West Point Snapshot
ATTENTION! Established by an act of Congress in 1802, the US Military Academy better known as West Point (the town on the Hudson River where it is located) trains and educates future US Army officers. Students, known as cadets, must go through a rigorous admissions process, which includes a direct nomination by a member of Congress. Once admitted, cadets undergo academic, physical, and military training. Each year some 1,000 graduates are commissioned as second lieutenants and must serve five years of active duty. Notable graduates include presidents Ulysses Grant and Dwight Eisenhower, and generals Robert E. Lee, Douglas MacArthur, and George Patton. Women were first admitted to West Point in 1976. At ease.