NStar Articles

It’s almost here: Commissioning Week 2024. This week of highlights culminates with the long-awaited day when the Class of 2024 caps off four incredibly hard and rewarding years at the U.S. Naval Academy with their graduation. They will be commissioned into their first roles as an officer—either as an ensign in the U.S. Navy or as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. We are swelling with pride just thinking about their achievements.

You may be familiar with famous bandmaster Charles A. Zimmerman, who composed and performed the U.S. Naval Academy anthem “Anchors Aweigh”—and you probably know one of USNA’s most famous graduates is Jimmy Carter. Still, the Yard is full of history, and these facts just scratch the surface.

There’s nothing that brings people together like breaking bread and sharing a meal. When you’re bringing more than 4,400 midshipmen together, that’s a lot of bread and a lot of meals. In the Naval Academy dining hall, King Hall, this feat is performed three times a day. It’s run like a ship because they’re preparing the future Navy for the rhythm of mealtimes aboard a ship. Also, how else can you feed that volume of people so efficiently?