why?

So, what's the deal?

They were phased out between my soph and junior year. So around 93. I was glad to see them go though. I still have my combat boots for working out in the yard in the blackberry brambles.

I think there were supply issues. Few suppliers were carrying the Olive drab and only had the Camos, not to mention the price tag for additional set of uniforms.

So the Academy did away with the fatigues and boots and saved the parents a ton of $. Then, of course, tuition went up...lol

Just seems wrong to me. A military academy without fatigues or combat boots? A group of cadets who will never know what a pain it is to keep the same set of boot blousers for four years? To not realise you DON'T use your laundry marker to write your name on that white strip of cloth above your shirt pocket? Or to have the most comfortable of all the uniforms? Yup, definitely wrong.

Agreed.... and the Barracks have air conditioning now, right? Wow...no fatigues, AC and all kinds of creature comforts. I remember sweating it out on those hot nights...

AC in the barracks? Heresy! Why not provide electric floor buffers, or better than that, janitors to keep the place spotless?

I know each generation says they had it the tougher than the next, but I think they should bring back more of the military aspects of the academy..

God, are we THAT old? You two sound like a couple curmudgeons! :D

It's not like we were running obstacle courses in those fatigues. You really aren't taking away from the overall FUMA experience--except I found them uncomfortable and clumsy as hell.

Remember, FUMA competes for students---particularly PG's--- so they have to stay with the times. They got cable hookups too---not long after we left. No more rabbit ears!

Taking away a teenagers cell phone these days is absolute torture for them---more torture than anything we had to endure--it's all relative.

When I was in fifth grade 1970, ROTC had not been gone long from the Academy and the obstacle course was still on what we called the lower field - as I recall it was there for my entire time - several instructors on very rare ocassion had us on portions of that course.

I remember it being very muddy...

And lets not forget the metal food trays from which we ate our chow. Everything tasted of steel.

Actually, we have to compete for students in general. The rise of good private day schools like Collegiate and St. Chris means we have to demonstrate the benefits that come from our boarding environment where we can mold and control the learning environment (zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol, no cell phones and other distractions, etc.)

Don't think the competition these days is just for PG athletes. We must compete to fill our school with the kind of high caliber kids we want. Guys like you guys! Well....

CaptDan

Yeah, I worded that poorly. When I was writing I was thinking of the explosive growth of PG programs since I left FUMA (particularly in basketball)--and as such the need to be an attractive option for that market. But obviously the other 500 beds just don't fill themselves. It looks like someone is doing a good job getting that job done with the very impressive list of service academy appointments this year. So much for the notion that military school kids are problem children!

I do have to disagree on one note...St. Chris and Collegiate were alive and well in the late 80's and certainly had very good reputations.

Actually they used to tell us that they turned down a lot of potential cadets every year....and we all used to look around and think "geez...I'd love to see who they turned down!"

Oh, I believe they did turn down quite a few. When I was a new nurse, I worked in a psychiatric hospital for adolescents. Quite a few of our short-term patients were boys who's parents said they had 'tried the threat of military school' and failed. That reminded me that FUMA IS a high-caliber learning institution, not a warehouse for misfits.

As for the desire to see a return of Class C uniforms, it's a personal thing. I found them very comfortable and think that you should not hit the drill fields in your daily Class Bs. IF I remember right, we only had two pair of Class B pants (might have been three) and a small number of shirts (was it five? know we weren't allowed too many of them). If you soil your Class Bs in a fall on the drill field, there weren't too many options for cleaning them up.

As for the rest of the argument, it was a different time. I miss the semi-Spartan lifestyle we had, in a way. It was pretty simple to live that way.

I think that the Retan Rifle (the honor company that is now part of Band Company) have just received tan BDUs to wear. I believe they will be sporting those about three days per week. I'm not sure the details on that....

"I'm not sure the details on that...."

Dan,
Perhaps to blend in with the surrounding Virginia desert?

Perhaps so they could stand quietly along the walls of the barracks and not be seen? The color is not an exact match, but close enough in poor light.....

That had crossed my mind, but I had remembered the buildings were a bit lighter in color the last time I visited as opposed to when I attended the Academy and thought no.

No Class Cs? A/C in the barracks? Electric floor polishers? What school are we talking about????

(Just kidding!)

I know you have to keep up with the other schools; I am starting to really appreciate my years there now. I did not think of it as a "tough" environment back then, just school. But, at age 11 I pretty much did not have any right to an opinion in those days!

I do have to disagree on one note...St. Chris and Collegiate were alive and well in the late 80's and certainly had very good reputations.

They were strong when we were at FUMA, but trust me when I say it is a whole different ball game. Those two schools are big time now. Their facilities are incredible. Not that ours are not incredible, but it use to be US and Woodberry with the better facilities...no longer. I think their wealthy alumni are tired of FUMA pushing them around and have stepped up to foot the bill to close the gap.