I also remember watching from the corner of my eye as midshipmen dropped from standing outside in the hot sun too long with locked out knees while waiting to be inspected. A clean “gig line” – the vertical line of a trouser seam, belt edge and edge of a shirt (where buttoned).No loose threads on the uniform (called “Irish Pennants”).Cover (hat) clean and horizontal and not pushed back on head.The upperclassman then looked at that mid’s uniform from top to bottom looking at details like: We would line up in a platoon of three squads (10-12 midshipmen per squad) and an upperclassmen would slowly walk down the line, stopping at and facing each mid. During my years as a midshipmen, I learned extensively about “attention to detail” from the very beginning starting with Plebe Summer. Twenty years ago, I graduated from the United States Naval Academy. The military teaches “attention to detail” very well. Little things make big things happen.” - John Wooden
