My West Point son back at the Ranch for Spring Break

[OH58D]

Maybe a little something different for General Discussion. Last month in the middle of March, my 18 year old son was home for Spring Break from the US Military Academy at West Point, New York. This was a week before his 19th birthday. The M1A1 carbine he is holding was a project for him and I from last year. We sourced an unused, serial numbered General Motors Inland receiver with original folding stock, original wood, and various new or near new Inland parts. We sent it off to Fulton Armory and they assembled the thing with one of their Criterion barrels. The result is basically a new M1A1 which shoots like a dream. He is my middle child and second son. We still have a teenage daughter at home. It's hard to believe that in 3 years he'll be an Army 2nd Lieutenant.

He is going to commission as a Military Intelligence officer (most likely) but he will Branch Detail for three years or so Armor. He wants to get practical field experience. By the way, he's a foreign language prodigy; he speaks Spanish, German and Russian fluently, with correct accents and vocal inflections. Also, he's a certified rappelling instructor. I have included some photos below of him rappelling with a JROTC unit in Arizona off of a 170 foot cliff. He is the one rappelling on the left. The second photo show him waiting for the cadet to his right to catch up with him. His mother hates to watch him do this sort of thing. He has been slotted for Air Assault School at Fort Campbell this summer as part of Cadet Summer Training. I have asked him if he was interested in trying out for Ranger school, and he replied that on his monthly APFT, he's scoring between 290 to 295, which is not a perfect 300 or higher. He's says he's not good enough.