Academy Insider

Academy Insider Academy Insider is a nonprofit entity supporting future Midshipmen, Midshipmen, friends and family. I am Grant Vermeer - USNA Class of 2017.
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I am committed to inform, answer questions, and be a resource to all family, friends, and those who aspire to be Midshipmen.

Congratulations to every Midshipman who is commissioning from the Naval Academy today - there's no better feeling in the...
05/22/2026

Congratulations to every Midshipman who is commissioning from the Naval Academy today - there's no better feeling in the world!

I like talking about the adventures of being a junior officer. It's fun and lighthearted.

But this year I want to focus on the RESPONSIBILITY of being a junior officer & the importance of embracing the ethos of being a man or woman for others.

Because we are back at war. Because many of you will go straight from basket leave to combat operations in 5th fleet. Becasue when you show up, there's no real onboarding - it's just straight to business.

Last summer, I was supposed to fly from LAX to Vietnam to visit my wife, a '19 grad, on her port visit.

But that port visit was cancelled and she was moving all ahead flank towards 5th fleet right after Israel and Iran started launching missiles at each other. And guess what - a year later we are still in that same conflict.

In those moments I knew she was nervous. And for darn sure I was nervous. And without a doubt my in-laws were nervous.

But you know who else was nervous? Her Sailors. And you know who else was afraid? The moms and dads of those Sailors.

And you are about to enter into that exact same situation, and it'll be your responsibility as a junior officer to take care of them and lead them in combat.

It'll be your responsibility as a junior officer to process and manage your own emotions to be able to shoulder the burden of theirs.

That's what it means to be a man for others or a woman for others. That's what it means to be of service.

There is nowhere else in the world where at 22 years old, right after graduation, you will have the ability to make such a direct positive impact in the lives of real human beings. So lean into the power of the midshipman experience and be ready to bear the responsibility of being a junior officer.

Being a junior officer is important. You will get teased for knowing nothing, but your leadership will matter. Never underestimate the impact you can make in your sailors or marines lies with simple actions. That impact will be meaningful.

05/22/2026

Class of 2030 families, make sure to sign up for the Academy Insider community.

I want to do my piece in trying to make sure you better understand this unique and complex journey.

Context. Perspective. Understanding. That is our goal! And don't forget to check out the PS Terminology guide (Link is in the Academy Insider instagram profile)

Hey! If you missed last week’s episode, here’s what it was all about “Spooning” is a small but meaningful tradition wher...
05/21/2026

Hey! If you missed last week’s episode, here’s what it was all about

“Spooning” is a small but meaningful tradition where a plebe is finally allowed to call an upperclassman by their first name.

It represents the shift from plebe and upperclassman… to future peers in the fleet.

For parents, this is one of those insider terms that quietly tells you: plebe year is almost over.

Now you know what your midshipman is talking about.

You can find it on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/130-the-end-of-plebe-year/id1463594323?i=1000767038257

With USNA graduation on the doorstep, I want assure all of the families that your soon to be commissioned loved one's se...
05/21/2026

With USNA graduation on the doorstep, I want assure all of the families that your soon to be commissioned loved one's services are needed and their opportunities to lead are unlimited.

They are going to live a life of purpose and make a positive impact in the lives of many Sailors and Marines.

And forged by the common experiences of Annapolis, they will be bonded to other grads for life.

The Naval Academy Alumni (and greater Service Academy) is the greatest network in the world.

The day will come where your Midshipman wears the uniform for the last time.

Yet the support will continue.

Their tenacity, resilience, strength, and desire to serve will keep them connected to those who share the same values.

In finance, law, medicine, real estate, entrepreneurship, and all other fields... Naval Academy graduates succeed, and they take care of each other.

You may, or you may not realize it just yet, but the Naval Academy was not a 4 year decision, it was a 40+ year decision.

40+ years of camaraderie, mission, purpose, fulfillment, and success.

Good luck to all of you with loved one's heading to the fleet and know that you can always ready out and I'll continue to do my best to help out and answer questions!

Congratulations to the class of 2026 and their families on commissioning tomorrow!!I hope it's a special day full of hap...
05/21/2026

Congratulations to the class of 2026 and their families on commissioning tomorrow!!

I hope it's a special day full of happiness, joy, and good weather!

What happens right after covers are tossed in the air and the commissioning ceremony has concluded?!Once a midshipmen gr...
05/20/2026

What happens right after covers are tossed in the air and the commissioning ceremony has concluded?!

Once a midshipmen graduates and is commissioned, one of the great memories of that day takes place.

The O-1 shoulder boards are placed on the new Ensign or the gold bars placed on the Marine Corps Second Lieutenant. I was very fortunate and honored that my sponsor dad put on my new shoulder boards.

It was especially significant because those were shoulder boards he wore as an ensign.

Then there is the first salute.

A long honored tradition at the Naval Academy is for a newly commissioned officers to give a silver dollar to the person who salutes that officer for the first time.

The silver dollar signifies the deep sense of gratitude an officer has to the enlisted ranks for the knowledge they pass on and for the respect they give in providing a greeting by their salute.

The first salute is normally orchestrated so the person rendering the salute is someone of importance to the midshipman such as a close relative who serves/served or an enlisted person who has been helpful or important to the Mid during her/his time at the Academy.

Many times the first salute is rendered by a Midshipman who has a very close personal relationship to the newly commissioned officer from their sports team or company.

I asked Senior Chief (now CMC) Lance Connolly, one of my Senior Enlisted Leaders at the Academy who had been instrumental in my personal and professional development.

It was a great honor to have him render my first salute.

05/20/2026

Every plebe receives a six-digit alpha code preceded by the letter M. The first two digits represent their graduation year. The final four digits uniquely identify them within the class.

For example, as a member of the class of 2017, I had the Alpha Code M176630.

Your plebe will NEVER forget their Alpha Code. Over the course of Plebe Summer, plebes constantly recite their alpha code when writing correspondence or hitting a bulkhead.

The sentence “SIR, Midshipman Fourth Class Vermeer, M176630, November Company, 26th Platoon, SIR” still lives rent free in my mind.

Go check out the free Plebe Summer Terminology guide (designed for families) which you can find in the link in the Academy Insider Instagram profile.

Academy Insider is here to guide, serve, and support Midshipmen, future Midshipmen, and their families. Go to the link i...
05/19/2026

Academy Insider is here to guide, serve, and support Midshipmen, future Midshipmen, and their families.

Go to the link in my bio for all resources.

Academy Insider is not endorsed by USNA and I am in no ways an official representative of the Naval Academy.

05/19/2026

Class of 2030 families, make sure to sign up for the Academy Insider community.

I want to do my piece in trying to make sure you better understand this unique and complex journey.

Context. Perspective. Understanding. That is our goal!

Unlike the majority of collegiate institutions in the country, the Naval Academy ranks midshipmen based on their perform...
05/18/2026

Unlike the majority of collegiate institutions in the country, the Naval Academy ranks midshipmen based on their performance.

Those rankings and the evaluation processes at the Naval Academy can feel like a a mystery until you learn the language behind it and understand the system.

In this most recent episode of the Academy Insider podcast, we walk through how midshipmen are constantly evaluated, why class rank matters at graduation and commissioning, and how USNA measures performance in a way most civilian universities simply do not.

If you have a midshipman in your life and you’ve heard terms tossed around like Order of Merit or QPR, this is the clear, plain English guide you’ve been looking for.

We break Order of Merit into its major parts:
- Academic Order of Merit (driven by a Midshipman's QPR, the USNA equivalent of GPA)
- Military Order of Merit (built from factors like the PRT, PE, military classes, and conduct grades)
- Overall Order of Merit that blends them.

I also explain why acronyms show up in writing but usually aren’t spoken, and how semester performance versus cumulative performance can change the picture at the end of the year.

Then I dive into the part people are most curious about: peer rankings and aptitude grades.

There are performance reviews from your immediate chain of command, to include squad and fire team goal setting, mentorship, and feedback, plus the company wide evaluation process where “everyone ranks everyone.”

I also use the opportunity to discuss “murder boards,” why advocacy is a learned leadership skill, and how these uncomfortable conversations at USNA mirror what officers must do in the fleet when promotions and careers are on the line.

We close by laying out the recognition lists and what they mean in practice: the Superintendent’s List, Commandant’s List, and Dean’s List, including how gold, silver, and bronze stars are earned and worn.

There's a ton of information in this week's podcast. I hope you enjoy it.

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