‘‘The Academy exposes you to what you’ll be doing as a leader,” said Midn. 1⁄C Brad Cerasuolo, Assistant Regimental Operations Officer and Physical Mission Officer. ‘‘When you’re going through the Academy, whether you’re conscious of it or not, you’re collecting information all four years that you’ll be able to draw from later in your career.”

Members of the Class of 2010 are currently serving as detailers for Plebe Summer, using the leadership skills they’ve developed over the past three years and putting them into action helping to train this year’s Plebes. For some of these Mids, it is the first time they have really put these skills into action, facilitating the training and development of the Class of 2013.

‘‘As detailers of Plebe Summer, it is pretty clear that this is one of the first instances that many of us have had as Midshipmen where we are put in a position of great responsibility,” said Midn. 1⁄C Dan Hildenbrand, Charlie Company Commander. ‘‘The decisions we make can positively or negatively affect someone else. And these are the kind of experiences that make you an effective leader.”

Some Midshipmen are using the leadership opportunity presented by Plebe Summer to reflect on what they learned as Plebes going through the same training.

‘‘It is important for all the Plebes to remember that while this all seems stressful, it is done to make you better as a Midshipman and future leader of Sailors and Marines,” said Midn. 1⁄C Kayla Sax, Starboard Battalion Executive Officer. ‘‘I can remember being in the same position as these Plebes three years ago and thinking that the first class Mids were so mature and ready to be officers. Now that I’m in that position of leadership, it is humbling to know that the other firsties and I are the ones these Plebes are looking to for leadership.

‘‘The entire experience is one of development. It was a natural progression. In Plebe year, you’re learning how to follow and how to serve in a subordinate role. But as you progress, you get more and more responsibility,” Sax said.

The first class Midshipmen have taken the lessons learned from their three years at the Academy and look forward to passing that information on to the new Midshipmen.

‘‘I think what has shaped me most in my time here is mentor-ship,” Hildenbrand said. ‘‘Whether they’re older, younger or your age, it is important to have those people in your career that you trust and will tell you when you’ve made a mistake or when you’ve done a great job so you know what to do and what not to do. That’s one of the things that I hope to provide for my fellow Mids.”

Regardless of their position in the Brigade, when the academic year begins, the detailers agree all of the Midshipmen from Plebes to first class will take the knowledge and experiences gained from their time on the Yard and put it into practice as the future leaders of Midshipmen and, ultimately, the Fleet.