in this issue: women at west point - amazon s3€¦ · winter 2012 a publication of the west point...

WINTER 2012

A Publication of the West Point Association of Graduates

In This Issue: Women at West Point

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FRIENDS AND FAMILY PROGRAM

USMA’77Jeff Hetherington

Branch [email protected]

(703) 818-0111

USMA’85Todd Hetherington CEO/[email protected] (703) 922-4010

© Copyright 2011 CENTURY 21 New Millennium. Each O�ce Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Equal Housing Lender.

13 Locations in the DC Metro Area

WEST POINT | WINTER 2012 1

“WEST POINT mEaNS SO much TO mE.”Planned Giving“I started giving to West Point because I had a little extra money and I didn’t want to see it go to waste,” says Colonel Robert Beveridge ’53. “West Point means so much to me, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it.”

Bob and his wife Joan have set up several legacy gifts using a variety of planned giving tools that will support West Point in perpetuity. These gifts—several “laddered” charitable gift annuities and a charitable remainder trust—will also provide income tax benefits and annual income distributions to Bob and Joan for the duration of their lives.

“I chose to split the money between sports and academics, but leave it otherwise unrestricted, because then it can be used for whatever the greatest need is. It feels good to continually support such important programs,” said Bob.

WEST POINT

ASSOCIAT ION OF GRADUAT

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Phone: 845.446.1547 • [email protected] • WestPointAOG.orgWEST POINT aSSOcIaTION OF GRaDuaTES

Colonel Robert and Joan Beveridge, Class of 1953.

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DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS MOVING?ACROSS TOWN... ACROSS COUNTRY... ANYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD ...

WWW.C21NM.COM

SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY PROGRAM

USMA’77Jeff Hetherington

Branch [email protected]

(703) 818-0111

USMA’85Todd Hetherington CEO/[email protected] (703) 922-4010

© Copyright 2011 CENTURY 21 New Millennium. Each O�ce Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Equal Housing Lender.

13 Locations in the DC Metro Area

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As you read this issue of West Point magazine, remember that many members of the

Long Gray Line currently are deployed in combat. We honor all those who served or are

serving and those who have fallen.

Dear Fellow Graduates and Friends:I first want to thank all graduates for allowing me to serve a second two-year term as your Chairman of the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG). You’ve also elected a tremendously dedicated and talented Board of Directors, and we all pledge to “promote the welfare of the United States Military Academy, and support and serve its graduates,” as stated in Article II of our bylaws. Many of us were forever changed by our four-year journey through the Military Academy, and I look forward to working with you and the staff to ensure West Point creates leaders for the nation in the future, as it has done for over 200 years.

A key element in executing that purpose is being able to communicate effectively to all graduates and the Military Academy. And, as everyone knows, the world of communications and information technology seems to be changing constantly. As a result, your WPAOG has changed the way it communicates with graduates, and this magazine is one element of the many dynamic changes we’ve made to keep you informed. I’ve often said that the world is at a fundamental inflection point in how everyone exchanges information, and I’ve asked the staff to ensure that we’re not left behind. To that end, you’re going to see much more emphasis on how WPAOG integrates social media, the internet, and print publications to engage all graduates to support West Point and today’s cadets.

One recent initiative is the WPAOG online-calendar function that will be available soon. This feature will allow you to view where cadet teams and clubs will be travelling, as well as when Society, Class, and USMA events are occurring. If something concerning West Point is happening near you, we want you aware! Another upcoming feature will be our Memorial webpage for classmates who pass away, where you will have the ability to post eulogies that will be forever archived in the Cullum Files for future generations to see. Simply put, the technology exists today that allows us to reach more graduates faster, with better information than ever before, and we want to take full advantage of this capability.

On a different note, you’ll notice that this issue of West Point magazine highlights the role of women at the Military Academy, as well as the diversity of the Corps of Cadets and the more than 48,000 living members of the Long Gray Line. It was the genius of President Jefferson that ensured young Americans nominated to attend West Point would come from every state in the union and all walks of life. As you’ll see in these pages, that vibrancy of diversity is alive today in the Corps, whose members will graduate to become our diverse Army’s future leaders.

Go Army!

The mission of West Point magazine is to tell the West Point story and strengthen the grip of the long Gray line.

WEST POINT


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Volume 2, issue 1 • winter 2011

PUBLIShERWest Point Association of Graduates Robert L. McClure ’76, President & CEO

EDITOR IN ChIEF/ADvERTISING Norma [email protected]/[email protected]

EDITORIAL ADvISORY GROUPJohn Calabro ’68 Jim Johnston ’73 Kim McDermott ’87 Julian M. Olejniczak ’61 Samantha Soper

ADDRESS UPDATESTammy Flint 845.446.1642 [email protected]

DESIGNMarguerite Smith

Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policy, or attitude of the u.S. army, united States military academy, West Point association of Graduates, its officers, or the editorial staff. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the u.S. army, united States military academy, West Point association of Graduates, its officers, or the editorial staff for the products or services advertised.

POSTMASTERIf this magazine is addressed to a member of the military services, no postage is necessary for forwarding (See Postal manual, Section 159.225). If no forwarding address for this military member is available, send Form 3579 to West Point association of Graduates, West Point, NY 10996-1607.

West Point is published quarterly in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall by the West Point association of Graduates, 698 mills Road, West Point, NY 10996-1607. Periodicals postage paid at West Point, NY 10996 and additional mailing offices.

Send address changes to Tammy Flint, West Point association of Graduates, 698 mills Road, West Point, NY 10996-1607.

West Point is printed by Dartmouth Printing company

SUBSCRIPTIONSSubscriptions may be ordered for $35 online at WestPointaOG.org; by calling 800.BE.a.GRaD; or by sending a check to WPaOG, West Point magazine, 698 mills Road, West Point, NY 10996-1607.

ON ThE COvERPallas athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, dominates a wall of the 1964 library at West Point; just twelve years later, women would be admitted to the academy.

Jodie Glore ’69 Chairman West Point AOG Board of Directors


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Send your thoughts about West Point magazine to [email protected] Your West Point Association of Graduates

IN ThIS ISSUE16 Diversity Leadership Conference 2011: Cultivating Leadership and Inclusion for Service to the NationIn addition to other noted speakers, documentary filmmaker Jack martin introduced his film, For love of liberty: The Story of america’s Black Patriots.

28 Building Character Across the Country: The West Point Class of 1970 National Conference on Ethics in America Nearly 200 students from 94 colleges across the country filled Eisenhower hall in late October for the 2011 National conference on Ethics in america.

30 “We have nothing to fear but fear itself!” The West Point Combating Terrorism Center a small, agile, privately-funded organization located at West Point is resourcing the world with analysis and research essential to countering terrorism.

36 Who is Ross Pixler? The 2011 Nininger Award for valor at ArmsRoss Pixler climbed mountains and was in JROTc in Phoenix, arizona, and was on his cadet company’s Sandhurst team for three years at West Point. Near Baghdad, as a platoon leader, he emerged as a leader of heroes.

38 Women at West Point: Making historyWomen's firsts from 1968 to the present.

40 2011 West Point Sylvanus Thayer Awardas the 54th recipient of the Thayer award, former Secretary of Defense Robert m. Gates praised the men and women of our armed Forces.

41 West Point Cycling Wins Third National Title in 2011The West Point team won the DII Team Omnium competition in Indianapolis, September 17-18.

DEPARTMENTS 2 From the Chairman 4 From the Superintendent26 By the Numbers44 Gripping hands42 Start the Days!48 Past in Review

18 Army volleyball: Excitement at GillisMinute for minute, an Army volleyball match might be the most entertaining two hours at West Point.

view the online version of this magazine at WestPointAOG.org/wpmag

Lock-N-Load Java 17Paradise valley Estates 5Sheraton Mahwah hotel 35 Notre Dame MBA 45USAA C-3West Point Museum 47WPAOG Development 1 WPAOG Publications 47 WPAOG Travel 23WPAOG Brick & Paver Program C4WPAOG Communications 41

Academy Leadership 47Air Force village 35Amazon 43Army Sports 13Balfour 47Brick & Paver Program C-4 Century 21 C-2Class of 1945 15Eisenhower hall 43herff Jones 45Knollwood Retirement 35

ADvERTISER'S INDEx

14 Grand Opening of the West Point Center for Oral historyDocumentary film producer Ken Burns was the guest speaker at the grand opening of the Center for Oral history in October that also introduced the film, “In harm’s Way,” and marked the debut of the Center’s website, WestPointCOh.org.

COVER STORYChanging the Face of the U.S. Military Academy: Women at West PointThirty-five years ago, the first women new cadets entered Beast Barracks and changed the face of West Point forever.

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In each endeavor, there are several common denominators

—the solid support of our graduates that enables learning opportunities, a strong sense here at West Point of the issues of war and peace derivative of our current campaigns in the Middle East, and the inevitable advance here of positive change in infrastructure, in curriculum, and in our approach to leader development.

We have piloted a new branch of service selection model this year that still rewards merit but also takes into greater consideration the long-term needs of our U.S. Army. By the expressions on the vast majority of faces, branching night for our cadets was a strong success. West Point also hosted a Diversity Leadership Conference for the U.S. Army this fall which brought together key speakers that included former Secretary of the Army, Louis Caldera, and Mr. Larry Stubblefield, the Department of the Army lead for Diversity programs.

Recently, we traveled to the Peoples Republic of China. There we were able to tell the story of West Point at Beijing University, where we have a historic collaboration with cadets studying in Mandarin as part of a semester abroad program. We also gave the keynote address on leadership development at an international symposium in Nanjing at the PLA University of Science and Technology, another former exchange partner. The conference was attended by seventeen senior military schools from nine different countries worldwide. There are few weeks at West Point when we do not host senior leaders from a major ally. This past month alone we have hosted the US Army-Australian Army Staff Talks, the Superintendent and Dean from the Korean and Turkish Military Academies, and other international delegations. Those visits support the goals of National Military Strategy and give us an opportunity to review benchmarks from the best military academies around the globe. In turn, we are able to better set the conditions for the increasing number of high quality military exchanges and cultural immersion experiences of the Corps of Cadets.

The campaigns of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn continue to teach us here at West Point. We bring to the classrooms junior officers to division commanders, who speak to the nature of warfare today. The Mx 400 course, Officership,

overseen by the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic, teaches our First Class what it is like to lead and to serve Soldiers in the 21st century, what it mean to be part of a profession of arms, and compels our cadets to begin to address the tough issues our Army will face in the next decade.

The implementation of the repeal of the so-called Don't Ask, Don’t Tell policy has been done to standard here at West Point. Just as in our Army, the weeks of training and preparation for this change, and the baseline of a respectful and ethically-based Corps of Cadets, staff and faculty, has made this work. Our commitment to each other here is about dignity and respect and will remain so. That ethos is reinforced in our cadet chain of command by company-level respect officers, by professional tactical officers and tactical NCOs, and by a faculty and coaches well schooled in the policies of our service.

Finally, there is always change taking place in the infrastructure of West Point. The new science center that has reinvented the old library is now the world class facility that we must have to sustain our commitment to excellence in our science programs. The U.S. Army is now committed in its budget to build next year the first cadet barracks since 1972. These new barracks, designed to reinforce our standard military gothic architecture and with a 21st century interior, are essential to reduce overcrowding and to create a swing space for the renovation, restoration, repair, and maintenance of all the other barracks. That substantive commitment by our Army to the quality of life of our cadets is great news for the Academy.

Second only to the new cadet barracks program is our focus now on the construction of a new visitor’s center here at West Point. As the first and most public portal, the West Point visitors Center must tell the extraordinary story of the United States Military Academy to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year. Given the weight and importance of communicating, storytelling, reporting, and sharing our story, I have made this our major priority for new non-military construction. I’ll talk more about this very important effort in the next issue of West Point magazine. We need your support to build that Center to high standards and to do it quickly.

Army Strong!

David h. huntoon, Jr. ’73 Lieutenant General, U.S. Army 58th Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy

A Letter from the Superintendent

This fall has seen a traditional round of academic rigor, military development, and athletic accomplishment all of which supports our mission to develop leaders of character.

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Changing the Face of the U.S. Military Academy:

In 1997, the appointment of an Aviation officer to the position of

Professor and Director of the Department of Physical Education,

also known as the Master of the Sword, caused heads to turn, especially

the heads of some older graduates. The appointee, although not a West Point graduate, had a distinguished resume that included an Army War College diploma, two graduate degrees, two previous tours with the Department, and marriage to a West Pointer. This 1976 graduate of St. Bonaventure University commissioned through the Army’s Student Officer Program (ROTC was not yet open to women) caused a sensation because Maureen LeBoeuf would be the first woman to sit on the Academic Board of the Military Academy.

In 2010, over a decade later, Dr. Jean Blair was asked how it felt to be the

first woman selected as vice dean. She responded that she felt no different than anyone else offered such an opportunity. “It simply didn’t

occur to me that I was the first woman vice dean.”

If you look carefully at the group photo of the faculty of the Department of Earth, Space and Graphic Science in the 1974 Howitzer (shown on the next page), you will see Lieutenant Virginia

K. Fry on the far right in the front row. In the 1975 Howitzer, she stood in the same place. By 1976, Captain Fry took her place in mid- formation. When the 1977 Howitzer was published, however, the first active duty woman officer to join the faculty at West Point was gone, most likely before the first group of 119 women candidates reported on July 7, 1976. Purists, however, will note that the first woman faculty member actually was Mrs. Elizabeth Lewis

in 1968, a fine arts librarian, art history instructor, and loyal supporter of the Cadet Fine Arts Forum.

Brigadier General (Retired) Maureen LeBoeuf did not plan on a career in the Army. While the leader of an 85-man platoon during her initial assignment at Fort Eustis, Virginia, she scheduled an interview for a position as an elementary school teacher.

WOMENat West Point

Kayt lin Greene, Class of 2012a life sciences major from Bradenton, Florida, Kaytlin Greene ’12 ultimately wants to become an army veterinarian, has chosen the medical Service corps as her branch, and is the Vice chair for Recruitment and membership for Phi Delta Epsilon, the nationally recognized medical fraternity at West Point. She also is a member of the honor com-mittee and has been selected by her peers to be the Vice chair for Investigations. She considers it “the most intense job a cadet could have. I am in charge of every single honor investigation in the corps, from inception until it goes to a board.” She also determines which cases are dropped because they merely represent miscommunication rather than violations.

Kaytlin is not, however, too busy to play on the national collegiate champion women’s rugby team, although she has paid the price with a torn acl, concussions and bruises. But it is all worth it because of the camaraderie. “I have never been involved with a more tight-knit group. We play to have fun and be together; it just so happens that we are also the best women’s rugby team in america!”

BY JULIAN M. OLEJNICzAK ’61

Brigadier General (Retired) Maureen LeBoeuf


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chaNGING ThE FacE OF ThE u.S. mIlITaRY acaDEmY: WOmEN aT WEST POINT

at West Point

When the date of the interview drew near, however, she cancelled because she really liked the Army and loved leading soldiers. Although captain of her swim team at St. Bonaventure, in the Army she learned that she could run distances well. She still does triathlons and was preparing for the Army ten-miler when interviewed. As a major stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, in 1991, she submitted her resignation papers because of a then-recent high-risk pregnancy and two children at home. When she mentioned this to the cavalry squadron commander at a party, he said,

“The Army needs Maureen LeBoeuf.” She withdrew her resignation papers the next day.

Three weeks later, the opportunity to study for a doctorate and return to the Department of Physical Education as Director of Instruction became available. Selected to attend the Army War College later during this assignment, she decided to apply for the top job in the Department of Physical Education upon the retirement of Brigadier General James Anderson ’56, even though she was certain the deputy would be selected. Later, Colonel Chuck Morris, the deputy, called to tell her that he planned to retire and would not seek the position. At this point, being nominated to become Master of the Sword became a distinct possibility.

She ignored an e-mail campaign waged against her nomination and concentrated on preparing for the challenge of leading a department responsible for educating, training, and inspiring the future ground combat leaders of our Army. Lieutenant General (Retired) Dan Christman ’65, the Superintendent at the time, supported her and helped deflect much of the criticism. As she later crisscrossed the nation speaking at annual West Point Founders Day dinners, most graduates found that they liked this well-spoken, physically fit officer who knew what she was talking about and had a good sense of humor to boot. Her standard reply was, “Sir, I’m harder to hate in person.”

Noting that the Australian Federal cabinet had approved a measure to permit women to serve in frontline Infantry units in combat, she added, “It is time for the U.S. military to do the same. The battlefield is no longer linear, and women have been in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Colonel Deborah J. McDonald ’85 first served as an Admissions Officer at West Point in 1995, was reassigned to the 58th Transportation Battalion in 1998 for executive officer/S-3 experience, but returned as the Associate Director of Admissions in 2001 and

took over as Director in 2008. She was honored to be selected. “The fact that I was a woman—and the first woman—to hold the title was not lost on me, but I had held or supervised every position in this organization. I felt confident that I possessed the requisite knowledge to excel in this job but knew I was competing against other highly qualified applicants.”

Once in the position, she took on the challenge of two under-represented demographics—soldiers, both active and reserve, and minority candidates. In addition to outreach efforts aimed at Capitol Hill to encourage continuing nominations, a nationwide campaign was launched “to make candidates and their influencers aware

of what West Point has to offer.” Finally, after seeking support from the Army leadership, Operation Opportunity was launched at all military posts to assist in the recruitment of active duty soldiers. “We have seen positive growth in the diversity of the Corps as a result of these outreach efforts.”

When asked about the differences between being a woman cadet in the eighties as compared to the present, she replied: “When I was a cadet, there were no West Point women graduates on the faculty because the first class literally had just graduated. Our female mentors were few and never had experienced West Point or an integrated Army. We now have women on the staff and faculty who have served full careers in the Army, married, had children, and successfully combined the professional and personal challenges that come with seeking a career—never underestimate the importance of role models. Integration takes time, but the overwhelming majority of staff and faculty now are comprised of leaders who have been in an all-volunteer, integrated force for their entire careers.”

Dr. Sue Tendy came to West Point in 1977, shortly after women were first admitted to the Academy, with a master’s degree in physical education from Penn State. She was the co-director of the Plebe core course in aquatics and the first head coach of Army’s women swimmers. She personally has witnessed almost the entire history of

Lieutenant virginia K. Fry is standing on the far right in the front row.

Colonel Deborah J. McDonald ’85

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women at West Point, both the good and the bad. During that time she has received numerous awards, including the 2000 Apgar Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2002 Anderson Achievement Award, the 2005 Commander’s Award for Public Service, and the 2006 USMA Medallion of Achievement for her role in the “mentoring and development of Women at West Point throughout the 30-year history of women at the Academy.” She also has been a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle Leader and Officer in Charge since 2000. Now, with a 1998 doctorate in Education from St. John’s University, she is a full Professor of Physical Education.

As the first head coach of women swimmers at West Point, she “had to fight for the rights of women in many areas.” For example, the different qualifications for the award of the major “A” monogram for Corps Squad swimmers. Whereas men had to participate in two-thirds of the scheduled meets and average 1.5 points per meet, women were required to place in the top four at the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championships or break a collegiate record during the season. Some also felt that the major “A” was too large for the women’s jackets, so the smaller,

minor “A” should be awarded instead. “Today we don't even think of these things; we take it for granted that everyone is the same.”

Dr. Tendy adds, “At first I had little influence over the bigger picture, or at

least I felt that way. During my coaching days, however, I worked for a great man, Brigadier General (Retired) James Anderson ’56, the Master of the Sword from 1974 to 1997, who was my sounding board when I felt the

need to right a serious wrong.” One example was the lack of shades for women’s barracks rooms (as well as male rooms). He arranged a meeting

with then-Commandant Brigadier General Joseph P. Franklin ’55, and the situation was resolved.

For a number of years Dr. Tendy led aerobics for almost two dozen Corps Squad and Club teams. Since available time was limited, sessions usually included two teams. She began pairing larger, exuberant teams, like men’s lacrosse, with smaller, quieter teams, like women’s tennis, to the benefit of both. During an aerobic session with the men’s wrestling team, she accidentally tripped over a mat edge while doing a lateral

move, executed a roll, and returned upright to continue the exercise. “The wrestlers thought it was part of the planned movement, and the entire group dropped down to the mat, rolled to their left, and popped right back up. It was amazing how fast they moved to keep up with my faux pas (or maybe they were trying to spare me the embarrassment?).” One year, she returned from an aerobics conference with some free headbands and put them out for the football players to use during their Training Camp aerobics sessions.

“Well, they wore them, and the next session a few came early to be the first to get a headband. That resulted in my making hundred of headbands for all my teams, taking them home and washing them, and, at the last session, allowing them to keep one as a souvenir. It was fun.”

Colonel Maritza L. Ryan ’82 became the first woman graduate to head an academic department when she became the Professor and Head of the Department of Law in 2005 upon the appointment of Brigadier General (Retired) Patrick Finnegan ’71 as Dean of the Academic Board. Although “tremendously honored and humbled,” she added that she “certainly never foresaw this extraordinary opportunity.”

She gives much credit to her mentor Finnegan and role models such as Brigadier Generals (Retired) Maureen LeBouef and Rebecca Halstead ’81, and Colonel Cindy Jebb ’82, deputy head of the Department of Social Sciences. Her stated goal is to perform to the very best of her ability so that she will not be the last woman so honored. continued on page 10

Alicia Dotson, Class of 2013Raised in a chinese-american home speaking both languages, alicia Dotson ’13 from littleton, colorado, is a human Geography major with a focus on Eastern asia who will spend the spring 2012 semester in china, courtesy of the Department of Foreign languages. as a setter on the volleyball team, she finds it difficult missing class for games almost every week in the fall, “but we are a very successful team so it is definitely worth it. What I enjoy most of all are the friendships I've made and all the support I know I have from my teammates and officer representatives.”

She also is the Brigade assistant Spirit Noncommissioned Officer, responsible for publicizing all club and varsity games played at West Point every week, producing and distributing spirit flyers, announcing victories—“especially over Navy,” recognizing enthusiastic cadet sports fans, and assisting the Brigade Spirit captain.

Dr. Sue Tendy


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Cadet Kim An doesn’t envy the typical college sophomore. Most of her former high school soccer teammates are playing at big state schools and relishing the traditional college environment of late-night lifestyles and relaxed wardrobes. This Yearling welcomes the responsibility that comes with the privilege of representing the U.S. Military Academy.

“I knew West Point was going to be a big challenge,” Kim said, “but I wanted to focus more.”

As a standout soccer player at Jefferson Township high School in Oak Ridge, New Jersey, Kim caught the attention of collegiate recruiters, among them Stefanie Golan, who was scouting for Army. Wrapping up her third season as Army’s head coach, Golan recruited Kim with intentions of helping her develop not only as a collegiate athlete but as an aspiring Army officer. Though she herself is a civilian, Golan, the daughter of an Air Force Academy graduate, reinforces military discipline and doesn’t sugar coat the commitment. “Soccer is a vehicle that we use to help them prepare to become second lieutenants.”

While Golan took note of the promising player’s performance, Kim’s father researched West Point as a prospective educational opportunity for his daughter. “My dad said I should give this school a look.”

The Army Black Knight credits her dad for instilling her passion for soccer as well. When Kim started playing soccer as a nine-year-old in New Jersey, her family supported her drive to compete.

“In the beginning, I never paid attention to how fast she was,” her father said. “But she continued to excel every year. By the time she was 12, she was nationally ranked.”

In her Plebe year, she was selected as a First-team Patriot League All-Star and Rookie of the Year in the 2010 season, scoring nine goals

along the way. During the regular season in 2011, she added ten more and moved onto Army’s all-time, top-10 list.

“Kim’s the type of player who draws a lot of attention,” Golan said. When we recruited her, her parents were taken aback when I told them to go see the other schools that wanted her. Three days later, they called. They had made those visits—and Kim chose West Point.”

A sociology major with a systems engineering track, Kim appreciates her many opportunities even more knowing that a generation ago, when her father was learning to kick a soccer ball around in Seoul, girls sat on the sidelines.

“Buckner (summer 2011) opened my eyes to the bigger picture,” Kim said. “It was physically demanding. I had all of my ruck on, marching, always being on my feet, conducting missions. Everyone calls me secretly brutal. I get into the military aspect.”

“Kim still has a lot of growing to do, Coach Golan said. “Can she do more? Absolutely.” She certainly won’t be sitting on the sidelines.

Recruiting Scholar/Athletes for West Point

Kim An, Class of 2013

BY MARY ANN EBNER


Section : titlechaNGING ThE FacE OF ThE u.S. mIlITaRY acaDEmY: WOmEN aT WEST POINT

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When asked about her priorities, she emphasized that the Department of Law is all about preparing cadets intellectually and professionally for the challenges of their immediate future.

“All Cadets must take LW403, Constitutional & Military Law, a core course directed by our senior Academy Professor, Colonel Mark Toole. Every American should know and appreciate the Constitution, but especially every future leader of our Army must, as they are the ones who pledge their lives to support and defend the Constitution. Our goal is that every graduate appreciates how fortunate we are as a nation to have such deep roots in the rule of law, something so many people around the world are striving to establish in their own societies.”

Teaching, and teaching well, thus is first priority. Both Finnegan, as former department head, dean, and mentor, and Brigadier General Tim Trainor ’83, the current Dean, emphasize that West Point, first and foremost, is a teaching institution. She currently teaches Constitutional and Military Law, but has taught most other courses over the years: “Teaching

is the highlight of my day.”

“For our Law & Legal Studies majors, we offer an opportunity to go into more depth in the law, an inherently multi-disciplinary field which values critical thinking, logic, and the ethical dimension; but we are not a pre-law

program.” She does, however, regularly hear from former students noting that

their study of the law—particularly the law of armed conflict and

military justice— has made them better leaders of

soldiers and highly

valued advisors to their commanders and peers. “Our Comparative Law course, in which Dr. Mark Welton teaches about the three major legal systems in the world—our own common law system, the European civil code system, and Islamic law—also is cited as being particularly helpful to them operationally.”

Like many faculty members, she takes an active role in extracurricular activities, participating in the Margaret Corbin Forum led by Colonel Diane Ryan of Behavioral Science and Leadership and Michelle Nadeau-Schaff, “dedicated to exploring leadership issues and enhancing gender integration and the climate for all cadets, men and women, at West Point.” The Department of Law also sponsors a very successful American Parliamentary Debate Team.

Ryan originally branched Field Artillery to be commissioned in a combat arm and recalls becoming “pretty good at blowing up inanimate objects at a distance, which I found to be a lot of fun at that stage in my development.” Although her basic course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, probably had the largest contingent of women officers at the time and her experience as an Artillery officer in the 1st Armored Division in Germany was enjoyable, the future for women “Redlegs” seemed dimmer as one rose in rank, so applying to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps was a logical step. “I knew that I would be engaged in vitally important work, challenged every day, and able to progress without external limits.”

Stasia Rogacki, Class of 2014an american legal Studies-Business law major, Stasia Rogacki ’14 from North caldwell, New Jersey, also is a private pilot who keeps current on the cessna Skyhawk when home on leave. ultimately, she hopes to pursue a law degree or an mBa. having played lacrosse since her freshman year in high school, she joined the club team at West Point. Originally a midfielder, she is now transitioning into playing attack.

as a member of the cadet Public Relations council, she especially has enjoyed meeting potential candidates at two invitation-only events—one after an army-Rutgers football game and the other during academy Night in her congressional district. “Both of these events reminded me of how excited I was as a candidate and how motivated I was to be able to join the long Gray line. When I talk to the cadet candidates, I remember what I felt, and my appreciation for the opportunity to join the corps of cadets. Now that I am a cadet, I answer all of their questions and share my experiences so that they may be better prepared to join the corps.”

Colonel Maritza L. Ryan ’82

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Dr. Jean Blair was selected to be the first woman Vice Dean in 2010. Dr. Blair came from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, where she was a Professor of Computer Science working on cutting-edge technology involving computer algorithms. A graduate of Allegheny College, she earned her doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh and joined the faculty in 1994 after eight years teaching at the University of Tennessee and working at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a research scientist.

Her priority as Vice Dean is ensuring that the academy is doing the right things with regards to the curriculum. This involves external review and assessment and ensuring that processes are in place to determine if we are doing what is necessary to educate our cadets.

Recently, the academy completed a review of academic majors in response to its accreditation agency. It was done quickly, but well. “The point was to get the flywheel turning, but we will follow through with the process. Then we make adjustments, turn the flywheel again, take the results and make appropriate changes. These changes will not necessarily, however, reduce the number of academic majors because there is no significant cost involved if we do not have to hire additional, specialized faculty. On the other hand, we must ensure that the existing faculty is not spread too thin.”

Due to current economic conditions and inevitable budget reductions, “We are investigating ways to educate cadets in the most efficient manner with fewer faculty members and reduced funding. The small class sizes for recitations and one-on-one interaction will continue, but lectures to large groups of cadets may increase.

We will continue to give personalized, quality feedback to each and every cadet.”

The earlier curriculum of core courses provided breadth but did not permit cadets to think deeply and creatively about a single discipline. Tapping into an academic passion is important and essential in developing our cadets. Another essential important aspect is cross-

cultural experiences that immerse cadets in a foreign culture and reduce the effect of cultural shock when they inevitably are deployed in a foreign area of operations. Many of these out-of-classroom experiences are funded by private dollars from graduates, foundations, corporations, and friends of the Academy. These opportunities complement the classroom learning but do not tap into the core government allocations. “Tactical officers evaluate cadets to determine what skills are less developed and which cadets need more military, more academic, more international and cross-cultural experiences. What makes these programs offered to the cadets so strong is that

they are personalized.”

“Faculty and cadet research programs, in which the participants are passionately interested, promote intellectual development and an agility of mind that can only help cadets as they face the challenges of this age. We now are recognized worldwide as a reputable, liberal arts, undergraduate program. A 40-course core curriculum would not let us be that [liberal arts program] anymore.”

Dr. Jean Blair

Chelsea Kay, Class of 2015chelsea Kay ’15 from carmichael, california, is meeting the challenge of Plebe year head-on by joining the women’s boxing team, although she had only limited exposure to martial arts in high school. always interested in boxing, she played softball and water polo instead. considering a major in psychology or american politics with a minor in counter-terrorism, her favorite courses tend towards the political. Since her boyfriend currently attends the air Force academy—“I’ll forgive him for it later”—either major might come in handy down the road, as well as boxing.

chelsea is very serious about the counter-terrorism minor because of a vow she made on September 11, 2001 “to join the military and serve and protect this great nation.” although she misses her family a lot, she loves West Point and vows to “perform my absolute best here—day in and day out—to make my current family proud, to make my future family proud, and to make my country proud.”

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2011 WEST POINT SYlVaNuS ThaYER aWaRD

2011 West Point SylvaNuS ThayEr aWard

Former Secretary of defense robert M. Gates trooped the long Gray line during a sunny afternoon on the Plain in October and accepted the Sylvanus Thayer award at dinner with the Corps of Cadets in Washington hall that evening. During his remarks, he praised the men and women of our Armed Forces. As the first all-volunteer force to fight a major war since the American Revolution: “A tiny sliver of America has achieved extraordinary things under the most trying circumstances.” He cautioned, though, about a divide between our military and American society in general, a “fragile and increasingly distant relationship between America and those who volunteer to defend it” that was beginning to widen, and encouraged our graduates to tend to “the relationship between soldiers and society.” In conclusion he noted, “Each of you, with your talents, intelligence and records of accomplishments, could have chosen something easier or safer…and for that you have the profound gratitude and eternal admiration of the American people."

During over four decades of service to our nation, Gates initially served on active duty as an intelligence officer for the Strategic Air Command and later was the only Director of the Central Intelligence Agency whose career began with an entry-level CIA position. Four years as President of Texas A & M University preceded his four years as Secretary of Defense that began in December 2006 and included the “surge” in Iraq and continuing operations in Afghanistan. He advocated providing all the resources that our combat units need to be successful, and “taking care” of our troops.

2011 West Point Sylvanus Thayer Award winner Robert M. Gates reviews the Long Gray Line with Superintendent Lieutenant General David h. huntoon, Jr. ’73.

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While the Center has been in operation for about three years and has amassed roughly 300 interviews, most of which have

been filmed on HD video, the grand opening marked the arrival on line of the Center’s website, WestPointCOH.org. It also marked the premier of the Center’s first major creative project, a 90-minute documentary, “Into Harm’s Way,” that chronicles the story of members of the Class of 1967 from their arrival at West Point in 1963 to their departure in 1967 for Vietnam and the ways in which their experiences in that war continue to inform their lives to the present moment. “ ‘Into Harm’s Way’ represents a hinge moment in the history of West Point, in the history of the U.S. Army, and in the history of the country,” said Brewster. “We are proud of the story the film tells, and we are proud of those from the Class of 1967 who tell it.” Over 100 hours of raw interviews shot for that film now gradually will be loaded into the Center of Oral History archive.

At the opening, Burns singled out the Class of 1967 for praise. “You showed courage once in service of your country,” he remarked to those gathered at the dinner, “and then again in your willingness to speak honestly about your experiences.”

The film was produced for the Center by The Documentary Group, a New York City-based film production company started by the late Peter Jennings. “Into Harm’s Way” is now being shopped for broadcast on a major network.

This is an exciting time for the Center. Major gifts from the Classes of 1961 (USMA Leaders Archive), 1965 (Vietnam Archive), and 1967 have demonstrated the appeal that oral history holds for alumni of West Point. Individual gifts from Robb and Lydia Turner ’84 and Vincent Viola ’77 have brought to life two new sub-archives within the Center: the Turners sponsored “Soldier to Citizen: Life after the Army,” and Viola established a “Combating Terrorism” archive. Both are now being populated with fresh interviews. Finally, the family of Don Ackerman ’56 sponsored Brewster’s position as the Don E. Ackerman Director of Oral History.

Over the next year, the Center will be loading interviews onto the site, creating new sub-archives, and, of course, adding more interviews. The Center for Oral History is now officially here! I invite everyone to watch us grow at WestPointCOH.org.

Acclaimed documentary film producer Ken Burns christened the new Center for Oral history at West Point at its grand opening on October 21st. Remarking on the untapped treasures of first person history that will be unveiled through the Center’s work, Burns, who sits on the Center advisory board, congratulated the Center’s director on the singular achievement that the opening represents. “here you will witness the real power of oral history.”

Grand Opening of the West Point Center for Oral History

BY TODD BREWSTER, DIRECTOR

Ken Burns speaks with cadets at the grand opening. Colonel Ty Seidule engages the honorable Jim Nicholson ’61, a West Point Association of Graduates Distinguished Graduate.


In Grateful Acknowledgement for their Generous Gift

Supporting the Future of West Point magazine

THANK YOUClass of 1945

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The Culture group focused on the indicators of an organization’s extrinsic values, attitudes, and challenges and best practices for gender, ethnic minority, and

homosexual integration and inclusion into a corporate structure.

How an institution manages and enforces respect for a diverse workforce and what controls are most effective in facilitating a

positive work environment were the concern of the Respect group.

Within the Outreach group, discussions centered on the deliberate and conscious efforts needed for an organization to increase representation from under-represented subgroups and how best to compete for the talent that exists within the qualified population of these subgroups.

Talent Management faced the dual challenges of harnessing the natural and acquired talents of subgroups without necessarily singling out or overcompensating individual groups while determining how to develop talent within the organization by focusing differently upon the workforce.

The Workforce group addressed generational challenges, the various degrees of friction between subgroups, and how to integrate varying subgroups across multiple generation gaps to focus on common goals and maintain a positive, productive work environment.

The keynote speaker was Abigail E. Disney, the activist filmmaker, scholar, and philanthropist who, with award-winning director Gini

Diversity Leadership Conference 2011

Cultivating Leadership and Inclusion for Service to the Nation:

The diversity leadership Conference this year focused on five key areas—Culture, respect, Outreach, Talent Management, and Workforce, with guest speakers, plenary sessions, and small group discussions.

The Command Sergeant Majors Panel: CSM Benjamin Scott, Warrior Transition Command; CSM Terrence Murphy, Engineer Regiment; CSM John McNeirney, Military Police Regiment; CSM Maria Martinez, Chief Enlisted Advisor, Director of the Army Diversity Office.


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Reticker, produced Pray the Devil Back to Hell, the widely acclaimed film about the Liberian women who peacefully ended their country’s civil war. A plenary speaker was Louis Caldera ’78, Secretary of the Army during the Clinton administration. Documentary filmmaker Jack Martin was unable to attend, but he appeared via video to introduce selected excerpts from his film, For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, that chronicled the contributions of persons of color from the 5,000 patriots who fought in the Revolutionary War to the over two million who defended this nation in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

Mr. Larry Stubblefield, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Diversity and Leadership.

Conference participants engage in a discussion.

WE SLEEP SAFELY BECAUSE AMERICA’S BEST HAVE ALWAYS STOOD READY IN THE NIGHT TO VISIT

VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD DO US HARM.

LOCK-N-LOAD JAVA SALUTES THE LONG GRAY LINE.

www.locknloadjava.com

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Minute for minute, an Army Volleyball match might be the most entertaining two hours at West Point. The action is fast-paced, the Black Knights play with great intensity, and the fans are revved up from the first serve to the last kill. Excitement is Army Volleyball’s signature, but leadership is its substance.

ExcitEmEnt at GillisBY JIM JOhNSTON ’73

The first Army Volleyball match I ever attended was Army-Navy at Gillis Field House in 2009. What impressed me the most about the event was the enthusiasm and, specifically, the way each point won by Army was punctuated with the players’ spontaneously huddling in celebration. They all seemed to have Christmas-morning looks of surprise and joy. I can think of no other sport where the players display such genuine and continuous delight in the midst of the competition. Recently, Tracy Nelson, the very helpful Army Sports Information director for volleyball, confirmed for me that the post-point celebrations are in the volleyball culture—with good reason.

A volleyball match is a series of brief plays, using the word in its dramatic sense. The serve is the prelude; digs, sets, tips, and blocks develop the plot, leading most often to the kill or foiled kill shot. The celebration (or recovery) huddle is the epilogue to the point, resetting the stage. In a typical match, there are between 100 and 200 of these mini-dramas packed with action.

In the first minute of my first meeting with Army Head Coach Alma Kovaci, I complimented her on her team’s esprit. Whether they win or lose a point, the Black Knights briefly celebrate or regroup and get set for the next point. You never see heads hanging or signs of dejection. Coach Kovaci smiled and explained that volleyball was an art form—a performance. Fans want to see a high-performing team, so she coaches the players to recover quickly and reset for the next point. This seamlessness in the Black Knights’ play is critical to success in more than the show, however. Tentative, “tight” play by one player will throw the overall flow of the team out of sync. In fact, more than once during our late-season conversations, Coach Kovaci commented that her team had played a bit “tight,” leading to uncharacteristic errors.

Whether it’s a collective resilience, trust, swagger, or confidence, the trait is as valuable to a military unit as to an athletic team. It is inherent in Army Volleyball. And while Coach Kovaci doesn’t put up with any nonsense, she does promote a loose but focused approach to the game. A veteran of international-level competition and a recent inductee into the Temple University Sports Hall of Fame, she is, above all, an explainer and motivator with a keen eye for the techniques, tactics, and strategies of the game.

Her staff is highly capable as well: decorated combat veteran and former U.S. Army captain Jeremy Sands is in his fifth year at West Point. He attends to operational details and makes tactical adjustments during games. First-year assistant Stafford Barzey (on staff at many summer camps at West Point) organizes video sessions, instructs, cajoles, and pushes the players in the team’s demanding three-hour Tuesday practices; Second Lieutenant Karyn Powell ’10, an athletic intern and

former Army standout, tracks the complex practice schedule and patiently demonstrates techniques. On the sidelines, volunteer coach and three-year all-Patriot League player Major Beth Merrigan (Bellinger) ’02 and the team’s support staff take care of myriad logistics details and run down the balls flying all over Gillis.

After matches and practices, the team and the staff form a ring, arms interlocking to review the match or workout. At the conclusion of one late-season practice, Coach asked the players to characterize the session. Two-year Co-captain Rachel Willis ’12 succinctly described the practice as “focused and intense.” Others contributed their thoughts. Among them, Fabiola Castro ’12, the other senior co-captain, allowed that defense in the scrimmage had

VollEyball:

The celebration-huddle!

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been slack: too many balls had fallen untouched to the court. Coach took a minute to underscore that point, noting good teams like Colgate would take advantage of sluggishness. She said the Army offense had been “money” (i.e., “outstanding”), but the defense had to improve. In fact, at one point earlier in the afternoon, she had stopped the action and given stern directions to prepare to “block or play defense.”

Excellence in defense is hard in volleyball because players must repeatedly and instantaneously transition from offense to defense. Consequently, concentrating too much in one sector to set up an offensive play creates vulnerabilities. The backline players, to include the center-positioned libero (typically a defensive specialist), favor the defense in their slides and shuffles, for in milliseconds they must react to the ball.

I’m not sure if the velocity of a well-struck kill shot has been measured, but it must be similar to that of a fastball in baseball. Although relatively light, a volleyball clearly packs a punch. During practice, I watched sophomores D.J. Phee and Lauren Wood dig shot after shot, diving to the court and often being knocked over by the force. They seemed to delight in taking the hardest hits. Seeing this action convinced me that volleyball is a contact sport. (I stayed alert on the sidelines!) It might not be coincidental that D.J., Lauren, and Allison McKearn ’13 are daughters of former Army football players, and freshman Kristen Smeland’s father is an Army football coach.

On November 8th, the Tuesday before the final weekend of the regular season, the cadets were definitely on a mission. Since late August, the Black Knights had compiled a 20-7 overall record with ten wins and two losses in the Patriot League campaign. The two losses had come against the American University Eagles, regular season Patriot League Champion nine of the past ten years. Their intense preparation would be effective, for at week’s end, the Black Knights would be 12-2 and secure in the second playoff seed, joining Colgate (8-4) and Lehigh (9-3) in the four-team playoff in Washington, DC, on the weekend before Thanksgiving.

In the run-up to the playoffs, Army’s final regular season road trip had included a dominating three-set defeat of Navy. The match was played under the bright lights and before a loud and overflowing Friday night home crowd at Wesley Brown Field House. (Earlier in the season, Army had won the

Star game on a Saturday night at Gillis Field House, playing before the home fans—some in body paint—packed into the bleachers and balconies surrounding the court.) For me, the highlight of the match at Annapolis was a point that seemed to go on for at least 60 seconds. It called to mind Colonel Cindy Jebb’s reminiscence of the first scheduled Army-Navy volleyball competition, a 3-2 Army win. Colonel Jebb ’82, now the head officer representative, recalled the 1981 Navy match as a “hard-fought slugfest.” Well, the long point in the third set at Navy recalled that trope: it was a series of kills, blocks, players running down balls beyond the court lines, and diving digs unbelievably keeping in play what seemed like sure kills. Winning that exhausting point seemed to give the cadets momentum for their final sprint to the 3-set-to-none victory.

The energy required for Army’s relentless brand of volleyball emanates from every player on the Black Knights’ squad. During sets, the reserve players stand in line at the corner of their side of the court. They chatter constantly, reacting to successful kills, tips, and blocks, sometimes with choreographed high and low fives. Alicia Dotson ’13, who frequently substitutes to serve or play as a setter, moves constantly on the sidelines, encouraging her teammates and, above all, smiling. I have never seen an athlete appear to have so much fun during competition.

The 2011 team has a core of really superb players, leaders in the stat sheets. Ariana Mankus ’13, Megan Wilton ’14 and plebe Mary Vaccaro were honored with selection to the all-Patriot League first team. (Additionally, Mary was recognized as the

league’s top setter—an award Army has captured every year since 2006—and Ariana was named to the 2011 Academic All-Patriot League Team.) Athletic and intense, Mary serves with the concentration of an archer drawing a bow. She grew up envisioning a career in the California beach volleyball

leagues. Her visit to West Point, however, hosted by team captain Rachel Willis, changed Mary’s mind.

Serendipitously, Colonel Diane Ryan, a member of the Admissions Committee, mentioned that

Mary’s admissions file was one of the most impressive she ever had read.

Yearling Margaux Jarka, a powerful outside hitter, is an expressive player who leads by

example. In the third set of the second American match, Margaux sparked a late comeback and third set win, seeming to levitate above the court in celebration after each Army kill.

Earlier in the season, Margaux had received the AAA Athlete of the Week award for a weekend of competition that included 18 kills in a pivotal game against Colgate. In the home rematch against Colgate, Margaux and Megan Wilton led the way to the exciting 3-2 victory that secured the second place seed in the Patriot League tournament.

Margaux Jarka



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Fabiola Castro ’12, a powerful outside hitter, typically positions herself on the left side of the front line. A calm and steady team pilot, she helps make adjustments during play and speaks thoughtfully in huddles. In her home state of California, she received multiple scholarship offers but became intrigued by the idea of serving as an Army officer, visited West Point, and “fell in love” with the Academy.

Another highly recruited product of California volleyball is junior Francine Vasquez. Athletically graceful, she is the strong right-side hitter who played a key role in defeating Colgate in that hard-fought 3-2 win on the final weekend of the regular season. In the media guide, Coach Kovaci said Francine strikes the perfect balance between passion and calm, providing a spark to the team when needed.

And that brings us to Ariana Mankus and The Serve. Seeing Ariana, who stands 5 foot 8 inches, serve the volleyball is worth the price of admission (speaking metaphorically, of course; admission at Gillis is free). Her topspin power serve begins with a 25-foot toss, followed by a perfectly timed run-jump and explosion that fires the ball over the net just milliseconds before it dives down hard onto the opponents’ court. During the Holy Cross match, I sat at court level behind the Crusaders’ backcourt to get a sense of how Ariana’s serves appear to opposing players. Well, imagine a split-fingered fastball diving down in the final few feet. At the American match, Ari reached the career milestone of 100 service aces, but there is much more to her game. A graduate of national volleyball power Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois, she is an all-round force on the court, winning both Patriot League Rookie and Player of the Year Honors in 2009.

These are some of the leader-athletes who make Army Volleyball so much fun. These cadets, however, are firmly grounded in West Point’s serious mission. On alumni weekend, former Army team captain Elizabeth Lazzari ’09 spoke passionately about how her volleyball connections and experiences helped keep her motivated in Afghanistan, and Rachel Willis and her teammates calmly explained to me that they know there is a “bigger picture.” Clearly, the sense of legacy is a major component of Army Volleyball. As Rachel said, “We need to know [our friends out in the Army] are OK. They help us keep our play in perspective.”

The Army-Navy Star game.

Army and Navy shake hands after the Star game.

Margaux Jarka

ThE 100Th NIGhT ShOW: a WEST POINT STORY … STORY

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This reality is the constant backdrop for the glamour, glory, and excitement at West Point. Intimations of the duality appear often and unexpectedly. For example, at the conclusion of the Navy match, during the singing of the Alma Mater, I happened to glance at the team. They were standing at attention and singing the line “country be ever armed.” It was a moment when the excitement had subsided, and I thought to myself that the tensions in that image

are what West Point is always about: special young Americans who answered the call to duty, responding to West Point’s excitement and opportunities, but also to its mission to provide leaders for our Army and nation.

Epilogue: On Saturday, November 19th Army defeated Lehigh to advance to the Patriot League Championship match, played at American University’s home court in Bender Arena. Sunday afternoon, the very fine American team edged Army in the first two sets, but the Black Knights battled back, seizing the momentum and winning the exciting third set, which included a late four-point run featuring serves and kills by Ariana Mankus. Army fought American point-for-point well into the fourth set. However, three late points went American’s way, sealing the championship match.

Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, General Ray Odierno ’76 attended, sporting his Black Knights spirit attire and addressing the team at the conclusion of the match! Rachel Willis and Margaux Jarka received all-tournament-team honors, as West Point received the 2011 Patriot League runner-up trophy.

Lauren Wood

Sitting (L to R): Deanna Dalton, Kristen Smeland, Christiana Fairfield, Rachel Willis, Fabiola Castro, Alicia Dotson, Mary vaccaro, Ariana Mankus.Standing (L to R): Lauren Wood, D.J. Phee, Margaux Jarka, Megan Forbes, Maggie Glunt, Ali McKearn, Molly McDonald, Megan Wilton, Francine vasquez, Kerry horan.


IT’S IN ThE BaG: R-DaY ISSuE ITEmS

Hundreds of graduates, friends, and family have taken advantage of WPAOG’s travel program and experienced one-of-a-kind adventures around the globe. This year, we are proud to offer an expanded range of opportunities.

Go to WestPointAOG.org/Travel or call 1.800.BE.A.GRAD

Closing Date/ Date Trip Title Final Payment Due Apr 4—7 The Masters Apr 22—May 1 Celtic Lands 1/18/2012May 5—16 Mediterranean Treasures 1/26/2012May 9—24 Discover Switzerland 2/24/2012May 25—June 3 Normandy with Paris 3/11/2012 Jul 7—16 National Parks & the Old West 4/6/2012 Jul 11—22 Baltic Treasures 4/2/2012 Jul 26—Aug 2 Cruising Alaska's Glaciers 3/28/2012Aug 11—18 Discovering a North American Treasure: voyage to the Great Lakes 5/14/2012 Sep 4—7 Biking Napa and Sonoma valley 8/15/2012 Sep 11—25 Grand Danube Passage 6/28/2012 Sep 22—30 Flavors of Northern Italy 6/24/2012Oct 6—15 London Theater Tour— From Shakespeare to the West End 7/23/2012Oct 13—20 Fall Foliage voyage to the New England Islands of the hudson River 7/2/2012Oct 13—24 Jewels of the Mediterranean 7/5/2012Oct 20—29 ACA Israel 8/6/2012Dec 4—11 holiday Markets in Bavaria and Austria 9/5/2012

Jan 16—27 Tahitian Jewels 10/8/2012Feb 22—Mar 4 Mayan Mystique 11/14/2012

2012

preview2013

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“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” —herodotus

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Leaders >30%Scholars >30%Athletes 18-23%Soldiers 12-15%Minorities 20-25% African American 12-15% Hispanic 9-12%

Women 14-20%

BY THE NUMBERS

DIVERSITY at WEST POINT

47,458APPLICANTS

WOMEN(sixteen percent)

aFriCaNaMEriCaN

hIGh SchOOl ValEDIcTORIaNS | 300NaTIONal hONOR SOcIETY | 2998hIGh SchOOl VaRSITY TEam caPTaINS | 3026EaGlE ScOuT/GOlD aWaRD | 751

847

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CLASS COMPOSITION GOALS

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DIVERSITY aT WEST POINT

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6,356 Fully QualiFiEd CaNdidaTES

(Mentally and Physically)

5,227 Admitted

albaniaazerbaijanBulgariacambodiacolombiacongocosta RicaDominican RepublicEl SalvadorGeorgiahonduras JordanKenyaKorealatvialebanonlithuania

malaysiaNicaraguaPanamaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandQatarRomaniaRwandaSerbiaSingaporeSloveniaTaiwanTaiwan ThailandTongaTunisia

uSmaPSalumNI

56 INTERNATIONAL CADETS FROM 35

COUNTRIES

(United States Military Academy Prep School)

veterans of Combat

682

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The West Point Class of 1970 National Conference on Ethics in America

On one side of the room, a group of college students is adamantly debating media coverage of the war in Iraq. Across from them, another group is discussing the limits of bioethics. Nearly 200 students from 94 collegiate institutions across the country, including the four other service academies and the U.S. Military Academy Prep School, filled Eisenhower Hall in late October to attend this year’s National Conference on Ethics in America. The annual event is hosted by the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic and is endowed by the West Point Class of 1970.

Building Character Across the Country:

BY MARISSA CARL


ThE WEST POINT claSS OF 1970 NaTIONal cONFERENcE ON EThIcS IN amERIca

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“We turned away people for the first time this year,” says Captain Graham Davidson, an officer in charge for the conference. “And we’re looking to expand next year.” To support this expansion, a two-million-dollar endowment is needed.

Cadet Daniel Shaffer ’12, the Brigade Executive Officer of the Honor Committee and the Cadet-in-Charge of the conference, said this was one of his most valuable experiences at West Point.

“I was never truly aware of it before becoming involved, but now know it’s one of the best opportunities West Point has to offer, because it gives you the chance to get civilians’ perspectives on ethics,” he says. “All we get here is ethics in the military, so it’s really cool to see the varying perspectives from other college students.”

Shaffer and a team of about 20 other cadets from the Honor and Respect staffs helped organize the conference.

“I met some great leaders there who were very adamant about my contacting them later in my Army career,” Shaffer says. “It’s great to know there are people out there who really do that. And that’s something everyone was able to take away, not just West Pointers.”

Pat Sculley, Representative for the Class of 1970, said all of the student delegates come with a deep interest in ethics, and being able to spend time at West Point is a great experience for them.

“In daily life you get exposed to lots of things that discourage you,” says Sculley, who has participated in about ten of the most recent conferences. “Then you come to a conference like this, and you see there are a lot of other people who feel the same way you do and want to do the right thing every day.”

Sculley added that ethics have changed little since he was a cadet.

“It really comes down to the simple thing that’s so well done at West Point—learning to build character,” he says. “Leaders of character are most important, and character can be built.”

Twelve of the 26 mentors responsible for facilitating discussions with the small breakout groups of students were West Point graduates. Seven of the 14 senior leaders were graduates, in addition to Army Lacrosse Coach Joe Alberici.

Speakers included Arthur Blank, Owner and Chairman of the Atlanta Falcons and Co-Founder of Home Depot, and Captain Mark Adamshick, U.S. Navy (Retired), the Class of 1969 Chair for the Study of Officership at the Simon Center.

“We really raised the bar this year, no question about it,” Davidson says. “More than ever, this conference was able to impact students.”

A couple of weeks after the conference, Davidson received a two-page letter in the mail from Corisa Rakestraw, a third-year student at Cottey College in Missouri.

“Through only a few days time, I was transformed into a new person,” writes Rakestraw, who is studying International Relations and Business. She went on to say that the conference was a “chance for some of the brightest minds and leaders of tomorrow to come together and talk about the ethical issues that we face today and can solve in the future.”

In addition to the student events, 27 faculty delegates discussed best practices regarding honor-related issues. For the first time, the Simon Center will publish those results.

“Ethics is the foundation of one’s life. It really guides you, pushes you in the right direction. Having that clear conscience is something that’s invaluable. It’s the best feeling in the world .” –daniel Shaffer ’12

Experience the conference. Go to WestPointAOG.org/NCEA to watch video

of this year’s speakers.

“Tremendous progress was made this year. Every year the conference gets better, but this was a quantum leap forward in a number of ways.” –Pat Sculley ’70

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“We have nothing to fear but fear itself!” The West Point Combating Terrorism Center

TExT AND PhOTOS BY TED SPIEGEL

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A student of political thought in the Islamic tradition, her recent research has focused specifically on Jihadi ideology. Born in

Beirut, she is a native Arabist, reads her source texts in their original language, and regularly contributes to terrorism studies: her two recent books are The Jihadi’s Path to Self Destruction and Political Thought in Islam.

“When I grew up in Lebanon,” Dr. Lahoud recalls, “there was a certain time you knew they [mainly local militias during the civil war] would start the bombing, and you could actually go into the shelters at that time in the afternoon. Terrorists are not about to give you a time and date: the element of surprise is critical. The question for those who are responding, the political practitioners, is should they also be influenced by the abruptness—or should they have a sober mindset to overcome the effects of abruptness?”

Her colleague, Dr. Alex Gallo ’01, CTC Deputy Director, offers additional clarification of the CTC’s role. “The intellectual tools that we provide are really a mechanism for resiliency. The post 9/11 mindset was fundamentally reaction at all levels. In many ways the CTC can provide a framework, a paradigm, an intellectual way to understand the problem.”

To generate this brand of understanding, the CTC draws on a core staff of 18 and an additional 20-30 who work on special projects. Gallo continues: “We differ from many other entities in this field because we are not funded by the government. Our privately-funded budget is slightly over a million dollars, and a lot of that comes from donors through the West Point Association of Graduates. We have quite a bit of impact for a relatively small expenditure. We’re different from the CIA in that we are not part of the “intelligence community.” Because we’re outside the Beltway, we can look at a problem differently, ask different questions. Because we are a small, flat organization, we don’t have the same hierarchical restraints. Our staff members are associates in the CTC and instructors in the Department of Social Sciences. ‘Sosh’ has 60 military officers with relevant combat experience, and CTC

“Wasn’t it your President roosevelt who said, ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself’? i think

that’s why centers like ours—the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) here at West Point—

are important. Because when you study a phenomenon, you understand it better, and it

allows you to make judgments on the basis of knowledge rather than on the basis of fear.”

as an associate Professor in the department of Social Sciences and a Senior Fellow in the

CTC, dr. Nelly lahoud is a very insightful scholar.

Dr. Bruce hoffman, a senior fellow at the CTC and the Director of the Security Studies program at Georgetown University, ponders a question from a cadet following his lecture.

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complements that with a primarily civilian staff having varying backgrounds. Theory and practice literally are brought together within the department. That connection is critical to our uniqueness as an organization.”

Colonel Michael Meese ’81 currently heads the Department of Social Sciences and was “on post” on 9/11/2001. “We were caught off guard in a variety of ways. There was some awareness of Osama Bin Laden: intelligence knew he had facilitated the attack against U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya and against the USS Cole, but it was not until 9/11 that the entire national psyche was obviously awakened to the grave threat of Osama Bin Laden-led extremism that would change the world for ten to 20 years to come.”

Meese recalls that the Dean, Brigadier General Daniel Kaufman ’68, was scheduled to address the yearlings that day about selecting an academic major. Classes continued, and Kaufman gave that lecture just four hours after the attack. “He explained that a significant and tragic attack had taken place. This is when the Army and West Point are counted on the most and need to respond the most. At the same time, Vinnie Viola ’77 was working on Wall Street and saw this happen around him. Like us, he knew that the world would be changed forever and wanted to make sure that there was somebody studying this terrorism in a comprehensive way. He wanted to do something that made a difference—he wanted to put his money where his mouth was. He turned to his alma mater and to Colonel Russ Howard, then head of the Department of Social Sciences. In the spring of 2002 an action plan was conceived, and Viola personally funded the Combating Terrorism Center.”

Meese’s insights are informed by his own experiences that include 30 months—three tours in the last decade—on General Petraeus’ personal staff in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. “At the CTC’s outset, the terrorism studies field had stovepiped analysts. What they studied stayed within their disciplines—and their lanes. The solutions to most problems, however, are outside your lanes. In most of my military courses here at West Point and in the Army, the emphasis was on staying in your lane.”

“Today’s cadet has to be much more broadly educated because the answer is going to be outside their lane. Now unit commanders have to know so much more. They have to be tactically competent, but they need to be able to reach out to the non-governmental organization worker on their right, to the diplomat on their left, and to understand when they read threat reports about extremist groups what the relationships are and what the ideology is. When they take military action, it won’t just defeat a target; it also contributes to the overall campaign. In a fluid, non-linear, multi-dimensional environment, all of this has to be put together.”

“At the point of the spear, it’s the company commander who brings all that together. At the battalion, brigade and division levels, it’s the fusion centers that bring together all the intelligence so that you get what the commanders below are saying, what the intelligence people are saying, what the signal intercepts are saying, what the human terrain teams are saying about the culture, and what the mayor said in the town.”

“What the Combating Terrorism Center is not, is an operational counter-terrorism entity, picking targets. We have an adept intelligence apparatus in the Army that is very good at specific

targeting. We found it was necessary to create strategic and intellectual foundations for combating terrorism—bringing together the best that the military has as well as the best that academia has—with the intention of better articulating, understanding, and exposing the root causes of terrorism, the thinking behind what terrorists actually are doing.”

Colonel Meese is quick to remind his colleagues that “General Abizaid and General Petraeus have testified before Congress, ‘We’re not going to kill our way out of this war. You’re going to win this war by changing the mindset, changing the ideas.’ And the CTC is in the ‘influencing and changing ideas’ space, providing better understanding of the terrorist threat against us.”

“In the past, if you had an Islam scholar in the Northeast Asian Studies Department at Princeton, he would just be writing his own stuff about Jihadi groups in Northeast Asia without any connection or interface with anyone else. Similarly, you might have intelligence people getting all types of intercepts and data about Jihadi groups in Northeast Asia. Those people were not pulling this information together. At the same time, A cadet asks a question during Dr. hoffman's lecture on terrorism.


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enemy documents were being collected on the battlefield. The value of pulling this academic and military effort together was not recognized then as it is today. West Point, because of its unique nature as both a dot-mil and a dot-edu, can bring those communities together so that the intelligence produced is no longer without context.”

Colonel Meese describes the CTC approach. “When you talk about intellectual high ground there is an important distinction in the field of terrorism. In a physical campaign, you can look on a map, find the high ground, and take that hill. When you’re waging a campaign against terrorism, the key to success is finding the intellectual high ground. Governments that are responsive to their people and support the ideals of human rights and dignity for all and the opportunity to freely practice one’s religious faith will dominate those who want to pervert any kind of religious message. The more study, the more debate, the more people we have looking at this, the better chance we have of getting to that intellectual high ground.”

“Our objective is to get more and more people involved in studying and engaging in discussion about how to combat terrorism, not knowing exactly where it will lead. We get better by such intellectual grinding that enhances the awareness of how to best understand the enemy we are confronting and how to best counter them intellectually, strategically, even militarily, using all the elements of power.” Queried as to what those elements were, he offered a potent range of resources—“diplomatic, informational, military, economic, law enforcement, intelligence and financial.”

Sometimes just plain detective work has high yield. “One CTC analysis studied all the reports in Mid-East newspapers about al-Qa’ida attacks and pointed out that between 90 to 96% of those killed by al-Qa’ida were Muslims. That was a very good, credible academic report. The most important thing West Point has is our credibility. We are never going to publish anything for political or ideological reasons; something that isn’t to the best of our knowledge true. And so we put our credibility behind that report when we released it. It created a fire-storm of controversy within the al-Qa’ida community, causing them to respond, ‘No, this isn’t true!’”

“If you get al-Qa’ida arguing on its own website about how many Muslims it kills, you’ve won. If you get Zarkawi quoting the CTC in his videos and his writings, having to react to the comments that we have made that show we understand the thinking behind the enemy’s actions, you’re successful. When you actually understand the fractures and the fissures within al-Qa’ida, you find they have many of the same organizational, political and financial budget problems that we do. You can pit them against each other by exposing that in a rigorous analytical, academic setting—and at the same time you are offering better information to cadets, the military, policy makers, FBI agents, and everyone else.”

Alex Gallo offers an overview of their activity. As West Point educators, the staff is responsible for course instruction. “One hundred percent of the cadet corps is exposed to the work of the CTC. We teach modules in two core courses—SS 202, American

Politics and SS 307, International Relations. We have 40-some cadets (one fourth of those eligible) taking our minor in terrorism studies. They take six pertinent courses to fulfill our requirements—three are mandatory: SS 465, Terrorism and Counterterrorism; SS464, Homeland Security and Defense; and SS466, Advanced Terrorism Studies. Three others can be chosen from a myriad of relevant electives offered in Social Sciences and other departments throughout the Academy.”

Outreach education is also a CTC function. Gallo describes off-post educational efforts: “We have had a contractually based relationship with the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2006. We educate new agents going through their Quantico course, but we also do more advanced courses for counter-terrorism agents. We provide the context of Islam, all the way from the origins of Islam to how we see the threat manifesting over time. It’s both cultural awareness and threat-based education. And they are exposed to the use of our website as a continuing source of information.”

Dr. hoffman discusses profiles.

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And since the CTC website is an open source, the public education mission is continually being fulfilled. “We do want the American public to be aware of and sensitized to the difference between political violence—in the form of terrorism—and Muslim culture and Islam itself,” Gallo continues. “Every time that we in America say Islam equals terrorism or Islam equals al-Qa’ida, we are, in fact, promoting al-Qa’ida’s message by saying that they are indeed the true defenders of Islam. Understanding the threat—understanding groups, and how they are evolving over time, their intent, their ends, their strategies—in a more nuanced fashion allows us not only to be more sophisticated in how we think about the world but also more sophisticated in our responses.”

The CTC offers a mature framework within which current challenges can be considered. Dr. Gallo reminds visitors that

“the phenomenon of terrorism is as old as mankind—it’s the path some groups may take when they think the political, legal, and economic systems are against them. People who commit political violence are not necessarily irrational actors. When you understand their assumptions and the rationality behind them, you can counter them. At the outset, they feel that the only way to express their political ideas is through terrorism. The central question is, ‘Can terrorist groups be brought in from the cold and eventually see the political process as legitimate?’ ”

When CTC staffers Don Rassler and Alex Gallo went to Afghanistan in 2009, they were looking at terrorist activity locally, talking with people, and realized that the conventional wisdom there was to look at the Haqqanis as a criminal syndicate. “Don and I started thinking, as we looked at both the Haqqanis and Al-Qa’ida, that we needed to challenge conventional wisdom.” The yield of that challenge is a groundbreaking report, The Haqqani Nexus and the Evolution of Al-Qa’ ida, available now online.

“Through our research, we found that the Haqqani network’s commitment to al-Qa’ida is predicated upon an ideological commitment to the philosophy of expansive, global jihad. The Haqqani network typically has been described as a local actor, a criminal syndicate. But we now see that the group has played a very strong regional role and also a strong enabling role for al-Qa’ida as they developed their operational capabilities—projecting their violence outward, eventually attacking the United States. We see that the Haqqanis functioned as the local to al-Qa’ida’s global for many decades. In the nineties, the territory they control was used for activities that helped form the nucleus of global terrorism—events like 9/11.” This heretofore neglected and misinterpreted area of research has produced a seminal CTC document fostering a

better understanding of global terrorism.

A wealth of information from West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center is available at ctc.usma.edu. Near the end of all articles is an invitation—“Enter your e-mail and join the CTC mailing list,” and at the bottom of each front page is a box that invites you to “Search.” Put in Osama Bin Laden and enjoy the yield of a very effective website retrieval of pertinent articles from CTC publications. You immediately will validate the CTC Sentinel’s claim to be “a monthly, independent publication that leverages the Center’s global network of scholars and practitioners to understand and confront contemporary threats posed by terrorism and other forms of political violence.”

A familiarization briefing for the Downing Scholars at CTC during a networking visit to West Point. This program is administered by the Combating Terrorism Center.

Prof. Mark Juergensmeyer, Senior Fellow at the CTC and the director of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies and affiliate professor of religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara interacts with a cadet after his lecture on religious extremism.

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On October 30, 2007, Lieutenant Ross C. Pixler, Class of 2005, was a platoon leader in A

Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry

Division, conducting a search mission in Al Bawi (the bend), near Baghdad, Iraq, when all

hell broke loose. Leading from the front, his Bradley fighting vehicle was smashed by a

buried improvised explosive device, killing three of his men and severely wounding his

driver and his gunner. Pixler himself was wounded in the legs and suffered a concussion

but managed to check the other wounded and call for assistance and helicopter gunship

fire support as mortar and small arms fire struck his small convoy—two lightly armored

wheeled vehicles and two Bradleys.

The 2011NiNiNGEr

aWard for valor at arms

Who is ross Pixler?

West Point Association of Graduates Chairman Jodie Gloire ’69, Superintendent Lieutenant General David h. huntoon, Jr. ’73, and 2011 Nininger Award recipient Captain Ross C. Pixler ’05.

BY JULIAN M. OLEJNICzAK ’61


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ThE 2011 NININGER aWaRD FOR ValOR aT aRmS

When he and the other wounded later were evacuated in a Bradley at the order of his company commander, it too was destroyed by an explosive device, wounding two

other soldiers. The device was just as powerful as the first but not quite as destructive because it struck the vehicle at an angle. Pixler organized a perimeter defense around the second destroyed vehicle until help arrived and the evacuation of the wounded could resume. For his actions that day, Pixler was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action, and Staff Sergeant Zamarippa, the squad leader of the second squad of Pixler’s platoon, also was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during the attack. But far greater satisfaction came later, when the insurgent responsible for planning the attacks was captured in December 2007.

Pixler came to West Point from Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he tested out of physical education requirements and was involved in Junior ROTC, martial arts, and mountain climbing. He also worked two years as an intern for Senator John McCain. At West Point, he was a tight end on the Sprint football team for two seasons, even though he had not played football in high school.

He also was on his cadet company’s Sandhurst team for three years, leading it in his first class year. Academically, he majored in nuclear engineering and interned with NASA at Huntsville, Alabama.

In his remarks to the cadets in the Mess Hall, Pixler reflected upon the loss of his men and the catastrophic damage inflicted by the explosive device. Sergeant Danny McCall was a fire team leader, and Russ Jenkins and Cody Carver were members of his fire team who were killed instantly. The explosive force rammed the floor of the Bradley up against the roof of the vehicle, threw the heavy ramp a hundred feet, and left a six-foot crater in the ground. His driver and his gunner were so badly injured from the blast that they eventually were medically discharged. He wanted to call for a 500-pound smart bomb or some artillery on the insurgents, but they were near a cemetery, and he was precluded from using heavier weapons, even though cemeteries were notoriously used as insurgent cache sites and assembly areas.

Earlier, Pixler was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for Valor when his company commander and an explosive ordnance disposal team were pinned down by small arms fire. Pixler quickly moved his Bradley between them and the insurgents and opened fire, covering them all as they moved their vehicles and personnel to safety.

Pixler then told of an incident involving three of his soldiers who placed their own bodies between enemy fire and a soldier pinned under a vehicle during an ambush: “Think about that: his fellow soldiers instinctively put themselves in the line of fire to protect their comrades, spraying suppressive fire on the enemy without any cover or concealment. By the grace of God and the quick thinking and actions of these soldiers, not a single member of our joint patrol was killed. In fact, we were able to treat, evacuate, and save both soldiers and two wounded Iraqi militia. SPC Jernigan was able to

keep both his legs, and we killed the enemy.”

He summarized his experiences: “During the 15 months that I was a platoon leader in Iraq, I did not believe I would live to see the end of my tour. We sustained more than 30 IED attacks: six exploded on my vehicles. Together with the other platoons in my company, we fought off 82 attacks on our combat outpost and Joint Security Station. My soldiers and I experienced over 100 contacts with a determined and resolute enemy dead-set on killing us. We lost five comrades and ten others were wounded. I owe my life to the Soldiers of 3rd Platoon and Hardrock Company of 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. Their heroism and courage under fire was shown every day, every patrol, every contact. Their bravery and determination earned the valorous awards I have received, including the Nininger Award.”

Of the six recipients of the Nininger Award selected since its inception in 2006, three have been members of the Class of 2005.

In February of this year, Captain Pixler assumed command of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, of the 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York and expects to remain in command for almost two years. It is “the greatest pleasure since being a platoon leader. It’s a different perspective; you have more control, you are developing platoon leaders and preparing them for combat.”

Pixler is married and the proud father of four-year-old daughter Dakota and two-year-old son Riley. Although his favorite MRE (Army Meal Ready to Eat) is chicken and dumplings, in the category of real food, nothing can compare to the special flank steak prepared by his wife April. Although he may pursue his interests in nuclear engineering and NASA in the distant future, for now he remains steadfastly loyal to the Infantry, a true “grunt” and proud of it.

“during the 15 months that i was a platoon leader in iraq,

i did not believe i would live to see the end of my tour.”

–lieutenant ross Pixler ’05

Captain Pixler with his wife April (left) and his mother, Larissa.

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44 Years agoElizabeth Lewis, a fine arts librarian and art history

instructor in the Department of English, is the first woman faculty member at West Point.

39 Years agoLieutenant Virginia K. Fry is the first full-time woman

faculty member; Department of Earth, Space, and Graphic Sciences.

36 Years agoFirst 119 women cadets are admitted into the Class of

1980 and assigned to 12 of the 36 cadet companies at the time.

Sue Peterson is the first female instructor in the Department of Physical Education.

35 Years agoSue Tendy joins the Department of Physical Education and

becomes the first head coach for women’s swimming.

First women’s intercollegiate sports competition; West Point women defeat New Paltz in basketball, 84-17.

34 Years agoMajor Nancy Freebaum is the first woman tactical officer.

33 Years agoKathy Gerard is the first woman brigade executive officer.

Camille Nichols ’81 is National Sports Festival II Gold Medalist in Team Handball.

32 Years agoAndrea Hollen ’80 is the first woman graduate Rhodes

Scholar, followed by Carolyn A. Ford ’90; Jennie M. Koch ’90; Jennifer D. Oliva ’96; Melissa I. Sturm 2000; Elizabeth O. Young 2000; Erica J. Watson ’02; Amber M. Raub ’04; Elizabeth A. Betterbed ’10; and Alexandra P. Rosenberg ’10.

Major Cathy Kelley is the first woman permanent associate professor.

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Women At West Point… Making History31 Years agoWomen’s soccer is 7-0 in first season.

30 Years agoWomen’s team handball wins first National Collegiate

Championship.

29 Years agoDuring Army’s first year with a powerlifting team, Mary

Costello ’83 wins the women’s senior title, and Tasha Robinson ’85 wins the women’s junior title.

28 Years agoKaren Short is the first woman regimental commander.

Brigitte T. Kwinn ’84 is the first Native American woman graduate.

Jacqueline S. Foglia (Sandoval) ’84 of Honduras is the first woman international graduate.

27 Years agoLissa Young is the first woman deputy brigade commander.

Leslie A. Lewis ’85 is the first woman graduate Marshall Scholar.

26 Years agoElaina King ’86 sets women’s collegiate powerlifting bench

press record and gains Master status.

24 Years agoWomen’s team handball wins first Division II National

Collegiate Championship.

23 Years agoWomen’s Powerlifting Team wins Collegiate National

Championship

Kristin M. Baker ’90 is the first woman First Captain, followed by Grace H. Chung ’04 and Stephanie L. Hightower ’06.

TImElINE


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Women At West Point… Making History21 Years agoKathleen M. Sherry ’89 is the first woman graduate to

die in a combat theater (Kuwait).

1,000th woman graduates.

20 Years agoMargaret Haese (Belknap) ’81 is the first woman graduate

White House Fellow.

Marcia J. Geiger (Isakson) ’92 is the first woman graduate Hertz Fellow.

19 Years agoDeborah L. Hanagan ’87 is the first woman graduate

Olmsted Foundation Scholar.

17 Years agoRebecca Marier (McGuigan) ’95 is the first woman

valedictorian.

16 Years agoVictoria J. Hulse (Campbell) ’96 is the first woman

graduate Truman Scholar.

15 Years agoColonel Maureen K. LeBoeuf is the first woman Professor

and Director of the Department of Physical Education and the first woman member of the Academic Board.

10 Years agoColonel Heidi V. Brown ’81 is the first woman graduate to

command an air defense brigade.

8 Years agoBrigadier General Rebecca S. Halstead ’81, Ordnance Corps,

is the first woman graduate promoted to general officer. Also Brigadier General Anne W. Fields (MacDonald) ’80, Aviation.

Heather I. Ritchey ’04 is the first woman graduate Gates Cambridge Scholar.

7 Years agoColonel Maritza S. Ryan ’82 is the first woman graduate

Professor and Head of the Department of Law and the first woman graduate member of the Academic Board.

First Lieutenant Laura T. Walker ’03 is the first woman graduate killed in action in Afghanistan.

6 Years agoMaggie Dixon, first-year women’s basketball coach, dies

after guiding the team to the Patriot League Championship and a first-ever post-season NCAA tournament appearance.

The first West Point Women’s Conference, April 27-29, celebrated the 30-year anniversary of women cadets at West Point. Over 300 women graduates attended.

Megan Kulungowski ’06 is the first woman graduate whose parents are both graduates (Mark Kulungowski ’80 and Margaret Knox ’81).

Second Lieutenant Emily J. T. Perez ’05 is the first woman graduate killed in action in Iraq.

4 Years agoColonel Deborah J. McDonald ’85 is the first woman

graduate Director of Admissions.

2 Years agoMargaret C. Fountain is the first woman graduate

Rotarian Ambassadorial Scholar.

Dr. Jean Blair is the first woman Vice Dean.

1 Year agoWomen’s Rugby wins first national collegiate

championship.

UnUsUal sidelight: The Army Mule Buckshot, a 1964 gift from the United

States Air Force Academy that served as mascot until 1986, was the first and only mare mule thus far to be a West Point mascot.

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West Point Cycling Wins

Third National Title in 2011

The West Point cycling Team captured their third national title during the three-day 2011 uSa cycling's collegiate Track championships at the major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis, Indiana, on the weekend of September 17. The cadets qualified and fielded a team in each of the eleven events.

The West Point team won four, placed second in two, and third in the other five events to score a total of 907 points (out of a possible 1134) to win the DII Team Omnium Competition. Massachusetts Institute of Technology was second with 821 points, and Cumberland University took third with 365.

The team consisted of Gregory Keith (Team Captain), Brenden Siekman (Track Discipline), and Nick Garcia, Class of 2012;

Patrick Doumont, Lauren Heiliger, and Caitlin Neiswanger, Class of 2013; Yearlings Gabriella Allong, Michelle Font, Emily McManus, Michael Houghton, Steven Rusnak, and Christian Ryan; Plebes Patrick Bastianelli and Victoria Ollo; and Colonel Italo Bastianelli (coach). The Indiana West Point Parents Club provided national caliber cheering, an exceptional tailgate, and much appreciated updates on Army’s victory over Northwestern in football.

Those individuals who correctly identify where at uSma the item shown in the picture at right is located will be entered in a drawing to win a $25 gift card to the WPaOG Gift Shop!

Send your entry to [email protected] by February 28, 2012.

The winner of this contest will be announced in the Spring issue of West Point magazine and in First call.

Employees of West Point, WPaOG, and their families are not eligible.

West Point magazine Fall Issue “Where is it?” Winner:Deb Newman, parent of class of 2014 cadet.

Where is it?

You know you’ve seen it…but can you remember where?

make sure that we have your up-to-date contact information so that you receive these communications. If you are a “snowbird” and have more than one address, make sure we know which one you are currently using!

WestPointaoG.orgThe WPaOG website provides current information 24/7 on almost everything you could think of….

• class events, class Notes, memorials, ways to find a classmate

• alumni services: Travel opportunities, the WPaOG Gift Shop, herbert hall rental information

• career tools & resources

• West Point news

• Graduate news

• cadet news

• upcoming event information at West Point and around the country

• Digital publications, photos, videos and news

• New this year! a calendar that includes WPaOG events, academy events, athletics, intercollegiate teams, Society events, class reunions, and special occasions

West Point magazineThe magazine is WPaOG’s flagship publication that keeps you updated on cadet life, academics, research, innovation, athletics and events at the academy. The magazine can be downloaded digitally as a free app for the iPad, too!

First Call enewsletterThis publication keeps you updated on WPaOG news, events and opportunities. First call will become a weekly newsletter soon!

TAPSPublished annually, this publication carries memorial articles. coming this summer… an online version, which offers the option of posting comments, memories, etc.

social mediaWPaOG has a very active presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Join the conversation!

are you mobile? WPaOG has a mobile website, WestPointAOG.mobi that includes the comprehensive calendar; and we also have free apps for the iPhone and Droid.

WPaoG communications keep you in touch with what’s going on at the academy, with classmates, with WPaoG, and on top of opportunities, benefits, and services you receive as a graduate.

get connected…stay connected…

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210th anniversary of the founding of West Point

February

FEBruary 28

MEn'S HOCKEY Royal military college | at West Point4

WOMEn’S BASKETBALL aRmY-NaVY | at West Point

11

MEn’S GYMnASTICS aRmY-aIR FORcE | at West Point

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Upcoming events suggested by West Point staff & faculty. Events for May–July should be sent to [email protected] by February 15, 2012.

Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championship at Princeton, NJ

Sem

inar

| Apr

il 3 Jim collins, class of 1951

chair for the Study of leadership, presents:

Luck and its Relevance to Military LeadersTopics include a discussion of the latest research on luck and the concept of “return on luck.”

Jim collins, class of 1951 chair for the Study of leadership, presents:

A Socratic Discussion on What Makes Leaders GreatMARCH 3-4

WEST POiNT CENTEr FOr ThE rulE OF laW CONFErENCE:

“islam and the rule of law,” at West Point MarCh 29

Class of 1983 distingUished leader series

ThIRD aNNual Negotiation Project Conference: “Negotiation, a Tactical asset for leaders.” visit wpnp.org for details

MArCh 29-30

100Th

NiGhT ShOWFebruary 24-25

ARMY-nAVY RuGBY at annapolis, maryland

MARCH 20: General ann Dunwoody, commanding General, u.S. army materiel commandMARCH 30: General David cone ’79, commanding General, u.S. army Training and Doctrine command

ARMY TRIATHLOn TEAM uSaT collegiate Nationals at Tuscaloosa, alabama

Cd

XThe 12th Annual National Security Agency Cyber Defense ExerciseStudent teams from our nation's service academies and military graduate schools compete to defend their computer networks from a unit of professional cyber attackers led by the National Security agency. The West Point cDx team is eager to achieve yet another victory on this most modern "field of friendly strife." AP

RIL 1

6-20

SPRInG LEAVE March 10-18


There's no place likeEisenhower hall

A Stunning venue forReceptions, Galas, Dinner & Show Combos,Weddings, Banquets & more...

• newly renovated theater• Free parking for your event• Catering and café options• nearby hotel accommodations

Call Susan hourigan at 845.938.7732 for all your Ike hall and Cadet-related catering needs.

Proceeds from these events at Eisenhower hall are used to support our corps of cadets and the most robust extra-curricular program in the country.

Make your reservations to attend the 100th Night Show on February 24 & 25, 2012.

Box Office open 8am to 4pm | 845.938.4159 | Gift Certificates available

Coming soon ...

Thank you for your service.

For career opportunities visit:

Contact us at [email protected] www.amazon.com/military

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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

Major General William T. Grisoli ’76 U.S. Army, for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general.

Major General Joseph E. Martz ’79 U.S. Army, for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general.

Major General Terry A. Wolff ’79 U.S. Army, for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general.

Brigadier General Raymond A. Thomas III ’80 U.S. Army, for promotion to major general.

Colonel Kristin K. French ’86 U.S. Army, for promotion to brigadier general.

The Secretary of Defense has announced that the President has nominated:

General Officer Promotions

(Since September 20, 2011)

The White house Fellows Alumni Foundation and Association presented the 2011 John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award to Arthur E. (Gene) Dewey, White house Fellows Class of 1968-69 at the annual White house Fellows Alumni Legacy of Leadership Conference. The award has been given yearly since 1999 to a former White house Fellow whose life work exemplifies John Gardner's legacy of selfless service to the nation and to mankind.

Dewey served four years in Geneva, Switzerland as United Nations Deputy high Commissioner for Refugees and was the Founding Director of the Congressional hunger Center. President Nixon appointed Dewey as Director of the White house Fellows Program, 1971-72. Dewey received the WPAOG Distinguished Graduate Award in 2006. he retired in 2005, after serving as Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

Dewey Receives Legacy of Leadership Award1969

ACE ADAMS: Spent 12 years guiding the lacrosse program; four national titles; National Coach of the Year in 1961.

RANDY COzzENS ’85: Played in a school-record 113 basketball games and collected 1,906 points.

EDGAR GARBISCh ’25: A three-time All-America; National Football Foundation and College Football hall of Fame.

KATIE MACFARLANE ’04: Army women’s basketball’s all-time scoring leader with 1,941 points.

BOB NOvOGRATz ’59: All-America guard; Knute Rockne Award as the "Outstanding Lineman in the Nation."

LAUREN ROWE ’03: Two-time Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, women’s soccer, track & field, and cross country.

MIKE SCIOLETTI ’98: First-team Northeast All-American in baseball; set ten Patriot League standards.

JIMMY WALLACE: Athletic trainer at Army for 38 years (1957-95); worked with nearly every varsity sport at West Point.

2011 Army Sports hall of Fame

On September 30, 2011, General Martin E. Dempsey, former Chief of Staff of the Army, was sworn in as the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, succeeding Admiral Michael Mullen. General Raymond T. Odierno ’76 succeeded Dempsey as Chief of Staff of the Army on September 7, 2011.

Dempsey Sworn In as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

1974


You are the portrait of determination. As an officer, you assess complex situations in seconds. You balance knowledge and instinct. You adhere to your values.

You’re our kind of student.

Learn how our top-ranked MBA program can assist you in your next career move. Visit mba.nd.edu/military or call 800-631-8488. Meet us on campus or at a Service Academy Career Conference in Savannah, March 1-2; or Washington DC, May 24-25. Register at sacc-jobfair.com.

T H E N O T R E D A M E M B A

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In Afghanistan, Task Force Tigershark, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel David Kramer ’92, assembled on September 9, 2011 to memorialize those who lost their lives or were injured during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93. The headquarters, from the 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation (Attack), Fort Drum, New York, commands an aviation multi-functional task force that includes Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation (Assault/AH64D); Company B, 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry; Company B, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation (Reserve/National Guard Medium Lift); Company C, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation (National Guard Medical Evacuation); Company D, 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation (Unit Maintenance); and Company E, 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation (Forward Support). The task force returned to the United States from Forward Operating Base Salerno at the end of 2011, and Tigershark officers will share their experiences with cadets in 2012.

Task Force Tigershark: Lest We Forget

7-Eleven CEO DePinto Named Retail Leader of Year for 2011

hundreds of retail leaders convened in Chicago on October 2, 2011 to congratulate 7-Eleven, Inc. President and CEO Joe DePinto for receiving CSP magazine’s 2011 Retail Leader of the Year award. In 2005, DePinto took the reigns as CEO of 7-Eleven, Inc. the leading convenience retail chain with close to 9,000 stores in North America and 43,300 stores around the world.

CSP cited a number of DePinto’s accomplishments, to include transitioning 7-Eleven to a fully-franchised operation, leading a culture revolution at the company, and improving communications with franchisees.

1986

Jimenez, Former International Cadet, Commissioned in U.S. Army2001

Jose M. Jimenez from Costa Rica fought for ten years to be commissioned in the U.S. Army, finally receiving a direct commission into the Reserves. His wife, Captain Lara Brennecke ’02, pinned on his first lieutenant bars on November 3, 2011. Assigned to the 307th Medical Group in Columbus, Ohio, as an Environmental Science Officer/Engineer, he was sworn in by his father-in-law, Colonel (Retired) Lucas H. Brennecke ’70.

On November 16, 2011, Mike Krzyzewski strode down the sideline at Madison Square Garden to shake the hand of Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo after beating the Spartans, 74-69. It was Coach K’s 903rd victory in his 37-year career and eclipsed the 902-win mark of his former coach and mentor, Bobby Knight, who had been Tv color commentator for the game. According to Krzyzewski, Knight told him, “Boy, you’ve done pretty good for a kid who couldn’t shoot.”

Krzyzewski is Winningest Basketball Coach in Division I

1969

GRIPPING haNDS


West Point MuseumUNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY

Preserving America’sMilitary Heritage

Open Daily 10:30 am - 4:15 pm(Closed Thanksgiving,Christmas and New Year’s Day)

845.938.3590 Located on Route 218adjacent to the Thayer Gateentrance to West Point

Free Admission

West Point MuseumUNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY

Preserving America’sMilitary Heritage

Open Daily 10:30 am - 4:15 pm(Closed Thanksgiving,Christmas and New Year’s Day)

845.938.3590 Located on Route 218adjacent to the Thayer Gateentrance to West Point

Free Admission

Official Supplier ofUnited States Military Academy

for the Following classes194319441945194619471948195019511952195319541955195619581960

196119621963196419651966196819691970197119751976197719791981

19821984198519861988199920032004200520062010201120122013

Balfour can replace Class Rings, miniatures, and wedding bands for the above listed back dated classes. Contact Jayne Roland at Balfour.

Phone: 201-262-8800or

Email: [email protected] 17471 0911©Balfour 1970–2011, all rights reserved.

Dennis F. HaleyUSNA 67’CEO

www.academyleadership.com

Retired Business LeadersAre you ready for the next chapter in your career?Are you ready to extend your success into the lives of others? Academy Leadership is looking for leaders who want to develop their own successful leadership business. Our unique Lead2Succeed™ process combines the West Point and Naval Academy leadership development programs with today’s successful corporate philosophies to create the most powerful leadership training programs available. We are looking for passionate business leaders who want to share their knowledge and experience to help managers achieve their personal and professional goals. If you have been a senior executive or business owner, you’ll discover profound meaning in your next career as an Academy Leadership Af liate.

We are accepting applications for all U.S. and Global markets. Please send your resume to af [email protected] for consideration.

The Register of GraduatesA family heirloom for every family with a West Point graduate.

Military and professional history of every USMA graduate since 1802.

Hardbound: $50, which includes shipping.

West Point magazineA wonderful gift idea for family and friends.

Quarterly coffee table publication about the Academy and the Corps of Cadets.

$35 for four issues.

To order:Call 845.446.1577 or visit WestPointAOG.org/PoopSheets

it’s about you…and West Point

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Past in Review

Henry Ossian Flipper, Class of 1877, came to West Point to succeed, and he did just that. In a very segregated Academy, he was befriended by a few cadets, violently disliked by some, and ignored by most. His becoming the first African-American graduate was celebrated by many and acknowledged by almost everyone. Serving with the 10th Cavalry, he was accepted by his white officer colleagues and respected for several acts of courage. Nevertheless, he eventually ran afoul of a biased system, was found not guilty by a court martial of embezzlement (money held as quartermaster was taken from his trunk by a maid) but guilty of “conduct unbecoming an officer” and dismissed from the Army. He nonetheless went on to be a successful civil engineer and author. On December 13, 1976, the Army awarded him a retroactive honorable discharge; on October 27, 1977, Flipper’s Ditch, constructed at Ft. Sill, OK, to drain a marsh and reduce the danger from malaria, was named a National Historic Site; and on February 19, 1999, he was pardoned posthumously.

Charles Young became the third African-American graduate in 1889. Although an excellent musician and linguist, he was turned back for deficiency in mathematics during his Plebe year. Later,

FLIPPeR’S LeGACyBY J. PhOENIx, ESqUIRE

he was looking forward to graduation when he was declared deficient in engineering, re-examined, and graduated late on August 31.

Commissioned in the Cavalry, he served at frontier posts until 1894, when he was assigned as Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Wilberforce University in Ohio. During the Spanish-American War, he served as a major of the 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (Colored) but remained in the United States. He later served as military attaché to Haiti (1904-07) and Liberia (1912-15).

For reorganizing the Liberian constabulary, he was awarded the NAACP Spingarn Gold Medal in 1916. Commanding a squadron of the 10th Cavalry during the 1916 Punitive Expedition into Mexico, he led a cavalry charge to relieve another friendly force. Although retired for disability in June 1917, a year later he rode on horseback from Ohio to Washington, DC (about 500 miles), to petition the Secretary of War for reinstatement and was recalled to active duty five days before the war ended. Reassigned to Liberia, he died on January 8, 1922 while on a research expedition to Lagos, Nigeria. On June 1, 1923, his body was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

When Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., entered West Point in 1932, he endured isolation as well, with only the occasional pleasantness of some cadets and faculty, plus visits from his future wife, to encourage him. Pilot training with the Tuskegee Airmen led to conflicts with a segregated Army in the segregated South. He then commanded the 99th Fighter Squadron of the Twelfth Air Force and the 332nd Fighter Group of the Fifteenth Air Force during World War II, earning the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit. He later served as chief of staff of the U.S. Air Forces Korea and UN Command and deputy commander of Strike Command before retiring in 1970 as a three-star general. Appointed Assistant Secretary of Transportation in 1971, he was

honored as a Distinguished Graduate in 1995 and retroactively promoted to four-star rank in 1999.

Conditions at West Point for African Americans were somewhat improved when Roscoe Robinson, Jr., arrived in 1947. Commissioned in the Infantry upon graduation in 1951, he saw combat in Korea with the 7th Infantry Division. In Viet Nam with the 1st Cavalry Division, he commanded a battalion of the 7th Cavalry and earned two Silver Stars. Command of 82nd Airborne Division and the U.S. Army Japan was followed by assignment as the U.S. representative to the NATO Military Committee; retirement as a four-star general in 1985; and selection as a Distinguished Graduate in 1993. South Auditorium in Thayer Hall was re-named in his honor as the first African-American to achieve four-star rank.

Things had normalized considerably for African-American cadets when Reginald J. Brown became a new cadet in 1957. Nevertheless, driving north from Ft. Benning with classmates following Ranger School, the new lieutenants faced the remnants of a Jim Crow South. The restaurant would serve the white officers but not their classmate. They all left together. None of this kept him from earning a graduate degree from Harvard, teaching Social Sciences, and becoming Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

West Point now presents an annual Henry O. Flipper award, established in 1981 through the West Point Association of Graduates, to the member of each graduating class who has displayed "the highest qualities of leadership, self-discipline, and perseverance in the face of unusual difficulties while a cadet."

USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its insurance, banking, investment and other companies.* Use of the term “member” does not convey any legal, ownership or eligibility rights for property and casualty insurance products. Ownership rights are limited to eligible policyholders of the United Services Automobile Association.

The term “honorably served” applies to offi cers and enlisted personnel who served on active duty, in the Selected Reserve or National Guard and have a discharge type of “Honorable.” Eligibility may change based on factors such as marital status, rank or military status. Contact us to update your records. Adult children of USAA members are eligible to purchase auto or property insurance if their eligible parent purchases USAA auto or property insurance. Purchase of a bank product does not establish eligibility for, or membership in, USAA property and casualty insurance companies. USAA Savings Bank, Member FDIC. WPAOG receives fi nancial support from USAA for this sponsorship. © 2011 USAA. 131706-0711

We know what it means to serve.

Let us serve you.

usaa.com/wpaog | 877-584-9724

USAA is

Proud to Supportthe West Point Association of Graduates

Honesty. Integrity. Loyalty. Service.

Like the West Point Association of Graduates, USAA’s core values mirror those of the U.S. military. We believe those who honorably serve deserve a higher level of service, and our commitment to serving the fi nancial needs of the military, veterans who have honorably served, and their families is without equal.*

Job: USF462 Title: WPAOG July West Point Mag Ad Date: 5/19/11_12:43 PM Page: Single

Trim size: 9” x 10.875”, plus 1/8” bleed Colors: CMYK Round: Release

Endorsed by the “Long Gray Line”

and ready to serve.

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West Point Association of Graduates698 Mills RoadWest Point, NY 10996-1607

WestPointAOG.org 845.446.1500

Remember to keep your contact information updated in Netcommunity to ensure you continue to receive West Point magazine and other WPaOG information.

Questions? Call 1.800.BE.A.GRAD.KEEP In

TOuCH VIA:

Call 800.BE.A.GRAD

WestPointAOG.org/BricksandPavers

The West Point Association of Graduates Brick

and Paver program allows you to etch a

meaningful inscription on a brick that is placed in the

historical grounds surrounding the James K. Herbert

Alumni Center. The walkways serve as visible places

for a permanent, elegant remembrance to visitors

entering the building from Mills Road and surrounding

parking areas.

This is truly a unique opportunity to

recognize someone in a manner that

will become part of West Point history.

Both bricks and pavers are offered, and payment

options are available.

A thoughtful, timeless gift or tribute: honor or memorialize a loved one, classmate, friend, or coach in a significant, lasting way.

WEST POINT


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Brick By Brick

Leaving a

in this issue: women at west point - amazon s3€¦ · winter 2012 a publication of the west point...

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