USMMA TRADITION: ACADEMY HONOR COIN AND HONOR OATH CEREMONY

Is honor a big deal at all the Academies?

Yes…yes it is!

While each Academy instructs their incoming classes differently, you can count on the magnitude of the Honor Code being communicated with high priority.

At USMMA, plebes participate in an Honor Ceremony during the last week of Indoctrination. Rear Admiral James A. Helis, Ph.D., said, “Leadership and service both have honor as a core component. These fundamental principles are central to the Academy experience, and the formal introduction to the Honor System is a culminating element of our Plebe Candidates’ indoctrination.”

The Honor Ceremony comes after the Academy’s plebe candidates attend classes on the Honor Code, become familiar with the Honor System, and attend a mock honor trial that allows plebe candidates to see the honor violation process. The trial is judged by a 9-person jury comprised of 5 classmates and 4 midshipmen officers.

The Honor Oath sworn by each plebe candidate is as follows:

“I, do solemnly swear or affirm to live by the honor code of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, which states that, ‘A midshipman will not lie, cheat, or steal.’ I understand that the Honor Code must be upheld by each member of the Regiment at all times. I vow to live by and uphold the code in all my actions, whether on Academy grounds or away. Honor is at the foundation of this Academy, deeply imbedded into its history. I faithfully pledge from this point forward, to define my life’s course by honor so help me God.”

The USMMA Honor Coin is gifted to each plebe candidate as a reminder of this commitment.

Source: https://www.usmma.edu/about/communications/usmma-plebe-candidates-take-honor-oath-0