By Jane Anderson, WPAOG staff

The energy in Eisenhower Hall was electric on December 3, as 993 members of the USMA Class of 2026 found out what their future held during Branch Night. Approximately three dozen 50-Year affiliates, graduates of the Class of 1976, also were on hand to share in the excitement and to support the cadets.

“I said goodbye to my mom in this room on R-Day, and now I’m finding out where my career is headed,” said Class of ’26 President Miles Manney, as he waited to head into Eisenhower Hall. Manney hoped to branch Infantry.

The bulk of a cadet’s 47-month journey culminates in Branch Night, where firsties find out which of the 15 branches of the Army will be home after graduation. Much effort and research go into matching cadets with the branch that best utilizes their talents; USMA’s Accessions Division of the Department of Military Instruction guides cadets on that journey.

A half-hour ceremony with remarks from keynote speaker GEN (R) David Rodriguez ’76 and BG R.J. Garcia ’96, 81st Commandant of Cadets, concluded with TAC officers handing out the prized envelopes to each cadet, with a stern warning not to open them until directed. The firsties’ anticipation amplified in a rousing rendition of the “Army Song” before Garcia gave the signal to open their envelopes and see their futures. The joyous roar that ensued was even louder than the song.

CDTs Cora Nephew and Elizabeth Pfisterer were overjoyed when they ripped open their envelopes to reveal their assigned branches. The diversity of jobs available in Field Artillery attracted Nephew to that branch, and she was a bit tearful as she explained it had been her No. 1 pick since she was a plebe. Pfisterer, too, found her first choice: Military Intelligence. “You know why you come here,” Pfisterer said, smiling. “It’s for nights like this.”

In his keynote speech, Rodriguez reminded firsties that Branch Night marks the moment when all the challenges they experienced in cadet life pour over into Army life. “These are the first big steps toward the responsibilities you worked for and earned,” he said, emphasizing their willingness to take responsibility for failures as well as for success. “Soldiers will rely on you; families will put their trust in you.”

Memories of their own Branch Night flooded back for the 50-Year affiliates. Although the process has changed from when he and fellow classmates picked physical branch cards off a board back in 1975, MG (R) Glenn Lesniak ’76 said the excitement was the same as when he found out he’d branched into the Engineer Corps. Lesniak called the current, talent-based branching “a win-win, where a cadet is matched with their best position. These cadets are lining themselves up for a great future.”

LTG (R) David Melcher ’76 also branched into the Engineer Corps. He appreciates the affiliate program, allowing him to support cadets in a way his class didn’t experience while they were firsties. “When we branched, we didn’t see the Class of 1926,” he said. “This program is meaningful because we’ve been with them, and we’ll be with them until graduation.”

A common thread heard from both the affiliates and the speakers at the podium was that there are no bad branches. “No matter what branch, you’re serving the Army and the nation,” Melcher advised. “You will succeed if you apply the values and leadership you learned here at West Point.”

Dr. Richard Morales ’76, who was First Captain in his class and a Rhodes Scholar, branched Infantry, where he spent three years before Yale Medical School marked the beginning of his medical career. Current firsties need to speak the truth, help others, and be authentic, he advised. “The Class of ’76 came into the U.S. Army after the Vietnam years and made it better and more professional,” Morales recalled. “The Class of 2026 is at another inflection point now, during which they will adapt and learn, exercising their dedication, innovation, and their love of country.”

CDT Ronelda Elician ’26 branched Finance, a branch she only recently decided was the one for her. “I’m excited to pursue this!” she said, amid the controlled pandemonium inside Eisenhower Hall.

Branch Night was the culmination of almost five years of hard work for CDT Declan Griffin ’26, who attended the USMA Preparatory School for a year before becoming a plebe. “It was great to be surrounded by my friends as we found out our branches,” he said. “To my left was the first person I saw on R-Day, and here we are now, finding out what our futures will be.”

Of the 993 members of the Class of 2026, 72 percent received their first choice of branch; 95 percent received one of their top three; and 98 percent ripped open their envelopes to find they’d received one of their top five choices.

Here is the branch breakdown for the Class of 2026:

• Infantry: 223
• Armor: 88
• Field Artillery: 196
• Aviation: 88
• Engineer: 108
• Air Defense: 59
• Military Intelligence: 20
• Signal Corps: 33
• Cyber: 34
• Adjutant General: 14
• Logistics: 64
• Explosive Ordnance (subset of Logistics): 15
• Military Police: 12
• Medical Service: 20
• Chemical Corps: 17
• Finance Corps: 2