Tom Ricks is a Biased Fool

The Washington Post seems to love posting bad articles about us. First they broke the news about the "West Point suicides" and now Tom Ricks is calling for the closure of the service academies? While his claims are mostly accurate, they are twisted to show only what he wants the reader to know: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041603483.html?sub=AR

First he discusses the cost difference between West Point and ROTC. What he fails to include in his figures is that ROTC pays for more than just what is shown in the $130,000 he claims. When looking at figures for just the academics (which he did with ROTC) West Point, from what I have heard, is estimated at $180,000. What's more, ROTC programs vary from college to college. It is possible for ROTC to produce officers for less, but they also probably spend more on a good share of them.

Next he talks about West Pointers getting "community-college educations". USMA is ranked 6th in the nation overall and, I have heard, 1st for public colleges. But the education we receive is inferior? I beg to differ. He is right that most of our teachers do not have doctorates, but that says little about the quality of instruction. I would like to point out that the men and women who are teaching all have masters degrees, the department heads have doctorates and, oh yeah, our professors actually teach us. I have never been taught by an upper-classman about to graduate because the instructor is too busy doing research to be bothered with actually teaching. On the contrary, teachers are always available and more than willing to sit down one on one and help a struggling student. That doesn't mean there is a lack of research here, just that they are focussed on educating. There is constantly research going on in many fields and many of the research projects conducted by cadets are worthy of a doctorate degree in and of themselves. USMA provides a top-notch education.

Mr. Ricks' claim that three of the last six chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have indeed been officers produced by ROTC; however, 50% is pretty good when you consider that the service academies only produce 20% of the military's officers. Seems like we are pretty well represented to me. Oh, and by the way, if USMA graduates don't go very far in the Army then how come EVERY 5-Star General was from West Point? Something just isn't adding up here.

As far as being educated next to future doctors, lawyers, etc., nothing would change. Countless "old grads" have become lawyers and we send some graduates directly to medical school. Since most of our teaching staff is made up of graduates, there is really no point in claiming that we don't produce teachers. Congressmen? There are always graduates involved in politics. Many congressmen are produced by this fine institution as well as Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Having never been to the war college (you go there as a LT. Colonel before being promoted to Colonel) I can't really speak as to the quality of education that occurs there, but I can vouch for the quality of our senior officers. Meeting and greeting with foreign diplomats and officials is nothing new to them, they do not need to go to school to learn how to do it. Why don't you ask Gen. Petraeus about that Mr. Ricks? While you're at it, why don't you ask him about his under-graduate years at USMA before going to Princeton?

Tom Ricks may have reported on the military for ten years, but I would like to see him come to the Academy sometime and see what really goes on, he may be quite surprised.