Life at USMA

Life here at West Point is quite different from life in the regular world. Our daily schedule is rigorous and our classes are hard. The grey walls, the uniforms, the Honor, and the history of the Corps are all unique aspects of West Point. To realize that you are walking in footsteps of Presidents, Generals, Astronauts, Leaders, Engineers, Builders, CEOs, and other great people is a very motivating and humbling experience. West Point is a beautiful place and I highly encourage a trip to see it.

Famous West Point Old Grads

General of the Army and ex-Superintendant Douglas MacArthur

General of the Army Omar Bradley

General of the Army Air Corps Henry Arnold

General of the Army and President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower

Genreal of the Army and Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force John J. Pershing

General of the Army of the Potomac and President of the United States U. S. Grant

General of the Army of Northern Virginia and ex-Superintendant Robert E. Lee

General George S. Patton

President Fidel Ramos, President of the Philippines

Commanding General, Allied Forces Desert Storm, Norman Schwarzkopf

Commanding General, Allied Forces Vietnam and ex-Superintendant William Westmoreland

George Goethals, builder of Panama Canal

John Glenn, Frank Borman, Ed White, Mike Mullane, and Sherwood Spring, Astronauts

Typical Daily Schedule

0545-0600 Wake Up

0625 Breakfast Formation

0630-0655 Breakfast

0715-1125 Morning Classes

1145 Lunch Formation

1150-1215 Lunch

1225-1325 Commandant's Hour/Dean's Hour

1335-1545 Afternoon Classes

1600 Drill/Intramurals/Free Time

1730-1900 Optional Dinner

1830-2030 Club Time

1930 Evening Study Period

2330 Taps

0000 Lights Out

The entire Corps eat Breakfast, Lunch, and Thursday dinner together. Drill and Intramurals go on every other days, with Friday afternoons free. Deans Hr and Comms Hr rotates days similarly. This is the time set aside for military instruction or test taking. There are 4 morning class sessions and two in the afternoon. A typical Cadet will have 3 morning classes one day and two the next and one each afternoon.

Another interesting aspect is our summer training. Here are some pictures from a week of Yearling Summer Training at Fort Knox:

For more information, check out the USMA Home Page

This page is an UNOFFICIAL product of CDT Michael Bryan Loveall and does not represent the official views of the United States Military Academy, the United States Army, or the Department of Defense.