Free Republic

Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, spokesman for the academy at West Point, said Monday that 73 cadets were accused of cheating on the calculus exam in May after instructors noticed irregularities in answers. All but one were freshmen, or plebes, in a class of 1,200. The other was a sophomore. After an investigation by an honors committee made up of trained cadets, two cases were dropped for lack of evidence and four were dropped because the cadets resigned, Ophardt said. Of the remaining 67 cases, 55 cadets have admitted cheating and have been enrolled in a six-month rehabilitation program focused on...

Hundreds of Naval Academy plebes attempt to climb the Herndon monument in an annual tradition marking the end of their freshman year in Annapolis. (Sun photo by Doug Kapustin / May 17, 2007) It's one of the Naval Academy's most enduring traditions: Hundreds of shirtless plebes mark the end of their first year by swarming a grease-slicked, 21-foot-obelisk, climbing over one another in a race to the top. Now, academy officials are asking: Is this safe? In a terse statement this week, academy officials said they will assemble a student committee to study changes to the Herndon Monument Climb. "Like...

When the Class of '06 entered the Naval Academy on June 28, 2002, academy leaders expressed confidence in the new midshipmen. At the oath of office ceremony, the class was told, "You are ready for a great adventure. Each one (of you) has the ability to graduate in four years. You must continue to live every day with honor. Follow our rules and regulations and you will succeed here." The class consisted of almost 1,215 plebes selected from more than 12,000 applicants. The plebes included more than 190 women, nearly 300 minorities and seven foreign nationals. When the Class of...

Cadets at the National Military Academy Afghanistan form up to march to their first meal. Lt. Col. Raymond Nelson First cadets report to Afghan military academy By Lt. Col. Susan H MeisnerFebruary 7, 2005 KABUL, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Feb. 7, 2005) -- On a snowy day in February, Afghanistan’s first class of cadets reported for duty at the new National Military Academy Afghanistan. The academy is located on the grounds of a former flight technology school in Kabul. Modeled after West Point, the academy is a four-year, degree-granting institution that will commission second lieutenants for the Afghan National...