Nation IN BRIEF : MARYLAND : Naval Academy Orders Stand-Down

The superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis has ordered a rare weeklong stand-down during which the elite military college will force all 4,000 midshipmen to review standards of conduct, following a recent string of criminal charges against students. The order came shortly after two seniors were charged with breaking and entering--the final straw in a school year in which midshipmen have been charged with rape, drug use and involvement in a car-theft ring. Academy officials had insisted the incidents did not suggest any overall weakness of the institution. A stand-down is the Navy’s method of ceasing all regular duties to discuss vital issues.