KINGS POINT, N.Y., Feb. 23, 2016 – Regimental Public Affairs Officer (RPAO) Midshipman 1st Class Jacob Weaver recently interviewed the Regimental Commander (RC) Midshipman 1st Class Thomas Hill about his experiences as RC and his time at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.                                                                     

Weaver: Where are you from?

Hill: Arvada, Colorado.  Arvada is northwest of Denver, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  It’s a great place to grow up.

Weaver: What made you want to attend Kings Point?

Hill: I wanted to come to Kings Point because I like working on engines and I heard that if you came to Kings Point, you could work on bigger engines. I like restoring muscle cars back home, so coming here is kind of an extension of that.

Weaver: What is your major?

Hill: Marine engineering systems with a concentration in nuclear power.

Weaver: What other regimental positions have you held here at Kings Point, and how do they compare to your current position as RC?

Hill: Last rotation I was the Company Training Officer (CTO) in Second Company, and before that I was the Regimental Emergencies Services Executive Officer Petty Officer and Company Training Officer Petty Officer.

Speaking to the Emergencies Services assignment specifically, that was not as regimented as the other positions.  Being an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) officer involves a lot of training and mentorship and more training.  The most important thing is ensuring that everyone on the squad has a good background in Emergency Medicine and New York State EMS Protocols.  As an EMT, you are subject to a lot of state and federal laws that come from outside the academy.  The same effect is not felt as Regimental Commander. 

I also really enjoyed being CTO; I felt like that was a big leadership challenge for myself. It was a lot of fun kind of “working in the trenches” every day with the plebes, even though sometimes it made me feel like a plebe again myself.

Weaver: How would you compare being RC to CTO?

Hill: Being RC takes a lot more organization I found. Not that being CTO is disorganized; being a CTO gives you a lot more latitude, and more opportunity to think on your feet, and manage people, and get to know people. As RC you sometimes get stuck in the rut of answering emails and going to meetings.

But on the flip side, RC is really cool because you get involved in all aspects of academy life, not just the training side of things. In addition, the position has given me the power to make a lot of changes in the Regiment.  That is a double-edged sword however.  Power and responsibility go very much hand-in-hand. 

Weaver: Who is your favorite Professor?

Hill: Recently I would have to say Marine Engineering Professor Brian Ackerman. His expertise and demeanor in the classroom has made learning about engineering a lot of fun, and he always ties in a real life picture of engineering, rather than sticking strictly with the text book. Now that we are seniors, he brings in a lot input from the class members, which brings to light all kinds of different experiences. In addition, he has supported my classmates and I in an endeavor to volunteer rebuilding the engine room of the Lightship Ambrose (LV87) at the South Street Seaport in New York.

Weaver: Where you or are you currently involved in any clubs or sports at the academy?

Hill: I have been involved in the Auto Club off and on, but recently I have been very busy attending to my duties as Regimental Commander.  All of our clubs, sports and extracurricular at the Academy provide great opportunities for midshipmen. Plebe year and third class year I ran track and cross country. In track I ran the mile.  I was never the best runner on the team, but I am thankful I was offered the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level.  Being able to travel with the team as a plebe was an invaluable experience.   

Weaver: What was your favorite experience while at the academy?

Hill: My best experience was serving as an EMT officer during Indoctrination for the class of 2018. Being in charge of indoc was really cool, and it is a nice time to be on campus, if you’re not a candidate of course. Not having any classes allowed me ample time to focus on building and guiding the EMT’s to maximize their success with minimal interference from classes and other regimental duties.   Like any focused, intensive leadership course, it gave me the opportunity to make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes.

Weaver: What was your favorite experience while at sea?

Hill: My sea year experience is kind of unique in that I am one of the only midshipman with over 300 days at sea, and I never left the United States. I’ve been to California, Hawaii and Louisiana, which does not happen to a lot of people. Towards the end of my sea year I had the opportunity to get on a submarine for ten days, and that was a really neat experience. I was on the USS Missouri. That experience also solidified my plans for post-graduation.

Weaver: What do you plan on doing after graduation?

Hill: After graduation I plan on taking an active duty slot in the Navy as a Submariner.  I would be attending Nuclear Power School in South Carolina immediately after graduation.  I am looking forward to this challenge.   

Weaver: What is some advice you would offer for anyone looking to attend Kings Point?

Hill: The best advice I could give is to keep an open mind and explore all of your options. Even if you’re not sure that you want to attend Kings Point, I think you should still look in to the school, because you might find that what we have to offer is very interesting. I think for students who are well motivated and determined to succeed, that they are going to be very successful at Kings Point.