In Forbes annual "America's Top Colleges" for 2016, the United States Military Academy was ranked the #1 Public College, #14 overall, and the #6 Liberal Arts University. Read more.

More than 1300 new cadets of the Class of 2020 arrived at the Academy on June 27 for Reception Day. The entering class includes 282 women, 425 minorities, 15 international cadets and 13 combat veterans. “The quality of the students entering West Point with the Class of 2020 is exceptional,” said COL Deborah McDonald ’85, Director of Admissions. The class includes cadets from every U.S. state and 15 international cadets under the sponsorship of their respective countries. View photos on WPAOG Facebook page. Additional photos can be viewed on the USMA Flickr site where there are also photos of the Oath of Allegiance Ceremony. The Acceptance Day Parade for the Class of 2020 is Aug 13.

CPT Lindsay G. Gordon ’12 was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for exceptionally valorous achievement while deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.  The award cited “Gordon’s absolute professionalism, bravery, courage under fire, and unwavering dedication to mission accomplishment.”  Read more.

Congratulations to the West Point team for winning the 2016 BattleFrog College Championship! The team successfully defended its 2015 crown in the obstacle course competition. This year, 16 co-ed college teams competed in a single-elimination, 350-meter, four-person relay with over 20 obstacles that tested competitors' strength, speed, and endurance.

Thank you to all the graduates, families, and friends who supported West Point in 2015! Click here to view the online 2015 Annual Report of Gifts, which acknowledges our generous donors.

Jeffrey C. Agnew ’06, Brandon T. Frei ’08 and Brandon B. Gilles ’07 were welcomed into the Olmsted Scholar Program on June 4 in Washington, D.C. The program was established in 1960 by MG George Olmsted ’22 with the Department of Defense and the Departments of the Army, Navy and Air Force to foster relationships between nations. The Foundation selects 15-20 Scholars each year for two years of study at a foreign university in a non-English speaking country. Candidates must be U.S. Armed Forces active duty officers. More than 130 West Point graduates have been named Olmsted Scholars since the program began.  Read more.

The 75th Edition of the Register of Graduates & Former Cadets is here! The original historic publication of the West Point Association of Graduates has been comprehensively updated in a new, limited edition. Inside this ultimate West Point reference volume is a wealth of information on all 72,413 West Point Graduates from 1802-2015, including 218 graduating class mottos and crests, West Point ancestry, USMA leadership, Medal of Honor Graduates and more! Makes a great gift. Order yours today at the WPAOG Gift Shop! TAPS, the official memorial magazine of the Long Gray Line, may also be ordered online.

This year’s annual West Point Diversity Leadership Conference will take place September 12-14. The 2016 theme is Army Strong: Our Differences, Our Strengths. Visit the conference website for more details. If you or your employer are interested in sponsoring this event, our all-new sponsorship packages offer an opportunity to reach a highly desirable, high-achieving audience through a range of promotional opportunities.  Please contact Jess Scheuler, our Advertising and Sponsorship Representative for more information at ads@wpaog.org

For West Point Cadets, the opportunity to obtain a world-class, top-tier education is unmatched. For these future Army leaders entering their senior year, the chance to shadow a lieutenant in the “real Army” is a unique facet made possible by the Army’s CTLT program. Read more.

Retired Capt. Paul Bucha ’65, Medal of Honor recipient, spoke about leadership to roughly 1,300 new cadets July 6 during Cadet Basic Training. “This is the most exclusive leadership institution in the world, bar none…you are here to become leaders for the rest of your life.” Read more.

On July 4, 40 second class USMA cadets and four Department of Military Instruction cadre arrived in England for training with cadets from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. They are taking part in Exercise DYNAMIC VICTORY, the final exercise of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Regular Commissioning Course. More photos of the exercise are posted on the RMAS Facebook page.

Former Army West Point gymnast CPT(R) William Reynolds ’02 made a special return to West Point last month as a competitor in the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games. He competed in the 100, 200, 800 and 1500-meter races as well as the 4×100-meter relay. He also competed in cycling and piloted a visually impaired athlete. “I think (the Warrior Games) is super important because a lot of us were kind of ripped from our units prematurely, and that was our sense of team, that was what we knew,” Reynolds said. “So I think having an event where we can all get back with a team, compete together and have that sense of unity again is really impactful.”