Navy carries out secret mission to drop ping pong balls on Army rivals ahead of annual football game

It was a crisp December afternoon as three small planes circled above their goal, making 12 complete passes overhead as they dropped leaflets from the plane, watching as they fluttered softly to the bottom.

A type of psychological warfare, leaflet drops can be utilized to steer or intimidate an enemy drive or try to speak with a inhabitants below enemy management. This most up-to-date mission was like these one would possibly see in a time of conflict – apart from the truth that it was carried out over the US Navy Academy at West Level, and the propaganda in query was, nicely, this:

“Beat Military,” learn the leaflets, which had been accompanied by a colourful array of ping pong balls. “Fly Navy,” others proclaimed.

The “air-to-ground spirit mission” that occurred simply earlier than midday on Monday is the newest in an extended custom of rivalry and pranks the US Naval Academy and West Level launch in opposition to each other on this hallowed week annually for every establishment: The week of the Military-Navy soccer recreation. On Saturday afternoon, the way forward for the US navy’s officer corps will face off in Philadelphia on the 123rd such recreation, which at all times attracts crowds of scholars in addition to high navy brass.

A information launch from the Naval Academy confirmed that at 11:59 a.m. on Monday, 5 midshipmen led three flight crews for the Piper PA-28 Cherokee Warriors to New York for Operation Black Knight Falling, which in the end dropped an unknown variety of ping pong balls and leaflets.

“Twelve supply passes dropped ‘Beat Military’ and ‘Fly Navy’ leaflets, together with ping pong balls, over Military West Level’s ‘The Apron,’” the USNA launch says. “Military cadets may very well be seen breaking formation and operating for canopy.”

Because the midshipmen accomplished their mission, the discharge says they flew down the Hudson River to “take a cross round Girl Liberty” earlier than flying again south to “the higher service Academy alongside the Severn River.”

Cmdr. Alana Garas, a US Naval Academy spokesperson, advised CNN on Tuesday that further particulars concerning Operation Black Knight Falling had been unavailable resulting from mission particulars “being held on the highest Naval Academy classification ranges.”

“Nevertheless,” Garas stated, “I can let you know this was well-planned and safely executed in accordance with Naval Academy Spirit Mission steerage. Desired results had been achieved! BEAT ARMY!”

An announcement from the West Level public affairs workplace on Tuesday confirmed the Naval Academy’s mission, however stated that whereas they accomplished 12 passes, “sadly not all of the drops hit the supposed targets.”

“Hopefully, Navy soccer gamers may have higher goal in Saturday’s rivalrly in opposition to the Military Black Knights who’re dialed in and poised to attain,” the assertion stated.

Whereas West Level’s assertion stated there was no deliberate retaliation in opposition to the Naval Academy, a video on a preferred Instagram web page that often posts about West Level appeared to indicate a bunch of cadets quietly sneaking across the Naval Academy’s campus at the hours of darkness, pulling off one prank after one other.

The video, captioned “Spirit Mission 2022,” reveals the cadets hanging flyers and flags all through the campus, together with exterior the superintendent’s dwelling, inserting small toy troopers on classroom desks and even stopping for a fast midnight snack within the eating corridor. It’s unclear when the alleged prank occurred.

Pranks between cadets and midshipmen main as much as the Military-Navy recreation is a story as outdated as time, although they’ve assorted through the years. The stunts usually embrace the kidnapping – and subsequent return – of the opposing faculty’s animal mascot. The decades-long custom went sideways final 12 months when West Level cadets went to take the Navy’s goat mascot, and by chance grabbed the unsuitable one.

As a substitute of grabbing the present mascot, Invoice No. 37, the cadets took Invoice No. 34, the previous mascot of the academy who has since retired.

However regardless of the strategy of prank, the rivalry shall be in full drive on Saturday because the Navy Midshipmen try to defend their 2021 win.