By Erika Norton, WPAOG Senior Multimedia Journalist
West Point firsties celebrated Branch Night on December 4, where the Class of 2025 opened their envelopes to receive their U.S. Army branch assignments. Upon graduation, these cadets will be commissioned as Army officers and enter into one of 17 Army branches to which they were assigned.
Members of the Class of 1975, their 50-Year Affiliate Class, attended the event, with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III ’75 serving as the guest speaker. Members of the Class of 1975 also assisted in presenting firsties with their “first brass” branch insignia pins.
Austin shared some advice with the firstie class before the big reveal.
“In each and every branch, and in each and every mission, remember this: always take care of your people and always take care of your families,” Austin said. “That has been my north star and it will soon be yours.”
The Secretary of Defense shared with cadets that although they will leave the Academy in a few short months, their education is nowhere near close to being over. He encouraged them to learn from their NCOs, from their soldiers and from the allies and partners in their circle, because their mission will only grow more complex.
“Many institutions talk about values—at West Point, they are etched in stone,” Austin said. “In a few months, you will join the Long Gray Line and you will join the soldiers who have followed West Point’s values throughout America’s history. You will be leaders of consequence. You will be ready and together, we will thrive.”
Here is the breakdown of how many cadets were placed into each of the 17 branches:
- Infantry (IN): 228 (45 with Branch Detail)
- Armor (AR): 82 (18 with Branch Detail)
- Field Artillery (FA): 186 (23 with Branch Detail)
- Aviation (AV): 108
- Engineer (EN): 100
- Air Defense Artillery (AD): 72
- Military Intelligence (MI): 23
- Signal Corps (SC): 26
- Cyber (CY): 40
- Adjutant General (AG): 16
- Quartermaster (QM): 23
- Transportation Corps (TC): 19
- Ordnance Corps: 38 (22 of the 38 are Explosive Ordnance Disposal, 7 with Branch Detail)
- Military Police (MP): 12
- Medical Service (MS): 25
- Chemical Corps (CM): 27 (15 with Branch Detail)
- Finance Corps (FC): 3
