West Point Magazine Summer 2024

 The only military career fair exclusively for Federal Service Academy Graduates.

 Meet one-on-one with corporate recruiters looking for the unique skills and experience of Academy graduates.

 Get peer advice on managing the challenges of career transitions.

 Learn how to get your foot in the door for your desired civilian career.

 Explore graduate school options.

To register for any SACC as an attendee or employer, go to sacc-jobfair.com Planning a career transition? Start here.

San Diego Aug 22-23, 2024

Washington, DC Oct 17-18, 2024

Atlanta, GA Mar 12-13, 2025

Washington, DC May 8-9, 2025

West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center: Now More than Ever

Throughout its history, the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point has inspired cadets to think deeply about the complexity of terrorism and counterterrorism while also serving as a steadfast source of intellectual capital to the Army and the U.S. national security community.

17 Celebrating 20 Years: The Master Teacher Program

On May 13, 2024, the Master Teacher Program, an initiative that helps USMA faculty members develop skills needed to educate and inspire cadets, celebrated two important milestones: its 20-year anniversary and its 1,000th graduate.

22 The West Point Coaches’ Character-Building Formula

West Point coaches have inspired and helped train thousands of cadets to become commissioned leaders of character using an unwritten formula, one that's based on the coaching philosophies of some notable and historical West Point coaches.

Photo:

The mission of West Point magazine is to tell the West Point story and strengthen the grip of the Long Gray Line. VOLUME 14, ISSUE 3 • SUMMER 2024

Publisher

West Point Association of Graduates

Colonel (Retired) Mark D. Bieger ’91

President & CEO

A position generously supported by the Honorable & Mrs. Robert A. McDonald ’75

Editor in Chief

Jaye Donaldson | editor@wpaog.org

Managing Editor

Keith J. Hamel

Editorial Advisory Group

Desrae Gibby ’ 91 Terence Sinkfield ’ 99

Patrick Ortland ’ 82 Samantha Soper

Creative Director/Design

Marguerite Smith

Content

Desrae Gibby ’91, WPAOG Staff

Keith Hamel, WPAOG Staff

Erika Norton, WPAOG Staff

Dr. Stephen Finn

COL Sean Morrow '01

COL Ben Wallen '96

Ian Winer '96

LTC (R) Robert Wolff '65

Advertising

845.446.1582 | ads@wpaog.org

Address Updates

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, ’66 and ’ 70 845.446.1545 | memorials@wpaog.org

WPAOG programs, including communications, are made possible by William D. Mounger, Class of 1948.

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.

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.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Fellow Graduates:

Time flies. A few short months ago, we witnessed and supported the final month of the academic year here at West Point—a flood of special events, activities, and ceremonies—culminating in the graduation of the Class of ’24. And now, the Academy is fully engaged in Cadet Summer Training of every class.

On just one of those spring days, May 21, we were honored and perfectly positioned to support a cascade of Moments that Matter for multiple classes and thousands of cadets and graduates. We began early that morning in the Haig Room of Jefferson Hall supporting a memorable Medal of Honor Gift Ceremony with Mrs. Jeannie Puckett, surviving spouse of COL (R) Ralph Puckett Jr. ’49. After that we moved quickly to North Area to assemble with the reunion classes of 1949, 1954 and 1969 and other graduates gathered to celebrate those selected as Distinguished Graduate awardees. We proudly marched through the cadet cordon and stood tall as our oldest graduates present, COL (R) Roger Conover ’48 and COL (R) Bob Springer ’49, laid a wreath at Thayer Statue. After a spectacular full brigade review on the Plain, we gathered in the Mess Hall to honor and celebrate our 2024 Distinguished Graduates. Finally, we gathered back at Herbert Hall for a night of celebration at the Firstie Social with our graduating First Class cadets. The day was incredible in terms of the range of interaction and connection. Every member of WPAOG was engaged—a complete team effort—serving the Long Gray Line.

Four days later, we gathered at Michie Stadium to watch the 1,036 members of the Class of 2024, “Like None Before,” graduate, receive their diplomas, and swear their oath to the Constitution. It was another incredible moment as those white hats flew in the air and proud families rushed the field to congratulate their graduate. Shortly after graduation and spread throughout the post, our Army’s newest second lieutenants shared very intimate moments with families, friends and mentors as they each raised their right hand in front of the American flag, pinned on their gold bars and returned their first salute. As you may remember, these small ceremonies are incredible, powerful, and will remain with our graduates for the rest of their lives. Many of these new second lieutenants are following a family legacy in service to our nation: this year’s class had 82

legacy cadets, with 14 more whose parents are both grads. Very special. We are very appreciative of LTG Gilland and his incredible team for hosting such an incredible month here at West Point and these spectacular graduation activities.

Of course, graduation is not the end but the beginning for the newest members of the Long Gray Line. We are thankful that we have young men and women willing to sacrifice, endure, excel, and serve.

The Academy is now fully engaged in summer training. The Class of 2028 has arrived, and all classes are immersed in summer training across West Point and around the Army. There are formations of cadets in full camouflage moving with packs and gear, a steady flow of helicopters buzzing overhead, and in the distance you can hear the crack of rifles and machine guns and the explosion of indirect fire. The cadets’ sense of accomplishment is palpable; so is their desire to work harder and get stronger and better. This is incredible to see, because our nation needs the very best leaders this institution can produce.

The Vision of your Association is to be the most highly connected alumni body in the world. I encourage all of our graduates to consider making a trip back to West Point in the next year: for a class reunion, or a sporting event, or a special celebration, or a lecture or conference, or just to catch up with old friends. Your alma mater will never slow down in its mission to develop leaders of character for our Army and nation, but it will provide moments that allow you to slow down, reflect, and cherish.

This edition of West Point magazine is again loaded with stories and examples of the Long Gray Line in action. It provides a valuable portal into the lives of our Corps of Cadets and how they are being developed across every pillar and prepared to take their place in that Line. It also provides multiple examples of the strength of that Line, in and out of uniform. As always, please send your thoughts, recommendations, and suggestions on how we can do better for all of us and for our Academy.

Grip Hands, Mark D. Bieger ’91

Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired)

President & CEO

West Point Association of Graduates

A position generously supported by the Honorable & Mrs. Robert A. McDonald ’75

Our Mission: To serve West Point and the Long Gray Line.

Our Vision: For the Long Gray Line to be the most highly connected alumni body in the world.

WEST POINT

“Like

Story on page 8

Long Gray Line Teammates:

With another successful academic year completed, I would like to express my appreciation to the Long Gray Line for your tremendous support to your Academy and the Corps of Cadets. From tough and robust summer training to outstanding fall and spring semesters, I am proud of the Corps’ demonstrated excellence this year.

We were honored to have many of you back at your alma mater in May during Graduation Week; notably, the classes of 1949, 1954, and 1969 for their class reunions, as well as COL (R) Roger Conover ’48 and COL (R) Bob Springer ’49 to lay the wreath at Thayer Statue during the annual alumni review as our senior graduates present.

In addition to recognizing our newest class of Distinguished Graduates, we also honored the late COL (R) Ralph Puckett Jr. ’49 at a dedication ceremony, with Mrs. Jeannie Puckett and several Army Rangers (past and present) in attendance. Ranger Puckett and his family graciously donated his Medal of Honor and other personal items to USMA, which will become part of a display at Arvin Gym honoring his example of heroism and leadership.

Graduation Week is truly inspiring and humbling as it brings together hundreds of years of experience, honorable service, and leadership to grip hands with the Corps, especially the 1,036 graduates of the Class of 2024—“Like None Before”—who assume the mantle of leadership as our nation’s newest commissioned leaders of character. The Class of 2024 demonstrated excellence across every aspect of their West Point journey and are prepared to lead our Army’s combat-ready formations on the 21st century battlefield.

We would also like to thank the “Pride of the Corps” Class of 1974 for inspiring our newest graduates as their 50-Year Affiliate Class. We appreciate your support, mentorship, and demonstration of the strength of the Long Gray Line.

After graduation, West Point pivoted to summer training to develop and hone the Corps’ warrior and leadership skills, both at West Point and across the Army. Additionally, we welcomed the new cadets of the Class of 2028 on R-Day to begin their 47-month journey toward becoming leaders of character.

Incoming new cadets receive a letter from me that sets an expectation for them to memorize the Cadet Honor Code and the Cadet Creed before they arrive on R-Day. They will

recite both during their first week of Cadet Basic Training. The Cadet Honor Code establishes the foundational expectations of honorable living: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” The Cadet Creed outlines broader expectations for honorable living as future officers that include a commitment to the values of Duty, Honor, Country; the duty to maintain the honor of the Corps; the motivation to live above the common level of life; to embrace the Warrior Ethos; and to live with honor and integrity. The Cadet Creed, like other creeds in the Army (e.g., Soldier’s Creed, NCO Creed, and Ranger Creed), provides a set of standards and expectations that cadets strive towards as they become trusted Army professionals. These ideals define who we are and who we aspire to become.

Just as “Duty, Honor, Country” remains West Point’s motto, woven into all aspects of the West Point experience, the Cadet Honor Code continues to be the foundation for cadet character development. The Cadet Honor Code is the baseline and minimum standard for honorable living that every cadet must immediately embrace. However, compliance with the Cadet Honor Code is not sufficient for the expected outcome of living honorably, leading honorably, and demonstrating excellence. There are forms of dishonorable behavior that do not violate the Cadet Honor Code. A cadet could adhere to the Honor Code and still demonstrate dishonorable behavior that undermines trust. The Army Profession requires all of us to live beyond the tenets of the Honor Code and be a role model of honorable living. This is why character development is integrated throughout the West Point experience, preparing our graduates for a lifetime of honorable service to the Army and the nation.

Finally, congratulations to BG Rogelio “R.J.” Garcia ’96, our 81st Commandant of Cadets. R.J. is a career combat aviator who most recently served as Deputy Commander (Support) of the 25th Infantry Division. He assumed duties in June as Commandant from MG Lori Robinson ’94, who will serve as the next Commanding General of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Please join us in welcoming Team Garcia back to West Point and wishing Team Robinson all the best in their next assignment.

Thank you all for your continued support of our Academy and for continuing to grip hands with the Corps.

Go Army!

Steven W. Gilland ’90

Lieutenant General, U.S. Army

61st Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy

“ To build, educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army Values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and Nation.” —USMA’s Mission

Dean’s Update

From BG Shane R. Reeves '96, 15th Dean of the Academic Board

First, and most importantly, congratulations to the members of the Class of 2024 on becoming the Army’s newest officers. Their hard work in and out of the classroom and commitment throughout their 47-month journey at West Point has prepared them well to lead our Army’s soldiers through the intellectual challenges of the modern battlefield. Bottom line—we are in good hands.

We closed out this year’s annual intellectual theme— “Innovation, Technology and the Future of National Defense”—on a strong note. After a successful 25th Annual Projects Day Research Symposium (see page 12 for more details), we hosted Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster ’84 (Retired) for a fireside chat. We discussed the warrior ethos, innovation, and the future of national defense. McMaster emphasized the importance of both physically and psychologically defeating the enemy and the important lessons Army officers can learn from history to start thinking strategically now. One piece of advice that McMaster shared with the more than 1,000 cadets, staff, and faculty in the audience is “to read wide and deep.”

To help support this important purpose, the West Point Press is publishing works in disciplines such as character and leadership, military law, military history, and national security issues. The books and journals published by the Press are found on the desks and bookshelves of leaders at the Pentagon and in industry, in the classrooms at West Point, and in college classrooms around the country. This scholarship provides innovative ideas and fresh perspectives to key decision makers, a hallmark of the Academy’s prowess as an intellectual engine for the Army’s innovation ecosystem.

Entering its second year of operation, the Press has already published three monographs, several digital textbooks, and almost a dozen editions of both peer-reviewed and cadet-focused journals, pertaining to cyber issues, systems engineering, politics and security, and history. The Press has over 15 manuscripts at various stages of development and will publish at least six books in the next year, ranging from leadership and innovation to the conflict in Ukraine and to biographies on both Henry O. Flipper and Sylvanus Thayer.

In the world of higher education, having a university press provides a competitive advantage. In addition to shaping conversations, opinions, and decisions in the Army and the halls of government, the West Point Press will also attract and retain high-quality faculty, research partners, and cadets, allowing USMA to remain the nation’s preeminent leader development institution in an increasingly competitive higher education marketplace. You can check out the Press’s offerings at www.westpointpress.com.

Lastly, as the United States Military Academy continues to ensure our ability to produce leaders of character for the Army now and into the future, the Academic Board is focusing on ways to accelerate preeminence, unleash synergies, and leverage efficiencies. Stay tuned for updates ! 

During the West Point Press launch, BG Shane Reeves, ’96, 15th Dean of the Academic Board, highlighted the Press’s first book, The Concept of Security in International Law, by Hitoshi Nasu, a professor from the Department of Law at West Point.

“Like None Before”

On May 25, the 1,036 members of the Class of 2024, “Like None Before,” received their diplomas, marking their graduation from the United States Military Academy.

They also took the Oath of Commissioned Officers, marking their promotion from cadet to second lieutenant. Four members of the Class of 1974, the Class of 2024’s 50-Year Affiliation Class, were present at the graduation ceremony and bestowed the new officers with a set of second lieutenant insignia engraved with “74-24,” honoring the bond and mentorship these two classes experienced during the last 47 months.

During his graduation speaker remarks, Joe Biden, 46th President of the United States, told the members of the Class of 2024 that they will confront challenges that previous generations of soldiers couldn’t imagine. “When that happens, hold fast to your values you learned here at West Point: Duty, Honor, Country,” he said. “Hold fast to your honor code… And above all, hold fast to your oath…not to a political party, not to a president, but to the Constitution of the United States of America.”

The Class of 2024 was comprised of 150 members who attended the U.S. Military Preparatory School, 64 members who had prior service, and nine with combat experience. Additionally, 96 members of the class were a child of a graduate, 14 of whom had both parents who were grads. There were 12 international cadets. Nearly 76 percent of the Class of 2024 branched Combat Arms, and 182 members of the class have committed to additional service obligations. 

“And above all, hold fast to your oath…not to a political party, not to a president, but to the Constitution of the United States of America.”

—Joe

Biden, 46th President of the United States

Adjutant ’ s Call

USMA Black Reclaims Sandhurst Title

In what might be the closest final score difference in the Sandhurst Competition’s 56-year history, USMA Black, the United States Military Academy’s Department of Military Instruction (DMI) club, edged out the Royal Military College of Canada (Kingston) and claimed the Reginald E. Johnson Memorial Award Saber Plaque, winning for the fourth time in the last five competitions.

Last year’s champion, the United States Air Force Academy, came in third; the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) team from Texas A&M University came in fourth, and two teams tied for fifth, both earning 1,316 overall points: the Royal Military College of Canada (Saint-Jean) and Company A-3 (“Anacondas”).

Over 36 hours, 48 teams—17 international, 16 ROTC, 10 USCC, and five from service academies—tested their endurance, teamwork, and military skills through 14 challenging events. Although USMA Black trailed the Canadian team from Kingston after the first day of events, numerous first place rankings across multiple events on Day 2 allowed USMA Black to make up the deficit and pull out a razor-thin win. “It was anybody’s competition right until the final grade throw during the Crucible event,” said Major Hamish Taylor, the British Exchange Officer with DMI. 

—Keith J. Hamel

MG

Flanked by

Lori Robinson ’94, then-Commandant of the U.S. Corps of Cadets (right), and CSM Robert Craven, then-USCC Command Sergeant Major, the members of USMA Black accept the Reginald E. Johnson Memorial Award Saber Plaque for their top-place finish in the 2024 Sandhurst Competition.

Photos: U.S. Army

Photo by John Pellino/USMA; Eric Bartelt/ Pointer View

An ROTC cadet from Furman University negotiates an obstacle on the TCCC course during the 2024 Sandhurst Competition.

During Lane 8 of the 2024 Sandhurst Competition, a cadet from Company A-3 fires a SIG Sauer M17 at the Tronsrue Marksmanship Center.

Spotlighting Research at USMA

The 25th Annual Projects Day Research Symposium was held on May 2, 2024 at West Point. Featuring more than 450 cadet research projects, the Symposium was the culminating event of the USMA academic program for the First Class cadets.

“It’s our Superbowl,” said then-Cadet Samuel Loduca ’24 regarding his project for the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. “It’s a great opportunity to show off what we’ve been learning in our academic major class the past three years and put it to use while conducting research over the course of the last year.”

Approximately 800 visitors from across the Army, industry, and academia came to West Point to see the kinds of research cadets are doing.

“I don’t know of any other undergraduate institution that does this much research, especially with external agencies,” said then-Cadet Andrew Barlow ’24, a major in the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

While largely for the cadets in the red sash, the Symposium also featured cadets from other classes presenting research, such as Class of 2027 Cadets Andrew Smith, Clement Horak, Devon Pullis, and Austin Chu from the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering. “It’s a really inspiring day for plebes,” said Smith. “I’m really impressed by the projects with applications for future military or commercial use,” added Pullis.

Highlighting the benefits of the Symposium, Brigadier General Shane Reeves ’96, the 15th Dean of the Academic Board said, “Whether conducting a capstone brief or defending a senior thesis, cadets develop hands-on research skills that push them to think deeper, anticipate and overcome challenges, and inspire them to continue to tackle the Army’s toughest problems.” 

During the 2024 Projects Day Research Symposium, then-CDT Jaiere Alford ’24 briefs CSMs Phil Barretto (left) and Brian Hester (right) on the Warehouse Automated Robots (WAR) project, which is seeking to transform the 155 mm round production process at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAAP).

CME cadets showing off their capstone research project during the 2024 Projects Day Research Symposium.

Overcoming Obstacles: Redesigning the IOCT

Due to potential future renovations of Hayes Gymnasium, the Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center is seeking an alternative space to house the Indoor Obstacle Course Test (IOCT) for several years. The test became a stand-alone graduation requirement beginning with the Class of 1977. Yet, West Point cadets have been tackling the IOCT for decades, going back to 1939, when Dr. Lloyd Appleton, an instructor in the Department of Physical Education (DPE), created the 10event “Military Physical Efficiency Test.”

“The IOCT is the ultimate physical and mental challenge at West Point,” said now-Second Lieutenant Kevin Yucetepe ’24, one of four Civil Engineering majors who worked on redesigning the IOCT for the second-floor gym of Arvin and presented their proposal during the 2024 Projects Day Research Symposium at West Point.

While redesigning the IOCT for DPE, the cadets ran into many obstacles of their own: space limitations; elevation requirements; safety considerations; and, most notably, meeting the needs of multiple interested parties with distinct perspectives and varying opinions. To overcome the obstacles in their path, the IOCT Capstone Team implemented the engineering design process.

They methodically evaluated the current IOCT, created new obstacles, and presented courses of actions for obstacle layouts in the second-floor gym that will test cadet’s agility, balance, coordination, stability, flexibility, posture, speed and power— capabilities and movement skills described in Army Field Manual 7-22.

“One of the biggest challenges we faced was maintaining the historic integrity of the IOCT while designing a new course that contains some improved, military-relevant, and challenging obstacles for a one-story open space,” said now-Second Lieutenant Alex Goss ’24. The team researched and analyzed obstacle courses from around the world, focusing on military courses as well as on the television show “American Ninja Warrior.”

The final design of the adjusted IOCT starts with a new overunder obstacle that requires cadets to slide under a beam and then vault over a beam several times. Once complete, they must immediately scale a 7-foot wall. Then they must mount a shelf and traverse horizontal bars (both of which remain unchanged from the current IOCT). Upon dismounting the horizontal bars, they must navigate a balance beam and complete a forward roll upon landing. Then they must scale a new obstacle, a

ATTENTION!

The Four Pillars

12-foot warped wall with a series of three-foot drops to the floor. From there, they must quickly traverse the devil steps, an additional new obstacle defined as a horizontal ladder with a series of five ascending bars, two parallel bars, and five descending bars. They then climb a 15-foot rope and navigate another series of 3-foot staggered drops to the base level. The test concludes with a three-lap shuttle run, carrying a medicine ball during the first lap, a baton during the second lap, and no load on the final lap. In this new design, the IOCT Capstone Team attempted to achieve the same fitness objectives of the current test in a footprint that is two-thirds of the existing space and with elevation limitations.

“These outstanding future leaders applied their collective passion for engineering design and physical fitness to innovate solutions while sustaining traditions for the future of the IOCT,” said Colonel Nicholas Gist ’94, Master of the Sword (Director of the Department of Physical Education). “The process and product are results of their boundless mental agility and tremendous teamwork.” In other words, although the Indoor Obstacle Course Test may change in form and location, it will not change in its true function: challenging the Corps of Cadets physically and mentally with the ultimate intent of developing leaders prepared for commissioning. 

—CPT Jennifer Alonso ’14 and Dr. John Borman, DPE

The IOCT Capstone Team and its advisors (left to right: then-CDT Alexzandria Goss ’24, then-CDT Andre Lopez ‘24, Dr. Mark Evans, then-CDT Kevin Yucetepe ‘24, CPT Jennifer Alonso ’14, then-CDT Nicholas Dorazio ’24, and Dr. John Borman).

An overhead shot of the scaled 3D model that the IOCT Capstone Team displayed during the 2024 Projects Day Research Symposium.

Advice from the Outgoing First Captain

Teammates, the world is changing at a faster pace than at any point in recent history. Since arriving at West Point, my class has witnessed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, devasting conflicts in the Middle East, and the rise of strategic competition with China. Those classes that follow mine, including the incoming Class of 2028, will experience similar seismic shifts, but our Academy has successfully led the nation through such tribulations for 222 years.

West Point is a leadership laboratory unlike any other. Throughout your 47month experience, every single one of you will be challenged: some in boxing or survival swimming; others in the rigors of engineering and mathematics. In these moments, you will learn that the true value of West Point—much like the Army—lies in its people. Those who choose to walk alone don’t walk very far, while those who embrace teamwork can quickly summit any mountain.

Character development is the thread that weaves West Point together. Unlike other pillars at our Academy, the ultimate test of your character will not be measured by a marksmanship score, nor can you cram for the split-second decision that defines your values and ethics, so invest in your character every day.

The next few years will pass by in the blink of an eye, so focus on the challenge at hand. Where you stand now is where you must be excellent, and success in your current chapter will translate to success in the next. When you inevitably face failure, remember that humor is the best medicine; when you make great strides, recognize that humility is the most elegant crown. I am honored to have served alongside you at the Academy and have every confidence in your service to the nation. 

-Then-CDT Martayn Van de Wall ’24 23 May 2024

Above, right: First Captains regularly posted advice to New Cadets in Bugle Notes. Below: Then-First Captain Martayn Van de Wall ’24 (front row, third from left) celebrates with his family and friends after his class’s Graduation Parade, including his brother 1LT Daine Van de Wall ’20 (back row, second from left), who was First Captain his firstie year.

ATTENTION!

Core of the Corps

Class of 2025 Cadets Come in Third at 2024 Best Sapper Competition

A pair of rising First Class cadets, Sam Dickerson and Isaiah McNeilly, Class of 2025, came in third out of 50 teams at the 2024 Lt. Gen. Robert B. Flowers Best Sapper Competition held in April at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. An impressive feat; however, just finding time to train for the three-day competition is something that makes Dickerson and McNeilly, who were not prior service before coming to the West Point, stand out.

“After academics, our cadet jobs, and our club team requirements, there wasn’t much time,” says Dickerson. “We had to make time to train for this competition, and there simply wasn’t enough time to learn and practice everything we wanted to do.” According to Dickerson, he and McNeilly trained approximately 20 hours per week for about three and a half months with the help of eight soldiers currently serving at West Point, including Major John Baer of the Department of Physical Education (DPE), who himself won the Best Sapper Competition in 2019.

The Sapper Competition, which began in 2005, puts twosoldier teams through a series of challenging events, including mountaineering, special steel cutting, a wire obstacle breach, marksmanship, timber cutting, bridge reconnaissance, mine detecting, and a Bangalore breach.

“I wanted to compete because of the symbolism of the competition and what it means to the Engineers,” says Dickerson. “My partner and I drew a lot on inspiration from former cadet competitors.” One such former cadet is Mark Nylund ’23, who partnered with Francesco La Torre ’22 and came in fourth at the 2022 Best Sapper Competition, and then returned and competed last year with Cade Cunningham ’23, finishing in third place.

While the Sapper Competition was a grind, Dickerson says the hardest part was the initial PT test. And the best part? “The best part was running through the castle [a large-scale model of the Engineers’ branch insignia], signifying that we had completed the competition.”

In addition to praise for Dickerson and McNeilly for their thirdplace finish, congratulations should also go out to Captain Matthew Cushing ’17 and his partner, Captain Joseph Palazini. Not only did they win the 2024 Best Sapper Competition; they made history as the first team to win the competition twice (and back-to-back even), winning the 2023 competition as well. 

Photos:U.S. Army

photo by Amanda Sullivan, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office; submitted

CDT Sam Dickerson (left) and CDT Isaiah McNeilly, both from the Class of 2025, came in third place at the 2024 Best Sapper Competition.

CPT Jay Danel (left) and MAJ Blake Ritchey (right), both engineers and instructors with DPE, coached Dickerson and McNeilly in preparation for the 2024 Best Sapper Competition.

Celebrating 20 Years: The Master Teacher Program

By COL Ben Wallen ’96 and Dr. Stephen Finn , Guest Authors

The United States Military Academy is investing in faculty development. On May 13, 2024, the Master Teacher Program (MTP) celebrated two important milestones: completing 20 years in existence and surpassing 1,000 graduates.

MTP is a two-year voluntary faculty development program run by USMA’s Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE). Although the course’s specific curriculum has changed over the years, the intention has been the same: to help faculty members develop the skills needed to educate and inspire cadets. Over the course of the program, participants attend monthly meetings during which they discuss an assigned reading related to teaching methods and practices. MTP also requires participants to attend a small number of Teaching Improvement Presentations, write

reflection papers, and complete a capstone project, often a classroom research project or literature review.

The program’s participants have mostly included faculty members who teach cadets as part of the Dean’s Directorate; yet, officers and staff from the Department of Physical Education, Department of Military Instruction, Brigade Tactical Department, USMA Library, and the USMA Prep School have also enrolled. MTP reached beyond West Point in support of

setting conditions to build, educate, train, and inspire students through remote sessions with the U.S. Army Engineer School (Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri) from 2008 to 2012, the Canadian Army Command and Staff College (Kingston, Ontario) from 2014 to 2018, and the Sergeants Major Academy (Fort Bliss, Texas) and the Canadian Armed Forces from 2022 to the present.

Dr. Anita Gandolfo, who was the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (the former name of the CFE), started MTP in 2004. According to Colonel Jeffrey Starke (Retired), who was on a tour of duty at West Point during MTP’s initial years, Gandolfo worked with the department heads to get the program started. Brigadier General Daniel Kaufman ’68, who was serving as Dean of the Academic Board at the time, guided the effort. Starke, who assisted Gandolfo in developing the program, pointed out that MTP was born out of a desire to expand “brown bag” professional development meetings into a more robust program that would attract a greater number of faculty to participate. Starke provided Gandolfo with materials he obtained while attending a course as a graduate student about teaching and learning at the University of Wisconsin. Gandolfo then created the initial curriculum of MTP using these and other resources.

Colonel Mark Read ’92, now serving as the Head of the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, was one of 15 faculty members enrolled in the first year of the program. When asked to reflect on his experience in the inaugural class, Read said, “The Master Teacher Program helped

me understand and see what ‘right’ looked like, not just in any classroom, but in a West Point classroom. Twenty years on, I am still realizing the benefits of MTP as I continue to teach, and now coach and mentor other faculty to be great teachers.”

Expansion of the program was greatly increased by Dr. Mark Evans, who took it over in 2006 as the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE). Evans continued to direct the program for 15 years, along with Dr. Stephen Finn, who joined CTE in 2009 as the Assistant Director. During this period, MTP was expanded to enroll 100 or more participants each year, with 50 to 70 graduates completing all the program requirements annually. According to Evans, “The impact of MTP on cadet education is enormous.” MTP, he says, “not only helps participants think about teaching techniques but also provides a forum for impactful cross-department discussions regarding what works best in the classroom.”

Throughout the history of MTP, the requirements and course materials have changed to reflect the evolving needs of the Academy. In its present form, MTP is a two-year voluntary program requiring participants to attend six meetings in the first year. Prior to each meeting, the participants must complete a reading assignment and write a short reflection paper about the reading with a focus on what they may employ to enable a more enriching and meaningful learning experience for their cadets. The current textbook of MTP is Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It by James Lang, currently a visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame. This book was chosen by the current MTP directors because it is directly

Using key points from James Lang’s book Distracted, Dr. Maria Ebling from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (left) leads faculty from the Office of the Dean, the USMA Library, and the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering in a MTP continuing education discussion about enriching classroom engagement.

applicable to the situation in which arriving faculty find themselves. To be more specific, most new instructors at West Point do not determine a course’s primary features, such as its assigned texts, grading structure, and major graded assignments. These tasks belong to what are called “course directors.” Instructors, by contrast, are mostly concerned with teaching, so their primary task (as a classroom teacher) is to capture students’ attention and help them stay engaged with and learn course content. Lang’s book offers many tips for creating a learning community in class, which minimizes unwanted distractions.

In the program’s second year, participants must attend two meetings per semester. Each session has designated participants leading the discussion, which gives faculty members an opportunity not only to share innovative educational ideas they are passionate about but also to hone their presentation skills while highlighting their progress on their capstone effort.

Over the program’s two years, the participants must also attend four Teaching Improvement Presentations (TIPs). TIPs are lunchtime presentations sponsored by CFE and open to all faculty members at the Academy (not just MTP participants). These presentations are often led by faculty members at USMA, and they cover a wide range of topics related to educating and inspiring cadets. For example, recent TIPs included topics such as elevating student writing quality through well-crafted writing assignments and think-pair-share techniques. Participation in MTP invariably serves as a gateway for faculty to pursue excellence in teaching beyond the requirements of

“The Master Teacher Program helped me understand and see what ‘right’ looked like, not just in any classroom, but in a West Point classroom. Twenty years on, I am still realizing the benefits of MTP as I continue to teach, and now coach and mentor other faculty to be great teachers.”

— COL Mark Read ’92, Head of the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering

BG Shane Reeves ’96 (left), 15th Dean of the Academic Board, presents MTP certificates to faculty from the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership during the 2022 Dean’s Awards Ceremony (Dr. Stephen Finn [Director, Center for Faculty Excellence], second from left, and COL Ben Wallen ’96 [Associate Dean for Faculty Development], far right, are also pictured).

“The Master Teacher Program arms our faculty with the latest techniques for educating and inspiring our cadets while providing an interdisciplinary community to exchange best practices and ideas.”

— BG Shane Reeves ’96, Dean of the Academic Board

MTP. For example, Dr. Maria Ebling (a 2022 MTP graduate) runs a continuing education program which meets six times over the academic year for faculty to discuss best practices to enable classroom engagement and enhanced learning based upon the aforementioned MTP reference. Over the past two years, 20 staff and faculty from across 13 departments or organizations across West Point participated in this program, which continues to build and strengthen a robust faculty community.

Graduation from MTP also requires participants to complete a capstone project. Historically, there had been two main capstone project tracks: a classroom research paper or a literature review. Those undertaking classroom research often study a particular teaching technique and try to find ways to measure its effectiveness. For example, a teacher might wonder whether assigning pre-class video lectures will improve cadet performance on quizzes or whether playing background music in class may maintain student attention. By contrast, those conducting literature reviews study pre-existing educational research to better understand what research tells us about a particular teaching technique or topic. In 2023, a third option

was added for the capstone project: the observation track. Participants taking this option are organized into small teams, whose members observe each other in the classroom and then meet to discuss strengths and areas for improvement.

Although MTP’s primary goal is to help faculty members develop their teaching skills, it has the secondary effect of developing their scholarship and research. Since many of the MTP participants are junior faculty members, the capstone projects give them an opportunity to conduct scholarship that can eventually be developed into a conference presentation or journal publication. For example, Major William Putt and Major Vince Shaw ’12, who both recently graduated from MTP, presented their paper “Icebreakers: Does Pre-Class Discussion Lead to Better Learning Outcomes?” at the Conference for Higher Education Pedagogy at Virginia Tech in early February.

According to Putt: “MTP was instrumental in expanding my pedagogical toolbox. It equipped me to tailor my teaching, allowing me to better reach all my students. The program’s structure, reading selection, and ongoing support proved invaluable in my development as a teacher.” The classroom research projects also have the potential to enable junior faculty development, such as when a second-year MTP participant incorporates a first-year MTP participant in their research effort. Therefore, the possibility exists for the return on investment of an MTP classroom research project to integrate the domains of teaching, scholarship, and faculty development.

In reflecting on the role of MTP in the academic program, Brigadier General Shane Reeves ’96, the current Dean of the Academic Board, said, “The Master Teacher Program arms our faculty with the latest techniques for educating and inspiring our cadets while providing an interdisciplinary community to exchange best practices and ideas.”

The most important effect of MTP is the positive impact it has on the cadets. Since many faculty members may teach up to 72 cadets per semester, the improvement of teaching effectiveness has a synergistic effect on cadet learning. Thus, over its 20 years of developing more than 1,000 faculty members, MTP has positively impacted the education of countless cadets. MTP has and will continue to help build a community of scholars, educators, and leaders. 

COL Ben Wallen ’96 is an Academy Professor teaching courses in Environmental Engineering in the Department of Geography & Environmental Engineering. He holds an M.S. in Geological Engineering from University of Missouri–Rolla, an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Colorado School of Mines. His recent publications address inspiring excellence in teaching through deliberate faculty development and addressing lessons learned from remote teaching due to COVID. He currently serves as the Associate Dean for Faculty Development.

Dr. Stephen Finn is the director of the Center for Faculty Excellence and an Associate Professor at the United States Military Academy. He has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Villanova University, an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Toronto, an M.A. in Liberal Studies from the New School for Social Research, and a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of New Hampshire.

SSG Jason Pinkerton (Department of Military Instruction) briefs faculty during the 2023 MTP capstone session, which was held in the Center for Faculty Excellence’s Advanced Technologies Classroom Laboratory, a WPAOG Margin of Excellence gift funded by the Class of 1954.

The West Point Coaches’ CharacterBuilding Formula

By Desrae Gibby ’91, WPAOG staff

Using an unwritten formula, West Point coaches have inspired and helped train thousands of cadets to become commissioned leaders of character. What principles would be on the West Point coach’s blueprint for character? It could start, “I am a West Point coach who coaches warrior athletes,” and would likely include an ethos about Duty, Honor, Country and the Army values. Coaching philosophies from each West Point coach would provide additional principles to the formula.

For example, Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski ’69, the West Point Men’s Basketball head coach from 1975 to 1980, could have the “Krzyzewski Principle,” which emphasizes character, climate, and connections. A relationship-building coach, Krzyzewski once said, “Character drives everything.” Former brigade commander Colonel Mike Guthrie ’78 (Retired), a walk-on to the team in 1976, said Krzyzewski “always ensured a positive team climate” and took time to get to know all his players, even someone who sat on the bench. Proving this, 26 years after Guthrie had graduated, Krzyzewski looked up into the filled stands of a Duke coaches camp, pointed and said, “There are two of my Army players, Mike Guthrie and Matt Brown” (he also recognized Guthrie’s sons when they came to a later basketball camp).

Photos: Army

West Point Athletics;

U.S. Army

photo by Matthew Moeller

Former USMA men’s basketball coach Michael Krzyzewski ’69 presented awards to the winning company athletics teams during the 2019 Brigade Finals.

Joe Alberici (center), the Jack Emmer Men’s Lacrosse Team Coach, rallies his players during a 2020 match.

The Saunders Principle: Having vision to sustain the program while training cadets to be proficient, resolute, and resilient.

The coaching practices of Lieutenant Colonel Duston Saunders ’72 (Retired), who was the West Point Army Pistol Team head coach for 31 years (1993—2023) and in 2011 received the Coach K Teaching Character Through Sport Award, could add to the formula. In Saunders’s memorial article for the 2024 TAPS magazine, his B-1 brothers wrote that Saunders was more than a pistol coach, he was a “life coach” and “a leader of character and purpose, [who] treated each cadet with respect and understanding…supported them in hard times and prepared them well to serve the Army and nation.” Saunders’s teams won nine national championships, had an overall record of 211 victories and 54 losses, and included 75 cadets who earned

multiple All-American honors. However, those victories didn’t matter as much to Saunders as developing cadets. “[Coach] endeavored to provide the finest tactical training available in the country,” Mitchell Booth ’18 said. “I have yet to encounter a better curriculum to prepare young leaders for combat…Coach cared about mentoring cadets into honest, capable officers more than anything else.” Booth described a time when the team’s best shooter was late for a departure time. All team members held their breath wondering what Saunders would do. The coach chose “the harder right over the easier wrong” and left the team’s best shooter behind, losing the competition yet teaching a lesson. Major Victoria Gramlich ’13, a former team member and its current officer in charge, witnessed Saunders’s characterbuilding coaching techniques: “It is a rarity to find someone so giving and caring with a genuine lack of need for his own selfvalidation,” she said. “Coach Saunders was a one-of-a kind human being, mentor, and inspiration.”

“[Coach] endeavored to provide the finest tactical training available in the country. I have yet to encounter a better curriculum to prepare young leaders for combat…Coach cared about mentoring cadets into honest, capable officers more than anything else.” — Mitchell Booth ’18

LTC (R) Duston Saunders ’72 (left), who was called’ a “superb warrior-trainer,” instructs a cadet in the finer points of firing a pistol.

Some former team captains described how Saunders taught cadets resolution and resilience. According to Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Dooley ’94 (Retired), Saunders “stabilized” and “rallied” the team after its demotion from corps squad to club squad and “pick[ed] up the pieces” after the destruction of its building in the 1996 range fire. Captain Jack Fagerland ’16 was impressed with Saunders’s dedication to keeping the program “funded and functional” and shared how Saunders helped him “overcome feelings of self-doubt” and taught him “discipline, accountability, and leadership to make him a better officer.”

Dooley summed up Saunders’s influence by saying: “From day one, Coach…showed he was deeply committed to the development of cadets. [He] immediately instituted new training methods and redefined goals for the team…[and] provided that vision and stability to us when it mattered most…Coach was the epitome of soldier for life…[and] a difference maker…When my son, a Class of 2026 cadet, [joined the team] I knew…he would be in the hands of a superb warrior-trainer.”

“From day one, Coach…showed he was deeply committed to the development of cadets. Coach was the epitome of soldier for life…[and] a difference maker… .”

—COL Matthew Dooley ’94

Photos:

Desrae

Gibby

’91/WPAOG;

CDT

Ian Dooley ’26

Saunders was another “father-figure” to CDT Ian Dooley ’26 and made the Pistol Team room feel like a “home.”

On April 1, 2024, at the memorial service for Coach Saunders at the West Point Cemetery, his wife, Joanne Saunders, inspired the Pistol Team.

© 2024 WESTWARD WHISKEY, PORTLAND, OR. EXPLORE BOLDLY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. WESTWARDWHISKEY.COM.

The Kiesling Principle: Speaking honestly, living fearlessly, and leading by example.

Professor Eugenia Kiesling, another “Coach K” and a rowing celebrity involved in the Yale Title IX protest, was the 2018 Coach of the Year for the Dad Vail Regatta (the United States’s largest intercollegiate rowing event). Kiesling voluntarily coached Army Crew for 29 years, mentoring more than 1,000 cadets during her 22,000-plus hours without pay. “Her passion is teaching novices the sport and inspiring a lifetime of character and athletic growth,” said Colonel Tom Babbit ’99, a former rower and the team’s current officer in charge. “While the loss of her coaching ability will leave a massive hole, her character and leadership development are the most significant losses.”

At tryouts Kiesling never minced words, telling prospective rowers: “Imagine having a vacuum cleaner hose stuck down your throat sucking out your lungs while having sulfuric acid splashed on your legs.” Yet, she also encouraged them, saying, “There’s power [in] pushing through this pain.” Brad Wagner ’16 recalls that Coach K was always perfectly honest. “If another team was better, she told us. Without ever saying the words, she posed the

Eugenia Kiesling (left), who retired at the end of the 2024 season after 29 years of coaching the Army Crew Team, literally leads from the front, rowing in bow seat, on a day when the team was short a rower. (Left to right): Coach Kiesling, Grant Sachar ’27, Elliott Zugel ’27, Nathaniel Coston ’27, Ya’Shar-Sha’Phat Smith ’27, Jack Bahouth ’27, Alexander Geis ’27, Rowan Doherty ’27, Amelia Cropper ’27.

Coach K living fearlessly and leading by example, rowing bow seat again and keeping pace with seven cadets.

question: ‘Everyone watching expects [that team] to win: what are you going to do about it?’ [That was] the exact fuel we needed.”

While in high school, Cadet Ryan Monagle ’27 witnessed Kiesling’s candor when he told her he wanted to row for West Point. She explained he might be frustrated rowing with inexperienced rowers. “She didn’t sugarcoat anything,” he said. “Coach K told me the honest truth.”

Kiesling invented painful anaerobic interval workouts, which she called “lion taming.” The goal was to conquer the fear of pain. During the “rest” period of these grueling intervals, cadets would hear an oft repeated refrain, “Paddle! Keep rowing!” Cadet Jack Bahouth ’27 called this a metaphor for life. “You’d get to the point where your lungs felt like they were going to explode and your legs started to fail, but you told your brain, ‘No, I won’t stop.’” Cadet Alexa Bernard ’27 stated, “Coach taught me that I am capable of much more than what my mind limits me to.”

Kiesling figuratively and literally got in the boat with the rowers.

“Coach K is a disciplined warrior who pushes herself just as much as she pushes us,” Bernard said. Kiesling won a gold medal at the 2023 Head of the Charles and often did the workouts she asked her athletes to do.

“Her passion is teaching novices the sport and inspiring a lifetime of character and athletic growth.”

—COL Tom Babbit ’99, Army Crew Team OIC

Captain Jordan Duran ’16, the former team commodore, credits Kiesling for starting her on a “journey of leadership discovery.” Duran applied the “Kiesling Principle” during two commands and fixed-wing MC-12 missions in South America, Africa, and Iraq. Lieutenant Colonel Brian Forester ’04 in the 39th Infantry Regiment at Fort Jackson, South Carolina explained that Kiesling’s speech about putting in the necessary work stuck with him, especially the words: “Worthy to Win.” “I use that phrase regularly,” he says, as a parent and as a current battalion commander.

“Unforgettable,” is how Captain Courtland Adams ’15 described Kiesling. “There are very few individuals who’ve left such a profound mark on my life…her devotion to molding novice rowers into lieutenants is what makes Coach K an Army Crew legend.”

The Crowell Principle: Demonstrating respect, self-control, and competence while fostering trust and cohesion.

Another character-building coach was Carleton Crowell, a hall of fame head coach of Army’s Track and Field (1951–75) and Cross Country (1954 –74) teams. “He always had time for you,” explained Colonel Lee Outlaw ’68 (Retired), broad/triple jumper and long sprinter. “He was the best at mentoring and teaching mutual respect [which made] practice a refuge.” Former team manager Colonel Paul Joseph ’68 (Retired) agreed, saying,

Team captain Lynn Bender ’61 and Coach Carl Carleton Crowell.

“He always had time for you. He was the best at mentoring and teaching mutual respect [which made] practice a refuge.” — COL (R) Lee Outlaw ’68

“[Crowell] was a gentleman and treated everybody with respect… even if you weren’t a star.” Former team captain Colonel Greg Camp ’68 (Retired) added, “He had your best interests in mind…You wanted to honor the effort he had put into you.” All three alluded to Crowell’s self-control, contrasting him with more temperamental contemporaries. Crowell created a cohesive team. “The team was a brotherhood,” Outlaw remarked. “If you didn’t have a good father, Coach was a father to you,” added Camp. “If you had a good father, Coach was another father for you.” James Warner ’67, mid-distance runner, especially looked to Crowell as a father-figure and appreciated his fatherly advice. Warner chose Army over Navy because in high school he trained at the field house and saw first-hand Crowell’s quiet way of building confidence. They all remember happy times at the Crowell home, where there was a wall signed by Crowell’s athletes, making them family. According to Outlaw, Crowell’s genius was in “taking whatever athletes he was given,” “turning them into a team,” and “helping them reach their potential” so much so that his teams dominated on the East Coast during the 1960s.

Crowell’s athletes emulated his leadership in the Army. Joseph said Crowell knew them well and ensured they had necessary resources. Joseph, who likewise cared for his soldiers in all his positions, from commander in Vietnam to defense attaché in Panama, said, “[I spent] as much time as possible with [my soldiers], so that I knew more about them and their circumstances.” Warner applied the “Crowell Principle” while

commanding in Vietnam and stayed connected with his soldiers long after the war. Camp, who commanded at the brigade level, stated, “I sought to be a leader in Crowell’s mold.” In September 1975, Camp, a West Point math instructor, ran with the Cross Country Team. Crowell cheered him on as he hung with some young All-Americans. The next day Crowell suffered a fatal heart attack. Camp paid tribute to his amazing mentor by serving as his pallbearer. The chapel was filled as West Point honored the coach who inspired cadets for 25 years. Crowell Track in Gillis Field House memorializes him, and he is in the West Point Cemetery close to some former athlete “family members,” including astronaut Ed White ’52 and Olympian Ronald Zinn ’62.

Crowell poses with his “family,” the 1967 Cross Country Team. In the first row, Greg Camp ’68 is fourth from the left, James Warner ’67 is fifth and Crowell is seventh.

Crowell poses with the “brotherhood” of the 1968 Track Team. In the first row, Lee Outlaw ’68 is third and Camp is sixth.

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

Leverage West Point magazine to reach a highachieving audience of more than 55,000 graduates, cadet parents, and friends of West Point. Opportunities are also available in First Call, our monthly e-newsletter, or choose an event sponsorship package.

more information contact:

Hunt, Sponsorships & Advertising Manager 845.446.1601/ 1582 or ads@wpaog.org Advertising

provide graduates with class rings and jewelry for the following graduation

The Alberici Principle: Teaching accountability and fortitude while showing loyalty and commitment to relationships.

In March 2024, for the first time in Academy history, the Army West Point Men’s Lacrosse Team ranked No. 1 in national polls. Jack Emmer Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Joe Alberici also stands out for other reasons. Lieutenant General Kenneth Dahl ’82 (Retired), a lacrosse alumni leader, stated that, for 18 years, Alberici has been preparing cadets for the toughest Army assignments. Many players agreed and gave examples of values Alberici had taught them that they are now using in their careers. Major Patrick Mulholland ’11 said Alberici taught him and his teammates that they were “part of something larger than

“[Alberici] teaches his players good practices for post-Academy life, which was evidenced when I hit an IED in Afghanistan and later received a helmet signed by each of the players.”

—Jake Murphy ’09

themselves…West Point” and stressed duty and integrity through “extreme ownership.” Mulholland continued, “Whenever we lost, Coach A shouldered the burden, blaming himself; when we won… [he] sang our praises.” According to Captain John Ragno ’18, Alberici demonstrated “unwavering loyalty” when he recruited him as promised, despite Ragno having an ankle injury. “What separates Coach from others is his intentional and unrelenting commitment to his relationships,” explained First Lieutenant Bobby Abshire ’22, adding, “[He] continuously reaches out to check on me.” Jake Murphy ’09 also shared, “[Alberici] teaches his players good practices for post-Academy life, which was evidenced when I hit an IED in Afghanistan and later received a helmet signed by each of the players.”

Alberici is inspirational and pushes his players to develop fortitude. Historic team mottos, “Family, Toughness, Tradition!” and “Hungry and Humble,” highlight this. Mulholland said these mottos have given him “a personal and organizational mindset that [he] brings to every military unit.” Dahl said many former lacrosse players who served in Iraq and Afghanistan “credit Coach A for preparing them for the experience.” While deployed to Afghanistan as a 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment platoon leader, and, while in Syria and Iraq, Ragno used what Alberici had taught him about “resilience and camaraderie, lessons learned during intense January practices at Michie Stadium and early morning weekday workouts at Kimsey,” which showed him “that any team can surpass their perceived limitations.” In Poland, Abshire is

Photo: Army West Point Athletics

Alberici and the Army West Point Lacrosse Team are “Hungry and Humble” (one of the team’s mottos).

currently using the “Alberici Principle” to motivate his soldiers. “I am charged with creating buy-in, and I routinely fall back on how Coach would rally 60 guys on cold nights in Michie.” Major Alex Gephart ’10, a Ranger operations officer, has found the lessons Alberici taught to be valuable on his multiple deployments. He said Alberici taught “the most important thing to win was the will to prepare” (Bobby Knight, West Point Men’s Basketball head coach [1965 –72], said the same and would have explained such preparation with: “Drill! Drill! Drill!”). All these former Lacrosse Team players have found the “Alberici Principle” useful in motivating their soldiers to focus on the mission. Added together, the principles that these coaches practiced and passed on to their athletes could fashion the following West Point coach’s formula for developing character (perhaps echoing the Soldier’s Creed):

 I am a West Point coach who coaches warrior athletes.

 I live and teach West Point and Army Values, preparing cadets to lead soldiers.

 I emphasize character, climate, communication, and connections.

 I sustain the program and train cadets to be proficient, resolute, and resilient.

 I candidly teach courage and lead by example.

 I demonstrate respect, self-control, and competence, fostering trust and cohesion.

 I show loyalty and take responsibility for my team while teaching fortitude and focus.

 I prepare athletes to win with discipline, detail, and drill, drill, drill!

West Point coaches not only develop soldiers and leaders of character, they reflect the character of the institution. General Douglas MacArthur, Class of 1903, an avid supporter of West Point athletics, would have agreed. An April 18, 1939 letter, in which MacArthur elaborated on his “fields of friendly strife” couplet, supports such a creed: “[Athletics produce] in superlative degree the attributes of fortitude, self-control, resolution, [and] courage…[which are] completely fundamental to an efficient soldiery.” Ergo, every cadet an athlete and every coach an inspiration. 

Scan the QR code to access podcasts and search for additional coaches (Monken, Riley, Sherman, Tumolo) by name.

Alberici looking very focused as he watches his team, demonstrating the “attention to detail” that MAJ Alex Gephart ’10, a range operations officer, would later emulate during dangerous situations.

“Excellence is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution.”

—Aristotle

Photo: Erika Norton/WPAOG

Photo: Erika Norton/WPAOG

West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center: Now More than Ever

By COL Sean Morrow ’01, Ph.D., Guest Writer

The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (CTC) has been featured in the pages of West Point magazine before; however, those articles came at a time when counterterrorism played a central role in national security and in the lives of graduates.

The cadets who entered West Point this summer were born after September 11, 2001. In fact, those grads who entered West Point in the late 1990s are chronologically closer to the Vietnam War than the current new cadets are to September 11, 2001.

Over the last 20 years, the actions of the United States’ national security apparatus and that of its allies successfully reduced capabilities, destroyed infrastructure, eliminated threats, and generally degraded and disrupted terrorist organizations.

General Joe Votel ’80 (Retired), the CTC Distinguished Chair, and many other West Point graduates were instrumental in the strategic, operational, and tactical battlefield victories that diminished the organizational capabilities of the ISIS caliphate and maintained the pressure on Al Qaeda and other violent extremist organizations. Those successes enabled the United States to adjust its national security priorities to refocus on the pacing threat of China, the Russian aggression in Eastern Europe, and the nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran. Strategic competition, not counterterrorism, is the centerpiece of the United States’ current National Security Strategy.

Over the last year, however, terrorism has been thrust back into the spotlight. The October 7th terrorist attacks on Israel, the terrorist attack in Moscow, and the continued disruption of and attacks upon commercial and military vessels by the Houthis have demonstrated that, while disrupted, terrorism remains a threat to people, states, and commercial entities around the world. Terrorism takes lives, destroys infrastructure, and has the potential to distract the Army and nation from greater national security threats. Although the last 20 years have seen counterterrorism at the fore, CTC was actually built for this

moment—to continue focusing on the threat when it’s no longer making headlines.

CTC was created through the vision, leadership and generosity of Mr. Vinnie and Teresa Viola ’77, General Wayne Downing ’62, and Brigadier General Russ Howard. Throughout its history, CTC has inspired cadets to think deeply about the complexity of terrorism and counterterrorism while also following the guidance of Lieutenant General Steve Gilland ’90, USMA Superintendent, and Brigadier General Shane Reeves ’96, USMA Dean, to serve as a steadfast source of intellectual capital to the Army and the United States national security

community. Embedded in the Department of Social Sciences, CTC sits at the nexus of scholarship, policy, and operations in counterterrorism. Its threefold mission to educate, advise and conduct research was devised to inspire and equip current and future leaders in the counterterrorism fight with the tools necessary to detect, deter, disrupt and defeat individuals and organizations that seek to harm the nation and its citizens. As the threat evolves, so does CTC across its various lines of effort.

EDUCATE: Dr. Richard Yon, the Class of 1977 Director of Terrorism Studies, leads the Terrorism Studies (TS) minor. The TS minor is one of the most popular minors at West Point, with approximately 25 to 30 cadets joining the program each year and dozens more choosing to take its courses as electives. Cadets in SS465: Terrorism-New Challenges study the history of terrorism and the goals, strategies and tactics of threat organizations. SS466 introduces cadets to the many ways counterterrorism is conducted. Although targeting, intelligence, and law enforcement actions are critical, cadets are increasingly learning about the roles of information operations as well as the role of counter-threat finance. Finally, cadets in the TS minor take a course in homeland security policy and learn how the instruments of government work together to detect, deter, and defeat threats to the homeland.

Cadet learning is also enhance by the Elizabeth Anne Gilmore AIAD (named for the mother of George Gilmore ’ 71), which is provided through Margin of Excellence funding. CTC cadets serve summer apprenticeships with joint terrorism task forces around the country and in billets at U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).

Through it all, the cadets are exposed to a world-class education from the CTC faculty and from the array of senior fellows who generously partner with the West Point Association of Graduates to give their time and wisdom to the TS Program: General Scott Miller ’83 serves as the Class of 1987 Senior Fellow, while the Honorable Juan Zarate (formerly the first ever Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing) joins CTC as the Class of 1971 Senior Fellow. Two former leaders at the CIA, the FDNY Deputy Commissioner and Chief who was in the South Tower on September 11th, and Dr. Bruce Hoffman (George H. Gilmore Senior Fellow) round out the leaders who inspire cadets every semester.

Cadets also have tremendous access to current leaders through the Class of 1971 Student Conference on Terrorism and the Class of 1971 Distinguished Lecture. Recent programs have included the Commander of the Army Special Mission Unit (Delta Force), the Commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment, and the next Commander of the British Special Air Service. The 2024 Student Conference, held in April, partnered with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to welcome senior leaders from the CIA, the Department of Homeland Security, and academia. Cadets spent the morning learning from these leaders and then used the afternoon to conduct practical exercises on the roles of technology, interagency partnerships, and alliances, discovering how these variables can increase the United States’ capabilities in the fight against terrorism.

The General Wayne Downing Scholarship Program is another way CTC prepares leaders for the fight against terrorism. Each year, eight talented officers are selected to pursue a graduate degree at one of the world’s top universities. Over the course of two years, the fellows have a robust development experience that

Mr. Brian Dodwell, CTC Executive Director, sets the stage for the counterterrorism exercise on the role of technology in counterterrorism.

Where There’s

a

“Will” There’s a Way

“You generally leave your estate to the people who mean the most to you. And to us, that is West Point…to donate to an American icon like West Point is an honor. Without it I doubt we would be the nation we are today.”

—Andy Shaffer ’68 and his wife Betty, on leaving their entire estate to the Academy through the West Point Association of Graduates

Since 1869, the West Point Association of Graduates has been dedicated to supporting the graduates of the United States Military Academy. When you make a gift to us as part of your estate or financial plans, you become an integral part in continuing our historic traditions for years to come.

Contact the WPAOG Planned Giving Office at 845.446.1627 or plannedgiving@wpaog.org , or visit WestPointAOG.GiftPlans.org , to learn more.

focuses on leadership, technology, and policy. Recent engagements for the scholars have been with Lieutenant General Jon Braga ’91, USASOC Commanding General; H.R. McMaster ’84, National Security Advisor; General Jim Mattis (Retired), former Secretary of Defense; Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State; and Dr. Joe Felter ’87, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South Asia, as well as with leaders from Stanford, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the FBI, and multiple corporations in the national security space. The Downing Scholars summer experience, often abroad and focused on real world research and global integration, helps prepare the fellows to return to the Army with the tools necessary to fight and win in the counterterrorism space and with skills that translate to what the nation needs, when the nation needs it. The Downing Scholar alumni network is nearly 100 strong and has leaders in critical Army billets around the world.

ADVISE: The greatest value CTC can bring to its cadets and other government agencies is access to its trusted network. CTC’s long history with the FDNY includes West Point leaders running the annual FDNY Counterterrorism Course. Furthermore, by continually working with and for the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, USASOC, SOCOM, the DIA, and other United States government agencies, CTC ensures that the work the center does, and the work the cadets are exposed to, is relevant and current. These partnerships are only possible because of generous support from the USMA classes of ’66, ’71, ’77, ’87, and ’01.

RESEARCH: The CTC Sentinel is a monthly journal sent to approximately 18,000 online subscribers. It is regarded by many experts as the top publication in the counterterrorism field, renowned for its relevance and timeliness. During the last year, Sentinel articles have been featured in or referenced by the BBC, the New York Times, and CNN, as well as in the French Parliament and in United States congressional hearings. Notably, allies and scholars are not the only ones reading it. Former Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri routinely referenced (and critiqued!) Sentinel articles in his propaganda. When JSOC operators came off the Bin Laden compound after the 2011 raid, they found multiple CTC products among Bin Laden’s papers and a note from Bin Laden to his staff demanding that he receive anything produced by “CTC West Point.” The Sentinel is committed to having innovative conversations about terrorism, using rigorous and relevant research supported by data. The journal seeks to be future focused and aims to stimulate the imagination of readers who study and prosecute terrorist organizations.

Although terrorism is not currently at the heart of the United States’ National Security Strategy, it remains an enduring threat and a critical fight. The ability of one successful attack to harm U.S. citizens and damage vital infrastructure could potentially divert resources and attention from greater threats to national security. Thanks to the CTC at West Point, the U.S. government is ready and prepared to prevent those fights. CTC will also continue to support this fight by preparing the next generation of leaders to think critically about these problems and by doing the work that supports that nation’s warfighters, its intelligence professionals, and its policymakers.

When CTC was founded in 2003, it was a small enterprise with a vision to inspire cadets to think about the complex terrorism problem and with a mission to support practitioners and policymakers in their effort to ensure the safety of the nation and its citizens. Through the efforts of our cadets, the support of our Long Gray Line, the team at the West Point Association of Graduates, and the commitment of a dedicated faculty, CTC has built a global reputation as a trusted source of knowledge and understanding. CTC will continue to serve as a steward of those resources and will ensure that our cadets are prepared to be curious, creative, and innovative thinkers in the ongoing fight against terrorism. Beat ISIS! 

While the Sentinel is the primary research outlet for the CTC’s work, the center also produces independent reports, convenes panels and conference proceedings, supports various podcasts, and responds to needs from the United States government.

COL Sean Morrow ’01, Ph.D., is the Director of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Commissioned as an Infantry officer, Morrow has served around the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Demilitarized Zone, where he commanded the United Nations Command Security Battalion (the JSA). He holds an M.A. from Boston College and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Scan the QR code to read or subscribe to the CTC Sentinel.

Photo:

Bill Braniff ’99 (center) of the Department of Homeland Security and policy expert Dr. Alex Gallo ’01 (left) discuss the counterterrorism threat landscape with CTC’s Don Rassler (right) at the Class of 1971 Student Conference on Terrorism.

FORWARD MARCH

The West Point Association of Graduates’ Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA) is given to members of the Long Gray Line whose character, distinguished service, and stature draw wholesome comparison to the qualities for which West Point strives, in keeping with its motto—“Duty,

Honor, Country.”

Inaugurated in 1992, the DGA has been presented to 167 graduates, including the six esteemed members of the 2024 cohort: General Wesley K. Clark ’66 (Retired), Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry ’73, Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick ’78 (Retired), Pat W. Locke ’80, General Jim McConville ’81 (Retired), and Kathleen S. Hildreth ’83. Collectively, these six venerable graduates have more than 280 years of personal and professional life experience since graduating, more time than the history of the Academy, and they certainly appreciate the importance that “Duty, Honor, Country” has had on their lives and look for ways to support the Academy and pass on what they’ve learned to the next generation of leaders.

“Ultimately, we are in service to our country and should perform that service with a great sense of duty and honor,” says Bostick, who led the U.S. Army Recruiting Command and served as the 53rd Chief of Engineers during his impressive 38year Army career. “Honor, integrity, courage—these are the skills you need when you’re taking on tough missions,” he says. “You also need to keep pushing and fighting as a team: No single individual is going to get you over the finish line—it’s everybody working together.”

“My advice to graduates is to go out and get your boots muddy,” says Eikenberry, a retired lieutenant general who served as the commander, Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan in Kabul, and then served as the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. Eikenberry was also a liaison, attaché, and senior country director for several foreign countries, including China, and often tells cadets to not lose a moment learning about the world that’s out there. “Spend time overseas; get out of your comfort zone; develop a sense of empathy,” he says. “However, when you are learning about the ‘far side of the river,’ remember to ground yourself in your home system so that you can serve as the best bridge possible.”

Locke, who is credited with creating the West Point Leadership Ethics and Diversity in STEM (LEADS) program, reminds the cadets she’s recruited, mentored, or shaped over the decades, including about 150 or so in the current Corps, that they are representing America’s Academy. “West Point is evolving for the better, not just developing Army leaders but leaders for the

After receiving their medals, the 2024 Distinguished Graduates stood on the Plain with the USMA Leadership Team and the USCC Brigade Staff.

nation,” she says. “We should be an example for everyone else as to what it means to be from a living, breathing institution that is constantly adjusting so that we are on the pointy edge of the spear.”

“When you come to West Point, the gold standard of leadership, you realize that you have an obligation to inspire the men and women you serve with,” says McConville, who developed the concept of “People First” when he served as the 40th Chief of Staff of the Army. McConville also championed the concept of “Winning Matters”; however, while he says leaders owe their soldiers an image of what winning looks like, he cautions cadets that they are not going to be successful at everything they do.

“What I learned is that the most successful leaders have failed along the way, yet they learn from it and overcome.”

“West Point offers great preparation for life,” says Clark, a retired four-star general who spent nearly 35 years on active duty and went from receiving the Silver Star during the Vietnam War to becoming the Supreme Allied Commander Europe for NATO. “If you want a life of challenge, a life of contribution, a life of significance—that’s West Point.” Clark, who helped develop the Army’s AAR system also advises cadets to always speak the truth. “The only way to have a great armed forces is to have people who are willing to tell the truth,” he says. “This is the fundamental glue that holds the U.S. Military System together—a sense of trust, a sense of honor, a sense of integrity—all of which are developed at West Point.”

“Ultimately, we are in service to our country and should perform that service with a great sense of duty and honor.”

—LTG (R) Thomas P. Bostick ’78

“The one thing you get at West Point is experience focusing on the things that really matter, that are really important,” says Hildreth, a former aviation officer who founded M1 Support Services, a $2 billion-dollar service company that has supported the DoD in over 43 CONUS locations and OCONUS in 35 countries and has made Hildreth West Point’s most commercially successful woman graduate to date. “The West Point experience also builds confidence that you can do anything you set your mind to,” she says. “I advise cadets to take risks, to take the most challenging assignments, and to learn from these experiences—doing this will make them a better officer, a better businessperson, a better human being, a better West Point graduate.” 

—Keith J. Hamel

Learn more about this year’s recipients of the Distinguish Graduate Award on the following pages.

The Color Guard moves into position for the 2024 Alumni Review on the Plain.

The Distinguished Graduates participated in the traditional alumni exercises, which included laying a wreath at the base of Thayer Statue.

GEN (R) Wesley K. Clark ’66

After graduating first in his class by Order of Merit and commissioning as an Armor second lieutenant, GEN (R) Wesley K. “Wes” Clark began a nearly 35-year Army career that President Bill Clinton says “made [him] one of America’s finest soldiers of the 20th century.” Clark studied as a Rhodes Scholar after graduation, earning a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics before serving in Vietnam. One month into his company command, Clark’s unit was engaged in a firefight in an enemy base camp. Though wounded multiple times, he led the fight to drive out the enemy, receiving the Silver Star for his actions. After a three-year tour with the USMA Department of Social Sciences and an appointment as a White House Fellow, Clark commanded at the battalion, brigade, and division levels. Interspersed with his commands, Clark led the training at the National Training Center and Battle Command Training Program from October 1984 to 1991, preparing

AMB Karl W. Eikenberry ’73

“He is a soldier-statesman of the highest order,” so says U.S. Senator Jack Reed ’71 about Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, a retired lieutenant general of the U.S. Army who is known for his demonstrated character; distinguished military, diplomatic and scholarly service; multifaceted service to West Point; and lifelong dedication to furthering our nation’s security. After earning his Ranger Tab and completing company command with the 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, Eikenberry earned a master’s degree in East Asian studies from Harvard, putting him on a path that led COL E. John Gregory, Director of USMA’s Chinese academic program, to call Eikenberry “one of the foremost experts on China in the United States today.” He has served as senior country director for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mongolia; was Defense attaché for the U.S. Embassy, Beijing; and served as director for

a new generation of military leaders for the Gulf War and beyond. Clark was then the senior military strategist for the Joint Staff, where he helped create the National Military Strategy and Joint Vision 2010. In 1995 he helped negotiate the Dayton Peace Agreement, ending the war in Bosnia. In his last assignment, as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1997-2000), Clark helped design and execute the strategy that won NATO’s first conflict, which subsequently established an independent Kosovo. Clark retired in 2000, having received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, five Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, a Purple Heart, and numerous foreign awards, including British and Dutch honorary knighthoods. In 2003-4, Clark ran for president of the United States, stressing the need to bring veterans into the political process, and he later founded Renew America Together to promote common ground and reduce partisan gridlock. An author of four books, Clark is a frequent commentator and analyst on national news programs and regularly works with leaders from Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

strategic planning and policy (J-5), U.S. Pacific Command, for which he led a review and revision of major U.S. military contingency plans in the Western Pacific, with a focus on China. During 2005-07, Eikenberry was commander, Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan in Kabul, and, after retiring in 2009, his almost four decades of national service culminated as the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2011. Following his retirement from federal service, Eikenberry embarked on a distinguished career in academia: William J. Perry Fellow for International Security at Stanford University, director of the U.S.-Asia Security Initiative, and faculty member of the Shorenstein AsiaPacific Research Center and the Center for International Security and Cooperation, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. He later lived in Riyadh advising on Saudi defense transformation. Today, Eikenberry is a distinguished senior fellow at the Stimson Center, a senior advisor to the United States Institute of Peace, and a faculty member of Schwarzman College. He has earned several foreign and domestic awards and is the author of numerous scholarly articles.

LTG (R) Thomas P. Bostick ’78

Commissioned as an Engineer officer, LTG (R) Tom Bostick’s 38year Army career demonstrates a distinguished commitment to duty during crises. During 9/11, he was responsible for securing the country’s nuclear codes and moving Pentagon leadership to an alternate command post. After the Army failed to achieve its recruiting goals in 2005, Bostick was assigned to the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, leading it to success for four consecutive years. As the U.S. Army’s G-1, Bostick served with the group tasked with assessing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. He led the effort to provide opportunities for Sikhs and women to serve in combat arms. Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Bostick, as the 53rd Chief of Engineers, led the recovery effort along the East Coast. “The U.S. Army repeatedly selected Tom to lead where crisis, complexity and a need for a vision were the prominent traits of an assignment,” says GEN (R) Curtis

Pat Locke ’80

For more than 30 years, Pat Locke has been influencing America’s youth to consider West Point as part of their future. COL (R) Deb McDonald ’85, former USMA Director of Admissions, estimates Locke’s influence to be in the “tens of thousands.” “Her success has reached legendary status,” says COL Joseph Funderburke ’95, the senior military fellow at the National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies, and Locke continues to inspire and mentor candidates as they transition to cadets in the Corps and in their subsequent Army careers. “Her hand has guided the paths of First Captains, Rhodes Scholars, Infantrywomen, Rangers, Sappers, and leaders at the highest levels of government,” says CPT Simone Askew ’18, a former First Captain. One of two African American women in the historic Class of 1980 and the first to graduate from the Academy by Order of Merit, as a cadet Locke was co-captain of the

Scaparrotti ’78, Bostick’s classmate. As Chief of Engineers, Bostick also oversaw the Corps’ completion of New Orleans’ Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Borgne Surge Barrier, the largest design-build project in the Corps’ 243-year history. A long-term member of USMA’s Civil and Mechanical Engineering Advisory Boards, Bostick was instrumental in the construction of Davis Barracks and the USMA Barracks Renovation Project. Bostick spearheaded the initiative to interview cadets interested in the Engineer branch, which led to West Point’s current talent-based branching process. Bostick served on the Naming Commission, demonstrating that his leadership included not only crises but complex national issues. After his retirement in 2016, Bostick served as chief operating officer and president of Intrexon Bioengineering, where he took on the Zika virus. Christine E. Wormuth, the current Secretary of the Army, says, “General Bostick’s exemplary leadership and extraordinary record of service to our nation over the past four decades are a credit to West Point [and] an inspiration to the Corps of Cadets and all graduates.”

Women’s Gymnastics Team. Breaking barriers as one of the first women to serve in multiple combat arms assignments (an Air Defense Artillery officer), Locke medically retired while on the promotion list (below the zone) to lieutenant colonel, after a training accident damaged her spine. After retiring, Locke was recruited to join the West Point Admissions Field Force. She later created the West Point Leadership Ethics and Diversity in STEM (LEADS) program, an initiative that has benefited more than 27,000 young students, and she supported it through a non-profit organization to which individuals and corporations could make tax deductible donations for LEADS scholar awards and other West Point philanthropic activities. For her effort to promote West Point awareness, character development, and STEM competence, Congressman Gerry Connolly had Locke’s name and the LEADS program entered into the Congressional Record. Locke has received the Golden Torch Award from the National Society of Black Engineers, the Wings to Succeed Award from the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates, and the Women of Color in STEM Visionary Award.

GEN (R) Jim C. McConville ’81

When reading GEN (R) Jim McConville’s nomination letters for the Distinguished Graduate Award, two themes immediately come into focus: his endurance and his transformational initiatives. While endurance could apply to McConville’s reputation as a marathon runner, it refers to his 42 years of service to the nation, his nearly three years as Eagle 6 in the 101st Airborne Division (longer than any other officer in history, including a year of combat division command in Afghanistan), his 39 months of combat deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his nine consecutive years on the Army Staff—as the G-1, as the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, and finally as the 40th Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA). McConville learned about Army transformation firsthand when he accessed into the Army’s newly created Aviation branch in 1983 and was vital to the effort to overhaul systems, processes, organizations and doctrines to enhance Army effectiveness. When

Kathleen S. Hildreth ’83

Kathleen Hildreth is West Point’s most commercially successful woman graduate to date. A member of the Glee Club and Protestant Chapel Choir as a cadet, Hildreth commissioned as an Aviation officer. She flew VIPs in Korea then served as a maintenance test pilot at Hunter Army Airfield before choosing to remove the uniform in 1988 as a captain. While she left the Army, her service continued. After positions of increasing responsibility with Fortune 500 companies, Hildreth founded M1 Support Services in 2003. Through her leadership, M1, a two billion-dollar service company, has supported the DoD in over 43 CONUS locations and OCONUS in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chad, Djibouti, Japan, Korea, Germany, Lithuania, and 27 other countries. M1’s critical support earned the Army Aviation Association of America’s Material Readiness Award for Contributions by

McConville moved to the Pentagon in 2014 he initiated several transformational changes. His “People First” plan transformed Army personnel from legacy processes to a modern talent management system; he helped lead the establishment of Army Futures Command and the development of the Big 6 Investment priorities; and his “Winning Matters” push was instrumental in providing the institutional support needed to improve Army warfighting readiness. GEN (R) Joseph Martin ’86, the Vice Chief while McConville was CSA, says McConville, “as the Chief of Staff, masterfully led the Army through several daunting challenges during our nation’s civil unrest, the COVID-19 pandemic, our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Army’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.” McConville’s awards and decorations include six Overseas Service Bars, three Bronze Star Medals and two Air Medals. Honorable Ryan D. McCarthy, HON ’96, the 24th Secretary of the Army, says, “[McConville] is a generational talent, officer and leader who has lived and modeled the values that West Point exists to ingrain in its graduates: Duty, Honor, Country.”

a Major Contractor in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. With her entrepreneurial success and exceptional leadership, Hildreth was the first veteran named to the Forbes list of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women” in 2019 and every year since. In 2023 Forbes also selected her to the prestigious “50 Over 50” list. Most recently, she was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame. Since 2020, Hildreth has served on the board of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). She was inducted into West Point’s Omar N. Bradley Lifetime Giving Society in 2023, has addressed the West Point Entrepreneurs, cadet academic classes, and the Corbin Forum. She established a $1 million Glee Club endowment and provided financial support to publish Hoops and Heroes, the history of Army Women’s Basketball. Hildreth is financially supporting the Dean’s initiatives for the 50th anniversary of women at West Point and the Michie Preservation Project, and she serves on the WPAOG Campaign Cabinet. “Hildreth is always asking how else she can help…attributes of a true servant leader,” says LTG (R) Michael Linnington ’80, former Commandant of Cadets and current CEO of WWP, “one more interested in those she serves than in any accolades available to her.”

2024 Recipient of West Point Association of Graduates

Distinguished Graduate Award

Soldier

Ambassador Eikenberry Statesman

Distinguished Graduate

Congratulations from your ’73 Classmates “Proud and Free”

LTG Eikenberry,

HON Karl W. Eikenberry

Congratulations from your Classmates, Family, and Friends!

GEN (R) Jim C. McConville ’81 2024 Distinguished Graduate Award Recipient

“I am confident that history will regard Jim McConville as an extraordinary military officer…who commanded US forces with exceptional skills in war and peace.”

—Dr. Mark Esper ’86 27th U.S. Secretary of Defense

“Jim’s tenure as the 40th Chief of Staff of the Army was marked by an unyielding dedication to duty and an ability to navigate through unprecedented challenges.”

—SGM (R) Michael A. Grinston 16th Sergeant Major of the Army (Retired)

“Few throughout our Army’s storied history have been better stewards of our profession than the inspiring leadership of CSA Jim McConville during historic national crises.”

—GEN (R) Daniel B. Allyn ‘81 2023 Distinguished Graduate Award Recipient

WPAOG Wins Four Stevie Awards

In April, the West Point Association of Graduates won four Stevie Awards from the American Business Awards Program in the following categories:

• GOLD for Events & Live Webcasts: Ring Melt Ceremony Video for the Class of 2025

• GOLD for Consumer Services: CONNECT Program

• SILVER for Organization of the Year: West Point Association of Graduates

• BRONZE for Celebration Event: Memorial Support Program

The Stevie Awards are the world’s premier business awards. They were created in 2002 to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working professionals worldwide. The American Business Awards are open to all organizations operating in the United States and feature a wide variety of categories to recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace.

2024 Thayer Award Announcement

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, will receive the West Point Association of Graduate’s Sylvanus Thayer Award. Obama will become the fifth former U.S. president—joining Dwight Eisenhower (1961), Ronald Reagan (1989), George H.W. Bush (1994) and George W. Bush (2017)—to receive WPAOG’s oldest award, presented annually since 1958. The 2024 Thayer Award will be presented on September 19, 2024 during ceremonies hosted by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

2024

2024 West Point Challenge Results

With gifts totaling $5.7 million, the 2024 West Point Challenge impacted every part of West Point. Gifts given during the Challenge will support all 120 cadet clubs, 70-plus academic programs, all 30 D-1 athletic teams, and the lives of 4,400 cadets! Over 335 different funds received Margin of Excellence gifts from 15,360 donors. Congratulations to the Class of 1997, which had the highest active class participation and the most donors. The Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering, Crew Team, Men’s Lacrosse Team, and Company B-2 leaned in and took the top spots on the academic, club, athletic, and cadet company leaderboards.

WPAOG Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Association of Graduates will take place at Herbert Alumni Center on November 19, 2024 at 5:00pm. Please contact Kirsten A. Dickson ’97, Association Administrative Officer (Kirsten.Dickson@wpaog.org; 845-446-1519), if you have any questions about the meeting.

The Special Forces Scholar

Since 1960, nearly 150 West Point graduates have pursued graduate study as Olmsted Scholars, many of whom later rose to important positions of senior leadership in the Army (including Ambassador and General John P. Abizaid ’73 [Retired], former Commander, U.S. Central Command; and Lieutenant General Patrick J. Donahue ’80 [Retired], former Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Forces Command). Soon, Captain Louis A. Beto ’14, who is currently serving with the 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) [5th SFG(A)] as the Support Center Director for Special Operations Task Force-Levant, supporting various Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alphas (SFODA’s) scattered throughout the Middle East, will join this distinguished group.

In March, Beto was selected by the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation to be a member of the Olmsted Scholar Class of 2025. Over the next three years, while on a full scholarship in Istanbul, Turkey, he will complete language training and two years of graduate studies in international relations, during which time he’ll conduct research, write his assignments, and speak to others in the target language. “During my last couple of deployments [which included Baghdad, Iraq and Deir ez-Sor, Syria], I learned you had to be able to speak the language and you had to understand the culture, norms, and short- and long-term interests of your SFOD-A’s partners to make worthwhile, enduring impacts on the mission,” Beto says. “These experiences shaped my interest to pursue schooling abroad and become completely immersed in a new culture.” Upon completion of his program, Beto will join other West Point graduates serving in the Special Forces as Olmsted Scholars. “In 5th SFG(A) alone one can easily see the return on investment with someone like Colonel Ken Wainwright ’02, who studied in Jerusalem in 2012 before returning to his area of responsibility in 2020 as the Commander of 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group,” Beto says. From Beto’s perspective, this aligns with the vision General

Olmsted, Class of 1922, had following his experiences in postwar China, and it demonstrates the intent of the Olmsted Foundation’s Scholar Program: for military leaders to learn a foreign language and become familiar with a foreign culture in preparation for their future service. “This exemplifies service for me,” Beto says. “It demonstrates a serious dedication to the Profession of Arms.”

Beto—who has also served with the 504th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division—credits his time as a squad leader during the second detail of Cadet Basic Training with preparing him for his Army assignments. “It was invaluable for me,” he says. “It was the first experience to significantly impact my nascent leadership style.” Beto also found the informal conversations with instructors at the end of class to be priceless. “Their stories and the lessons they imparted informed my expectations and established the framework for ‘what right looks like,’ and their impact on me continues to this day.”

Beto expects that his experience as an Olmsted Scholar will enhance his perspective, expand his grasp of international relations, and ultimately influence what he brings to the table as a leader in the Army. “The incredible foresight General Olmsted had in identifying the need for leaders to be broadly educated is as relevant today as it was in the inaugural Olmsted Scholar Class of 1960,” he says. “U.S. priorities, geographical locations, partners, competitors, and adversaries may vary over time, but the concept of service remains the same.” Like previous scholars, Beto will return to his branch of service, rejoin the team, and make contributions at the field-grade level. As he says, “Maintaining one’s full-time commitment to serve alongside America’s best in difficult places, facing difficult problemsets, is the kind of service that should be expected of West Point graduates.”

—Keith J. Hamel

Left: CPT Louis Beto ’14 on patrol with 5th SFG(A) in Iraq. Above: Beto’s official Army photo.

Grads of the Ghost Army

It took 50 years to declassify their actions and another 28 years for its soldiers to get recognition for their role in World War II; however, on March 21, 2024 the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, popularly known as “The Ghost Army,” received the highest honor Congress bestows, a Congressional Gold Medal, an award first given to George Washington in 1776.

According to Richard Rebh—whose father, Major General George Rebh ’43JAN (Retired), commanded the 406th Engineer Combat Company of the Ghost Army when he was a captain—the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops “is reputed to have had one of the highest concentrations of West Point graduates in any unit during the war.”

Then-Lieutenant Colonel Billy Harris ’33 is credited with developing the idea of the Ghost Army in 1943 (along with his subordinate, Major Ralph Ingersoll). An article on the Ghost Army Legacy Project website notes: “Harris was the feet-on-theground, ‘how do we make this work’ guy; Ingersoll was the wild idea, pie-in-the-sky guy.”

Often compared to a theatrical company, the 23rd was activated on January 20, 1944 at Camp Forrest, Tennessee. Using four types of deception (visual, radio, sonic, and special effects), its mission was to fool the enemy into thinking that American units were bigger and in different locations than they really were. In addition to the aforementioned 406th, whose 168 soldiers provided security for the Ghost Army, the 23rd was made up of the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion (379 soldiers), which used an assortment of inflatable tanks, trucks, and artillery weapons; the 244th Signal Company (296 soldiers), which conducted “spoof radio,” impersonating radio operators from

real units; and the 3132 Signal Service Company (145 soldiers), which used massive speakers mounted on halftracks to project the sounds of unit activities (e.g., armored columns moving) up to 15 miles downrange.

The Ghost Army was commanded by Colonel Harry L. Reeder Sr., whose son, then-First Lieutenant Harry L. Reeder Jr. ’43JUN, served with the 23rd throughout the war. Lieutenant Colonel Clifford Simenson ’34 was another senior leader in the Ghost Army, serving as its operations officer. According to Rick Beyer and Liz Sayles’s book The Ghost Army of World War II, “Simenson was instrumental in formulating the doctrines and tactics they would employ on the battlefield to simulate larger units under a variety of conditions.”

Between June 1944 and March 1945, the Ghost Army completed more than 20 “deception missions,” including Operation Viersen, “the last, biggest, and best deception of the war,” according to Beyer and Sayles. The operation was largely the work of Lieutenant Colonel Merrick Hector Truly ’31, the executive officer of the 23rd, and its objective was to deceive the Germans as to the strength of the Ninth Army and the time and location of its Rhine River crossing. The crossing was such a success that Lieutenant General William Simpson, Class of 1909, the commander of the Ninth Army, gave a special commendation to the Ghost Army. Seventy-seven years later, the commander in chief of the U.S. Armed Forces signed a bill authorizing Congress to present its highest honor to, among others, those now in the “ghostly assemblage” of the Long Gray Line who are credited with saving the lives of between 15,000 to 30,000 soldiers during World War II. 

—Keith J. Hamel

Images; courtesy of the Ghost Army Legacy Project

Soldiers carry a rubber tank (decoy) during the 23rd’s buildup for World War II.

Post-factum insignia for the Ghost Army.

Duty, Honor, Country— All the Way!

“Stand up! Hook up! Shuffle to the door! Airborne!” Now imagine taking a long walk toward, not away from, a mine or IED and diffusing it without a bomb suit or robot, instead with what could be jumped in: rope, scissors, and explosives. Fire in the hole! Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) combined with Airborne—that’s courageous, selfless service. In 2022 after her company commander was relieved, then-First Lieutenant Delanie (Weliver) Devine ’19 assumed command of the 722nd Ordnance Company (EOD), supporting the 82nd Airborne Division. Their company motto—“No one is coming. It’s up to you”—had new meaning. The values Delanie learned from West Point and her family helped her command successfully. Her parents, Lieutenant Colonel Scott Weliver ’85 (Retired) and Devrie (Lafreniere) Weliver ’88 (one of 25 graduates married to graduates with multiple USMA children), said, “West Point trained us to develop leaders who would serve the nation, so that’s how we parented.” West Point and the Army, particularly the 82nd, have been a big part of their family. Scott retired from West Point. All six of the nuclear family, plus Delanie’s husband, Captain Sean Devine ’19, and two other close relatives are West Pointers. Four additional family members are or were soldiers. In all, the Weliver-Devine family has served 100 years in the Army and Army Reserve. Five served assignments with the 82nd. Scott was serving at Fort Liberty (Bragg), North Carolina when Delanie was born. Besides Delanie and Sean, three other family members have recently served in the “All American Division.” A combined West Point-Airborne motto could describe this unique family’s selfless service: Duty, Honor, Country All the Way!

Each family member has embraced these values in diverse training and leadership assignments. Scott was the Inspector General at West Point. Devrie was as an ordnance shop officer

supervising 200-plus soldiers. Major Casey (Weliver) Kilpatrick ’12, Delanie’s sister, is assigned to a Mission Command Test Directorate with the U.S. Army Reserve’s 87th Training Division. Caleigh Weliver ’14, another sister, commanded the 602nd Area Support Medical Company at Fort Liberty. Captain Andrew Weliver ’19, Delanie’s brother, was a Field Artillery platoon leader and later served in 1st Space Brigade.

According to Delanie, her parents also taught her “attention-todetail and to drive-on,” which prepared her for rapiddeployment EOD and to motivate her troubled soldiers after their commander was relieved. At that time, one soldier asked, “Ma’am, what are we going to do now?” Delanie remembered her father’s words that helped her through Beast: “Keep driving on.” She told her soldier, “We are going to get back to work.” She refocused her company on their upcoming joint operation with the United Kingdom and their Joint Readiness Training Center rotation.

Many Welivers and Devines have shown courageous selfless service. Several have been in rapid deployment units and on multiple deployments. Delanie, Scott, Devrie, and Sean are Airborne (Delanie was the honor graduate: she has Thai jump wings; she and Sean have Italian jump wings). Andrew, Scott, and Sean are Air Assault. Delanie and Sean now have a “Rendevous with Destiny” in the 101st Airborne Division: Delanie is preparing to take command again, and Sean is deployed to Europe. Yet there will still be a representative tangentially tied to the “Eighty Deuce”—Andrew is enroute to Fort Liberty (home of the 82nd)—and the family will always be dedicated to West Point. 

—Desrae Gibby ’91

Members of the WeliverDevine family, strong believers in Duty, Honor Country—All the Way!

Eyes Right

No Excuse

“Yes.”

“No.”

“I do not understand.”

“No excuse.”

Throughout the entirety of my first year at West Point, these were the only four acceptable answers to any question. I collided with this new reality a generation ago, on Reception Day in June 1992. A cadet wearing a red sash told me to learn only these four responses during Beast Barracks. He did not mention that these same four answers would also define and eventually rescue me over the course of my journey for the next three decades, one that took me through addiction and alcoholism into sobriety. “Yes,” “No,” and “I do not understand” described my existence for many years, but the fourth response, “No excuse,” saved my life. A medical discharge after graduation, a loss of purpose, and a life of excess led to a downward spiral of substance abuse and misery that I did not understand. After a final surrender to my emptiness 11 years ago, I chose to get sober and live a life of service, with plenty of setbacks but without excuses.

During his 1962 “Duty, Honor, Country” speech, General MacArthur told the Corps of Cadets: “…in war there is no substitute for victory,” and, before a bout with pugil sticks at Camp Buckner, I learned: “There are two types of fighters: the quick and the dead.” My life at West Point was a series of measurable goals, with success and failure most often defined by binary “yes” or “no” outcomes. Corps squad ice hockey, Wreath Award, Airborne, Air Assault: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Hundreds of hours on the Area, drinking at the Firstie Club every available chance, the annual spring break in Cancun: Yes. Yes. Yes. No matter how healthy or how risky, the answer had to be “yes” because there was no replacement for victory in war and I approached every aspect of life as a battle. Then, one day in March 1996, when I needed just one more “yes” to put a final exclamation point on my cadet experience, I was told, “No.” I failed the commissioning physical. The medical board told me that I would be allowed to graduate, but there would be no “real Army” in my future. Ever. The clarity of my first two responses at West Point was soon replaced, in civilian life, by my third response of “I do not understand” and the uncertainty surrounding it.

I was devastated over my inability to commission, but I was not going to grieve my loss. Grief was for the weak. Instead, I did my best to determine what a fighter does without a fight. I quickly found the most high-energy environment that required the least amount of emotion: Wall Street. “Duty, Honor, Country” became “Money, Never, Sleeps.” At USMA, the epaulettes showed rank. In the world of finance, it was a house, a car, or

even a pair of cufflinks that separated echelons. As the years went on, I increased my rank on Wall Street. From the outside looking in, I was a success. But I was miserable. For the first time in my life, I did not understand. That third response came to define my daily struggles. The only respite for me from the pain and emptiness was to drink or do drugs. These substances eased my suffering for some time, until they evolved into full-blown addictions. I lost any zest for life and resigned myself to believing

Winer played center on the Army Hockey Team for three years, scoring 40 goals and 56 assists.

Left: Ian Winer as a firstie in 1996. Right: Winer on X (formerly Twitter) today.

By Ian Winer ’96, Guest Author

I would never find a purpose. I did not understand why anything mattered, other than the next high.

Then, a miracle happened. On March 23, 2013, I did something that was incomprehensible and totally unacceptable during most of my life and especially while at West Point. I surrendered. The disease of addiction had beaten me senseless. I raised the white flag. It took decades of pain and illusions of control before I finally admitted I was completely powerless. On that day in March, more than 11 years ago, I decided that I needed directions to a better life and took a leap of faith believing that sobriety could be that avenue for my salvation. I asked total strangers for help. There was nothing to take charge of anymore because I was no longer in charge. As each day passed, the fog lifted, and I began to understand the possibilities of a life without drugs or alcohol. It was at this moment that my fourth response of “No excuse” became my mantra and saving grace.

“I began to understand the possibilities of a life without drugs or alcohol. It was at this moment that my fourth response of “No excuse” became my mantra and saving grace.”

Ian Winer ’96

The rub with sobriety is that I now feel emotions again, both good and bad. In many ways, life has been more difficult during my recovery. I now have nothing to use as an excuse for my behavior. Life is hard when one does not make excuses. “No excuse” got me farther in business than anything else I learned over my decades on Wall Street. Whenever I made a mistake, my explanation of “no excuse” caused my bosses’ heads to spin around. They had never heard that before. Most people on Wall Street would blame anyone but themselves for mistakes. While I allowed no room for excuses in business for decades, I had an endless number of excuses over the same timespan for why I was a poor brother, friend, and husband. This is the cruel beauty of sobriety. I show up in life now for those who need me. I still make plenty of mistakes, but I do not make excuses for any poor behavior, and I make amends to people I harm. To err is human, but to own that error and not make any excuses is my daily work. The fourth response gives me purpose.

In 1992, at the United States Military Academy, a young new cadet from New Jersey marched across a large plain of freshly cut summer grass to the great joy of hundreds of parents, including his own. In his head, he heard those four responses: Yes; No; I do not understand; No excuse. It was time to join the service. I was that cadet.

In 2024, in Los Angeles, a man reflects on a journey from addiction to sobriety clearly defined by those same four responses. He does his best to be a good man. He has made a lot of progress but is far from perfection. It is now time to be of service, which for me takes different forms: working in private equity and investing in defense technology companies, assisting military members who are transitioning to civilian life, and, above all else, helping members of the Long Gray Line who struggle with addiction and alcoholism. I aim to continue this service for the rest of my days. 

Ian Winer graduated from West Point in 1996 with a degree in International Relations. He works in private equity and focuses on investing in companies pursuing new defense technologies. He is the author of Ubiquitous Relativity: My Truth is not The Truth and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their labrador, Ulysses.

Eyes Right

Winer receiving his USMA diploma at his 1996 graduation.

We Serve You

222nd Founders Day Unites Long Gray Line

Throughout the spring season, members of the Long Gray Line gripped hands across the globe to celebrate the 222nd iteration of Founders Day.

The original Founders Day, March 16, 1802, is when President Thomas Jefferson signed the document founding the United States Military Academy at West Point. Thousands of Old Grads and cadets gathered to celebrate this historic day at local Founders Day events organized by the 129 West Point Societies in the United States and overseas.

USMA and WPAOG personnel typically speak at these events, and, this year, the West Point Association of Graduates supported 71 Founders Day events, with at least one WPAOG representative attending each of those events.

“The 2024 Founders Day Season was truly remarkable in the number and quality of the events, the graduates gathered from multiple classes and their guests, and the connections strengthened,” said WPAOG President & CEO Mark Bieger ’91.

“The Long Gray Line came together in over 100 locations around the world to celebrate the very special bond we have with each other and with our alma mater, and we were able to Grip Hands, to reflect and to appreciate what West Point has done for each of us in a unique and impactful way.”

At each Founders Day celebration, tradition decrees that the youngest and oldest grads in attendance offer remarks and cut a cake to be shared before all gathered to sing the “Alma Mater.”

Lieutenant General Dennis Benchoff ’62 (Retired) served as the oldest graduate at the Founders Day celebration in Philadelphia. In his remarks, he flipped the phrase “the Corps has…” on its head and shared with the crowd how, throughout his 36 years of service and post-military career, he has seen example after example of dedicated, professional leadership from West Point graduates.

“The Corps has continually changed to keep up with its environment, its challenges, and its mission,” Benchoff said. “It has continually changed to continue its position as a role model for training leaders of character, leaders who define distinguished service and personal sacrifice,” Benchoff said. “I am proud to stand with you and with them in the Long Gray Line as we continue to engage and defeat those who would put our great nation in peril.

“The Corps has—and the United States of America is all the better for it.”

—Erika

Norton

West Point Society of the San Francisco Bay Area.

West Point Society of Columbia.

West Point Society of Western North Carolina.

West Point Society of Central Pennsylvania.

West Point Society of Central Texas.

The Cape Fear West Point Society.

Garcia ’96 Takes Role as New Commandant of Cadets

On June 14, 2024, R.J. Garcia was promoted to brigadier general and became the 81st Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy. In addition to his B.S. from USMA, Garcia holds an M.S. from Kansas State University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He is a senior Army aviator who has earned the Combat Action Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Army Staff Badge and has served in various locations and duty positions across the United States and overseas: the 2nd Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Armored Division, the Army Staff, 25th Infantry Division, and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Prior to assuming the role of USMA Commandant, he was serving as Deputy Commander (Support), 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

1983

Hildreth ’83 to be Inducted into Texas Business Hall of Fame

On November 13, 2024, at its 2024 annual Induction Dinner, Kathleen S. Hildreth will be inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation. Hildreth, a 2024 WPAOG Distinguished Graduate Award recipient, is co-founder and managing director of M1 Support Services, a military aviation services company that she has grown 100 percent organically to over 7,000 employees and $2 billion dollars in annual revenue. Passionate about a wide variety of veteran causes, Hildreth has supported the Medal of Honor Museum, Military Women’s Memorial, numerous military family scholarship funds, and many other local and national charities serving veterans and their families, and she is an ardent supporter of West Point and serves on the West Point Ready Campaign. Additionally, since 2020, she has served on the board of Wounded Warrior Project.

1972 Greco ’72 Named CASA

On May 7, 2024, the U.S. Army appointed Colonel G. Thomas “Tom” Greco (Retired) as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army from Idaho. Greco had a 24-year career in the U.S. Army as an Infantry officer and then served in college and university leadership and Christian ministry positions. “I look forward to telling the Army story in my state for the growth and well-being of our warfighters, military families, and veterans transitioning into civilian life,” Greco said during his investiture ceremony.

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

General Officer Announcements

The following officers were confirmed by the U.S. Senate:

MG Joseph P. McGee ’90 for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, J-5, Joint Staff (senior member), United States Delegation to the United Nations Military Staff, Washington, DC

MG Gregory K. Anderson '91 for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as Commanding General, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, NC.

BG (USAR) Joseph A. Ricciardi ’90 for promotion to the rank of major general

BG David W. Gardner '94 for promotion to the rank of major general

For promotion to the rank of brigadier general:

COL (USAR) Steven M. King '88

COL Allen J. Pepper ’93

COL Kenneth C. Cole ’94

COL Kevin L. Cotman ’94

COL Jin H. Pak ’94

COL Kevin S. Chaney ’95

COL William M. Parker ’95

COL Robert G. Born ’96

COL Robert S. Brown ’96

LTC/COL Promotions

COL Rogelio J. Garcia ’96

COL Brendan C. Raymond ’96

COL Joseph M. Ewers ’97

COL Joseph C. Goetz II ’97

COL Paul T. Krattiger ’97

COL Zachary L. Miller ’97

COL Michael D. Rose ’97

COL Kirk E. Brinker ’98

Use the QR codes below to view the list of 71 graduates from the classes of 2000 to 2006 who were selected to be promoted to colonel in 2024, as well as the 220 graduates from the classes of 2004 to 2010 who were selected to be promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Gripping Hands

LGL O-6/O-5 Command Selections

Use the QR code to view a list of graduates from the classes of 2000 to 2009 who have been selected for O-5/O-6 Command as of April 2024 from the Regular Army list for FY 2025.

These 104 individuals have proven themselves as leaders of exceptional skill and talent, capable of leading the most important formations across the U.S. Army. These selections also signal the Army’s confidence in their future potential as leaders of character, ready to make a positive impact for years to come. Command is altogether a privilege, honor and the greatest of responsibility, and the Long Gray Line is appreciative and thankful for these individuals’ continued service and example in the defense of the nation.

(R) Recognition

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, 2018 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.

LTC David A. Friedman 1984

COL Michael E. McCormack II 1984

MAJ Vernard C. Madden 1985

COL Charles H. Murdock 1985

LTC Steven P. Nixon 1985

MAJ Joseph A. Benevento 1988

COL Carl D. Ramsey 1989

BG David P. Warshaw 1989

COL Andrew C. Dillon 1990

COL Newman M. Yang 1990

COL Stephanie J. Tutton 1991

COL Douglas W. Winton 1991

COL Charles W. Nolan 1993

COL David L. Raugh 1993

COL Steven J. Adams 1994

COL Matthew A. Posner 1994

COL Todd J. Verrill 1995

LTC Rodney S. Baker 1997

LTC Edwin J. Quimby 1997

CW5 Corey V. Reeves 1999

LTC Adam D. Heppe 2002

MAJ Darwin E. Maull 2002

LTC Dereck K. Wilson 2002

LTC Kevin E. Dagon 2003

LTC Lee P. Gray 2003

LTC Cecil E. Wolberton 2005

Photo:

U.S. Army

photo by Staff Sgt. Justin McClarran

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

We regret that, because of limited space, we cannot publish all letters received. Letters may be edited and shortened for space. Submit comments or questions to editor@wpaog.org, or chat with us on one of our WPAOG social media channels.

FROM: LTC (R) Alan Hendricks ’86

I had been reading with mixed emotions about the recent change in the USMA mission statement and concerns from many fellow graduates that our motto was removed. In his letter to open the 2024 Spring issue of West Point magazine, our Superintendent, LTG Steven Gilland ’90, succinctly synthesized the distinction: “Our mission statement defines what we do. Our motto—Duty, Honor, Country—is who we are.” When I read these lucid, unambiguous words, the light bulb blazed on for me. I immediately “got it.” Thank you, LTG Gilland, for enlightening this old combat soldier in a way that resonates!

RESPONSE:

Thank you for your letter. We have shared it with the Superintendent’s Office.

FROM: Mr. Gary Saxton ’82

It was great to read in the 2024 Spring issue about the West Point Marathon Team competing in the Athens Marathon last November. I was competing as well…celebrating my 100th marathon on the historic course, beginning in the city of Marathon and ending in Athens. Though nearly all my 100 marathons were run much later in life, two were run while a cadet in the early 1980s. It was a complete surprise as well as a moment of inspiration when, in the early miles of the 2023 race, I saw some West Point runners pass by. Catching up to one of them and chatting for a few breaths was an absolute thrill, and definitely one of the highlights of the day. Many thanks to the team for both adding to the significance of the event for me as well as for representing West Point so well halfway around the world!

RESPONSE:

First of all, congratulations on your long-distance running accomplishments. “Celebrating [your] 100th marathon on the historic course?” Amazing! We’ve passed along your message to the West Point Marathon Team knowing that its members would certainly appreciate hearing about your support of the team.

FROM: LTC (R) Jim Maye ’75

I’m an old boxing fan and enjoyed the article “‘Relentless’ National Champions and Future Officers” in the 2024 Spring issue. As a cadet I had the good fortune to watch the greatest boxer in Academy history...Al Fracker ex-’77. Fracker was in a class by himself. He never graduated but earned a commission and (concurrently) had a brief pro career. His military career was much longer, and he retired as a colonel. As a plebe, Fracker fought the defending champion of the New York Golden Gloves in the 175 lbs. weight division at the finals of the nation’s biggest boxing tournament, which was held at the Madison Square Garden that year. I was one of about 1,000 cadets attending the standingroom-only event. The 3-2 split decision was replayed on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” program that weekend. (I should add that Jerry Johnson ’74, who won the 160 lbs. sub novice title on the card that night, was pretty good, too: he was one of the very few cadets that was able to spar with Fracker.)

RESPONSE:

Thank you for your letter. Fascinating USCC history! There is a video online of Fracker fighting for West Point in 1975. To read more about Johnson and Fracker, check out the article in the June 1974 edition of ASSEMBLY magazine (pictured).

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

Q: What’s the nicest thing that a member of the Long Gray Line has done for you?

A:“A classmate was responsible for the best job I ever had. When Second Brigade, 91st Division (a reserve component training unit) suddenly needed a battalion commander for its 3rd Battalion, 361st Regiment (due to a relief), my classmate, Lee Taylor ’80, the deputy brigade commander, looked across to 1st Brigade, where I was a senior observer controller. A few months later, I walked into the best job I’d ever had. The connections Lee and I had made since graduation were enough to get his endorsement for the high responsibility of command. I’m extraordinarily grateful to Lee for recommending me for that assignment (and it was another grad, Mal Johnson ’76, who took his advice and gave me the job!).”

Says Doug Lobdell ’80, who is probably remembered best by his classmates as a goat thief and musician: He played guitar almost every day of his cadet career and announced from the poop deck, “The Corps of Cadets is proud to have as its guest for the evening meal the Naval Academy goat!” Since graduation he’s maintained a verve for life. He was the first Army officer ever to serve on an Air Force satellite control crew, built $100M in family housing on Fort Carson, and spent two years helping East Texas recover from the 2017 devastation of Hurricane Harvey. He’s currently taking composition courses at UTEP, hoping that “The Class of 1980 March” will be ready to be

played by the West Point Band for his class’s 50th reunion in a few years. He’s most proud of his 19 (!) grandchildren.

A:“While I was at West Point, 1972-6, I don’t remember any “nice” things anyone ever did for me. However, in 2017, after my brother Selby, a USMA 1980 grad, died, the Long Gray Line of his classmates, along with those at then Fort Benning, gripped hands with Selby, me and the entire Rollinson family as we all celebrated his life at the Infantry Chapel. ”

Says Martin “Root” Rollinson ’76, who is loving life in the foothills to the Ozarks of far western Arkansas. He lists his top activities as “traveling, enjoying family, and periodically celebrating with I-3 classmates.” 

Class “Quotes” topic for the 2024 Fall issue:

What’s your most memorable moment from an Army Football game that you attended as a cadet?

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.). You are welcome to attach pictures to your email to support your answer or your life-update.

Photo:

U.S. Army

photo by SFC Alan Brutus

®

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 reminiscing about the heady days of plebe year? 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 exclusive to grad insiders: 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!

Deaths reported from March 16, 2023 – June 15, 2024

Maj Gen Robert F. Trimble USAF, Retired 1945

Col Irving B. Schoenberg USAF, Retired 1948

Col Edward L. Scott USAF, Retired 1948

COL William C. Brown USA, Retired 1949

COL Richard S. Craig USA, Retired 1949

Dr. Paul C. Dow Jr. 1949

CPT Jack R. Hayne USA, Retired 1949

COL Ralph Puckett Jr. USA, Retired 1949

Maj Gen Richard H. Schoeneman USAF, Retired 1949

Lt Col Edwin G. Triner USAF, Retired 1949

COL Clifton A. Pritchett Jr. USA, Retired 1950

GEN John A. Wickham Jr. USA, Retired 1950

LTC Rene A. Wolf USA, Retired 1950

COL William E. Grugin USA, Retired 1951

LTC Robert E. Macklin USA, Retired 1951

COL Herman J. Vetort USA, Retired 1951

Lt Col Howard O. Wiles Jr. USAF, Retired 1951

COL Clifford C. Neilson USA, Retired 1953

Mr. Gilbert A. Volker 1953

COL Charles D. Beaumont USA, Retired 1954

Col Harlan L. Gurney USAF, Retired 1954

LTC Virl E. Haas USA, Retired 1954

Mr. John H. Klingberg 1954

Mr. John A. Koskella 1954

Mr. Clyde W. LaGrone 1954

LTC Norman A. Matthias Jr. USA, Retired 1954

LTC Paul V. Powers USA, Retired 1954

Mr. John M. Cohan 1955

Mr. Martin C. McGuire 1955

COL Dan Moses USA, Retired 1955

MG Edward L. Trobaugh USA, Retired 1955

LTG Frederic J. Brown USA, Retired 1956

LTC John P. Haley USA, Retired 1956

Col George P. Lynch Jr. USAF, Retired 1956

LTC James Paradise Jr. USA, Retired 1956

LTC James H. Sewell Jr. USA, Retired 1956

Mr. James F. Henthorne 1957

Mr. David W. Bourland 1958

Col Jack P. Bujalski USAF, Retired 1958

Mr. Robert E. Clark Jr. 1958

COL Richard M. Hirata USA, Retired 1958

MG John S. Guthrie Jr. USA, Retired 1959

COL Frederick J. McConville USA, Retired 1959

LTC John B. Medaris Jr. USA, Retired 1959

COL Hugh T. O'Connor USA, Retired 1959

Mr. Richard R. Peffenbach 1959

COL Tom Seybold USA, Retired 1959

LTC James S. Godwin USA, Retired 1960

Dr. Gerard J. Rivell 1960

Mr. Reynold M. Maus Sr. 1961

COL Thomas K. Mercer USA, Retired 1961

Mr. Arlen C.T. Miller 1961

Lt Col George L. Shamblee USAF, Retired 1961

LTC Gustav H. Stiehl IV USA, Retired 1961

COL Alfred S. Rushatz USA, Retired 1962

Mr. Lloyd S. Foight 1963

LTC Peter A. Kelly USA, Retired 1963

BG Francis T. Mataranglo USA, Retired 1963

Mr. Fred M. Belanger 1965

LTC John M. Howell USA, Retired 1965

Mr. Warren M. Kennedy Jr. 1965

Mr. Raymond J. Schaltenbrand Jr. 1965

COL William W. Sherrell Jr. USA, Retired 1965

Mr. Mark B. Bailey 1966

Mr. Shannon C. Cook 1966

COL Robert N. Seigle USA, Retired 1966

Mr. Marc L. Tumas 1966

COL William W. Obley USA, Retired 1967

LTC James H. Saine USA, Retired 1967

Mr. John P. Bayer Jr. 1968

Mr. Michael A. Bressler 1968

Mr. Michael P. Einbinder 1968

Mr. Joseph C. Finley 1968

Mr. Jeffrey D. Wilcox 1968

COL Jeffrey E. Furbank USA, Retired 1969

Mr. Jeffrey J. Gilson 1969

COL George R. Allin III USA, Retired 1970

Mr. Cary E. Garner 1970

LTC Michael W. Mahan USA, Retired 1970

Mr. James O. Odermann 1970

Mr. Kenneth K. Landis Jr. 1971

LTC William N. Alex USAR, Retired 1972

Dr. Daniel M. Downs 1972

Mr. Howard Kuschick 1972

Be Thou at Peace

LTC Michael L. Lysfjord USA, Retired 1972

MAJ Thomas K. Walton USA, Retired 1972

LTC Dan P. Krebill USA, Retired 1973

Mr. Enrique A. Ortiz 1973

MAJ Christopher A. Torgerson USA, Retired

Mr. Paul D. Kure

MAJ Ralph A. Marks Jr. USA, Retired

Mr. Willis F. Marti

Mr. Bryan E. Smith

Mr. Gerald W. Cauley

Mr. Philip J. Freeman

Mr. Joseph R. Sullivan

Dr.

Mr. Marty E. Mahoney

COL Shelley A. Richardson USA, Retired

Mr. Philip W. Pellette

Mr. Charlie J. Lail Jr.

COL Scott G. Messinger USA, Retired

E. Ward

Mr. Ky B. Harrod

Mr. Ryan W. Currie

Mr. John D. Hurst

CPT Andrew J. Hacker ANG

Jewish Chapel Celebrates 40 Years at West Point Past in Review

By LTC (R) Robert D. Wolff ’65, Ph.D. , Guest Author

The number 40 appears numerous times in the Torah and in Jewish tradition: 40 days and 40 nights of rain in the Great Flood, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and there are 40 days between the first day of Elul (when Jews blow the Shofar to prepare for Rosh Hashana) until Yom Kippur (the end of the annual teshuva, or repentance, period).

According to Jewish scholars, the number 40 represents significant change and transformation. In 2024, the West Point Jewish Chapel, the only true synagogue on an Army installation, celebrates its 40th anniversary. It has seen and undergone many changes in those 40 years.

The recognition of Jewish cadets at West Point began in 1939. On April 7 of that year, the Academy issued a memorandum (coincidentally Memorandum No. 40) that stated that a 25-member “Jewish Chapel Squad” would be formed and that these Jewish cadets “will be assembled at 7:30am every Sunday and marched to the basement of the Cadet Chapel” for a religious service. Nearly 30 years later, in 1968, Colonel Mert Singer ’38 and then-Superintendent Major General Donald Bennett ’40 discussed the concept of a stand-alone Jewish Chapel at West Point. Later that year, on June 18, Singer met with Herb Lichtenberg ’55 and Rabbi Avraham Soltes (the visiting West Point Jewish chaplain), and they founded the West Point Jewish Chapel Fund (WPJCF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that would raise funds for the planning, design and construction of the West Point Jewish Chapel and provide continuing support to the chapel following its completion. It took a decade to raise the funds and secure all the necessary support, including that of Lieutenant General Andrew Goodpaster ’39, the 51st USMA Superintendent, who reaffirmed West Point’s support for a Jewish Chapel to be located between the Cadet Chapel and the Catholic Chapel.

“The Jewish Chapel will fill a long-standing need at West Point,” said Goodpaster in 1978. “In addition to providing a place of worship for our Jewish cadets, officers, and members of the community and their families, the Gallery and Museum will recognize the contribution of Jewish graduates of West Point have made to our nation’s progress over the 176 years since Joseph Swift and Simon Levy formed the first graduating class of 1802.”

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Jewish Chapel was held on December 28, 1982. Superintendent Lieutenant General Willard Scott Jr. ’48, several members of the WPJCF (including

its President Herbert Ames), and Rabbi Soltes were in attendance. “For years, Jewish cadets at West Point have had to use classrooms, an auditorium or a non-denominational chapel to hold religious services,” stated a December 29, 1982 New York Times article titled “Jewish Chapel at West Point to End ‘Wandering in Desert.’” “Soon, though,” the article noted, “[these] days of ‘wandering in the desert’ will be over.”

A cornerstone ceremony was held at the nearly completed Jewish Chapel on September 20, 1983. In addition to those who attended the groundbreaking, New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch came to the event. The chapel was designed by the firm Abramovitz, Harris & Kingsland. The general construction contractor was the Tishman Construction Corporation. The construction was completed and the first service in the chapel was held in 1984. The cost of the Jewish Chapel was $7.5 million—all from donations.

The Jewish Chapel, which was completed in 1984 with funding by the West Point Jewish Chapel Fund, provides a place of worship for Jewish cadets and a home for other USMA activities.

In 1983, Chaplain (Major) Marc Abramowitz became the first Army Jewish chaplain assigned to West Point. The first wedding of Jewish graduates in the new Jewish Chapel was held in June 1984 when Christy Bishop ’84 married Keith Samuels ’83. In April 1985, 40 Jewish cadets celebrated the first Passover Seder at the new West Point Jewish Chapel, led by Chaplain Abramowitz. The Chapel and its chaplains have been major reasons for the consistent increase in the number of Jewish cadets participating in Jewish programs at West Point over the last 40 years.

In a letter dated July 1, 1986 to the Secretary of the Army, WPJCF President Herbert Ames noted that all costs of the Jewish Chapel project have been paid and offered the chapel free of all liens and encumbrances. He wrote, “The gift may be used as the Superintendent directs for the benefit of the cadets, staff and faculty and West Point Community, with the understanding that it was built primarily for the religious, moral and intellectual benefit of the West Point Jewish Community.” On September 23, 1986 John O. Marsh Jr., then-Secretary of the Army, officially accepted the WPJCF’s proffer, which transferred the responsibility for operation and maintenance of the Jewish Chapel to the government. While the chapel began operations in 1984, a formal dedication ceremony was held on May 3, 1988. The event was hosted by Superintendent Lieutenant General Dave Palmer ’56 and attended by more than 300 guests. Ambassador Max Kampelman delivered a keynote address and a letter from President Ronald Reagan was read.

Today, the West Point Jewish Chapel is a thriving place for USMA’s more than 100 Jewish cadets, the Jewish faculty and staff, and the West Point Jewish community. “Few locations at West Point reflect better the deep cultural and religious diversity and history of our Academy than the West Point Jewish Chapel” recalls Lieutenant General Dan Christman ’65, the 55th USMA Superintendent. The assignment of an

active-duty Army Jewish chaplain since 1983 demonstrates the importance of holding Jewish services at West Point as well as Army installations. While some of the Jewish Chapel’s activities are funded by donations to the West Point Association of Graduates, as well as by government funds, the WPJCF remains dedicated to maintaining the chapel through the fund’s endowment and through continuing donations from Jewish graduates, the American Jewish community, and others. For example, the WPJCF provides funding for Kosher meals following Friday night services and holidays, choir trips to various synagogues in the U.S., kosher meals at weekly Torah studies and displays recognizing Jewish cadets and Jewish graduates.

As stated by several past presidents of the United States, the chapel should also be a museum to recognize contributions of Jews in the military as well as Jewish graduates of West Point. To this end, the WPJCF has installed a Wall of Honor in the chapel to commemorate those Jewish graduates who died in a war zone, who received a valor award, or who rose to the rank of general officer. There is also a Medal of Honor display recognizing the 18 Jewish Medal of Honor recipients, including Colonel Jack Jacobs (Retired), the only living Jewish Medal of Honor recipient and a former Department of Social Sciences instructor and current adjunct faculty member. Finally, the chapel displays a cadet award and biography to honor Colonel Mickey Marcus (Retired), Class of 1924, for his military service and significant role in the Israeli War of Independence.

LTC (R) Robert Wolff ’65, Ph.D., serves as the Curator for the West Point Jewish Chapel and a member of the West Point Jewish Chapel Fund Board of Directors. Wolff has authored several publications for WPJCF, including a pamphlet dedicated to 1LT Howard Pontuck ’66 (2022); Jewish Medal of Honor Recipients (2022), and In Memoriam of the West Point Jewish Graduates Who Died in a War Zone (2023).

For information on WPJCF, go to westpointjewishchapelfund.org.

Plaques in the main hallway of the Jewish Chapel display the names of the more than 1,000 USMA Jewish graduates, beginning with the first Jewish graduate in 1802.

The Jewish Chapel Choir sings at weekly Shabbat services and makes several trips to Jewish synagogues each year.