Thank you to those who attended our annual Family Weekend last month. I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into cadet life and how West Point is developing the Army’s next generation of leaders, and especially spending some time with your sons and daughters. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, excellence abounds throughout the Corps of Cadets as your sons and daughters are accomplishing great things. In addition to the final push before the end of the academic semester, cadets recently participated in various conferences that expose them to a wide range of senior leaders, policy makers and inspirational speakers. These opportunities have a positive impact on our cadets’ leader and character development, and also bring them together with students from other colleges and universities to share ideas and build relationships. This month, in addition to beating Air Force on the gridiron and retaining the Commander in Chief’s Trophy, we dedicated the newly-renovated Pershing Barracks, and celebrated Branch Night, where our Firsties learn in which branch they’ll serve when they graduate. On behalf of the staff, faculty and the entire West Point community, I wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Congratulations to the members of USMA 2019 on receiving their branch assignments on November 14. Branch Night is the culmination of the Department of Military Instruction’s Branch Education and Mentorship Program. For the last 41 months, since they entered West Point as plebes, the members of the class have been learning about the duties and equipment associated with each of the Army’s 17 branches. Of the more than 1,000 members of the class, nearly 95 percent were placed in one of their top five branch choices, and 81 percent will starting their careers in one of the six combat arms branches. West Point graduates from the 50-year Affiliation Class of 1969 were on hand to present the cadets with their “first brass” branch insignia pins.  Read about the U.S. Army’s new Talent Based Branching system. Full story. Pointer View story. View photos.

WPAOG sends warm wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving! During this season of gratitude, we wish to express our sincere thanks for all that you do for cadets and West Point.

For the second straight season, the Commander In Chief's Trophy will be held by the Army West Point Football team following a 17-14 victory over Air Force on November 3. The Falcons had already defeated Navy earlier in the year. With the win, Army will at least retain the trophy for another year as the worst all three academies can now do is win one game each. In the case of a three-way tie, the previous year's winner retains the trophy. The Black Knights will have a chance to win the trophy outright when they face off against Navy in the Army-Navy Game on Dec. 8. After the November 17 victory over Colgate, Army is undefeated at home for the season and is nationally ranked for the first time in 22 years!

November 11, 2018 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the Armistice of World War I, and several generations have passed between the American soldiers who fought and died upon the battlefields of France and the cadets learning to be leaders in the Army at West Point today. Although they never met, cadets whose ancestors fought in the Great War have found inspiration from their forefathers’ service as they prepare to begin their own careers. Full story. To commemorate the centennial and Veterans Day, NBC’s Today Show aired “WWI Descendants Continue Tradition at West Point” on November 7. Video.

Last month, cadets in the Class of 2019 got their first look at the new Army Combat Fitness Test, which is in phase one of implementation and will become the fitness test of record throughout the Army in October 2020. The new test consists of six events, including a deadlift, medicine ball toss, hand-release pushups, a sprint, drag, carry event, leg tuck and a two-mile run. The new test is geared toward testing the full scope of a Soldier’s fitness. The tests did not count as a grade for the Class of 2019 cadets, but their data was recorded to give them a baseline of how they did and which areas they need to work on going forward. Read more.

Wynne and Trey Wages P’21 (far left) hosted Old Grads in the Auburn, AL area at a watch party for the Eastern Michigan game on Saturday, October 27. The event provided Old Grads, spouses, and West Point parents a fun opportunity to meet and spend time together cheering Ted Wages ’21 and his Army football teammates to victory. Old Grad attendees ranged in age from Class of 1964 to two Class of 2018 graduates who are currently stationed at Fort Benning. Go Army!

It was a moment Cadet Thomas Rounds ’19 had been waiting for the last decade and a half. Standing at the door of a helicopter more than 4,000 feet above Michie Stadium, it was his job to deliver the game ball at the start of the Army West Point Football team’s game against Hawaii. Rounds came to USMA with zero skydiving experience, but in the more than three years since, he has jumped 520 times as a member of the West Point Parachute team. Read more.

November 2-3 saw the return of five former Superintendents who helped shape West Point and oversee its role in producing leaders for a 21st century Army. LTG(R) Daniel W. Christman ’65, LTG(R) William J. Lennox Jr. ’71, LTG(R) Buster L. Hagenbeck ’71, LTG(R) David H. Huntoon ’73 and LTG(R) Robert L. Caslen Jr.’75 spent two days at West Point meeting with current Superintendent LTG Darryl A. Williams ’83, interacting with cadets, and participating in a panel discussing topics ranging from challenges they faced during their tenures and how the composition of the Corps of Cadets has changed in the last 20 years to changes they see coming in the future and the sustainability of an all-volunteer Army. The visit wrapped up with watching Army beat Air Force in football to retain the Commander in Chief’s Trophy. Full story.

On November 27, the West Point Association of Graduates is pleased to be taking part in Giving Tuesday—a global day of celebrating and encouraging philanthropy. During this season we are reminded that every generous act is significant, and each gift in support of West Point truly matters for our cadets, alumni, the Academy, and the nation. Please consider joining us in celebrating this day of giving through a gift to West Point. Donations are essential to support Margin of Excellence programs for our cadets and keep the Long Gray Line strong. Make sure to follow our updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram that day, and tell us how you support West Point! #GivingTuesdayUSMA

All families of current cadets receive complimentary copies of our quarterly West Point magazine. In order to provide the highest quality and most relevant content for you, WPAOG is surveying West Point magazine readers to get your feedback about the magazine. We invite you to complete this short survey to tell us how West Point magazine is doing at its mission “to tell the West Point story and strengthen the grip of the Long Gray Line.” Thank you in advance for your time and for your support of West Point magazine! Miss an issue? You can always view past issues of West Point magazine online.

The West Point Society of Michigan and the West Point Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity (ODIEO) hosted the 8th Annual Leadership Ethics and Diversity in STEM (LEADS) workshop in Detroit on Friday, October 26. The daylong conference was supported by West Point cadets and Army ROTC cadets from Wayne State, Eastern Michigan University, and Michigan State University. LTG Darryl A. Williams ’83, 60th Superintendent, was the keynote speaker along with featured speaker Ron Hall ’91, CEO of Bridgewater Interiors. Support of the Diversity & Inclusion Endowment makes it possible for the Academy to provide workshops and the outreach, guidance, and resources needed to encourage and prepare minority cadet candidates who pursue studies in STEM to apply to West Point. Photos.

Rock the black and gold and party like a Black Knight at WPAOG’s exclusive pre Army-Navy game event! With special appearances by the Cadet Spirit Band, Rabble Rousers and Blackjack the Mascot, this party will be sure to get you fired up for the biggest game of the year! The ‘Beat Navy’ Tailgate will take place on Saturday, December 8, from 11:30am-2pm. View more details and register today.

Plan ahead for next Football season with our pre-order only Tommy Bahama Camp shirt. Available for a limited time from the WPAOG Gift Shop, this piece of Army fan gear will surely become a legend! Designed exclusively for West Point by Tommy Bahama, the shirt features all your favorite Army logos: Classic A, Kicking Mule, Athletic Shield, and a West Point pennant. Available for pre-order through December 31. Orders will arrive next summer. Don’t miss out on this one-time opportunity. Order online at WPAOGGiftShop.com or call 1.800.426.4725.

Reserve your space in the Summer 2019 West Point Authors Bookshelf, a special advertising section in West Point magazine showcasing books by West Point affiliated authors. Check out the West Point Bookshelf in the Summer 2018 issue to discover & support books written by fellow members of the Long Gray Line. Learn more about this and other WPAOG advertising and sponsorship opportunities.