West Point Magazine Fall 2023 by WestPointAOG

FALL 2023

In This Issue: How the World Sees West Point The Superintendent’s Intellectual Theme CLDT Preps Cadets for Peer Adversary

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A Publication of the West Point Association of Graduates

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WEST POINT | FALL 2023

VOLUME 13, ISSUE 4 • FALL 2023

The mission of West Point magazine is to tell the West Point story and strengthen the grip of the Long Gray Line. PUBLISHER

West Point Association of Graduates Mark D. Bieger ’91 Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired) President & CEO A position generously endowed by the Honorable & Mrs. Robert A. McDonald ’75

IN THIS ISSUE |

How the World Sees West Point The Superintendent’s Intellectual Theme CLDT Preps Cadets for Peer Adversary

6 Promoting the Brand, Protecting the Brand

The West Point Office of Public Affairs and Communication plays a vital role in shaping how the nation and the world see West Point.

12 Introducing West Point’s Annual Intellectual Theme:

“Innovation, Technology & The Future of National Defense”

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Jaye Donaldson | editor@wpaog.org MANAGING EDITOR

Keith J. Hamel

EDITORIAL ADVISORY GROUP

Patrick Ortland ’82 Terence Sinkfield ’99 Samantha Soper CREATIVE DIRECTOR/DESIGN

Marguerite Smith

18 Through Rival Eyes: The Service Academy Exchange Program

Just what do midshipmen, Air Force cadets, and Coast Guard cadets think of West Point? (Hint: It’s a great deal of mutual respect.)

24 The Long International Gray Line 32 COVER STORY CLDT: Still Leadership and Tactics (only more!)

CONTENT

CLDT, the pinnacle of Cadet Summer Training, has pivoted to preparing future second lieutenants for combat against a peer adversary.

Keith Hamel Erika Norton ADVERTISING

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West Point Association of Graduates ATTN: Data Services Team 698 Mills Road, West Point, NY 10996-1607 845.446.1644 | address@wpaog.org MEMORIAL ARTICLE MANAGER

Marilee Meyer HON ’55, ’56, ’62, and ’66 845.446.1545 | memorials@wpaog.org WPAOG programs, including communications, made possible by William D. Mounger, Class of 1948. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policy, or attitude of the U.S. Army, United States Military Academy, West Point Association of Graduates, its officers, or the editorial staff. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Army, United States Military Academy, West Point Association of Graduates, its officers, or the editorial staff for the products or services advertised. POSTMASTER West Point is published quarterly in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Send address changes to: West Point magazine, West Point Association of Graduates, 698 Mills Road, West Point, NY 10996-1607.

38 Future Partnerships from Today’s Relationships

Exchange cadets from several partner nations offer insight into how the world sees West Point.

43 New Department: Class “Quotes”

Learn about updates in grad’s lives as they answer what location comes to mind when they think of West Point.

45 2023 Thayer Award:

The Honorable Elizabeth Dole

52 Sports Performance Program

DEPARTMENTS 3 From the President 4 From the Superintendent 16 Gripping Hands 30 Poster: CLDT Air Assault 47 WPAOG News 50 West Point Authors Bookshelf 58 Be Thou at Peace 59 Past in Review

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West Point is printed by Sheridan NH. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions may be ordered for $25 (domestic mail) online at WestPointAOG.org; by calling 800.BE.A.GRAD; or by sending a check to WPAOG, West Point magazine, 698 Mills Road, West Point, NY 10996-1607. ON THE COVER: A 2023 CLDT cadet from 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, pulls security. Photo: Erika Norton/WPAOG.

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From Your West Point Association of Graduates Send your thoughts about West Point magazine to editor@wpaog.org or @WPAOG on Twitter (X). View the online version of this magazine at WestPointAOG.org/wpmag Highlights and videos may be found on WPAOG Social Media.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Upon my recent return to West Point and arrival at WPAOG, I was struck with two, very clear observations. First, the pace remains incredibly fast. In just one week, the Academy completed summer field training, conducted March Back (joined by 308 members of the Long Gray Line), completed Reorganization Week, and concluded with the Acceptance Day Parade for the Class of 2027 and Affirmation for the Class of 2025, joined by their 50-Year Affiliation Class, the Class of 1975. Simultaneously, WPAOG hosted the Leaders Conference (sponsored by the Class of 1967), gathering society, class, and parent group leadership from across the country, and our Board of Directors convened with ample time to engage with those guests. Second, the Corps of Cadets are exceptional by every measure. They are strong, confident, respectful, energetic and motivated. They come from every part of our great nation and the world and are here for one purpose: to become the very best leaders of character for our Army and their future soldiers. WPAOG’s Vision is for the Long Gray Line to be the most highly connected alumni body in the world. In many ways, it’s animating the words of “The Corps”: ensuring that the last one of us “feels to the marrow” the grip of the Long Gray Line’s “far off hold.” Our Vision drives our Association to help graduates not only feel connected but know they are—to the Academy and to each other, no matter where they may be in the world or at what stage of life.

The Long Gray Line evolves every year, if not every day. As I compose this letter in mid-August, there are 55,837 living graduates. The mid-point of the Long Gray Line currently resides in the Class of 1995, and COL Herbert Stern ’41, a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, is our oldest living graduate. The living Long Gray Line is made up of 49,793 men and 6,044 women, more than 825 of whom have attained the rank of general officer. No matter a graduate’s age, location, military status or other demarcating category, WPAOG seeks to connect him or her to the Academy and to other members of the Long Gray Line, and we’ve rolled out several programs and services to do so. For those looking to return to West Point or to connect with other graduates, we offer several services to enable those experiences, with a focus centered on the graduate. For all of WPAOG’s Alumni Support services, check out the “Connections” and “Services” tabs at WestPointAOG.org and please do reach out to a member of our talented team to learn more. In closing, I’m honored to be a part of an organization with such great purpose. WPAOG has a team of professionals, dedicated and committed, and we’re very proud to serve West Point and the Long Gray Line. We’re focused on meaningful connections, with each other and with our Rockbound Highland Home. We hope this issue provides a reflection of those connections and the opportunities to “Grip Hands.” As always, please send your thoughts, recommendations, and suggestions on how we can do better, for one another and for our Academy. I hope to see you at the Six String Grill & Stage in Foxborough, MA for the 2023 Army-Navy Tailgate; we will loudly and proudly shout “GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY!” Grip Hands,

ST POINT Mark D. Bieger '91 WE Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired) President & CEO AT A position generously endowed by IO N OF G R AD the Honorable & Mrs. Robert A. McDonald ’75

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

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The recent Grad March Back exemplified this Vision for me. At about mile 4 (as driving rain began to let up), I happened to fall in behind an Old Grad and new cadet. The Old Grad was quietly and confidently describing what to expect during Reorgy Week, Acceptance Day, and the early part of the academic year. His words and tone were those of a father talking to his son, as many parents were walking with their son or daughter. After about half a mile, I discovered it wasn’t a father and son but an Old Grad (Class of ’82) and new cadet that had just met on the march. The counsel he passed carried the wisdom and experience of the Long Gray Line. Honestly, I wish

I could have received those words from an Old Grad on my March Back many years ago. It would have put the chaos that followed into some perspective.

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Dear Fellow Graduates:

FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

Long Gray Line Teammates: When I returned last summer as the new Superintendent, I likened West Point to a fast-moving train that most of us jump on and try to hang on. Now, a year later, I’ve come to appreciate not only how apt a description that truly is but also that the train never slows down (except, perhaps, for a once-in-a-century rainstorm). As you read this, we are well into the fall semester, after a fast, furious, and rewarding summer of military training, capped off by the tough, motivated cadets of the new Class of 2027 (“Earned, Not Given”) completing Cadet Basic Training. Additionally, the Corps enhanced their intellectual skills through more than 330 Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) projects in the United States and 39 countries.

overall leader development experience. They allow cadets to engage with peers from around the world, learning about their language and cultures, as well as forging trust and building relationships with those they will one day work alongside in future global operating environments. Engagements such as the Foreign Academy Exchange Program, semester exchanges, cultural immersion AIADs, and the annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition are all opportunities for mutual learning and building relationships with both their future counterparts and current international leaders. For example, this year’s Sandhurst Competition included a conference named for the Class of 1999 that focused on coalition operations and interoperability and featured virtual remarks by the commander of Ukrainian Ground Forces.

This Academy’s intellectual theme this year is Innovation, Technology & the Future of National Defense, an important theme as we develop critical thinkers and innovative leaders for the Army of 2030 and beyond. Our Dean, BG Shane Reeves ’96, and I discuss the importance of innovation in more detail later in this issue.

Most importantly, educating, training, and inspiring international cadets here affords us opportunity to develop future international leaders of character in a values- and standards-based environment that sows the seed of interoperability for future generations. Developing leaders who live honorably, lead honorably, and demonstrate excellence is what we do at the United States Military Academy, and that emphasis on character is something many of our partners seek to emulate.

This year, we have another outstanding team of proven leaders of character leading the Corps: First Captain Martayn Van de Wall, from West Friendship, MD; Deputy Brigade Commander Isabella Sullivan from San Antonio, TX; Brigade Command Sergeant Major Wil Tearman from Franklin, IN; and Brigade Executive Officer Calvin Lu from San Antonio, TX.

We are pleased to welcome COL (R) Mark Bieger ’91 and his wife, Amy, back to the USMA Team. Mark is WPAOG’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. He is a phenomenal leader with decades of experience with the Army and in higher education. We are excited to have Mark and Amy back at West Point and know they’ll do great things for WPAOG, the Academy, and the Long Gray Line.

My thanks to all of you, especially our 50-Year Affiliation classes, for gripping hands with and inspiring the Corps throughout the summer and during class milestone events in August.

On behalf of the USMA Team and the Long Gray Line, congratulations and thank you to GEN (R) James McConville ’81 for his 42 years of selfless service to our nation and his leadership as the 40th Chief of Staff of the Army. We wish him and his family all the best in their future endeavors.

Among the 1,237 plebes who recently joined the Corps are 14 international cadets hailing from 12 nations, from Poland and Malaysia to Slovenia and Lesotho. Since 1889, with Guatemala’s Antonio Barrios, more than 550 international cadets have graduated from USMA and have gone on to serve as leaders in their respective nations. Partnerships and alliances have been critical to American success throughout our history and are just as vital today to both our national and international security. To that end, USMA’s international programs are an important part of the

Thank you for your continued support to our Academy, the Corps of Cadets, and the Long Gray Line. We look forward to welcoming you back this fall for football, class reunions, and other USMA events. Go Army! Steven W. Gilland ’90 Lieutenant General, U.S. Army 61st Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy

To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army. —USMA’s Mission 4

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The media, as with most things, plays a large role in how the nation and the world view West Point.

ost people learn about the mission of the United States Military Academy and what’s happening around Post via the media, especially social media nowadays. Yet, the media does not have unfettered access to cadets, faculty, and leadership nor the grounds of West Point. To receive the access needed to play their role in shaping the public’s view of the Academy, the media—everything from local newspapers to national cable programming—must first receive permission and coordination from the West Point Office of Public Affairs and Communications, which operates under the Department of the Army regulations. “We receive approximately 1,200 media queries a year, everything from obtaining a photograph for publication or fact checking West Point information to arranging a fullblown, multi-hour national television program,” says Theresa Brinkerhoff, Public Affairs Division Chief for the United States Military Academy. Public Affairs’ mission is to communicate and promote the overall USMA mission: “to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army.” “We utilize every possible means to disseminate the value of the Academy to the American public,” says Brinkerhoff, “including external media.” However, before releasing the resources of the Academy to external media for their own readership or viewership, Public Affairs considers how the media will shape public sentiment of West Point in four specific areas: 1) as the premiere leadership development institution; 2) as a national symbol of selfless service; 3) as a cultivator of character growth; 4) and as a

By Keith J. Hamel, WPAOG staff

WestPointAOG.org

Photos: [Names listed here as needed]

Promoting the Brand, Protecting the Bra

The West Point Office of Public Affairs and Communications, with an assist from WPAOG, produced and live-streamed the Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2020 so that family members, graduates and the nation could witness an event that was off limits to visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

Photo: USMA PAO

Photos: [Names listed here as needed]

and

PROMOTING THE BRAND, PROTECTING THE BRAND

Curt Menefee, host of Fox NFL Sunday, speaks to the TV audience while cadets cheer behind him.

— Theresa Brinkerhoff, Public Affairs Division Chief, USMA community that is dedicated to excellence. “Everything we’re about impacts at least one of these four areas,” says Brinkerhoff. “It’s how we determine what media events and activities are supported in addition to the 250 mission assignments the Academy’s G3 office tasks to PAO.” So, for each specialty project that would potentially shape how the nation and world see West Point (documentaries, entertainment events, media coverage, etc.), Public Affairs first asks, “Do these provide an opportunity 8

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Fox NFL Sunday “Salute to Veterans” (2019) One of the more prominent events that Public Affairs shepherded to highlight the West Point brand to a national audience was Fox NFL Sunday’s “Salute to Veterans” show in 2019. For the last several years, Fox Sports has been doing such a show at a military base around the world (last year it broadcast from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar). On November 10, 2019, the game-day crew that previews up-coming games spent as much time discussing the cadets, alumni, and history of West Point as they did breaking down that Sunday’s football matchups. The show began with a message from 2005 Distinguished Graduate Award recipient Mike Krzyzewski ’69. It also featured a history of Army Football, narrated by Alejandro Villanueva ’10, who was the starting left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers at the time, and it included a segment on the Long Gray Line, narrated

Photos: SFC Joseph Pride, USMA

“We receive approximately 1,200 media queries a year, everything from obtaining a photograph for publication or fact checking West Point information to arranging a full-blown, multi-hour national television program”

or engagement to showcase USMA’s mission in one of the four key areas?” “We’re extremely lucky that we’re asked all the time to participate in media engagements; however, knowing we can’t support everything, all productions must provide significant benefit back to the Academy to tell our story, meet legal and DAlevel approvals, and receive a green light by the Superintendent,” says Brinkerhoff. “Protecting the status of the West Point brand is definitely our most important job.”

PROMOTING THE BRAND, PROTECTING THE BRAND

by Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Throughout the show, viewers learned about R-Day and got glimpses of the 47month cadet experience. The hosts of the show also regularly interacted with cadets, approximately 1,000 of which were seated in bleachers in front of Washington Hall, the site of the Fox NFL Sunday stage that day. “Today, America saw firsthand the leaders of character we have here at West Point,” said Lieutenant General Darryl A. Williams ’83, the Superintendent of West Point at the time. Months of planning went into the production, during which time representatives from Public Affairs worked with the Fox Sports production team on everything from erecting a stage on the Plain to providing the Fox NFL hosts an opportunity to experience an Army Football game at Michie Stadium the same weekend. Fox NFL had a nine-day set-up, and it took more than 250 crew members and personnel to successfully produce this elaborate show. The Public Affairs Division was able to collaborate with talented producers and operations staffers to create a patriotic extravaganza like no other. Additionally, assistance from practically the entire enterprise was solicited to make the show a success. West Point’s Visual Information and

Multimedia Division also supplied B-roll footage that was incorporated into several of Fox NFL Sunday’s programming packages that day. Rod Conti, vice president of studio remote operations for Fox Sports, estimated that it cost more than $1 million to broadcast live from West Point and that their program reached approximately 14 million viewers. “For us, it was a salute to the troops, and it’s a Fox Sports tradition to get that message out to the rest of the world,” said Conti. “What better way than show off the beauty of West Point—it was pretty much the top of the hill for us in this realm.”

COVID Graduation (2020) In addition to the Fox NFL Sunday “Salute to Veterans” show, Public Affairs has helped showcase West Point to America with Fourth of July and Christmas concert shows. “Over the years, because we have established relationships with partners who’ve worked with our team and with the Academy, our audience has grown to become a national one,” notes Brinkerhoff. “The national level is now our standard.” West Point Office of Public Affairs and Communications’ own stories now regularly surpass a half a million views on its social media platforms, and, given

Photo: USMA PAO

With only weeks to plan, the West Point Office of Public Affairs and Communications played a major role in producing the Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2020.

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

PROMOTING THE BRAND, PROTECTING THE BRAND

Office of Public Affairs and Communications Director (06) Chief, Public Affairs Division

Chief, VI/Multimedia Division

Military Deputy (04) Admin Assistant Public Affairs Division Media Relations Branch

Community Engagement Branch

VI/Multimedia Division Command Information Branch

Media Production Branch

NCO (E7)

Broadcast Engineering

“That graduation, which people should remember occurred at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, was our Woodstock moment. We had to do something that hadn’t been done in 43 years (hold Graduation on the Plain) and had to do it under strict COVID protocols.” — Carmine Cocchia, Visual Information and Multimedia Division Chief, USMA

WestPointAOG.org

Audiovisual Services Branch

Photography/ Graphics Branch

that they are often picked up by “Big Army,” it’s not unusual for an Academy story to exceed the million-view mark. One of the most successful (and stressful) events that the Office of Public Affairs and Communications produced and disseminated was the Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2020, with a special assist from the West Point Association of Graduates, which provided funding from graduates for a livestream broadcast so that families, friends, and the entire nation could celebrate this event. For the broadcast, the Visual Information and Multimedia Division directed a 30-minute documentary that celebrated the Class of 2020, highlighted the mission of West Point, and had special messages from the USMA Leader Team, 50-Year Affiliate Class members (the Class of 1970), and several notable graduates. “That graduation, which people should remember occurred at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, was our Woodstock moment,” says Carmine Cocchia, Visual Information and Multimedia Division Chief for the United States Military Academy. “We had to do something that hadn’t been done in 43 years (hold Graduation on the Plain) and had to do it under strict COVID protocols.” In order to pull it off, the Office of Public Affairs and Communications had to direct audio engineers, lighting gaffers, staging crews, and a broadcast production team. They also had to secure interviews with cadets, USMA leaders, and graduates while adhering to masking and social distancing. Finally, they had to do it all in a

PROMOTING THE BRAND, PROTECTING THE BRAND

short amount of time. “Planning for Academy events typically begins six to eight months in advance, which means our first meeting for Graduation occurs in December, right after the Army-Navy Game,” Cocchia says. “But then the Academy shut down for COVID in March, and we had only weeks to make Graduation 2020 happen.” Cocchia remembers the USMA G3 office briefing General James McConville ’81, the 40th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, about the Graduation 2020 plans. “I’m sure you can do this” the general stated. “Yes, sir!” the G3 replied. “That’s why we are the United States Military Academy,” boomed McConville. “It was the proudest moment of my career,” says Cocchia. “By putting on that event, the grit, tenacity, and perseverance of all the military service members and civilian workforce showed the rest of the world that the U.S. Army does not take a knee and will succeed at all costs.”

The Power Team Brinkerhoff and Cocchia have each been communicating and disseminating the West Point story for more than 30 years. “When I started, not everyone had a computer at her desk,” jokes Brinkerhoff. “And I was around to create the first .avi file at West Point that was streamed by the Department of Electronics and Computer Science over the Academy’s internal web service,” says Cocchia. Given their more than half a century of combined experience the two are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to promoting and protecting the West Point brand. Not only that, the two each have very senior staffs. Brinkerhoff leads a team of 12 on the Public Affairs side, and Cocchia leads a team of 18 on the Visual Information and Multimedia side. “You can throw anything at us, such as the flooding disaster that occurred in July, and we can respond quickly and effectively,” says Brinkerhoff. And, unlike any other college’s or university’s public affairs office, Brinkerhoff and Cocchia work for a place that is not only an academic institution but an Army garrison and a historic site as well. West Point is also federally funded, which brings standards and challenges that other institutions do not have to face. “We constantly have to secure and protect West Point’s national and international reputation,” Brinkerhoff says. In her division, Brinkerhoff is responsible for media relations (about 50 on-site visits annually), media response, documentary requests, community engagements (everything from support to veterans groups and requests for assets such as the West Point Band, Color Guard and jump team to arranging personnel to participate in West Point Speakers Bureau events), public queries (approximately 3,200 emails annually), parent relations, command information (e.g., the Pointer View, West Point’s news resource), and five official Academy social media platforms (creating and disseminating fresh content on multiple platforms every day).

productions and live-stream broadcasts of basically every newsworthy activity that occurs around Post, always telling the West Point and Army story. “Nights, weekends, holidays—we are constantly working,” says Cocchia. And the effort has paid off: the Visual Information and Multimedia Division won an Emmy in 2021, was nominated for one in 2022, and was recently nominated for two entries for 2023: “Inspiration to Serve: Honoring the Legacy of the Long Gray Line” and the “2022 Army Football Entrance Video.” This one-two punch—Cocchia producing content pieces and Brinkerhoff distributing them through her channels—has resonated with the audience, especially when their stories focus on cadets. “We had 500,000 views on the wrap-up of 2023 Cadet Field Training,” notes Cocchia. “It’s always a win when we put cadets front and center.” “We take pride in making products that highlight the cadets’ character growth and development during their 47-month experience here,” says Brinkerhoff. Furthermore, cadet-focused products have a broad reach, given that cadets come from all 50 states as well as from selected international countries each year. “If just one person sees our products and can see themselves as someone willing to serve their nation in any capacity, then we did our job,” she says. “The Office of Public Affairs and Communications plays a huge role in bringing these stories to fruition and getting them out to the masses”—and ultimately shaping, of course, how the world sees West Point. 

“We take pride in making products that highlight the cadets’ character growth and development during their 47-month experience here. If just one person sees our products and can see themselves as someone willing to serve their nation in any capacity, then we did our job.” — Theresa Brinkerhoff, Public Affairs Division Chief, USMA

Cocchia and his team are responsible for handling 3,200–3,300 work requests per year, supporting all large audiovisual events, taking pictures, capturing video, and producing high-end WEST POINT | FALL 2023

Introducing West Point’s Annual Intellectual Theme:

“Innovation, Technology & The Future of National Defense”

Mr. Pratheek Manjunath (EECS), Mr. Jason Hughes (EECS), and MAJ Mark Lesak (CME) conduct Edge-Enhanced Mapping and Positioning System (E2MAPS) sensor payload testing with a radiological detector on a robotic quadruped in El Dorado, TX in May 2022.

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Photo: Submitted

By LTG Steven Gilland ’90 and BG Shane Reeves ’96, Guest Authors

INTRODUCING WEST POINT’S ANNUAL INTELLECTUAL THEME: “INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY & THE FUTURE OF NATIONAL DEFENSE”

pproaching what appears to be a deep cave complex, a platoon leader stops the formation. Recent intelligence indicates possible radiological threats and a high risk of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) within the complex. The platoon leader decides to map the area with the platoon’s autonomous four-legged robot. The robot enters the GPSobscured cave complex opening and autonomously navigates the caves and tunnels, traversing rocks and hills. When it has completed its mission, the robot returns and provides the platoon leader with a map of the cave complex, including objects of interest in each room, likely IED locations, and a radiological heat map. These technological advances are not fiction. They’re real, and they’re on today’s battlefields. So, how do we ensure our graduates are ready to identify, develop, and integrate such innovations? Building innovative Army officers is critical. The 2022 National Defense Strategy highlights this point through its emphasis on integrated deterrence—developing and combining our strengths by working seamlessly across warfighting domains, theaters, alliances, partnerships, and more. To address these ever-growing and increasingly complex needs, our officers must be creative and entrepreneurial. They must be skilled in working across organizations and domains. The time to start developing these skillsets begins on R-Day. The United States Military Academy (USMA), the world’s preeminent leader development institution, is uniquely capable of providing these opportunities. At West Point, we ensure our graduates are effective at every stage of the innovation process. We provide opportunities for our cadets to test their knowledge and apply their education through pragmatic project-based learning. This approach ensures that USMA develops critical thinkers who can go beyond the textbook to outthink their adversaries and thrive and win on the modern battlefield.

Intellectual Theme

Photos: West Point Robotics Research Center

We therefore proudly announce this year’s intellectual theme, “Innovation, Technology & The Future of National Defense.” Our theme will focus on four components: Military Innovation, Organizational Innovation, Emerging Technology, and the Future of National Defense. Throughout the year, we will bring the West Point community together in a shared intellectual experience. We will host fireside chats, guest lectures, seminars, and podcasts from the perspective of various academic disciplines. The theme intends to inspire faculty, staff, and cadets to explore how their interests can nest within the four components and encourages interdisciplinary discourse and research. We will also leverage this year's intellectual theme to establish an Innovation Hub within the Office of Research. This Hub will provide resources, shared awareness, and collaborative space so that, for decades to come, our graduates will have an academic experience commensurate with the complexity they will face as Army leaders.

Through the E2MAPS Cadet Capstone, the West Point Robotics Research Center performed simultaneous localization, mapping, and classification of objects of interest using machine learning for future integration at the edge of the battlefield.

What is Innovation? Innovation has become a buzzword, leading many to ponder and debate its definition. Often, you know it when you see it. Yet, we need to do better than that if we want to foster innovation in our organizations and develop leaders capable of seamlessly identifying and implementing innovations. Breaking innovation into three phases—identify, develop, integrate—provides a manageable approach to understanding what innovation is and how we can develop innovative leaders. Identify Needs First, leaders must recognize the need for innovation. Seemingly simple, this first phase can grow in complexity depending on the identified problem. For example, where does this identification stem from? Is the organization willing and ready to recognize the need? Is the leader who recognizes the need capable of effectively communicating it to organizational stakeholders? Our intellectual theme will emphasize sharing stories about overcoming these barriers. Picture cadets hearing from leaders like Anthony Noto ’91 about challenges he faced in creating an innovative culture at organizations like Twitter, Goldman Sachs, and SoFi. Develop Solutions Our cadets are creative and critical in their thinking and are able to provide out-of-the-box solutions. We know this because it’s a recurring compliment they receive when working with external agencies during Academic Individual Advanced Development WEST POINT | FALL 2023

INTRODUCING WEST POINT’S ANNUAL INTELLECTUAL THEME: “INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY & THE FUTURE OF NATIONAL DEFENSE”

(AIAD) opportunities. Our staff and faculty showcase this daily as they collaborate across disciplines at an unparalleled level. We are a sought-after partner and combat multiplier. West Point has a mission-first mindset and an ability to quickly assign appropriate talent to converge on a problem. Where else do you see an international law expert and autonomous robot engineer combining talents and expertise to address the potential of autonomous robots on the battlefield—all stemming from casual coffee chats at Grant Hall? Yet, the question remains: how do we ensure that such an approach to problem-solving is nurtured and advanced rather than stunted during our graduates’ military careers? Our theme will encourage cadets, staff and faculty to create a collective learning experience and will deeply ingrain innovation into every aspect of their thinking. Integrate Once an innovation is ready, we must be prepared to implement disruptions to the status quo while keeping a steady focus on mission accomplishment. We must empower organizations and leaders to reflect on and assess the need to adjust, reverse, or continue such innovations. At times, this might require leaders to integrate innovations that haven’t gone through a rigorous development process—to fill the gaps with the resources they have. Regardless from where the innovations come, we must build trust in them. This could range between building trust in a new evaluation system to an autonomous robot. For example, what happens when we start fielding autonomous robots to map non-GPS environments at the edge of the battlefield? Whether initial trust levels are low or high, we must be ready for equipment failures. If the E2MAPS robot has a competency failure or violates an integrity norm, how do we repair

that trust? Can we? These examples are the type of discussions we hope to foster across all disciplines throughout the year.

Way Ahead Phases of innovation can take a circuitous route, and there will always be gaps. How we fill those gaps is part of the Academy’s focus—building knowledgeable leaders with entrepreneurial thinking. At every stage of the innovation process, we need leaders who can adapt and think quickly on their feet. On the immediate horizon is building the Army of 2030—the Army our most recent graduates will encounter as companygrade officers. The application of our work doesn’t end there. We will use this theme as a lens through which we develop cadets as leaders who think beyond the next 10-20 years—as strategic thinkers. While innovation is always a focus here at West Point, we hope that our year-long emphasis will drive ongoing work into a broader light for the betterment of the whole Academy, the Army, the Long Gray Line, and our nation. Looking ahead, we want our graduates to disrupt the future battlefield and leverage their intellectual capital for the strategic needs of the nation. This is where our Long Gray Line can truly grip hands to amplify our innovation efforts, contribute knowledge, and enable partnerships.  LTG Steve Gilland ’90 currently serves as the 61st Superintendent of the United States Military Academy. A career Infantry officer, he has served in a variety of tactical assignments in Air Assault, Armor, Mechanized Infantry, Ranger and Special Operations units. He most recently commanded 2nd ROK-U.S. Combined Division in Korea and has participated in numerous operational deployments to the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan throughout his career. Gilland holds a master’s degree in military operational art and science from the Air Force Command and Staff College.

Listen to the “Inspiring Innovation” podcast, featuring LTG Steve Gilland ’90 and BG Shane Reeves ’96.

USMA’s Engineering Psychology Program and the West Point Robotics Research Center worked in collaboration to integrate a four-legged autonomous robot into two Cadet Leader Development Training lanes this summer. The resulting data will enable the research team to develop models of trust evolution that predict future beliefs and behaviors of human autonomous teams in dynamic environments.

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Photo: Erika Norton/WPAOG

BG Shane Reeves ’96 currently serves as the 15th Dean of the Academic Board at West Point. He commissioned into the Army in 1996 as an Armor officer. After law school in 2003, he transitioned into the Judge Advocate General’s Corps with assignments including senior trial counsel, international and operational law professor, and deputy staff judge advocate of Joint Special Operations Command. He has written over 30 articles and book chapters on the Law of Armed Conflict and national security issues and cofounded the Lieber Institute for Law and Land Warfare at West Point. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Reeves holds a J.D. from the College of William and Mary and an LLM in military law from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School.

Your years of service taught you the importance of physical f itness and keeping your body ready for action. At Falcons Landing this idea lives on, but we replaced the obstacle course with walking trails, drill sergeants with personal trainers and PT in the dirt with a state-of-the-art f itness center, including a Junior Olympic indoor swimming pool. You’ll still break a sweat, but now it will be with a smile on your face.

(no alarm necessary)

CALL 703-436-9238 TO SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY!

A Non-Profit Life Plan Community | Independent Senior Living | Potomac Falls, VA Eligibility for Independent Living at Falcons Landing is open to any officer that has served, senior level federal employees GS14 and above, spouses or surviving spouses. If you are looking for short-term rehab, long-term care, assisted living or memory care, no military or government background is required.

OFFICIAL CLASS RING SUPPLIER OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY

1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1958 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1968 1969 1970 1971 1975 1976 1977 1979 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1999 2003 2004 2005 2006 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2020

FALCONSLANDING.ORG

OFFICIAL WEST POINT RINGS & JEWELRY

Looking to replace a lost ring, or buy a special gift? can provide graduates with class rings and jewelry for the following graduation classes.

Balfour can replace Class Rings, Miniatures and Wedding Bands for the above listed back dated classes. Contact Jayne Roland at (201) 262-8800 or balfourna@optonline.net

1954 1983 1998

1957 1987 2001

1959 1990 2002

1967 1974 1991 1992 2008 2019

1978 1993 2022

1980 1994 2023

CONTACT ROBERT VAZ

800.451.3304, ext. 0186 •rmvaz@herffjones.com

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

GRIPPING HANDS

Gripping Hands Grip hands—though it be from the shadows—while we swear as you did of yore, or living or dying, to honor the Corps, and the Corps, and the Corps. —Bishop Shipman, 1902

Herman Bulls Named a 2023 World’s Innovative 1978 Business Leader Making a Difference Herman Bulls ’78, Vice-Chairman of the West Point Association of Graduates and Vice Chairman at JLL, was named a 2023 World’s Innovative Business Leader Making a Difference by World’s Leaders magazine. In 2017, Bulls was recognized by the National Association of Corporate Directors as one of the 50 most influential directors in America. He has an extensive background in governance, having served on seven public company boards, five private company boards, and four national nonprofit boards.

During a change of command ceremony held in Crest Hall in June, BG Lori Robinson ’94 assumed command of the United States Corps of Cadets as the 80th USMA Commandant. An Aviation officer, Robinson holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Aerospace), a Master of Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War

College. Robinson has led soldiers in both command and staff positions from company through brigade task force level and has four combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In her most recent assignment, she served as the Deputy Commanding General (Support), 2nd Infantry Division (Combined), Eighth Army, Republic of Korea.

Photos: USMA PAO; submitted

1994

BG Lori L. Robinson Becomes 80th Commandant of Cadets

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GRIPPING HANDS

LTC McKinley Wood to Receive Nininger Award

2001 The 2023 recipient of the West Point Association of Graduates’ Alexander

R. Nininger Award for Valor at Arms is LTC McKinley Wood ’01. The award will be presented on October 26 during ceremonies hosted by LTG Steven Gilland ’90, the 61st Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy. In April 2003, Wood, as a first lieutenant, commanded 3d Platoon, Company A, 2d Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3d Infantry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Over 21 days of continuous combat operations in Iraq, he repeatedly exposed himself to intense and accurate enemy fire while directing his platoon’s fires and maneuver, earning the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy.

 General Officer Announcements The Chief of Staff of the Army announces the following officer assignments: MG (USAR) Kris A. Belanger ’91 to Commanding General, 99th Readiness Division, Joint Base McGuire-Dix, Lakehurst, NJ MG Michelle A. Schmidt ’92 to Commanding General, 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base LewisMcChord, WA BG Kirk E. Gibbs ’94 to Commanding General, South Pacific Division, United States Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco, CA The following officers were promoted to the rank indicated below in June 2023:

Photos: U.S.Army

BG Jason A. Curl ’95, currently serving as Director, CJ3, Combined Joint Task ForceOperation Inherent Resolve, Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraq BG Geoffrey R. Van Epps ’95, currently serving as Commanding General, Northwestern Division, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, OR

WPAOG Military Retiree Recognition Program WPAOG’s Military Retiree Recognition Program honors our military retirees for their service and sacrifice. If you retired on October 1, 2017 or later, you and three guests are eligible for a free Grad Insider Tour, as well as a free night at The Thayer Hotel, subject to restrictions. We will also publish your name in West Point magazine, with your permission. If you wish to participate, please contact retiree@wpaog.org to learn more.

Name

Class

COL Yee C. Hang

1991

COL Thomas R. Bolen

1992

COL Frank K. Sobchak

1992

COL Donald R. Braught

1996

COL Kevin R. Golinghorst

1996

CDR Kyle N. Bockey

2000

LTC Nathanael W. Peterson

2002

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

SECTION : TITLE

Through Rival Eyes: The Service Academy Exchange Program Prior to every fall semester, on the Sunday before Reorganization Week in August, West Point brings 19 “outsiders” to Post—seven Air Force Academy cadets, seven Naval Academy midshipmen, and five Coast Guard Academy cadets—as part of the Service Academy Exchange Program (SAEP). Above: SAEP cadets from the U.S. Air Force Academy pose on Diagonal Walk during Branch Week 2022.

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Photo: Submitted

By Keith J. Hamel, WPAOG staff

THROUGH RIVAL EYES: THE SERVICE ACADEMY EXCHANGE PROGRAM

orrelatively, the same number of USCC Second Class cadets leave West Point in the one-for-one swap between the academies to spend their fall semester in either Annapolis, Maryland; Colorado Springs, Colorado; or New London, Connecticut. SAEP was established through a memorandum of agreement between the commandants of each service academy in order “to promote the exchange of professional, academic, and social experiences.” It evolved from a weekend exchange program that started between USMA and USNA in 1945. Today, the spirit of cadet‐midshipman camaraderie gained through close personal experiences contributes greatly to good relations between the academies and, as a result, the four services. What follows is an assessment of how SAEP cadets view West Point, based on interviews with cadets and midshipmen who participated in the program during the 2022 fall semester.

SAEP cadets want to come to West Point for a number of reasons. Most, like Midshipman Sarah Hopkins, make USMA their first choice because they want to understand the ways in which West Point prepares cadets to lead in the U.S. Army. Others, like USAFA Cadet Emily Hofmann have personal reasons for applying to USMA. “I chose USMA because I am pre-med, and there is extensive overlap in the medical field between Army and Air Force,” says Hofmann. “I also chose USMA because my brother is currently a West Point cadet and my parents are ’98 grads.” While some SAEP cadets have a personal connection to West Point (“Both of my parents, one a USAFA grad and the other a USNA grad, actually met as SAEP cadets at USMA in 1997,” says Midshipman Josh Dickson), many did not know much about West Point before arriving, besides a couple of its historical factors and notable graduates.

Photo: Submitted

“I chose USMA because I am pre-med, and there is extensive overlap in the medical field between Army and Air Force. I also chose USMA because my brother is currently a West Point cadet and my parents are ’98 grads.” — USAFA CDT Emily Hofmann

U.S. Coast Guard Academy Cadet Mackensi Rollings (center) at the 2022 Army-Navy Game with her companymates from F-3.

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

THROUGH RIVAL EYES: THE SERVICE ACADEMY EXCHANGE PROGRAM

U.S. Air Force cadets Ruben Banks (left) and Zharia Wilson flank COL Richard Melnyk ’95, Director of the Academic Flight Program within the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, before they embark on their second flight for their Overall Flight Lab project, which was to compare data collected in flight to theoretical data calculated prior to their flight.

Of course, relying on those external to the Academy to describe West Point could potentially reveal bias. When asked, “How do those at your home academy ultimately view or think about West Point?” a couple of the answers from SAEP participants were startling (even if just in jest): “The Naval Academy views West Point as those people from the ‘Great Up North’ who live in a perpetually gray world and spend a decent amount of time in the dirt eating bugs”; or “Most Air Force cadets see West Point as the academy you go to if you didn’t get accepted to USAFA.” Yet most SAEPers acknowledge that a semester at West Point erased any stereotypes they might have had about USMA. “The common Naval Academy viewpoint is that West Point has a lower quality of life compared to Annapolis,” says Hopkins. “I found this point of view to be a broad generalization that isn’t completely accurate.” USAFA Cadet Wyatt Hodson reached a similar conclusion. “I think many people use stereotypes of the overall services and apply them to the academies,” he says. “Upon discussing it with the SAEP midshipmen and knowing the ins and outs of our day-to-day experience at USAFA, I’m confident that everyone who participated in SAEP could succeed at USMA just as every cadet at USMA could succeed at another service academy.” Life at West Point for those in SAEP is like that of any USMA cadet. Per the SAEP memorandum of agreement, they are 20

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expected to participate in all aspects of USCC cadet life while at USMA. Once they are in-processed on that Sunday in August, they become fully immersed as a USMA cadet, bound to USCC regulations (“I did more drill in one semester than I have my entire time at USAFA,” says Hofmann) and afforded the same privileges as well (“I joined the Army Climbing Team and the Bowling Team while at USMA, providing me an opportunity to branch out and try new activities that I don’t do at USNA,” says Hopkins). “Academically, I worked with the Combating Terrorism Center, Modern War Institute, and International Affairs Program,” notes Rollings. “Militarily, I was involved with USMA’s Affinity Councils, specifically the Corbin Forum, and athletically I participated in company intramurals with my fellow F-3 Troopers (‘Mount Up!’).” All SAEP cadets served as squad leaders for their USCC company, a few competed on a USMA competitive club team (USAFA Cadet Ruben Banks made the Fencing Team and USAFA Cadet Zharia Wilson made the Women’s Boxing Team), and one SAEPer “tabbed” the IOCT (“probably one of the proudest moments of my life,” she says). Full participation also means partaking in West Point traditions during SAEP. “I was a fan of the Thursday night spirit dinners,” says Banks. Hofmann says, “I really enjoyed Christmas dinner and singing the ‘12 Days of Christmas.’” “My favorite moment at West Point had to be the trip to New York City for the ‘Tunnel to Towers’ run,” says Hodson. “It was my first time in NYC, and running from Brooklyn to Manhattan was the most patriotic I

Photo: Submitted

“I knew little of USMA prior to SAEP,” says USCGA Cadet Mackensi Rollings, “but I reached out to prior exchangers to get a better understanding of what West Point would be like.”

THROUGH RIVAL EYES: THE SERVICE ACADEMY EXCHANGE PROGRAM

have ever felt in my life.” Hodson also notes that the Air ForceNavy Game can’t compete with the Army-Navy Game. “I will never forget storming Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia with my I-3 companymates screaming for our lives after a double-overtime Army victory,” he says. “Although it pains me to say it, the atmosphere and the energy of the Army-Navy Game is indescribable and clearly surpasses our game against Navy.” As the above anecdote suggests, SAEPers often compare their West Point experience to life at their home academy. Sometimes, they are forced to do so. “I’m still being asked to this day by those in my squadron which academy has the better food,” says Banks. “I normally respond by saying that food options are about the same; however, USMA provides a lot more variety.” Wilson is more candid: “The food was so much better at West Point,” she says. “USAFA should be ashamed of what they try to feed cadets on a daily basis.” And Hofmann unashamedly states, “The food at USMA was amazing!”

USMA cadets also pepper their SAEP peers for comparisons. “Everyone wanted to talk to the person in the different uniform to learn how things are different in Colorado Springs,” says Hodson. “From a social standpoint, my semester exchange has to be my favorite semester.” Midshipman Dickson says that being at West Point and wearing a different uniform was a cross between being an animal in a zoo and being a celebrity. “Random cadets would frequently yell ‘Beat Navy’ at me as I walked to class or through North Area,” he says, “but I found USMA cadets to be incredibly kind, genuine people who had goals and aspirations similar to mine and my friends at the Naval Academy.” So, what are the biggest differences between the academies? Air Force cadets tend to see West Point as academically easier but militarily harder than their home academy. “When they ask me about my USMA experience, I often tell those in my squadron that West Point focuses more on the military than academics, which makes your courseload easier in exchange for less

Photo: Submitted

“Upon discussing it with the SAEP midshipmen and knowing the ins and outs of our day-to-day experience at USAFA, I’m confident that everyone who participated in SAEP could succeed at USMA just as every cadet at USMA could succeed at another service academy.” — USAFA CDT Wyatt Hodson

SAEP midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy pose on the Apron outside of Washington Hall.

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

THROUGH RIVAL EYES: THE SERVICE ACADEMY EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Interestingly, the midshipmen found academics harder at West Point. “The dreaded Thayer Method is worth dreading because it makes everything harder,” says Dickson, “but it helped me to become better at studying, and academically I learned a lot during my semester exchange.” Furthermore, Hopkins found USMA’s “study days” to be one of the smartest and most useful tools implemented at West Point. “Due in large part to the usefulness of study days, I was able to go from being ‘UNSAT’ at the six-week grading period to having my highest QPR yet.” Midshipmen found that the biggest difference between West Point and Annapolis had to do with “workout cultures.” “West Point values size and strength over pure speed,” says Dickson. “Cadet culture at West Point embraces heavy lifting and less running, while at the Naval Academy there’s plenty of nice weather and flat land, which gives mids plenty of opportunities to spend their time running or doing calisthenics.” Hopkins sees the differences in the physical mission and workout culture between USMA and USNA as stemming from the Army Combat Fitness Test and West Point’s IOCT graduation requirement. “Witnessing and trying both of these physical events was a cool experience,” she says, “especially since both are

completely different from the physical events administered at the Naval Academy.” While most SAEPers acknowledged a variety of differences between the academies—“The tradition of espirit de corps is stronger at West Point,” says Rollings; “‘Outside-the-gate’ life is a lot better at USAFA,” says Wilson—all agreed that there are more similarities than differences and that there is a great deal of mutual respect for all who make the decision to serve their country as a future military officer. An exchange between Lieutenant General Steven Gilland ’90, USMA Superintendent, and USAFA Cadet Wyatt Hodson reiterates this point: “All the SAEP cadets and midshipmen were at the Commandant’s house for an ice cream social a few weeks after our arrival,” Hodson says. “General Gilland was there, and we were in a circle talking about the differences we had noticed so far. I mentioned that my walk across campus at West Point was a lot shorter than it is in Colorado Springs since our school is in the mountains and so spread out. ‘Stop!’ said the Superintendent. ‘Never use the words ‘campus,’ ‘college,’ ‘school,’ etc.: You go to an academy, and all of you have earned the right every day to use that word.’ That made me realize just how proud I am to attend one of the service academies, because, truthfully, they’re all significantly more demanding than any college or university in America.” 

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Zharia Wilson, who joined the West Point Women's Boxing Team during her semester at the Academy, poses with a fellow SAEP cadet from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

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Photo: Submitted

freedom,” says Wilson. “But while USMA was a lot more restrictive and disciplinary, I found that West Point cadets complain less than USAFA cadets do.” Regarding discipline, Hofmann, Wilson’s classmate, says, “USMA is quicker to give punishments and allows cadets only a small margin for error, while USAFA reserves strict punishments for large infractions.”

Come Join WPAOG for a

GRAD INSIDER TOUR Because if you’re not inside, you’re outside!

Do you often catch yourself reflecting on the nostalgic smell of boxing gear, or longing for the heady days of plebe-year meals? Whatever it is that visits your memory, it’s here, awaiting your return. During your Grad Insider Tour, we will bring you and your guests into places where the public cannot go: the Mess Hall, Arvin Gym, Cadet Areas, the Cadet Uniform Factory, and more. For details on how you can join us, scan the QR code.

We hope to see you soon!

THE LONG INTERNATIONAL GRAY LINE

Interna RA

COLOMB I

HON DU

THE LONG

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Photos: Submitted

he first international graduate of the United States Military Academy, Antonio Barrios, was from Guatemala, and he graduated in 1889 with 48 American citizens, including USMA’s third Black graduate, Charles Young. Barrios went on to become the Minister of Public Works in Guatemala before dying at sea in 1915 at age 49. Since 1889, 552 international cadets have graduated from the Academy, leaving the United States and returning to their home country after four years of wearing cadet gray. A few have reached the highest political office in their country; others have earned a high rank in their home country’s military; but wherever they have ended up in the world, all have a deep appreciation for the ties that make them a member of the Long Gray Line.

E ST

THE LONG INTERNATIONAL GRAY LINE

NI O

national GRAY LINE

By Jenn Voigtschild ’93, Guest Author

PHIL IPP IN

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N LA

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

THE LONG INTERNATIONAL GRAY LINE

Jacqueline Foglia Sandoval ’84 Country: Honduras

I first heard about West Point in the mid-1970s because a couple of guys from my high school had attended. Early in my senior year (1979), representatives from the U.S. Military Group, located in Tegucigalpa, visited my high school and spoke to my class about the opportunity of applying to USMA and the other service academies. I had been to the United States a few times but never to West Point. On R-Day, I was impressed with the large gray buildings and the size of the stadium, but, truthfully, I felt scared and quite alone. I voluntarily checked in with my home country during my four years as a cadet because I wanted to know what to expect upon my return. Prior to attending USMA, I had to sign a contract with the Honduran Armed Forces, obligating me to serve in the Honduran Army for eight years after graduation. After graduation I actually spent 12 years in the Honduran Army. Once I left the army, I worked in the private sector and founded a couple of small businesses. I also served in the public sector as Assistant Secretary of State for Tourism and in the offices of Economic Development as a free trade agreement negotiator. I also held a couple of jobs in the academic sector. Occasionally I attend class reunions at West Point. We also have a group comprised of Honduran grads from all the academies, and we have periodic get-togethers to watch Army crush Navy. We invite U.S. service members who are stationed in Honduras. My West Point education has impacted both my personal and professional life by making me a more

organized and resilient person. I have been able to weather lots of tough situations, searching within and using the strength gained at West Point. Some small daily things that stick with you are the way you hold your free hand while eating, good posture, aligning the seams of shirts and pants, and “dressing off” shirts to tuck them in. I am always making my bed and organizing closets by sleeve length. I am proud to be the first international woman graduate of West Point!

Saranyu Viriyavejakul ’93 I came to the United States by winning the Thai Army Scholarship. I first attended the Virginia Military Institute, and I then competed with other top international cadets from around the globe to gain admission to USMA—so I had two plebe years! I was very impressed with USMA on R-Day and how it could be harsh but still professional. My biggest challenge plebe year was transitioning from Thai and Thai Army culture to face the tough military and physical challenges at USMA. After graduation, I served in the Thai Army for 24 years and retired in 2017 as a senior colonel (brigadier general U.S. equivalent). When people find out I graduated from USMA, they are stunned and then later very impressed. I have had the opportunity to participate in Founders Day events, attend my 20-year class reunion, socialize with classmates and other graduates when they visit Thailand, and serve as the defense attaché to the United States, during which time I hosted my classmates in the DC area for a dinner on the anniversary of our

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graduation. Currently, I am the Vice President of Public Organization in the Ministry of Finance (Neighboring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency), responsible for Thailand’s ODA loans to seven countries in the region. Also, I’m on the Board of Directors, Provincial Electricity Authority (of Thailand), the largest state enterprise in Thailand by number of personnel, which is responsible for distributing power to more than 99 percent of the land area of Thailand. West Point has had a tremendous impact on my personal and professional life. Now, as a civilian, people use “West Point graduate” and “Star Man” to describe my identity.

Photos: Submitted

Country: Thailand

THE LONG INTERNATIONAL GRAY LINE

Mehis Hakkaja ’00 Country: Estonia

I first heard about USMA from a family friend during the first year Estonia had a chance to apply to the four U.S. service academies—I tried to get in for three years in a row! I am the second Estonian to graduate from USMA, making a total of three from our country. To help me prepare, I spent the summer of 1995 with some distant relatives in New Paltz, New York and took a college business English course to gain some English-language immersion. My biggest academic challenges during my first two years were writing essays in my English literature course and lengthy reading requirements in classes like American history. I majored in Computer Science and was lucky to be in the first class given the opportunity to take cyber warfare courses. I was interested in computers since high school, but West Point had limitless resources in comparison to the computer access I had in a former Soviet Union country. For the past 11-plus years I have been running my own offensive cyber security company in Estonia, in addition to being a captain in the Estonian Defence Forces Reserves, after serving in the Estonian Air Force. I have been in continuous contact with my country’s military through the reserves and in many other ways. I think I

have been helping Estonia and the Estonian military with cyber security as a civilian more than I could have while on active duty. I have been the Red Team leader for the Tallinn, the Estonia-based NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence “Locked Shields” cyber exercises for over a decade. “Locked Shields” is the world’s largest multi-national, live-fire, cyber defense exercise, and it has been an honor to pass along some of my USMA lessons to thousands of cyber defenders while serving as the “opposing force” training leader in this exercise. West Point impacted my personal and professional life by building my confidence and providing me an educational boost. It taught me to lead, to not be complacent, and to seize the opportunities that come along in life.

Mark Posadas ’04

Photos: Submitted

Country: Philippines

I first heard about West Point from my Dad, who was a 1975 grad. Growing up in the Philippines, I was surrounded by Old Grads, and I decided early on that I wanted to be like them. The Philippines had sent one representative to West Point per year since 1914 by virtue of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Act. This unbroken line of Filipino graduates was discontinued in the early 1990s due to a changing political climate. It wasn’t until I finished high school in 1999 that we got word that the U.S. service academies were reopening nominations. As a civilian applicant, I had to get the endorsement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. International cadets now arrive at West Point a week before R-Day for processing. During my in-processing week, my group was treated to a tour of West Point, and I was in awe of its history and the buildings. I had known about West Point from pictures and the internet, but it was different being there and soaking it in for the first time. My biggest challenge plebe year was homesickness, but thankfully I had a lot of foster families living near West Point and even on Post. Eating homecooked Filipino food and being able to converse in my native language helped me through the 47-month experience. I majored in Electrical Engineering, with focus on computer architecture. I wanted to learn how to create and program robots and build intelligent machines. When I was a cadet, Filipino cadets would pay a courtesy call to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC and to the Consulate in New York City every year.

Sometimes, we would get distinguished visitors from the Philippines, and we would escort them around campus. I served in the Philippine Army as an infantryman for 13 years. I left the service in 2017 and transitioned into civilian life as a project manager. In the civilian sector I’ve leveraged my engineering background and the military decision-making process that I learned at West Point. Attending and graduating from West Point has allowed me to follow my dream of being an army officer and it also opened doors for me, not only during my active military career but even into the private sector. West Point is a brand name in leadership, and that alone gets me access to places that others do not get. The Academy’s motto, as well as its Honor Code, is something that I try to live by every day. Both serve as my moral compass and have guided me ever since. I have West Point to thank for all the opportunities made available to me since graduation. Even more than the education, it is the network of Old Grads that has had the greatest impact in my personal and professional life. I can’t imagine how my life would’ve been if I hadn’t pursued going to the Academy. WEST POINT | FALL 2023

THE LONG INTERNATIONAL GRAY LINE

Ricardo Areiza ’12 Country: Colombia

and eight months after graduation. I was forced to resign due to age limits by rank. My time in the Colombian Army had me attend numerous training courses. Among them were Colombian Ranger School (Lancero), Special Forces School, and the ICRC peacekeeping operations course. My first command was CO to a professional soldier training company. I also served as a SF detachment commander and SF company XO. After resigning from the army, I worked for two years in the United Arab Emirates as a military advisor. I decided I wanted to change careers, so I pursued a master’s degree in entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at Austin. I worked with startups at the Austin Technology Incubator from 2019 to 2021. I then moved to IT project management at Charles Schwab. I’m currently getting ready to move back to Colombia. I do not think there is an accurate way to quantify the enormous impact that my West Point education has had on my life. The work ethic, critical thinking, strong morals, strong values, and abstract thinking have allowed me to navigate numerous challenges. From my experiences in three different cultures, I truly believe that we all tend to lose sight of the big picture more often than not. Personal ambitions tend to thwart good intentions. As everyone tries to push through hardship, things happen that are not fair or proper. My USMA education has given me the tools to navigate the gray areas of life while trying to make the world a better place. Most importantly, it is my Academy family that has truly impacted my life. I do not think I could have achieved as much as I have without them.  Jennifer S. Voigtschild ’93 is the United States Military Academy’s Command Historian. She taught in the USMA Department of History from 2003 to 2007 and retired from the United States Army as a lieutenant colonel in 2013. Prior to serving in her present position she was the editor-in-chief of the historical magazine American Spirit.

Photos: Submitted

I first heard about West Point when I was sent to represent Colombia in a Law of Armed Conflict competition in Italy while I was attending the Colombian Military Academy (Escuela Militar de Cadetes) [CMA] I was assigned to a team with another West Pointer, Kathryn Walker (Class of 2007). I also met the rest of the West Point team during my time there. Three months after the competition, a group of Colombian cadets were given the opportunity to apply to West Point as part of its International Cadet Program, and I was selected. I had never been to the U.S. before, and when I arrived at West Point I was stunned by the architecture and beauty of the Academy. My biggest challenge plebe year was changing my mindset to adapt to West Point’s culture. Colombia’s military had different values and priorities. During my initial 18 months in Colombia, we were taught to value our military skills over our academic skills. As such, it was confusing as I adjusted to USMA’s academic curriculum. Fortunately, I had great teachers show me the importance of critical thinking and how practicing it would help me be a better officer in the future. I majored in International and Comparative Legal Studies. I was able to attend excellent law classes that elaborated on the Law of Armed Conflict and international law. At the time, the Colombian Army was having serious legal problems with military operations. I wanted to learn as much as possible in order to share my knowledge with my military when I returned. Every year while I was a cadet, I had to submit a comprehensive report on my activities and lessons back home. I also had to compare my cadet experience in Colombia to my West Point experience. I would include suggestions on changes that could be adopted by CMA to improve its curriculum. I served for two years

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STRENGTHENING

THE LONG GRAY LINE Strengthening the Long Gray Line “ The Long Gray Line Fund relies on the generosity of donors to help provide career transition programs, memorial support, e-communications, West Point magazine, newsletters, reunion planning, and graduate and service awards. Donations to support WPAOG provide the means for serving the courageous men and women of the Long Gray Line. I ask for your support of the Long Gray Line Fund this year. We will continue to strengthen the bonds that unite our graduates and their families and honor the traditions and ideals of West Point.” —Mark D. Bieger '91 Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired) President & CEO A position generously endowed by the Honorable & Mrs. Robert A. McDonald ’75

To donate today, visit us online at WESTPOINTAOG.ORG/LONGGRAYLINEFUND or call: 845.446.1657

“The most vital quality a soldier can possess is SELF-CONFIDENCE, utter, complete, and bumptious.” —GEN George S. Patton Jr. (USMA 1909) in a June 6, 1944 letter to his son, CDT George S. Patton IV ’46

Photo: Erika Norton/WPAOG

CLDT: Still Leadership and Tactics (only more!) By Keith J. Hamel, WPAOG staff

n 2020, COVID-19 impacted the operating procedures at West Point in various ways. One of these was the cancellation of Cadet Leader Development Training (CLDT), the pinnacle of Cadet Summer Training, which is designed for rising firsties and those members of the rising cow class who will be in key summer leader positions the following year. The COVID pause allowed Colonel Alan Boyer ’96, the Director of the Department of Military Instruction (DMI) at the United States Military Academy at that time, an opportunity to revamp CLDT. Gone was the focus on counter-insurgency training that had dominated CLDT for more than a decade, replaced by peer-topeer fighting in a multi-domain environment in anticipation of a conflict in the Far East.

“The Chief of Staff of the Army raised the Pacific threat, and USMA jumped on it, making the DATE [Decisive Action Training Environment] Pacific operational environment part of MS300 [Platoon Operations] and CLDT,” says Lieutenant Colonel Dan Stuewe, then Chief of Military Science and Training. DATE Pacific provides the U.S. Army training community with a detailed description of the conditions of multiple composite operational environments in the Pacific region, giving trainers a tool to assist in the construction of scenarios for specific training events. “Through a liaison with the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s G2, the intelligence center that owns the U.S. Army’s training scenarios, DMI received guidance and resources that puts CLDT a little

Above: CDT Kayla Edwards ’24 (left), platoon leader for 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company of CLDT Lane 1, huddles with her team leaders to plan an attack on OBJ ANT.

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Photos: Erika Norton/WPAOG

Cadets are now preparing for a peer adversary in their final Cadet Summer Training graduation requirement.

CLDT: STILL LEADERSHIP AND TACTICS (ONLY MORE!)

ahead of the game versus regular army units when it comes to DATE Pacific,” says Stuewe. One such resource is the use of vismods (vehicles with visual modifications) on the CLDT training lanes to act as opposing forces’ assets. Not only has the content of CLDT changed after 2020, but the form has changed as well. “CLDT used to be a shotgun blast start with six companies rotating through three, 96-hour training lanes—offensive, defensive, and movement-tocontact—all at the same time,” says Major Franklin Banegas, CLDT Chief of Staff. “Now DMI employs an eight-lane waterfall model.” Not only does this model use a three-phase, 21-day iteration system—Warrior Week, Field Training Exercises (FTX), and Recovery—it uses a staggered design so that only the four platoons of one of eight training companies are performing a particular training task per lane on a given day. For example, according to the 2023 CLDT calendar, on Day 9 Alpha Company was on Lane 2 of the eight-day FTX, Bravo Company was on Lane 1, and the remaining companies were still performing the FTX prep tasks of their five-day Warrior Week (e.g. combatives training, cold load training, SOPs and field craft refinement, platoon trainer-led instruction, etc.). “Using a waterfall model allows DMI to create complexity as CLDT unfolds,” said Banegas. “The FTX lanes get progressively tactically harder, and the field problems and scenarios get more elaborate, with more dilemmas given to cadet leadership.” The scenario for the FTX, which acts as an entire narrative running throughout the training, begins the night before Lane 1: The company receives a mission for a company attack on an objective, for which the platoon is the decisive operation. On

Above: Scenes from 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company's CLDT Lane 1 attack. Below: A cartographic representation of the 2023 CLDT FTX scenario concept.

CLDT FTX 2023 Concept FTX Final Prep & TLPs Lane 1 Attack

Photos: Erika Norton/WPAOG; submitted

Lane 2 Ambush Lane 3 Raid Lane 4 Attack/AASLT OPNs Refit and Retrain Lane 5 AASLT OPNs/Raid Lane 6 Attack Lane 7 F on F Attack/Defend Crucible: Casualty EVAC + MACP

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

CLDT: STILL LEADERSHIP AND TACTICS (ONLY MORE!)

get the cadets to stop thinking myopically and start thinking more broadly, seeing that operations are not completed in isolation but are done in combination with higher HQ.” During Lane 4, each platoon receives an order to take over an airfield so that it can exfil out. This leads to an attack on a landing zone, after which each platoon is air assaulted back to Camp Buckner for a 24-hour refit. “By this point in the FTX, platoon SOPs are more set, cadets are starting to understand the overall mission and their role in it, and they are becoming more familiar with how their teammates move and communicate,” notes Banegas. The scenario continues during the refit. At some point during its 24-hour respite, the platoon receives word that it is to air assault into a new AO and conduct a raid on urbanized terrain during Lane 5. Right after the raid, the platoon receives a fragmentary order to recover a downed friendly aircraft before the enemy can reach it. On Lane 6, the platoon conducts an attack on one of the enemy’s last strongholds in the AO, while Lane 7 is a force-onforce exercise, with one platoon on offense and another on defense. The final event of the FTX is the Crucible, a 3-mile movement during which cadets negotiate various physically demanding stations, culminating in carrying a casualty a mile to the Combatives Pit, where the cadets engage each other in combative training. This grueling event is meant to push the cadets mentally and physically while building cohesion through shared hardship.

Top: A squad from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company clears a building during a raid on CLDT Lane 5's MOUT site. Above: One of several 2023 CLDT "vismods" (visually modified), equipment that has been altered to simulate equipment used by an enemy for training purposes.

Lane 1, in a pre-determined order, each platoon of a company conducts an attack that leads to intel of an enemy resupply or movement of a key weapon system, prompting the platoon to plan an ambush for the following day. On Lane 2, each platoon conducts an ambush and receives additional intel, leading to a raid the following day. On Lane 3, each platoon conducts a raid on a high-value, air defense artillery (ADA) asset in order to enable air operations into the area of operation (AO). “The mission of the FTX from the get-go is to enable air operations, and ADA is a threat to this objective,” says Banegas. “We need to

While the enemy and mission structure of CLDT has changed since COVID, the overall objective of CLDT has not. Often described as mini-Ranger School, it’s still about tactical problem-solving and individual technical proficiency under great amounts of physical and mental stress. “The traditional stressors of CLDT are still present,” says Banegas: little sleep, little food, heat and rain, peer dynamics, and rucking 50-60 pounds across the West Point training reservation’s rocky and rugged terrain (platoons end up traveling more than 50 kilometers during the eight-day FTX). Not only that, DMI constantly adds unexpected elements into the scenario: indirect fire typical of a peer enemy, 120 mm mortars, casualty evacuations, medical evacuations, and more. “What are you going to do now, platoon?” is a common refrain heard from trainers on the lane. “This is not walking through the woods and shooting a weapon,” says Lieutenant Colonel

“We all know the book answer to everything, but when you take it from the map to the terrain, it’s really hard. You have to think on your feet and make a decision when you’re tired, hungry, and wet, and that’s what they’re training us to do here with CLDT.” — CDT Maddison Kusam ’24, 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company

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Photos: Erika Norton/WPAOG

CLDT in Their Own Words

CLDT: STILL LEADERSHIP AND TACTICS (ONLY MORE!)

After completing their raid on CLDT Lane 5, platoons received a FRAGO to recover a downed aircraft before enemy on the ground in the area could reach it.

Adam Sawyer ’00, the current DMI Director. “It’s extremely intellectual, with the tough, realistic scenarios teaching cadets the application of military art and science as they apply to Army methodologies so they can develop a tactical plan that will defeat their enemy.”

Photos: Erika Norton/WPAOG

“Making tactical decisions under duress is the biggest upside of CLDT,” says Banegas. “Most cadets are not going to branch Armor or Infantry, but we still need to create warriors out of medics and Ordnance officers.” Graduates of CLDT will demonstrate confidence and proficiency in leadership attributes by applying the Army’s Operation Process in the preparation and execution of missions preparing all of them for the rank of second lieutenant upon commissioning. 

CLDT cadets perform TCCC on a severely injured helicopter pilot.

“CLDT shows cadets that they have the knowledge and demands that they go lead. Having completed CLDT, I am more confident in myself and my peers; when we go back to the Corps, we’re ready to show the underclass cadets that what they’re learning is one part of a much larger picture.” —CDT Matt Williams ’24, 1st Platoon, Bravo Company

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

Training and Grading

Above: A platoon trainer performs a “hotwash” regarding a platoon’s performance on CLDT Lane 5. Right: An assessment form generated from the SPARTA app on which a platoon trainer scores a cadet's tactical performance on a CLDT lane.

CLDT instructs, trains, mentors, and assesses First Class and selected Second Class cadets on basic warrior and leadership skills. Each platoon is assigned two USMA platoon mentors, officers assigned to the USMA academic program, and one task force platoon mentor, a non-commissioned officer who is a subject matter expert in tactics. In 2023, the task force came from 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. The two USMA mentors provide leadership and mentorship to cadets in their platoon during

CLDT and complete a leadership evaluation on every cadet in the platoon via the LARA app at the end of CLDT. “We use the app to ad notes, submit pictures, and tag leadership attributes for the cadets,” says Major Logan Lee ’12, an Instructor in the Department Geography and Environmental Engineering who served as a platoon mentor for 3rd Platoon, Foxtrot Company. Each lane of the FTX also consists of three officers and three non-commissioned officers from the task force. They serve as platoon trainers and provide the tactical evaluations of cadets through the SPARTA app. Finally, each lane has three additional non-commissioned officers who act as squad leader trainers and assist the platoon trainer grading team in the assessment of squad leader tactics during that lane.

CLDT in Their Own Words “The lane walkers [platoon trainers] would give us nuggets of info so that we could start to think about what was going on outside of our individual platoon mission. It helped me realize that we were not operating as just a platoon but as part of a larger company and battalion mission.” —CDT Mackenzie West ’24, 4th Platoon, Foxtrot Company

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Photos: Erika Norton/WPAOG

Inside CLDT

CLDT: STILL LEADERSHIP AND TACTICS (ONLY MORE!)

Inside CLDT

CLDT: STILL LEADERSHIP AND TACTICS (ONLY MORE!)

Cadets listen to a “hotwash” AAR after conducting a raid.

Photos: Erika Norton/WPAOG

During the FTX, each cadet in a platoon is evaluated twice: once as they are being tasked as the platoon leader (PL) or platoon sergeant (PSG); once as a squad leader (SL) in the platoon (platoon mentors determine the cadet leadership rotation matrix to ensure that all cadets in the platoon receive the proper number of field and garrison evaluations). The PL/PSG evaluation is worth 30 percent of a cadet’s overall CLDT grade, and the SL evaluation is worth 20 percent (both tactical performance assessments). The platoon trainer grades cadets on how well they apply troop leading procedures to planning a tactical operation, communicate a tactical order verbally and visually, and demonstrate an understanding of Army doctrine and small

unit tactics in a field training environment. The remaining 50 percent of a cadet’s CLDT grade comes from the platoon mentor evaluation, along with cadet peer evaluations (both assessing leader attributes and competency). The platoon mentor grades cadets on their character, presence, intellect, trustworthiness, communication skills, and ultimate execution of tasks. Cadets need to pass one of two leadership evaluations and score better than 67.9 percent on graded events to graduate from CLDT. Those who do prove that they have the aptitude required to competently and confidently lead soldiers in complex environments upon commissioning. 

“Both Cadet Basic Training and Cadet Field Training put you in a position to perform a task, and they grade you on how well you can perform that task. CLDT, on the other hand, is not an objective score, as there is more than one way to complete a mission on the lanes; instead, it’s based on how much your peers trust you, your confidence level, and your ability to make quick decisions.” —CDT Jacqueline Reagan ’24, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company WEST POINT | FALL 2023

Future Partnerships from Today’s Relationships In April, cadet representatives from 43 countries came to West Point for a little more than a week as part of the Foreign Academy Exchange Program (FAEP). One month earlier, during spring break, 88 USMA cadets traveled to these countries to improve their foreign language skills and knowledge of a local culture as part of FAEP. Above: Cadets from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario (red uniforms), from the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania (dark uniforms), and from the United States Military Academy pose on the Apron near the Washington Monument.

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Photo: Submitted

By Keith J. Hamel, WPAOG staff

FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS FROM TODAY’S RELATIONSHIPS

ow in its 64th year, FAEP is one of USMA’s security cooperation programs managed by the Academy’s International Affairs Division. As such, it’s regulated by Headquarters, Department of the Army guidelines, as well as by Army Regulation 11-31 (Army International Security Cooperation Policy). The mission of FAEP is to promote goodwill and foster partnerships between USMA and the service academies of other nations in the hope that these partnerships will increase long-term military-to-military engagements between the United States and other allied nations. “More than half of the foreign area officers that I’ve encountered in my career are former FAEP cadets,” notes J. Shane Hatcher, Chief of International Affairs at USMA. Even if they do not become a liaison with a foreign military operating in coalition with U.S. forces, those who participated in FAEP as cadets will be able to use the personal friendships they developed to further professional contact and relations with their FAEP country as an officer. “It’s easier to call a friend for information or a favor than to cold call someone you don’t have a relationship with,” says Hatcher. “I’m hoping to keep a positive relationship with my FAEP partner so we can continue to learn from each other,” says Cadet

Mackenzie Courtright ’24, who visited the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania in Vilnius on her spring break. “I believe that FAEP has increased my cross-cultural competencies and has strengthened my ability to make connections with partner nations,” says now Second Lieutenant Jordyn Kenkel ’23, who attended the Dr. Franjo Tudman Croatian Military Academy for a week last March. While FAEP certainly provides cadets a glimpse into a possible future role they may have as officers in the operational Army, in the more immediate sense it shows them how USMA compares to other nations’ military academies and informs them about how the world views West Point and the U.S. Army.

USMA vs. International Military Academies “During my visit to the Korean Military Academy [KMA] in Seoul, South Korea, I was surprised to find how similar many of its military customs, routines, structures and more were to USMA,” says now Second Lieutenant Anthony Haynes ’23. “That is until my host cadets informed me, something to the effect of, ‘Yes, we modeled it after West Point to a great degree.’”

“I believe that FAEP has increased my cross-cultural competencies and has strengthened my ability to make connections with partner nations.”

Photo: Submitted

— Now 2LT Jordyn Kenkel ’23

FAEP participants listen to LTG Steve Gilland ’90, the 61st USMA Superintendent, at the 2023 FAEP Superintendent's Dinner in the Regimental Room of the Cadet Mess Hall.

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

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FAEP cadets from Indonesia (brown uniforms, left) and FAEP cadets from Norway (green uniforms, right) at the 2023 FAEP Superintendent's Dinner.

“West Point is certainly a model to follow,” says Luca Giacchetta and Fiornzo Zanoni, two cadets from Italy who visited USMA in April as part of FAEP. “Our commander, who stayed at West Point for three years as an International Officer Instructor, told us before our trip that the organization and structure on display here are amazing.” Of course, access to resources and the needs of their homeland army prevent these international military academies from copying USMA exactly. “KMA did not have the same expansive training area that we are afforded thanks to Camp Buckner and the ranges of the West Point training reservation,” notes Hayes. Indeed, it’s not surprising to learn that most international military academies are much smaller than West Point. “The military academy in Kosovo had less than 20 cadets in each grade,” remarks now Second Lieutenant Alyssa Austin ’23. What may be surprising is that USMA cadets noted that some of these small academies place a large emphasis on military training. “Kosovo cadets perform more field training exercises during the academic year than West Point cadets do,” says Austin, “but they use the same doctrine we use at West Point.” “The Finnish academy is much more focused on military training,” says now Second Lieutenant Michael Kovacevic ’23. “Furthermore, since all their cadets are prior conscripts, their academy training places less emphasis on basic skills training and instead focuses on certifying cadets to lead exercises.” There are academic differences between academies too. “USMA has a two-day system and cadets take five academic classes at once for the entire semester,” says Courtright. “Cadets attending the Lithuanian academy, on the other hand, take one class intensely for three weeks and then switch to a new class, adding up to the same number of classes for the semester.” 40

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“The Croatian military academy only offers two major fields of study,” notes Kenkel: “Military Leadership and Military Engineering, both of which qualify their students for different branches.” “Kosovo cadets take classes at the Rochester Institute of Technology-Kosovo along with civilians,” says Austin. “Additionally, their education is geared towards the humanities and international relations, with no engineering majors.” Finally, there are certain differences between academies that speak to cultural differences, if nothing else. “In Finland, a cadet can be thrown into the ocean for breaking an academy rule,” says Kovacevic. [Who says “walking the Area” is the worst punishment?] At the Royal Danish Military Academy, which is only a two-year program, cadets are generally 10 years older than their West Point counterparts. “This makes our academy a bit more relaxed than what is seen around West Point,” says Rasmus Clausen, a Danish FAEP cadet. “Then again, our entire army is the size of the Corps of Cadets.”

How the World Sees West Point “West Point is viewed very favorably in Kosovo,” says Austin. Its citizens are very thankful for the role the U.S. military, led by several West Point graduates, played in ending the genocide against Kosovo citizens in the late 1990s and in helping to build the subsequent Kosovo military. “West Point is where the world’s best leaders are made, ones that have global impact,” says Naser Sekiraqa, a Kosovo cadet who came to West Point in April as part of FAEP. “My family was really impressed when they heard we were going to West Point for FAEP,” says Ermanda Meshi, Sekiraqa’s countrymate. “They knew we were only coming for 10 days, but they were telling us that the impact could last a lifetime.” Similarly, Haroua Abdou Moumouni, one of two FAEP cadets from Niger, says, “When people in my country heard we were going to West Point, they told us, ‘Oh, you are very lucky!’”

Photos: Submitted

As it turns out, several of the international military academies that USMA cadets visited during FAEP were designed to resemble USMA or have some connection to the Academy. “Croatia sees West Point as the blueprint for their academy, and it focuses on inculcating excellence in the military, academic, physical, and character pillars,” says Kenkel.

FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS FROM TODAY’S RELATIONSHIPS

“My experience in Finland showed that there is some knowledge of West Point among Finnish cadets and officers but not a strong understanding of its systems of training,” says Kovacevic. “Everybody in Finland knows West Point exists, but they kind of see it as this huge, mystical place,” says Aapo Ankeriasnieme, whom the Finnish National Defense University (NDU) assigned to attend FAEP. Coincidentally, NDU’s American football team is called the Black Knights. Furthermore, Hanna M. Parikka ’96 graduated from West Point as part of USMA’s four-year International Cadet Program. “I read a story about her before coming to West Point to get some context of the place,” Ankeriasnieme says. Hayes tells an interesting story about how South Koreans view West Point and the U.S. Army: “When visiting Seoul, we encountered several civilians who recognized our uniforms and were very impressed by our association with USMA. It was one of the most affirming experiences I have had as a cadet, to truly see the effects the U.S. Army made in contribution to the defense of Korea during the Korean War. It gave me more of a concrete purpose to my own service, to hopefully make as meaningful a contribution someday.”

“We have just joined NATO and are looking to extend cooperation with partner nations. So, I am expected to go back after this week with good relationships from FAEP so that I can help build a network of American partnerships for the future.”

n the spring of 2018, Joseph Haro, a cadet with the Escuela Superior Militar “Eloy Alfaro,” a training school for officers of the Ecuadorian army, visited West Point for a week as part of the Foreign Academy Exchange Program (FAEP). His host cadet was Daniel Lucio ’19. Lucio introduced Haro to one of his I-1 companymates, Ethan Press ’19, and Press and Haro soon became good friends. They kept in contact after FAEP, communicating through social media the past few years. Today Haro is a Special Forces officer in the Ecuadorian army who leads a 15-man team in counter drug-trafficking operations, while now Captain Press is an officer with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Earlier this year, the 7th SFG (A) was charged with building MOUT (Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain) sites at three bases in Ecuador, one of them being Haro’s home base. According to Press, his relationship with Haro contributed to stronger communication and interoperability between 7th SFG (A) engineers and Ecuadorian army engineers. “It took our joint team 14 days to construct six 16-foot-by-32foot B-Huts at the site in Manta, but in Latacunga, the site of Joseph’s base, it took only six days to build the huts,” says Press. “I did not directly participate in FAEP; however, understanding its mission and intent, I would say from my experience that it has tremendous value in forging relationships between future military leaders of partner nations,” Press says. “Only after one week of hanging out together at West Point during FAEP, Joseph and I established a strong enough relationship to have an impact when working together operationally five years later.”

— Aapo Ankeriasnieme, FAEP participant from Finland

Photo: Submitted

Upon returning to their home military academies, many FAEP cadets are expected to share the experience and knowledge they gained during their weeklong visit to West Point. “We will do a report on how USMA cadets are being trained and how classes are conducted here,” says Moumouni. Other military academies and countries, as in the case of Finland, are expecting even more from FAEP. “We have just joined NATO and are looking to extend cooperation with partner nations,” says Ankeriasnieme. “So, I’m expected to go back after this week with good relationships from FAEP so that I can help build a network of American partnerships for the future.” Subteniente Joseph Haro (left) and CPT Ethan Press ’19 (right).

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

The Real-World Impact of FAEP

Moumouni acknowledges that those in Niger have limited knowledge about West Point, but those who do know about it see it as a prestigious institution.

FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS FROM TODAY’S RELATIONSHIPS

This again speaks to the FAEP’s larger mission, long-term military partnerships for the mutual benefit of allied nations. Those countries participating in FAEP may glean the ways that USMA trains future officers and view West Point as the premier model of leadership to follow in this regard; however, as Austin suggests, the mission goes both ways. “I think my experience in FAEP will impact my future with the Army by giving me an understanding of what life is like in another country and about the military training that the foreign counterparts we might work with in the future go through,” she says. “A shared understanding of each other’s culture and a little bit of knowledge about how their country’s military operates will pay dividends thanks to FAEP.” 

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“I think my experience in FAEP will impact my future with the Army by giving me an understanding of what life is like in another country and about the military training that the foreign counterparts we might work with in the future go through.” — Now 2LT Alyssa Austin ’23

Photos: Submitted

Top, left: A FAEP cadet from Niger negotiates one of the obstacles on the Leaders Reaction Course. Top, right: A FAEP cadet from Moldova (left) and one from Niger (right) work together at the Leaders Reaction Course. Above: All 2023 FAEP participants, with their USMA host cadets, pose at the Leaders Reaction Course.

CLASS “QUOTES”

Class “Quotes” Q: When you think of West Point, what location do you see in your mind and why? A: “My favorite place at West Point is the Bell Tower of the Cadet Chapel, where I served as a Chapel chimer for two years.”

Says LTC (R) Tony Blackstone ’60, who currently resides in a waterfront home in Lancaster County, Virginia with his wife, Joan, of 60-plus years and amuses himself with the idea that, living in “boating country,” he could sail to England from his own pier if he wanted to (“but I don’t”).

A:: “When I think of West Point, I see two locations: Trophy

Point, where I raised my hand and started this amazing West Point journey; and Davis Barracks, now home to my old cadet company (E-1). It represents how far this place has come and the strength of its conviction to do what is right— for us all!” Says Archie Elam ’76, who adds that he is “retired but nowhere close to idle (you do more of what matters)!”

A: “When I think of West Point, I imagine that I’m sitting in the bleachers overlooking the Plain and Washington Monument. As a cadet, I used to jog out there and sit in the evening to escape the noise (as an Old Grad I still make a point to stop there and soak it all in). From that distance, everything felt bigger and smaller at the same time.”

Photos: John Pellino/USMA PAO; WPAOG archives

Says Aubrey Williams ’07, who is working as a financial advisor in Bloomington, Indiana and who is the daughter of LTC (R) Kenny Williams ’78. She and her husband, Dan (also an Army veteran), are opening a craft brewery called Heartwork Brewing Co. this fall.

WEST POINT | FALL 2023

CLASS “QUOTES”

A: “ Trophy Point. That view always brought me

peace and helped me through the tough days of the 47-month experience.” Says Ralph Garcia ’93, who has served as a national account manager for MSC Industrial Supply Co. for the last 10 years. When he is not working, he loves playing his guitar as a hobby, and he remains a boxing enthusiast (a former pugilist himself and previous coach of Notre Dame’s boxing team).

A: “After working for WPAOG for 15 years, I’d have to say

my mind starts at Herbert Hall when I think of West Point.” Says Kim McDermott ’87, who is retired and living the beach life in Florida with her husband, Vince ’85, at a community (perhaps considered a “ville”) associated with “margaritas.”

A: “I immediately think of

our ‘Rock-bound Highland Home!’ I return to West Point annually, and every time I drive through the gate my eyes become teary because my mind is flooded with great memories of being a cadet, teaching there later in my Army career, and acknowledging the great legacy the place has in the history of our nation.” Says LTC (R) Jeff Rock ’71, who stays active as a consultant and as an adjunct professor of business at Penn State Mont Alto, a residential commonwealth campus of the Pennsylvania State University. 

Class “Quotes” topic for the 2024 Winter issue: What tips would you offer to plebes on how to survive Gloom Period?

Photos: Erika Norton/WPAOG; WPAOG archives

Send your answers in an email to editor@wpaog.org. When submitting an answer, please include an informative and interesting update regarding your life that the Long Gray Line would enjoy reading. This can either be professional (e.g., new job, promotion, retirement) or personal (e.g., new child/ grandchild, marriage, hobby, etc.). Feel free to attach pictures that support your answer.

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2023 THAYER AWARD The Honorable Elizabeth Dole

Photos: Erika Norton, Rebecca Rose/WPAOG

By Erika Norton, WPAOG staff

or much of her life, Elizabeth Dole, the 2023 Thayer Award recipient, witnessed firsthand the sacrifices made by military members and their families. Not only did her brother serve, but her late husband, Bob Dole, the 2004 Thayer Award recipient, served during World War II, sustaining serious injuries that impacted him for the rest of his life.

Inspired by her experience, Dole established The Elizabeth Dole Foundation in 2012 to raise awareness and support for the millions of military caregivers in the U.S. This is one of the many reasons why she received the prestigious 2023 Sylvanus Thayer Award from the West Point Association of Graduates on September 21.

But it wasn’t until Mr. Dole was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 2010 for nearly 11 months that Mrs. Dole’s eyes were opened to the many challenges military families face. At the hospital, she saw how spouses and family members became caregivers to loved ones with life-altering injuries from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She saw spouses coordinate everything from medical appointments to homeschooling their children and how some had to help their loved ones with daily tasks like shaving, buttoning a shirt, or anything requiring two hands.

Since 1958, the Thayer Award is given annually to an outstanding U.S. citizen whose character and accomplishments in the national interest exemplify personal devotion to the ideals expressed in the West Point motto, “Duty, Honor, Country.” According to Lieutenant General Steven W. Gilland ’90, the 61st Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, when it comes to selfless service, Dole is “in a class by herself.” Dole’s public service career began in the late 1960s. She served in five presidential administrations, including a seven-year term on the Federal Trade Commission and a year as U.S. Secretary of

Above: The Hon. Elizabeth Dole, the 2023 Sylvanus Thayer Award recipient, poses on the Plain with the Corps of Cadets Brigade Staff. Inset: Dole addresses the entire Corps during a ceremony in the Mess Hall.

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2023 THAYER AWARD: THE HONORABLE ELIZABETH DOLE

Clockwise from above: (L to R) Chairman of the West Point Association of Graduates, the Hon. Robert A. McDonald ’75, 61st Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, LTG Steven W. Gilland ’90, 2023 Sylvanus Thayer Award recipient, the Hon. Elizabeth Dole, and West Point Association of Graduates President & CEO, COL (R) Mark Bieger ’91, pose in front of the Thayer Award plaque outside the Mess Hall. Dole receives a saber as a gift from the Corps of Cadets. Gilland shows Dole where her husband, Bob Dole, the 2004 Sylvanus Thayer Award recipient, had signed the Superintendent’s guest book.

Labor, during which she made work-place safety and at-risk youth her top priorities. In 1983, Dole was the first woman appointed U.S. Secretary of Transportation, which also made her the first woman to have served as the head of a branch of the U.S. military, as the U.S. Coast Guard was under the Department of Transportation at the time.

During her visit to the Academy, Dole was reminded of when her late husband received the Thayer Award for his own public service achievements. Gilland showed Dole where her husband had signed the Superintendent’s guest book in 2004, and, upon visiting the Thayer Award Room, she learned that her portrait was placed next to her husband’s. “I’m so happy that we’re together,” she said upon seeing their two portraits. The Doles are the only husband and wife to have each received a Thayer Award. “I'm from North Carolina, so I grew up learning about Senator Dole and her husband,” said Cadet Spencer Summerfield ’25, a member of the Corbin Forum who met Dole during her visit. “She was like a hero to me growing up, so it was really cool to meet her.” “We asked her what the most meaningful thing she’s done in her life was, and she placed a big emphasis on her time as Secretary of Transportation—how she made such a big difference by mandating seatbelts and airbags in vehicles and how many lives that saved, and also her work with the Red Cross,” Cadet Caroline Kennedy ’26 said. “She seems to have such a 46

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humanitarian mindset of saving lives and improving quality of life and safety for everyone.” When Dole addressed the entire Corps of Cadets, after they had conducted a review on the Plain in her honor, she reminded them of the importance of servant leadership. She said that servant leaders are not driven by power but by a call to serve, and they are often forced to make sacrifices and take on challenges that others find to be too risky or difficult. Dole also acknowledged that one of her most privileged responsibilities during her time as a U.S. senator was writing nomination letters for young people to attend West Point. She said it gave her hope to see those motivated to set aside their more comfortable lives and rise to the elite expectations of the Academy so that they could be leaders in a time of war. Visiting with the Corps of Cadets for the Thayer Award gave her that same hope. “I know it can sometimes seem that we will never repair the torn fabric of our country,” Dole said; “yet, being in the presence of those who have answered the nation’s call always gives me hope that the seeds of unity and the ideal of committing ourselves to something larger and more lasting remain fertile in America.”

View the Thayer Award Flickr album.

Photos: Rebecca Rose/WPAOG

Throughout most of the 1990s, Dole led the American Red Cross, becoming only the second woman to lead that organization (the first being its founder, Clara Barton). In 2000, Dole ran for president of the United States, and in 2002 she was the first woman elected to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

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West Point magazine’s 2022 Spring issue (the “Four Regiments” issue) won a 2023 Apex Award for Publication Excellence in the category of “Magazines, Journals, and Tabloids-Print (entire issue-over 32 pages plus cover).” A competition of communication professionals now in its 35th year, the Apex Awards are based on excellence in editorial content, graphic design, and overall communication strategy.

West Point Entrepreneur San Diego Roadshow More than 75 West Point grads gathered in August for the West Point Entrepreneur San Diego Raodshow. The group held discussions on entrepreneurship and growing companies in innovative industries partial to the Southern California region. “I truly believe small businesses are the engine of the U.S. economy,” said Dean Wegner ’93. “The entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well in San Diego at the West Point Entrepreneur Roadshow!”

Photos: Submitted

West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) Annual Meeting and Election All USMA graduates are encouraged to vote in the WPAOG 2023 Annual Election. No later than October 15, 2023, proxies will be emailed or mailed to each graduate. Graduates whose email address is on file at WPAOG will receive an email that contains a personalized link, which will take them to the confidential online voting site maintained by Amplitude Research, Inc. Other graduates

will receive paper proxies via the U.S. Postal Service. Voting closes at 5pm ET on Monday, November 13, 2023, the evening before the WPAOG Annual Meeting and Election, which will take place at 5pm ET on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. This year the Annual Meeting will take place at the Herbert Alumni Center.

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WPAOG NEWS

WPAOG News WPAOG 50-Year Affiliation Program Engages with Cadets All Summer 1974/2024 Ring Weekend “The Pride of the Corps,” Class of ’74, was present as the members of their 50-Year Affiliation Class, the Class of 2024, received their class rings during Ring Weekend. Eleven rings from the Class of 1974 were part of the 67 rings donated to the WPAOG Class Ring Memorial Program in January and melted to be used in the making of the Class of 2024’s rings. “We thank the Class of 1974 for their guidance and mentorship throughout our time at West Point,” said CDT Sayana Lopes ’24, the Ring & Crest Committee Chairperson, during the ceremony on the Plain. View a firstie showing off his ring to the Corps of Cadets.

1975/2025 Affirmation Members of the Class of 1975 were present in the Eisenhower Hall theater and handed out coins to members of the Class of 2025 as they affirmed their commitment to serve in the U.S. Army upon graduation from West Point. LTG (R) Robert Caslen ’75, the 59th Superintendent and a 2019 recipient of the Distinguished Graduate Award, served as the Affirmation Ceremony’s guest speaker. View photos from the Class of 2025 Affirmation ceremony.

The Class of 1976 presented the Class of 2026, their 50-Year Affiliation Class, with its own West Point class flag during the class’s Cadet Field Training graduation ceremony. During the ceremony, BG (R) Jim Warner ’75, accompanied by five of his classmates, presented the gift to CDT Madison Phillips ’26, class president. The Class of 2026 flag will now accompany the class during all its major class events between now and graduation day. View photos from the Class of 2026 CFT flag ceremony. continued

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Photos: Erika Norton, Rebecca Rose/WPAOG

1976/2026 Class Flag

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Sixty-three members of the Class of 1977 joined the new cadets from the Class of 2027 to complete the 12-mile road march from Camp Bucker that marks the end of Cadet Basic Training. Throughout the march, these members of “Esprit de Corps” provided counsel and encouragement to the those of the “Earned, Not Given” class. View photos from the Class of 2027 March Back.

Herbert Alumni Center Flooding (and clean up)

2023 WPAOG Leaders Conference

Herbert Hall was not spared when the skies opened up on July 9 and dumped more than 8 inches of rain on West Point in roughly four hours, but it could have been worse. Water flowed down Mills Road and over the curbs. Debris and landscaping stones filled up the walkway in front of the building, and the bank between the upper and lower parking lots washed down. Water pooled to the top of the loading dock, floating a dumpster more than 25 feet from its normal location. Although some water breached the building, it only pooled in a few places on the first floor, never reaching WPAOG’s servers. Clean up began immediately, with renovations to office space and outdoor landscaping. The best news? The Gift Shop is open during football season!

Photos: Erika Norton/WPAOG; Todd Browne ’85

The 28th annual West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) Leaders Conference, sponsored by the Class of 1967, was held at West Point from August 9 through August 11. The theme of the 2023 Leaders Conference was “One Team, One Mission,” and dozens of Class, Society, and Parents Club leaders converged on Eisenhower Hall to hear from USMA leaders, learn from WPAOG educational sessions, and have group discussions on engagement and best practices. “This year’s Leaders Conference was the best I’ve seen in my six years as Conference Chair,” said Dr. Deirdre Dixon ’84, who announced she was stepping down from her position after the conference. “Having societies, classes, and parents all interact and network really brings the power of the Long Gray Line to life.” View photos from the 2023 WPAOG Leaders Conference

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A West Point magazine supplement featuring books by West Point graduates and faculty.

Elder Financial Abuse

Negotiating Turbulence

Letters from Baghdad

By Bob Bradley ‘65

Purposed-Based, Values-Driven Leadership

Volume 1 (2006-07)

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A true story about a son’s extraordinary efforts to protect his father and his assets from a financial predator following the death of his mother. “This book is full of good information and is also a fun read. For seniors who think they are doing everything possible to protect their assets, this is well worth taking the time to read. There are people out there who are out to rip off seniors, and in addition could actually be dangerous. Bradley educates and entertains.” —Amazon review Available at Amazon and wherever books are sold.

By Dr. John F. Cosgrove ’75 During turbulent times we want leaders with purpose that brings unity and values that drive decisions and behaviors. The reader will take an inward journey to affirm or discover individual purpose and values that frame behaviors and decisions. The journey continues as the author proposes a process to discover the group's overarching purpose and group values. The leadership theories supported by real leadership stories will provide practical application for any transformational leader, leader-coach, and motivator. Available at Amazon.com

My Forever War with Mental Illness

Defending Against the Ambush

By MG (R) Gregg F. Martin Ph.D ’79

By Michael Miller ‘64

Bipolar General:

Following decades of achievement, I rocketed into full-blown mania. My boss, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave me a choice, “...resign or be fired...and get a psychiatric evaluation!” Plunging into hopeless depression and terrifying psychosis, doctors diagnosed me with bipolar disorder. In “bipolar hell,” I was hospitalized, prescribed various medications and therapies, and finally, began to recover. Brutally candid, this is my story: from success to bipolar onset in combat, crisis, recovery, new life, and lessons learned. Wherever books are sold.

Hard learned lessons from a Vietnam Veteran on how to defend against ambushes. Avoiding the Kill Zone, proper vehicle spacing, anti-ambush training and other techniques. Learn how ambushers think and their techniques so you can outwit them. The author survived three ambushes, avoided many others.“I brought all my men home safely. This is how I did it. If I had a son or friend in the military, I would want him to read this book.” Available at Amazon.com

By COL (R) Mike Courts’ ’81 Letters from Baghdad Volume 1 chronicles COL (Ret) Mike Courts’ first year in Baghdad from 2006-07. As Chief Engagements Branch, Mike had a unique perspective on efforts to separate Sunni Insurgents from Al-Qaeda. Mike describes his team’s work and what life working in “The Palace” was like. Mike combines serious issues of the war, insights into the daily life of a staff officer, and humor into a compelling narrative. Inclusion of weekly lessons, and topical articles creates a holistic view of the war.

An Illustrated Look at Traditions of the United States Military Academy A to Z By Peter Eschbach ‘78 As Cadets undergo the 47-month challenge of USMA, they are connected to those who have gone before them —the legendary Long Gray Line—by traditions and experiences, many as old as the academy itself. This book illustrates just some of the many traditions familiar to West Pointers. The pictures and comments of more than 200 West Pointers show these traditions help mold the culture of America’s warrior leader class. Available at bit.ly/3BEfrWL

Book and eBook are available at Amazon.com

Hoops and Heroes:

Iraq and the Politics of Oil:

The Inspiring Story of Army West Point Basketball

An Insider’s Perspective

By Susan Shackelford

Vogler spent 5 months in prewar oil planning at the Pentagon. This was followed with 75 months in Iraq executing oil reconstruction under DOD between 2003 and 2011. During all this time and through 2014, he denied that our government had a hidden oil agenda in Iraq. While researching his book, Gary discovered something of significance: an oil agenda that will surprise most Americans. The book attempts to correct history and set the record straight.

First nicknamed the Sugar Smacks, Army West Point women’s basketball players had little sweet about them when they debuted in 1976—except their success. Their outsized impact on the acceptance of women at West Point, Coach Maggie Dixon, the magical 2005-06 season and Patriot League superstar Kelsey Minato are among the compelling stories captured in this book. The nonprofit Friends of Army Women’s Basketball commissioned Hoops and Heroes, which has drawn acclaim from basketball and military leaders. Available at www.hoopsandheroesbook.org

By Gary Vogler ’73

Available at Thayer Hall Bookstore & Amazon.com

Inclusion of these books in West Point magazine is a paid advertisement and is not an endorsement of the contents or values expressed in the books. Descriptions have been provided by authors or publishers and should not be considered a review of the book.

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To learn more about Bookshelf advertising, contact ads@wpaog.org or call 845.446.1646

Static Line:

By J.A. Greene ‘73

An Airborne Infantryman’s Career

The Apache Wars are over. Connor has been a soldier, packer and scout. To finance his ranch, he smuggles guns to the Yaqui, fighting in Sonora. Connor's partners want him dead. The Rurales are merciless too. Connor journeys towards a final, violent confrontation. Treachery needs vengeance and debts repaid to forge a new future. Harsh deserts and mountains of the Southwestern U.S. and Sonora, Mexico as the 19th Century closes is the backdrop for this tale of pursuit and survival.

By LTG (R) James H. Johnson Jr. ’60

Available at Amazon.com

In Static Line you will hit the drop zone running with Jim Johnson, a warrior who reported to West Point in July 1956 in search of a challenge. In his 30+ year career he found it. He served as a troop leader in the 82nd Airborne Division at every level, from Rifle Platoon Leader to Division Commander, commanding the 82nd Airborne Division longer than anyone since World War II. Available at combatjumppublishing.com and Amazon.com

Hiring Veterans: How To Leverage Military Talent for Organizational Growth By Matthew J. Louis ‘91 Hiring Veterans is a practical guide for prospective employers that want to hire members of today’s military community. Veterans and military spouses represent a real-time talent pool of experienced, trained, and dedicated professionals that, when properly harnessed, comprise an instant means of improving an organization’s competitiveness and productivity. Case studies of organizations both large and small clearly demonstrate how leveraging a veteran-talent-based strategy is a business imperative resulting in organizational growth.

Outsmart the Money Magicians: Maximize Your Net Worth by Seeing Through the Most Powerful Illusions Performed by Wall Street and the IRS By Christopher R. Manske, ’95 A resounding grassroots demand for financial reform, this book arms you with the ability to see your money with clarity as a Wall Street insider reveals the systemic misdirection rampant in American finance. Offering specific methods to tilt investing your way, Manske gives original answers to the question: “How do you save instead of consume and truly build your wealth?” Available at Amazon.com

Available anywhere books are sold

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Guns For Sonora

By Thomas Veale ’93, Guest Writer

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Photo: AWPAD

Sports Performance Program Builds Champions

SPORTS PERFORMANCE PROGRAM BUILDS CHAMPIONS

thletics at West Point, as every graduate knows, are a massive endeavor. Currently, the field of athletics at West Point ranges from seven core curriculum physical education classes to 12 company athletic sports, 16 competitive club sports teams, and nearly 30 intercollegiate Division I or II teams. West Point athletes enjoy access to more than 500,000 square feet of fitness facilities, and they’re frequently reminded of the connections among fitness, leadership, and teamwork that directly translate to success in battle. To enable these cadets to perform their best and achieve their goals, the Sports Performance Program, a division within Army West Point Athletics Department (AWPAD), integrates Strength and Conditioning, Athletic Training (with Sports Medicine), and Performance Psychology into a holistic and cohesive methodology.

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING Scott Swanson oversees the Sports Performance Program for all West Point’s cadet-athletes. As the Director of Strength and Condition (S&C) for AWPAD, he and his assistants focus on the strength, speed, conditioning, and nutritional support for all corps squad team members. With a Master of Science in Education degree in health, sport management, and exercise science from the University of Kansas, Swanson came to West Point in 1995 as part of what was then a much smaller S&C staff. In the summer of 1997, he took a position at Stanford University assisting with the strength and conditioning of Stanford’s football team and supervising the strength and conditioning of its basketball, swim and dive, and hockey teams. During his tenure there, the Cardinal went to the Final Four in men’s basketball and won both men’s and women’s national championships in swimming and diving. With exceptional experience and achievements under his belt, Swanson returned to West Point in 1998 to oversee its entire S&C program.

our program with additional staff and resources, and we’re working to create the first Strength and Conditioning Endowment, funds that would benefit all the staff and cadetathletes by providing resources to further education and purchase state-of-the-art equipment,” Swanson says. Like his peers, Swanson works with cadets during their entire 47month experience at West Point, often forming relationships that extend beyond graduation. “After they graduate, many cadet-athletes continue to talk to me about their current training programs.” These graduates often continue and adapt their athletic training to help them achieve success in Ranger School, Special Operations selection, and other physically demanding military endeavors. When asked to boil his criteria for success down to a single statement, Swanson keeps it simple: “Beating Navy! That makes us all successful,” he says.

ATHLETIC TRAINING Some of the most powerful memories stirred up among athletes involve the training room: a place directly associated with preparation for, and recovery from, athletic competition. Tim Kelly joined the athletic training staff as an assistant in 1987 and was named head athletic trainer in 1992. At the University of Iowa, he majored in athletic training and immediately started seeking jobs with the National Football League. “By the time I

In addition to leading the S&C and Sports Performance staffs, Swanson interacts with cadets during workouts, weightlifting, speed training, and team practices. He also maintains relationships and connections with his colleagues at other Division I sports programs. “We match up well with programs around the country,” he says. “We have a large, well-educated and energetic staff committed to maximizing the performance of all our cadet-athletes.”

Photo: AWPAD

Grateful for his time and experiences at Stanford as the university built its program, Swanson points to it as a model for strength and conditioning. He also points to the rapid evolution of technology in the S&C field: “The use of velocity-based systems to track how fast you move a bar, to heart rate and GPS tracking, and daily readiness and sleep tracking have all enabled athletes to improve their performance,” he says. Remaining current in the field of Sports Performance requires consistent improvement. “We’re working to continually evolve Previous page: Members of the Army West Point Football Team conduct strength and conditioning drills during practice. Above: A member of the Army West Point Football Team works out in the O’Meara, Malek, Dawkins Class of 1959 Strength Development Center.

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SPORTS PERFORMANCE PROGRAM BUILDS CHAMPIONS

Rachel Leahy (right), Director of Sports Medicine , saved a West Point hockey player's life on January 5, 2023 when his neck was sliced by a skate in a player-to-player collision.

As luck would have it, Kelly was offered an internship with the Buffalo Bills his junior and senior years, and then for his two years in graduate school. After an additional postgraduate season with the Bills, he accepted an offer from West Point and has remained here ever since. “Two of the athletic trainers at Iowa had worked at West Point and often talked about their mentors here,” says Kelly. “The head athletic trainer of the Bills had also worked at West Point, so when the position opened up, he encouraged me to apply.” Kelly’s 20-person staff of athletic trainers is responsible for the health and welfare of cadets on all athletic teams. This includes cadets with sports injuries as well as those experiencing temporary illness or other health challenges. “We interact with them daily,” says Kelly. “We evaluate, treat, and rehabilitate injured cadet-athletes as quickly and safely as possible; and, as Head Athletic Trainer, one of my primary responsibilities is to empower the staff by ensuring they have everything they need to do their jobs.” West Point’s athletic trainers engage in regular communication with more than 1,000 cadet athletes, as well as with the USMA faculty, staff, physicians, officials, and coaches who support them. Kelly attended the National Athletic Trainers Association Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana in early summer. “West Point is unique in comparison to other Division I athletic programs, especially in the number of athletes we support,” he 54

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says. “At the University of Iowa, they might have around 400 athletes to support; here, we have almost 1,100.” The relationships built and maintained here endure after a staff member goes elsewhere. “I still maintain friendships with my colleagues who have departed for other colleges, or even for professional sports,” he says. “Sometimes, we share ideas on training and bounce ideas off each other regarding treatment or rehabilitation for a specific injury.” When it comes to intercollegiate athletics, the differences between West Point and other institutions are significant. “My day is different than most of my colleagues at other places,” he says. “Given their time in classes, official duties, and military training, I have about two to three hours with cadet-athletes every day; but, at other places, athletic trainers have all-day access to their athletes.” Management of West Point athletes and their time is a major challenge for athletic trainers. “Imagine having to tell a coach that his quarterback got a concussion in boxing class,” Kelly says. “Our athletic trainers, and the Army Sports Performance Program as a whole, provide a unified approach to minimizing risks and spreading out competing demands.” Kelly and his team try to identify challenges and then lay out potential solutions to address problems or risks that allow decision makers to make informed decisions. These decision makers include leaders at West Point’s highest levels. One challenge is to maximize athletes’ preparation by managing academic loads and summer training assignments. “If we can

Photo: AWPAD

graduated from Iowa, I had 26 letters of rejection: one from every team that existed back then!” he laughs.

SPORTS PERFORMANCE PROGRAM BUILDS CHAMPIONS

give fall athletes some preparation time at the end of the summer, they’re better prepared from a strength, conditioning, and nutrition standpoint when fall sports begin.” Another challenge is when spring sports championships extend into or beyond Term End Exams. “Baseball, for example, has gotten much more competitive in the last 10-12 years, and the administration has been very good about accommodating cadets’ ability to complete academic requirements while competing in championships or tournaments,” Kelly notes. In the past, there have been times when cadet-athletes have had to take examinations on a Saturday morning before a competition. “That has a big effect on morale and stress,” says Kelly, “and being flexible with cadet schedules has improved performance greatly.” After more than 36 years in his position, Kelly has gained a lot of insight into what makes a cadet-athlete better. “The schedule is more complex and challenging now than it’s ever been,” he says. “Balancing needs and requirements is a challenge, and we find that cadets who can manage their time better tend to perform better.” As a part of the Sports Performance Program, athletic trainers join their colleagues in addressing athletes’ strengths, challenges, and needs. Kelly says: “We meet regularly to discuss cases and remain aggressive in meeting the challenges. We work with coaches, physicians, the Center for Enhanced Performance, tactical officers, and staff and faculty to ensure we’re doing everything we can. When people work together instead of in separate silos, there’s always a better outcome for the cadet who’s injured or needs something. The Army Sports Performance Program is all about cross-communication among people working for a common goal. It’s about synergy. I’ve never been anywhere that creates teams as well as West Point does. We’re all pulling in the right direction and focusing on the cadetathlete here.” Kelly says that one of the greatest benefits to his job is the people he meets and maintains relationships with: “Our athletes are here for a different reason. They are here for a common goal: to graduate, commission, and serve the nation. I just had a member of the 1992 football team contact me and thank me for working on his foot so he could play in the Army-Navy Game. When I get these kinds of emails, or when players come back for a football reunion, they still talk to me about how their knees or shoulders are doing! Seeing the developmental process from R-Day to Graduation Day is the most rewarding thing at West Point. It’s also great to see former cadet-athletes come back as staff or faculty, and when I go to Eisenhower Hall, I can actually count the number of cadets I helped who ended up being generals. You don’t get that anywhere else.”

Rachel Leahy currently serves as Director of Sports Medicine and as the medical director for Army Summer Camp. Leahy has two years in her current role, and her four years at West Point have included support to Army West Point Volleyball, Softball, Rugby, and Hockey. Leahy got her bachelor’s degree at Quinnipiac College and her master’s degree and internship in health services administration at the University of Wyoming. Leahy explains the daily duties for the Sports Medicine staff: “We treat athletes for injuries, handle rehabilitation, check on surgeries, schedule and take appointments, communicate with doctors, and cover practices and conditioning sessions.” During competition, the Sports Medicine staff travel with teams, attend to team members on the bench, modify practices when necessary, provide after-practice treatment, and provide first aid and emergency care as required. The importance of the Sports Medicine staff was highlighted on January 5 this year in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where the Army West Point Hockey Team was playing Sacred Heart University. After a collision, one player’s skate cut across another player’s

“ The Army Sports Performance Program is all about crosscommunication among people working for a common goal. It’s about synergy. I’ve never been anywhere that creates teams as well as West Point does. We’re all pulling in the right direction and focusing on the cadet-athlete here.” — Tim Kelly Associate Athletics Director-Head Athletic Trainer

Photo: AWPAD

(Athletic Training con’t) SPORTS MEDICINE The Director of Sports Medicine oversees all medical aspects of support for athletics, including staffing, training, communication with stakeholders, medical paperwork, and the administration of medical care itself.

A member of the Athletic Training staff tends to an on-field injury.

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SPORTS PERFORMANCE PROGRAM BUILDS CHAMPIONS

The life-saving steps taken by the Sports Medicine staff result from practices developed over time, including medical reconnaissance at game sites and detailed coordination with host facility officials. “We also scout out unique needs for our athletes, such as warm-up equipment, and we go over emergency procedures, contact lists, and available medical assets,” Leahy says. “When teams come to West Point to compete, my counterparts’ abilities might be complicated by access restrictions here,” she says, “but we help them understand the nuances, such as where the facilities and restricted areas are, what’s available to guests, and who can help.” One of Leahy’s roles in the Sports Performance Program is to assist the director in filling and growing the Sports Performance staff, which includes seeking to fill the Sports Nutritionist role. The staff member who fills this role will watch cadets’ diets for height-weight, endurance, and performance factors. This individual will also oversee dietetic needs such as fueling for competitions and meet one-to-one with cadets who have specific needs or post-operative requirements. When asked what the future looks like for West Point’s Sports Performance Program, Leahy points to the rising importance of technology. “There’s a lot of tech in our field, such as devices that track sleep, heart rate, high-intensity minutes, and heartrate zones,” she says. Such technologies produce a lot of data, and the challenge is how to filter it into useful and beneficial information. “The Hockey Team uses Whoop Bands to track their sleep, and we’re seeing trends on sleep patterns and how we can adjust practice and travel schedules.”

The Army West Point Women’s Basketball Team participates in a performance psychology session.

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PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY During periods of high stress and anxiety, athletes can become their own worst enemies. Combating overthinking, nerves, and self-doubt enables cadets to perform at their highest levels, regardless of internal and external stress factors. Leading the effort in support of cadet-athletes’ mental game is Dr. Kathryn “Kat” Longshore, Director of the Performance Psychology Program in the Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP), a West Pont academic research division (e.g. Dean) support center that includes both performance psychology and academic excellence programming for the entire Corps. Cadets who were at West Point during or after 1991 fondly recall the Center for Enhanced Performance as the “Egg Chair People,” so called because of the white, oval, egg-shaped Alpha Chambers used then for mental performance enhancement. “The new Alpha Chambers are black,” she laughs, “But yes, we’re still familiar with that name.” Joking aside, Longshore is quite serious about the impact of psychology on cadets’ performance. “Our goal is to enable cadets to perform their best when it matters the most,” she says. Longshore is no stranger to West Point’s fields of friendly strife. Prior to becoming the Director of Performance Psychology last February, she served as an instructor for nearly three years; she also recalls the first time she set foot on West Point as a softball player for Lafayette, a Patriot League rival. “We think of performance holistically, both within academics and all the physical requirements here, such as courses in survival swimming and military movement, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test, Army Combat Fitness Test preparation, and the overall setting and achieving of goals,” she says. When cadet-athletes find themselves in high-pressure situations, they can rely on mitigation skills gained from the Performance Psychology Program. “Things like Army-Navy competitions are high pressure,” she says. “Our goal is to keep our cadets focused on the bigger picture: Who is Army? Who do we want to be when the pressure is on? Those are the times we need to double down on our breathing exercises and other things we do to manage our performance. Once the whistle blows, it's still just soccer or basketball. We help cadets remember who they are and why they are there.” In her capacity, Longshore serves as the course director for PL360: The Psychology of Human Performance. Her team also supports a wide range of cadet activities, from field training to academics and to club, team, and individual sports. If a cadet has issues with Camp Buckner’s “Slide for Life,” she and her team provide interventions to manage the cadet’s physiological response. If a corps squad golfer has the “yips,” performance psychologists can take their work to the driving range. If an athlete or coach wants an individual or team session, Longshore and her team are there. “We focus on skill or teambuilding, go to games, provide a sounding board for coaches, and support anyone who wants or needs it,” she says.

Photo: AWPAD

neck, resulting in extensive, life-threatening bleeding. Before Emergency Medical Services reached the ice, Leahy had stopped the bleeding. Thanks to her quick action and a wellrehearsed process, the player went immediately into surgery and has recovered.

SPORTS PERFORMANCE PROGRAM BUILDS CHAMPIONS

The Army West Point Women’s Tennis Team credits the Performance Psychology Program, led by Dr. Kathryn Longshore, with helping it win the 2022 Patriot League Championship.

A recent success Longshore recalls is her team’s assistance with the Army West Point Women’s Tennis Team in winning the 2022 Patriot League Championship. “Tennis is viewed as an individual sport, but in college competition, tennis wins or loses as a team,” she says. Army had lost to Navy and Boston University in back-to-back weekends prior to the Patriot League Championships.

Photo: AWPAD

When called in to assist, Longshore and her team helped the women stay focused on being adaptive in changing conditions and on encouraging one another despite the pressures on the individual. “Army went on to beat Navy in the semifinal, and we beat BU in the final: both victories came down to one of the last matches, and Army’s team of nine played and cheered each other as if there were 25-30 of them. The ladies’ success as a team came down to their buying into their individual roles and doing what the team needed. They came together as a unit and achieved well above what they thought they could do. In short, they won because they were the better team that day,” says Longshore. When asked which areas of performance psychology she would like to see expanded, she pointed to ever-increasing virtual reality technology. “I would love to see more sports-oriented virtual reality offerings through the West Point Simulation Center. We are working with them to build out a library of scenarios and videos beyond existing footage for the dive platform and parts of the Indoor Obstacle Course Test. It’s highcost, but high-payoff, and it puts Army on the cutting edge. We’re very excited about the possibilities.”

“ I don’t know that any other program has the resources we have in terms of sports psychology. We are pretty unique, and that reflects the academy’s priority on supporting cadet performance.” — Dr. Kathryn Longshore, Director, Performance Psychology Program, Center for Enhanced Performance When asked how Army West Point’s Performance Psychology program compares to those of her Division I peers, Longshore responds, “I don’t know that any other program has the resources we have in terms of sports psychology. We are pretty unique, and that reflects the Academy’s priority on supporting cadet performance.”  Thomas F. Veale is a 1993 graduate who retired as a colonel with 26 years’ service in Infantry and public affairs. He served two tours on USMA faculty, including time as a football academic mentor and course director for EN101: Composition. He holds a Ph.D. in literature from the University of Kansas and currently resides in Rainier, WA.

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BE THOU AT PEACE

Be Thou at Peace BG Paul D. Phillips USA, Retired* Col Gonzalo Fernandez USAF, Retired Lt Col William G. Locke USAF, Retired Mr. Timothy C. Cronin III Col Eugene B. Mechling Jr. USAF, Retired Mr. James A. Willson III Dr. Leonard J. Garrett GEN Wallace H. Nutting USA, Retired Mr. John J. Bohan Jr. COL Frederick F. Irving USA, Retired LTC Joseph H. Devins Jr. USA, Retired Mr. Phillip B. Pickering LTC Donald E. Sells USA, Retired COL Herbert D. Vogel Jr. USA, Retired Col Charles J. Doryland USAF, Retired COL Early J. Rush III USA, Retired Mr. Albert N. Tardiff LTC John R. Temp USA, Retired LTC Harold F. Barnes USA, Retired Mr. Robert L. Bullock Jr. LTC Charles M. Luce Jr. USA, Retired COL James P. Bergen USA, Retired Mr. James E. Fleeger Lt Col James F. Heye USAF, Retired Mr. William D. McWilliams III Maj Gordon R. Negaard USAF, Retired COL Paul F. Parks USA, Retired LTC Whit L. Coats USA, Retired COL Vernon E. Ebert USA, Retired MG James N. Ellis USA, Retired LTC Frederic J. Fogh USA, Retired LTC William E. Lyon USA, Retired COL David C. Muntz AUS, Retired LTC Morrill Ross Jr. USA, Retired MG Scott B. Smith USA, Retired Mr. Everett C. Updike Col William T. Wetzel USAF, Retired COL Calvin DeWitt III USA, Retired LTC Thomas E. Runyan USA, Retired COL Glenn L. Bugay USA, Retired GEN Vichitra S. Sookmark RTA, Retired LTC Jude J. Theibert USA, Retired

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1940 1947 1948 1949 1949 1949 1950 1950 1951 1951 1952 1952 1952 1952 1953 1953 1953 1953 1954 1954 1954 1955 1955 1955 1955 1955 1955 1956 1956 1956 1956 1956 1956 1956 1956 1956 1956 1957 1957 1958 1958 1958

Deaths reported from June 16, 2023 – September 15, 2023

COL David G. Cotts USA, Retired COL Barrett S. Haight USA, Retired LTG Jerome B. Hilmes USA, Retired Mr. Donald W. McClurg Col Dudley M. Moorhous Jr. USAF, Retired LTC Charles E. Tennant USA, Retired LTC John A. Hixson USA, Retired LTG James H. Johnson Jr. USA, Retired LTC Albert C. Keating USA, Retired Mr. William H. Willoughby Jr. Mr. Cyrus C. Wilson Mr. Roy L. Armstrong Jr. COL Edward F. Bruner USA, Retired Mr. Patrick J. Carroll Jr. COL Benjamin W. Covington III USA, Retired Mr. John L. Kammerdiener Mr. Henry D. Minor Jr. LTC Bruce P. Nichols USA, Retired LTC Robert J. Steege USA, Retired Mr. Joseph R. Tschamler Mr. Robert S. Cooper LTG Charles E. Dominy USA, Retired Dr. Ronald R. Henderson LTC Karl M. Henn USA, Retired MG Richard E. Storat USA, Retired COL John L. Taylor USA, Retired Mr. Daniel W. Wick COL Charles L. Wuerpel USA, Retired COL Stephen C. Hustead USA, Retired LTC Curry N. Vaughan Jr. USA, Retired COL David M. Bergman Sr. USA, Retired LTC Steven M. Bettner USA, Retired Mr. James M. Daly Jr. Mr. Robert J. Doolittle Jr. CPT Robert D. Hickson Jr. USA, Retired Mr. Stephen J. Induni Maj Emil T. Lechner USAF, Retired Mr. Eugene M. McLemore Jr. Mr. Robert G. Merritt III LTC Geoffrey S. Moakley USA, Retired Mr. William R. Vineyard Dr. Thomas W. Van Dyk

1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1963 1963 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1965

COL Edward P. Kane USA, Retired Mr. Nelson H. Newhouse Mr. Edward J. Beck Mr. Jerry L. Hines MAJ Michael S. Lighthill USA, Retired COL Everett D. Lucas Jr. USA, Retired Mr. Jon C. Anderson COL Michael L. Simonich USA, Retired COL Eric E. Thomas USA, Retired COL Paul S. Feyereisen USA, Retired LTC James C. Hunn USA, Retired Mr. Raymond J. Reitnour Jr. COL Daniel J. Davis USA, Retired LTC Ronald E. McConnell USA, Retired COL Galen E. Morris USA, Retired Mr. Glenn A. Taylor LTC Stanley A. Dickerson USAR, Retired LTC Stephen D. Milburn USA, Retired Mr. Lawrence K. Slate Jr. MAJ Ronald G. McCandless USA, Retired MAJ John W. Faulconbridge USA, Retired Mr. Thomas J. Fencl Mr. Raymond E. Lilley II Mr. Medardo T. Dela Cruz Mr. John S. Lukert Mr. Richard G. York Mr. George J. Slabowski Jr. Mr. David O. Myers CPT John K. Born USAR Mr. Terrence A. Shamblin Mr. Casey D. Wood Mr. David K. Harris Mr. Randall A. Nykanen Mr. Howard M. Slee Jr. COL David L. Graves USAR LTC Napoleon A. Campos Jr. MD LTC Ryan M. Laughna USA Mr. Andrew I. Webber Mr. Joseph Kim 1LT Hailey E. Hodsden USA *Oldest Living Graduate at time of death.

1966 1966 1967 1967 1967 1967 1968 1968 1968 1969 1970 1971 1973 1973 1973 1974 1975 1976 1976 1977 1978 1980 1981 1982 1982 1982 1984 1985 1986 1986 1987 1989 1989 1991 1998 2002 2003 2005 2008 2021

PAST IN REVIEW

Images: From the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, at the New York Public Library; West Point Museum

Past in Review

Richard Willis: West Point’s First Teacher of Music By SSG Briana Hoffman, Guest Author

In 1816, a young Irishman set sail across the Atlantic toward the promise of a new job and a better life in America, beginning a journey that would change the course of not only West Point, but the entirety of American music history. Richard Willis came to renown in his native Dublin as the first virtuoso of a newly invented instrument, the Kent (or keyed) bugle. The importance of this invention cannot be overstated as it allowed the bugle, formerly confined to a modest selection of disparate pitches, the capability to sound all notes of the chromatic scale, opening the door to an entirely new world of music-making for its practitioners. While Willis’ career sky-rocketed in Ireland, on the other side of the ocean, American military music faced a day of reckoning. During the American Revolution, soldiers expressed the desire for an improved class of military musician. In 1777, General George Washington

experienced the music of the Army and bluntly described it as “very bad.” However, as Washington noted in the same missive, “Nothing is more agreeable, and ornamental, than good music.” He directed that “every officer, for the credit of his corps, should take care to provide it,” while ordering musicians to improve post-haste or risk demotion.

Though musicians had been present since the first militiamen set foot on West Point, the arrival of Willis and the formal establishment of the West Point Band in 1817 represented a departure from the Academy’s previous utilitarian usage of its musicians. As noted by Brevet Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer, Class of 1808, in the memoirs of his time as West Point Superintendent, for the first time, musical affairs took a place of distinction at the Academy. This new prominence allowed cadets the opportunity to learn and express themselves through music. Even plebes were permitted to keep and play their own instruments and, if interested, to avail themselves of the musical lessons provided by the Teacher of Music. By 1823, the “very bad” Army music described by Washington was a thing of the past at West Point. One observer, author Eliza Leslie, called the West Point Band “the finest military band in America” and described its performances as “far superior to any of the concerts in Philadelphia or New York.” In 1827, a cadet who was admitted to the United States Military Academy in July of that year echoed those sentiments, writing to a friend, “We have the best band of musick [sic] in the United States, which keeps a fellow’s

West Point joined with the rest of the Army in bettering the service’s musical situation, making incremental steps to sharpen the skill of its field musicians and provide more opportunities for cadets to learn (and be entertained by) music and dance. When the need for a full-time Teacher of Music became apparent—or, as then Superintendent Joseph G. Swift, Class of 1802, ordered, “furnish more Band”—the first name that came up was that of the world-famous Willis. In 1816, he accepted the job as the Academy’s Teacher of Music.

Above: An 1828 lithograph by Jacques Milbert titled “West Point at the Moment of Exercise.” Right: An illustration of the West Point Band in 1818 done via pen and watercolor on paper by Frederick Trench Chapman.

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PAST IN REVIEW

Poughkeepsie on their way to New York,” would drop anchor and remain for hours listening to the West Point Band and “the divine echo of [Willis’] bugle from the mountains.” Today, the While the West Point Band maintained West Point Band continues Willis’ tradition with its annual summer its traditional duties—sounding the concerts at Trophy Point, overlooking calls that regulated the duty day, keeping cadets in step on parade (which the Hudson River. at that time occurred twice daily), Willis’ compositional legacy lives on in playing sacred music in camp, and his beloved songs inspired by life at performing honors for funerals and West Point. Chief among these is “The other military ceremonies—Willis Dashing White Sergeant,” which is still massively increased the band’s performed today and featured in the entertainment endeavors, both in West Point Graduation March. frequency and in skill level. Under He also played a key role in the Willis’ leadership, the band began to development of one of America’s most host public performances multiple influential musical figures, Francis times a week on the Plain and in the Johnson. In fact, Johnson held Willis large hall at West Point, at regular in such esteem that one of his most engagements in New York City and famous compositions, a tribute called Philadelphia, and as featured “The Death of Willis,” begins with an entertainment for distinguished guests inscription stating: Music composed of the Academy, most notably the by Francis Johnson, musician of Marquis de Lafayette in 1824. Willis Philadelphia, as a tribute of respect to also began the tradition of musical [Willis’] memory for the unusual and celebrations in observance of kind attention to him in forwarding in Independence Day at West Point, with him a knowledge of that fine and martial the Post’s first Fourth of July concert instrument, the Kent bugle, when first taking place al fresco at Fort Putnam. introduced into this country. In another of Willis’ lasting innovations at West Point, the band often performed atop the Plain at West Point, and vessels on the Hudson River, many of which carried “the most respectable people of Newburgh and

Johnson is best known today as the first African American to have his music published, the first to perform in integrated concerts with white musicians, and likely the first American

of any race to take his band overseas to Europe. Due to the circumstances of the time, Johnson was also one of the few teachers and employers of black musicians, allowing his peers access and opportunity to hone their musical skills. This cultural tipping point laid the groundwork for black musicians at the turn of the century to develop America’s first original musical genre: jazz. When Willis passed away in 1830, his impact on the Corps of Cadets was evident at his funeral, which was attended by more than 200 of the 221 cadets enrolled at the Academy at that time. One cadet who participated in the funeral, Daniel P. Whiting, Class of 1832, described the death of “our justly celebrated musician” as a great loss for all those “who have once heard his soul-inspiring bugle and hoped to listen to it again.” Willis was laid to rest in a “humble spot” at the West Point Cemetery (the exact location has been lost to the annals of history) as the West Point Band marched the funerary procession that Willis himself had so often performed throughout his service.  Originally from Portland, Oregon, SSG Briana Hoffman has served as principal bassoon of the West Point Band since 2013. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees from Rice University and a graduate diploma from Oberlin College.

A print of cadets marching in formation circa 1817 that shows (left to fight) the North and South barracks, the (second) Academy, and the Mess Hall (Wood's Monument is depicted in the center of the Plain).

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Image: Analectic Magazine, Vol. 2. 1820

spirits up.” During this time, the band’s renown and Willis’ fame began to draw large crowds to West Point, representing one of the Academy’s first public affairs ventures.

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