The Daily Beast reports that a United States Military Academy West Point football player, Brandon Jackson, violated the Honor Code by drinking alcohol after a football game because he was underage. Jackson was later involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident with a .12 blood alcohol level.
While Jackson's death was certainly tragic, it is absurd to suggest that underage drinking is a violation of the Honor Code.
West Point's Honor Code states, "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." I attended The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, which maintains a similar honor code. Our Honor Code states, "A cadet does not lie, cheat, or steal nor tolerate those who do." In both miliary colleges, it is an honor violation to lie, cheat, or steal. Drinking is not an honor violation.
You can get in trouble at either military college for violating rules. Drinking alcohol on campus? Maintaining a vehicle on campus as a freshman? Leaving campus without proper authority? Yes, these are all violations that have consequences, some of which might be quite serious. But an honor violation? No. These are not honor violations. These are rule violations, certainly, but they are not honor violations.
Ejekam's passenger, a 22-year-old Army specialist out of Fort Bragg, was also arrested for aiding and abetting Ejekam's drunk driving, according to Cumberland County. The Army cadet and soldier were transported to the Cumberland County Detention Center in North Carolina, where Ejekam was found ...“A cadet does not lie, cheat, or steal nor tolerate those who do.”
