Army Ret. General says "USNA got it right"

I saw this in Huffington Post the other day..criticizing the President because he was "calling the Cadets back so he could give a speech.." Set aside what you may think about the President (I don't really care what you think), , but I really don't think this is political.. This is about the Cadets, and I am willing to bet that almost everyone of them is wholeheartedly onboard with the idea of getting back to West Point, and graduating with their Classmates.

Keep in mind that these are 20 ish men and women, and graduation is the capstone of a pretty intense college experience. The comradery and euphoria that comes with a Service Academy graduation is incredible, and I don't expect the Media or even Parents to get it.. These are kids with their hair on fire...and they think they are invincible. Sure, the USNA Superintendent may have made the prudent and safe call, but I can't say the West Point Supe is wrong. What I can unequivacally say (even with the benefit of a lot of years maturity), if given the opportunity to graduate with my Class during these times, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I feel bad for USNA Class of '20, missing the opportunity to throw their hats in the air together. I am confident however that USNA will do something to make this moment special, and hope that this situation makes '20 stronger as a Class.
 
Too many variables to compare. USMA has built in quarantine quarters at Camp Buckner and the cadets needed to return for uniforms and to clear Post in any event. This was always an option and was never about the President. Old retired generals should remain old and retired.
 
Three thousand cadets have to return to West Point over a 3 - 5 week period. Keeping them away longer is not an option, unless they plan to cancel Beast, CST, and delay BOLC by several months.

With respect to any impact on health, the few hours taken for graduation have little significance.
 
jl123 said:
Three thousand cadets have to return to West Point over a 3 - 5 week period. Keeping them away longer is not an option, unless they plan to cancel Beast, CST, and delay BOLC by several months.

With respect to any impact on health, the few hours taken for graduation have little significance.
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It can also serve as a good "training" run for what's coming, and do it with a smaller crowd.
 
I obviously have no insider information, but I have a hard time believing that WP and the president's office had not established the general framework of the return of the firsties before all this came out. The media has absolutely jumped onto this narrative that WP was completely surprised by this development. Just doesn't pass the sniff test for me.

If the president had come out and said there would be no ceremony, something tells me there would be several articles about how he ruined everything.
 
jebdad said:
I obviously have no insider information, but I have a hard time believing that WP and the president's office had not established the general framework of the return of the firsties before all this came out. The media has absolutely jumped onto this narrative that WP was completely surprised by this development. Just doesn't pass the sniff test for me.

If the president had come out and said there would be no ceremony, something tells me there would be several articles about how he ruined everything.
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West Point's response plan to COVID-19, Operation "Resilient Knight", has been in place for over a month and outlines key events and NLT decision dates, which thus far have been adhered to. The only surprise was that the President released the decision a few days before West Point did; the decision had already been made, by West Point.

There were three dates under consideration for graduation and June 13 was determined to be the most workable from a health standpoint as well as a continuity of operations standpoint.
 
The West Point superintendent is good-to-go.

And is a Mount Vernon grad. Go Majors
 
Wishful said:
@Devil Doc They must've had a great football team when he was there-LOL!
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MV was state champs in basketball in 79 when he graduated. They won in football four years later. Talent is cyclical there usually because of the base housing kids. They are currently in an up cycle for football. Both my kids are MV grads and contributed to several district titles and came close but never past district play. The school boundaries include Potomac River mansions and Route One low income apartments. In recent years the rich folks have started sending their kids to private schools.

coveringthecorridor.com

Mount Vernon alum takes over as new superintendent of West Point

Darryl Williams, 1979 Mount Vernon graduate, is the first black superintendent in the 231-year history of the academy.
coveringthecorridor.com coveringthecorridor.com
 
jebdad said:
but I have a hard time believing that WP and the president's office had not established the general framework of the return of the firsties before all this came out.
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Not exactly according MSN
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/mar...ins-with-meat-to-rot-in-landfills/ar-BB13khnw
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/gigi-hadid-and-zayn-malik-expecting-baby-report/ar-BB13kRNP
"That was news to everyone, including officials at West Point, according to three people involved with or briefed on the event. The academy had been looking at the option of a delayed presidential commencement in June, but had yet to complete any plans.
“He’s the commander in chief, that’s his call,” said Sue Fulton, a West Point graduate and former chairwoman of the academy’s Board of Visitors. “Cadets are certainly excited about the opportunity to have something like the classic graduation, standing together, flinging their hats in the air.
“But everyone is leery about bringing 1,000 cadets into the New York metropolitan area for a ceremony,” she added. “It’s definitely a risk.”
 
I don't think I'm being hit over the head with this enough, yet. The subject that's being danced around here is "orange man bad", as usual? I want to make sure that I catch all the innuendo. Some times it takes me a little while.
 
I spoke to someone who was in the decision meeting. The decision to hold graduation on June 13 was made prior to the President's announcement and was scheduled to be announced by West Point the following week. The President surprised everyone by releasing the information before West Point did, but no one was surprised by the fact that graduation would be held, the President would speak, and the date would be June 13.

West Point does not control the President's schedule or exceptions to the stop-move order; there was certainly substantial coordination with the White House, Sec. of the Army, Sec. of Defense, etc.
 
jl123 said:
I spoke to someone who was in the decision meeting. The decision to hold graduation on June 13 was made prior to the President's announcement and was scheduled to be announced by West Point the following week.
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Do I believe this or do I believe MSN (a subsidiary of the DNC). . . HMMMMM

a West Point graduate and former chairwoman of the academy’s Board of Visitors
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Sounds impressive and authoritative but on second thought, I am a former member of the BOV equivalent for the institution where I now teach and while I had pretty good exposure to strategic goals and planned moves, I have ZERO knowledge about the plans going forward until they get announced. Former members and alumni are not "insiders" to decisions like this.
 
OldRetSWO said:
Do I believe this or do I believe MSN (a subsidiary of the DNC). . . HMMMMM


Sounds impressive and authoritative but on second thought, I am a former member of the BOV equivalent for the institution where I now teach and while I had pretty good exposure to strategic goals and planned moves, I have ZERO knowledge about the plans going forward until they get announced. Former members and alumni are not "insiders" to decisions like this.
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They would have been better quoting the delivery driver at American Burrito whom I’d guarantee knows when the Corp returns.
 
Coincidentally, I just had a home-made "little donkey" for lunch, slathered in sriracha. It was wonderful.
 
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