Naval Academy midshipmen sleep in seats as they wait for Bush!!! (Pic)

Reuters - Wed Nov 30,11:52 AM ET Midshipmen catch naps as they wait for more than an hour for U.S. President George W. Bush to deliver an address on the war in Iraq at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland November 30, 2005.

?



http://www.first-draft.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4702&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/051130/480/mdcg10111301415

Actually, some of those midshipmen will be going into the Marines.

The days (and nights) leading up to Christmas break are particularly hectic ... with an increase in hazing and pressure of final exams.

Take note of their sleeves. No stripes indicates a freshman. Three stripes indicates a senior.

On edit: I don't know the details of Annapolis' "traditions" leading up to Christmans break, but it was called "The Purge" at the Coast Guard Academy when I went there 1961-63. The hazing was incredible and extremely intense. We were lucky to get an hour or two of sleep each night of the last week. We were forced to do calesthenics with M1s, later wearing multiple layers of uniforms whith the (steam) heat turned up high. We had "window orderly" duties, requiring us to enter upperclassman rooms to open or close their windows to specified levels (in fractions of an inch) at various hours during the night. The "Green Bench" was a favorit hazing pastime - "sitting" (without chair or stool) with back pressed against the wall, thighs parallel to floor and rifle held out at arm's length while constantly being quizzed on "swab knowledge." Guys actually broke down - some had to be sent to the infirmary. A 'civilian' has no comprehension. It makes the usual fraternity hazing (which I also went through) seem like an old lady's tea party.

Poor kids.

You just can't imagine the intensity of the hazing (probably not as much at Annapolis as at the USCGA) that cadets/midshipmen have to survive.

I feel sorry for them if a Bush photo op is a welcome break.;(

listening to him destroy the english language has to be a form of torture.

...(well, maybe partially, but it was more a lack of focus and self-confidence at that stage -- anyways...)

At Annapolis they're plebes (midshipmen 4th class, aka freshmen). Like I said, I left (and before Christmas), but the big difference from your CGA experience was the presence of women. That forced a lot of rules that made made things more civilized on its face (couldn't curse when dressing down a plebe, no "drop and give me 20", we didn't even touch an M-1 except for drill practice), and there was obviously more awareness of heat-related injuries (heat exhaustion, heat stroke, etc.), etc. There were still plenty of physical tasks to get everyone in shape and wear us out, but arguably the hazing shifted more to psychological pressure (not that that had been absent in your day, either).

Actually, fraternity hazing is probably worse these days, since they try to out-Animal House each other, and have nowhere near the same adult supervision to keep it from going overboard.

Even so, your main point is right on: That photo could have been taken before just about any mandatory-attendance event -- chimp or no chimp.

Actually, I'd love to listen in on some of the leadership classes they have these days, what with the WH cabal doing just about every wrong move in the book...

I just couldn't handle "handing out" hazing ... and only barely tolerated taking it in my first year (as a swab/plebe).

The Coast Guard Academy admitted it's first black cadets in 1962 ... and its first female cadet many years later. Annapolis, as I heard then, gave it's plebes "carry-on" for the rest of the year if they won the Army-Navy game. The Coast Guard Academy had hazing for the entire first year. "The Purge" was beyond description. Really. I've taken fraternity hazing and I've done Army Basic Training (Ft. Leonard Wood) and neither could hold a candle to a month at the CGA. I very much doubt that it's the same ... not with female cadets. (I'm not being sexist, here - just pragmatic.) Just the jock-strap-only "uniform drills" would have to be eliminated, I'd think.

To this day, I still yawn with a closed mouth due to my little stint in the service. And falling asleep? Yikes.

Poor kids will get some serious PT.

You can bet that if the firstclassman (senior) is dozing, there's no problem.

Let me tell you about "nuclear naps" -- they're wonderful! I learned how to get rest in less than five minutes of downtime, when I went to the Coast Guard Academy. I remember getting back to my room between classes, noting that I had 90 seconds before I had to stand duty and relaxing luxurisouly at my desk with a cigarette and "going on R&R" for that 90 seconds. It's really amazing how every single minute and fraction thereof can be used to the max.

It helps, of course, to be a fit 19- or 20-year-old. It's remarkable how rapidly one can recover and recharge one's batteries at that age, particularly when physically fit and on a very good, balanced diet.

Now it's called a disco-nap.

I could get anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes of out-cold sleep. I'd wake if my balance had to be adjusted and then conk out again in 5 seconds. It's really rather amazing to remember those days.

Poor guys. I'm sure they'd rather be in their rooms instead of waiting on Dumbya.:)

poor kids..

just so they can sit and sleep an hour waiting for *. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what going to the Naval Academy is all about. Hurry up and wait for the CIC.:boring: :sarcasm:

their commander in thief haha