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An incoming Naval Academy plebe leaves one station and heads to the next to retrieve her uniform during Induction Day on Thursday, June 30, 2016.

An incoming Naval Academy plebe leaves one station and heads to the next to retrieve her uniform during Induction Day on Thursday, June 30, 2016. (Ken-Yon Hardy/Stars and Stripes)

An incoming Naval Academy plebe leaves one station and heads to the next to retrieve her uniform during Induction Day on Thursday, June 30, 2016.

An incoming Naval Academy plebe leaves one station and heads to the next to retrieve her uniform during Induction Day on Thursday, June 30, 2016. (Ken-Yon Hardy/Stars and Stripes)

Naval Academy plebes begin to memorize items in an introduction manual handed out to all incoming freshman as a part of Induction Day on Thursday, June 30, 2016.

Naval Academy plebes begin to memorize items in an introduction manual handed out to all incoming freshman as a part of Induction Day on Thursday, June 30, 2016. (Ken-Yon Hardy/Stars and Stripes)

Naval Academy plebes line up outside of Alumni Hall for Induction Day on Thursday, June 30, 2016.

Naval Academy plebes line up outside of Alumni Hall for Induction Day on Thursday, June 30, 2016. (Ken-Yon Hardy/Stars and Stripes)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Nearly 1200 incoming freshman, known as plebes, began their experience at the U.S. Naval Academy during the annual Induction Day.

"There's great anxiety for everyone," said Cmdr. Mike Murnane, who assists with the academy's Plebe Summer. "It's the great unknown, because they haven't done it before."

Academy officials said plebes start their day being processed through various stations like uniform issue, medical examinations and haircuts, to become members of the USNA's class of 2020. Their day culminates with the Oath of Office ceremony, which officially welcomes them to the Annapolis campus.

"It's just the beginning for the challenges in their life," Murnane said. "What they'll find is that they are going to overcome today. They're going to make it through the end of the day and they are going to wake up tomorrow and get it going again."

hardy.kenyon@stripes.com

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