For many college students, summer vacation consists of lying by the pool catching a tan. For Midshipmen at the Naval Academy, however, training doesn’t take a summer vacation.
Each summer approx-imately 1,000 Midshipmen get underway aboard one of the Academy’s 108-foot-long Yard Patrol (YP) Craft for Atlantic Patrol (LANTPAT).
While underway Mids-hipmen not only handle seamanship, navigation and watch-standing requirements for the boat, but they are also responsible for basic day-to-day operations, including preparing meals for the crew and keeping the boat clean.
''YP cruises are designed to give Midshipmen underway experience and get them to work together as a crew just like on surface ships,'' said Lt. Rich Eytel of the Seamanship and Navigation Department.
''I believe the best training the Mids get while underway is the leadership training,'' said Boat-swain’s Mate 1st Class (SW⁄AW) Michael Thurston, Craftmaster of YP-683. ''For the upperclassmen it’s different while they are underway than when they are back at the Academy. They are responsible for the well-being of the crew. They are in charge and everyone must trust them to do their job right.''
In past years, the Midshipmen either went north to Boston or south to Charleston, S.C. The YPs would homeport in either of the two cities, and the Midshipman crews transported back and forth by bus. This summer, the Midshipmen board their YPs in Annapolis and travel to Norfolk, Va., and Greenport, N.Y. The Midshipmen spend a few days in each location, and in Norfolk, they tour various ships to get a further understanding of shipboard life in the Fleet.
The changes were made in support of the Superintendent’s emphasis on exposure to Fleet training experiences.
''We specifically designed it so that [Midshipmen] go down to [Naval Station] Norfolk and [Naval Amphibious Base] Little Creek to get more exposure to the actual Fleet,'' said Eytel.
Eytel said that changes to the cruise schedule give the Mids a lot more opportunity for meaningful training.
''During Block 0, while at Little Creek, Mids got some exposure to the Navy’s [Landing Craft Air Cushion] and a lot more amphibious exposure,'' said Eytel. ''All blocks are getting exposure to Norfolk’s [Helicopter Sea Combat] squadrons in addition to the surface aspects to the Navy.''
Eytel said the YP experience not only trains Midshipmen in small-unit leadership, but may also help them decide which community they want to service select in their final year.
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