The United States Military Academy is not your average college. Because of this, dating someone that goes there is not your average college relationship. Dating a West Point Cadet is not always easy, but it is always an adventure.
1. Their rooms are cleaner than yours… when they have to be.
While college dorm rooms are notorious for dirty dishes and empty pizza boxes, room inspections are a regular at West Point. You quickly learned what a SAMI and MAMI are... and that they consist of your cadet and his roommates' pulling all-nighters to clean EVERYTHING. They know how to make up their bed and shine their shoes better than any house maid!
2. Acronyms
Another thing you pick up on very fast is that in the Army, there is an acronym for everything. From what they wear everyday: ACUs (Army Combat Uniforms), to the different Summer Training programs: CBT and CTLT (Cadet Basic Training and Cadet Troop Leader Training), the use of acronyms can seem to be a bit excessive. While everyday you might hear a new one, you know that it is another way that the Army is teaching them to become sharper and more efficient.
3. Military Time
"What time do you want me to pick you up for out date? 1700 or 1800?" This is something that all military relationships, not just West Pointers, can relate to... The summer before my cadet left for CBT (Cadet Basic Training), we switched both of our phones to military time and have never gone back! While at first military time seemed to be a bit of a pain, you quickly learn that it too is the most efficient way to tell time.
4. How valuable technology is.
You have to rely on technology such as FaceTime and Skype just to communicate. It can be hard to line up your schedules and find time to talk. Sometimes one waits around for the other because work at West Point seems to never slow down. But in the end, you are so, so thankful to be able to not only talk to your cadet, but to also see their face!
5. What "Flirtie Walk" is.
This is a definite West Point-Specific one! "Flirtation Walk" is a famous foot trail where Cadets have historically taken their dates. It has a scenic overview of the Hudson River and according to the Cadet Knowledge Book it is "a scenic walk where only cadets and their escorts may go." This trail dates back to the Revolutionary War and is a fun, romantic, adventure for you and your cadet to walk along while staying on post.
6. A football game is not just another college football game.
While a normal college football game would consist of fans tailgating around noon in anticipation for a 5 pm game, West Point Cadets are up at 6:00 am so that they can parade at 8 am and be in the stadium by 12 noon. They cannot sit at any point of the game and are required to go to every home game. As a plebe, every point scored equals not only excitement but also push-ups. The Army-Navy rivalry is also one of the biggest traditions in sports history and by far one of the most anticipated games of the season!
7. To look forward to PPW, YWW, 500th Night and 100th Night.
More acronyms, you say? These represent special nights for West Point dates because they are monumental days for each milestone in your cadet's career. The first is Plebe-Parent Weekend, which was my first time getting to see West Point our freshman year. The next, for Sophomores and their dates, is Yearling Winter Weekend. 500th Night is for "cows" (or Juniors) who are celebrating 500 days until graduation. Finally, 100th Night is the final culminating class event before graduation, marking the 100 day countdown until graduation. These nights are full of ball gowns, Full Dress, and numerous West Point traditions.
8. Graduation is more than just completing a 4 year degree.
At a normal college, graduation means getting a diploma and beginning the job search. At West Point, graduation is not only the day that you graduate from the school, but it is the day that they begin their career as a Second Lieutenant. Your cadet will complete the Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) and then will move to a base within a year of graduation. After this, they will be working for the Army for at least the next five years. The President or Vice President have been known to speak at their graduation, but it's really no big deal.
9. You always have a Facebook group full of people that are there for you when it gets hard!
There are numerous "West Point Support Groups" out there filled with girls all over the United States that, chances are, are missing their cadet just as much as you are! There are several groups to choose from depending on what stage of your Cadet's time at West Point you are in from their graduation year to the sport they participate in, there's a group for everything! These groups are there to encourage you as well as educated you on things you need to know about dating a West Point Cadet - of which there is a lot to learn!
10. Summers can be harder than the school year...
West Point Cadets usually get only a few weeks home so a majority of our summers are spent without them. This can be hard because summers are usually what college students look forward to the most.
But...
11. If you make it through this, you can make it through anything.
If you can make it through three summers without them, a long distance relationship like no other, and four years of your cadet "dating the West Point first," then you (and your cadet) can face just about anything that comes your way.
A special thanks to the ladies of the West Point Facebook group on their help with the photos! Check them out here!
