- What is the purpose of the US Naval Academy?
- Where is the right balance between the positive aspects of sports, and its use for institutional advancement?
- In a zero-sum game that is admissions, where do you make compromises?
- If you are an institution bound by its mission - how much do you stretch that mission, how much do you compromise that mission, and for what reasons?
- As a Navy at war, how do you focus your resources to enhance the development of combat leaders? Are you fulfilling that role?
- How many good, smart young men and woman have lost a slot at Annapolis in the crunch - who got that final slot and why?
- How many outstanding Sailors with combat experience have applied to Annapolis and couldn't even get a spot at NAPS - and who took their place and why?
Also a note of self reflection for those who have served as junior line officers after USNA/NROTC:
- How many took too many hours a semester because they had to "graduate on time?"
- Remember what it was like as an unqualified Ensign?
- How much extra time did you have on your hands your first couple of years?
With that lead in, a summary from a report from one of my spies.
Some of the numbers may be a bit off - but review this and then come back to ponder.
Shun White was supposed to graduate in 2008. He did not. He also did not graduate in 2009, because he was practicing with the Patriots or some something or another. He seems to have graduated sometime during the 2009-2010 academic year - we think, and now is on the Res/Mil roster for the Patriots.
Let's do the math. If the cost of one mid is $228,000 for FOUR years, then the cost for White is ~$313,500 for his whopping 5.5 years.
Don't blame the present Administration. My Annapolis spies report that the new administration is cracking down, and much of the daily regimen has become "back to basics." PLAN SALAMANDER for USNA seems to be taking hold in spots - Mr. Lombardi would approve. "Standards" are becoming a greater part of the USNA vocabulary than in the past.
This is good - but this is a trans-administration problem that odds have it would be allowed to continue. It would be a great marker for the new administration to stop this, but that is a tough call.
Some of the numbers may be a bit off - but review this and then come back to ponder.
Shun White was supposed to graduate in 2008. He did not. He also did not graduate in 2009, because he was practicing with the Patriots or some something or another. He seems to have graduated sometime during the 2009-2010 academic year - we think, and now is on the Res/Mil roster for the Patriots.
Let's do the math. If the cost of one mid is $228,000 for FOUR years, then the cost for White is ~$313,500 for his whopping 5.5 years.
Don't blame the present Administration. My Annapolis spies report that the new administration is cracking down, and much of the daily regimen has become "back to basics." PLAN SALAMANDER for USNA seems to be taking hold in spots - Mr. Lombardi would approve. "Standards" are becoming a greater part of the USNA vocabulary than in the past.
This is good - but this is a trans-administration problem that odds have it would be allowed to continue. It would be a great marker for the new administration to stop this, but that is a tough call.
As for Shun ... well ... as we are a Navy at war, I hope the USS STOUT (DDG-55) is getting as much out of him as the rest of her junior officers. I hope he is standing as many watches and is on the curve to an average time to qualify. I hope his Sailors are getting as much of his time as they need.
If so, he is a better time manager than I ever was. ENS and LTJG Salamander was a busy feller, and never really had much time for anything but getting qualified and figuring out how not to get himself or his shipmates killed - but that was me.
I guess if you set things up with football trumping all other things, we can't fault Shun or the other players in the Res/Mil program.
I don't know - in a way we should enjoy it - we paid for it.
