The reasons that West Point graduates had left the army in larger numbers has already been enumerated, and the fact that they now stay when offered a graduate education has also been satisfactorily demonstrated.
The article states that, "According to Army statistics, 718 signed up to choose their career track, 289 contracted for the graduate school opportunity — 257 of them from West Point — and 117 wanted to pick the location where they, and their families, would be based."
Eight-nine percent of the junior officers who chose the eduction option were West Point grads; clearly eduction is very high on the list of priorities for West Point graduates. Not surprisingly, live-long education is a notion strongly encouraged and reinforced at West Point.
The article goes on to explain that the graduate education tuition is limited to a maximum of $13,000 per year. Any member of the army that contributes to his or her own army sponsored education fund, combined with the GI bill essentially all are eligible for, can have far superior benefits without any obligation for additional service whatsoever. If your premise that many, if not most, of the West Point graduates were looking for a free Ivy League quality education were true, you would not find over 40 percent of the West Point class signing up for the additional years of service. They would simply use the no-obligation offer of graduate education already available for them. AND THEY WOULD HAVE EARNED IT, JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE.
As for a free education, shame on you. Over fifty West Point graduates have given their lives in the service of their country in Iraq and Afganistan. If the statistics for the army in general holds true, several hundred West Point graduates have also been wounded; many grievously. I think we can put the notion of a "free education" to rest; you more than most should know better.
Had I made your earlier statements, and after I had stopped kicking myself for my gross ignorance, I would be apologizing to the entirety of the Corps right now, not digging myself a deeper hole. And I know a bit about apologizing having made many myself for far smaller offense.