How To Survive Plebe Summer As A Naval Academy Girlfriend

The scariest part of being a girlfriend of a Naval Academy midshipman is plebe summer. No matter how long you've been with your boyfriend, these six weeks will be the most challenging of your relationship.

Plebe summer is when they take the new midshipmen and basically try to break them in. No phones. No computers. No rest. Any midshipmen will tell you that plebe summer is a blur of time--and the most exhausting six weeks of their life. Plebes are allowed a couple of phone calls at specified times during the summer, none of them longer than three minutes. They are allowed mail, but it's usually delayed and held back a couple of weeks. It is all a little overwhelming.

I've spoken with many other fellow girlfriends on this matter and this is how we all survived:

1) LETTERS!
Write. Write a lot! Your midshipman has basically been cut off from all humanity. Give him something to take his mind off of it for a while. Keep the letters upbeat! Don't whine about how crappy your days are or how much you miss him...try to sound positive, he'll need a breath of fresh air. Add pictures, magazine clippings, inside jokes, anything you know that will make him smile.
However, the plebes are not going to be given any "free time" to read these letters or write back. Oftentimes, they read the letters in the dark after lights out and can only scratch back quick, short notes in return. Don't worry if you don't get a reply very often, they will come. And when they do--write more!!

2) Stay busy
If you just sit around and wallow in how much you miss your plebe, the time will only crawl by. Hang out with your friends. Work. Keep your life going. You're going to miss him no matter what, but if you stay busy, time will go by faster. (And you'll have more to write about)

3) Keep in contact with his parents
This is a surprisingly great help. Talk to his parents. Sometimes they get more of an update on him, sometimes you will. If you both share what you've heard, you can feel more contected to what he's up to. And just having someone to talk to who misses him just as much as you do is a great comfort.

4) Pictures
There are quite a few websites that post pictures of plebes during the summer. The best one I found was http://plebesummer.com/login.asp . You'll have to join and pay a small fee, but it is well worth it. They update photos as they take them, organized into Company, Platoon, and last name. Filing through all the photos to find your 'waldo' may take some time, but you get a glimpse of what he's going through. They are good about photographing every plebe, so you're bound to find yours in the mix. It's fun to check the website periodically for more surprise photos.

5) Phone Calls
Plebes do get a couple of phone calls during the summer. You'll know ahead of time which days to camp out by your phone. You'll want to keep everything short and sweet when you do hear from him. You'll probably hear someone yelling out a countdown in the background, which makes it surprisingly stressful to say what you want in such a short amount of time. Be prepared for a short, scrambled conversation. But although very brief, these conversations are still a treat to them (and you).

Plebe summer will end. Just remember that when you think it's tough, at least you're not the one going through PT at 5:30 every morning. Be supportive for your guy (and faithful with letters!) and you will get through it.