6th Company Commander: 1/C JJ Wilson

Hey everyone, my name is JJ Wilson and I’m from Plymouth, Massachusetts. I’m studying Marine Engineering, where I also take an academic role as a 2nd Training Rate, and I have the privilege of being the 6th Company Commander for this upcoming year. I’m also a talker, so be
prepared for some long blogs. I want to start by sharing two of my most regarded values; the importance of effort, and endurance. The amount of growth and development as an overall human being that the Academy allows is beyond incredible. It’s something I’ve experienced firsthand. However, this enhancement of your character is not effortless, nor is it short. One thing I’ve taken away from being at MMA for the past three years is that, in order to be successful here, and in life, you must have the endurance to constantly pursue unbreakable effort in every task that you are given. I hope to show the weight of these two ideals in the culture of 6th Company. Closing up on the intro here, I’m extremely ecstatic not only for what’s to come, but that it’s only the beginning of a great year. I’d also like to take the opportunity to highlight the immense
amount of pride that I have for the team that has been built in 6th Company, and the genuine determination and dedication that they have towards each other. Their bond and ability to work together is smoothly setting the foundation for the standard of 6th Company this year, and I
could not be more happy with that.

“What is to give light must endure burning.” – Viktor E. Frankl

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Orientation Day 1

Happy first day of Orientation, and what a day it’s been! The C/Cs were received and marched in groups to the Mess Deck, where they were able to file into their respective companies. They were then able to meet the Cadre of 6th Company over a wonderful meal presented by Chartwells. This meal is where the C/Cs were taught proper Mass Maritime dining etiquette, and were able to get to know their Squad Leaders. 

From lunch, the C/Cs took a field trip to the gym, where they received all of their uniform items, along with miscellaneous inspection items. During the long period of waiting in line for said items, the Squad Leaders efficiently conducted round-circle demonstrations of simple facing movements. 

Moving quickly to dinner, the question of the night for the C/Cs was: “Why are manners important?” This gave the C/Cs the opportunity to critically think about ethics outside of the regiment, and was a great start to get to know our company. 

After a medical brief, the C/Cs were put to bed following receiving nom noms (snacks) to end a long first day. The first go-around is always the hardest, however the initial friction has been broken. From here, with a team of unbelievable Squad Leaders, the C/Cs are undoubtedly going to pick up traction. It’s been immensely exciting seeing these Squad Leaders grow into their roles, and these C/C’s to learn so much in such a short period of time.

 It’ll be an even better day tomorrow.

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Orientation Day 2

Day 2 of Orientation! A very eventful first full day of activity for the C/Cs and the Squad Leaders. We began the morning bright and early with an official introduction of each individual Cadre (the Squad Leaders, then the Senior Staff). The C/Cs were then taken to morning chow, where they fueled up for a long day at the Great Herring Pond in the great town of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

During pond day, the C/Cs were able to take a breath and relax from all the intensity of the previous 24 hours, where myself and the rest of the Senior Staff gave the Squad Leaders a break and oversaw the trip. It was a great environment for the C/Cs to construct bonds and establish relationships with each other. Pond day consisted of learning how to row properly, taking the sailboats out for a spin, and learning coxswain commands and rowing procedures for the monomoys. These are all activities that require full team effort and communication in order to effectively execute a task. 

From Great Herring Pond, we took the buses back to campus, where the Squad Leaders received them and took them to intramurals. We unfortunately received a loss from 1st Company in Water Polo, however I was extremely proud of the energy and fight that we brought to the table. For the rest of the night, we had dinner patio to test the C/C’s knowledge of Academy Staff, and important information that is vital to MMA Culture. There is a lot of growth that can be done in this area, however the degree to which a person can grow is directly proportional to the summation of the truth they can accept about themselves, and the effort to make the improvement. The C/Cs were also taught some drill movements, along with inspection drawer and shaving and hair expectations.

A couple roadblocks were hit today, but nobody has ever learned anything about fatigue or being tired from a paved road.  

Quote of the Day: “You normally have to be bashed around a bit by life to see the point of daffodils, sunsets and uneventful nice days.” – Alain de Botton

Song of the Day: Seek and Destroy – Metallica

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Orientation Day 3

Today, we started off strong with the PT Test. The test began following a warmup lead by the Squad Leaders, then segued into max pushups and max situps within a 2 minute time block. After that, the C/Cs gritted  through an all-out mile run, leaving many C/Cs in shambles.

Next on the agenda after showering, we moved to breakfast, where we quickly transitioned to the gym in order to finish our uniform collection process. To break the monotony of this activity, the C/Cs got their pictures taken for their keycards, and made their way to patio to test their knowledge before noon meal. A positive of our 6th Company C/Cs is that they are extremely loud, however they have a lot of work to do in regards to their understanding of the youngie handbook. 

Breezing through noon meal, we finished up the uniform madness and switched direction to intramurals. We suffered a loss to the hands of 2nd Company in ultimate frisbee, which is a nerd’s game anyway. 

Proceeding showering and recovery, we had another set of patio knowledge before evening meal. Prior to patio, we were nailing down our knowledge. There is only so much motivation that you can give to a human before that strategy becomes inconsistent and useless. Instilling consistent personal reflection and growth, along with accountability of your peers is how a team obliterates a challenge. So, after reflecting on our noon patio and covering our bases, we walked out and ate every question that was thrown at us. We carried that energy into drill practice, where we spent time learning column right and column left.

To end the night, we wrapped it up with room prep time where we learned room inspection standards and properly making your rack. On the way out, the C/Cs grabbed their nom noms before getting some shut eye for Cold Water Survival tomorrow.

Quote of the Day: “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway

Song of the Day: Aerials – System of a Down

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Orientation Day 4

The day started off with an incredible morning run at PT. Mr. Dickinson and I then led a conversation on the importance of respect to get rubber to pavement for the rest of the day, and set the tone for expectations moving forward. After showers and chow, the C/Cs headed to the pool for Cold Water Survival Training. 

This training is not only important for survival and resourcefulness in the maritime industry, but also details and emphasizes encouragement and teamwork. The C/Cs worked together to learn and conduct different strategies of survival during an abandon ship situation. They were also taught how to properly utilize life-saving equipment in the event of such an emergency. 

We stayed at the pool to battle it out with 3rd Company over water polo before breaking off to evening patio and dinner, where we lost tragically during crunch time. Lining up for evening patio, the C/Cs studied the 16 traits of a leader, along with the Fire Triangle and the Joseph P. Kennedy quote. At this point in time, between a tough morning, a loss in intramurals, and before entering an atmosphere pressured by the weight of performance, we tapped into what it means to be resilient. We learned how to be self-reflective on underconfidence, and how that can be addressed as a group and built up collectively. We will kill tomorrow.

The night ended with highlighting our first Cadet Candidate Platoon Leader (CCPL). This position puts the spotlight on an individual, outstanding candidate who not only aligns with the standards and culture of 6th Company, but exceeds expectations constantly. A candidate who embodies and exemplifies the potential for a future leader. Today, C/C Kaye was selected as our first CCPL. Mr. Kaye has shown nothing but respect and courtesy towards his Cadre and his Shipmates, gives everything in his soul to showing up as the best version of himself, and genuinely cares about winning for the sake of others. Mr. Kaye gave some words about presence and effort as the sun set on the water, and 6th Company had a little more heart after that.

The Squad Leaders finished up the night with demonstrations on wall locker standards for inspection, and the distribution of cleaned PT gear. Nom noms were extended to the youngies, and that is where our Day 4 Story ends.

Thank you for reading.

Quote of the Day: “Water wouldn’t sound so beautiful without rocks in its way” – Marcus Aurelius

Song of the Day: Strong Reflection – Mars Red Sky

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Orientation Day 5

A lot of positivity out of day 5. PT consisted of the field exercises, which included pushups, sit ups, burpees, mountain climbers, flutter kicks and planks. I was impressed by the heart that our C/Cs showed in pushing beyond their physical limits, and consistently going 100% until the last whistle.

After a successful PT session, we moved through showers and breakfast to get to fire fighting training at Bridgewater Fire Academy. This period of learning is beyond important. When you’re on a ship, you are your own firefighter. In order to save lives and save yourself, it’s imperative to have knowledge of properly battling and defeating a fire.

From a long day of hose-handling and spraying water, the C/Cs brought a different level of energy to kickball against 3rd Co. Revenge is sweeter than many make it out to be, as we took the win to tie the record between 3rd Co to 1-1. After coming out on top, we all took a deep breath. For the purpose of basking in victory, and really being present in the feeling of work paying off. 

Energy is contagious, when kept consistent it can powerfully compound. We carried the same attitude and effort from intramurals to patio today, absolutely crushing the knowledge. As people, especially ones who are considered “overachievers”, we will always look for ways to improve what we are doing, regardless of how good we are in the current position. Today, we took the time to be appreciative of the place that we were in, the mood of the day, and the amount of dedication that many of these C/Cs have.

We finally ended the day with dinner, drill (learning ‘to the rear’ and flanks), and room prep. Safe to say 6th Co hit it out of the park today. Now it’s time to ride the wave out.

Quote of the Day: “A crooked tree lives its own life, but a straight tree is turned into wood.”

Song of the Day: On a Roll – The Bends

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Orientation Day 6

The day began with an electric run led by the Squad Leaders at 0545 during a rainy and cold PT day. Today especially is where I saw an abundance of perseverance and drive from the C/Cs, not just 6th Company but regiment-wide.

After breakfast, we chose a C/C to be the 6th Company Guide on. This honor is given to a C/C who radiates consistency and genuine care for those around them. The guide-on is held by a C/C who delivers enthusiasm and believes in 6th Company’s vision. As the rain fell, we chose Mr. Cruz to hold the spear for us. Mr. Cruz has shown nothing but dignity and tenacity in his character. He holds himself to a standard that is extremely high, and lives up to every expectation of what a leader in 6th Company looks like. I look forward to having him march with us with pride for the rest of the year.

 Following our guide-on ceremony, we high-tailed it to a set of meetings. One on the topic of global engagement, and the other on academic planning and resources. From those meetings, the youngies started to master some of the more intricate drill movements, flying through their flanks and ‘to the rear’. 

After a great Chartwells lunch, we moved to the USTS Patriot State 2 for a vessel familiarization tour. This was an experience that was very encouraged to be registered and given full attention to, as we’re leaving for Mini Cruise on Tuesday.

The rest of the day was spent on perfecting those drill movements, along with studying for patio and public speaking opportunities. Touching upon the public speaking, the Cadre had an incredibly creative concept to get C/Cs out of their shells way beyond the walls of comfort. And that was with public speaking assessments amongst shipmates and peers, and accentuating respect.

We finished the day with dinner, another meeting that introduced the C/Cs to the USTS Patriot State 2. 

We had a talk about shaving tonight and how it’s been an issue. A common theme today has been fear and self-confidence. They know the knowledge, however a select few individuals that don’t understand that fear is a portal, the only thing you have to do is walk through. 

Quote of the Day: “I must continue to follow the path I take now. If I do nothing, if I study nothing, if I cease searching, then, woe is me, I am lost.” – Vincent van Gogh

Song of the Day: Bodies – Drowning Pool

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Orientation Day 7

We are now over the half-way point to the completion of Orientation. Before going into the process of the day, I’d like to reflect for a moment. From Day 1 to now, the amount of challenges, triumphs and moments of importance have looked infinite from the starting line. Progress has been remarkable in every respect across the board. The desire for improvement has been an exponential increase, and the itch that only persistence can scratch has become a familiar feeling.

We started with the usual morning progression, PT (field exercises today), showers, then breakfast. From breakfast, we went into drill practice, where the C/Cs learned their obliques. We’re slowly approaching learning our special move, which will be used in the drill competition prior to Orientation Graduation. We escaped the rain to very important meetings on the topic of Customs and Traditions, and Watchstanding. 

A special moment in the day took place after the meetings, where the 6th Company Officer, LCDR Fiorentino, was able to meet with the C/Cs, answer any questions that they had for him, and for them to be able to understand the vitality of the position of Company Officer.

Noon Patio today was unfortunately not our best showing. The expectations for knowledge have been raised, as we see our Candidates really striving for something bigger than themselves and extending their priorities to a team level. We still did pushups for the inability to hit that standard.

Another bout of important meetings regarding the Regimental Manual, and SGA and MMA History gave a lot of information on culture of the school, along with familiarization with the holy book of the regiment. The C/Cs then broke off into different groups that were associated with their majors. These breakout groups were run by the Academic Rates and Operational Officers of each major, which allowed the youngies the power to ask questions and gain understanding of their field of study.

Going into Evening Patio, our team was extremely confident in their knowledge. A lesson of the day that was understood and relayed to our youngies was the fact that, sometimes a perspective shift is all you need in order to broaden your shoulders for challenges heavier in weight. After doing well in Evening Patio and grabbing dinner swiftly, we made our way across campus to the MCC building for Fire and Emergency drill walkthroughs, and Cadet Berthing and Station Bill familiarization. Afterwards, it was the usual room prep operations, except tonight the focus was ironing uniforms. 

A lot of emotions and construction today with the C/Cs. That’s the premise of every day, however it becomes more acute as the days pass. Tomorrow will be an even better day.

Quote of the Day: “The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

Song of the Day: In On It – Superheaven

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Orientation Day 8

Today, we were able to bring a lot of things together. Pieces missing from our puzzle that we were looking for made their appearance, and we saw a whole lot of change and newfound successes amongst the C/Cs. 

Myself and the rest of the Senior Staff took on the role of waking the C/Cs up this morning. We had a rest day from PT today, so we got everyone showered up and spent some time outside before making the move to breakfast. After breakfast, the C/Cs had the option to go to a televised service. The remainder of the group spent much of the morning drilling, before we all reunited to have the Youngies meet with LCDR Fiorentino, our Company Officer. 

We double-timed to Noon Patio from here, giving an impressive effort in answering the questions the Regimental Staff peppered us with. The C/Cs absolutely CRUSHED “41 parts of a lifeboat” which is arguably the most difficult piece of knowledge to internalize.

After lunch, the C/Cs drilled some more, and started working on our “special move” for the marching competition. It’s been really encouraging to see many of these Youngies really caring and putting the effort into something like drill or “Youngie Knowledge” and proving that they want to be a part of this intense but rewarding culture. We took company pictures, and immediately segued to a fire and boat drill on the ship to prepare us for mini cruise and departing from the pier. 

Straight from the boat drill we went to Evening Patio. We had the best volume and the best knowledge I’ve seen from us the entirety of Orientation, so we treated ourselves to a pushup party right after.

The rest of the night consisted of more drill, knowledge, and TRO time and nom noms. Right before our last drill session, we appointed a new CCPL. Mr. Kaye had an incredible tenure, however Mr. Desmarais has stood out in his attitude and demeanor. The willingness to grow and thrive in this unfamiliar setting is becoming greatly prominent in the C/Cs, and Mr. Desmarais has kept that attitude since day 1. Humbly and righteously, Mr. Desmarais has been given the opportunity to be a leader amongst his peers, and there’s no doubt in my mind the extent of magnification of his skills to his peers AND to the Cadre will be a quick process.

Quote of the Day: “If something burns your soul with purpose and desire, it’s your duty to be reduced to ashes by it. Any other form of existence will be yet another dull book in the library of life.” – Charles Bukowski

Song of the Day: My Way – Frank Sinatra

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