Eisenhower entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1911 and graduated in 1915. He excelled at football for the army before suffering a knee injury. His knowledge of the game impressed the coaches, who asked him to coach the junior varsity team.

Eisenhower requested an overseas deployment, but did not receive it. Instead, he served as a training instructor at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, and a commander at Camp Colt, Pennsylvania, where he studied tank warfare.