MONROE - When Chad Plenge arrived at the United States Military Academy at West Point he was impressed by the history all around him.
"Everywhere you go you see plaques dedicated to people," he said. "Everywhere you go there is so much history."
Plenge, a 2007 Mon-roe High School graduate, entered the academy July 2 to start his first year.
He was impressed with the fact that so many graduates went on to shape the history of the United States. Academy graduates include Robert E. Lee, Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur.
Even the cemetery at West Point includes famous military leaders, such as Gen. George A. Custer.
"It reminds you of what your job is," Plenge said.
From his first day at the Academy, Plenge knew he would be challenged.
"The first day you don't know what to expect. It's a huge blur," he smiled. "There are people yelling at you and you try to remember where you're supposed to go. It goes by really fast."
For the first few months the new cadets, or Plebes, suffer through hazing by the upperclassmen.
"You know they're going to make you do a lot of sit-ups and push-ups," Plenge said. "You have to laugh at the little things."
Laughing off the little things helped Plenge and his two roommates get through their first inspection. After their first six weeks at West Point, all of the first-year cadets have a room inspection. A fly made Plenge and his roommates fail the inspection.
"We cleaned for 15 hours to make sure everything was clean," he said.
Wherever dust could gather they cleaned. Everything in the room, from the lock on the door to the room's smoke detector was fair game for the inspectors.
Everything looked good until the inspectors saw a fly.
"They asked us who it belonged to," Plenge laughed. "They said it must have followed one of us from home and so it belonged to us."
Plenge said the inspectors told them it was an unauthorized pet and that they must have taken food from the dining hall to feed it.
"We failed the inspection," he said with a grin.
A Plebe's first year at West Point is filled with military training and in-class work. Plenge said he's awake by 6 a.m. and in class by 7:30 a.m. Classroom instruction lasts for several hours every day and then he spends a few hours doing homework.
"Six hours of sleep a night is pretty good," he said.
It's also the first-year cadets' responsibility to wake the upperclassmen so "we have to get up earlier," he said.
What makes it bearable is the fact all of the first-year cadets are in the same situation.
"Everyone around you is going through the same thing," he said. "You develop strong bonds with your classmates."
The second year gets a little easier but there is still military training and instruction work ahead of him. Plenge knows the remaining three years will be difficult.
But it's worth it, he added.
After Plenge graduates he will be commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army; he's going to be responsible for the people under him. What Plenge learns from his four years at West Point will make him a leader.
"I don't ever want to have to write someone's parents and tell them their son is dead because I didn't pay attention or take my duties seriously," Plenge said.
"Everywhere you go you see plaques dedicated to people," he said. "Everywhere you go there is so much history."
Plenge, a 2007 Mon-roe High School graduate, entered the academy July 2 to start his first year.
He was impressed with the fact that so many graduates went on to shape the history of the United States. Academy graduates include Robert E. Lee, Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur.
Even the cemetery at West Point includes famous military leaders, such as Gen. George A. Custer.
"It reminds you of what your job is," Plenge said.
From his first day at the Academy, Plenge knew he would be challenged.
"The first day you don't know what to expect. It's a huge blur," he smiled. "There are people yelling at you and you try to remember where you're supposed to go. It goes by really fast."
For the first few months the new cadets, or Plebes, suffer through hazing by the upperclassmen.
"You know they're going to make you do a lot of sit-ups and push-ups," Plenge said. "You have to laugh at the little things."
Laughing off the little things helped Plenge and his two roommates get through their first inspection. After their first six weeks at West Point, all of the first-year cadets have a room inspection. A fly made Plenge and his roommates fail the inspection.
"We cleaned for 15 hours to make sure everything was clean," he said.
Wherever dust could gather they cleaned. Everything in the room, from the lock on the door to the room's smoke detector was fair game for the inspectors.
Everything looked good until the inspectors saw a fly.
"They asked us who it belonged to," Plenge laughed. "They said it must have followed one of us from home and so it belonged to us."
Plenge said the inspectors told them it was an unauthorized pet and that they must have taken food from the dining hall to feed it.
"We failed the inspection," he said with a grin.
A Plebe's first year at West Point is filled with military training and in-class work. Plenge said he's awake by 6 a.m. and in class by 7:30 a.m. Classroom instruction lasts for several hours every day and then he spends a few hours doing homework.
"Six hours of sleep a night is pretty good," he said.
It's also the first-year cadets' responsibility to wake the upperclassmen so "we have to get up earlier," he said.
What makes it bearable is the fact all of the first-year cadets are in the same situation.
"Everyone around you is going through the same thing," he said. "You develop strong bonds with your classmates."
The second year gets a little easier but there is still military training and instruction work ahead of him. Plenge knows the remaining three years will be difficult.
But it's worth it, he added.
After Plenge graduates he will be commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army; he's going to be responsible for the people under him. What Plenge learns from his four years at West Point will make him a leader.
"I don't ever want to have to write someone's parents and tell them their son is dead because I didn't pay attention or take my duties seriously," Plenge said.