Cadets from the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2024 gathered at their respective branch locations to select their first Army duty station during the annual Post Night event on February 28, 2024 at West Point.
Post Night is conducted using a draft-style process based on the Cadet Order of Merit list, allowing cadets to select their duty station based on where they rank from highest to lowest on the OML. The OML, or class rank, is calculated as a combination of academic performance (55 percent), military leadership performance (30 percent), and physical fitness and athletic performance (15 percent).
“Post Night is an exciting tradition for our first-class cadets,” said LTC Andy Bryant, acting USMA Accessions chief and Field Artillery branch representative. “It represents one of the final and most significant steps toward the academy’s goal of developing leaders of character for our Soldiers every year.”
Leading up to Post Night, the Department of Military Instruction’s Accessions Division educates cadets about not just the available posts, but also the various unit types available to each branch.
Staff and faculty serve as mentors to the cadets across all branches as at least one member has served at each of the offered posts on Post Night.
“(Staff and faculty) play a very important role in educating cadets on the culture, mission and unit types so they can make informed decisions,” Bryant explained. “It’s important because a lieutenant’s first assignment is one of the most important developmental periods of their Army career.”
Watch all the excitement with the following branches:
