European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Kristin Baker the first woman to be chosen first Captain of the United states military Academy at West Point reviews cadets during Parade rehearsal. In her new tote Baker oversees the lives of 4,400 cadets 90 percent of them men. A Salute to the Captain of the corps by Frank Fisher associated press of new first Captain of the u s military Academy s corps of cadets is an Eclectic in not a Renaissance woman. The lust Lemolo to teach thai tank in the history of the nation s oldest service Academy "1 had wanted to be a veterinarian Kristin Baker says then i wanted to to a doctor and i guess at one Point i wanted to he a stewardess " but. Instead she now oversees the lives of 4.400 cad cos 90 percent of Thorn men and Heads a stall of 40 Sho is also a Cross country skier who loves to dance a soccer player with a penchant Lor country and Rock music and an army brat who graduated irom the army s elite air assault school Baker a 5 -loot-4-Mch, 112-Pound senior Iron Burke now sports the same badges of rank that have adorned the uniforms of men like Douglas Macarthur and John Black Jack Pershing Bui she is determined to keep her boots dimly on the ground i have an office that s adjoined to my room now that s Ono of the benefits i guess so i have two places to study instead of  she says she was chosen on the basis of academic excellence athletic abilities and military skill demonstrated during the last three years. This summer As Baker drilled a crop of now cadets or plebes she was notified by Brig Gen Fred Gorden. The Academy s commandant that she d been picked i Don t know How i reacted to it Baker says i must be reacted kind of Lunny because he went you did want it did to you " surrounded by reporters and cameras soon after marching the plebes 13 Miles lion Lake Frederick Baker talks about the military with the same ease and frankness that Sho discusses her love for Tho music of Lee Greenwood and the cure i love to  Sho says. I tended in High school to listen to a lot of Punk Rock just kind of one of those things i still do  reactions by cadets to Baker s appointment were generally supportive but not uniformly so on some lips was the name Mike Thorson a senior from Onalaska wis., and a Sandoul defensive Back on the army football team. He apparently was Baker s chief rival for the Job. There were a couple of Guys that were higher than her. Much higher than her academically athletically and probably militarily but that s not the Only criteria they  says senior Bill Burke of Wilmington Del. As for Thorson to says we us knew he was up Lor it because of How Good he was. He s going to be a Rhodes scholar and everything he wanted to to the brigade commander to s a Good fiend of mine and i think he s a Lillo bit disappointed but hell do a Good pm working for Kristin " Junior Kara Soules of Ocala Fla says a lot of Guys Are like i can t believe a girl Gol in. She s nol qualified and she got it just because she s a girl 01 course there s a lot of Guys who Are going to be upset other female cadets can t understand Why so much attention is being paid to Baker s selection. Well it s just like any other person says Amor Pam porno of san Antonio. I mean if she we is As hard As a Guy. I Don l think there s any difference ,. I think women Are perfectly accepted Here. I Don t think it s that big a Deal she s just the brigade commander Lor a  Junior Lisa Buskirk of Perry iii., agrees there s been a lot of company commanders and platoon leaders that Are Lemale. That has l been a problem Al All it s just that brigade commander sounds so  Baker is sensitive to suggestions that it s really the cadets that matter to me most says Baker. Her achievement is but another Slop by the Academy to try to catch up with Iho 20lh Colury alter a Long pc nod of resisting change in August 19r7. Gorden became the full Bucklo to named commandant at West Point it s funny because everybody always talks about changing traditions at West  Baker says you Don t change tradition you enhance in the tradition at West Point is the excellence. Iho Honor. Iho Gray uniforms the things that happen because society changes Don t change the traditions they simply enhance the  women comprise 10 percent of the cadets at West Point. Academy officials say that s proportional to the number of women in the us army As a whole. As captains and colonels map out Baker s hectic schedule to make Lime Lor interviews photo sessions and television appearances she seems to be wondering what the Luss is All about i Don t think that your role As a Leader is based on sex Al All. Leadership is an individual  says Baker whose dual major is human factors engineering and psychology and whose Grade Point average is 3.36 because leadership is something that people have and in s irom inside  Baker admits that late May have played a role in making her competitive Lor the first Captain Job a rank other women have aspired to since they were first allowed to become cadets 13 years ago. Last year the Academy for the first Lime in recent memory gave the cows or juniors All the sergeant positions which Are usually reserved Lor seniors. Appointed a regimental command sergeant major Baker performed Well and she credits the visibility with putting her out in front  As she joins the Long Gray lineage of first captains that includes William Westmoreland Jonathan Wainwright and Pete Dawkins Baker ponders the challenging year ahead. I really Haven t developed a solid philosophy yet she says. I d really like to see the corps with a lot of spirit and stress that sense of Honor and integrity thai i think Are More the leadership qualities thai Are very important when you graduate from the  it was during a family vacation that Baker first was impressed by the Aura of the 187-year-old Academy overlooking the Hudson River. I came in and saw the uniforms and i saw the rooms and i kind of Gol drawn in by All the tradition that was wrapped up in West Point Sho says. Not a lot of cadets want to admit  her family moving irom South Carolina to Virginia when she was a senior in High school had a lot to do with her decision Baker who had been leaning toward attending the University of Virginia changed her mind alter the move because everybody i knew was going to the University of Virginia soil was t As exciting anymore As it was when i was in South  her father is a  army colonel and a 1966 graduate of West Point but she says that that did t make her automatically consider a military career. She thinks the Opportunity to help her fellow cadets would be the most rewarding part of her new Job in s really the cadets that matter to me most she says. Tuesday september 26, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 13