White pot

From USAFA Folklore

The "white pot" is a helmet that has been painted white, and used by the Cadet Honor Guard in training its fourth class cadets. All of the other helmets worn by Honor Guard fourth class cadets are regular olive drab green, so the fourth class cadet with the white pot is singled out for special treatment by the Honor Guard cadre during the time that cadet has it.

A common spirit mission for non-honor guard cadets is to try to steal the white pot, and to put it in unusual or embarassing places.

[edit] Accounts

When I was a frosh, the athletes would get into Mitch's fairly late. Everyone else would have to sense to stay away from the athlete's feeding times. . .everyone but Honor Guard. Well, we would be in there at 8:30 or 9 and inevitably every frosh at every table would be at rest, except the Honor Guard's. They usually would get up to leave before us and do all their slapping of feet and grabbing of rifles. When they would walk by our tables we would wait until the White Pot approached and then as he passed each table every at it would scream "WHITE POT!!!!" and salute him and generally make a ruckus. Although it doesn't sound all that funny, you should have seen the HG upperclassmen! (e-mail, 4-25-1999)