Plebe Summer

COVID-19 is forcing the military to make major changes across its branches, including how it recruits and trains its new members. Traditionally, the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, Coast Guard Academy and West Point use the summer months to kick off their respective summer training programs. The Naval Academy’s six-weeks of training for new appointees known as “plebes” starts on June 29 with a mandatory two-week quarantine. After the two-week quarantine, the physical training begins, which poses the most risk for spreading the virus.

For the approximately 1,200 plebes in this year's class they are not only met with the pressure and rigor of Plebe Summer, but also face a number of challenges brought on by the ongoing pandemic. With the cancelling of high school sports and mandatory quarantining, plebes for the past several months have largely led sedentary lives limiting their ability to stay physically fit. Additionally, the plebes are more out of shape than years prior due to the inability to work out during the two-week quarantine period when they first arrived at the Naval Academy.

Naval Academy officials have said that they expect the pandemic experiences of all their plebes will make them better prepared for the Navy; following safety protocols and following orders is extremely vital to operating in the Navy and the pandemic will test the plebes on those very skills. They have also claimed that the training won’t be any less rigorous than years past. The biggest risk that remains is the contact between the staff and the plebes, as staff members continue to go home to their families each night and go out and interact with their surrounding environments.