ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Davis Vinnedge of Spencer began one of the most demanding chapters of his life Wednesday, reporting to the United States Naval Academy as a member of the Class of 2030 and starting six weeks of intensive basic training known as Plebe Summer.
Vinnedge, a graduate of Columbus Catholic High School in Marshfield, was among roughly 1,200 candidates inducted into the Academy’s incoming class on June 25th. The selection is highly competitive, drawing applicants from across all 50 states and several foreign countries.
Plebe Summer is designed to strip away civilian routines and rebuild recruits as midshipmen. During the six-week program, incoming students have no access to television, movies, the internet, or music, and their cell phone use is sharply restricted. Each plebe is permitted just two phone calls over the entire summer.
The training curriculum covers an expansive range of military fundamentals. Plebes receive instruction in seamanship, navigation, damage control, sailing, and the handling of yard patrol craft. They also learn infantry drill, qualifying on both 9mm pistols and M-16 rifles. Forty hours of the program are devoted to infantry drill alone, culminating in five formal parades. Additional daily sessions build moral, mental, physical, and professional development through swimming, martial arts, basic rock climbing, and obstacle and confidence courses.
Founded in 1845, the Naval Academy today prepares more than 4,400 midshipmen from every state and a handful of international students to serve as commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps. Graduates earn a Bachelor of Science degree in one of 26 subject majors and commit to a minimum of five years of active service. The Brigade of Midshipmen studies leadership, ethics, naval engineering and weapons, tactics, and military law alongside a traditional academic curriculum.
Upon completing Plebe Summer, Vinnedge will begin his first academic year at the Academy, where the pressure and challenge continue through four years of rigorous military and scholastic training.
