Well, then she won't have to jump as far, will she? Sort of like when John Belushi "parachutes" from his Warhawk in 1941.
Posted on 10/12/2017 8:01:01 AM PDT by mandaladon
Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert Heffington issued an open letter to West Point graduates earlier this week blasting the superintendent, commandant, and dean of the military academy for contributing to a “culture of permissiveness.”
The letter was subsequently posted on the website of American Military News.
Heffington told The Daily Caller he wrote the letter to the USMA Class of 1963 when several of its graduates contacted him asking how Spenser Rapone, a cadet espousing radically anti-American views, was allowed to graduate.
“The Superintendent refuses to enforce admissions standards or the cadet Honor Code, the Dean refuses to enforce academic standards, and the Commandant refuses to enforce standards of conduct and discipline,” the letter charges. “The end result is a sort of malaise that pervades the entire institution.”
Heffington’s eye-opening letter describes systemic problems at West Point that he says have led to a decline in honor, standards and meritocracy. The end result of said neglect, according to the lieutenant colonel, is a current “embrace of mediocrity.”
“Every fall, the Superintendent addresses the staff and faculty and lies,” he asserts. “He repeatedly states that ‘We are going to have winning sports teams without compromising our standards,’ and everyone in Robinson Auditorium knows he is lying because we routinely admit athletes with ACT scores in the mid-teens across the board.”
Heffington states that he has personally taught cadets who are “borderline illiterate.” In another section, Heffington laments what he refers to as West Point’s “nonexistent” academic standards, and takes aim at the dean:
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
Just part of the intentional inside rot promoted by traitors. McCarthy was right after all.
It started alot earlier than that, IMHO...but it is a somewhat informed opinion - I was at West Point from 1988-1992.
A few early indicators:
- We had cards by the doors to our rooms, where we would slide an arrow to indicate where we were, when not in the room. These were removed after my first year - too many cadets were 'blowing post' and sneaking off, and essentially lying with their cards. Solution: get rid of the cards.
- I personally knew two cadets who were 'found' in an Honor investigation, but were allowed to stay.
- I started to see a pattern that minority cadets were allowed to stay, even after failing a class.
- While I was there, the Corps had its first Female 'First Captain'. It was obvious she was not the most qualified/highest rated...and it was a political decision. Similar to this, the 10% of women there comprised an inordinately high percentage of the senior cadet leadership, based on political considerations only.
- Two national news magazines (I remember one was 48 Hours) did stories about USMA, which caused alot of 'concern' among viewers...letters were written to congress..standards were lowered.
- My third year there, the plebes were allowed to 'fall out' after spring break - I won't go into detail as to what that means, but it was a major change.
- My third year there, dinner, and the accompanying dinner formation became optional. I'll go light on the details, but this was important in making USMA feel more like a college dorm and less like a military institution.
- My second year there, a prohibition against hazing was codified...and I'm not talking goofy frat house hazing, but merely yelling too much at a plebe was forbidden.
- Every year I was there, more and more 'underwater basketweaving' classes were added. The century old requirement to take a core 'stovepipe' curriculum in math and science was watered down with 'systems' classes masquerading as engineering classes.
- The instructors were deteriorating in quality. I had one English professor who couldn't keep his uniform squared away, or hair cut. I had a female instructor (army officer) who was obviously lesbian, and vocally disapproved of the uniformity and regimented lifestyle of a cadet. Another instructor (army officer) kept talking about government sponsored healthcare - not a hot topic in those days, and I was perplexed by his fascination...a year after I graduated, I saw him (now a civilian) on CNN promoting Hillarycare.
Anyway, I believe political correctness started this a long time ago, and actually many of the major changes happened during my time there, a quarter century ago. Now, I still believe that the vast majority of cadets a smart, driven, patriotic, and as good as cadets have ever been...its just a shame that the institution is gradually allowing more and more mediocrity to dilute the good cadets.
I don't know, the whole racial PC thing is doing a lot of damage too.
I can only relate what was told to me by both of these individuals and their parents. Both of whom left the Academy after their Plebe year. I am guessing it was the particular coach’s idea, knowing Richie Meade that doesn’t sound like something he would endorse. I’m sure you heard the rumor of Robinson and his branching choice as well. Doubt there is truth to that one.
Sounds like you were a Cadet when I was permanent party at Keller. It sure helped that Cadet Baker’s Daddy was a Graduate and a serving Col. at the time. General Palmer was a good man, but he was ready to retire before they made him Supe.
>>As far as the Athletic recruiting goes
Service academies should not be competitive in high level NCAA sports. The missing links that colleges recruit to play sports have no place in a service academy.
The generation going into the military today has been brainwashed by the public schools and the socialist news and entertainment media. Should we be surprised at the results we are seeing?
Times have changed. Army Football was very competitive under Coach Young and Coach Sutton. Coach Monken is headed in the right direction. But other sports are different. Army Hockey and Lacrosse have a huge winning tradition and make the NCAA tournament in Lacrosse on the regular. Women’s basketball has done well and the men are getting better. It’s interesting to go to AAA meetings and events and listen to the Old Grads bitch about the “old days”. The Academies are not getting 5 star athletes anymore, unless the kids really want an Academy education, but suggest to that same crowd to drop down to Div II or affiliate with the Ivy League and they rebel. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Well, in my class, there was a minority female who did not complete the jumps. She submitted doctor's notes saying that she had a phobia. She or her representatives made race an issue as well. She didn't do the jumps, but graduated and was commissioned anyway. It was pretty controversial, and we were all ordered not to show any signs of displeasure when her name was announced at graduation. Of course, as mids will do, a bunch gave "boo's" anyway.
The local NAACP Chapter bragged in the Crabwrapper that it was instrumental in ensuring she graduated and was commissioned.
That episode did an enormous disservice to a the rest of us, including all the black mids who completed their jumps as required. It stigmatized them with the stench of double standards.
Having graduated from a military school himself, Trump may very well get involved.
I spent a few days at Keller, getting the standard issue knee surgery. I swear the orderly who carted me off to anesthesia looked exactly like Howie Mandel...I thought it was some sort of practical joke. My memory of General Palmer was a man more interested in selling his book than anything else. For sure he had an impressive resume, but seemed uninterested with USMA.
The USMA needs a new commdant to come in and start a housecleaning.
My cousin was a Pointie. Shame on West Point for not doing anything about this.
If the minority female had a phobia of jumping off of high towers, then she will just have to go down with her ship when it sinks.
Thanks for posting this article. to my ping list, please read the entire article. Sounds like it is time for a new superintendent with the character of General Andrew Goodpaster, who was brought out of retirement in 1974 to fix West Point after the cheating scandal. Provided there still exists general officers of his character.
Well, then she won't have to jump as far, will she? Sort of like when John Belushi "parachutes" from his Warhawk in 1941.
you are so correct
I grew up just north of West Point, and I fully remember in the early to mid 1980’s, former instructors from West Point and current instructors pointing out the slow but obvious to them changes occurring there just as you described
I’m not sure there are General Officers of that caliber any more. They are more like perfumed princes willing to destroy the war fighting ability of the military if it means career advancement. Career before country now.
Thanks for the ping. I wonder if the Trump administration will do something about this.
Fortunately, I graduated before the women came. Oh yes, the tower jumps. We had a few mids freeze at the top as the rest of us clung to that twisting ladder on the way up from the natatorium, but everyone eventually made it.
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