West Point and the Naval Academy Exchange "Prisoners" for a Semester

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- In a few days, cadets from West Point and midshipmen from the Naval Academy will take over downtown Baltimore for the 117th Army Navy game.

Marcus Washington gives a low down on why West Point's cadets have been lingering around the Naval Academy all semester.

As much as they may like to, they're not stealing any plays for the game. This is all part of an exchange program where for one semester, a chosen few of midshipmen head to West Point and a few cadets head to the Naval Academy.

In a sea of midshipmen at the Naval Academy, you don't expect to see a group of West Point cadets. Especially the week of the Army Navy game.

"We wear out cadet uniforms while we're down here, so we look a little different from everybody else whose attending the Naval Academy and we get our fair share of funny looks," said Nicholas Curtin, a cadet sergeant at West Point.

"I was a little worried that I wouldn't get it, but I had set from plebe year that I was going to do it, so when I found out I selected, I was pretty excited," said Jadalaine Ferrer, another cadet sergeant at West Point.

It's an honor embraced by both the midshipmen and the cadets, but it also comes with pranks, especially during the week of the Army Navy game.

"They started off the week by stealing all my uniforms from my closet. They took everything West Point related out of my closet and basically replaced it with Navy uniforms," said Curtin.

And when it comes to the game on Saturday, the cadets, along with the midshipmen currently at West Point, will take to the field for what they call the "prisoner exchange."

"And after they exchange salute, we'll rotate sides and march behind our brigade commander, at which point when we turn and face the center, we will have a message ready for all the cadets in the stands, which we're not going to disclose at this moment," said cadet sergeant Aaron Schlenker.

A moment that will the beginning of a victory for one of the two teams.

For the past 14 years, Navy has won the game. Navy also holds both the lonest and most current winning streak with 14 wins in a row.

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