Supporting one's classmates

From USAFA Folklore

Supporting one's classmates is a central concept in the fourth class year. The basic concept is that if your classmate needs help, you provide it to the extent you can, while preserving your own integrity. As the fourth class year goes on, a class is expected to show greater degrees of class unity and support for each other. "Low intensity" or routine training, such as a uniform grade, normally does not require support from classmates. To put one's personal interest or comfort over supporting one's classmates is sometimes referred to as pimping or pimping over one's classmates.

Sometimes a fourth class cadet can lose the support of his classmates. Upperclass cadets may then team up to use all the cadet's time, causing his grades to suffer, ultimately causing him to leave the Academy. Fourth class cadets in a squadron may "give up" on a classmate if he demonstrates that he is unable or unwilling to meet standards or has other extremely negative traits. There simply comes a point at which the cadet's classmates get tired of all the extra negative attention and workload he creates.