During his superintendency, the first women cadets started at the academy: on 26 June 1976, 157 women entered, of whom 97 would eventually graduate in 1980.

"This is not about segregating women from men," said Representative Wilson, who graduated in the very first class of women cadets at the academy in 1980.

Sáenz Ryan was a member of only the third class to include women cadets at West Point.

In 1983 the academy had very few women cadets, and the incorporation of women into police ranks was at an experimental stage.

Be that as it may, the last two state-supported military schools that refuse to admit women cadets are fighting a rearguard action for their cause.

Mr. Hefley said the problem had been caused by a culture that is hostile toward women cadets, not by any officials.

Within a short range of this operation, in the same forest, the state forest department runs an NCC camp for women cadets.

Special counseling courses enabled the ATOs to help women cadets with potential personal problems.

The women cadets do not compete with the men, but compete only against each other for designated female quota slots.

The number of women cadets is widely presumed to remain small in years to come as well.