“Progression Not Perfection”: Striving For Continual Growth At West Point

Morgan Ammons was a military brat growing up and lived in a variety of places. Her father had been in the Navy, but transitioned to the Army, and her mother worked as a payroll supervisor. As they moved, Morgan’s mother ensured that she, her sister Dylan, and brother James all learned about the state they were currently residing in to give them a stronger sense of community. In high school, Morgan participated in Junior ROTC, first Navy JROTC and then Army JROTC. That experience prompted her to apply for West Point’s Summer Leaders Experience, which in turn led to her applying to West Point. After a year at the Prep School, she entered the Military Academy. She felt that she knew what to expect on R-Day, but Beast Barracks became tougher after the third week, and a hip injury limited the training she could accomplish. When academics started, she struggled with the Thayer method. She selected Applied Psychology as a major and Counter Terrorism as a minor. She did well militarily, holding three different Platoon Sergeant positions, and serving in the Brigade S1 shop while completing Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT) in 3d ACR at Fort Hood. She also served as the Cadet Basic Training Regimental S1 during the summer of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in five separate R-Days as part of the COVID mitigation strategy. She is also a member of the Color Guard and the West Point bowling team. She branched Adjutant General based on her experiences in CTLT, as well as her father’s experiences as a 42A NCO in the Army. In this interview, she talks about her childhood and her West Point experiences. She explains how she and her family navigated the quarantine period during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how she valued the time at home. She describes being the “Cadet in the Red Sash” when her sister Dylan reported. She discusses the advice she gave to her sister and brother when they decided to attend West Point. Finally, she reflects on what West Point means to her.