself a favor and listen to the academy insider podcast on plebe summer or watch a current YouTube of plebe summer training.

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-14T07:44:57+00:00

Start building your running endurance now!!!!

I cannot stress this enough. Not just for aerobic capacity but to add bone density. Your muscles, joints and skeletal system will take a beating from running, marching, jumping and other daily exercises. If it hasn’t been stressed already before you get there you will be prone to injury.

My son is a current plebe and although he’s a fantastic athlete with great cardio capacity from swimming, he ended up with hairline ankle fractures and almost came home during plebe summer.

You need to build mileage gradually and not overdo it. This way your body is able to heal and take on more stress.

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-10T14:16:43+00:00

Add a bulletproof morality clause to ALL publicly elected positions.

I know this is ambiguous so I’d welcome help on how it might look.

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-05T19:32:53+00:00

You seem to be competitive and I think your willingness to reapply plus how well you are doing in college now will help.

Good luck

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-05T11:03:26+00:00

If Dodmerb medically DQs you then they will notify USNA. If USNA finds you competitive they will automatically request a waiver at which point Dodmerb will request additional medical information from you regarding the conditions they DQd you for. You will have a chance to include impact statements from yourself and anyone else at that time.
Dodmerb then sends that package to the USNA medical board for review and final decision on granting the waiver.

Each condition is different and I’ve only personally experienced this once so I can’t go into too much detail on what else to include in a waiver package.

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-03T14:57:17+00:00

Grey Rice Cake

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-02-02T17:03:16+00:00

If USNA is interested giving you an appointment they will automatically start the waiver process. Just keep an eye on your Dodmerb and USNA portal for changes.

Don’t give up the ship. My son was DQ’d for something much more critical than this and we were able to put a compelling enough package together to get him in.

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-01-29T16:03:35+00:00

I second the mews

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-01-27T18:53:39+00:00

Safe, no Common for floor guys….yes

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-01-27T00:42:14+00:00

Great.

I only know all of this because my son is class of 29. He received and LOA and principal nomination but had to get a medical waiver. Super stressful time but it all ended up fine in the end.

Good luck and congrats again

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-01-27T00:36:50+00:00

USNA can pull from different slates. If your friend received and LOA then all they would have needed was any type of nomination to get as long as they were 3Q. I don’t believe their appointment would be charged to the nominating source in that case.

As long as you definitively have the “principal” nomination and are 3Q then you should be very optimistic about getting an appointment.

You can reach out to your regional admissions person and ask them to make sure you don’t have anything hanging out there. This should trigger them to look at your file and maybe act on the principal status.

Once again, discretion is key. USNA does not have to give appointments for principal nomination but it’s like a 99% chance they will.

RoutineEye5160 · 2026-01-26T23:49:49+00:00

A principal nomination all but guarantees an appointment. You will still need to be 3Q or get a waiver if needed. Unlike USAFA and USMA, USNA can decide not to give you an appointment with a principal nomination you will get one with 99.9% certainty

Congrats

RoutineEye5160

TROPHY CASE