Wikipedia:Today's featured article/May 25, 2009



The United States Military Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. Established in 1802, USMA is the oldest of the United States' five service academies. The entire central campus is a national landmark and home to scores of historic sites, buildings, and monuments. Candidates for admission must both apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a congressman. Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as cadets. Tuition for cadets is fully funded by the Army in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation. Approximately 1,000 cadets graduate each spring and are commissioned as second lieutenants. The academic program grants a bachelor of science degree with a curriculum that grades cadets' performance upon a broad academic program, military leadership performance, and mandatory participation in competitive athletics. Cadets are required to adhere to the Cadet Honor Code, which states that "a cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do". Its alumni are collectively referred to as "The Long Gray Line" and its ranks include two Presidents of the United States, numerous famous generals, and seventy-four Medal of Honor recipients. (more...)

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