The United States Military Academy (also known as USMA, West Point or, for collegiate athletic purposes,
Army) is a United States Army post and
service academy. West Point was first a military post that was briefly under the
command of Benedict Arnold[1]. Established in 1802, it is the oldest military academy in the
United States. Students are referred to as cadets. Collectively, graduates are known as
"The Long Gray Line" because of the color of cadet uniforms and the unbroken line of West Point graduates. West Point trains more
United States Army officers than any other institution and a high proportion of distinguished American generals have been West Point graduates. Currently, over 900 graduates are commissioned as U.S.
Army lieutenants every year, representing 25% of new lieutenants commissioned[2].
The Academy is located at West Point, New
York, on a scenic overlook of the Hudson
River, about 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City. ( 41°23′38″N, 73°57′16″W). Consequently, it
is often referred to as "Hudson High". Occupying over 16,000 acres (65 km²), it is one of the
largest school campuses in the world. By comparison, the United States Naval
Academy is 338 acres (1.37 km²) and United States Air Force
Academy is 18,000 acres (73 km²). Its unique combination of facilities includes a ski
slope and artillery range, in addition to the academic buildings and sports facilities found
on a typical university campus. The post itself was first occupied in 1778; it is thus the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United
States.
Appointment process
By an Act of Congress passed in 1903, two appointments
as Cadets were allowed for each senator, representative, and delegate in Congress, two for the District of Columbia, and five
each year at large. Currently, each member of Congress and the Vice
President can have five appointees attending the Military Academy at any time. When any appointee graduates or otherwise leaves the academy, a vacancy
is created. The process is not political and applicants do not have to know their congressman to be nominated. Congressmen generally nominate ten people per vacancy. They can nominate
people in a competitive manner, or they can have a principal nomination. In a competitive nomination, all ten applicants are
reviewed by the academy to see who is the most qualified. If the congressman appoints a principal nominee, then as long as that
candidate is physically, medically, and academically found qualified by the academy, he or she will be admitted, even if there
are more qualified applicants. The degree of difficulty in obtaining a nomination varies greatly according to the number of
applicants in a particular state. The process of obtaining a nomination typically consists of completing an application,
completing one or more essays, and obtaining one or more letters of recommendation. These requirements are set by the respective
senator or congressman and are in addition to the USMA application.
Additional sources of appointment are open to children of career military personnel (100 per year); 170 appointments per year
are for active-duty Army enlisted personnel; 20 appointments per year are provided for Army
Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets; and 65 appointments are available
to children of military members who were killed in action, or were rendered 100% disabled
from injuries received in action, or are currently prisoners of war or missing in action.
Typically, five to ten candidates are nominated for each appointment, which are normally awarded competitively; candidates who
do not receive the appointment for which they are competing may still be admitted to the Academy as a qualified alternate. If a
candidate is considered qualified but not picked up, they may receive an indirect admission to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; the following year, these candidates
receive direct appointment to the Academy.
Additionally, children of Medal of Honor recipients do not need a nomination, but only
need to qualify for admission.
Admissions requirements
To be admitted, candidates must be between 17 and 22 years old upon entrance, unmarried with no legal obligation to support a
child, and of good moral character. The current process includes a university
application, standardized testing, and personal references. Candidates for admission
also must undergo a physical aptitude test as well as a complete physical exam (the Department of
Defense Medical Examination Review Board, or Dodmerb), including a separate visual acuity test to be eligible for
appointment, although medical waivers are available. Candidates with vision uncorrectable to 20/20, as well as a range of other
injuries or illnesses, must apply for a medical waiver. The Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) may be administered by any
physical education teacher or Service Academy Liaison Officer. Any active duty commissioned officer may administer the CFA for
service members [3].
In addition, about 20 candidates are admitted from foreign countries per year at the expense of the sending nations.
Graduation
Graduates receive a Bachelor of Science degree and most are commissioned as
second lieutenants (the lowest rank for a commissioned officer) in the U.S. Army with
an obligation to serve 5 years active service and 3 years inactive-reserve in the military.
Eligibility for particular specialties (infantry, artillery, armor, aviation, engineers, etc.) is typically determined by
academic performance and personal preference. Foreign cadets are commissioned into the armies of their home countries.
Since 1959, cadets have been able to "cross-commission," or request a commission in the Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps, provided they meet that service's eligibility requirements. In previous years,
a small number of graduates would do this, typically in a one-for-one "trade" with similarly inclined cadets or midshipmen at the other service academies. These days, an even smaller number, if any, are granted permission
to cross commission. [citation needed]
Curriculum
Cadets are educated and graded on their performance in academics, physical fitness, and military leadership.
The academic program consists of a core of 31 courses balanced in the arts and sciences. All cadets are required to take at
least three engineering courses and three calculus
courses. Cadets choose their majors in the fall of their second year. Up until their third year, all cadets take the same
classes[4]. Regardless
of major (there are currently 43) all cadets graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree because of the engineering
requirements.
The physical program includes both physical education classes and competitive athletics. Every cadet participates in an
intercollegiate, club or intramural level sport each semester. As with all soldiers in the Army, cadets also must pass a
physical fitness test twice per year. Cadets take an annual "Indoor Obstacle Course Test", or IOCT—which generally is regarded by
cadets to be the "worst three minutes of the year".
Cadets learn basic military skills, including leadership, through a military program that begins on their first day at West
Point. Most military training takes place during the summer, with new cadets undergoing Cadet Basic
Training—or "Beast Barracks"—the first year, followed by Cadet Field Training at nearby Camp
Buckner the second year. Cadets spend their third and fourth summers serving in active Army units around the world;
attending advanced training courses such as airborne, air assault or mountain warfare; and training the first- and second-year
cadets as members of the leadership cadre. Additionally, cadets are housed in barracks and have
leadership positions and responsibilities throughout the academic year.
Moral-ethical development occurs throughout the formal programs as well as a host of activities and experiences available at
the Military Academy. These include formal instruction in the important values of the military profession, voluntary religious
programs, interaction with staff and faculty role models, and a vigorous guest-speaker program. The foundation of the
ethical code at West Point is found in the Academy's motto, "Duty, Honor, Country." Cadets also
develop ethically by adhering to the Cadet Honor Code, which states "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who
do."
Rank
Unlike virtually all other bachelor-degree granting institutions in the U.S. (but like the other military academies), the
Academy does not refer to its students as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors; they are instead officially called "fourth
class", "third class", "second class", and "first class".
Colloquially, freshmen are "plebes"; sophomores, "yearlings" or "Yuks"; juniors, "cows"; seniors, "firsties". Most cadets
consider plebe year to be the most difficult because of the transition from civilian to cadet. However, the third class year is
generally considered to be the hardest academically.
- Fourth Class (Plebe): Cadet Private (Member of Squad).
- Third Class (Yearling or Yuk): Cadet Corporal (Team Leader).
- Second Class (Cow): Cadet Sergeant (Squad Leader); Platoon Sgt, various staff positions at the Company and Battalion level;
Cadet First Sergeant (First Sergeant); Cadet Color Sergeant (Color Guard member), Cadet Sergeant Major (Sergeant Major of a
Battalion).
- First Class (Firstie): Cadet Lieutenant (Platoon Leader), various staff positions within a Company; Cadet Captain (Company
Commander, Battalion Commander, Regimental Commander), various staff positions at the Battalion level up to Brigade level; Cadet
First Captain (Brigade Commander), highest position in the Corps of Cadets; Command Sergeant Major, at the Regimental and Brigade
level.
Organization
The Corps of Cadets has the following organization:
- (The number of cadets is approximate)
- 1 Brigade (4,000 cadets) which consists of:
- 4 Regiments (1,000 Cadets) which consist of:
- 2 Battalions (500 cadets) which consist of:
- 4 Companies (120 cadets) which consist of:
- 4 Platoons (30 cadets) which consist of:
- 4 Squads (7 cadets) which consist of:
- 2–3 Teams (2–3 cadets)
Note that various staff positions are not included above.
History
The site was selected for the construction of a fort by George Washington, and the
fortifications were designed in 1778 by Tadeusz Kościuszko. In addition to various
forts surrounding the area, a great chain was strung across the Hudson River in order to
obstruct British ships attempting to navigate the river. Though never tested, the chain
performed its purpose by preventing British movement up and down the river.
General Washington considered West Point one of the most important positions on the continent. The high ground above a narrow
"S" curve in the Hudson River enabled the Continental Army to control the vital river
traffic. He felt that the British Army could have split the colonies in two if they gained
control of this land. It was as commander of the fortifications at West Point that Benedict
Arnold committed his infamous treason when he attempted to sell the fort to the British.
George Washington quickly realized the need for a national military academy, but his Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson argued that there was
no provision in the Constitution which allowed for the creation of a military
academy. However, when Jefferson became president, he signed legislation establishing the United States Military Academy on
March 16, 1802; the school opened on July 4 of the same year.
The Superintendent from 1817 to 1833 was Colonel Sylvanus Thayer. He is known as the "father of the Military Academy." He upgraded academic standards,
instilled military discipline and emphasized honorable conduct. He also created a teaching method known today as the
Thayer Method, which emphasizes self study and daily homework, as well as small class
size. This method is still used today. Inspired by the French École Polytechnique, Thayer made civil engineering the
foundation of the curriculum. For the first half century, USMA graduates were largely responsible for the construction of the
bulk of the nation's initial railway lines, bridges, harbors and roads. (The tradition continues in the hands of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.)
The development of other technical schools in the United States during the post-Civil
War period allowed West Point to broaden its curriculum beyond a strict civil
engineering focus.
After World War I, Superintendent Douglas
MacArthur sought to further diversify the academic curriculum. In recognition of the physical demands of modern warfare,
MacArthur pushed for major changes in the physical fitness and athletic programs.
"Every cadet an athlete" became an important goal. At the same time, the cadet management of the Honor System, long an unofficial
tradition, was formalized with the creation of the Cadet Honor Committee and an official Cadet Honor Code, which is that a cadet
will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.[1]
Following the creation of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service in 1947 and until the graduation of the first United States
Air Force Academy class in 1959, West Point cadets who met the eligibility standards could apply to be commissioned as Air Force
officers.
In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation increasing the strength of the
Corps of Cadets from 2,529 to 4,417 (more recently reduced to 4,000 but soon to return to 4,400).
Women were first admitted in 1976.
West Point is home to the Sylvanus Thayer Award, named after the "father of the
Academy." The award is given each year since 1958 by the Academy to a non-graduate who has committed his or her life to the
Academy's motto of "Duty, Honor, Country." The award has been awarded to some notable people, to include George H.W. Bush, Colin Powell, Tom
Brokaw, Carl Vinson and Bob Hope.
No classes graduated in 1810 or 1816, and there were two graduating classes each in 1861, 1917, 1918, 1922, and 1943.
2007 West Point class ring
West Point began the collegiate tradition of the class ring, beginning with the class of
1835, and continuing ever since. The Class of 1879 had cuff links in addition to their class
ring. Other classes are known to have cadets who had bracelets made.
In recent decades, the Academy's curricular structure has been markedly changed to permit cadets to major in any one of more
than a dozen fields, including a wide range of subjects from the sciences to the humanities.
Based on the significance both of the Revolutionary War fort ruins and of the military academy itself, the majority of the
academy area was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.[5][6][7]
Women at the Academy
West Point first accepted women as Cadets in 1976, when Congress authorized the admission of women to all of the service
academies. Women comprise about 15 to 17 percent of entering plebes — or freshmen — and they pursue the same academic and
professional training as do their male classmates, except that the physical aptitude standards for women are less than they are
for men.
The first class with female cadets graduated in 1980. In 1989, Kristen Baker became the first female First Captain at West
Point. An effigy of her is in the West Point Museum in a display room honoring her. To date [May 2006] three females have been
appointed as the First Captain: Grace H. Chung in 2004 and Stephanie Hightower in 2006.
In 1995, Rebecca Marier became the academy's first female valedictorian.
Following the Air Force Academy sexual assault
scandal and because of concerns about alleged sexual assault in the
U.S. military, the Department of Defense was required to
establish a task force to investigate sexual
harassment and assault at the U.S. military academies in the law funding the military for the 2004 fiscal year. Though the
definitions were broad, the report, issued August 25, 2005,
showed that during 2004, 50 percent of women at West Point reported instances of sexual
harassment while 111 incidents of sexual assault were reported. [8]
Sports
The Military Academy's sports teams were historically called The Black Knights of the Hudson, but the nickname has been
officially shortened to Black Knights. U.S. sports media use Army as a synonym for the Academy; this usage is officially
endorsed. The Army mascot was formerly the Mule, but was changed to the Black Knight in 2000.
On Brave Old Army Team is the fight
song for the athletic teams.
Football
-
Army's football team at one time was considered a top-tier college program, reaching its pinnacle under coach Earl Blaik when Army won consecutive national championships in 1944-46 and produced three Heisman trophy winners; Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946) and Pete Dawkins (1958). In
modern times however, it hasn't been as powerful a team. This is due to the fact that top football recruits, with the chance to
go to the NFL, would hesitate to go to a school that requires them to be on active Army duty for five years after they
graduate.
Future NFL coaching legends Vince Lombardi and Bill
Parcells were Army assistant coaches early in their careers (at different times).
The football team plays its home games on Blaik Field at historic Michie Stadium on
campus near Lusk Reservoir. Cadets in attendence are required to stand for the duration
of the game.
In recent years, Army was a member of Conference USA, but its NCAA Division I-A football program reverted to its former independent status after the 2004 season. It competes with the
other academies for the Commander in Chief's Trophy. The 2006 football
season marked Army's fifth consecutive loss in the Army-Navy Game.
USMA Color Guard at 2006 Army Navy.
Other sports
All West Point Cadets compete in extracurricular sports in addition to taking physical education classes. Extracurricular
athletics are generally divided into three types: varsity, club, and company competition. The most well-known varsity sport
outside of the Academy is football.
Army is a member of the Division I Patriot League in most other sports; its men's
hockey program competes in Atlantic Hockey. Every
year, Army faces Royal Military College of Canada Paladins in the
annual West Point Weekend hockey game. This series, conceived in 1923, is the longest running international ice hockey series in
the world. Currently Army leads the Series 39-29-6. Its sprint football team competes in
the Collegiate Sprint Football League. The Academy is one of only 13 universities in the country offering NCAA Division I FBS
football, D-I men's and women's basketball, and D-I hockey. Army also boasts Division I Men's and Women's rugby clubs. The
Women's club being ranked number one in the nation as of this fall.
In the 2005-06 basketball season, the women's basketball team went 20-11 and won the Patriot League conference tournament;
they went to the 2006 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball
Tournament as a 15 seed, where they lost to the University of Tennessee,
102-54. It was the first March Madness tournament appearance for any Army basketball team.
The head coach of that team, Maggie Dixon, died soon after the season at only 28 years of
age.
In 2005, the USMA Rifle team swept the NCAA championships and won the national title.
Bob Knight, the winningest men's basketball coach in NCAA history, began his head coaching
career at Army in the late 1960s and early 1970s before moving on to Indiana and Texas Tech. Because of his
tenure at Army, Knight is still commonly known in sports circles as "The General". One of Knight's players at Army was
Mike Krzyzewski, who later was head coach at Army before moving on to Duke where he won three national championships.
Notable alumni
West Point has a number of famous alumni.
For a list of well-known graduates, see:
-
For a list of well-known alumni who did not graduate, see:
-
Superintendents
-
Brigadier General René Edward De Russy, Superintendent (1833-1838).
The commanding officer of the United States Military Academy is its superintendent. This position is roughly equivalent to the
president of a civilian university in the United States.
Since 1812, all superintendents have themselves been West Point graduates, though this has never been an official prerequisite
to hold that position.
Sylvanus Thayer served as superintendent from 1817 to 1833, and he instituted a
number of reforms to make the academy a top-tier academic institution, which it remains today. For this, Thayer is known as the
"Father of the U.S. Military Academy." .
In recent times, the position of superintendent has been held by a Lieutenant
General.
Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck, class of 1971, is the current superintendent,
and has held the position since June 9, 2006.
Cullum number
A Cullum number is the number beside a Cadet's name in the Register of Graduates.
The Cullum number is a reference and identification number assigned to each graduate of the United States Military Academy. It
was created by brevet Major General George
W. Cullum (USMA Class of 1833) who, in 1850, began the monumental work of chronicling the biographies of every graduate.
He assigned Number 1 to the first West Point graduate, Joseph Gardner Swift, and
then numbered all successive graduates in sequence. Before his death in 1892, General Cullum completed the first three volumes of
a work that eventually comprised 10 volumes, entitled General Cullum’s Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of
the United States Military Academy, and covering USMA classes from 1802 through 1950. The current Register of Graduates is a
direct descendant of General Cullum's seminal work.
From 1802 through the Class of 1977, graduates were listed by General Order of Merit. Thus, the Register provided a quick
reference for those looking for class rank. Beginning with the Class of 1978, graduates were listed alphabetically, and then by
date of graduation.
Currently, seven graduates have an "A" suffix after their Cullum Number. For various reasons these graduates were omitted from
the original class roster, and a suffix letter was added to avoid renumbering the entire class and subsequent classes.
Class Weekends
In addition to the myriad of mandatory cadet activities, they are given several opportunities to participate in high class
social events. In particular, each class celebrates one class weekend while the firsties celebrate three major events. Every
October, fourth class cadets participate in Plebe Parent Weekend, in February the third class
cadets have Yearling Winter Weekend, and in January the second class cadets have 500th Night. In late August the first class cadets celebrate Ring
Weekend, in February they observe 100th Night, and in May they have a week of events
culminating in their graduation.
Academy grounds and buildings seen from an Amtrak train..
Points of interest
The visitor's center offers historical and informational videos, parking, restrooms, a gift
shop, maps, pamphlets, a full-scale cadet barracks, and a movie theater; arrangements
for guided tours also can be made. These tours, which are the only way the public can go on the grounds, are operated by a
licensed contractor, West Point Tours, Inc., and leave the visitor's center several times a day. The tours stop and allow
tourists to tour the Cadet Chapel (if not in use at the time), the parade grounds and Trophy Point. For the rest of the tour, the
tourists remain on the bus as the guide narrates the tour of the rest of the campus.
The West Point Museum is directly adjacent to the visitor's center, in the renovated Olmsted Hall at Pershing Center on the grounds of the former Ladycliff College. The grounds were purchased by West
Point after the college closed in the early 1980s. The building is named after the museum's primary donor, Major General George H. Olmsted, Class of 1922.
The West Point Museum is truly the National Museum of the United
States Army, having been founded by funds provided by Congress prior to the Mexican War. The museum's collections represent all
major categories of military study from arms, cannon and artillery to uniforms, military art and
objects reflecting West Point's history. Originally opened to the public in 1854, the West Point Museum is the oldest and largest
military museum in the country. It contains some of America's most interesting national military treasures and one of the finest
collections of military artifacts available for public viewing. Every American armed conflict is represented in the 135 exhibits.
An additional gallery portrays the history of the U.S. Army during peacetime and its role as a formative nation builder within
the United States. West Point's history during and after the Revolutionary
War, as well as the institutional history of the Military Academy, are traced in the West Point gallery devoted to the
school, the cadet and the officer. The museum also provides exhibits in Thayer Hall, USMA to support the Department of History
cadet curriculum with exhibit themes which range from ancient to modern civilizations.
The senior staff of the West Point Museum includes a director, three curators of collections, an exhibition designer,
conservator, registrar and collections preparator. The Museum is self-guided and it is recommended to allow at least 1-2 hours to
view the extended and magnificent exhibits. During the Summer months, the Museum operates historic Fort
Putnam.
West Point often is the first place for automobile tourists to stop and view on the scenic Hudson River route between
New York City and Albany.
References
Further reading
- David Lipsky: Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point, Houghton Mifflin
2003, ISBN 0-618-09542-X
- Theodore J. Crackel: West Point: A Bicentennial History, University Press of Kansas,
2002, ISBN 0-7006-1160-6
West Point in fiction
- Four of the six young adult novels written by Colonel Red Reeder about fictional cadet
Clint Lane take place at West Point.
- Dick Prescott's Fourth Year at West Point: Ready to Drop the Gray for Shoulder Straps, H Irving Hancock.
- The Mary Higgins Clark suspense novel Nighttime Is My Time also takes
place primarily on the West Point Campus.
- Dress Grey, a murder mystery set in USMA by Lucian K. Truscott IV.
- West Point is prominently mentioned in the North and South Trilogy series of novels by
John Jakes
- West Point is the setting of Amy Efaw's young adult novel Battle Dress, about a female plebe undergoing cadet basic
training.
References
External links
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