Video Appears to Show West Point Cadet Texting During Graduation March

A video published to the Facebook page for the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 21, 2016, has gone viral after it appeared to show a cadet texting while marching to a graduation ceremony. As of Tuesday morning, the video has been shared nearly 6,000 times and viewed more than 600,000 times. Facebook users’ comments criticize the cadet for her lack of discipline while others point out other cadets’ lack of marching formation. In a statement to NBC, the academy’s spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker said, “Cadets have an individual responsibility for ensuring their appearance and actions reflect the highest level of military professionalism. While in formation or marching cadets may carry, but not use, a mobile device. The graduating cadet was marching from the barracks to the graduation ceremony and should not have been using a mobile device. This type of infraction is usually addressed by an on-the-spot-correction.”