On May 25, 985 members of the Class of 2019 graduated and became Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Vice President Mike Pence delivered the commencement address, providing lessons of leadership to the historic class of 2019. Among its members is the 5,000th woman to graduate from West Point, as well as its 1,000th Jewish graduate. The class has the highest number of African-American women graduates and the highest number of Hispanic women graduates. The valedictorian, David Bindon, joins GEN Douglas MacArthur, Class of 1903, as one of only 13 cadets since 1872 to serve as First Captain and graduate as the valedictorian. Photos. Hat Toss Video. Full story

On May 21, USMA hosted a ceremony and luncheon to honor the five Distinguished Graduates for 2019: GEN(R) David A. Bramlett ’64, COL(R) Victor Garcia M.D. ’68, LTG(R) Robert L. VanAntwerp ’72, GEN(R) Walter L. “Skip” Sharp ’74, and LTG(R) Robert L. Caslen Jr. ’75. Referring to the recently completed first-ever “Commitment to Service” week, LTG Darryl Williams ’83, the 60th Superintendent of West Point, remarked that the week should be expanded to include the DGA event. “I can’t think of a better way to inspire cadets to service than to have them spend a few minutes with this year’s DGA recipients,” Williams said, noting that if there were ever a “Who’s Who” or hall of fame for selfless service, it would be filled by them. Full story. Photos.

Help USMA beat Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine by making a gift between May 30 and June 3. The school with the highest alumni giving participation rate during these 5 days wins, so no matter the size of your gift, or where you choose to designate it, your participation counts toward victory! By giving, you will not only help us win, you’ll also support Margin of Excellence programs at West Point that are critical to the education and development of the Corps of Cadets. Stay tuned for emails and bookmark this page to track our success. GO ARMY! BEAT ’em ALL!

GEN James McConville ’81 is officially the Army’s next top officer. McConville, whose nomination was confirmed by the Senate on May 23, has spent much of his time as the Vice Chief working to stand up Army Futures Command and overhauling how the service modernizes its equipment. “He has played an instrumental role in almost every major decision the Army has made since becoming the Vice Chief of Staff and is the perfect leader to carry on our mission of preparing the Army for the future,” Secretary of the Army Mark Esper ’86 said. McConville will replace current Chief of Staff GEN Mark Milley, who is scheduled to take over as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the fall. Full story.

In 2019, the WPAOG Nominating Committee will nominate graduates for Chair, Vice Chair, five Director positions and six Advisor-at-Large positions. To apply for a nomination, please see the instructions posted on the WPAOG website. The deadline for graduates to submit their completed applications (to include a nomination letter from another graduate) is July 1. The 2019 election process will conclude on November 19 at 5pm EST, at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Graduates at Herbert Alumni Center.  Interested graduates may email or call 845.446.1523 for more information.

On May 22, the West Point Association of Graduates officially turned 150 years old! To celebrate this milestone, we conducted a “virtual birthday toast” online. From Kazakhstan to Hawaii, from Spain to the International Space Station, alumni and members of the West Point community from around the world (and beyond) participated by submitting videos of themselves toasting and wishing “Happy Birthday” to WPAOG. More than 21 West Point Societies and 29 West Point Classes participated--thank you to all who contributed! View our 150th Virtual Toast compilation video, as well as highlight toasts from West Point’s oldest living grad COL(R) Kermit Dyke ’40 and the Superintendent. 

If you are considering a career transition, a new job field, or just exploring your options, don’t miss the Service Academy Career Conference (SACC) on June 13-14 in Washington, DC.

• 60% of SACC candidates have on-site interviews during conference
• 75% of SACC candidates have follow up interviews
• Pre-register by June 3rd to have your one-page resume included in the SACC Candidate Resume Book
• If you register between June 3rd and June 7th, your resume will NOT be in the printed SACC Candidate Resume Book, but the recruiters WILL have electronic access
• Register online 24/7

Honorable Jim Nicholson has been elected Vice-Chair of the USMA Board of Visitors, which advises the President of the United States on the morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other matters related to USMA and the Corps of Cadets. Nicholson was initially appointed to the Board of Visitors by President Donald Trump in June 2018. Nicholson was named a Distinguished Graduate in 2005.

Last week, COL(R) Wayne Murphy, Fundraising Chairman, and Mr. Mike McGovern, Class President, presented two checks on behalf of the Class of 1969 for a total of $2,275,000 in support of the Simon Center for Professional Military Ethic, the Cyber Research Center, and the Long Gray Line Endowment. Not only did 436 Class of 1969 graduates come to West Point to celebrate their 50th Reunion, but the class allocated $50,000 of their gift to the Long Gray Line Endowment to commemorate WPAOG’s 150th Anniversary. Thank you to the Class of 1969 for their tremendous support!

Would your employer or a member of your extended professional network be interested in sponsoring exciting events like the Army/Navy Pregame Tailgate or the Fall Football Open Houses at West Point? Help us spread the word about our exclusive sponsorship opportunities to reach a premium audience of Army Football fans and West Point graduates! Download sponsorship flyers.

We are loving all the photos of your adventures with Flat Cullum. He was in the Spring issue of West Point (on page 13), and you can also download Flat Cullum from our website. He’s been showing up in the craziest places – from the Kentucky Derby to happy hours, from class mini reunions to Board meetings. Be sure to share your photos on social media using #FlatCullum and #WPAOG150. If you don’t use social media, please email us your photo with a caption and we’ll post in our online photo album.

The NCAA's definition of a “representative of athletics interests,” also sometimes called a “booster,” is broad enough to cover virtually anyone who roots for Army West Point – and there are a host of rules which apply to such individuals. This pamphlet was designed to provide you with a primer on the most important of these rules, particularly those dealing with the interaction between boosters and prospective and enrolled cadet-athletes. Please review this information carefully. If you have any questions or concerns, or you are aware of a potential NCAA rules violation, please do not hesitate to contact the Army West Point Compliance Office at 845.938.2576.