More women than ever enter West Point

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Cadet Karyn Powell stands during midday formation at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. She is among 225 women in the class of 2011, the highest number of female cadets in a single class since women first came to the academy in 1976.


More women than ever enter West Point
By Michael Hill - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Oct 5, 2007 10:44:44 EDT

WEST POINT, N.Y. — Cadet Karyn Powell falls in with the guys at midday formation. Same gray uniform. Same straight-ahead stare. Same dressing down from the platoon sergeant for the plebes’ imperfectly kept rooms — except for the bit about long hairs in the sink.

“I understand you guys’ hair falls off,” he tells Powell and her roommate. “Clean it up.”

Powell is among 225 young women who joined the Long Gray Line this year for the Class of 2011. That is the highest number of female cadets in a single class since women first came to the U.S. Military Academy in 1976 and the highest proportion for any class: 17 percent.

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West Point has been spared the sort of high-profile sex scandal that hit the Air Force Academy earlier this decade. But a Pentagon task force in 2005 found that inappropriate treatment of women — including offensive comments, repeated and unwelcome propositions and offers to trade academic favors for sexual acts — persisted at West Point and the Naval Academy.

West Point officials say they have made a number of changes since then, including the institution of a confidential reporting system and annually bringing in women who were raped to speak to cadets. New cadets said they were made to memorize reporting procedures.

“Our awareness of the situation has grown in the last two years,” said Col. Jeanette McMahon, special assistant to the superintendent on human relations and a member of the class of 1983.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/10/ap_westpointwomen_071004/