# "What It's Like at West Point"



## Marauder06 (Nov 4, 2013)

Many folks don't know that West Point rates very high in college rankings, sometimes even coming in at #1 in certain categories.  Here is a link to a slide show with some recent photos:

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-go-to-west-point-2013-10#


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## Kraut783 (Nov 4, 2013)

Freaking reflective belts....







Sorry.....couldn't resist.


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## Marauder06 (Nov 4, 2013)

That's cool, I hear the Army's new uniform is going to have the belts integrated, so you don't have to wear them as a separate item.


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## compforce (Nov 4, 2013)

I have a reflective belt hanging on the bannister with my dog leash and such.  I normally use it when I am walking the dog on a really dark night just to make sure that I don't get hit by the idiots....errr, I mean drivers.... on the road.  One of the Team Sergeants I know came to the party last month and the first thing he said when he walked through the door was "still can't get away from the reflective belts, can ya?"

West Point is definitely up there on college rankings.  It's also a made military career unless the graduate steps on his crank.


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## Kraut783 (Nov 4, 2013)

I would like to visit the West Point campus.....lots of history there I would like to see.


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## Marauder06 (Nov 4, 2013)

Kraut783 said:


> I would like to visit the West Point campus.....lots of history there I would like to see.



It's an open campus.   Come visit and I'll meet you for lunch.


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## Salt USMC (Nov 4, 2013)

Great photo series!  The picture of the inside of the chapel was especially visually striking.  But I've got a question...






What's with the random midshipman on the left?


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## Centermass (Nov 5, 2013)

Marauder06 said:


> It's an open campus.



Sure is :-"


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## goon175 (Nov 5, 2013)

Deathy McDeath said:


> Great photo series!  The picture of the inside of the chapel was especially visually striking.  But I've got a question...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The Academies have an exchange program, when I talked with a group at the USAF Academy last month there was a West Point cadet in attendance, as well as a Navy cadet.


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## RippedHalo (Nov 5, 2013)

As a USMA Class of 2018 Cadet Candidate, I was able to attend an admission briefing at the Point last summer. Awesome place. It's one thing to see the pictures of the Academy, it's a totally other thing to experience it in person.


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## 8654Maine (Nov 5, 2013)

Great school.  Like the other service academies. 

Yet, that pic just doesn't cut it.  I'm not sure if it's the uniform or the personnel.  It just doesn't work.  Those folks look uncomfortable.


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## goon175 (Nov 5, 2013)

I looked at the comments under the article and found this little gem…


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## Salt USMC (Nov 5, 2013)

goon175 said:


> The Academies have an exchange program, when I talked with a group at the USAF Academy last month there was a West Point cadet in attendance, as well as a Navy cadet.


Good to know!


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## RustyShackleford (Nov 5, 2013)

Kraut783 said:


> I would like to visit the West Point campus.....lots of history there I would like to see.


 
If you get a chance go, especially if Marauder can give you a guided tour.  I was up there in the summer of 2001 for work and took a day just to walk all over the place checking it out.


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## x SF med (Nov 5, 2013)

The entire area around the USMA is steeped in History, and there is great driving if you like medium sized mountain driving - Bear Mtn Pkwy, Storm King  Highway, 9 and 9W, the Taconic, the Palisades...   Places to see- Wappingers Falls, Poughkeepsie, the Roosevelt Estate, Marymount, Yasgur's Farm, Tarrytown, Bannerman's Island, Chain Points.   And, April through November there is a lot of sailboat racing all up and down the Hudson (HRYRA) to include the Chelsea yacht Club "Torches" Race from the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge down to the USMA and the celebration afterwards at Torches (a nice restaurant in Newburgh on the water) is always fun...   I miss the area, but don't miss the gun laws... and I miss my boat.


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## Bloodline (Nov 5, 2013)

I was lucky to spend last Independence Day with friends up in Highland, but I only got to see West Point from an overlook on the way back from trout fishing. The fishing was great but I regret not being able to visit such an important place in Army history. In the coming spring trip it will be first on the list.


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## Brill (Nov 5, 2013)

Regarding the pic in the article, "You gotta one strap it. Seriously, I'd have no strap if that would even be possible."


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## Marauder06 (Nov 5, 2013)

RustyShackleford said:


> If you get a chance go, especially if Marauder can give you a guided tour.  I was up there in the summer of 2001 for work and took a day just to walk all over the place checking it out.


Me?  Guided tours?  I have cadets for that now...


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## x SF med (Nov 5, 2013)

Marauder06 said:


> Me?  Guided tours?  I have cadets for that now...


 
Great.............. nobody will get lost with college student officers in training without NCO guidance trying to navigate without a map or compass after getting directions from a junior Field grade who is branched MI....   doesn't sound like a disaster in the making, does it... not at all.... nah, nothing bad could ever come of this situation...........:wall::wall::-":wall:


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## Marauder06 (Nov 5, 2013)

Well, to begin with, I'm not a junior field grade anymore, I'm a very "middle" field grade, thank you very much.  And I did try to recruit an SF NCO to come work here and keep both me and the cadets straight, still working that angle.


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## x SF med (Nov 5, 2013)

Marauder06 said:


> Well, to begin with, I'm not a junior field grade anymore, I'm a very "middle" field grade, thank you very much.  And I did try to recruit an SF NCO to come work here and keep both me and the cadets straight, still working that angle.


 

Junior, Middle... still MI and Field Grade....  oh, second part of the plan....  SF NCO at West Point...  nothing could go wrong there either... no cadets could get hurt in the filming of this documentary...:wall::wall:


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## Kraut783 (Nov 5, 2013)

SF NCO on staff at West Point famous last words "watch this..."

Marauder...might have to hit you up on that tour sometime in 2014


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## Viper1 (Nov 8, 2013)

compforce said:


> I have a reflective belt hanging on the bannister with my dog leash and such.  I normally use it when I am walking the dog on a really dark night just to make sure that I don't get hit by the idiots....errr, I mean drivers.... on the road.  One of the Team Sergeants I know came to the party last month and the first thing he said when he walked through the door was "still can't get away from the reflective belts, can ya?"
> 
> West Point is definitely up there on college rankings.  It's also a made military career unless the graduate steps on his crank.



Graduation doesn't mean a made career.  Especially since my class only has 25% of 900 graduates still left in service after 8 years.


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## compforce (Nov 9, 2013)

Viper1 said:


> Graduation doesn't mean a made career.  Especially since my class only has 25% of 900 graduates still left in service after 8 years.


 
Yes, but is the attrition out of choice, medical drops or because they got passed over for promotion and forced out?  I would contend that very few USMA grads get unlucky enough to end up out of the service while they are still willing and able to perform their duties.  Just because a grad has a made career doesn't mean they will choose to pursue it.  The retention rate for USMA grads is way down, not because they can't make it in the Army, but rather because they are choosing to go to more lucrative careers in the civilian sector.  Here's a pretty good paper on the subject from BG (R) Cheadle

http://www.west-point.org/publications/retention-whitepaper/RetentionPaperRev3.pdf

edit to fix his rank


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## compforce (Nov 9, 2013)

I started thinking about this after I posted.  I want to make it clear that I respect the hell out of anyone that has graduated USMA.  It's the equivalent of an Ivy League education.  Very few people are capable of getting through the education or even the application process.  The ones that I've met are universally well spoken, thoughtful and work very hard for their employer, whether in the military or civilian sector.  Whether my comment on the "made" career is due to a great work ethic that USMA teaches or because of the (real or not) perception of an advantage is immaterial.  The fact is that, like most Ivy League graduates, graduates of USMA have a leg up in the work force regardless of whether in the private or public sector.  Success is theirs to lose.


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## Viper1 (Nov 9, 2013)

No offense taken.  However, a lot of ROTC grads have earned their way to being "made men" as well.  Key word is "earned".


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## x SF med (Nov 10, 2013)

Viper1 said:


> Graduation doesn't mean a made career.  Especially since my class only has 25% of 900 graduates still left in service after 8 years.


 

Bah... what do you know, you had all that USMA stuff wiped from memory once you finished the MacKall Graduate Program...:-"


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## racing_kitty (Nov 10, 2013)

I met quite a few USMA grads over the course of my career who were only going to do what they had to do in the line of obligated service and get out.  A couple of them were even from the pre-OIF days (late 2001-2002).  Not everyone who goes through the Point is going to be a lifer, either.


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