2007 West Point Graduates

New York Region
Iraq Presents Graduating Class at West Point With New Challenges
By MICHAEL WILSON
Published: May 25, 2007
The war in Iraq has hovered over the West Point class of 2007, perhaps more than any class before.

Iraq Presents Graduating Class at West Point With New Challenges

Excerpts:

The war in Iraq has hovered over the class of 2007, perhaps more than any class before. The 1,000-plus cadets graduating on Saturday were the first to enter West Point after the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Most arrived on campus in June of that year.

The events of the last four years have directly shaped the curriculum at West Point, as instructors who for years taught the fine points of battlefield strategy found themselves leading drills with fake bombs made of pop bottles and clocks. “Ain’t no front line anymore,” Colonel Jones said. “It’s all front line.”

....

of the graduating class of 2007, 14 percent agreed to serve eight years of active duty instead of the required five, in exchange for being able to choose their branch of service, a privilege generally held for top students in a class. The largest number of cadets chose infantry, followed by aviation and armor.

Comments: Although I do not know any of them, I am proud of them and commend them for their patriotism and their willingness to serve our country! (The picture is from the 2006 graduating class)