murfthesurf
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I'm a Cow at USMA, AMA (Ask Me Anything)
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You are missing a very important part of the modern Service Academy experience.FutureCadet12
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Is it true that every weekend next year will be A/C? That sounds awful.. it'd affect firsties like yourself next year more than plebes though because plebes don't really get to leave anyways, right? And could you give some general examples of company pt standards? Btw thanks so much for doing this AMA!
Well, it's actually not that hard. I personally think the Small Unit Tactics or whatever they call the airsoft team is a bit of a joke. If you're in top shape and you're serious about going SF, look at the Combat Weapons Team. I know several of them and they're all beasts physically and mentally. Their tryouts are extremely difficult. Same for the jump team.
Not all clubs operate the same. So it's actually pretty easy to combine smaller clubs with a major one, but doing the jump team and CWT at the same time would almost be impossible because both are so demanding. Same for the Combatives team. That said, doing one of those and doing a small rec club like the ski/board club or being a ski instructor is very easy. I'm a member of a number of clubs and since they're all a bit small I have no issues with conflicts. It really comes down to how well you can juggle your time.
Right, so the beginning was mandatory. The actual survey was not. I'd say more than half of the males in the room left. There was a very popular movement to opt out of anger that it was scheduled in a way to block leave.
That said, if you want to visit your kids have them submit an ETP requesting to miss training 3 - 4 weeks in advance and if they are in good standing it will get approved and they'll leave friday.
An average CBT workout looked like this. Accountability out front at 0520ish. PRT warmups which is like these easy exercises (bend and reach, air squats, pushups). Then you'll either do ability group runs for 1-2 miles, interval sprints, or a pushup/pullup/situp routine down by the river. Whenever you go to the river courts, as they're called, be prepared to run up MSC hill which is very difficult if you've never run hills before. It's only a hundred yards long (give or take) but you'll climb about 6 stories vertically. Don't worry though, exercises at beast were easy, if I can make it anyone can.
Just about all of this year has been A/C weekends, and next year will probably be the same. It sucks, the ability to leave is much harder now. For plebes, you're right, it won't be too much of a difference, but for upperclass we'll feel it the most. It kinda sucks to hear stories of the old corps and how firstie year was a blast because having seen our training schedule there is little to look forward to as a firstie. I know several of the current group are just desperate to graduate and get gone. I can't say I blame them, even now I'm patiently counting the days until I can leave as well.
For company PT standards, it varies, but most will probably say 270 is the minimum. If you're below that they'll make you go to morning PT at 0515 during the week. If you're not on morning PT you workout on your own time (which can be difficult). This week I've probably gone to the gym once, mostly because I've been doing some task until dinner or beyond. It's hard to get a workout in when you're exhausted and have been working from 0700 to 1800. However, this wasn't a typical week. Most of the time I can easily get in and workout 4 or 5 times.
Sorry if I missed this. Can you talk about company sport of basketball? How competitive is it? How much interest is there? Are there tryouts? If a cadet is of the caliber to play D3 college ball, would they be suited to the company bball team or is it still competitive to make the team or get minutes? Thanks!
I would say try out for the team, otherwise yah do intramurals. The current champs had a former D3 player and they stomped everyone fairly easily. It's taken seriously. Some teams will stack to be as good as possible, and when the championships roll around you'll have the commadant in attendance as well it being broadcasted over the cadet radio. I've been to one in my time here and it was something else. A huge amount of people from your company and reg will turn out to support you, it will feel much more like a huge HS game then some off hour activity haha.
May I ask to clarify? So there is company level bball and intramural bball as well? Thanks! Or do you mean tryout out for the men's army ncaa team?
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I first heard about West Point my junior year. I applied for SLS and got accepted. I looked into Boy's State but it was too late for a scholarship. Instead I just paid to go (It wasn't that expensive if I remember right). SLS was a ton of fun and what really made me want to go here. (SLS is also a recruiting tool, don't interpret what that is like to match what being a cadet is like because unfortunately they are very different). The summer leading into my Senior year I tried to get into better shape. I started my application my senior year. My congressmen didn't do interviews, I just applied. I got word sometime in November that I was nominated. I found out in March I was accepted. The application sucked, but after that it was a ton of waiting. I was worried because I wasn't that special of a person. I wasn't team captain, or class president, or even top 25%. I was a boy scout and a football player.
The truth it, applying to West Point is a battle of patience. The application sucks and only some 3000 students finish it. That whole 8% of applicants get accepted is BS. It is true that getting in on your first try is hard, but that's why I say it is a game of patience. I got in on my first attempt. My two closest friends did a year or two at a different school. I have a number of friends from the Prep school. Two of my friends enlisted after being turned down and were accepted during or after AIT. If you want to go to West Point, bad enough to wait a year or two of college, or to enlist, then you will get in. Especially if you enlist, USMA will accept enlisted service-members, even if their grades weren't too good, simply because they can bring tangible experience to the corps. My advice is if you want to come, don't accept defeat and don't give up and I guarantee you you'll find yourself here in the end.
Whether or not USMA is worth all that work is a different conversation without an answer haha
Company basketball is intramural basketball. My bad, I usually refer to them as company athletics or IMs interchangeably.
EVDfootball
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Are Sundays "off" days at West Point?
It used to be Saturday and Sunday were always completely free, but as of now yes Sunday is the one true off day (until 1900 which is recall formation and the resuming of duties). Typical weekend is nothing after classes Friday. Saturday training from 0-early as hell to 1130. Sunday is off until 1900. I'm pretty bitter about it because as a Mech E I will end up spending a lot of Sunday trying to work ahead and it'd be nice to actually have down time to relax. I get it, old corps hooah and all that, but A/C training really erodes usable weekends.
FutureCadet12
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I know it seems elementary, but what does correct push-up form look like? Apparently I've been doing my push-ups wrong the whole time (my elbows are at a 90 degree angle rather than a 45 degree angle when doing the push-up).
It is pretty simple. Look straight out ahead not down, this will keep your core from sagging. When you go down, the top of your arms should be parallel to the plane (aka the ground). Come back up and lock out. If you do narrow pushups the issue is usually coming all the way back up, wider pushups usually you get hit for not going low enough. Practice with a mirror or have a buddy make spot corrections. I typically practice chest to ground so that if a grader has a stick up his/her ass I can just go lower. I do wide pushups because my chest muscles are stronger than my triceps.
But really, just focus on looking at the horizon.
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Felix Rosa
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Again, we are really grateful for your unsiders viewpoint and tips.
I'm curious, are the training facilities also open to recreational use, or are they only for the team? eg. Can a cadet occationally swim in the pool/jump off the trampolines during his/her downtime? Can a cadet safely use the rock climbing facilities if he/she wants t practice for next years tryouts? How about the shooting range, etc.
I'm really curious about the answer to this question, lol
I'm curious, are the training facilities also open to recreational use, or are they only for the team? eg. Can a cadet occationally swim in the pool/jump off the trampolines during his/her downtime? Can a cadet safely use the rock climbing facilities if he/she wants t practice for next years tryouts? How about the shooting range, etc.
I'm really curious about the answer to this question, lol
Felix Rosa
#Dream#Future#Success
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- Aug 31, 2015
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Also, do we really have a decent amount of down&chill time as cadets, or is that only for the academic wizards that can get their calc&chem homeworks done before the average dudes are even half way? You mentioned earlier that WP likes to Bragg about cadets going bezzerk with work and not having enough down time