We all have summer at the same time, but we experience very different summers. For those with midshipmen heading into their Youngster, third, or Firstie year, there’s a lot of excitement. The Youngsters are going through Protramid, many are on cruises, doing Leatherneck, working internships, and no shortage of other exciting adventures not to mention … Continue reading Life stops for those summer phone calls

The shock and awe of I Day are in the rearview mirror. The Plebes are learning how to march, run, sweat, eat, and just about everything else the N*avy way, the Detailers are making sure everything is shipshape, and the rest of the Brigade is off doing summer training. A few random thoughts as we … Continue reading Random thoughts during Plebe Summer

What you see depends on your perspective. My latest gig finds me back at my alma mater in Northwest Ohio and I’ve tried to get in the habit of walking along the Slippery Elm Trail every evening to both stretch the old leg muscles and clear my head. Along the way, I pass an obelisk. … Continue reading After I Day, some perspectives are forever changed

It’s Father’s Day season and this one strikes a little harder than some with my son preparing for an imminent deployment and my daughter neck-deep in summer training. The reminders are everywhere, from commercials touting tools and grills as gifts for dads to stores stocked with mugs proclaiming “#1 Dad” and “World’s Best Dad.” Perhaps … Continue reading Happy (Imperfect) Father’s Day

People who don't have children who are attending or have attended a military academy hear phrases like #YourMidIsMyMid and "USNA family" but they'll never truly understand. I've met USNA parents all across the country in random situations (airports, etc.) and there's an immediate connection, an understanding, a bond through our unique shared experience. That's why … Continue reading Another bright star extinguished in the sky