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Department of civil and military engineering.

Department of natural and experimental philosophy.

Department of mathematics..

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Department of economics, government, and political history..

The library.

Annual physical examination of cadets.

Vacations and leaves of absence..

Promotion after graduation.

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Information Relative to the Appointment and Admission of Cadets to the United States Military Academy, West Point, N. Y.

[Communications relating to matters connected with the Military Academy should be addressed to The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C.]

THE MILITARY ACADEMY

1. The United States Military Academy is an institution established by the Government for the practical and theoretical training of young men for the military service. Its cadets are given a comprehensive and general education of collegiate grade and a sufficient basic military training to enable them to enter upon the duties of second lieutenant in any branch of the Army to which they may be individually assigned.

2. Direction and supervision of the Military Academy are vested by law in the War Department under such officer or officers as the Secretary of War may select, and, in accordance with this provision, the Chief of Staff has been designated as the officer in charge of all matters pertaining to the institution.

COURSE OF PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDATES

3. The candidate for a cadetship, assuming that he is unmarried and that at the time of his proposed entrance he will come within the prescribed age limits, must follow the steps outlined below. He must first obtain an appointment to a vacancy, existing or prospective. He must then demonstrate that he measures up to certain physical and educational standards. His physical fitness is determined by examination; his educational qualifications may be shown by examination or by the submission of certain prescribed certificates. If he be accepted, he reports at the academy on the first week day in July and, prior to admission, he is required to take the oath of allegiance and to subscribe to an engagement to serve the United States for a time subsequent to his graduation. (See par. 47.)

COURSE AS A CADET

4. Upon admission to the academy, he enters upon a four-year course of study and training. The academic year extends from September 1 to June 4, the greater part of the remainder of the year being spent in camp and devoted to military training. At the end of his second year at the academy he is granted a furlough of about 10 weeks, which, with the exception of a few days during Christmas week of his second, third, and fourth years, is the only extended vacation which he receives. During the time that he remains a cadet, he is paid at the rate of $1,072 per annum. Upon graduation he may be commissioned as a second lieutenant in one of the branches of the Army.

The points brought out briefly in the paragraphs above are explained in detail in the following pages.

STRENGTH OF THE CORPS OF CADETS

5. The maximum authorized strength of the Corps of Cadets, excepting four Filipinos, is 1,374, appointed in number and from sources as follows:

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180 from among the enlisted men of the Regular Army and of the National Guard, in number as nearly equal as practicable.

180

Total..

1,374

1 Of whom 2 are appointed upon the recommendation of the Vice President, 20 are selected from among the honor graduates of those educational institutions which have officers of the Regular Army detailed as professors of military science and tactics and which upon the determination of their relative standing at the last preceding annual inspection regularly made by the War Department were designated as "hono" military schools," and 40 are chosen from among the sons of veterans who were killed in action or di prior to July 2, 1921, of wounds received or disease contracted in line of duty during the World War.

FILIPINO CADETS

6. In addition to the 1,374 mentioned above, the Secretary of War is authorized to permit not exceeding four Filipinos, to be designated one for each class by the Governor General of the Philippine Islands, to receive instruction at the United States Military Academy: "Provided, That the Filipinos undergoing instruction shall receive the same pay, allowances, and emoluments as are authorized by law for cadets at the Military Academy appointed from the United States, to be paid out of the same appropriations: And provided further, That said Filipinos undergoing instruction, on graduation shall be eligible only to commissions in the Philippine Scouts. Revised Statutes, are modified in the case of Filipinos undergoing instruction, And the provisions of section 1321, so as to require them to engage to serve for eight years, unless sooner discharged, in the Philippine Scouts." (35 Stat. 441.)

APPOINTMENTS, HOW MADE

7. The numbers mentioned above represent the maximum allowed at the Military Academy at any one time from the respective sources; consequently, no appointment can be made from any source except to fill a vacancy therefrom. All appointments are made by the President and as follows:

From States at large and from congressional districts, upon the recommendations of the respective Senators and Representatives in Congress.

From the Territories, upon the recommendations of the respective Delegates in Congress.

From the District of Columbia, upon the recommendations of the commissioners thereof.

From Porto Rico, upon the recommendation of the Resident Commissioner. (Those cadets appointed from States at large, from congressional districts, from the Territories, from the District of Columbia, and from the island of Porto Rico, must, under the law, be actual residents thereof, respectively.)

From among the honor graduates of educational institutions designated as "honor military schools," upon the recommendations of the heads of the respective schools.

From among the enlisted men of the National Guard of the States and Territories, and of the island of Porto Rico, upon the recommendations of the respective governors thereof.

From among the enlisted men of the National Guard of the District of Columbia, upon the recommendation of the commanding general of the District Militia. From among the enlisted men of the Regular Army, upon the recommendations of the commanding generals of the respective corps areas and territorial departments.

Appointments from the United States at large (excepting those from "honor military schools," those chosen from among the sons of deceased World War veterans, and those appointed upon the recommendation of the Vice President) are made by the President upon his own selection, and as the result of a competitive examination, identical in every respect with the regular entrance examination.

SELECTION OF CANDIDATES

S. From States at large, congressional districts, and Territories.-The selection of candidates, by competitive examination or otherwise, for appointment from any State at large or congressional district, is entirely in the hands of the Senator or Representative in Congress who has the vacancy at his disposal, and all applications for appointment from those sources should be addressed to the proper Senator or Representative.

For each vacancy from a State at large, or congressional or Territorial district, three candidates should be nominated, one to be named as principal, one as first alternate, and one as second alternate. The first alternate, if qualified, will be admitted in the event of the failure of the principal; the second alternate, if qualified, will be admitted in the event of the failure of both the principal and the first alternate.

These candidates must, at date of admission, be between the ages of 17 and 22 years.

9. From "honor military schools."-Honor graduates of "honor military schools" are selected for appointment as cadets of the United States Military Academy in the following manner:

There is maintained in the office of The Adjutant General of the Army a roster of "honor military schools" as determined by annual War Department inspec

tions of educational institutions. At an early date in each year The Adjutant General of the Army will anticipate the vacancies in the Corps of Cadets which are open to honor graduates and will make an equitable distribution of those vacancies amongst the "honor military schools" and notify them accordingly. Each designated institution will at a specified time notify The Adjutant General of the Army of the name of the selected honor graduate from that year's graduating class.

An honor graduate of a selected institution will be appointed, without mental examination but subject to a satisfactory physical examination, a cadet of the United States Military Academy upon the certificate of the head of the institution that the appointee is the honor graduate of that institution. No student will be rated as honor graduate unless he has in his school work shown proficiency in subjects amounting to not less than the 14 units prescribed by the regulations for admission to the United States Military Academy. A certificate (Form II) will be forwarded to the adjutant of the academy when the appointment is made. (See par. 23.)

These candidates must, at date of admission, be between the ages of 17 and 22 years.

10. From among sons of deceased World War veterans.-An act of Congress approved June 8, 1926, authorized 40 cadets to be appointed by the President from among the sons of officers, soldiers, sailors, and marines of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps of the United States who were killed in action or died prior to July 2, 1921, of wounds or injuries received, or disease contracted in line of duty during the World War; one-half to be appointed from among the sons of officers and one-half from among the sons of warrant officers, soldiers, sailors, and marines.

Candidates appointed under this act must be between the ages of 17 and 22 years and meet the usual physical requirements, and will be required to undergo the regular entrance examination competitively, the vacancies available from this source being awarded to those physically qualified competitors who make the highest proficient ratings in the order of merit established by the examination mentioned. There is no restriction as to residence in the case of these appointees. No form is prescribed for making application, which should be by letter addressed to The Adjutant General of the Army, showing the full name, date of birth, and address of the applicant, and the name, rank, and organization of his father, together with a brief statement showing the time and cause of his death. If the father of the applicant was an enlisted man, his serial number should also be given.

11. From the National Guard. To be eligible for appointment from the National Guard, an applicant must be an enlisted man of a unit recognized by the Federal Government and must, at date of admission, be between the ages of 19 and 22 years and have served as an enlisted man in the guard not less than one year. It is not essential that the service shall have been continuous; therefore, former service in the guard may be counted in determining an applicant's eligibility. Similarly, service with a National Guard organization prior to its recognition by the Federal Government may be considered, the date of enlistment of the soldier governing, and not that of the recognition of the unit. Those applicants who contemplate enlisting in the National Guard for the purpose of being appointed to the Military Academy should do so early enough to enable them to acquire the year of service by the date of admission in the year during which they desire to enter.

For vacancies in the cadetships allotted to enlisted men of the National Guard, the candidates, not exceeding three for each vacancy, will be apportioned, in number as nearly equal as practicable, among the States, the Territories, the District of Columbia, and the island of Porto Rico, according to their enlisted strength. With the exception of the candidates from the District of Columbia, they will be selected by the governors from successful competitors in a PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION to be held between November 1 and November 15 of each year, such examination to be of a scope and nature similar to the regular examination for entrance to the United States Military Academy. The candidates from the National Guard of the District of Columbia will be similarly selected by the commanding general of the District of Columbia Militia.

Each candidate thus selected will be authorized by the War Department to report for the regular Military Academy entrance examination, which he must undergo in competition with the entire number of National Guard candidates, the available vacancies being awarded to those physically qualified candidates

the highest proficient averages in the order of merit established at the making last-mentioned examination, irrespective of the State, Territory, or District to which their organizations may belong. The selection being made throughout by competition, alternates can not be considered under any circumstances.

12. From the Regular Army.-To be eligible for appointment from the Regular Army, an applicant must be an enlisted man thereof, and must, at date of admis sion, be between the ages of 19 and 22 years, and have served as an enlisted man in the Army not less than one year. It is not essential that the service shall have been continuous; therefore, prior Army service may be counted in determining a soldier's eligibility. Those applicants who contemplate enlisting in the Army for the purpose of being appointed to the Military Academy should do so early enough to enable them to acquire the year of service by the date of admission in the year during which they desire to enter.

The candidates nominated for cadetships allotted to the enlisted men of the Regular Army shall not exceed three times the number of existing vacancies and shall be equitably distributed among the corps areas and territorial departments by the War Department. If the number of applicants in any corps ares or department exceeds the share allotted to it by the War Departinent, the candidates in such corps area or department will be chosen from the successful competitors in a PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION to be held in the several corps areas and territorial departments between December 1 and December 15, except that in the Philippine Department it is held between November 1 and November 15, such examination to be of a scope and nature similar to the regular examination for entrance to the United States Military Academy.

Each such candidate will be authorized to report for the regular Military Academy entrance examination, which he must undergo in competition with the entire number of Army candidates, the available vacancies being awarded to those physically qualified competitors making the highest proficient averages, in the order of merit established at the last-mentioned examination, without regard to the corps area or territorial department from which designated. The selection being made throughout by competition, alternates can not be considered under any circumstances.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS, HOW SHOWN

13. There are two methods of meeting the educational requirements for admission to the Military Academy, viz, by successfully passing the regular entrance examination, or by submitting a satisfactory educational certificate in lieu thereof. (See par. 23.)

ENTRANCE EXAMINATION, WHEN HELD

14. The regular Military Academy entrance examination is held beginning on the first Tuesday in March each year, only one such examination being scheduled annually. Each candidate (unless appointed from the Regular Army) designated to take that exmaination will receive from the War Department a letter of appointment, and he must appear for examination at the time and place designated therein, before a board of Army officers convened by the War Department. Enlisted men appointed from the Regular Army receive authority from their respective corps area or department commanders to report for examination, and must report at the time and place specified.

The Filipino candidates selected for appointment shall, unless otherwise notified by the War Department, appear for inental and physical examination on the second Tuesday in January of each year before a board of Army officers to be convened at such place in the Philippine Islands as the commanding general of the Philippine Department may designate.

ENTRANCE EXAMINATION, WHERE HELD

15. The board before which a candidate is directed to appear will be the one convened at the place nearest or mest convenient to his home or to the school at which he is in regular attendance.

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