Approximately 1,200 new cadets reached their final destination completing the 14-mile March Back from Camp Buckner to the front of the Superintendent’s house to conclude Cadet Basic Training on Aug. 12. The march ended a six-week journey of new beginnings, overcoming obstacles and attaining accomplishments that will lead them into a life of service and brotherhood.

The cadets of the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2028 have now completed their first major hurdle toward becoming leaders of character. Before the next 45 1/2 months take place to complete the trek, the new cadets had a chance to ponder that first-mile marker with how they assimilated to the academy through all the ups and downs of CBT, commonly known as “Beast.”

Class of 2028 Cadet John Nienhaus, who was a member of CBT’s honor company, Company C-1, reflected on his first summer at West Point that began with coming from rural Quad Cities, Illinois, to the banks of the Hudson River.

One of the biggest lessons Nienhaus said he learned this summer was being a follower, which began with getting his head shaved much like his classmates.

“You just have to realize your place sometimes and that’s a part of our development here – it develops us as a team,” Nienhaus explained. “As a group, we became a big team. We became a brotherhood, just like a second family. Through our trials and tribulations, all of our field work, all of our corrective actions, we did it all together, which is why it’s a brotherhood.”

As a direct admit from high school, everything was new from a military perspective to Nienhaus, and his ability to perform at a high level was startling to him.

“It’s really something I don’t have the words to describe, but I surprised myself,” he stated. “But I’d like to point out, my platoon, without their help or their support … I don’t think I would have been able to achieve what I did.”

Nienhaus believed his ability to adapt quickly was the biggest reason for his high performance and considers it one of his greater strengths.

“I adapted quickly to change and to the pressure, which I think I handled really well,” he said. He added that a weakness of his is patience, which he will continue to work on during his time at the academy.

Overall, as the challenges continued to accumulate throughout the summer, sometimes the doubts crept in on the ability to do the task at hand.

“Eventually, you look around and realize everybody else is thinking the same thing with doubting themselves,” Nienhaus articulated. “It really means a lot to have everybody in the same boat and knowing that everybody wants to push through the struggle.”

While the first week at the academy came with its toils and he felt “a little bit lost,” getting acclimated and adapting to the environment came with the help of his platoon mates and leaders.

“As a platoon, from the get-go, we were on top of things and we knew what we wanted to do,” Nienhaus said. “If one of us needed help, everybody was going to help. Again, I think I performed well because of them.”

As for the big moment of finishing March Back and CBT, when discussing it at the Victor Constant Ski Slope before the final mile-plus push to the end, he said it hadn’t really hit him yet.

“When I walk though those gates (at Washington Gate), it’s what all the cadre say that when you walk through those gates it is electric,” he said. “With everybody cheering you on, I think that’s when it’s really going to hit me. Walking in with the people I went through Beast with for the last six weeks, it means a lot.”

Class of 2028 Cadet Quinn Clark, CBT Company I-4, came to West Point having served in the Infantry for three years in the Army. The Jacksonville, Florida, native said he was “honored with the chance to help use my skills and expertise to help other cadets learn as they take their first steps in military training.”

Clark spoke highly about the teamwork of his platoon, but as he learned humility and putting himself in a followership role for his platoon leaders, he still tried to provide as much guidance with his military knowledge from being prior service.

“I really tried to take a lot of initiative when I could and get things done when I saw they needed to be done,” Clark explained. 

Even when he had his struggles, Clark always tried to maintain an outward show of confidence to his fellow company mates.

“I think it’s important to give that display of confidence to your teammates. It helps keep morale high,” Clark said. “I’m pretty critical of myself, and I do doubt myself at times thinking did I make the right decision (to come to West Point) – am I in the right place? I think by the end of CBT, I definitely know I’m in the right place.”

Clark said he always wanted to go the officer route, much like his parents who both served in the Army, but he wanted to be enlisted first, which he did.

“I feel super blessed that I’m able to be here at West Point now as this is that first big step toward being an officer and being a member of the Long Gray Line,” he said. “It feels rewarding having made it through these six weeks with all my squad mates, company mates and getting one step closer to that goal.”

A local area cadet, Class of 2028 Cadet Alexandra Coffey, from Kingston, New York, and Kingston High School learned a lot about herself during the summer in persevering through the difficult times of Beast.

“During those difficult times, I learned how to rely on those around me and work together as a group to motivate each other to get through it, especially with rucking for me because it was something I wasn’t used to with the weight on my back,” Coffey explained. “Having everybody around me to push me helped and then having the mental toughness with that encouragement helped keep me going.”

From the initial transition from civilian to cadet, which was her biggest obstacle, she said “it’s definitely rewarding to see my own development.”

Then it was the shared experience with her company mates that made it more special in her mind.

“Everyone around me went through the same thing … we grew together, and we’re all bonded now,” she stated. “But for me, in the beginning, it was a struggle, so making it to the end feels like a big accomplishment.”

Now that the academic year will begin next week following Acceptance Day on Aug. 17, Coffey is peering toward the road ahead as her cadet career officially begins.

“I’m looking forward to all the opportunities that are available here to grow, whether it’s physically, academically or the military stuff,” Coffey concluded. “It’s about discovering myself and what I want to do with my major and all that West Point has to offer.”

To see photos of March Back, visit Class of 2028 March Back | Flickr.