News Article Release
U.S. Naval Academy Inducts Class of 2016
June 28, 2012
More than 1,200 of the nation's brightest young men and women began their new lives as “plebes” (freshmen) as part of the Naval Academy's Class of 2016, arriving in Annapolis for Induction Day June 28.
A record number 20,601 applications were received for the Naval Academy Class of 2016, which also boasts having the largest number of females to ever enter the academy (24 percent of the incoming class), and the second-largest number of international students (17 from 13 different countries) in one class. Fifty-five students in the class are prior-enlisted sailors and Marines.
Beginning at 6 a.m., students said goodbye to friends, family and civilian life, and entered the academy's Alumni Hall to start their transformation into midshipmen. They went through hours of in-processing during which they received uniforms and medical examinations, completed registration, received haircuts and learned to salute.
The first student to arrive was Hanna Hayes from St. Louis, Mo., checking into the plebe processing center at 5:45 a.m.
“I'm excited, I'm a little nervous. I don't know what to expect today, but I know everything's going to be great,” said Hayes.
These plebes will take the Navy Oath of Office at a ceremony in T-Court later this evening, and as fourth class midshipmen, will say goodbye to their family and friends as Plebe Summer training begins.
Plebe Summer is a rigorous, six-week program which starts each day at dawn with demanding physical training. There is no television or music permitted and virtually no leisure time for the plebes. Plebes learn basic military skills, weapons training, the Honor Concept, character development, time management skills, seamanship, navigation, and boat handling.
Other activities include swimming, martial arts, basic rock climbing, obstacle, endurance and confidence courses designed to develop physical, mental and team-building skills. Forty hours are devoted to the instruction of infantry drill and five formal parades.
They must also memorize more than 1,000 facts and figures taken from a specially designed book called “Reef Points.”
“We try to foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork, so they learn their class is more important than any one individual,” said Midshipman 1st Class Michaela Bilotta, an upperclassman responsible for training plebes this summer.
Through this exhausting but valuable experience, plebes learn important lessons such as discipline, honor, character, self-reliance and organization, which will help give them the foundation to become midshipmen and successful military leaders.
