Official alumni association of the United States Military Academy at West Point, serving the Long Gray Line. (Following, RTs, and links ≠ endorsement.)
West Point Astronaut LTC Anne McClain '02 brought her 4-year-old son to a NASA photo shoot before flying to space, and the pictures will melt your heart
#WPAOG150
via
@businessinsider
Congratulations to USMA Cadets Tyrese Bender '21 and Evan Walker '21 who have been named to the Rhodes Scholar Class of 2020. They were selected from a pool of 953 applicants and will begin studies at Oxford University in October 2021.
More:
#OTD
12 Sept 2006 The first graduate KIA from USMA 2005 "The Class of 9/11" was 2LT Emily Perez '05 on 9/12/06. Perez was the first woman West Point graduate to be killed in action in Iraq & is buried in West Point Cemetery
#BeThouAtPeace
Memorial article:
@leah_boustan
We have reached out to a Mr. O'Neil from the Class of 1971 to see if this was his ring. We can absolutely help in getting it back to him!
WPAOG apologizes for our inappropriate Juneteenth post. It was both factually incorrect and hurtful. We deleted the posts so as not to extend the offense and are reviewing our process for approval of social media posts.
#OnThisDay
June 15, 1877 Henry O. Flipper, the first African-American graduate of West Point, was promoted to rank of 2LT, 10th Cavalry, after graduating the day before.
#DutyHonorCountry
The West Point Association of Graduates is pleased to announce that Captain Lindsay Gordon Heisler, Class of 2012, has been selected to receive the 2019 Alexander Nininger Award for Valor at Arms.
READ MORE:
Today we say farewell and thank you to
@WestPoint_USMA
Superintendent LTG Robert L. Caslen Jr., '75 for his 43 years of service to the nation and his selfless commitment to the Corps of Cadets. Well done.
#DutyHonorCCountry
OTD: July 7, 1976- 119 women joined the Corps of Cadets, establishing the first class to include females at The United States Military Academy at West Point.
OTD 24 May 2016 CPT Elyse Ping Medvigy (2012) became first woman active-duty service member to summit Mount Everest. In 2018, she followed up by summiting Denali. She began high-altitude climbing at age 19 during a family competition racing to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
#WPAOG150
OTD 1 June 1991 The Class of 1991 graduated in the India White uniform and remains the only class to do so. Due to a downpour during the previous day's parade, Full Dress coats were sent to the laundry facility to dry, but each coat shrunk several sizes
#DutyShallBeDone
#WPAOG150
The West Point Class of 2005, which had 911 students, was termed the "Class of 9/11" because they were new cadets when the World Trade Center was attacked 11 Sept 2001. The AP reported that the graduating cadets were told they were "a special group forged by historic events."
#OTD
3 Nov 2018-USMA 1993 as part of its 25th reunion gift, gave an endowment to the Baseball Team in honor of MAJ Stephen Reich '93 who was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles but chose to remain in service as a pilot. He was KIA in Afghanistan when his aircraft was hit by an RPG
"Hail, Alma Mater dear,
To us be ever near,
Help us thy motto bear
Through all the years.
Let duty be well performed,
Honor be e'er untarned,
Country be ever armed,
West Point, by thee."
#SingSecond
Congratulations to First Captain Simone Askew '18, one of 32 U.S. Rhodes Scholars selected from 866 candidates nominated by their universities. Askew will read for an M.Sc. in Evidence-Based Social Intervention at Oxford University starting in fall 2018
OTD April 30 1778: The Great Chain put in place across the Hudson River at West Point, blocking British ships. This massive engineering feat was achieved by hundreds of soldiers, ironworkers, lumbermen, wagon drivers & river men. Some of the links can be seen today at West Point
OTD 30 May 2005 The Class of 2005 was featured on the cover of TIME magazine as "The Class of 9/11" The first graduate KIA from the class was 2LT Emily Perez on 9/12/06. She was the first woman graduate to be killed in action in Iraq and is buried in West Point Cemetery
WPAOG and the Long Gray Line would like to wish our oldest living graduate, BG (R) Paul D. Phillips ’40 a very happy 105th birthday today! A few WPAOG staff members visited him this morning to wish him a happy birthday. 🎁 🎈 🎉
Today the United States Corps of Cadets welcome to their ranks the Class of 2028 during the Acceptance Day Parade at 10am EST!
Watch live:
#GripHands
#WestPoint
#LongGrayLine
Today is Acceptance Day or A-Day, where the members of the USMA Class of 2023 are officially welcomed into the US Corps of Cadets as plebes. Families, Old Grads and well wishers will be attending today's 10am USCC parade (some 4000+ cadets)
#OTD
May 24. 2016 CPT Elyse Ping Medvigy '12 became first woman active-duty service member to summit Mount Everest. In 2018, she followed up by summiting Denali. She began high-altitude climbing at age 19 during a family competition racing to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
What a crass mass of brass and glass! 💍
The Class of 2025 received their West Point class rings today! As is West Point tradition, plebes have the mission of stalling the firsties from their Ring Weekend festivities by circling and reciting the “Ring Poop” chant.
#USMA2025
#OTD
9 July 1980 1LT Derek Hines (2003) was born. As a cadet, Hines was the captain of the Army Hockey Team. He was KIA in Afghanistan by small arms fire in 2005. The Class of 2021 Cadet Basic Training operation was named after Hines.
#WPAOG150
#OTD
12 November-Today is the birthday of Rebecca E. Marier McGuigan '95, the first woman to be rated the top all-around West Point graduate--in academic, military training & physical training—since women first graduated in 1980. She is an active duty Army doctor.
The Naval Academy family is devastated to learn one of the three victims in the Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting was one of our own, Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, Class of 2019.
#OTD
July 9, 1980 1LT Derek Hines, Class of 2003, was born. As a cadet, Hines was the captain of the Army Hockey Team. He was killed in action in Afghanistan by small arms fire in 2005. The Class of 2021 Cadet Basic Training operation was named after Hines.
#DutyHonorCountry
OTD Sept 2, 1945: Formal WWII Surrender of Japan. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, West Point Class of 1903, Supreme Allied Commander, among those who signed the Instrument of Surrender on board the USS Missouri.
#DutyHonorCountry
OTD 30 Apr 2016, GEN Vincent Brooks (1980) took command of U.S. Forces Korea. Brooks was the first African-American First Captain while a cadet.
#WPAOG150
OTD: July 20, 1969 the
@NASA
Apollo 11 mission landed on the Moon. The crew included 2 West Point Grads: Buzz Aldrin ’51, who with Neil Armstrong landed and walked on the Moon in lunar module "Eagle", and Michael Collins’ 52, who piloted command module "Columbia" in lunar orbit
West Point graduate 2LT Alma Cooper '23 was crowned Miss USA! 🇺🇸
🎧 Hear more of her story on her episode of the WPAOG podcast:
📰 Read more in Grad News:
WPAOG is pleased to announce that President Barack Obama, 44th president of the US, will receive the 2024 Sylvanus Thayer Award. The award will be presented on Sept 19, during ceremonies hosted by WPAOG at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
📰:
#OTD
June 6 1944, The WWII D-Day Invasion of Normandy began. GEN Dwight D. Eisenhower, Class of 1915, issued his famous Order of the Day "You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you..."
#OTD
7 June Happy Birthday to Astronaut LTC Anne McClain, Class of 2002, who served aboard the International
@Space_Station
in 2019 as flight engineer for Expedition 58/59
@AstroAnnimal
🎉Congrats to the USMA Class of 2024, West Point’s newest Old Grads & the U.S. Army’s newest 2nd lieutenants!
Your 50-Year Affiliate Class of 1974 was honored to grip hands with you & WPAOG is proud to call you members of the
#LongGrayLine
.
📸:
#OTD
3 Nov 2018-USMA 1993 as part of its 25th reunion gift, gave an endowment to Baseball Team in honor of MAJ Stephen Reich '93 who was drafted by Baltimore Orioles but chose to remain in service as a pilot. He was KIA in Afghanistan when his aircraft was hit by an RPG
#WPAOG150
It's Graduation Day at
#WestPoint
!
Congratulations to nearly 1,000 Cadets who will cross the stage and join the
#LongGrayLine
. The Class of 2021 is the 223rd graduating class from
#USMA
!
#UntilTheBattleIsWon
Graduation Information:
OTD 11 Mar 2013 CPT Sara M. Knutson Cullen (2007) a Black Hawk pilot, killed with 4 other Soldiers in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. She decided to join the Army after visiting West Point on Sept 10, 2001, just prior to 9/11 terrorist attacks
#WPAOG150
OTD 12 May 1962 Douglas MacArthur (1903) delivered his famous "Duty, Honor, Country" speech upon receiving WPAOG's Thayer Award. It was heard by cadets in classes of 1962 to 1965. Listen:
#WPAOG150
OTD 28 Apr 2017 Natalie Mallue (2009) graduated from Fort Benning, becoming only the sixth woman to pass Ranger School & the first to wear both the Ranger & Sapper tabs in the U.S. Army. Erin McShane (2014) also now wears both tabs after completing Ranger School 12/8/17
#WPAOG150
Save the Date!
On July 7, 2026, West Point will kick off a year-long celebration commemorating 50 yrs of women in the Corps of Cadets! Donna Brazil ’83 is leading the golden anniversary commemoration, made possible through the support of an alumna.
More:
#OTD
July 7, 1976-It was R-Day for the Class of 1980, and 119 women joined the Corps of Cadets, establishing the first class of females at The United States Military Academy at West Point
#DutyHonorCountry
#PrideandExcellence
Today we pause with the nation in honor of the men and women of the U.S. military who sacrificed their lives in service to their country.
#BeThouAtPeace
#LongGrayLine
On this Memorial Day, WPAOG honors the servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country and protecting our freedom.
#BeThouAtPeace
#LongGrayLine
#OTD
19 August 1989 CDT Kristin Baker (1990) led the Acceptance Day Parade for the Class of 1993 as the first woman First Captain. Exactly 28 years later, Simone Askew (2018) led the A-Day Parade for the Class of 2021 as the first African-American woman First Captain.
#OTD
15 July 2015, CPT Jon Anderson, Class of 2006, earned a gold medal in the 85kg weight class and helped Team USA take home the team title in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Pan American Games for the first time in four decades.
Happy Birthday
#USArmy
from the West Point Assoc of Graduates! On June 14, 1775, America established the Continental Army. Today we celebrate the U.S. Army's 243 years of service to the nation. West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the U.S.
#ArmyBday
#OTD
28 Apr 2017 Natalie Mallue '09 graduated from Fort Benning, becoming only the sixth woman to pass Ranger School & the first to wear both the Ranger & Sapper tabs in the U.S. Army. Erin McShane (2013) also now wears both tabs after completing Ranger School 12/8/17
#OTD
12 Aug 2017 1LT Chris Rowley '13 pitched in and won a Major League Baseball game while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was the first West Point graduate to play in MLB.
Rowley is currently signed with the Minnesota Twins.
#DefendingTheDream
Join WPAOG in celebrating the achievements of African American graduates of the
#LongGrayLine
during
#BlackHistoryMonth
. Today we honor General Vincent K. Brooks '80 who as a cadet was the first African American First Captain to lead the Corps of Cadets
#WestPoint
@westpoint_usma
The 'Ring Poop' tradition lives on at West Point!
"What a cool jewel you got from your school! See how it sparkles and shines?"
#USMA2021
received their class rings at Trophy Point.
“Cadet Morgan was a valued member of the Corps of Cadets, and will be missed by all. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Morgan family,” said Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, 60th Superintendent,
#USMA
.
Click the link for the full release
#OTD
25 August 2005 1LT Laura Walker, Class of 2003, was interred at West Point Cemetery. She was the first woman graduate killed in action in Afghanistan. Walker was captain of the Women's Team Handball Club, which holds an annual tournament named in her honor.
#DutyHonorCountry
Tonight is Branch Night at West Point, when the Class of 2021 will discover what Branch of the Army they will join to start their military careers. With a motto of “Until the Battle is Won” these cadets will graduate next year and serve their country in one of the 17 Branches.
Cadet Candidates for the Class of 2024 have arrived for first out three R-Day’s today on July 12, 2020. Photo Credit (commandant.usmilitaryacademy)
#rday2020
#WestPoint
#classof2024
WPAOG is pleased to announce that GEN(R) Ann Dunwoody-the first woman in U.S. history to achieve the rank of four-star general-will receive the 2019 Thayer Award on October 10, 2019 at a ceremony hosted by LTG Darryl Williams '83, 60th Superintendent, USMA
#OTD
12 November-Today is the birthday of Rebecca E. Marier McGuigan (1995), the first woman to be rated the top all-around West Point graduate--in academic, military training & physical training—since women first graduated in 1980. She is an active duty Army doctor.
#WPAOG150
R-Day for the incoming West Point Class of 2024 begins tomorrow!
This year, R-Day will have some modifications and take place over 3 days from July 12-14.
Share your memories of R-Day and check out these throwback photos of R-Days past.
#RDay
#WestPoint
#DutyHonorCounty