Each weekday during the academic year (but not recently!), more than 4,000 cadets fall into formation, enter Washington Hall, eat lunch at more than 450 tables, and depart for class in about 25 minutes. Supporting this marvel of logistics behind the scenes, the Mess Hall crew starts preparing about nine hours in advance. Watch our one-minute time lapse video, and read the full story in the new Spring 2020 digital edition of West Point magazine. The print version is in production now--expect to find it in your mailbox by early May.

When CDT Hannah Schwartz ’20 left for spring break, it was supposed to be a weeklong break to Poland before she returned to USMA for her last two and a half months before graduation. Then, in the middle of the night, her parents called to let her know President Donald Trump had announced the U.S. was banning travel between America and Europe due to COVID-19. Her parents booked her a flight back to the Academy for the next day, but as soon as she landed, her plans changed again. Full story.

Despite the impact of the Coronavirus, the WPAOG Career Services team is still 100% operational and available to support your career transition needs. During this period of uncertainty, Career Services is offering to waive our refundable $150 enhanced service fee in the event of financial hardship. Our team has accepted the challenge to help everyone who would like to transition to a new job. The quarterly Service Academy Career Conference (SACC) is adapting to this new professional environment by going virtual on April 16-17! This is a great opportunity to meet with recruiters from 71 companies. More information.

As part of our vision to be the most connected alumni body in the world, WPAOG is activating a forum to help you stay connected during this time – Gripping Hands. Hosted on our new Sallyport platform, the Gripping Hands program can assist the Long Gray Line in the times of greatest need such as natural disasters, economic events, and the current global pandemic. You may also contact us at grippinghands@wpaog.org to volunteer or ask for assistance. Graduates who have not already activated their Sallyport account should log in using the email address you have on file with WPAOG and it will prompt you to set up a password. If you login with an address not matching our records, the Alumni Services staff will reach out to you for confirmation details prior to activating.

For Women's History Month, WPAOG produced a video salute to the women graduates of West Point. Since 1976, West Point women have continued to strengthen the legacy of the Long Gray Line. They have excelled as leaders of character as cadets, as officers in the military, as instructors, as leaders in business and government, and as West Point alumni leaders. Since the first women graduated with the Class of 1980, more than 5,100 women have graduated from West Point, prepared to proudly serve our nation and their communities. We thank them for their continued service.

Missing that feeling you can only get when you're at West Point? Try using these virtual backdrops that can change your location in an instant. Take a meeting at Trophy Point or chat with family and friends in the Mess Hall while you Skype or Zoom (Instead of that white wall behind your desk). Most of us are now communicating with our family, friends and co-workers on some kind of smart device. So change it up or just have some fun with these West Point images that you can download or save to your desktop and smart phone. Download backgrounds.

WPAOG received a heartwarming message in response to a recent birthday email. Robert Litchfield Jr. ’71 sent us some birthday reflections which attributed a large portion of his success and happiness in life to West Point. Litchfield said, “As I pause on my seventy-first birthday to look back upon my life, I wish there was some way that I could communicate to all West Pointers, past and future, how richly blessed my life has been, and how much of that richness includes the lessons that I learned at West Point.” We’d love nothing more than to help him share his message, as well as a great picture of him and his wife, Suzi! Full story.

The Army and Navy Club Library Trust’s most recent acquisition is a rare reproduction pastel portrait of Colonel Charles Young, Class of 1889, the third African American West Point graduate and first African American to be promoted to full Colonel. His inspiring career helped pave the way for African Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces. With the online collection and website, The Army and Navy Club Library Trust aims to widen the accessibility of its collections to scholars, students, military institutions, universities, and anyone with a personal interest in military art and history.

You’ve finished your spring cleaning. Now it’s time to spruce up your closet with the best Army West Point gear from the WPAOG Gift Shop. Our newest styles from Adidas will make the perfect addition. Whether you’ll be teeing off or enjoying a walk, these lightweight, textured pieces are sure to become a fast favorite! Order yours today at WPAOGGiftShop.com.

It’s been five years since the last Register was published, and we are preparing for the next edition of WPAOG’s oldest publication. This edition will be an indispensable treasury of military history, with individual entries recording the names, classes and careers of every West Point graduate from 1802 to the present. Your career biography should contain as a minimum your military assignments and decorations, and can also include your career after the military. You can help make this issue as up-to-date as possible – just login and update your Register entry at WestPointAOG.org/RegisterUpdate.

Looking for an activity to do while you’re home? The designer of the 2020 Army West Point Spirit Button will receive two free tickets to attend the GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY TAILGATE on December 12! All 1,500 attendees at the tailgate will receive the winner’s button. For instructions on the button design content, click here. Digital entries only.

Don’t worry, it’ll still be found in West Point magazine, but beginning this fall it will now appear in the Fall and Spring issues instead of Winter and Summer. This gives people time to consider your books for holiday gifts! Reserve your space in the Fall 2020 West Point Authors Bookshelf, a specially-priced advertising section in West Point magazine showcasing books by West Point affiliated authors. Check out the latest West Point Bookshelf in the Winter 2020 issue to discover and support these books. Learn more about this and other WPAOG advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

TAPS, the official memorial magazine of the Long Gray Line, contains the fascinating and inspiring life stories of West Point graduates. Advance orders for the 2020 edition may now be placed online. We are now accepting Memorial Articles for the 2021 edition. Guidance on submitting articles may be found online or by calling 845.446.1647.

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