Video of West Point cadet using phone while walking goes viral
WEST POINT, N.Y. (WATE/AP) – A video of United States Military Academy’s graduating class is getting attention for the wrong reasons.
A video posted to West Point’s Facebook shows West Point cadets marching before Saturday’s graduation. At the 47-second mark, a female cadet looking down at a device the size and shape of a smartphone.
The video has already received over 549,000 views. Critics said playing on a phone while in formation shows a lack of discipline in respect. They also condemned cadets that were not wearing matching uniforms or marching in step.
“As a veteran, I want to know why are the cadets allowed to use cell phones while in formation? I am embarrassed for them and the new military standards. Obviously the uniform does not mean much to them,” said Shirley Smith.
Mark Browne added, “cadets on phones while marching, some cadets marching in platform heels, others sneakers, some with socks, others not. Great discipline. Is this the best and brightest future leadership of our military.”
Others defended the cadet saying playing on a smartphone while in the middle of a march is a small detail and should not downplay all of the hard work that went into graduating from the academy.
“This is a military academy, not some average university. Unfortunately a few bad apples spoiled the batch with this video,” said Cathy Geller.
Biden: Diverse military of women, gays strengthens US forces
Vice President Joe Biden told the U.S. Military Academy’s class of 2016 on Saturday that greater diversity, including more women and openly gay soldiers, will strengthen the country’s armed forces.
“Having men and women together in the battlefield is an incredible asset, particularly when they’re asked to lead teams in parts of the world with fundamentally different expectations and norms,” Biden said in his speech at a graduation ceremony at Michie Stadium on the West Point grounds along the Hudson River.
More than 950 cadets received their degrees and commissions as second lieutenants. Among them were the first seven women to be commissioned into combat divisions since combat restrictions for them were lifted.
The vice president saluted class president Eugene “E.J.” Coleman for publicly coming out as gay.
Before the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in 2010, “E.J. would have been discharged from the Army, and we would have lost an incredible talent,” he said. “Thanks for your courage, E.J., and I expect we’re going to hear big things from you, pal.”
Biden also warned the graduating class that it’s facing a vast range of complex challenges, including battling Islamic State extremists, containing outbreaks of contagious diseases and defending against cyberattacks.
“Whenever the stakes are highest, we turn to the United States Army,” he said. “Whether it’s fighting terrorism, training our partners, reassuring our allies or providing humanitarian relief, we call on you,” he said. “And right now, the stakes could not be higher.”
Biden singled out cyberattacks as a growing threat that could allow American enemies to knock out the nation’s power grid or disable satellite systems.
“The bad thing about advanced technology is that it gives immense powers to stateless actors,” Biden said.
He added: “You’ll need to dominate the cyber realm as you do the physical one.”
Biden also was West Point’s commencement speaker in 2012.