USAFA Mascot Injured in Prank

Tradition or not, what part of not allowed requires translation?
 
The release says the matter is regrettable and under investigation.

Yup. Just like the football coaches cheating issue of a year or so ago was "under investigation." Never heard another word about it.

Breaking and entering is a felony. The trained falcon is clearly worth more than whatever constitutes misdemeanor larceny. Thus, another felony.

However, I expect nothing significant will happen to the cadets involved.

And to those who think that "stealing mascots" is okay . . . it's not. As I said earlier, these are animals that have certain requirements for care and feeding. Some of them may have special medical needs. Unlike humans, the animals can't explain this to their captors. It's not funny to steal them . . . at all.

IMHO, the cadets involved should no longer be cadets. And I would say the exact same thing if the perpetrators had been mids stealing a mule or falcon. Inexcusable. And to think that these idiots may soon be leading enlisted men and women . . .
 
IMHO, the cadets involved should no longer be cadets. And I would say the exact same thing if the perpetrators had been mids stealing a mule or falcon. Inexcusable. And to think that these idiots may soon be leading enlisted men and women . . .

I agree. And I would be saying the same thing if mids did this.
 
Per USAFA falconry, Aurora is expected to make a full recovery.

Very glad to hear it!! Those falcons are magnificent -- I always enjoy seeing them at USAFA games.

That said, exceptional veterinary care shouldn't change what happens to the perpetrators. However, sadly, it probably will . . . :rolleyes:
 
I taught my DS to always bring honor upon himself, his family, and his Country.

Firsties have been separated for far less than what transpired here, as a demonstration of the Academy's resolve to not allow behavior unbecoming of an officer-to-be. I don't want officers in any branch of our Military who act like this, I can tell you that. Were I in charge, I might hand out some sort of punishment to 4C Cadets/Mids and hang on to them - but by the time they get to 1C (with commissioning 6 months away) - if they do something like this? Alpha Mike Foxtrot.
 
While there is no excuse for harming the animals the kidnapping of mascots is not a new event and has occurred as recently as 2012. There should be punishment but having seen some exceptionally well executed pranks (stealing the Citadel Jeep during VMI/Citadel week) there is also room for the unconventional thinkers who develop and execute these heists.
https://sports.vice.com/en_us/artic...ts-and-stolen-mules-the-army-navy-mascot-wars

This article highlights the more harmless aspects of the tradition and its impacts on corps/brigade morale as well as the thought that maybe leader development isn't as much abiding in a regulated system as learning to operate within it.
 
I enjoy a good spirit mission - one that has been well-planned, does no damage - or has any potential to damage - to any living thing, or cause permanent damage to a thing, creates appreciative and humorous eye-rolls in response, gently twits the target, passes the Wash Post headline test, and has enough operational risk analysis built in that the worst possible case would be factored in as the litmus test for go-no go.

Let us hope USMA considers all the facts, whether this was an all-cadet conceived and executed event or whether it had support from any level of the chain of command. Who is accountable, who is responsible, who is culpable? What directives were in place? What training occurred, in terms of what is acceptable? These are all rhetorical. Having been in the middle of countless military investigations at various levels, I just hope for a fair review, thoughtful action and a healthy round of lessons learned.

Tradition can be a wonderful thing, but I still cringe at “old grad stories” of goats being chloroformed and put in the back of a car, of mules being stolen, etc. Too much can go wrong, at the expense of an innocent animal, and that is never a factor to take lightly. In today’s social media environment, incidents like these are not containable, and shed a poor light on an institution.

I salute Aurora for her strength and stamina in getting through an ordeal that presumably involved pain and stress, all because of human beings and the games we play.
 
A great hallmark of leadership — what sets the best leaders apart from others — is judgment. Judgment based on careful consideration of all that can be known at that time, smartly processed to achieve the goal with an acceptable risk/reward tradeoff.

I wonder if the offending cadets went through this process, or if over-enthusiastic impulses and selfish motivations led the charge to do what they did. Whatever the case, I trust the lessons will be internalized by all cadets and mids at West Point, Annapolis and Colorado Springs.
 
I am thankful the falcon appears to be on the mend. Poor judgement for the cadets in question.

Did the AFA football player flying the double bird in the face of the Army football team and coaches get addressed? I expected to see more news about that honestly than I have. I was going to start a separate post but they seem entwined.

As a mom of 4 sons, I only wish I could always be present when they decide to make poor choices - which all of our children do at some point. They are responsible for their own choices but it is difficult to watch sometimes.

I am completely with MidCakePa in my hopes that all cadets and mids learn something from both events.
 
Did the AFA football player flying the double bird in the face of the Army football team and coaches get addressed

It should be, by the coach at a minimum. It's in incredibly poor taste and doesn't show the respect that all members of the military should have for our fellow comrades in arms. However, it's not a crime (like B&E) and didn't cause harm to person or animal. So, not on the same level in my book.

I love a good prank. Lots of them go on during every SA rivalry week. 90%+ are good, (mostly) clean, fun. A few get out of hand. The pranksters simply need to ask (1) Does this prank have the potential to harm a person or animal? and/or (2) Does this prank have the potential to destroy or permanently damage someone else's property? If the answer to either is "yes," the prank is almost certainly a bad idea. If the answer is no, then let the fun begin!!!
 
It should be, by the coach at a minimum. It's in incredibly poor taste and doesn't show the respect that all members of the military should have for our fellow comrades in arms. However, it's not a crime (like B&E) and didn't cause harm to person or animal. So, not on the same level in my book.

I love a good prank. Lots of them go on during every SA rivalry week. 90%+ are good, (mostly) clean, fun. A few get out of hand. The pranksters simply need to ask (1) Does this prank have the potential to harm a person or animal? and/or (2) Does this prank have the potential to destroy or permanently damage someone else's property? If the answer to either is "yes," the prank is almost certainly a bad idea. If the answer is no, then let the fun begin!!!

I would think there would be a response for profane actions on national tv.

Thankful the falcon is on the mend and hopefully cadets/mids give pause the next time they consider a prank. I am hopeful my son is so consumed with studies that none of these ideas ever cross his mind.
 
I am hopeful my son is so consumed with studies that none of these ideas ever cross his mind.

I think that we parents all hope this and I think that we'd all be terrified if we ever actually did learn about all the things that our cadets think about!!
 
My thoughts as a AFA supporter: The USMA cadets should be judged in the mistake-of-the-heart vs. the-mistake-of-the-head court. This was of the head. I do not believe their actions rise to the level of dis-enrollment & would & leave their discipline to the institution. I know a lot is expected of firsties, however a second chance should be granted (after a review of their personnel records to determine if they deserve it; after all; we all know that sometimes there's addition by subtraction). However, if Aurora had to be euthanized, I'd vote for dis-enrollment. They, (& Aurora) are very, very lucky. I heard on the radio that it's an offense to touch a falcon without a federal license.

As far as the AFA player who disrespected the Army coach, he should be cut from the team (mistake of the heart) for his benefit. His action disrespected the team, the Academy, & by extension, the AF. He needs to spend more time with his squadron; the IC life he's living requires more from the cadet/athlete, not less. The Integrity first, Service before self, Excellence in all we do message is not getting across to him. More time actively participating in squadron-related activities (It will be my pleasure to organize that color run! Oh, you need more tour guides on weekends, sign me up!...) should be able to fix that. Just my 2 cents.
 
I would think there would be a response for profane actions on national tv.

Thankful the falcon is on the mend and hopefully cadets/mids give pause the next time they consider a prank. I am hopeful my son is so consumed with studies that none of these ideas ever cross his mind.

He flipped someone the bird. Anything besides a coach having a talk with him is an overreaction.
 
The release says the matter is regrettable and under investigation.

Yup. Just like the football coaches cheating issue of a year or so ago was "under investigation." Never heard another word about it.

Breaking and entering is a felony. The trained falcon is clearly worth more than whatever constitutes misdemeanor larceny. Thus, another felony.

However, I expect nothing significant will happen to the cadets involved.

And to those who think that "stealing mascots" is okay . . . it's not. As I said earlier, these are animals that have certain requirements for care and feeding. Some of them may have special medical needs. Unlike humans, the animals can't explain this to their captors. It's not funny to steal them . . . at all.

IMHO, the cadets involved should no longer be cadets. And I would say the exact same thing if the perpetrators had been mids stealing a mule or falcon. Inexcusable. And to think that these idiots may soon be leading enlisted men and women . . .

Perhaps they didn't know you needed to be on the distribution list for the results of the investigation? Probably a clerical error. You could always submit a FOIA request to try to gain access to the investigation results. Eager to know what you find out - please keep us posted.
 
IMHO, the cadets involved should no longer be cadets. And I would say the exact same thing if the perpetrators had been mids stealing a mule or falcon. Inexcusable. And to think that these idiots may soon be leading enlisted men and women . . .

Aren’t you being too harsh? I am pretty sure these cadets did not think about everything and they should be punished accordingly (walking tour if they still have those), but I doubt they intended to hurt the bird. No one is perfect. Better to learn the lesson now, not later as an officer.

Perhaps you were a model midshipman, but looking back I did some stupid things as a cadet and a junior officer.
 
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