Feeling That Holiday Spirit
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DecemberPointer 6, View 2012 1 stories are updated and posted weekly at www.usma.edu. OINTER IEW® PVOL. 69, NO. 47 SERVING THE COMMUNITY OF WEST PVOINT, THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY DECEMBER 6, 2012 Feeling that holiday spirit The West Point community gathered at Daly Field Monday for the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and to enjoy some fellowship before the holidays. Attendees appreciated a medley of carols led by local Scouts and the Protestant Cadet Chapel Choir with music by the U.S. Military Academy Band’s Brass musicians. The West Point Fire Department arrived on the scene with sirens blaring to announce the arrival of Santa Claus. Following the sing-along which included such holiday classics as “Winter Wonderland” and “Deck the Halls,” community members walked over to the West Point Club for refreshments and children had a chance for some one-on- one time and photos with the visitor from the North Pole. Others lingered longer at Daly Field to take photos in front of the lighted tree and simply treasured the moment. The annual event was hosted by the West Point Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and supported by the U.S. Family Health Plan and the West Point Club. PHOTO BY MIKE STRAssER/PV Class of 2013 cadets receive new insignia at Branch Night Story and photo by Mike Strasser Captain Brandon Whittington said, addressing Assistant Editor his class. “While we now have a new identity, we can all rally together under one As the seats inside Eisenhower Hall unifying fact—we will all be members of the Theatre filled with anxious Class of 2013 Profession of Arms, charged with the honor cadets Nov. 29 awaiting their branch and privilege of leading America’s sons and notification, a slide show revealed the daughters.” numbers. Strong emotions always weigh heavily at 220 cadets will join the Infantry … this ceremony … from the immediate whoops 117 are branching Aviation … and cheers that echo throughout the theater 148 cadets will receive Field Artillery to the somber, sometimes silent acceptance insignia … of a new reality. 51 are entering the Air Defense Artillery… Class of 2013 Cadet Drexel Martin was and so on down the list of 16 Army branches. among the first to burst into euphoria after All that was left was putting names to receiving his top choice of Engineers Corps. those numbers, and for 1,060 cadets Branch “This means so much, I’m so happy,” Night was the revelation they’ve all been Martin said. “The energy of this room is so waiting for … for 1,250 days, to be exact. great, being here with our friends, you can’t Inside individually sealed manila envelopes, beat it.” they would see exactly how they’ll be serving Receiving the branch insignia brings six months from now. about confidence, Martin explained, because At the conclusion of the branch notification ceremony, Class of 2013 cadets “This evening we take one of the final the remaining 170-plus days have new focus found colleagues, tactical officers and instructors to pin on their new branch steps of our 47-month journey to becoming on his future career. “I’m an engineering insignia. Eisenhower Hall Theatre was the site for Branch Night Nov. 29, which officers in the United States Army,” First See BRANCH NIGHT, Page 4 is a significant milestone before graduation for these future Army officers. 2 December 6, 2012 Army-Navy Spirit Week Pointer View West Point, Naval exchange students gear up for big game By Kathy Eastwood as “Chief,” “Squid,” Staff Writer “Squidward,” and “Middie,” but we have or years West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy come to consider them have swapped their cadets and midshipmen for a terms of endearment,” he Fsemester-long exchange to foster closer interservice said. “Once though, I was relations between the sister academies. doing self-service laundry But every year things get interesting around Army-Navy one night. I was returning Week and exchange students become, in a sense, “prisoners” to pull my laundry from to be released to friendlier territory right before kickoff of the dryer when I found two the Army-Navy Game. cadets standing over my Those cadets temporarily attending the Naval Academy laundry. They pulled it out cross the fi eld and return to the warm embrace of the Corps to use the dryer and noticed of Cadets in the bleachers and those middies at West Point it was Navy apparel. They take their seats among the Brigade of Midshipmen. were consulting one another As the 113th iteration of this classic confrontation as to whether they should approaches, cadets and midshipmen may feel the need to place the laundry in the stay alert as they fi nd clothes missing just before class or trashcan when I arrived. I other unusual mishaps. After all, most have heard stories of settled the debate for them. the kidnapping of mascots and other pranks pulled all in the I took it with me.” spirit of this friendly rivalry. As far as who is going Today, things may have changed a little, but cadets and to win the most anticipated midshipmen still fi nd differences and similarities between football game this year? It is customary for a cadet honor guard to march the “prisoners” across the field their academies and pranks are still the norm. “Army has a shot if and release them to the Brigade of Midshipmen during the pre-game ceremonies Class of 2014 Midshipman Benjamin Huggins, a current they don’t fumble in the red of the Army-Navy Game. Likewise, cadets attending a semester at the U.S. Naval West Point exchange student, said he likes West Point because zone,” he said. “Why dwell Academy cross over to join the Corps of Cadets in the bleachers to cheer on the it is a beautiful school with excellent people. on childish dreams though, Black Knights. The 113th iteration of this interservice rivalry happens 3 p.m. “West Point has much nicer facilities,” Huggins said. Navy will win.” Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. ERIC S. BARTELT/PV “The cadets complain consistently about the barracks being Class of 2014 rundown or in need of repair, but I would take their rundown Midshipman Colton Peterson also pointed out some learned a lot about the Army.” barracks over Navy’s, if I could have a room as big as differences from the Naval Academy. Peterson’s thoughts on the game are, well, typical for a theirs. West Point also has an amazing gym. “The fi rst thing I noticed about West Point middie. Navy has no such gym for NARPs (non- was they have an entirely different set “I’m going to have to go with America’s number one triple athletic regular people.)” of acronyms,” Peterson said. “My option, the Navy Midshipmen.” Huggins said the Naval fi rst month or so was spent trying Class of 2014 Cadet Robert Mayville said he enjoyed Academy receives a lot more to get caught up on lingo, but his time at Annapolis and has gained a different perspective tourists and their formations I think I’ve been doing OK. during his time away from West Point. are conducted without the Fortunately, I have not been “Although I may be in a different uniform, my company type of vocal displays of subject to any pranks, just some embraced me like family and I feel like I’ve known them enthusiasm associated with good-natured ribbing. Don’t since I was a plebe,” he said. “Naturally there are times where an Army formation. He also worry, I give it right back. I think everyone likes to joke around about our differences with each noticed how cadets have developed the cadets are jealous of my uniforms, other, but it’s all in good fun and I’ve enjoyed celebrating the a pretty extensive lexicon to describe not to brag, but apparently the gray is rivalry. I honestly could not have asked for more from my a midshipman. not very popular in the Corps,” he said. experience here this semester.” “Cadets commonly refer to “On the whole, I’ve had a great (Editor’s Note: All cadets and midshipmen in the us through various names such time, met a lot of great people and exchange program were contacted for this story.) 40 Mulberry Street, Middletown, NY 10940 POINTER VIEW ® recordonline.com The Army civilian enterprise newspaper, the Pointer View, is an authorized publication for members of the Department of For more information, call 845-341-1100. Defense. 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