Denise Sloan/PCS Adventures

Cadets stand in formation on The Plain at USMA.

United States Military Academy, NY (Part 1)

BOOM! Ahhh

U.S.–M.A. Rah! Rah!

U.S.–M.A. Rah! Rah!

Hoo-Rah! Hoo- Rah!

AR-MAY! Rah!

Team! Team! Team!

If you call USMA home, the Rocket Yell, as written above, will likely be part of your USMA duty station soundtrack.

The United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York was a unique duty station for us, unlike any place we had been before or since. Tradition and discipline oozed from all corners of the Academy. It was a refreshing assignment for our family, since it was both non-deployable and regularly allowed for family involvement. Time here was all about “The Corps!”.  Rather than a mission focused on deployment readiness, the mission was about developing the Army leaders of tomorrow.

Denise Sloan/PCS Adventures

USMA sits along the banks of the Hudson River in New York.

My husband Tim taught in the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering (GEnE), now just Geography and Earth Science (GEO) during his post-company command time. As a captain, he initially taught lower-level classes, and then was invited to teach fun, higher-level geography classes.

Tim was a direct fill since he already had his master’s degree when he applied to be an instructor.  Many captains who apply and are accepted first get their masters degree and then fill a USMA billet.

We were eager to go to USMA. Prior to our time there, we were on the West Coast, so West Point felt a bit like coming home since family would be about three hours away.

Adventures on Post

While there, COVID-19 infected the world and our preferred way of living. We had the same problems that the rest of the United States did for about nine months: not adventuring much of anywhere.   My hope now is that you will see that there are many things adventure-worthy just by being “in garrison” at West Point.

Do you remember your school days? The rhythm of the year revolved around the school calendar. We counted beginnings in the summer or fall and endings with graduation and summers at the pool. As both a university and an Army garrison, the year very much started and finished with the summer.

Ande Flagg/PCS Adventures

Our modest home in Stoney Lonesome II was in an excellent location.

We arrived in June and quickly settled in. Our quarters were modest, but out-of-the-way.  This proved to be excellent since the woods and one of the smallest redoubts (defensive fortification built during the Revolutionary War) were across the street from our house. We were at a higher elevation than the “Cadet Area” near the river, so we had different weather. The summer was slightly cooler at our house than “down the hill”. It’s amazing what a few hundred feet of elevation can do!

The first big event: July 4. We were invited by new friends to watch the USMA fireworks from Ft. Putnam, the garrison’s largest redoubt, with the history department. It overlooked the Hudson River below, making it an excellent defensive position. Since its original purpose was no longer needed, Ft. Putnam became a beautiful and convenient place to look down on the fireworks set off from the middle of the river on Constitution Island. (More on that in a bit).

Ande Flagg/PCS Adventures

Fireworks shoot high above the Hudson River at USMA.

The fort is in good shape, but is not accessible at will. The history department holds the key. If you want to take a closer look, ask someone in the history department when there will be a tour and whether you might be able to tag along. That night of watching the fireworks, our boys had fun running around the grounds with the other kids and were in awe of the “Rockets’ Red Glare” being at their eye level.

Ande Flagg/PCS Adventures

The US Army Band provided terrific summer concerts.

While we were at West Point, the Army Band stationed there performed a summer concert series in the orchestra shell overlooking the river at Trophy Point during the (open) summers. The June and July evenings were usually mild and low-humidity, so taking a picnic blanket and some charcuterie made for a relaxing, even romantic, way to spend an evening. One of the best parts: it was free!! The kids loved the concerts too and would gallivant, looking for friends to run around with and checking back in with us from time to time.

It’s All About the Cadets

The newest members of the community arrived about the first week in July. The new cadets spent the first six weeks in cadet basic training, otherwise known as Beast Barracks, on the main academy grounds, several training areas and Lake Frederick.  They finished the summer with a long ruck march back to garrison. The March Back, as it was known, was a long 10 mile hike and very hot.

Ande Flagg/PCS Adventures

The Class of 2023 marches back to garrison after Beast Barracks.

Many department chairmen, cadre and Old Grads hiked back to the “Cadet Area” with the new cadets after joining them at the last rest stop on the Victor Constant Ski Area. Their arrival in garrison brought out the whole community to cheer along the route. While exhausted, hot and sweaty, new cadets were happy Beast Barracks ended, although they knew many more challenging experiences were ahead.

Ande Flagg/PCS Adventures

The Black Knight makes an appearance at every football game.

If you enjoy sports, you have many opportunities to watch ALL THE SPORTS! We had season tickets for football in the first and third years we were there. (Only cadets were permitted to attend the COVID year football games.) The games we attended were EXCITING! The energy levels were so high that by the time the games finished, I was ready for a nap as much as the football players were.

Ande Flagg/PCS Adventures

Dirt Man and Dirt Woman cheer on the home team.

Football games always had plenty of pomp, with the Black Knight making an appearance along with every company’s mascot. GEnE even had a mascot: Dirt Man! (and sometimes Dirt Woman). The August games were hot, and the November games were cold. But all the games were fun. These games felt like what autumn should be: at an Academy, cheering on a favorite football team, and enjoying the crisp air and beautiful scenery.

Ande Flagg/PCS Adventures

A member of the West Point Parachute Team delivers the American flag to the game.

The stadium has since undergone some construction, but you will likely still have the same pre-game excitement we did. My favorite part before the kick-off was the USMA Airborne team jumping into the stadium with the game ball. It was breathtaking!

We walked down the steep hill from our home to the stadium about ¾ of a mile. Going down was easy. We lived at the top of the hill, which was about a 12% grade (i.e., VERY STEEP). If you go, just be prepared to hike home, whether up the hill or 1 ½ miles to the other side of the post from the stadium. (You must walk or invest in a scooter or E-bike).  Other options included purchasing a parking pass with your season tickets.

In the winter, we were eager to get over our cabin fever. Once the academy reopened after COVID, we attended a few basketball and hockey games. We weren’t even big basketball fans, but the community and school spirit (especially after COVID) made the games fun and memorable. And there were people! Lots of people who wanted to be together and cheer and yell and have fun!

Hockey is big at USMA. I had never been to a hockey game before, but it was so fast-paced that the excitement hung in the air. It reminded me of Tim’s lacrosse–playing days 20 years before. The action was non-stop. The game finished so fast that I thought there was no way it could be over!

If you have younger kids, never fear. All the sporting events are designed to entertain the whole family. My kids felt safe wherever they were on campus. Even the big crowds during the football games didn’t slow them down. We just told them they had to check in with us periodically. This method worked for us.

Join me next week as I share more fun activities found at West Point.