Beyond the Point(128)
What I didn’t know was what West Point was really like. Unfortunately for me, I went for a candidate visit during April of my senior year of high school, after the plebes had been recognized, so I didn’t see any of the yelling or the intense moments to come. I saw springtime and the Hudson and smiling cadets leisurely walking to class on a Friday afternoon. It was really kind of nice. The plebe girls I stayed with helped each other iron their uniforms and chatted about the upperclassmen while they shined their shoes. It seemed all right. I think those memories helped me get through my own plebe year. I knew what was on the other side of recognition. (By the way, I think my mom stayed with your family that visit, and a few times after I went to West Point. We are very grateful for your family’s hospitality!)
Kristin dodges the “Ring Poop.” After receiving their class rings, juniors (cows) have to dodge plebes on their way back to the barracks to sign out for the weekend. Plebes surround them and shout, “Oh my god, ma’am! What a beautiful ring! What a crass mass of brass and glass! What a bold mold of rolled gold! What a cool jewel you got from your school! See how it sparkles and shines? It must have cost you a fortune! Please ma’am, may I touch it? May I touch it please, ma’am?”
Courtesy of Kristin Gatti
(2) Did anyone try to discourage you from your decision to attend West Point?
Mandy:
I remember vividly being interviewed by one of South Carolina’s senators, and at the end of my interview he said, “I would recommend you pursue becoming a pharmaceutical sales person.” At the time, I was pretty offended and wanted to say, “I appreciate your input, but I am here because I want to go to West Point. I am not seeking career guidance.” I felt like I was not taken seriously because I was a female.
Mandy arrives at West Point for R-Day.
Courtesy of Mandy Psiaki
(3) Do you have any memories about a time in your childhood when you realized that you had a different gear than the other kids around you? Over the course of your life, how have you felt about your confidence, and what have you done to enhance or subdue it?
Charlsey:
I was raised in a very positive-thinking family. My parents always looked on the bright side, so negativity rarely crossed my mind back then. I was a multi-sport athlete, and I think that really built my confidence. I was also kind of a “comeback kid.” My dad was in prison from when I was born to when I was about six, facing serious drug charges, so doing well in school, earning a spot on the team, and making good grades were all a part of my story as the comeback kid. I had an amazing stepdad, stepbrothers, and several other family [members, and] friends and teachers who encouraged me and helped me make a path to success. My confidence has almost always resided in the idea that I can do anything with Christ. And I’ve also always felt that if I made it this far coming from so little, what can stop me now?
Charlsey loading a mortar round during Cadet Basic Training, summer 2000.
Courtesy of Charlsey Mahle
(4) Many women have shared that while at West Point or in the Army they felt pressure to prove themselves physically in order to gain the respect of their male peers. In your experience, is that true?
Kristin:
The male condescension at West Point was kind of a shock to me. As we worked to solve problems in Beast or Buckner, if a woman came up up with an idea, it was rarely accepted by the men. I came into this world fighting, so it was really hard for me to shut up. I was 5’1”, blond, maybe 105 pounds—when I would run my mouth about a better way to do something, I got the eye rolls and sarcasm from the men. Maybe I deserved it, but I can’t help but think if I had looked different, I would have been taken seriously.
Kristin’s cadet portrait, 2003.
Courtesy of Kristin Gatti
Charlsey:
Oh that’s absolutely true. I feel somewhat traumatized from the pressure to be thin and super fit at West Point. The Army wasn’t quite so bad in that regard—there’s more grace there, but not at West Point. The name calling and degrading of women at West Point really makes women want to be fit and not “one of those” kinds of female cadets (unathletic, out of shape, a disappointment). I suppose in the end the pressure from the men helped me cross the finish line. I never wanted to be known as a girl that couldn’t hack it, so I pushed myself no matter what, so no man would ever see me fail.
Charlsey with her Beast squad, Cadet Basic Training, 2000.
Courtesy of Charlsey Mahle
(5) What are some of the rules and standards you remember hating about West Point that make you laugh now? In what ways did you and your friends get around the rules to have fun?
Mandy:
There are almost too many to name. I remember hating the fact that I was supposed to wear my hair in a perfect bun. When I went on a run I had to wear all cadet-issued clothing including the gloves and hat, even though they were bulky and not effective at keeping you warm. I also hated the fact that we had to leave the door to our room open during morning inspection, even if we were trying to study to prepare for a test. Additionally, as a female you never had an opportunity to pick your roommate because there were so few women in your class in each company, so you were generally assigned whoever was available.
I often broke the rules on cold-weather gear when working out on my own time. And we were only allowed to have a small amount of civilian clothes, so instead of keeping them in the barracks I left them in the volleyball locker room where I would not get caught. One of the things I liked to do when approached by an officer about something I was wearing or doing that was not aligned with cadet standards was say, “Sir/Ma’am, can you repeat that?” I always thought if they had to repeat themselves they may realize how dumb they sounded when confronting me.