West Point military competition tests future soldiers, in photos
May 7, 2026, 6:19 AM
A West Point cadet dons a gas mask while running through smoke during the crucible portion of the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Amid the Iran war, tensions with European allies in NATO and the Russia-Ukraine war, the United States Military Academy held its 59th Sandhurst Military Skills Competition. Across 36 hours, a mix of international and U.S. military cadet teams competed in a variety of skill-based competitions, based on the needs of the military. For the first time, cadets used video game controllers to simulate first-person view drone attacks, an exercise added due to the proliferation of drone warfare. The West Point black team won for the fourth year in a row.
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