For cadets, Branch Night signifies the end of the Department of Military Instruction’s Branch Education and Mentorship Program.

To commemorate the moment, officials at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point held their Branch Night ceremony on Wednesday.

Cheers, hugs, and high-fives were contagious as the cadets opened their envelopes and learned which branch of the U.S. Army they were accepted into. For the cadets, it's one of their first steps as officers in the U.S. Army. 

"This has been 41 months in the making. All of their hard work, all of the training that they've done to prepare them to go out and lead soldiers in the Army," said Maj. Jared Sunsdahl, USMA Chief Of Accessions Division. 

Retired Major General Bob Ivany was in attendance to speak to the cadets and honor the 50th anniversary of his 1969 class.