(Tribune News Service) — Roughly 1,200 incoming midshipmen arrived in Annapolis on Thursday for the kickoff of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Class of 2029 Plebe Summer. Many will spend most of their time on campus, referred to as “the yard,” while others will occasionally spend time with families in homes in and around the city.

The U.S. Naval Academy Sponsor Family Program provides more than 2,000 midshipmen with a “home away from home.”

Brad Gordon’s family sponsored midshipmen when he was growing up. In 2018, they welcomed five midshipmen and loved both them and the experience. A Marine veteran, Gordon now works in the Naval Academy’s media relations office.

Families often begin by sponsoring one or two midshipmen, then gradually welcome their friends into their home as well. Gordon’s family are regulars at bulk stores and have no problem feeding as many as 15 midshipmen at once.

“It’s nice to know that they have somewhere safe to go and hang out and enjoy a weekend and watch TV and be, ‘normal,’” said Gordon. “They quickly became part of the family.”

He throws birthday parties, helps them through breakups and grows close with the midshipmen’s families. Many of those relationships continue well beyond graduation.

For midshipmen from across the country, home-cooked meals and a change of pace help them acclimate to military life. Residents in the Annapolis area can sign up on the Naval Academy website to sponsor one or more midshipmen. They must complete a detailed application and training every five years. Applications open Jan. 1 and close in July.

“When they come off the yard and go to their sponsor family’s house, it’s an opportunity to unwind, relax and not have the very stringent schedule and responsibilities,” said Amanda Fiedler, Anne Arundel County District 5 council member.

To date, the Fiedler family has sponsored two midshipmen and welcomed many of their friends who come along for visits.

“We also have three young boys and thought it would be a really good experience for them to have a role model in the house, to see what Naval Academy life is like and the responsibility that comes with it,” Fiedler said. “They not only have someone to look up to but also gain an appreciation for the commitment that’s involved.”

Nic Simmons is sponsored by the Fiedlers and just finished his second year at the academy. He said, as long as midshipmen can find a family that fits, he’d recommend the experience.

“When you have a good sponsor family, they become a second family, and that support structure is really needed at the academy,” he said.

“They feed me and house me. I have my own room. They’re super nice and always check in on me and come support me at track events,” Simmons said. “The only con is when you feel bad because they’re taking care of you for free.”

But for sponsors, caring for dedicated, hardworking young people is incentive enough.

“The amount of commitment he puts into his everyday performance — academically, in military service and athletics — blows my mind, quite frankly, at his age,” Fiedler said.

Families have clear house rules, but Gordon said all of his midshipmen were kind, communicative and respectful. Many became positive influences on his sons, and he’s passionate about watching them grow from plebes to full service members.

“Seeing how different they were when they first got here to today is absolutely… it’s incredible. I mean, you’re watching your own kids grow up. That’s how close we become,” Gordon said.

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