Exploring Kazakhstan: A Semester Abroad in Almaty

Midshipman 2nd Class Ian Best writes about his experiences during a semester spent studying abroad in Kazakhstan. 

As the ninth largest country in the world with a population slightly over 17 million, Kazakhstan plays an important role in the world. From a historical perspective, this central Asian country has formed the geological and cultural bridge between Europe and Asia for centuries. Traders on the Silk Road in Kazakhstan exchanged beliefs, information, and practices between these two continents.

Today, Kazakhstan continues to serve as a bridge between many countries and has an expanded influence on international politics. Of additional importance, Kazakhstani culture shares many similarities with that of the Russian tradition, including the widespread use of the Russian language.

The Naval Academy provided me the unique opportunity to spend the spring semester of the 2016 academic year in Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan and its current largest city. Abroad, I balanced my studies with practical experience in an effort to both appreciate the cultural and political significance of Kazakhstan and to improve my Russian language abilities.

Photo courtesy of MIDN 2/C Ian Best

In Almaty, I attended classes at Kazakhstan National University in the International Relations Department through the American Councils Study Abroad Program. I studied Russian four days a week with Kazakh professors. They focused on phonetics, grammar, reading, and writing. Each day presented a new challenge: sometime my fellow classmates and I would present Russian articles and stories we had read, other times we would discuss new vocabulary and grammar.

My personal favorite topic was Russian idioms. Russian language is extremely rich; it is filled with sayings and expressions with fascinating historical contexts. I did my best to learn as many different idioms as I could so as to better understand the underlying Russian cultural significance and be able to converse more colloquially with the locals.

On Fridays, the American students studied Kazakh language, history, and politics. This was a particularly interesting opportunity for my classmates and me, as Kazakh is a Turkish-based language and shares very few similarities with Russian. We also learned in this class the important role Kazakhstan plays as a key nation in Central Asia and how it balances its many competing foreign influences.

Photo courtesy of MIDN 2/C Ian Best

But I did more than schoolwork. I often took advantage of the spectacular neighboring mountains by skiing or hiking through the foothills. West Point cadets Joseph Woolfork and Tyler Payne and I organized several trips with local tour guides. One trip, for example, found us summiting a mountain. On another, we hiked to a remote point in the hills to visit a century-old yet still functioning monastery.

Other excursions were directly sponsored by American Councils. Once a week, we would visit a site of cultural and often historical significance, ranging from museums to parks to falconry demonstrations. Toward the end of the semester, we traveled to Northern Kazakhstan to visit the cities of Karaganda, Pavlodar, and most importantly the capital Astana.

Each excursion provided excellent opportunities to practice Russian language and gain a better appreciation of Kazakhstan. I enjoyed applying the language skills I was learning in class to real-world situations. I could simultaneously expand my vocabulary and gain a deeper appreciation for this incredible country.

Photo courtesy of MIDN 2/C Ian Best

Not every midshipman is afforded the opportunity to directly experience another country for an entire semester. I will never forget my time abroad and will remain forever grateful to the staff members of the International Programs Office at USNA.

Not only will I fondly remember the incredible people I met overseas and the amazing adventures I had, but I will also apply the cultural and lingual experience I gained in my future career as a naval officer. I hope to bridge cultural gaps during my military career and ultimately bring diverging cultures into closer understanding to strengthen international partnerships.

Midshipman Travels to Antarctic Peninsula With "Students on Ice"

By MIDN 2/C Paige Ward

Over Christmas break, I had the opportunity to travel to the Antarctic Peninsula with the Canadian based organization called Students on Ice, whose purpose is to lead international students on educational expeditions to the Polar Regions. I was the sole midshipman traveling with a team of approximately 80 other students, polar scientists, researchers, explorers, and historians from around the world.

 I participated in this program because of my interests in scientific research and maritime operations in the Polar Regions, as well as to gain multicultural scientific exposure. My experience was funded by the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, whose goal is to provide students in their undergraduate careers with unique and influential educational opportunities.

I left on Christmas day and traveled to Ushuaia, Argentina, in Tierra del Fuego, the most southern city in the world, where I attended lectures and workshops and united with the expedition team.

We headed down the Beagle Channel and across the Drake Passage in the Argentinian research vessel, the M/V Ushuaia. The ship had an open bridge policy, so I had the chance to discuss Antarctic navigation and charting with the crew. I also had the opportunity to compare civilian maritime operations with those used in the military.

The first destination was Elephant Island, where Sir Earnest Shackleton's crew was stranded for four months during the 1914 Endurance expedition. Over the course of one week, I also visited Brown Bluff, the northernmost tip of the Antarctic continent; the Argentinian Research Station Esperanza; an abandoned whaling station at Deception Island; and a historic United Kingdom base, Port Lockroy. While at Deception Island, I had the chance to speak with Royal Navy officers aboard the ice patrol ship HMS Protector.

My days usually consisted of two Zodiac landings, with an interdisciplinary curriculum of lectures, workshops, and an introduction to field-based research. Research topic areas included oceanography, climatology, glaciology, and remote sensing. Some examples of specific research conducted included ice-cap GPS mapping, ice core sampling, marine biology studies, and CTD casting and analysis.

Overall, this expedition was both extremely informative and impactful. This trip gave me the opportunity to witness to both civilian and military maritime operations in the Polar Regions, as well as provided me exposure to a variety of academic disciplines. The perspective gained from this opportunity as well as the connections made with inspirational students and educators from around the world will be unforgettable.

Midshipman Coauthors, Presents Published Research

While other U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) midshipmen spent their summer training with sailors and Marines around the fleet, one midshipman was holding her own at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California.

During a month-long internship at NPS, Midshipman 2nd Class Allison Hunt worked with Marine Corps Capt. John Roth, U.S. Naval Academy senior instructor, to develop new and novel ways to locate mobile subscribers in cellular networks.

“One of the great things about these types of projects is that they have real world applications,” said Roth. “These projects will have an immediate and real effect on the world at large.”

Currently, emergency and rescue services rely on tracing locations of mobile callers with GPS, which relies on line-of-sight environments for accurate locations. This can be a problem if calls are placed in a high density area or from a building with multiple floors where line-of-sight is not possible. The research Hunt has been working on enables these services to narrow the search by using a mathematical model to predict the local radio propagation characteristic so responders can better determine the precise location of a call.

“The basic idea behind the method we used to try to find someone in a non-line of sight environment is called ‘fingerprinting’,” said Hunt. “The idea in fingerprinting is to make a map of what the received signals from each base station look like at a bunch of different points in space. Then, given an observation of a bunch of different signal strengths, you try to match the observation to a location on the map you collected beforehand.”

“She worked on the project for about 4 weeks,” said Roth. “That involved learning specific computer programming language in which she had little experience with beforehand. It is truly amazing how much she learned in such a short time and how quickly she is able to pick up new concepts.”

For the research, Hunt modeled a number of situations using a simulated cellular environment created from a computer program called MATLAB (Matrix Laboratory). Hunt’s simulations included people traveling in vehicles down some of the interstates in the San Jose, California area. The goal was to locate a particular target and track their movement within the cellular environment.

“The model we are using right now assumes that everything stays the same in terms of traffic, movement, and time of day,” said Hunt. “It’s an issue that will need to be addressed during the implementation.”

Hunt continued her research through the fall semester in an independent research course at the electrical engineering department. The ideas she is developing to further the project will have ubiquitous applications for marketing, advertisement and disaster relief efforts.

“The fact that she is an undergraduate student and an author of a paper being published is a huge accomplishment,” said Roth. “I was lucky to have her as an intern and when I gave her the context of the project, she ran with it from there.”

Midn. Hunt has taken a lot that she has learned as a growing naval officer and invested it into the project. According to Roth, she has shown a great measure of adaptability and it is a testament to this institution that we can produce leaders that are adaptable. She has demonstrated that by taking a problem that she had not seen before, in a setting she was unfamiliar with, and within the course of 4 weeks, worked to a proficient level.

“It’s been a blessing to have the opportunity to work with Captain Roth and to be included as a coauthor in the paper,” said Hunt. “I am really excited to have the chance to go to this conference and learn while I’m there.”

After getting published, Hunt and Roth had the opportunity to attend the 48th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) to present their work Jan. 5 - 8.

The HICSS is a prestigious Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) conference and one of the longest-standing continuously running scientific conferences that brings researchers from more than 40 countries together to exchange of scientific ideas. The conference enables further research on a mixture of computer-based applications and technologies and includes three days of research paper presentations and discussions in a workshop setting that promotes interaction leading to additional research. Paper presentations and discussions frequently lead to revised and extended papers that are published in journals, books, and special issues.

“I'm happy to say that Midshipman Hunt's research was well received by those also presenting at the conference that are all certainly senior to her,” said Roth. “If she wasn't the only undergraduate student there presenting, she was certainly in the minority. Given this, her poise and ability to articulate technically sophisticated ideas to an international audience is all the more impressive.”
Attending the conference marks a major milestone for Hunt by presenting the work she's done over the summer and through the fall semester. The focus of this semester will be an application for a Bowman Scholarship.

Each year the Bowman Scholar Program selects up to twenty-five second-class midshipmen applicants who show significant academic, leadership and research potential in their undergraduate work, who are willing to commit to nuclear service.

“I'm convinced the research model Midshipman Hunt is pioneering is an ideal venue for developing the attributes we are looking for in a USNA graduate,” said Roth. “In addition to affording the Naval Academy international recognition in research circles, Midshipman Hunt has taken immense strides in building technical proficiency, innovative thinking, and adaptable problem solving while concurrently fostering her ability to articulate complex ideas both in written and spoken word.”

At the Naval Academy, faculty members with expertise in many areas mentor midshipmen and facilitate their development as scientists, engineers, or scholars.  Funding for midshipmen projects and travel is provided through several sources, including the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

“I’ve been very fortunate and have had a lot of people helping me during the whole process,” said Hunt. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity, blessed to be able to do this kind of work, and excited to see where it goes from here.”

The Art of 360-Degree Mentorship

By MIDN 2/C Olivia Trevorrow

Engage. Enable. Envision. Yard Patrol Craft Squadron Pennant 1's guiding principles.

Commanding officer of Pennant 1, MIDN 2/C Andrew Bell, has trekked across mountain ranges (both literally and figuratively), completed the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon, and has come a long way from his position as a consistent bearing taker two years ago.

MIDN Bell wished to implement change in the squadron and make the experience more well-rounded for its members.

“I didn't like how I was constantly one position for the entirety of my plebe year in YP Squadron,” he said.

MIDN Bell stayed SWOtivated and now is in charge of how his own pennant operates, emphasizing a greater and broadened experience for all of the midshipman crew.

MIDN Bell’s vision of engaging, enabling, and envisioning came to life on his first distance transit of the semester as CO.

Pennant 1 recently made the transit to Philadelphia in both daytime and nighttime conditions. In the first few hours of the Movement Order, from 2300 to 0330, MIDN 4/C Julie Dejnozka was conning. During the second half of the transit, a brand new 2/C affiliate of YP squadron (myself), who had never before seen the northern Chesapeake or Delaware River, took the conn with the assistance of MIDN Bell, MIDN 2/C James Brisotti, and MIDN 3/C Christian Jaunich, two seasoned veterans of YP Squadron.

Throughout the transit, the CO ensured that everyone, from the bearing takers to the helm and lee helm, was able to experience a variety of positions on the bridge. The officers and chiefs led the more experienced members of YP Squadron, and they in turn led the newcomers.

Before the transit to Philadelphia, LCDR Ryan Rogers, the operations officer in the Seamanship and Navigation Department, asserted the importance of positional authority. On Pennant 2, Coast Guard LT Timothy Bonner was the officer in charge, and LCDR Noble Hetherington was the assistant OIC. An O-4 was under an O-3 in the chain of command, again underlining the sentiment of all-around mentorship.

On the transit from Philadelphia to Annapolis, the same plebe MIDN Dejnozka, conned Pennant 1, while a 3/C and 2/C worked under her on lee helm and as navigators. Though MIDN Dejnozka had been in YP Squadron half as long as her subordinates on the watch team, she was driving the ship.

Commandant of Midshipmen CAPT William Byrne emphasizes a brigade-wide training vision of "4,500 training 4,500," in a 360-degree training program. The first-, second-, and third-class mids are involved in the plebes' training and the plebes are just as important to the professional development of the upperclass.

The same holds true for Pennant 1. The newcomers are just as essential of a part as the more experienced members, and the veteran mids and staff take away a great deal from instructing and leading the novice members.

As Aristotle concluded simply, “The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching.”

Behind the Scenes of the 2015 Naval Academy Leadership Conference

By MIDN 1/C Danielle Abad

The Naval Academy Leadership Conference is a midshipmen-planned and executed event that has been around since 1984. Originally, the conference only included senior cadets and midshipmen from each of the service academies, but we got tired of hanging out with just Army and Air Force, so over the years we expanded it to include students from civilian universities as well.

The 2015 midshipmen officer staff began planning the event before the Class of 2014 could even walk across the stage at graduation. The first challenge: Who was going to speak at the conference? After making a list of 100+ names and a rough outline of what they wanted the conference to look like, the 2015 chairman and vice chairman brought their ideas, hopes and dreams to the Dant, seeking his approval.

The next challenge: How would they convince world renowned business and military leaders, basically famous people, to come speak at some midshipmen-run program?  It turns out that “some midshipmen-run program” isn’t all that the 2015 Naval Academy Leadership Conference is to people outside of the brigade. After hearing a lot of, “I would love to, but I am already booked” responses, the team received some yeses, and they were pretty impressive yeses, to say the least.

Keynote and panel speakers this year include military and civilian professionals from companies like Cisco, Pepsi, Pinterest, and Facebook – to name just a few. Prominent speakers include retired Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, publisher of Forbes magazine Rich Karlgaard, and Pentagon Press Secretary Adm. John Kirby.

The not-so-challenging challenge: what universities would want to attend? It turns out that many universities wanted to attend the 2015 Naval Academy Leadership Conference, so many that a waiting list had to be created.

The eight midshipmen officers on the staff had their work cut out for them.  Each midshipmen officer holds a different role in the planning and execution of the Conference.

This year’s conference theme is Leading in an Interconnected World, where the speakers and participants will explore the challenges of being an authentic leader in a world where technology can be beneficial to the leader and follower and yet hinder them at the same time.

Together the midshipmen staff plans and executes more than you will ever see, but that is for them to know and you to see the results for yourselves at the 2015 Naval Academy Leadership Conference beginning Jan. 25.

Learn more about the conference at http://www.usna.edu/LeadershipConference/.

A Cooler Water Cooler Comes to USNA

Two Evive Stations are now available to midshipmen.

An Evive Station is kind of like the water fountain of the future. Users buy a reusable stainless steel bottle at the Midshipmen Store. At the machine, they purchase a 1-month, 3-month or 5 month subscription that provides endless refills of water or fruit-infused water.

The machine washes and sanitizes the bottle and cap each time it's refilled, making it a convenient option for college students always on the go.

No one's more on the go than midshipmen. That's why Phillip Allison, deputy director of Naval Academy Business Services, and Eric Lindstrom, executive chef at the Naval Academy Club, instantly thought of bringing the system to the academy when they saw it at a trade show last year.

"Knowing the number of water bottles on campus coupled with the sanitation and green environment, it just seemed like a no-brainer," said Allison.

There are two stations on the Yard, one in Steerage - the Bancroft Hall cafe that caters to midshipmen - and one in the MacDonough Hall cardio room. The machines are here for the semester on a trial basis. If they're popular, the Business Services Division will consider adding more machines around the Yard for the midshipmen, faculty and staff.

"We're going to let the student body tell us where they'd like to see them," said Allison.

The Midshipmen Store held a tasting of the different flavors Jan. 15.

"I think it's really good," said Midshipman 1st Class Brooke Merchant, after getting her own bottle. "It's pretty easy. You just put the bottle in there and follow the directions. It didn't take long, and it cleans it which is nice."

Brigade Commander Encourages Mids to be "All In"

As senior linebacker on the Navy football team and Plebe Summer regimental commander, Midshipman 1st Class Joe Worth has already experienced what it’s like to be in leadership positions. Taking on the role of spring semester brigade commander, he faces his biggest challenge yet in leading 4,500 of his peers.

Worth, of Valrico, Fla., is a mathematics major in the top ten percent of his class in order of merit, the standard by which midshipman are measured according to their academic and professional performance. When he graduates with the Class of 2015 in May, he will receive a commission as a Marine ground officer.

When he first came to the Naval Academy, he was considering several different career paths, but his interaction with Marines on the Yard – especially the officer representatives who worked with the football team – soon swayed his decision, he said.

“I looked at them and said, ‘That’s what I want to be like.’”

Worth credits his experience working with the coaches and football officer representatives for many of the leadership lessons he’s learned at the academy.

“I grew up playing sports, and I love that teamwork and camaraderie,” he said. “I wouldn’t be in the spot I’m in with the lessons I learned without the mentorship from them.”

He also learned a lot about leadership as the Plebe Summer regimental commander in charge of 250 upperclass detailers in training 1,200 new plebes, his first opportunity to practice leadership on a large scale.

The biggest lesson he feels he’s learned is that “everything that you do, there’s constantly someone watching you, and that’s not a bad thing,” he said. “To me, that helped me realize the responsibility we all have as midshipmen and future officers to constantly do our best and strive to lead by example and be the kind of person we want to see everyone else be. I realized that I could make a change in the attitude of others just by the attitude that I brought to the table and the actions I took every day.”

Worth hopes to use that influence to encourage his fellow midshipmen to be “all in.”

He hopes “to get everyone, regardless of what sports they’re playing, what clubs they’re in, what class they’re in, to buy into the Naval Academy. This is a place where you truly get out what you’re willing to put in. We only have four years here to get the most out of it.”

Worth grew up in a military family. Both his parents were naval officers, and his grandfather graduated from the Naval Academy in 1953. His younger brother is in the Class of 2017. He knew he wanted to join the military after college, though he wasn’t initially sure about the academy. His mother made him apply, just in case.

“She knew I’d shown some interest, and she didn’t want me to be in a position where I regretted not filling out the application.”

Once he was accepted and had visited other schools, he said he couldn’t find a reason to believe any of those schools could give him a better opportunity than the academy.

“I have no regrets. I’ve truly enjoyed my time here at the Naval Academy.”

That said, he’s looking forward to moving on to the next thing – The Basic School.

“I’m excited to work with Marines and take on the next challenge,” he said.

Learning the Cultural Practices of South Korea

A semester in Korea left two midshipmen baffled in all the right ways. The following excerpts from the personal journals of Midshipmen 2/C Nate Mclauchlan and Ian Shaw highlight their four-month experience.

Hanboks are the traditional dress of Korea. The colorful gowns are still used for cultural events,
most notably the holiday of Chusok.

There was culture shock:

“I was warned about the extreme deference shown to elders here. I have read about it in many sources mentioning the deep Confucian values that prevail into contemporary times. But when I witnessed it first hand, I was at a loss. After a long day of a scavenger hunt all around Seoul, my group was on a subway ride back to the rendezvous point. Accompanying us were a couple of Seoul mates (Seoul natives who volunteer to help us foreigners enjoy our time here) who staffed the day’s activities. We were all abuzz, excitedly speaking of the day's happenings while also making plans for the night. Apparently it is good etiquette to be quiet in the subway, an older man let us know. From his seat (because elders sit before women) he violently waved a rolled up newspaper at one of the Koreans with us. Her reaction was silence and a gyration of movement which was intended to be a rapid series of bows. He went on waving and scolding her. She just took it. The criticism went on for a good two minutes. She apologized profusely and held her head down. All of us Americans quieted in awe. When I asked her later about it, she explained. I was angered. This man had the gall to embarrass a friend of mine and be so rude as to wave and point at her. But I was also frozen during the engagement. This was a culture shock.”

The Joint Security Area is the designated diplomatic location within the
Demilitarized Zone along the 38th parallel.

There was the Demilitarized Zone:

“From main center of Seoul to the southern side of the DMZ was an hour bus ride. Keeping in mind that 9.82 million of the 50.22 million South Koreans live in this spanning metropolis, the situation is just as perilous as that of Jerusalem and Palestine. In a conference room overlooking the DMZ and North Korea beyond, a ROK soldier told us not to worry, their missile interception system (he described it as similar to Israel’s Iron Dome) could shoot down anything the northerners sent our way. About an hour later, when speaking to a U.S. soldier attached to Camp Boniface (UNCOM), he pointed to the mountains a few miles north. 'See those? 80% of the North Korean artillery is just over that ridge, pointed right at Seoul. If they fired a consistent, max-capacity barrage for 8 minutes, Seoul would be flattened without sign of life.” Walking the streets of Seoul, one would never guess that desolation is only ever 8 minutes away. Subway stations are equipped with gas masks and sustenance supplies. So the people are not kept up at night, but the North is obviously a concern of officials running the city.”

There were Korean cadets:

“During a visit to the university track for a few laps, I was kept company by the drilling ROTC units on the infield. It is interesting to keep in mind that though these men volunteered to enter this program, they were required to serve anyway. When other male students cross the field and track as a sort of shortcut to the science building, they do not look at the uniformed men with curiosity but rather a chuckle or complete disregard. On a personal note, after a few laps one of the officers in charge threw me a smile and a thumbs up for my efforts. Quite possibly the most motivating experience since Plebe Summer Braveheart runs. Also, this was one of my first interactions with a foreign, allied military. Though small, I will not soon forget it.”

South Korea has 21 national parks in the country roughly the size of the state of Indiana.
The mountainous terrain is beautiful and littered with waterfalls.

There was the city seen from the mountains:

“Walking on the ridge along the old fortress wall, we reached our intended vista by 1200. The view was breathtaking, reminding me of the hike behind Yonsei campus earlier this semester. With snow on the ground and the wind howling in our ears, Seoul embodied a more arctic elvish city than it did in August, but Rivendell–esque nonetheless. The buildings sprawl, struggling for space as they challenge the littered mountains for land viability. Sprouting vertical at rapid pace and teeming with energy, Seoul appears to be a concrete chia pet watered by the dynamism of its citizenry.”

Immersion in the beautiful Republic of Korea was a professionally eye-opening and personally engaging experience. Midshipmenn 2/C Mclauchlan and Shaw are most grateful for their time spent on the peninsula and both hope to return in the future in and out of uniform.

What is Movember? Q&A With MIDN 2/C Bray Wilcock

It's Midshipman Mustache Month at the U.S. Naval Academy. While typically midshipmen are required to be clean shaven, they're given the opportunity during November (or "Movember") to grow facial hair in an effort to bring attention to men's health issues.

This is the second year the midshipmen have participated in Movember. MIDN 2/C Bray Wilcock, the driving force behind USNA's campaign, talks about how it all came about.

Q. What is the history of Movember?

BW: I believe it originated in Australia in the '03-'04 time frame with a group of dudes who wanted to bring back the 'stache and do some good with it, at the same time raising awareness for men's health and prostate cancer.

Q. What inspired you to bring "No Shave November" to USNA?

BW: My high school participated in Movember, and after trying to grow a mustache over youngster summer through my cruise and NOLS, I had a bunch of talks with my friends about somehow trying to get Movember started at the Academy. Most, if not all, thought it couldn't happen which pushed me even harder to try to get it approved. More importantly, one of my uncles passed away from cancer during November of my plebe year and I wanted to honor him and his memory by trying to raise awareness for men's health. His name was Brad Gano, and he grew up in Baltimore.

Q. Can you explain the approval process? How did you market this to the chain of command?

BW: It was definitely a battle trying to bring something that had never been done before to the chain of command for approval. But, with my proposal and the unwavering support of the sergeant major chain of command and the brigade's midshipman chain of command, I think we presented something to our superiors that was pretty hard to say no to. This year was a bit easier because it was approved last year; only some minor tweaking had to be done to submit a pretty convincing package to our superiors.

Q. Who in the Brigade has grown the most impressive mustache that you have seen so far?

BW: It's hard to say since we just over a week into Midshipmen Mustache Month. But I've seen a lot of potential. It's gonna be a good 'stache season.

Midshipmen, remember to put pictures of your mustache on social media with #midstache and links to men's health websites to raise awareness on some really important issues.

Mids March in Mexican Independence Parade

A group of Naval Academy midshipmen visited Mexico last week to participate in a military parade honoring Mexican independence. They stayed with fellow students at the Heroico Colegio Militar, the Mexican military academy. Midshipman 1st Class Adriana Ayala shares her perspective on the trip.

As a historian and a native of El Salvador, my participation as an American in the Mexican Independence Parade was completely remarkable. I am grateful to have been selected for the opportunity to visit Mexico, a country I have studied for years and that I can relate to.

 I was able to share and expand my knowledge with my classmates who seemed appreciative and open to learning about the customs and courtesies of the Latin American culture. The Heroico Colegio Militar and its staff welcomed us and provided accommodations for us throughout our entire stay.

Upon our arrival at The Heroico Colegio Militar we all had mixed feelings. We stayed in open barracks where there was little to no privacy at all from the moment we woke up to the moment we attempted to sleep. I say attempted because we were all shocked to learn the cadets’ schedules start with the sound of a bugle at about 0515 for cleaning stations and ended with showers and more cleaning way past midnight.

We enjoyed typical Mexican meals which were the best time to get to know the people from the other delegations. We had the opportunity to bond with Peruvians, Argentinians, Colombians, Brazilians, Hondurans, Chileans, Belizeans, Venezuelans and of course Mexicans.

We compared our uniforms, our structure at our given academies and got the chance to exchange small yet meaningful trinkets. We were also able to bond during our time in Tenochtitlan where we got a tour and had a real fiesta with the other delegations, enjoying the food, music and a performance by the natives.

On Tuesday, Sep. 16, we were moved by how the entire city shut down for the parade. Hundreds of people gathered at the Plaza Mayor to celebrate their independence day. We climbed off the bus and noticed how people stared at us, curious and anxious to talk to us.

Women, children and men were all patiently waiting for the event to start. We took many pictures in our uniforms with the delegations, comparing and contrasting the cloth of our nations, each wearing it proudly.

As we stepped off, the feeling of excitement overtook as we watched the Mexican people look enthusiastic, cheerful and most surprisingly welcoming. They applauded and celebrated us, saying things like, “We are glad you are here.” We marched, proud to represent the United States in our neighboring country with whom we share so much history.

Our entire stay I felt humbled to be there and I hope that so did the rest of the group. We were honored with a commemorative coin that marked the centennial of the battle of Veracruz and a certificate to thank us for our participation in the parade.

Most importantly, we are left with the memories and new friends that we made in Mexico and the knowledge of the importance of reaching out to others.

USNA Mids Visit Mexico

A group of Naval Academy midshipmen visited Mexico last week to participate in a military parade honoring Mexican independence. They stayed with fellow students at the Heroico Colegio Militar, the Mexican military academy. Midshipman 1st Class Annie-Norah Beveridge writes about their experiences in the first couple of days after their arrival.

Upon arriving at the Heroico Colegio Militar, the first thing that you see is the huge Mexican flag.  It is definitely the biggest flag that I have ever seen and stands in stark contrast to the Space Age-looking buildings that form Mexico's equivalent to West Point. 

The inside of the barracks that we stayed in are just as institutionalized. For the next three days we shared the area with members of the Colombian, Argentinean, and Mexican militaries.

We started the next morning with a three-hour long parade practice followed by a talk from the Mexican chief of naval operations.  He welcomed each of the foreign delegations stressing that we were more than just “milirares extranjeros” (foreign military), but also friends who had been invited to participate in one of the most important events in Mexican history.

He told us how the people of Mexico City welcomed us with open arms.  After a presentation of gifts to and from each delegation, we headed out to see the Aztec ruins at Teotihuacan. Our lunch that was planned for 2 p.m., soon became a dinner and a dance.  Greeted by actors in elaborate feather headdresses, the meal was a banquet fit for royalty.  The entertainment was constant and the food was delicious.

While the schedule had us returning for another meal around 7:30 p.m., it wasn’t until 9 that we headed back to the academy.  But there was no stress, just a general “go with the flow” attitude, and the mariachi bands and salsa dancing helped us to realize this.  It didn’t take long for all of the delegates, no matter their country of origin, to start dancing and chanting together.  Inevitably, such an event was able to encourage relationships that may one day work in favor of diplomacy.

The ruins at Teotihuacan were impressive.  Our guide explained that they were built around 100 B.C. and used for hundreds of years after that.  Known as “The Birthplace of the Gods,” Teotihuacan was the largest pre-Colombian city, and its Mesoamerican pyramids still stand out as some of the most architecturally significant.

The long bus ride to what was once the center of a state empire offered us not only a chance to get some sleep, but also an opportunity to  see some of the different areas of Mexico City.  We passed by numerous plazas, and what struck us most was the contrast between western establishments – such as Walmart, Sears, and Burger King – and the more traditional street vendors, intricate street adornments, and stray dogs.  The juxtaposition of old and new is present in Mexico City, though for the most part the  image of the native Mexican selling furniture made out of pigs hide seems to be overshadowed by industrialization and rapid growth.

The cornucopia that awaited us at the hotel and reception area was impressive.  Our mouths watering, we raced to line up for the guacamole while inhaling the smell of grilled meat, relishing the sweetness of the platanos, and curiously trying every juice on the menu.  Tamarind, horchata, and jamaica are not often served in the United States. 

We went back for seconds and thirds, and yet the party was just beginning.  We conversed with our Latin American counterparts: The Brazilians told us that they would beat us in the soccer match tomorrow and the Argentinians taught us to roll our “r’s,” stating that “language must be music, speak like you sing!” 

Every country helped to chant for every other country.  We yelled “Pe-ru, Pe-ru, Pe-ru” for a while before shouting “E-cua-dor, E-cua-dor,” and so on before chanting “USA USA USA !”  There was an abundance of noise makers, confetti, and hollowed out spicy cucumbers with gum drops, a truly eclectic mix of sweet and spicy that is often found in Mexican cooking. 

The fiesta was not supposed to have an end time and we gladly followed suit, heading out into the city to experience more of what our welcoming host nation had to offer.  

USNA Marathon Team Competes in Navy-Air Force 5 Miler and Half Marathon

The USNA Marathon Team traveled to Washington, D.C., Sept. 14 to compete in the 2014 Navy-Air Force 5 Miler and Half Marathon. The Navy Marathon Team placed first for the Navy 5 Miler and Half Marathon Military Challenge.  

The half marathon race started and finished in the shadow of the Washington Monument. During the half marathon, runners passed many historical sites, some of which were D.C. memorials and the scenic Rock Creek Parkway and East and West Potomac Parks. The 5 miler also started and finished in the shadow of the Washington Monument, taking runners from South to East Potomac Parks.

After the team successfully finished both races, they were honored to have the opportunity to meet Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr.

Winnefield gave each midshipmen a Challenger’s Coin and spoke to them about leadership and the importance of holding one’s sailors and marines to the highest standards while taking care of them to the best of one’s ability. The midshipmen on the Marathon Team and Admiral Winnefield shared more than one thing in common:  a love of running, country, and service.

2014 Navy Air Force 5 Miler	Last	First	Time
Men	Williams	Jake	30:54
	Marshall	Greg	31:30
	Gawboy	Zach	33:28
	Schnabel	Mark	33:35
	Nortz	Benjamin	35:50
	Ward	Stephen	35:50
Women	Grimmett	Kayla	35:52
	Mellgard	Juliana	37:21
	Howard	Sarah	38:29
	Batcher	Alisa	39:33
Navy Air Force Half Marathon	Last	First	Time
Men	Larios	Gabriel	1:19
	Young	Robert	1:26
	Byers	Colton	1:26
	Werling	Joshua	1:27
	Castle	Riley	1:32
Women	Perdew	Abigail	1:46
	Sandler	Holly	1:50
2014 Navy Air Force 5 Miler	Last	First	Time
Coach	Nudelman	Nathan	35:17
O-Rep	Rayburg	Casey	35:50