On the shores of the Severn River sits a unique school. It has been there since 1845, a training and educational pillar of the United States Navy. It is easy to see why. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I had the opportunity to tour the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, earlier this month, to speak to classes studying American government and to have dinner with the midshipmen from Maine.
Superintendent Vice Admiral Rempt and I walked by Bancroft Hall, named after the Secretary of the Navy who helped to establish the Academy. Bancroft Hall, well-known to every graduate of the Academy, is the largest single dormitory in the world, built on over thirty acres, comprising nearly five miles of corridors, and housing more than four thousand midshipmen who attend the Academy.
In front of Bancroft Hall is the statue of Tecumseh, ritually painted in war-paint before every Army-Navy football game. Along the shore is the foremast of the USS MAINE, sunk in Havana Harbor more than a century ago. The one hundred year old Chapel is where countless midshipmen have attended services, been married, mourned during times of personal loss, or gathered during national crisis. Below the Chapel lies the crypt of John Paul Jones, America’s earliest naval hero.
But it is not just the mortar of the walls and buildings that makes the United States Naval Academy unique. It is the young men and women who have chosen to serve their country. Some of the graduates are familiar names – U.S. Senator John McCain, presidential candidate Ross Perot, his 1992 running mate the late Vice Admiral James Stockdale, astronaut Alan Shephard, and football great Roger Staubach. Among the future graduates of the Academy include some of our own relatives, friends, or neighbors.
Those names include: Midshipman Fourth Class Jeffrey Lindbom of Portland, Midshipman Second Class John Damon of Livermore, Midshipman Fourth Class Ashley McElroy of Scarborough, and Midshipman Third Class Sara Miller of Clifton.
In all, twenty-nine young men and women from Maine serve as midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy, several of whom I had the honor to nominate when they first applied to the Academy. I had the opportunity to have dinner with many of them during my visit. The pride they have in serving was evident. I doubt, however, if simply pride could get them through a difficult four years. These midshipmen have a dedication, commitment, and drive to meet all their academic, athletic, extracurricular, and military obligations. The midshipmen in their final year have already selected service; some will join the Marine Corps, others will be submariners, surface warfare officers, or aviators in the Navy upon graduation in a few weeks.
The mission of the Naval Academy is to instill duty, honor and loyalty in the midshipmen and prepare them for leadership positions. These midshipmen from Maine will take leadership roles in a few weeks or in a few years; in either case, it is clear that the Academy’s focus on teaching personal leadership is succeeding and that their families, friend, and neighbors should be proud of them.
After dinner, I spoke to sixty other remarkable midshipmen from around the country who are enrolled in an American Government and Constitutional Development course required of all first year students, or “plebes” as they are called. These students had a Maine connection in that their professor is a native of Lewiston, Lieutenant Claude Berube, who previously served as a fellow in my office. I discussed with them some of the issues that they will deal with in the future, such as civilian-military relations. I helped them to understand the legislative process by giving them real-world examples on the importance of finding common ground and bipartisan support which resulted in one of my proudest legislative accomplishments, the passage of the Collins-Lieberman Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. I also discussed with them the oversight role of Congressional committees such as with the investigation into government’s response to Hurricane Katrina. And I spoke with them about a topic close their hearts and careers – sea power.
But I think what I enjoyed most was taking their questions for nearly an hour. The topics were as varied as the young men and women themselves, from all parts of the nation. What impressed me was not simply the diversity of topics but the depth of the questions: women in combat, the subpoenaing of Google data, immigration, the weaponization of space, assisted suicide, Medicare, and the Patriot Act. These are young men and women who were confident in asking very direct questions, who are well-informed, who are honest, and who have a genuine curiosity about the subjects and want to learn more. There is truly a special quality to these midshipmen.
What is it that makes these young men and women so special? Is it the physical conditioning? Most have gone for their first run of the day or crewed on the Severn River before most of us have had our first cup of coffee. Is it the academic rigor? Even non-engineering majors take a healthy does of mathematics, engineering, and chemistry courses. Or is it the discipline and tie to the Naval Academy itself? Unlike their peers at most civilian colleges, the midshipmen are tied to the confines of the Academy and allowed off the yard only on certain days and times.
I asked the midshipmen why they chose to pursue the Academy and a subsequent military life. The overwhelming response was that they want something greater than themselves; that feel that they are not just bettering themselves; but preparing themselves for the nation. Like the midshipmen from Maine with whom I had dinner, if these are some of the qualities of our midshipmen, then the Navy’s and the country’s future is truly in good hands.
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(Photo attached: Senator Collins shown at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland with midshipmen from Maine.)