USMA COVID-19 Response AAR

Like many other civilian academic institutions and military training centers, the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), located in West Point, New York, was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic which also affected the entire world in the spring of 2020. The USMA staff quickly initiated planning to develop a response to COVID-19. Planning resulted in a campaign plan that focused on four major key tasks: return and reception of the graduating class of 2020, the graduation of the class of 2020, subsequent cadet summer training, and activities surrounding the reception of the new Plebe class in late summer. All planning needed to balance the immediate impact of health as a risk to force against the risk to mission of developing leaders of character. There were many lessons learned and best practices identified throughout the three months in which "Operation Resilient Knight" was developed and then transitioned into execution. Contained within this report are the key points identified during the Center for Army Lessons Learned collection, which was conducted on the Academy grounds. There are many points upon which to grow and improve. Additionally, many of these points may serve as waypoints for other educational institutions and training commands to imitate as they also chart a path to return to training amid the coronavirus threat.