Michael Evans:Getting “To The Point”

The United States Military Academy at West Point. For visitors it is an impressive sight, situated on a high stone bluff overlooking the Hudson River about 50 miles north of New York City. For entering cadets it is awe inspiring. It is not just the history, or the imposing granite buildings, or even that fact that for most entering cadets this is their first ‘home away from home”. It is the responsibility of becoming part of “The Long Gray Line” that inspires these cadets and Beaufort’s own Michael Evans is no exception.
As an entering cadet in the class of 2012, Cadet Evans has started the journey of becoming an officer in the United States Army. “I always wanted to serve in the military, and I thought I might as well give it a shot and try and become an officer. It was either this or I was going to enlist,” he says. Motivated by love of country he says, “I can’t explain it. It is a gut feeling, when you know you are doing something right.”
West Point is the military academy for the United States Army and the students, always referred to as cadets, are actually officers-in training. They will graduate with a college degree and as commissioned Army officers, who are then required to serve five years of active duty and three years in the reserves. But first, they have to be accepted.

Admission

It is definitely not easy to get into “The Point”. “No it’s not!” agrees Cadet Evans. Good grades in high school and on the SAT are just the starting point. Unlike other institutions of higher learning, candidates must be between the ages of 17 to 23, unmarried and with no legal obligation to support a child in order to even to start the application process. Cadet Evans says, “In addition you have to have a good discipline record and no police record.”
Interested candidates must also get what is called a nomination, which is typically obtained from their local United States Senator or United States Representative. (Politics plays no role in this process and applicants do not need to have any personal history with their elected official.)” I got my nomination from Senator Joe Wilson, and Representative Shannon Erickson gave me an enormous amount of help” says Cadet Evans. “I really didn’t think I was going to make it (through the application process). When I got my nomination I felt better- I was a lot more confident about the outcome.”
He continues, “I also had to pass the CFA (Candidate Fitness Assessment) and a medical screening.” Only 12.75% of the applicants were accepted to the Class of 2012, for a total of 1292 entering cadets, making them the “best of the best”.

Beast Barracks

Entering cadets arrive in the summer to attend “Beast Barracks,” which as Cadet Evans says, “It transitions you to cadet .We didn’t get much sleep because it was a lot of field training to prepare you militarily and it did its job. Every summer we go through ‘basic schools,’ which are military training, not academic.” When asked if “beast” was hard to get through, Cadet Evans said, “It was valuable training, and actually the academic year is ten times harder.”

Cadet Life

“The Point” has its own rules and traditions that all cadets must follow. Every cadet will reside on campus for all four years and the entire cadet population eats breakfast and lunch together Monday through Friday. Time spent off campus is highly regulated. Cadet Evans says “It takes a while to get used to, having your free time restricted, but I get enough. When you do have free time you should be studying or working out. There is a saying here: You can have good grades, a social life, or sleep. Pick two of these options because you can’t have three. “
And don’t use the standard terms “freshman, sophomore” etc. At West Point entering cadets are in the fourth class, sophomores are in the third class, juniors are in the second class and seniors are in the first class. More informally they are known as plebes, yearlings, cows and firsties.
In addition to being graded on their academic performance, cadets are also evaluated on military leadership performance and their mandatory participation in one competitive sport every season.  Cadet Evans says, “We are graded according to the ratio of 60% academics, 30 % physical performance and 10% military skills. I am still deciding regarding my major, it’s between engineering and history. As far as sports goes, I played football and ran track in high school, and so right now my sport is flag football. “
As in any military academy, there are repercussions if the daily rules are broken, things such as being late to class, a less than polished appearance or having a messy room. After  warnings,  the consequences can escalate to  “punishment tours,” also known as  “walking the area” because the cadet will be given a certain amount of hours to be spent marching in the cadet barracks courtyard. When asked if he had incurred any punishment tours yet, Cadet Evans laughed and said,” Not yet! I seen them out there walking in the courtyard, and I imagine my time will come.”

Home

Cadet Evans was born in Charleston but raised in Beaufort. He credits the Reeves family for being a positive influence in his life. He says, “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. They were always there to help me out. With them I always had a place to stay and a hot meal. But most importantly, they have been good roles models and they have had a huge impact on my life.” When asked if the Reeves were his ‘home away from home,” Cadet Evans pauses and says, “No, the Reeves family, well they are just home.”
Cadet Evans says he has made many friends already, but he does miss his friends and the fishing back home in Beaufort. “And I miss the food!” he adds, “I miss sweet tea and shrimp and grits!”

Long Gray Line

Illustrious alumni are the norm at the academy, as many famous military leaders, two Presidents of the United States (Grant and Eisenhower), fifteen astronauts and seventy four Medal of Honor recipients have been graduates. Reflecting on the journey he has embarked upon, Cadet Evans says, “It is all worth it. To lead soldiers, to keep my country safe, it is a blessing.”