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CASTINE – Growing up on the shores of Penobscot Bay, it seems almost preordained that Bret Leach and James Lawsing would be drawn to the sea.
That attraction has grown over the years and the two young men, classmates and friends since they met in the seventh grade, have just completed their first semester at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., two of the five appointees from Maine to enter the academy this year.
“Most people applying to one service academy apply to all the academies,” Leach said. “It was different for us. We both really wanted to be near the water, so that limited it to the Naval Academy. It’s tough to leave the water.”
The two plebes, both 18 years old, still get a chance to spend time on the water. Avid sailors, both are members of the academy’s varsity sailing team and are looking forward to a trans-Atlantic sail at the end of the spring semester.
And although they are in different companies, they have two classes together and see each other regularly.
It’s nice to have a familiar face on campus, but it’s equally important to have that shared experience when they return home.
“For a college experience, this is totally different than any other,” Lawsing said. “It’s completely different than any freshman year at any other college. There’s somebody here to relate to.”
“Nobody else understands what you’re talking about,” Leach added.
The two follow a strict routine dictated by class schedules and military protocol that leaves very little free time during the day.
Up at 6 a.m., in bed at 11 p.m. or midnight, depending on which company you’re in. And in between, there are classes, athletics, formations and study time, all of it regimented and dictated mainly by upperclassmen.
That loss of freedom, Lawsing said, was the biggest change for him. The only scheduled free time, he said, comes on the weekend, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
The brigade of midshipmen, though overseen by commissioned naval officers, is run primarily by the seniors, with juniors providing support.
The sophomores help out the plebes, who have spent six weeks during the summer in a sort of basic training session.
The structure is part of adapting to the military way of life, Lawsing said.
“We’re learning leadership skills. To be a good leader, you have to be a good follower,” he said. “Part of this is to help us to pick up the characteristics of good leadership.”
And to avoid the characteristics of bad leadership, Leach added.
Though they didn’t think much about the military life while they were deciding to attend the academy, there’s a sharp distinction between those who serve in the military and the rest of the country, Leach said.
“It’s hard for those not in the military to understand what the military does,” he said. “You see it, but you don’t really get the effect from the television screen.”
A lot of it has to do with the relationships of trust and respect that, even early in their college careers, they can see are being formed.
“There are real strong bonds in the unit you’re with,” Leach said. “That’s one of the things that keeps them going.”
And the two are not immune to the symbols of support for the military that they found when they returned home.
“We came home and saw the yellow ribbons on the cars,” Lawsing said. “No matter what their political views, people are still supporting the troops.”
“It seems like such a small thing, but people don’t realize how important it is for them to see it,” Leach added.
The two classmates have yet to declare a major – Lawsing is looking at international relations, Leach, systems engineering, although there has been discussion of signing up for submarine cruises, and the topic of flying comes up regularly in conversations. Both said they think naval aviation could be in their future.
Although the regimen is demanding, and the first few weeks were “like a roller coaster,” both young men said they were happy with their decision to attend the academy.
“We’re doing a lot of cool things that nobody else gets to do,” Leach said.
They’re also aware of the tradition of which they’ve become a part.
“I think of all the people who have walked through here and it hits me: I’m here. I’m a part of this,” Lawsing said. “It’s a good feeling.”
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