List of United States Military Academy first captains in the context of "John J. Pershing"

Play Trivia Questions online!

or

Skip to study material about List of United States Military Academy first captains in the context of "John J. Pershing"

Ad spacer

⭐ Core Definition: List of United States Military Academy first captains

The Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy (USMA), at West Point, New York, is organized into a brigade. The senior ranking cadet, the brigade commander, is known traditionally as the first captain, a leadership position created in 1872. The first captain is responsible for the overall performance of the 4,400-strong Corps of Cadets, including the implementing of a class agenda and acting as a liaison between the corps and the administration.

The rigid screening process begins with the applications for enrollment being submitted to either Federal-level legislators, or to the president or vice president of the United States. Once enrolled at the academy, each student's performance is closely tracked through the first three years, at the end of which, the individual top-performing cadet is named first captain for the ensuing academic year. Among the notable historical figures who held that position were John J. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, and William Westmoreland.

↓ Menu

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<

In this Dossier

⭐ Core Definition: List of United States Military Academy first captains
List of United States Military Academy first captains in the context of Douglas MacArthur

List of United States Military Academy first captains in the context of Douglas MacArthur

Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army. He served with distinction in World War I; as chief of staff of the United States Army from 1930 to 1935; as Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area, from 1942 to 1945 during WWII; as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers overseeing the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951; and as head of the United Nations Command in the Korean War from 1950 to 1951. MacArthur was nominated for the Medal of Honor three times, and awarded it for his WWII service in the Philippines. He is one of only five people to hold the rank of General of the Army, and the only person to hold the rank of Field Marshal in the Philippine Army.

MacArthur, the son of Medal of Honor recipient Arthur MacArthur Jr., was raised on Army posts in the Old West. He was valedictorian of the West Texas Military Academy, and First Captain at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated first in his class in 1903. During the 1914 U.S. occupation of Veracruz, he conducted a reconnaissance mission for which he was nominated for the Medal of Honor. In 1917, he was promoted from major to colonel and became chief of staff of the 42nd (Rainbow) Division. On the Western Front during World War I, he rose to the rank of brigadier general, was again nominated for a Medal of Honor, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross twice and the Silver Star seven times. From 1919 to 1922, MacArthur served as Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, where he initiated a series of reforms. His next posting was in the Philippines, where in 1924 he was instrumental in quelling the Philippine Scout Mutiny. In 1925, MacArthur became the Army's youngest major general at the age of 45, and in 1930 was appointed Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. He was involved in the controversial expulsion of the Bonus Army protesters in Washington, D.C., in 1932, and organized the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1935, MacArthur was appointed Military Advisor to the Commonwealth of the Philippines. He retired from the Army in 1937, but continued as an advisor and as a Field Marshal in the Philippine Army from 1936.

↑ Return to Menu