Welcome To My Blog!

Hello friends and fam! If you’re reading this, then you have successfully found my blog on life here at the Academy. I regret not creating one of these things sooner (i.e. my Plebe year), but to say that I have been busy would be a gross understatement.

I'll try to recap the past 2.5 years so that everyone is in the loop:

(The military, maritime, and medical fields all have their own special lingos. I will try to translate this slang, which I have become well versed in over the years, into plain language.)


The real fun began on 06 July 2006 when I reported aboard for indoctrination here at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. "Indoc" is the two-week-three-day-and-a-wake-up transformation process that strips Joe Teenager of anything he once knew about the world, and programs him with the necessary skills and knowledge to survive in a military atmosphere. Uniforms, marching, physical training, self-discipline, "ma'ams and sirs," service etiquette, and leadership were just some of the many topics implanted in our noggins during that 17.5 day hell period.
Life as a "Plebe" (freshman) was action packed. I was not yet worthy of having the simple luxuries entitled to the upperclass. Sodas, vending machines, cell phones, music, movies, civilian clothing and napping were strictly off limits, and I didn't dare venture more than six inches from the starboard (right) bulkhead (wall) while walking through the barracks (dorm). Anytime I approached a corner, you better believe that I came to a halt, assumed the position of attention, executed a crisp left (or right) face, stepped off with my left foot, and proceeded on my way. This maneuver known as "squaring a corner," is one that every Plebe masters.

The end of Plebe year was a rather exciting time for the Class of 2010. In February, we earned the respect of the Regiment and were officially "recognized," an initiation tradition as old as the school. In the spring tri-mester, my entire class was sent to the Merchant Seamen Fire Training Academy in Earle, NJ. As a pre-requisite for sea duty, each midshipman had to complete a shipboard firefighting course.
The end of the 06/07 school year marked the start of my Sea Year. The Academy's 4 year program is broken down into 3 years in residence, and 1 cumulative year at sea aboard commercial and military vessels. This "Sea Year" is broken up into a 4 month cruise during the Third Class (sophomore) year, and an 8 month cruise during the Second Class (junior) year.

For my first sailing period (4 months) I sailed aboard two different ships. The first was a type of ship called a "Ro/Ro," so named for its ability for wheeled cargo such as cars and trucks to roll-on and roll-off via the large ramps extending from the ship to the pier. Some of the stops included: Charleston, SC, Puerto Rico, Tunisia, Kuwait, and Beaumont, TX. My second ship was a container ship. For those of you wondering what a container is, imagine the trailer part of an 18-wheeler, minus the wheels. Now picture 2,500 of them stacked 6-high on a 1,000 foot long ship.
My first sailing period was completed in November of 2007. Upon my arrival back in Kings Point, I was greeted with a battery of tests over all of the topics covered during my sailing experience. Seamanship, cargo operations, ship structure, navigation, and ship handling are a few to name. I was back just in time for the "Dark Ages," the cold, gloomy and depressing winter tri-mester dreaded by all mids.

Before I knew it, the winter tri ended, and it was time for me to hit the high seas once again. Luckily for me, I was able to take a nice 3 week break prior to shipping out. During this time, I got to attend Ryan's winging in at NAS Corpus Christi. It was a much needed visit with family and friends, and certainly a proud moment for the Bradley's! Just after my 20th birthday (March), I joined the USNS Patuxent for my first assignment of my 8 month cruise. The Patuxent is an oiler operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command. MSC is a civilian-run Navy auxiliary that directly supports the active duty fleet. During my time onboard, I was involved in 64 UNREPS (underway replenishment) with vessels from over 10 countries including CVN-75, USS Harry S. Truman. Other missions included Flight Ops, and maritime interdiction training with the US Navy SEALS. Very cool! Ports of call included Spain, Greece, Italy and Poland. Not too shabby...

My fourth and final ship was yet another container ship, this time operated by Maersk Line, Limited. The scenery was a little different this go-around with stops in LA, Oakland, Dutch Harbor, AK, Japan, Korea, and an 8 day shipyard stay in Guangzhou, China. The picture at the top of this blog is me standing under the propeller of the Sea-Land Lightning in dry-dock.


Now, with Sea Year complete, I am back at school and nearly halfway through my Second Class year. It is hard to believe that time has flown by so quickly! I have just recently survived the second batch of exams and projects, this time with a more advanced ciriculum. Subjects included electronic navigation systems, maritime business, trim and stability, and advanced navigation. Glad to be done.

The majority of my free time is spent operating as a medic with the local volunteer fire department. The Vigilant Fire Department offers fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to the town of Great Neck/Kings Point. Midshipmen EMT's (emergency medical technicians) from the USMMA constitute nearly 80% of the department's EMS division.

It is my intention to keep this blog as up to date as possible with all of my experiences here at school. I have 2 more weeks to endure before I head home for winter leave, and a much needed break to spend some time with the fam!