Encyclopedia
The
United States Military Academy, also known as
West Point, or simply
USMA , is a
United States Army fort and military academy. 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.
The Academy is located at
West Point,
New York, on a
scenic overlook of the
Hudson River, about 50 miles north of
New York City. . Occupying over 16,000 acres , it is one of the largest school campuses in the world. 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, and it is thus the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States.
Overview
The mission of the Academy is "to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of
Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army."
Graduates are awarded a Bachelor of Science degree and most are commissioned as
Second Lieutenants in the
U.S. Army. Foreign cadets are commissioned into the armed forces of their native countries. Since 1959, cadets have also been able to "cross-commission" into the Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps, provided they meet the necessary eligibility standards. Each year, a small number of graduates do this, usually in a one-for-one "trade" with similarly inclined cadets at the other service academies.
All must serve a minimum of five years on active duty followed by three years in the reserves. Cadets do not have any service obligation if they withdraw from the Academy before the beginning of their third academic year. Cadets separated, voluntarily or involuntarily, after that date must serve on active duty in the enlisted ranks for a period of time, usually between two and four years.
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. Candidates are nominated by their senator, representative, or delegate in Congress, and those appointed at large are nominated by the Vice President. 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 ; 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 due to 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 they are competing for 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
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 seventeen and twenty-three years of age upon entrance, unmarried with no children, and of good moral character. The current process includes a university application, standardized testing, and personal references. Candidates for admission must also undergo a physical aptitude test as well as a complete physical exam including a separate visual acuity test to be eligible for appointment. Candidates with vision uncorrectable to 20/20, as well as a range of other injuries or illnesses, must apply for a medical waiver. The physical aptitude test is most often administered by a high school physical education teacher or sports team coach.
In addition, about twenty candidates are admitted from foreign countries per year at the expense of the sending nations.
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 3 engineering courses. Cadets choose their majors in the fall of their second year. Regardless of major 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 must also pass a physical fitness test twice per year and an annual "Indoor Obstacle Course Test," or IOCT - which is generally regarded by cadets to be the "worst 3 minutes of the year."
Cadets learn basic military skills, including leadership, through a military program which 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 northern 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. , 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, or "yuk" year is generally considered to be the hardest academically.
- Fourth Class — Cadet Private
- Third Class — Cadet Private First Class or Cadet Corporal
- Second Class — Cadet Sergeant ; Platoon Sgt, various staff positions at the Company and Battalion level; Cadet First Sergeant ; Cadet Sergeant Major
- First Class — Cadet Lieutenant , various staff positions within a Company; Cadet Captain , various staff positions at the Battalion level up to Brigade level; Cadet First Captain , 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:
- 1 Brigade which consist of:
- 4 Regiments which consist of:
- 2 Battalions which consist of:
- 4 Companies which consist of:
- 4 Platoons which consist of:
- 3 Squads which consist of:
- 3 Teams
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 Kosciuszko. 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 famous 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. 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 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.
Following the creation of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service in 1947 and until the graduation of the first Air Force Academy class in 1958, 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 .
Women were first admitted in 1976.
No classes graduated in 1810 or 1816 and there were two graduating classes each in 1861, 1917, 1918, 1922 and 1943.
West Point began collegiate tradition of the
class ring, beginning with the class of 1835, and continuing ever since. The lone exception is the class of 1837, which had class
cuff links.
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.
It currently offers 43 different majors.
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 different 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. Presently, a statue of her is in the West Point Musuem 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 due to 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 United States 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 fifty percent of women at West Point reported instances of sexual harassment while 111 incidents of sexual assault were reported.
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 is the
Mule.
Football: "Go Army, Beat Navy!"
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 and 1945 as well as produced three
Heisman trophy winning players;
Doc Blanchard in 1945,
Glenn Woodward Davis in 1946 and Pete Dawkins in 1958.
The football team plays its home games on Blaik Field at historic Michie Stadium located on campus near
Lusk Reservoir.
In recent years Army was a member of
Conference USA; 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 2005 football season marked Army's fourth consecutive loss in the
Army-Navy Game.
Other sports
Army is a member of the Division I
Patriot League in most other sports; its men's
hockey program competes in Atlantic Hockey. The Academy is one of only 13 universities in the country offering NCAA division I-A football, division I men's and women's basketball, and division I hockey.
In the 2005-2006 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.
In 2005, the USMA Rifle team swept the NCAA championships and won the national title.
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
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 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 G. 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.
Points of interest
Outside the secured area of the academy, there are two public buildings: the visitors center and the West Point Museum.
The visitor's center offers historical and informational videos, parking, rest rooms, a gift shop, maps, pamphlets, a full-scale cadet
barracks room, and a movie theater; arrangements for guided tours can also 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 during the day. The tours will stop and allow tourists to tour the Cadet Chapel , the parade grounds and Trophy Point. For the rest of the tour, the tourists remain on the bus and as the tour guide narrates the tour of the rest of the campus.
The West Point Museum is located directly behind the visitor's center. The museum is 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 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 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
small arms available for public viewing. Every American armed conflict is represented in the 135 exhibits. An additional gallery portrays the history of the United States 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 to support the Department of History cadet curriculum with exhibit themes which range from ancient to modern civilizations.
West Point is often the first place for automobile tourists to stop and view on the New York City to Albany scenic Hudson River route.
External links/Sources
- - authorized tour operator for public tours of USMA
Literature
- David Lipsky: Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point, Houghton Mifflin 2003, ISBN 0-618-09542-X
