so other than the Ribbon what does the 4 years of active duty at the academy, and I mean active because you wear the uniform everyday and are held accountable to all the same rules and regs as others outside the academy i.e. officers and enlisted, get you? If I understand it does not count toward retirement eligibility or in TIS computations, correct? I could understand it not being considered for ROTC cadets/midshipmen but for academy grads, seems a little harsh to not be able to count it at least for pay purposes.
Well, for one thing, it gets "you" a quality education with a bachelor's degree, the opportunity to serve your country and a guaranteed job after graduation, plus some leadership opportunities and the chance to be part of a military family.
BTW, a cadet's time at the academy DOES count as federal service for longevity (e.g. retirement eligibility) if they ever take a federal civil service job.
Finally, I think your remark about ROTC cadets/midshipmen is off the mark: who are we to say that a young officer who's worked his/her way through university, then gone to OCS hasn't had a more challenging college career than an academy grad?
A butter bar is a butter bar, and source of commissioning does not predict who is going to be a good officer and who isn't.