Girls at west point. West Point’s Milestone: Record Number of Black Female Cadets Graduate in 2019

How is West Point diversifying its student body. What challenges do black female cadets face at the academy. Why is the graduation of 34 black women in 2019 significant for West Point.

The Landmark Graduation: A Sign of Progress at West Point

In a historic moment for the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Class of 2019 is set to include a record-breaking 34 black female cadets. This milestone represents a significant step forward in the academy’s efforts to diversify its student body and create a more inclusive environment for all cadets.

The graduation ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, will see these accomplished young women toss their caps in the air alongside their fellow cadets, marking the culmination of four years of rigorous training and academic challenges. While this number may seem small in comparison to the total class size of approximately 1,000 cadets, it signifies a notable shift in the demographic makeup of West Point’s Long Gray Line.

Breaking Down the Numbers

• 34 black female cadets in the Class of 2019
• 223 women graduating, the largest number since 1980
• 110 African American graduates, double the number from 2013
• 88 Latino graduates, the largest number in the academy’s history

Diversity Initiatives: West Point’s Commitment to Change

The increase in diversity at West Point didn’t happen by chance. In 2013, then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno directed the academy to prioritize diversity in its recruitment efforts. This directive set in motion a series of initiatives aimed at attracting a more diverse pool of qualified candidates.

Key Strategies for Increasing Diversity

1. Revamped marketing approach
2. Establishment of a dedicated diversity office
3. Increased outreach to metropolitan areas like New York City, Atlanta, and Detroit
4. Addition of NCAA women’s lacrosse and rugby programs

These efforts have begun to yield results, as evidenced by the changing demographics of recent graduating classes. Col. Deborah McDonald, director of admissions at West Point, noted, “We’re beginning to see the fruits of our labors.”

Challenges and Triumphs: The Black Female Cadet Experience

While the increased representation of black women at West Point is cause for celebration, it’s important to recognize the unique challenges these cadets face during their time at the academy. As a minority within a minority, black female cadets often find themselves in situations where they are the only women of color in a classroom or training exercise.

Cadet Stephanie Riley from Jacksonville, Florida, shared her perspective on this experience: “I just showed myself and those who thought I couldn’t do it initially that yes, I can. And not just, ‘yes, I can.’ I can show other little girls that yes, you can come to West Point. Yes, you can do something that maybe the rest of your peers aren’t actually doing. And yes, you can be different from the rest of the group.”

Overcoming Stereotypes and Proving Their Worth

For many black female cadets, the journey through West Point involves not only meeting the rigorous academic and physical standards but also confronting and overcoming stereotypes. Cadet Gabrielle Young from Hopkins, South Carolina, recounted an instance where a classmate suggested she had only been admitted because of her race and gender. Despite such challenges, Young has excelled at the academy and is one of the few in her class chosen for medical school.

Are black female cadets often called upon to represent their race in classroom discussions? According to Riley, there have been times when she felt the expectation to comment on topics related to race or slavery, placing an additional burden on her academic experience.

Milestones Beyond the Classroom: Leadership and Representation

The progress in diversity at West Point extends beyond the student body. Recent years have seen several significant appointments that further reflect the academy’s commitment to inclusivity:

• Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams became the first black superintendent at West Point in 2018
• Simone Askew was appointed as the first black woman to become first captain of the Corps of Cadets in 2017

These leadership positions serve as powerful symbols of change and provide important role models for current and future cadets from diverse backgrounds.

Addressing Ongoing Challenges: West Point’s Commitment to Improvement

Despite the progress made in diversifying its student body, West Point acknowledges that there is still work to be done in creating a fully inclusive environment. The academy has faced issues similar to those encountered in the broader military and society, particularly in the areas of sexual assault and harassment.

How is West Point addressing these persistent problems? In February, Superintendent Williams took the unprecedented step of suspending classes for an entire day to focus intensively on these issues. This decision demonstrates the academy’s commitment to confronting challenges head-on and fostering a culture of respect and safety for all cadets.

The Road Ahead: Future Careers and Continued Progress

As the Class of 2019 prepares to graduate, the 34 black female cadets are poised to embark on diverse and promising career paths within the U.S. Army. For example, Cadet Riley will be joining the Signal Corps, while Cadet Young will pursue her goal of becoming a doctor through military medical school.

Their achievements and future contributions to the Army and society at large serve as inspiration for the next generation of potential West Point cadets. By sharing their stories and successes, these graduates are helping to break down barriers and encourage more young women of color to consider a military career.

The Ripple Effect: Impact Beyond West Point

The significance of this milestone graduation extends far beyond the walls of West Point. As these 34 black women join the ranks of Army officers, they will bring their unique perspectives and experiences to leadership positions throughout the military. This diversity of thought and background is increasingly recognized as a valuable asset in addressing complex global challenges.

Furthermore, the visibility of these accomplished cadets serves to challenge stereotypes and broaden perceptions of what a military leader looks like. Their success stories have the potential to inspire young people from all backgrounds to pursue their dreams, whether in the military or other fields where they may be underrepresented.

The Power of Representation

Can the graduation of 34 black women from West Point truly make a difference in society? The impact of representation should not be underestimated. When young girls see women who look like them achieving at the highest levels of military education and leadership, it expands their sense of what is possible for their own futures. This visibility can lead to a positive feedback loop, encouraging more diverse applicants to consider West Point and other military academies in the years to come.

Moreover, as these graduates progress in their military careers, they will likely become mentors and role models for future generations of soldiers, further amplifying the effects of increased diversity at West Point.

Continuing the Momentum: West Point’s Future Diversity Goals

While celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2019, West Point remains focused on building upon this progress in the years to come. The academy’s leadership recognizes that diversity is an ongoing process rather than a final destination.

Areas for Future Growth

• Increasing representation of other underrepresented minority groups
• Enhancing support systems for diverse cadets
• Expanding outreach to a wider range of communities across the United States
• Continuing to address and improve campus climate issues

As West Point moves forward, it will be essential to maintain the momentum generated by recent successes while remaining adaptable to new challenges and opportunities in the realm of diversity and inclusion.

The Broader Context: Diversity in the U.S. Military

West Point’s efforts to increase diversity among its cadets reflect a larger trend within the United States military as a whole. In recent years, all branches of the armed forces have recognized the strategic importance of building a force that more closely mirrors the diverse population it serves.

How does diversity enhance military effectiveness? A more diverse military brings a wider range of perspectives, cultural competencies, and problem-solving approaches to the table. This diversity of thought can lead to more innovative strategies and better decision-making in complex, global environments.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite progress, the military continues to face challenges in recruiting and retaining a diverse force, particularly in leadership positions. The success of programs like those at West Point provides valuable insights and best practices that can be applied more broadly across the military.

As the graduates of the Class of 2019 move into their roles as officers, they will play a crucial part in shaping the future culture of the Army. Their experiences at West Point, both positive and challenging, will inform their leadership styles and contribute to ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive military environment.

Looking to the Future: The Legacy of the Class of 2019

As the 34 black female cadets prepare to receive their commissions as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, they stand on the cusp of making history not just for West Point, but for the military as a whole. Their graduation marks not an end, but a beginning—the start of careers that have the potential to reshape the landscape of military leadership.

What legacy will this class leave for future generations of cadets? By breaking barriers and challenging norms, these graduates have opened doors and created new possibilities for those who will follow in their footsteps. Their success serves as a powerful testament to the value of perseverance, the importance of representation, and the strength that comes from diversity.

A Call to Action

The achievements of the Class of 2019 also serve as a call to action for continued progress. As these new officers take their places in the ranks of the Army, it will be crucial for military leadership at all levels to support their development and ensure that the promise of increased diversity is fully realized.

For West Point and other military institutions, the success of this class should inspire renewed commitment to creating inclusive environments where all cadets can thrive, regardless of their background. This ongoing work will be essential to building a military that is truly representative of the nation it defends and the values it upholds.

As the sun rises on graduation day at West Point, the 34 black female cadets of the Class of 2019 stand ready to write the next chapter in their own stories and in the evolving narrative of the United States Military Academy. Their journey from hopeful applicants to commissioned officers serves as an inspiration and a challenge—a reminder of how far we’ve come and a beacon lighting the way toward a more diverse and inclusive future for West Point and the U.S. Army.

West Point to graduate record number of black female cadets

WEST POINT, N.Y. — The class of cadets preparing to jubilantly toss their caps in the air at the U.S. Military Academy’s graduation ceremony Saturday includes 34 black women, a record number that’s a sign of concerted efforts to diversify West Point’s Long Gray Line.

West Point remains mostly white and mostly male. The 34 women comprise a thin slice of the roughly 1,000 cadets in the Class of 2019. Sometimes, they’re the only women of color in a classroom. Still, cadets said they’re proud to be part of a milestone at the historic academy after four years of testing their limits.

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“I just showed myself and those who thought I couldn’t do it initially that yes, I can,” said senior cadet Stephanie Riley, of Jacksonville, Florida. “And not just, ‘yes, I can.’ I can show other little girls that yes, you can come to West Point. Yes, you can do something that maybe the rest of your peers aren’t actually doing. And yes, you can be different from the rest of the group.”

In this May 22, 2019, photo, senior cadet Stephanie Riley, of Jacksonville, Fla., talks during an interview in West Point, N.Y. (Mark Lennihan/AP) (Mark Lennihan/AP)

Riley was among the black female cadets who recently posed for pre-graduation photos in their gray uniforms, holding out ceremonial sabers. The pictures — part of a tradition for graduating cadets — were posted widely online and became a symbol of West Point’s increasing diversity.

“I was more excited to just take the picture because it means that we’re all graduating and it was great to be there with a lot of my sisters who have been there for me in very tough times during summer training and during the academic year,” said senior cadet Gabrielle Young, from Hopkins, South Carolina. “I didn’t expect it to have the impact that it did around the country.”

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While West Point challenges every cadet, experiences can be different for black females.

Riley said people would look to her for comment during classroom discussions about race or slavery. Young said she’s acutely aware of how she carries herself and how she’s perceived by different people.

“I feel like in some ways that I do have to prove myself a little bit more, prove that I belong here. And even a classmate told me, I think our freshman year, that I only got in because I was a black female,” said Young, one of the few in her class chosen for medical school.

In this May 22, 2019, photo, Gabrielle Young, of Hopkins, S.C., poses at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. (Mark Lennihan/AP) (Mark Lennihan/AP)

West Point boosted efforts to recruit women and blacks after being told to diversify in 2013 by then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno. The academy changed its marketing approach and opened a diversity office. Admissions officials increased outreach to metropolitan areas like New York City, Atlanta and Detroit. Not all of these efforts were aimed specifically at minorities or women, but they broadened the search for qualified candidates.

The addition of NCAA women’s lacrosse and rugby also helped West Point attract high school athletes.

The class graduating Saturday includes 223 women, the largest number since the first female cadets graduated in 1980. The class has 110 African Americans, double the number from 2013, and the largest number of Latinos, 88.

“We’re beginning to see the fruits of our labors,” director of admissions Col. Deborah McDonald said.

In this May 22, 2019 photo, West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams, second from right, attends Parade Day at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. Walking with him is Don Carter, 94, from the class of 1944. West Point remains mostly white and mostly male. (Mark Lennihan/AP) (Mark Lennihan/AP)

In another milestone, Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams became the first black superintendent at West Point last summer. In 2017, Simone Askew was the first black woman to become first captain of the Corps of Cadets, the highest student position at academy.

Even with the progress in diversity, West Point has not been immune to issues faced by the military and society. Sexual assault and harassment have been such a persistent problem that Williams suspended classes for a day in February so the entire academy could focus intently on them. And it was only four years ago that 16 black female seniors inadvertently stirred up controversy by raising clenched fists in one of their own pre-graduation pictures.

Critics saw political overtones in a gesture that supporters said was made in good-natured solidarity.

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On Saturday, Young and Riley will be among the graduates commissioned second lieutenants in the U.S. Army after an address by Vice President Mike Pence. Riley will go into the Signal Corps. Young will study to become a doctor.

“I don’t think I would trade this experience for anything in the world,” Young said. “I know that I’ve accomplished a lot and I know that I’m prepared for whatever.”

A record number of black women just graduated from West Point

The nation’s most revered cadets are looking refreshingly different this year.

West Point, the prestigious military academy in New York state, graduated a record number of African-American women this year.

The 34 women received their diplomas at the ceremony on West Point campus on Saturday. Vice President Mike Pence served as the keynote speaker.

The number of black female graduates has been steadily increasing. Last year, 27 black women graduated from West Point, while six years ago, 13 black women graduated, according to CNN.

In the days leading up to the ceremony, all of the 2019 black female graduates posed for a stunning historic photo that went viral.

“It was just very overwhelming to see all of our sisters – us just standing there in solidarity,” said cadet Jabreal Arrington in an interview with NBC Nightly News.

In addition to the record number of African-American women, West Point graduated a record number of Hispanics, as well as women overall.

Women were not allowed to attend West Point until 1976. The first co-ed graduating class consisted of 62 women in 1980. This year, the academy graduated its 5,000th woman.

History in the making: 32 African American females will be with the Class of 2019, the most in the United States Military Academy’s history.US Army photo by Cadet Hallie H. Pound

West Point spokesperson Francis DeMaro, Jr. told NBC’s Know Your Value: “These ‘Seasons of Firsts’ are unique for these soon-to-be Army officers who will lead America’s soldiers in the defense of our great nation.”

However, even with the new record, black women only comprise 4 percent of the 2019 class overall. Cadets explained to NBC Nightly News that they often experienced periods of isolation during their tenure at West Point.

“I definitely struggled sometimes, because sometimes I’d be the only woman of color, or even woman in general in my classes,” said cadet Bria Errington.

“It hasn’t always been pretty,” said cadet Tiffany Welch-Baker. “There are some moments here where you feel like ‘am I worthy? Do I deserve to be here?’”

Students of West Point must undergo rigorous academic and corps training in the typical four-year program. According to the West Point website, post-graduates are commissioned as second lieutenants in the army, where they will serve on active duty for five years. They might go on to lead a Military Police unit, a small artillery fire support team, or a Military Intelligence unit.

Cadet Welch-Baker hopes that the viral photo and the record number of African-American female graduates will instil confidence in future generations of black girls, encouraging them to rise to these challenges.

“I hope those girls can see themselves in us,” said cadet Welch-Baker. “I want women to be soldiers. I want these little black girls to say ‘hey, I can do it too. I have the strength to defy the odds.’ Which is what we did. We defied the odds.”

West Point’s Newest Class Has More Minority New Cadets Than Last Year

West Point’s newest class has increased minority representation and the percentage of female new cadets remained consistent with previous years.

On Monday, the United States Military Academy welcomed more than 1,190 candidates for Reception Day. The newest class of cadets enters the academy on the heels of the school graduating a record number of black women in a single class, which occurred in May.

Vice President Mike Pence called the class of 2019 the most diverse in West Point’s history during the commencement address. The incoming class of 2023 also includes cadets from an array of backgrounds.

About 37 percent of the class of 2023 were minorities, equivalent to 443 people, according to the military academy. Of the incoming class, 180 were African American, 145 were Hispanic Americans, 99 were Asian Americans and 19 were Native Americans.

In total, this signified about a four percent increase in minority enrollment, equal to about 43 people, compared to the previous year. The class of 2022 included 400 minority cadets, among them 186 African Americans, 104 Hispanic Americans, 99 Asian Americans and 11 Native Americans, according to West Point.

“These young men and women are coming here to devote themselves to becoming guardians of Duty, Honor, Country – the West Point motto – and our United States Constitution. They represent our nation’s promise for the future,” Deborah McDonald, director of admissions, said in a statement.

New cadets hold and read booklets called ‘Cadet Knowledge’ during Reception Day at the United States Military Academy at West Point, June 27, 2016, in West Point, New York. The class of 2023 saw about a four percent increase in minority representation.
Drew Angerer/Getty

Compared to the 294 women welcomed on Reception Day in 2018, West Point reported 285 female cadets were on campus as part of the newest class. However, the percentage of female cadets has remained largely unchanged for the past four years, averaging between 22 and 24 percent of the class.

West Point first admitted women in 1976, with 62 women graduating in the class of 1980. Since the class of 2012, the percentage of women entering West Point increased by about 10 percent, according to data on class characteristics.

“West Point is happy with its highly qualified and diverse classes of 2023,” a West Point spokesperson told Newsweek. “We have averaged 290 female cadets, or 23.3 percent of the class, over the last four years and continue to strive to increase the diversity through programs like Leadership Ethics and Diversity in STEM workshops and others.”

Along with domestic cadets, the newest class includes cadets from more than a dozen countries, including Columbia, Egypt, Rwanda and Thailand. When international cadets graduate, they become officers in their respective country’s armed forces.

Reception Day marks the first step in a 47-month journey toward becoming an officer in the United States Army. New cadets are outfitted with their initial issue of military clothing, receive haircuts and get their first lessons in marching, military courtesy and discipline. They’re also given 60 seconds to say goodbye to their families, who they may or may not contact during Cadet Basic Training.

Over the course of the next six weeks, new cadets will be complete physical training, as well as small-unit tactical training and rifle marksmanship. Upon completion of Cadet Basic Training, scheduled for August 17, they’ll be accepted into the Corps of Cadets.

34 Black Female Cadets Helped Make West Point’s Graduating Class Its Most Diverse Ever

By Lauren Rearick

On Saturday, May 25, the United States Military Academy at West Point celebrated the graduation of one of its most racially diverse classes ever.

Thirty-four black women were among 950 graduates recognized at the 2019 ceremony, CNN reported. It was the largest class of black women to graduate from the 217-year-old school ever, breaking 2017’s record of 27 black women graduates. Among the 2019 graduating class were 223 women, the most to graduate from West Point since 1980; 110 black graduates; and 88 Latinx graduates, which Time reported is the highest number to ever graduate from the academy. (Some graduates belong to more than one identity group.)

Even with the academy’s overdue milestone in representation, the school has struggled with diversifying its attendance.  Since 2013, West Point made continued efforts to enroll female students, and especially female students of color, the Associated Press reported. The academy had opened a diversity office and attempted to reach potential students in new areas across the United States.

The changes extended to staffing, too; in 2017, Lieutenant General Darryl Williams became the school’s first black superintendent.That same year, Simone Askew was named the first black woman to ever lead the Corps of Cadets.

West Point alumna Shalela Dowdy told CNN that she thought the school’s efforts to enroll non-white, non-male students were working. She graduated as one of 13 black woman graduates in 2012. “It’s encouraging and inspiring to see leaders graduating from the school that are from all different kinds of backgrounds and represent the diversity of the army itself,” she said.

Cadet Bria Errington, a 2019 graduating cadet, told NBC News that she had struggled with being “the only woman of color, or even woman in general” in classes. Her experience was backed by classmate cadet Tiffany Welch-Baker, who told NBC News, “It hasn’t always been pretty.”

“There are some moments here where you feel like ‘am I worthy?’ Do I deserve to be here?’,” she added.

Senior cadet Gabrielle Young told the Associated Press she felt the need to “prove that I belong here.” As a freshman at the academy, Young recalled a classmate telling her that she had only been accepted because she was a black woman. Despite her experience, Young had good things to say of her time at the school, noting, “I don’t think I would trade this experience for anything in the world. I know that I’ve accomplished a lot and I know that I’m prepared for whatever.”

Since Saturday’s ceremony, a photograph of the black women in 2019’s graduating class posing together went viral, the Associated Press pointed out. “I want women to be soldiers. I want these little black girls to say ‘hey, I can do it too. I have the strength to defy the odds,’” Welch-Baker said of the photo. “Which is what we did. We defied the odds.”

West Point Is About to Graduate Its Largest Class of Black Women

• Thirty-two black female cadets will graduate from the United States Military Academy on May 25 — the largest group of black women the school has matriculated in its 217-year history.
• The school, more commonly referred to as West Point, shared photos of the historic group, posing in dress uniform, with INSIDER on Thursday.
• West Point has been making an effort to recruit more multicultural cadets since 2014, when it set up a diversity office.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

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A group of black female cadets at the United States Military Academy proudly posed for photos together ahead of their May 25 graduation, to mark being part of the largest class of black women to graduate from the 217-year-old institution.

Thirty-two black women are set to graduate from the school, more commonly known as West Point, in the class of 2019, the Philadelphia Tribune reported. The momentous occasion comes more than 155 years after the end of slavery, and nearly 99 years after women won the right to vote.

West Point was founded in 1802 but didn’t admit its first black cadet until 1870. The first women were admitted in 1976.

Since 2014 though, the school has been making more of an effort to recruit more cadets from different backgrounds, by setting up an office of diversity, according to CNN.

Several members of the group of black female cadets recently posed for a picture ahead of their graduation.

Cadet Hallie Pound

West Point spokesman Frank Demaro told CNN on Wednesday that he expects many more landmarks in the school’s future when it comes to diversity.

“Last year’s graduating class had 27” black women, Demaro said. “And the expectation is next year’s class will be even larger than this year’s.”

Demaro also pointed out that this year’s class includes “the highest number of female Hispanic graduates, along with graduating our 5,000th female cadet.”

Read more: This remarkable teenager was accepted into four of the US military academies

According to the school, 10% of the student population is black and about 20% are women.

Cadet Tiffany Welch-Baker is among the group of black women graduating the school this month. She told the website Because of Them We Can that she hopes the photos will inspire young black girls.

“My hope when young black girls see these photos is that they understand that regardless of what life presents you, you have the ability and fortitude to be a force to be reckoned with,” Welch-Baker said.

In other strides, last year the school appointed its first black superintendent, and named the first black female student to serve as First Captain of the Corps of Cadets, the highest student leadership position at the school.

Assist Vulnerable Girls in West Point Liberia

Assist Vulnerable Girls in West Point Liberia – GlobalGiving

by

West Point Women for Health and Development Org.

Summary

The West Point Women works in Monrovia’s largest slum, West Point. It has a population estimated to about 60,000 or more inhabitants. WPW is carrying out; Advocacy, building peace, health hygiene water & sanitation as well helping to empower women and girls through literacy, skills & saving schemes that enable women become productive. WPW seeks to help 20 vulnerable girls in West Point enter academy school in order to prevent them becoming child prostitutes if they continue staying at home.

$129

total raised

7
donors

0
monthly donors

1
fundraiser

5
years

* Amounts in US Dollars

*Amounts in US Dollars

Challenge

West Point is the largest slum in Monrovia, faced with the challenge of gender based violence, poverty, inadequate access to safe drinking water & sanitation. A population of over 60,000 people living in close shelter conditions of mostly zinc houses near the Mesurado River, this huge number of population, women and children are the most vulnerable that poses problem for the community. Poverty rate is about 94% and illiteracy is as high as 85%, leading to increase in domestic & sexual violence.

Solution

The project will help stop teenage pregnancy, prostitution and violence against girls in West Point through educational means; the project will also help to eliminate illiteracy and poverty among the girls in the community of West Point, allowing them the knowledge to make sound decision for the future.

Long-Term Impact

The effect this project will have on the community; Reduction in teenage pregnancy, prostitution and violence against the girls’ children who were left at home. Increased literacy and reduction in poverty through the educational knowledge gained. More than 100 family members in West Point will benefit from this project when the girls are given the needed academic skills.

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc. docx).

Organization Information

West Point Women for Health and Development Org.

Location:
Monrovia, none – Liberia

Project Leader:
Nelly Cooper
Monrovia,
none
Liberia

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Col. Copeland sets a new West Point legacy for women, daughters

Col. June Copeland has had many successes during her military career, but she says her greatest accomplishment has been her three daughters, June Alyxandra, and twins, Jasmyn and Jeilyn.

Col. June Copeland says her greatest accomplishment has been raising her three daughters, June Alyxandra, and twins, Jasmyn and Jeilyn. (Courtesy June Copeland)

WTOP is featuring women who make a difference in the community during Women’s History Month.

June Copeland joined the military at the suggestion of her twin brother, Jerry, who was about to enlist in the Army. June and Jerry Copeland had never been separated before, and he wasn’t ready to be without her.

Jerry served his commitment to the military, then went off to pursue other goals as a civilian after he met and married the love of his life.

But June not only remained in the military, and was accepted to the U.S. Military Academy after three years in the Army. After graduating from West Point, she became an adjutant general currently stationed at the Pentagon.

Copeland has had many successes during her military career, but she says her greatest accomplishment has been her three daughters, June Alyxandra, and twins, Jasmyn and Jeilyn.

Army 2nd Lt. June Alyxandra Copeland is a recent West Point graduate. She is part of the largest group of African American female cadets to ever graduate from West Point. Jasmyn and Jeilyn are currently in their third year at the Military Academy.

“The thing I’m impressed with most about my daughters is that they’re good people, good moral-centric people with good hearts,” Copeland said.

She said she believes children learn through seeing rather than being lectured to. June took her daughters to a movie theater one day when they were young.

After the movie, when the theater emptied out and the lights were turned on, she took her daughters to the front of the theater and told them to look at the empty seats.

“By the time you reach high school, every one of these seats represents an opportunity for you,” she told them. “What you need to do is make sure your academics are good so you can take advantage of those opportunities.”

“If your GPA isn’t good,” she told them, lifting up the bottom of one of the folding seats, “if you haven’t done community service,” she said, lifting yet another seat — “You will close every opportunity.”

All three girls took advantage of the opportunities afforded to them. June Alyxandra, now 23, always wanted to go to the University of Miami until she started weighing her options in high school. Copeland was pleasantly surprised when June Alyxandra chose to follow in her footsteps. Jasmyn, now 20, had wanted to go to West Point since she was four-years-old.

“I would see her on the weekends studying just to make sure her grades didn’t fall below a 4.0,” Copeland said.

Jeilyn wanted no part of West Point, but during high school it became a competition between the girls to see who could get in. And, when she did, she said she was going for herself and to make her mother proud.

Copeland said the key to being a successful officer is “competency, professionalism and empathy, caring about my soldiers … making sure that I take care of them.”

Not only has she taken care of her soldiers, but she has also taken care of her daughters and created a legacy of service and success.

90,000 More and more cadets of the US Army West Point Academy are learning Russian

In the Brighton Beach area of ​​New York, inhabited by immigrants from the former USSR, West Point cadets went to practice Russian. Among the students of the most prestigious US military academy, he is now more popular than ever.

Report by Vladimir Lensky.

In the heart of “Russian America” ​​on Brighton Beach, a group of cadets from the West Point Military Academy resembles foreign tourists.The purpose of the trip is language practice. In the gym of the district club, the future US Army officers spoke only Russian with local residents for an hour.

Lawrence Mansour, Professor of Russian at the Department of Foreign Languages ​​at the West Point Military Academy: “Speaking with a native speaker is an invaluable opportunity for our cadets to learn that this is not just some kind of game that the teachers invented, but it is living speech.” …

Professor Mansour has been teaching Russian to West Point cadets for 15 years.This is the main US military academy, where the level of education is equal to the best American universities.

West Point alumni include several commanders-in-chief of the US Army and even two presidents – Grant and Eisenhower. Here, subjects are studied not for the sake of general information, all knowledge should be applied in practice.

Now there is a real boom in the Russian language at the academy. The teachers are confident that educational programs between Russia and the United States will only expand, including in the military sphere. Exchange students from Russia have already visited the Academy several times.

Cadets in the classroom are told not only about grammar.

William Greene, Lieutenant Colonel, Lecturer in the Russian Language Department at the US Army West Point Academy: “We talk about history, culture, literature, art, and so on and so forth.”

West Point landing on Brighton Beach is just a small episode of an extensive cultural exchange program that provides linguistic practice in Ukraine and Russia for students of the most prestigious US military academy.

Fourth year students who spent four months in Odessa and Voronezh speak Russian almost fluently.

William Lopez, West Point cadet: “I found a Russian girl in Odessa, and therefore my Russian was better and better every day.”

Arthur Dominyak, West Point Academy cadet: “I was very interested in Russian culture, everything about Russia, because it is such a big country, and there are many cultures in it – in the west, in the south, it’s all very interesting. ”

The “reset” in relations between the US and Russia has already caused an additional burden on the teachers of the Russian language department at West Point.

Lawrence Mansour, professor of the Russian language at the Department of Foreign Languages ​​at the West Point Military Academy: “Thank God, I think our relationship has been thawing lately, so this year there will be more than one student at our university, and two groups of Russian cadets. ”

The Academy has established close ties with Voronezh State University. And in November, for the first time in the history of West Point, cadets from military schools will come here for an internship from Russia.

Sleeping on the ground with a gun in an embrace – American recipe of Lieutenant Lena Milyuk

It is difficult to recognize a military man in a delicate miniature Elena, a campaigner who has undergone an army drill, but not just somewhere, but in the oldest military educational institution of the United States of America. Probably, a few years ago, she herself did not imagine such a fate for herself.

For the time being, while studying at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of the Kazakh National University, she was an ordinary student, until one day, unexpectedly for herself, she decided to try to enter West Point.In an interview with Azattyk radio, Elena told how it all began:

– I took the oath, I had the rank of private, but absolutely no skills!

Having shown excellent knowledge of the English language and general education base, Elena became the only girl admitted to the key physical fitness test. She did not have to blush in front of the American officers who adopted sports standards – ten years of rhythmic gymnastics and the title of master of sports were useful to Elena.At West Point, Elena was one of the few foreign cadets — there were no more than ten out of a thousand cadets. Elena recalls the first, most difficult days of her stay at the military academy:

– It was hard for me to get up early in the morning, I am an owl. I didn’t know how many more days I could endure it. In the first year, they take away your freedom, break it and, like a piece of clay, mold the officer they want to see. They also have their own hazing. It is not easy because there is no freedom: you would like to relax, loose your hair, be a girl, and everything is so strict there …

Military discipline, enormous physical exertion and no indulgence – this is what Elena faced in the very first days of her studies.The rules and chain of command at West Point are sacred, and punishment for breaking them is inevitable. Elena knows firsthand what a few hours of marching on the parade ground with a heavy M-14 gun on her shoulder cost. Elena Milyuk shares her memories with the correspondent of Radio Azattyk:

– During the first week I was late for classes, probably three times. My sergeant says: “I am already in my third year and have never been late. And you did it several times in the first week! ” During the first semester, I walked to the parade ground for more than a hundred hours . ..

Despite all the difficulties she had to face, Lena did not even allow herself to think about quitting the service to which she was striving so much:

– I was in the mood: already I arrived, I have already made up my mind, and not only I, but the whole country have pinned their hopes, everyone is waiting for me to finish, to finish successfully.If fate is like this, I will go to the end.

A graduate of an elite academy signed a ten-year contract with the Kazakh army and became a logistics supply officer. Probably for the best that she does not have to land in hot spots and live in the field. Although “West Point” taught Elena the following lessons:

-We had a week of infantry – to live without a shower, sleep on the ground, with a gun in an embrace … I am not against this, but I think that infantry is a purely man’s business.

Friends and relatives of Lieutenant Milyuk get used to the new Elena – more adult, more serious, with a changed voice and intonations. Elena herself feels these changes:

– My views on life have become more extensive, I began to distinguish between important things from unimportant ones. It doesn’t matter what difficulties life brings me. I am able to meet and overcome these difficulties with dignity.

After her return, Elena had a lot of trouble – to order a uniform of a small size, unusual for the army, to go to Astana for distribution. It is already known that in September she will again go to the United States for advanced military training courses, where she will stay until February.In the meantime, Elena is on vacation.

Red threat 10/04/2017 | Articles

“Communism will triumph.” These two words (in English three, Communism will win), written by a graduate of the US Military Academy West Point on the lining of his cap, caused a huge scandal in the States. A member of the army elite, a young honors officer and a veteran of Afghanistan, suddenly declared his adherence to the idea, with which America recently fought for life and death. Society and the army leadership do not know how to react to what has happened.Many people want to punish the “red” for his views, but adherence to the cause of Marx is not a crime in itself. Details of this unusual story can be found in the material iz.ru.

US President Donald Trump

Photo: REUTERS / Kevin Lamarque

Author of the quote

It all started, as often happens in the States in recent months, with a statement by Donald Trump. On September 22, the president suddenly remembered that a year ago, NFL (National Football League) player Colin Kuipernick refused to stand up during the anthem in protest of police brutality against blacks.

Children of bitches! – Trump described the athletes. – They receive millions of dollars and dare to show disrespect to our great country! Let them get up when they sing the hymn, or look for another job. ”

The announcement sparked a wave of protests as well as a powerful Twitter campaign. Among those who posted a hashtag post in support of Kuipernick and his comrades was @punkproletarian, whose magazine was called “Commy Bebop.” The first photo showed a young man wearing a West Point graduate uniform, displaying the words “Communism Will Win” on the lining of his cap.The next tweet read: “If anyone still has doubts, then Hasta la Victoria Siempre.” Attached to the post was a photo: Commey Bebop with his tunic unbuttoned on his chest and a T-shirt underneath with a portrait of Che Guevara. The effect was such that everyone forgot about Kuipernick for a while.

From birth, Spencer was a good boy

Second Lieutenant (corresponds to the rank of lieutenant in the Russian army) Spencer Rapone, currently serving in the 2nd brigade of the 10th Mountain Division of the US Army – he was hiding under the pseudonym Commy Bebop – with childhood was an exemplary American child who loves God, country and president.

“In his early years, while in high school, he was the embodiment of patriotism,” said Spencer’s father Richard. “He even joined a civilian air patrol (a volunteer auxiliary organization of the Air Force, whose task is to help in search and rescue operations. – Approx. Iz.ru)”.

Spencer studied with excellent marks. His success was noticed by Pennsylvania Congressman Jason Altmire. The politician was so impressed that he personally recommended young Rapone to the military academy.“I met Spencer Rapone several years ago,” the politician explained. “He was a high school student then and wanted to go to West Point. At that time he was an excellent student, studying for round fives, and even from a good family. ”

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However, judging by the words of Richard Rapone, Spencer’s path to the academy was much more thorny: “He tried to enter West Point, but did not pass the exam. Then, immediately after graduation, he enlisted in the army. Then he served in the rangers, was sent to Afghanistan, where he performed some kind of special mission.Upon his return, he applied again to West Point, and this time he was accepted. ”

Rapone graduated from the Military Academy in May 2016 – at the same time his photo was taken with a cap and a T-shirt with a portrait of Che. By that time, the young man was already a staunch communist.

Graduation ceremony at the United States Military Academy at West Point

Photo: Global Look Press / Dan Herrick

Afghan Syndrome

“Everything happened after Afghanistan,” Richard explained.”I am sure that it was after his return from Afghanistan that a serious change in his political views took place.”

What exactly happened in a distant Asian country with Private Rapone is unknown. The “special mission” that he carried out there also remains a secret: Spencer himself did not write about it, the journalists also failed to find out. The only thing that Lt. Col. Matthew Bockholt, head of the public relations department of the American Special Operations Command (SOCOM), said: Spencer Rapone was fired from the Rangers with the wording RFS – Released for Standarts, that is, due to non-compliance with the requirements.

US Army soldiers in Afghanistan

Photo: Global Look Press / John Goodman

This is a very vague wording, under which a lot of everything can be hidden – from the inability to complete the training course (but Rapone was already a ranger by the time he was sent to Afghanistan) to some kind of misconduct. For what exactly Spencer was expelled from the Rangers is unknown. But it is obvious that if there was some kind of violation, it was not too serious, since Rapone was not expelled from the army and even taken to West Point, and later allowed to safely leave there as an officer.

Cursed traitor and mercenary of the imperialists

“I am shocked and disappointed. While I strongly support the rights of American citizens to express their opinions, Second Lieutenant Rapone’s irresponsible actions are disgusting and in direct violation of the uniform code of military justice, not to mention the fact that they do not correspond to the values ​​of the US military academy. I have no doubt that the army will take all the necessary actions. ”

These words belong to Jason Altmire – the very same Congressman who recommended Spencer in his time at West Point.Even Rapone Sr. said that he categorically disagreed with the political preferences of his son, that he was upset and disappointed with the path he chose. “However, Spencer is my son, and I deeply love him, although I do not approve of his political views, actions and behavior,” concluded Richard.

Users of social networks reacted much more harshly: “He urgently has to resign”; “Why does one of our soldiers publicly declare his commitment to communism? Spencer Rapone is a Marxist, he poses a threat to the state ”; “Cursed Traitors Raise at West Point”; “He must be immediately dismissed and brought to the field trial as a traitor.”

Among those who are dissatisfied with Rapone’s actions, there are also his associates in the left camp. “Nice business,” one of them wrote. – A dude in a T-shirt with Che Guevara, supporting American imperialism with a weapon in his hands. This is probably a joke. ”

Necessary, but difficult

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The story of Spencer Rapone split American society and put Themis into a dead end. A few decades ago, at the height of the Cold War, the problem would have been resolved in a couple of days: the second lieutenant would have been expelled from the army in disgrace, or even, what good, sent to prison as an enemy agent of influence.

But times have changed. The main enemy voluntarily stopped the struggle, the communist ideology ceased to be a weapon in the war against the free world, and it became somehow inconvenient to imprison citizens simply because they liked Marx and Engels. Hillary Clinton’s main rival in the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders, openly calls himself a Democratic Socialist. And in Syria, American instructors are training fighters of the Democratic Union people’s self-defense units, who are fighting under the flag with a red star for the ideals of Kurdish socialism. Even the implacable “hawk” John McCain wrote a column called “Salute to the Communist!” in memory of Delmar Berg, the last American veteran of the International Brigade of the Spanish Civil War.

Hillary Clinton’s main rival in the Democratic primaries Bernie Sanders

Photo: Global Look Press / Regina H. Boone

And at the same time, for many Americans who found themselves in the Cold War or grew up on books, films and comics of that period, showing Rapone a T-shirt with Che is an act beyond the bounds, a slap in the face of American society, a betrayal of the cause for which they and their fathers fought.After all, many laws from the McCarthy era are still in force in the States – including the famous Brownell-Butler Act, or the Communist Control Act of 1954, which essentially prohibits the Communist Party and proclaims those who profess socialism enemies of the state. …

A year in prison for “son of a bitch”

As a result, the Pentagon found itself in a difficult position. The Army issued a special clarification stating that “Second Lieutenant Rapone’s actions do not reflect the values ​​of West Point and the US Army” and that “the military is prohibited from making certain political statements while in uniform.”But the anti-communist civilians and the military demanded blood. Spencer Rapone definitely needed to be punished (and ideally dismissed from the army), but it’s not clear why. Army rules do not prohibit being a communist.

The original plan was to bring Spencer to justice for wearing the uniform. Considering that such crimes in the American army are recorded by hundreds every day and concern primarily sergeants who like to find fault with recruits, the accusation sounded clearly frivolous.

But it seems that the military Themis has finally figured out what can be imputed to Rapona. He, according to lawyers, repeatedly violated Art. 88 of the Unified Code of Military Justice, which explicitly prohibits officers from insulting the president, vice president, congressmen and other federal officials, as well as defense officials. Commey Bebop, in his tweets, more than once characterized Defense Secretary Mattis as “the most vile, evil fuck in the current administration” (the most vile, evil fuck in the current administration), and US Vice President Michael Pence as “fucking cold killer and obscurantist “(a fucking medieval, cold-blooded killer).As for Senator John McCain from Arizona, Bebop hopes to “dance merrily someday” at his grave. For violation of the 88th article, you are entitled to dismissal from service, the termination of all military payments and a year in prison.

Communist conspiracy

Hotheads are already proposing to thoroughly check West Point: have the communists built their snake’s nest there?

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The Rapone critics are particularly suspicious of Professor Rashid Hussein, who teaches the history of the Middle East.He was Spencer’s mentor and even, as reporters found out, took him with him in 2014 to India to show the Taj Mahal.

“After that,” writes the American right-wing publication Breibart, “Rapone’s Facebook posts become increasingly anti-racist, anti-Israel, pro-Muslim, pro-communist, anti-war and police hateful. ”

Hussein is now on “administrative leave,” according to West Point, with no connection to the Rapone case.

But the matter was not limited to Professor Hussein.Many of his fellow officers from those who studied with him at West Point or served together stood up for Spencer. So, one of his fellow academics said that Spencer did not hide his communist convictions and that at the same time his colleagues considered and still consider him an exemplary officer and a real intellectual. He was also supported by veterans associated with the Democratic Socialists of America, one of the leftist groups under the wing of the Democratic Party, to which, according to their own statement, the lieutenant belongs.

The story of Spencer Rapone, which began with an inscription on the lining of his cap, will not end soon.But for America, it has already become a kind of test for readiness to abandon the legacy of the Cold War and accept the fact that both the world around it and the place of ideologies in it has changed. So far, judging by the reaction to the act of the West Point graduate, not all Americans, including politicians and the military, are ready for this.

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as the head of the Pentagon assessed the prospects for the participation of the US Armed Forces in new military operations – RT in Russian

Speaking to the graduates of the military academy, the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, said that the skills acquired by the cadets will not remain just a theory.According to the US Secretary of Defense, he can “practically guarantee” that “unforeseen” events will occur. In addition, Lloyd again raised the topic of rivalry with other powers. According to experts, Washington continues its policy of confrontation with respect to Moscow and Beijing, and also will not abandon the forceful advancement of “democracy” in the world.

Speaking to alumni of the US Military Academy at West Point, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said the US is “in a state of continuous struggle that has been going on for almost 20 years. “According to him, the newly minted military knows the United States only as a country that is constantly engaged in hostilities.

“I see how patriotic, devoted young people enter adulthood at a turning point in history, and they know (our country. – RT ) only as a warring nation. You are now graduating in a changing country and a changing world where many of the old ways of doing business are no longer relevant, ”said Lloyd.

According to the head of the Pentagon, the main “America’s goal is to always take a leadership position, using diplomatic methods, and to prevent conflicts as much as possible.”

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“But if we are forced to defend ourselves, then we will win, and a decisive victory,” added the US Secretary of Defense.

In his speech, he also mentioned Afghanistan, telling the academy graduates that “the longest war for the United States is coming to an end.”

Recall that on April 14, President of the United States Joe Biden announced his decision to end the operation in Afghanistan, which became the longest overseas military campaign in American history.

At the same time, Lloyd did not rule out that the United States would enter into a new military conflict.

“Lieutenants, our job is to fight and win the wars our country is waging, which means that everything you have learned here is not just scientific knowledge.I can practically guarantee that events that we do not expect will happen, and they will fall on your time, because we live in an imperfect world, ”he told the audience.

In his speech, the head of the Pentagon did not ignore the “traditional” issue of confrontation with other powers. According to Lloyd, “America’s competitors” allegedly declare that “the future belongs to the model that promises wealth, but suppresses freedom.” Later, the Pentagon website explained that in this case the head of the department had in mind Russia and China.

• Pentagon
• AFP
• © Saul Loeb

Traditional rhetoric

It is worth noting that practically nothing has changed in the rhetoric of representatives of the Biden administration regarding Russia. According to Washington, the Russian Federation still allegedly poses a threat to the national security of the United States and the whole world.

The formation of the image of Russia as an enemy began back in the days of Barack Obama, who in September 2014, speaking at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, called the Russian Federation one of the three greatest threats to world security, putting Ebola first and third – IS *, Al-Qaeda ** and other terrorist organizations.

Now, the current US authorities have included the thesis of the “Russian threat” in the interim strategic guidance on national security, which was released by the White House in March 2021.

The document notes that the Russian Federation and the PRC are allegedly trying to weaken the strengths of the United States and prevent them from defending their interests “on a global scale.” It is also emphasized that “an increasingly assertive China and a destabilizing situation in Russia” pose challenges for the United States of a “strategic nature”, which forces the American authorities to direct resources to the development of the military sphere.

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“Create a full-fledged image of the enemy”: why the Pentagon called Russia a threat to the United States “on many fronts”

The US Department of Defense shares the fears of the representatives of the command about the possibility of a nuclear conflict with Russia or China, but not. ..

In mid-April, Biden himself declared about the “extraordinary threat” from Moscow to American national security and the economy in a letter to Congress in connection with the imposition of sanctions restrictions on Russia. Then the head of the White House also repeated a number of earlier accusations against the Russian Federation. In particular, Biden spoke about Moscow’s attempts to discredit the US elections and about malicious cyber activities allegedly engaged in by Russia.

After that, on April 22, during a speech before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the head of the US Central Command, General Kenneth Mackenzie, said that “a growing threat” was allegedly emanating from the Russian Federation and the PRC.According to him, last year, both countries allegedly “took advantage of the ongoing regional crises, financial and infrastructural difficulties” to expand their influence in the world. For this reason, Mackenzie stressed, one of the key areas of his command is “long-term strategic rivalry” with Russia and China.

In turn, the head of the Space Operations Command, Lieutenant General of the US Space Forces Stephen Whiting, said that the Russian Federation has the ability to interfere with the work of American space-based assets.He announced this on May 5 during a hearing at the House Armed Services Committee of the United States Congress.

• US military in Iraq
• Reuters
• © Thaier Al-Sudani

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry categorically rejected such accusations, stressing that, unlike Washington’s aggressive aspirations in space, Moscow “takes a diametrically opposite position, giving priority to the use and exploration of outer space exclusively for peaceful purposes, preventing an arms race in outer space.” …At the same time, the Russian department stressed that the American side “resorts to the usual tactics of blaming others. ”

“Continue the policy of confrontation”

As Vladimir Batyuk, head of the Center for Political-Military Studies of the Institute of the United States and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted in an interview with RT, based on the statements of the head of the Pentagon, as well as other theses of the American leadership, it can be concluded that the United States do not intend to change their policy towards Russia and China.

“This also suggests that in any foreseeable future, the United States will continue its policy of confrontation with the Russian Federation and China, as well as other countries that do not want to become America’s junior“ partners ”,” the expert said.

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Nikita Danyuk, a member of the Public Chamber, first deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of RUDN University, adheres to a similar position. He believes that the Biden administration will use the so-called value approach both in foreign policy and in all kinds of military operations.

“Those who, according to the American side, infringe on human rights and freedom, they are enemies. And, according to the United States, it is imperative to compete with them first in terms of military potentials, and if necessary, then fight in a direct conflict.This is the logic of the United States, ”the expert explained.

According to Batyuk, despite the early statements of Washington that the United States will not participate in endless wars, which have already cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars, “the Pentagon decided to make its own adjustments.”

“Lloyd’s words can be regarded as the thesis“ we have fought and we will fight ”, regardless of whether it is directly dictated by the national interests of the United States or not. Despite the rhetoric of the same Biden, the ideology of liberal globalism in the United States has not been canceled.And the failures of the American military in Syria, for example, or in Afghanistan, from where America is now forced to leave, because plans to create a pro-American liberal regime there have ended in complete collapse, are not taken into account, ”he said.

In turn, Nikita Danyuk recalled that during its history, the United States, together with its Western allies, bombed Yugoslavia and destroyed the statehood of Libya.

• US military in Afghanistan
• Reuters
• © Andrew Burton

“An attempt has been made to do the same with Syria, not to mention Iraq.All this was done under the guise of the so-called struggle for democratic rights and freedoms of peoples, but in fact, as we know, in all these states, after military operations and US interventions, people began to live much worse. With the help of words about freedom and democracy, the Americans only defended their geopolitical and geo-economic interests, “blowing up” entire regions to please their conjuncture, “Danyuk emphasized.

It is very important for Lloyd that under the current conditions “there is no catastrophic drop in the level of morale, motivation to continue serving with the American military,” Vladimir Batyuk is sure.

“At the same time, even without hints and statements by Lloyd, it was clear that over time the United States would try to provoke new armed conflicts,” the expert said.

“At the same time, ordinary Americans do not need US military operations, accompanied by gigantic material costs and human casualties, including primarily citizens of the United States, they are extremely tired of them,” the analyst concluded.

* “Islamic State” (IS, ISIS) – the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 29. 12.2014.

** “Al-Qaeda” – the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 02.14.2003.

West Point Cadet. 1830-1831. Edgar Poe. Shadow Genius

West Point Cadet. 1830-1831

“In a wonderful corner — the most beautiful in all the beautiful and pleasant highlands by the North River — is the highest military school of America; she stands surrounded by dark green hills and ruined forts and looks from a height at the distant town of Newburgh, huddled by a strip of water sparkling in the sun, along which canoes glide here and there, and the white sail, under a gust of wind blowing from a mountain hollow, suddenly changes tack, – everything here is full of memories of Washington and the events of the War of Independence.It would be difficult to find a more suitable place for the academy, but it seems that there is no more beautiful place in the world ”[96].

This is how the famous Charles Dickens, who visited it in 1842, twelve years after Edgar Poe entered the area, wrote about the area where West Point is located. Hardly in those years, the views that opened before the eyes of the viewer were less picturesque. Unless the forts mentioned by the writer were in a more decent condition, but even then they were already being destroyed, since there was no need to maintain them in combat condition [97].The Anglo-American painter and printmaker William Bennett in 1831 captured the view from the Hudson River to West Point in his engraving. Needless to say, the panorama is really impressive.

The famous English writer spent two nights and a full day at West Point, and therefore not only saw the academy outside, but had the opportunity (albeit briefly) to get acquainted with its life, routine, conditions of existence of cadets and teachers, and make a detailed excursion.

“The teaching system here is harsh, but well thought out and courageous,” wrote Dickens.- Throughout June, July and August, young people spend in tents on the wide parade ground in front of the college, and throughout the year they do military exercises there every day. The period of study for all cadets is set by the state at four years, but either because of strict discipline, or because of the dislike of any restrictions inherent in Americans, and maybe for both reasons at once, but not more than half of those entering they graduate from the academy. ”

Edgar Poe did not finish it either, but his reasons were different – different from those mentioned by the great Englishman.

However, we ran a little ahead, since the poet’s placement on the banks of the Hudson took place in June 1830, and we left him in May – a month before.

Poe could not go from Richmond to West Point directly – the entrance tests and admission to cadets then took place in the last decade of June. But he could not stay at home either. Therefore, he went first to Baltimore, to Aunt Clemm and brother, to the familiar Molochnaya Street. Here he stayed for about a month, and arrived at West Point on June 25 – as reported in a letter to Mr. Allan on the 28th of the same month.

Each candidate for cadet, in addition to providing recommendations for admission to the academy, had to hold appropriate tests, but in practice they were a formality, because the number of applicants corresponded to the number of places. So, even before the end of June, Edgar Allan Poe from a particular person again turned into a military man, but now almost into an officer – in any case, that is how the students of the academy were treated. Although drills and shagistika have not been canceled, however, from the very beginning, young people were taught that they were not only future officers, but the “chosen ones” – gentlemen of a special quality, thus forging caste and “a sense of fellowship.”

The cadets spent the first two months in camps: they lived in tents, worked in the open air, practicing physical and drill training. If the reader remembers, the US Secretary of War told the future cadet that these first two months accounted for the largest number of requests for dismissal. And he did not twist his soul in the least: most of them entered the academy at the age of seventeen or eighteen. And although men grew up faster in that era, there were also enough of those who were not able to cope with such a sharp change in their own destiny.For the overwhelming majority of newly minted cadets, early ascents, parade ground, shagistika, tents, the scorching sun, sweat covering the eyes were not only a novelty, but also turned into an ordeal. But not for Po. Compared to the “green suckers”, he was an experienced soldier and probably even felt grim satisfaction at how hard it was for them to learn the basics of military science. He was the oldest in his course – he was in his twenty-second year, and this was the age limit when he was admitted to the academy.

At the end of August, the “camps” ended, and the cadets were transferred to the academic buildings of the academy.

“The West Point Military Academy at that time consisted of five stone buildings, which housed administrative offices, classrooms and barracks,” reports G. Allen. “They stood on the hills, the slopes of which ran down to the banks of the Hudson, and just below and closer to the river were brick houses for officers and teachers and several old military warehouses where weapons and ammunition were kept. The old wooden barracks were burned down a few years before Po’s arrival. About 250 cadets studied here at the same time.The staff of officers, teachers and servants consisted of more than thirty people. <…> The four-year course included the study of natural science, philosophy, chemistry, higher mathematics, engineering, ballistics, drawing, geography, history, ethics, national legislation and the French language ”[98].

As you can see, engineers were trained first of all from cadets. Which is not surprising: according to the then military doctrine in the coming war, a special role was assigned to fortification. Especially in America, which was not going to attack anyone, but could expect an attack from European states.

By the way: in the absence of civil engineering education in the United States, the officer corps played a very special role in the development of the country’s infrastructure in the first half of the 19th century. The officers built not only forts and fortifications, but also port facilities, buildings, bridges, dams and dams, highways and railways, designed cities, studied seas, lakes, rivers and mountain ranges, explored the country, did topographic surveys, drew plans and maps …

To master the knowledge necessary for this, it was necessary to study a lot and intensively.Accordingly, the daily routine at the academy was very tough, if not cruel. Woke up by the sound of a bugle at dawn. This was followed by exercise and washing with cold water. We had breakfast at seven in the morning. Then they went to classes, which lasted until one o’clock in the afternoon. One hour break for lunch, and again classes from two to four. After four – tea and an exercise on the parade ground, supper and study again until half past eight. At nine the bugle sounded – “everyone to the barracks”, at about ten – “extinguish the fires”, exactly at ten – “lights out.”And so almost the whole year – each of the four, that the study lasted. There were layoffs, but they were rare, there were no holidays for the cadets, and on weekends the daily routine remained almost unchanged.

In addition to the strict schedule, there were a lot of other restrictions determined by a special academic charter, each article of which the first-year cadets had to know by heart. There were 304 such articles in total, and the overwhelming majority of them in one way or another limited the freedom of pupils. Understandably, the charter forbade the cadets to drink alcohol, smoke and play cards.But, for example, Article 176 prohibited cadets from playing backgammon and even chess, and Article 173 determined: “None of the cadets without the special permission of the superintendent (head of the academy. – AT) is not given the right to keep and have in their room novels, poems or other books that have nothing to do with their studies. ”

It is difficult to say how this rule was perceived by the Poe cadet, but, apparently, not without internal irritation.

However, he had no books with him, with the exception of French grammar taken from home and a mathematics textbook sent later (the long-suffering volume that “pursued” the poet from Charlottesville came in handy!), Most likely, was not.In a letter sent in pursuit of his departed stepson, Mr. Allan reproached that he had “grabbed” a number of objects that did not belong to him. Including several novels and (most importantly!) A bronze ink-set, bought by a merchant in England, on which “Allan’s name and the year 1813 are engraved.” As for the novels, they most likely remained on Molochnaya Street, while the device is a really valuable trophy! – he took with him to the academy, and then carried it through his whole life, almost never parting with him. But in fairness, it is worth noting that he always stood on the table in the poet’s room (the one on Fifth Street) and he (maybe in vain) considered it his property.

Speaking of letters. Mr. Allan wrote the above letter in June 1830 and did not write to his stepson again until January 1831. Although Edgar informed him of his successes (and they were), he did not respond. Moreover, he did not visit his stepson. Although I have been to New York and could do it. Having “thrown off” the pupil, he began to prepare for the wedding in the summer and got married in the fall. By the way, he was not in New York on business, but went to his bride. Where to find time to visit the pupil! Moreover, although such visits were allowed, they were not welcomed by the leadership of the academy.And even more so, he did not send money, although most of the cadets were sent money from home on a regular basis.

In the latter circumstance, many biographers tend to see further evidence of the hard-heartedness of the guardian. Well, maybe they are right. But we should not forget that the cadet Po not only existed “on everything ready” (food, uniforms, medical assistance, etc.), but he was also entitled to a monthly salary of $ 28. True, he received only 16 of them “on hand”, the rest were deducted for the table, bedding, laundry, etc.In principle, at that time it was not bad at all. Although, for example, books (primarily textbooks, and they were expensive) he had to buy at his own expense. Nevertheless, if you translate the remainder into modern money, this amounted to about $ 500. True, if we compare the scale of prices, not only books, but also many other things were obviously more expensive then than now. However, he had official uniforms. Unlike Charlottesville, Poe didn’t really need anything at the academy.Therefore, it is hardly worth blaming Mr. Allan for all sins.

The living conditions in the academy were also good. Although the premises in which the cadets lived were called barracks, they lived in rooms for three or four people. Of course, the poet, accustomed to and gravitating towards privacy, was not pleased with this circumstance. But, on the other hand, while serving in the First Artillery Regiment, he existed in much more cramped conditions.

But on the whole, let us repeat, a new life was given to him, of course, easier than most of the cadets, from whom he differed both in age and military experience.Lessons were given without much stress. The main subjects in the first year were mathematics and French, with which Poe had no problems: on the course of eighty-seven cadets at the end of the first semester, he held the third position in a foreign language, and the seventeenth position in mathematics.

Edgar occupied room 28 of the South Barracks. His mates were Thomas W. Gibson, Allan B. Magruder (presumably), and Timothy P. Jones. Later, at least two of them graduated from the academy and became officers.Each subsequently left their own memories of the neighbor. They can hardly be considered particularly valuable, because they were written many years later (Gibson published his in 1867, Magruder in 1884, and even later, a deep old man – in 1904), and, of course, not only the posthumous the glory of the poet, but his posthumous reputation, of course, could not help but influence them. Much more interesting in this sense are the words of Poe’s classmate – David Hale, the son of the above-mentioned Mrs. Sarah Hale. In February 1831 he wrote to his mother:

“I have spoken to Mr. Poe about what you have written to me, and you may be interested in learning something.At one time, he ran away from the home of his adoptive father, a very wealthy Virginian gentleman, to travel to South America and then to England, where he graduated from college and received his degree. Then he returned to America again and enlisted as a private in the army, but, driven by a soldier’s ambition, he decided to make an army career, achieved an appointment as a cadet and entered the academy last June. Here he is considered a very gifted person, however, his love for mathematics is very strange for a poet. ”

Let’s ignore the “love for mathematics, which is strange for a poet” for now (we’ll talk about this later).But there is no doubt that Hale communicated with Poe. And, like many others, he became a victim of his hoaxes. If we look into the memoirs of Gibson, Magruder and Jones, then here too we will find the same (with variations) stories about long sea voyages, higher education received in England, etc. Apparently, not everything that Poe told about himself, Hale believed it. In any case, he did not inform his mother about rumors circulating in the academy that the grandson of General B. Arnold [99] did not tell about other fantastic details from the life of his classmate.

It is clear that Poe deliberately spread rumors about himself. Why did he need it? And here – no mystery. Finding myself in an alien environment for themselves, which consisted of people who were for the most part very wealthy (in a letter to his stepfather, he reproaches him: “… you sent me to West Point as a beggar, with the same difficulties, by your grace, I had previously encountered in Charlottesville” [100]) who belonged to the most privileged part of society (among the cadets there were many descendants of “glorious” families – generals, heroes of the Revolution and the War of Independence), he could not agree to his “second-rate”, but tried to defend himself as a person, as a person who cannot disrespect and admire.Hence the bizarre apocrypha, hence the satirical poems and parodies of the gentlemen of the mentor officers and the orders of the academy. They were very popular and dispersed in writing and orally among the cadets [101].

The question is quite reasonable: how did Edgar Poe’s relationship with other cadets develop? An analysis of the memoirs of his fellow practitioners indicates that he hardly enjoyed universal and unconditional love. Among them there were those who believed that he – to use the famous English phrase – “the wrong man in the wrong place” ( the wrong man at wrong place). There were also those who, after years, claimed: “He was a worthless guy, very eccentric, who preferred writing rhymes to solving equations” [102]. But most of those with whom E. Poe was familiar, treated him with sympathy and respect. Almost the only one of his fellow students, he avoided increased attention to his person from senior cadets (hazing, as sophisticated people understand, is not at all an invention of the Russian army – any army rests on extra-statutory relations).Of course, age and military experience were important, rumors made their contribution that they were circulating about him (not without the participation, as we remember, of our hero) in the academy, probably, poetic talent also played a role. After all, it is no coincidence that when he set out to publish a collection of poems, more than a hundred cadets signed up for the future book (and paid a fee).

Since we mentioned poetry and poetry collection, some clarification is needed.

It is clear that the initiative to publish it belonged to the poet.It is not known how he got to the publisher, but the fact remains: Elam Bliss personally came to West Point to meet the author and arrange a subscription to the book.

It is also interesting this: was the publisher familiar with the content of the future collection, or was he not interested in it? Most likely, the financial component of the project was more important to him.

The cadets who subscribed to the publication expected great fun from the forthcoming book, expecting to find on its pages something similar to what the Cadet Poe amused with – epigrams, parodies and satire, and it is great to cheer.

They were wrong. Edgar Poe was preparing a publication of a completely different kind. And although the book was supplied with a dedication to the US Army Cadet Corps, the collection was based on lyric poems. Along with the new ones, he included some of the previously published texts in the book, among them the poems “Al Aaraaf” and “Tamerlane”. Among the first are such well-known poems as “To Helen” (“Helen, your beauty, like a boat of Nicaea, light-winged …”), “Sleeping” (“In June, at the darkest hour of the night …”), “Israfil” (“The angel abides in heights … “).This suggests that his poetic work continued and amazingly beautiful lines were born in the completely unpoetic gloomy walls of the South Barracks.

Well, most of the subscribers were disappointed, and in fact they had to pay almost a dollar and a half. Not very big, of course, but not too little money for a small book.

But with the collection we got ahead of ourselves. It came out in April 1831 – Edgar Poe was no longer at the academy.

In the meantime, he’s still there. And everything goes well with studies.At first, there were no complaints about discipline either. The inspector who checked their class in November 1830 singled out Poe among his colleagues. This continued until January 1831. And on January 3, E. Poe suddenly writes a letter to his guardian, in which he asks for permission to leave the academy.

The letter is large. Basically, Poe complains about the unfairness of the guardian, reproaches him for stinginess, gives examples and calculations that he did not provide him with enough money – both in Charlottesville and in West Point, he sent the wrong books, infringed on him in every possible way – while other parents they treated their children quite differently, and generally made his existence unbearable.A letter to Sergeant Graves was also mentioned. Poe admitted that he really wrote the very words that offended Allan so much. The message ended with the lines:

“I have nothing more to say – except that my future life (which, in gratitude to the Lord, will not last long) must be spent in sickness and poverty. I have neither strength nor health. If I could, I would continue to put up with the hardships that I am going through here – if I were here on a whim, but I do not need it.Therefore, as mentioned before, I would like to quit. This requires that you, as my guardian (albeit formal), give written permission. It makes no sense to deny me this last request – since I can leave this place without any permission – your refusal will mean only a small financial loss for me. ”

What triggered the letter and what made Poe abandon his officer career? Each biographer puts forward his own version: “tired”, “sick”, “disappointed”, “there were no conditions for creativity”, etc.n. Of course, all this took place. It is also well known that in the autumn months the poet’s health sharply worsened: he quickly got tired, felt weak and anxious, suffered from insomnia. All this, of course, worried, provoked depression. Moreover, he could not explain the reasons for his condition. Depression is recorded by the style and content of the letter dated January 3. But this state did not happen suddenly. So there was some kind of impetus. Most likely, some kind of news that made him make a decision and write to the guardian.

What kind of news could this be? Probably something that makes Poe’s stay at the academy meaningless. This could be (and most likely became) the news of the marriage of Mr. Allan. It scarcely needs proof that Poe did not go to West Point because he really wanted to. His admission was passionately desired by the guardian, and the pupil only obeyed his will. True, quite willingly. But if he didn’t want to become an officer, why did he do it? It is not difficult to answer this question: he was driven by the hope that Mr. Allan would nevertheless be proud of him, would recognize him and he would cease to feel his inferiority.Or assign him some kind of content. Or he will simply mention it in his will – after all, the stepfather (by the standards of that era) is no longer young, and often falls ill.

There is no indication that Poe had any contact with anyone in Richmond. But after all and not necessarily this news could reach him by letter. The world is generally small. And even more so America in the early 19th century. There could be cadets from Richmond, from Virginia, probably from New York. It may well be from New Jersey and even from the very same Elizabethtown where the notorious Miss Louise Gabriella Patterson lived.In some – completely random – conversation, he could find out what happened on October 5 (neither the guardian himself, nor “Aunt Nancy” told him anything), and … that’s all. Everything collapsed – plans, hopes … Everything connected with West Point has lost its meaning. The new Mrs. Allan is still young, she will have children, the merchant has heirs. Even if it doesn’t? What place in her life can he take – a stepson? And this news, most likely, overtook the poet on the eve of January 3, superimposed on depression and pushed him to a decision, and a decision – to a letter …

Looking ahead, we will say that Mr. Allan really did not mention his stepson in the will, which was drawn up and certified by a notary on December 31, 1832.He refused decent sums to his illegitimate children and their mothers; left money to Mrs. Wills from Baltimore for the upbringing of twins, did not even forget her married daughters, for whose education he intended three thousand dollars; bequeathed a few little things to the servants and Aunt Nancy. But nothing to Edgar. Nor was he mentioned in the supplement dated May 15, 1833, which Mr. Allan had drawn up in connection with the death of one of his children from Mrs. Wills. He left all the considerable property to his wife.

And if Edgar A.Po stayed at the academy, graduated from it and became an officer – would the guardian then mention him in his will? It is difficult to give both a positive and a negative answer to this question. However, like any given in the subjunctive mood.

Poe sent the letter on January 5th, Mr. Allan received it on the 10th. And he did not answer it. But in absentia – unknown to the poet, but known to the descendants – the answer still sounded. It was inscribed with his own hand by the guardian on the back of the last sheet of the message from West Point:

“I received this letter on the 10th and, having familiarized myself with its contents, did not answer.I made this entry on the 13th and found no compelling reason to change my mind. I don’t think there is anything good about this guy. Let him do as he pleases, although, however, I could have saved him, but not on his terms – because I do not believe a single word of him. ”

And our hero, having waited, in his opinion, a sufficient time for an answer and not having received it, undertook to act independently. Already on January 8, he was absent from the classroom verification and then ignored it throughout all school days of the month, on January 16 he did not go on guard, from the 18th he stopped going out to the building, then he refused to participate in the general visit to the church, and from January 17 he stopped attending altogether classes.

Even earlier (apparently in October – November 1830) he began to drink again. This was hardly related to the decision to leave the academy. Rather, with disappointment from studies and army orders and … with academic traditions. The army is based on restricting personal freedom – the youth resists this, and therefore the individual victory over the army’s prohibitions is valued. Alcohol is banned, and the forbidden fruit is sweet. But breaking the rules is easy. Therefore, they violated and saw a special youth in drinking.Of course, alcohol could not be obtained on the territory of the educational institution. But, as the same Gibson recalled, it was not difficult to do it outside the gates, in the Old Benny tavern, which was located a couple of hundred meters from the academy. “Rarely did a day pass without a bottle of the best quality brandy from old Benny’s zucchini,” the same witness remarked, and his memories date back to the same period [103].

Cadet Poe took an active part in drinking and was probably the initiator of many of them. He hardly drank much, but we know what effect even small doses of alcohol had on him.Nevertheless, rumors that the poet was repeatedly found dead drunk are hardly true. This – despite the fact that the officers connived at the cadets and looked at the evening drinking “through their fingers” (and they themselves were young!) – is not forgiven, and in the list of the poet’s sins, voiced at the academic “court of honor”, the item “drunkenness” was absent.

Be that as it may, even without taking into account drunkenness, a gross and demonstrative violation of discipline on the part of the Cadet Poe could not remain unpunished for long.On which, as we remember, he was counting. Finally, on January 27, on the report of the duty officer and the subsequent order of the superintendent of the academy, he was arrested and taken to the guardhouse, which served as a guardhouse. The trial took place the next day. He was charged on two counts: “gross violation of official duties” and “disobedience to orders.” For each of them, evidence was presented to the court, recorded by the dates by the officers on duty. There is no need to list them. We only note that all of them were recorded and included in the court decision.On both counts – though not on all counts – Poe was found guilty. Apparently, some of his sins were attributed to illness. Nevertheless, the military court’s verdict was laconic: “Cadet E. A. Poe must be dismissed from service in the United States.” This was announced by the order of the academy dated February 8, 1831. The dating of the order is explained by the fact that the verdict had to be approved by the War Ministry. From there came the order: “To consider cadet E. A. According to the United States dismissed from service and to exclude him from the lists of cadets of the Military Academy after March 6, 1831”.

The expelled cadet did not wait for the specified date and, as is known from his letter to Mr. Allan dated February 21, left West Point on February 19.

“On February 19, the steamer from Albany landed at a deserted West Point dock to take on board a lone passenger whose strange attire consisted of an inferior and well-worn suit, a cadet overcoat and a rumpled hat, and his luggage was a small iron-bound chest. Soon the gangway was lifted, and an old wheeled boat, Henry Eckford, paddled down the Hudson, heading for New York.The young man standing on the deck shivered chilly, not without gloomy forebodings fingering the pitiful handful of coins in his pocket. A ticket to New York cost 75 cents – almost everything he had. The towing line, on which the Henry Eckford dragged two heavily laden barges with it, stretched out, whistling and splashing out of the water; the long, farewell whistle of the steamer as it rolled down the river, sandwiched by the high banks, echoed the signal trumpet at West Point. The future commanders of the armies of the United States and Confederation, typing a step, went to the coveted general’s stars.Edgar Poe was not on their way with them. ”

This is how Hervey Allen described the poet’s departure from the academy [104].

Well written. Bright. It is unclear, however, how he learned all these details. Anyway: how is it known that he was the only passenger? After all, two more cadets were on trial, besides him. Perhaps they also departed with him? There are many questions. However, the biographer was not mistaken, asserting that the poet was “shivering” in the wind – from a letter sent soon from New York to the guardian it is known that on this trip Poe “earned” an ear infection.But as for the “future commanders” who “printing a step, went to the coveted general’s stars”, here he somewhat exaggerated. If E. Poe’s classmates became generals, then one or two – no more. There were no bright figures on his course. In the previous course, they were. The famous Robert Lee, for example, is the future Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate Army. And on the next – too. But regardless of this, our hero really “was not on the way with them”, wherever they went.

In a word, the only thing that can be stated with certainty is that Edgar Allan Poe really left West Point on February 19, 1831, sailed down the Hudson to New York, was lightly dressed, and therefore caught a pretty bad cold during the trip.Everything else is speculation.

90,000 problem and practice of dealing with it – EADaily, October 12, 2017 – Society. News, USA News

In 1972, after the draft was canceled, women were allowed to serve on contract in the American army. They were admitted to military service on the basis of a Supreme Court decision (Frontiero v. Richardson, 411 U.S. 677). In 1976, the famous American military academy West Point admitted the first 119 female cadets, after Congress allowed women to enter the federal military academies. Of this number, after 4 years, 62 female cadets reached the first female graduation of West Point, including the first two black graduates. The most furious resistance to the officer’s feminization of the army until 1996 came from the Virginia Military Institute, which continued the traditions of the army of the South in the civil war of 1861-1865.But he too fell before the onslaught of feminism and gender equality. Meanwhile, in 1978, the women’s army corps was liquidated, and its female military personnel were integrated into the regular army on a general basis. The first female generals also appeared. In 2008, Ann Dunwoody was promoted to the highest rank of general in the United States and became the first female four-star general. In July 2013, at the request of the Pentagon, the US government lifted a previous ban on women on the front lines.On December 3, 2015, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced that all “combat posts” in the US Army were open to women. In September 2015, the Ranger School opened its doors to train female soldiers for special forces. In April 2016, Tammy Barnett became the first woman to be recruited into the U.S. Army infantry, and Kristen Mary Grist became the first female infantry officer. In 2017, eighteen women completed basic infantry training in the United States Army.

The Marine Corps was the only branch of the US military to express doubts about the presence of women in a number of positions. The experts concluded that the marines’ combat units fought less effectively when they included women.

As for the US Navy, in terms of gender, they were significantly ahead of the ground forces. Already in 1972, Alain Durk became the first female admiral of the US Navy. In 1973, the Minister of the Navy authorized the admission of women to training for naval aviation pilots.On April 29, 2010, the Department of the Navy allowed women sailors to serve on submarines. In November 2011, the first group of women submariners completed training in the nuclear power plant of the submarine and joined the crews of four American nuclear submarines. On June 22, 2012, the first female submariner officer began service aboard the Ohio SSBN (SSGN 726).

There were certain difficulties with LGBT people in the army. In 1993, a ban was imposed on lesbian, gay, and bisexual service in the US Army.However, if LGBT people did not make themselves felt in any way, that is, they concealed their gender identity, then their service was allowed. But on September 20, 2011, then US President Barack Obama removed all obstacles and allowed gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military. But effective July 1, 2017, new US President Donald Trump revoked permission for transgender people to serve in the US military. The decision was made after consultations with generals and military experts.

Today, the American army has about 15% of women in its ranks, which is about 200 thousand women in the military.However, the gender component is present in the US military not without well-known problems. In 1996, a sexual assault scandal at the Aberdeen Proving Ground led the Army to indict nine sergeants, one officer, and one general for sexually assaulting female trainees. Thus, more attention to the phenomenon of sexual violence in the ranks of the army in the United States drew attention more than two decades ago.

In February 2004, a Senate Subcommittee held hearings on policies and programs to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual violence in the military.Senators were especially concerned about the numerous facts of sexual violence against female military personnel. In the same year, Congress passed legislation requiring the Secretary of Defense to develop a comprehensive policy to prevent military-related sexual assault and to begin reporting annually on incidents of sexual assault in the military. Since 2004, the U.S. Congress has passed over 100 regulations to address sexual violence in the U.S. Army through the Annual National Defense Act (NDAA).

Initially, legislators often raised concerns that women fighting in the army could be captured and sexually assaulted by enemy forces. However, it quickly became clear that the threat of sexual violence does not come from enemy soldiers, but from the American military personnel themselves within the US armed forces themselves. Sexual violence is directed not only at women in the military, but also at men.

US military operations in Iraq in the 2000s were accompanied by reports of sexual violence within the US Army Expeditionary Force. In particular, it became known that about 80 women-members of the US Air Force were raped by their “comrades-in-arms” during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Concern has been expressed in the US media that the prevalence of sexual violence in the theater of war could negatively affect the morale and effectiveness of units deployed there.

Despite the difficulties in estimating the extent of sexual violence in US civil society, some researchers argue that up to 19.3% of women and 1.7% of men in the United States have experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives. But what is the extent of sexual violence within the ranks of the US military itself? In October 2004, the Department of Defense established the Joint Task Force on the Prevention and Response of Sexual Violence in the Armed Forces (SAPRO). Each of the branches of the armed forces sends one officer of the O-4 class to it, i.e. major. This group at the Pentagon is specifically addressing the issue of sexual assault in the US Army. In 2013, according to the SAPRO report, 627 cases of rape of male military personnel were recorded, in 2014 – 929, in 2015 – 821, in 2016 – 887 cases. According to this report, in 2013, 2714 cases of rape of female military personnel were recorded, in 2014 – 2873, in 2015 – 2880, in 2016 – 2833.

Since 2010, the US Department of Defense has published a report annually on Sexual Assault and Sexual Assault in the US Army.A 2014 Pentagon report shows statistics on sexual violence in a different dimension. According to this document, 4.3% of female military personnel and 0.9% of male military personnel were identified as victims of sexual rape while serving in the US Army. It seems that rape victims – women make up a higher percentage of victims. However, since more men serve in the army in absolute numbers, the picture looks different: about 10.5 thousand raped male military personnel and 8.5 thousand female military personnel.This means that men in the US military are sexually raped more often than women.

The Ministry of Defense maintains a special database of cases of sexual assault in the army – DSAID. The Department of Defense reported in 2016 that the highest rate of sexual violence in the U.S. military against women in the military was in the U.S. Marine Corps at 7%. Next came the Naval Forces – 5.1%, the Ground Forces – 4.4%, the Air Force – 2.8% and the Coast Guard – 2.0%.

Military seamen were the leaders in sexual violence against men – 0.9%. This means that almost one in a hundred naval sailors has been raped in the navy. Further, in relation to sexual violence against men, the picture is as follows: Marines – 0.7%, Ground Forces – 0.6%, Coast Guard – 0.3% and Air Force – 0.28%.

According to this report, LGBT people are sexually assaulted in the armed forces. 3.5% of raped male military personnel identified themselves as homosexuals.In relation to lesbian female military personnel, this indicator was higher – 6.3%. LGBT members, especially lesbians, are statistically more likely to be sexually assaulted in the US military.

It should be understood that not all cases of sexual violence in the ranks of the army become known. Individual anonymous interviews indicate that military personnel experience higher levels of sexual harassment than are actually reported to commanders. For example, in relation to civil society, according to the US Department of Justice, only about 34% of cases of rape and other sexual assault were reported to the police in 2014.This compares with robberies, which – approximately 61% – were reported to the police, or incidents of domestic violence, which were reported in approximately 56% of cases.

Therefore, the Department of Defense contracted with the RAND Corporation to develop methodologies for independently assessing levels of sexual violence, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination in the US military. Estimates for 2010 indicate that approximately 8% (over 100,000) of US military personnel have experienced sexual harassment.

Sexual violence in the American army is associated with a phenomenon known in our country as hazing. Hazing is prohibited by the Ministry of Defense and the law. Hazing in the US Army in some cases is associated with various ritual ceremonies after completing a training course for a fighter or special schools. Some argue that these are relatively harmless and fun traditions that help build a cohesive camaraderie. But others argue that rituals can quickly transition into situations where people may experience physical and psychological trauma.In some cases of initiation, soldiers may interpret them as sexual assault. Some unit commanders decide not to treat hazing as sexual assault.

As found out by constant monitoring of social networks in which groups of military personnel are present, soldiers of the US Marine Corps are distinguished by special misogyny in the ranks of the army. “Sexist” comments are especially common among Marine groups on social media. The Marines are extremely negative about the presence of female military personnel in their combat formations.Because of the sexist sentiment prevailing among the male military, women in the Marine Corps are potentially more likely to be targets of sexual violence. In the Marine Corps, among the soldiers, the so-called. “Aggressive hypermasculins”. There is an opinion among sociologists that the military actively or passively, but attracts people with a similar aggressive psychological profile to the army. Individual risk factors for sexual violence in the military include: alcohol and drug use, lack of empathy, general aggressiveness and acceptance of the permissibility of violence, sexual fantasies of violence, preference for impersonal sex and the acceptability of sexual risk, hostility towards women, adherence to traditional norms of gender roles, hypermasculinity, etc. suicidal behavior.

In addition, risk factors associated with interpersonal relationships, social risk factors and social risk factors are also important. Sexual assault in the US military is directly correlated with the consumption of alcohol by the military.

Now on countering sexual violence in the US Gender Army. The military justice system in the United States is embodied in a code of military criminal law called the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which is enforced through military courts.Military criminal law in the United States is determined by Congress. By his definition, such a criminal act as “sexual assault” was included in the United States’ Unified Code of Military Justice. The UCMJ included criminal charges for crimes of sexual assault while serving in the US military. These rules apply to military cadets, midshipmen and reservists temporarily called up for service or military training. It should be noted here that cases of sexual violence within the families of active military personnel go through a different line – the Defense Ministry’s Family Protection Program.

Sexual assault is defined in the US Military Justice Code as intentional sexual contact characterized by the use of force, threats, intimidation, or abuse of power, or when the victim cannot resist or cannot consent to sexual contact. The consequences of military sexual violence are defined as “military sexual trauma”. Because sexual harassment can be associated with risk factors for sexual violence, combating them is seen as part of efforts to address sexual violence.However, under current Department of Defense regulations, complaints of sexual harassment are dealt with in a different way from cases of sexual assault. Sexual harassment is viewed as a form of gender discrimination and falls under the current Equal Opportunity Policy, which is implemented within the Department of Defense.

Sexual violence is known to include a broad category of sexual offenses: rape, sexual assault, aggravated sex, offensive sex, violent sodomy, or attempts to commit all of these crimes.On January 1, 2013, a new FBI definition of rape came into force: “Penetration, no matter how insignificant it may be, into the vagina or anus with any part of the body or object, or oral penetration by the sexual organ of another person without the consent of the victim.”

“Military sexual assault” includes:

1) the commission of a sexual act in relation to another person by: a) threats or bringing this other person to a state of fear; b) causing bodily harm to another person; c) creating a fraudulent idea that sexual intercourse serves a professional purpose; or d) through suggestion that the abuser is a different person than who he really is;

2) having sexual intercourse with another person when the abuser knows or reasonably should know that the other person is sleeping, is unconscious or,

3) commits sexual intercourse with another person when the other person is unable to consent to sexual intercourse due to a) violation of any drug, intoxicant or other similar substance, and this condition is known or reasonably should be known to the abuser; or b) a mental illness or handicap or physical disability, and the condition is known or reasonably known to the abuser.

Conduct leading to sexual violence is punishable in a separate paragraph:

1) Conduct: a) Including unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and intentional or repeated offensive comments or gestures of a sexual nature, when: i) the presentation of such behavior is carried out either explicitly or implicitly or on condition of service, salary or career of the person; (ii) the person’s acceptance or rejection of such behavior is used as the basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person; or (iii) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with the work of a person or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment; and b) is so serious or common that a sane person will perceive and the victim perceives the environment as hostile or offensive.

2) Any use or connivance of any person in a control or command position of any form of sexual behavior in order to control, influence or influence the career, pay or service of a military or civilian employee of the Department of Defense;

3) Any intentional or repeated objectionable oral comment or gesture of a sexual nature by any member of the military or a civilian employee of the Department of Defense.

Since 2002, internal service regulations in the army require commanders to report incidents of sexual violence in their units to the top within eight days.The superior has the power to review the results of the investigation and decide whether to settle the case: whether to bring the case to trial, dismiss the charge without further action, or take other actions such as, for example, “impartial punishment,” or dismissal, or other disciplinary sanctions. … If the investigation does not provide sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation of sexual assault, or the investigation is forced to be terminated, for example, due to the victim’s refusal to participate in the investigation or after the expiration of the statute of limitations, the case is closed.

Each year, the US Department of Defense allocates significant resources to address the problem – to monitor sexual violence in the ranks of the US Army, to train military personnel and improve the organizational culture of the army. The Department of Defense’s preventive efforts are aimed at reducing the number of sexual assaults involving military personnel. In 2011, the Department of Defense launched the Safe Helpline, a 24-hour helpline available worldwide to provide confidential support to victims of sexual assault in the military.

Released in August 2016, the Department of Defense plan outlined four main objectives:

1. Develop a unified communications plan for dealing with raped male military personnel;
2. Improve understanding of the situation of male sexual assault;
3. Ensure that existing support services meet the needs of men who are sexually abused;
4. Develop indicators to measure prevention and response measures related to sexually abused male military personnel.

According to the Ministry of Defense, in 2016, 95% of military personnel, women and men, received special training on topics related to sexual violence that occurred in the previous year in the military.

As a preventative measure, in 2014, the US Congress banned the recruitment of persons previously convicted of rape or sexual harassment into the army.

However, despite all these measures, it is still unclear to the US Congress whether its protective measures have led to a decrease in the level of sexual violence in the military or the situation is exactly the opposite.So far, the published statistics on sexual violence in the US military seem to show that they have remained at about the same level from year to year.

Research Team EADaily

Air Force hopes for Stadium Series success

Among other things, they learn about the rivalry with the Military Academy in West Point, NY and the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland … Their mantra is “Defeat the infantry. Flood the fleet.”

“What’s your height?” – may ask a senior in rank.

“My elevation is 7258 feet above sea level, much, much higher than West Point and Annapolis,” the student must answer.

In a similar vein, the Air Force is preparing to host the Los Angeles Kings v Colorado Avalanche in Colorado Springs, Colorado as part of the 2020 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Falcon Stadium.

Video: MIN CALL: McKinnon pushes the Avalanche ahead

How far will the upcoming match outperform Annapolis in 2018, when Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals played at Memorial Stadium in the NHL Stadium Series Annapolis at the Naval Academy?

Will there be cadets? Aircraft? Parachutists? Procession?

“The fact that the match takes place here is already beating the fleet,” said Major Art Doolin, a 2004 graduate who now serves as a pilot instructor.- We are already above them. We are already above them only because of the location. “

The Air Force is much younger than the infantry and navy. The Air Force Academy graduated its first cadets in 1955 and moved to Colorado Springs in 1958. The Military Academy was founded in 1802 and Navy – in 1845

Air Force General and Sports Director George Simler invented the Commander-in-Chief Trophy, which has been awarded to the winner of a football series between all the academies since 1972. The current winner of the prize is the Navy, but the Air Force Academy (20) has won it more often. than the Navy (16) and the infantry (eight).

They are in the same family, but the younger brother always tries to surpass the older ones.

Sometimes literally.

The older brother of Air Force ice hockey team captain Matt Palvert Mitch and his older sister Allison went to the Navy academy. Mitch played hockey and Allison ran.

Mitch went to the Stadium Series 2018 match. The field was presented as a scaled-down model of an aircraft carrier. To the sound of drummers, more than 200 naval cadets entered the field, imitating a ship going out to sea from the stocks.Members of the women’s and men’s ice hockey teams skated on the ice with the Canadian and American flags in front of 29,516 spectators, and fireworks exploded above them. An F / A-18 Super Hornet bomber flew in the sky.

“He said it was a real bomb,” Matt said. “He said the atmosphere was very cool and the aircraft carrier design was amazing.”

That match was watched by the Air Force hockey team on TV in the dressing room before the team meeting at the Cadet Ice Arena.

“We thought, ‘How great it would be to have an outdoor hockey game here,” Matt said.

And then this meeting was announced on January 1, 2019.

“We were in seventh heaven,” Matt said. “We were very happy because we knew we were going to work closely with the NHL. overcoming “.

He smiled.

“And why is our academy the best,” he added.

[See Also: Colorado Prepares Stadium Series Arena]

Matt likes to remind his brother that the Air Force has a first division hockey team, as well as men’s and women’s clubs.The Navy does not have such. Falcon Stadium (46,692) accommodates more than the Navy Memorial Stadium (34,000), with the Front Ridge of the Rockies in the background.

“The picture will definitely be much better,” said Lieutenant General Jay Silveria, who graduated from the academy in 1985 and is now a superintendent. . Yes, the conditions will definitely be much better. “

He smiled and tricked Vice Admiral Sean Buck, his Navy counterpart, and Vice Admiral Ted Carter, Navy Superintendent during the 2018 Stadium Series.

“You can tell Admiral Baku and Admiral Carter about this,” said Silveria.

And smiled again.

“We will show the academy in all its glory,” he said. “We will demonstrate the capabilities of the Air Force. We will show our region. There is a great opportunity before us.”

Falcon Stadium will be designed as an airfield with runways and working signal lights.There will be a plane, but not a scaled down model, but a real F-16 Thunderbird. The Thunderbirds Air Force Demonstration Squadron is a key part of the stadium graduation ceremony each year.

The Avalanche will take to the field in the same way as the Air Force American football team – to the cheers of the cadets, drums and fanfare.

Three F-16 fighters from Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado and one KC-10 from Travis Air Force Base, California, will fly in the skies during the player show.

Cadets will line up to sing the national anthem, which will be performed a cappella by the In the Stairwell Academy team led by Lt. Ben Hightower.The honor guard of the cadets will carry the flags of the United States and the Air Force.

The Wings of Blue Academy parachute team will descend into the arena and deliver the game puck. The throw-in ceremony will be attended by Silveria and General Jay Raymond, the first assistant to the chief of space operations of the United States Space Forces.

The helicopter landing pad will act as the stage for country star Sam Hunt to perform during the first half-time, and the local hockey players will be honored in the second.

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While the drums and bugles ensemble play their tunes and inspire fans, over a thousand cadets will sit on the field during the match. These will be the first spectators directly on the field in an open-air match.