Word: cadets
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Life becomes somewhat easier for the Cadet once he passes his exams at the end of his first year., but even then it runs no danger of becoming decadent. Failure in a single course at any time leads to immediate dismissal, as may deficiency in physical fitness and a host of other details unheeded in most civilian schools...
...this end, a thorough and complex system has been devised to guarantee that every graduate is fitted for his role as a leader of men. The first step involves a written report by each Cadet, rating the character of every other man in his Company. These reports, after careful scrutiny, are supplemented by the Tactical Officer in charge of the Company and sent on to the Commandant. Any unfortunate whose desirability seems to be in doubt as a result of these studies is then sent before the Brigade Aptitude Board, consisting of senior officers and a psychologist, who investigate...
There are other ways that the Academy makes sure no lillies slip through unnoticed. For one, the Cadet's annual pay comes to $973 per annum, out of which sum he must provide all his expenses including books and the 16 different uniforms required. In the words of Major General Maxwell D. Taylor, Superintendent of the Academy, "This stipend being probably the lowest wage scale in the United States, the Cadet must exercise the utmost frugality to keep a balanced budget...
Physical education is also an integral part of the Cadet's training, and is not looked on as a mere form of recreation. Sports are compulsory all year round for every man, on the proven theory that good athletes make good officers. The authorities have found that five times as many cadet officers come from the top ten percent in physical aptitude as from the bottom ten, while almost all maladjustments come from the physically inept. The cynical believe that West Point's uniformly excellent athletic teams are a cause, rather than an effect, of the theory behind them, while...
...argued that four years of such influence virtually unalloyed by any contact with the outside world can only distort the Cadet's outlook to the point of uselessness, as far as dealing with ordinary mortals is concerned. Many men who served in the last war came away with the feeling that West Pointer's were little more than a modern-day version of the Prussian military caste, unadaptable to circumstances and unable to deal with personnel...