We extend our best wishes to everyone for a safe and happy holiday season and an excellent new year. Thank you for your continued support of West Point and the Long Gray Line! It is a pleasure and honor to serve you.

Due to Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 restrictions, the 121st Army-Navy Game was moved from Philadelphia to Michie Stadium at West Point, and the Black Knights defended their home turf with a 15-0 shutout of the Midshipmen. It was the first time Army blanked Navy in 51 years, the first time the historic game was played at West Point since 1943, and the first time Army ever beat Navy on our home field! Key to Army’s victory was stopping Navy’s 4th and goal attempt coming out of the half. Watch the Army-Navy 2020 recap video including game highlights and reactions from Head Coach Jeff Monken and Army West Point Football players. The Army team, now 7-0 at home in 2020, takes on Air Force at Michie Stadium on December 19, with the winner taking home the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.

On December 11, West Point broke ground for its new future-focused Cyber & Engineering Academic Center (CEAC). Superintendent LTG Darryl A. Williams ’83 presided at the ceremony with special guests Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy; 55th Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, USACE, LTG Scott A. Spellmon ’86; USMA Dean of the Academic Board BG Cindy Jebb ’82, and West Point Association of Graduates Board Chairman LTG (R) Joseph E. DeFrancisco ’65. The 136,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility will house the engineering laboratory functions of the Departments of Civil & Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, and Systems Engineering. Through laboratories and hands-on core-course activity spaces, access to new technology and equipment, and opportunities for unique collaboration, the center will facilitate a powerful and broad impact within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) scholarship and industry. The CEAC project costs will be supported by government funding and private funding from the West Point Association of Graduates Margin of Excellence program. Margin of Excellence enhancements to the Center include a fourth floor offering conference and collaborative space and a bridge connecting the new facility with Mahan Hall. These enhancements are made possible by Mike Fisher ’90, and his wife Ashley Fisher; Bell Textron Inc.; the Classes of 1979, 1975, 1973, 1972, 1997, 2010, 2009, 2003; and the West Point Parents Club of Maryland, DC, and Virginia. CEAC Press Release. Full story.

On December 10, 2020, twenty-one cadets received their diplomas and became the newest members of the Long Gray Line. Like Graduation held this past June, family members and guests were not able to attend the ceremony due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the event was livestreamed by the Academy. As in June, the December grads received their first rank insignia as a gift from the Class of 1970, their 50-Year Affiliation Class. Each set of second lieutenant bars is engraved with "70-20” to commemorate the special connection between these two classes. Story, photos and list of graduates.

Branch Night for the Class of 2021 was like no other before. Washington Hall erupted with cheers and applause as 992 members of the class unsealed their envelopes and learned which of the 17 Army branches they were assigned during West Point’s annual Branch Night on December 2. Keynote speaker Ambassador Dell Dailey ’71 (LTG USA, Retired) from the 50-Year Affiliation Class of 1971, noted, “The branch you will receive tonight will define you.” This is the second year that the U.S. Military Academy employed the new "market-based" branching process that assigns cadets to a branch based on their preferences and how each branch commandant rates them. This year, 80% of USMA 2021 cadets received their top branch choice and 96% received one of their top three choices. Full story. Photos.

Through the generosity of current cadet parents, WPAOG was able to provide 4,800 burrito dinners to the Corps on Sunday, December 6. WPAOG delivered pre-boxed dinners to various locations around West Point, where a few cadets from each company met the delivery vans to take meals to their companies. WPAOG bought burritos for USMAPS as well. Not only was this a wonderful opportunity to “feed the Corps” and boost morale as they prepared for exam week, but also a percentage of all dinner sales will go back to the West Point Parents Fund to support the Margin of Excellence and future activities. Go Army! More photos.

West Point is proud to announce two Rhodes Scholars for the Class of 2021, CDT Tyrese Bender and CDT Evan Walker. They are two of 32 scholars selected  from the United States and will be joining recipients from more than 60 other countries. The last time West Point had more than one Rhodes scholar was back in 2014. Full story.

Cadet Langdon Ogburn ’21 has been selected as one of 50 Marshall Foundation Scholars and will continue academic study following graduation and commissioning. “Cadet Ogburn’s intellectual pursuits and his leadership have inspired our West Point community to deeply consider the military’s role in mass atrocity prevention. His continued study will undoubtedly serve to strengthen the efforts of our military, nation, and world for achieving security, stability, and peace,” said BG Cindy Jebb ’82, Dean of the Academic Board. As a Marshall Scholar, Ogburn will pursue a Master of Arts in Conflict, Development, and Security at King's College in London, followed by a Master of Science in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding at Durham University. Full story.

2020 has been a challenging year, but the West Point Community found ways to support each other and celebrate (virtually) with each other. As we look to the future, who better than our Corps of Cadets to lead us? Please consider a year-end gift to support West Point. December 31st is your final chance to make your 2020 tax-deductible gift. Your gift to any fund makes a significant impact during this season of giving. Thank you for your generosity, and most importantly, stay safe and healthy.

With USMA offering a multitude of physical education courses, cadets are exposed to various challenges that test their heart and merit in the face of adversity. Whether a cadet chooses to engage in wrestling, boxing, or combatives, each course is designed to push them to their limit or surpass the limit itself. Thus, on November 12, Class of 2021 Cadets Beaux Guffey and Gabrielle White were recognized by the Department of Physical Education for their personal courage and mental fortitude during the ninth annual LTG Hal Moore Warrior Athlete of Excellence Award ceremony at Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center. The award serves to commemorate cadets who have accomplished complex physical feats in the spirit of LTG Hal Moore. Full story.

The West Point Band is pleased to present a virtual West Point Holiday Show, titled “Home for the Holidays” to be streamed on Facebook and YouTube on Sunday, December 20 at 2pm. Leading up to this premiere event, the West Point Band will release one song from the show each day at 12pm, beginning on December 9 through December 18. The individual videos, featuring some West Point Band favorites like “Field Music Christmas” and a jazz rendition of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” will be streamed on the band’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. More information.

If your son or daughter is First or Last, we have the company shirt for you! Pre-order your Made in the USA, cadet company shirt now. First and Fourth Regiment company shirts available for pre-order now through January 15. (Don’t worry, Second and Third Regiment shirts go on sale in January!) The t-shirt has the company name on the front when dry, but when it gets wet, the company motto appears. A great work out shirt in a performance cotton that is comfortable enough for every day where. Order your shirt today for a mid-March delivery at WPAOGGiftShop.com under Class Gear or call the store at 800.426.4725, M-F/10am – 5pm.

On December 5, the WPAOG Memorial Support Team, along with other WPAOG colleagues, participated in the annual Wreaths Across America holiday wreath-laying ceremony honoring veterans. WPAOG participants went to each headstone or columbarium niche in the West Point Cemetery for families who had received WPAOG Memorial Support in 2019-20, spoke the name of the loved one laid to rest out loud, and placed a wreath. Handwritten cards, along with photos of their loved one’s marker, were sent to each family to let them know they are in our thoughts during this first holiday season without their loved one, and to recognize their contribution and sacrifice to our nation. This year, the entire West Point Cemetery was covered, totaling more than 7,000 wreaths. Read more.

Reserve your space in the Spring 2021 West Point Authors Bookshelf, a specially-priced advertising section in West Point magazine showcasing books by West Point affiliated authors. Check out the latest West Point Bookshelf in the Fall 2020 issue to discover and support these books. Learn more about this and other WPAOG advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

In an all-new update of WPAOG’s most historic publication, the 2020 Register of Graduates & Former Cadets contains more than 77,000 individual entries recording the names, classes and careers of every West Point graduate from 1802 to 2020. The 2020 Edition features a premium “Red Sash” red cloth binding embossed with gold foil, suitable for display in your office or home library. Early Bird pricing is $115 (plus tax for applicable states). After March 31, 2021 the price will increase to $150! So order now online or call us Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm at 800.426.4725.