Induction Day Marks Emotional Moment for Naval Academy “Plebes”

By: Allison Stevens

For years, Heralder Ochoa, a Veteran of the US Navy, would open his suitcase after deployment to find farewell letters from his daughter, Sophie.

Then—somehow—it was his turn.

In June, he wrote his own farewell to his daughter as she packed her bags for “Plebe Summer,” the US Naval Academy’s summer training program.

“I’ve always been on the other end of the whole thing, deploying and leaving,” said Heralder, who enlisted in the Navy a quarter century ago and is now a defense logistics specialist at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. “Yesterday, I had to write a letter for her.”

Heralder hid his note in his daughter’s suitcase as she packed for Induction Day, when the academy’s incoming class takes its first steps in a tightly choreographed dance of traditions: sitting for haircuts, undergoing screenings, receiving gear and donning uniforms. They learn to salute, stand at attention and respond with a sharp "Yes, sir!" They make their first formation run as superiors bark orders—"faster!”, “close the gap!"—inches from their faces.

A demanding home away from home

As Naval Academy Plebeians (Latin for “commoners”), they get their first taste of their new home away from home—and its exhaustive physical and mental demands. No longer the center of mom and dad’s universe, they’re at the bottom of a rigid military hierarchy—rising at dawn for physical training and collapsing at night from exhaustion. Unlike friends marching off to college, they lack creature comforts and everyday luxuries like binge watching shows, playing video games and sleeping in.

The first day of their new life culminates with an emotional ceremony, during which plebe candidates swear to serve as midshipmen in the US Navy or Marine Corps. For Heralder and thousands of others, the day is one of mixed emotions—of great pride in their children’s accomplishments as well as a deep sense of loss. Of joy and of sorrow.

“It really hits you,” Heralder, a member of Navy Federal, said as he waited in sweltering heat to catch a glimpse of his daughter’s first formation run.

Also waiting nearby was fellow member Col. Paul S. Porter, who was “psyched” about his son’s first official day at the prestigious academy in Annapolis, Maryland—not far from his office at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. An emergency physician, Porter began bringing his son to academy grounds years ago. “It’s hard to know where the dreams crossed,” he remarked, noting that his son is carrying on a seven-generation legacy of military service. “We go back to the Revolution,” he said proudly.

“It hits me hard,” added Kyle Rodriguez, who will only be able to communicate regularly with his brother this summer via pen and paper. “But he’s doing what he wants to do.”

Behind-the-scenes support

Supporting plebes and their families behind the scenes is Navy Federal Credit Union, the only financial institution with a physical presence inside academy walls. The credit union—which serves Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, Department of Defense personnel and their families—operates a branch in front of the academy’s “MidStore” and an ATM in historic Dahlgren Hall, a one-time armory in the center of the campus.

“It’s all about being accessible,” said Michael Bohle, a member service representative at Navy Federal's on-campus branch. The credit union, he notes, offers a range of custom products and services, including “on-the-spot” debit cards, cashiers checks, savings certificates and even a midshipman-specific credit card. This summer, plebes and immediate family members get a $50 signing bonus—a promotion available at the nation’s other service academies, too.

Bohle and other branch employees coordinate with the academy’s disbursing office and help midshipmen streamline pay via direct deposit. They also offer notary services and travel notifications, as well as financial education seminars throughout the school year and coordination with advisers to begin retirement and investment planning. As part of Navy Federal’s Chesapeake Baysox Navy Night sponsorship, the credit union also invites the Naval Academy plebes to a minor league baseball game.

And that’s not to mention the credit union’s broader range of high-yield, low-rate products and services that will support them throughout their lives, from deployments and permanent changes of station to home purchases and retirement. The branch has already opened hundreds of accounts for the 1,100-member-strong Class of 2029, Bohle said. “They’re already part of the Navy Federal family.”

A financial family

Cynthia Tuckerman is a proud 30+-year member of that financial family. She traveled from Oregon to support her granddaughter—and encouraged her to find that trusted financial partner by opening a Navy Federal account. “It’s very user-friendly,” she said. “I told her, ‘When you’re on base, Navy Federal is going to be great for you.’”

Lisa and Darryl Tabor from Frankfort, Illinois echoed the sentiment. They joined Navy Federal when their eldest, Chase, joined the Naval Academy 3 years ago. The proud parents traveled to Annapolis again this year to cheer on their younger son, Hunter, as he followed in his older brother’s footsteps.

“We joined for convenience,” Lisa said, adding that they’re members for life. “Any time I call with a question, they are on it. If they don’t know it, they will find it out. I’m big into customer service, and Navy Federal’s customer service is amazing.”

The Tabors are also using Navy Federal’s investment services to teach their sons to plan for the future by “laddering CDs”—a strategy that involves dividing a lump sum into multiple certificates of deposit (CDs) with different maturity dates. “They are going to be so well prepared when they graduate,” Lisa said of her sons, noting that financial education is a key part of their overall education at the academy. “They will continue to stay with Navy Federal, as we will. We love Navy Federal.”

Learn more about Navy Federal’s support and discounts for those with ties to Military Service Academies and across military life.