He disobeyed orders to perform routine duties such as waxing and buffing the barracks floors. He showed up late. He didn't shine his shoes or fold his clothes. Each month, a Fork Union cadet starts with a surplus of 12 credits. Demerits are levied for misconduct, and when demerits exceed credits, punishment begins.
Demerits are easy to accumulate.
Abdoul Thiam, a junior from Queens, N.Y., said he was up to 129 at one point during his first year at the academy. Failure to shave brings three, an unexcused absence 10 and refusing to obey an order 25. What will get you suspended for a few days in public school will get you kicked out of Fork Union. It took Eddie George two months to get with the program. But when his mother visited him for the first time that October, Eddie was at the head of his platoon, carrying a flag.