2/17/01

You should know that the Academy cannot accept notification from a 
Sponsor Parent. ONLY a parent or guardian of a midshipman or the Red Cross 
can inform the Academy of a midshipman's family emergency. In order to do 
this, you need to follow the appropriate Chain of Command. 

Your son or daughter's Company Officer is the first person to be called. 
If you do not have the name and phone number of this officer, you may call 
the Main Office at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Main Office 
number is 410-293-5001. Or...the automated attendant is 410-293-1000 & select 5 on their menu for Deputy Officer.  Immediately ask to speak to the Command Duty 
Officer. If he/she is not present, leave a number and ask that they page 
him/her and that your call be returned within 5 minutes. (Tell them the 
nature of the call, of course.) 

If you wish a Chaplain to be involved in the notification of your 
midshipman, tell that to the Command Duty Officer. There is ALWAYS a Duty 
Chaplain, but he/she can ONLY be reached after hours by the Command Duty 
Officer. 

Your midshipman's Company Officer will have all the information necessary 
to locate your child, communicate your message, help him/her arrange Leave 
(if necessary) and transportation to a place you have indicated in your 
conversation. The Company Officer will call in a Chaplain, if that is your 
wish, to support or counsel your midshipman. 

It is hoped that you will never have to avail yourself of these services, 
but just in case, you might wish to print and save this information.