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Photos

Snapshots of what’s happening in the Defense Department.

Midshipmen climb greased obelisk.

Midshipmen Climb

U.S. Naval Academy freshmen, or “plebes,” climb the Herndon Monument, a tradition symbolizing the successful completion of their first year at the academy. The plebes must use teamwork, strategy and communication to climb the 21-foot-tall monument and replace the traditional plebe cover at the top with a midshipman's cover. The class of 2022 completed the Herndon Climb in 1:05:05.

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