West-Point.ORG, The West Point Connection

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - Although typically oceans apart, cadets from two nations joined forces at the U.S. Army’s 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command at Grafenwoehr Training Area July 7-10 for a live-fire exercise. They then moved to Hohenfels Training Area July 11-18 for movement exercises to prepare the young officers-in-training for real-world missions.  British Army Royal Military Academy Sandhurst cadets from England conducted their final field exercise in Germany with a select number of U.S. Military Academy at West Point cadets who earned a spot on the team to join the Sandhurst cadets. The West Point cadets are using this opportunity to fulfill their cadet leadership development training.

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As a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army captain, John Haugen of Flower Mound built his law firm over the years, while he and his wife raised eight children … the first of whom, Courtney, seemed destined to become a lawyer. “Ever since I was a kid, I always had a tendency to argue and debate … and I knew when I started college, I wanted to go straight into law school and one day work with my dad,” she said. “When I was little, I was told all the time that I would be a lawyer.” This spring, Courtney became the newest attorney at her father’s law practice.

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FORT BENNING, GA - A new commanding general has taken his place in the ranks in Fort Benning's leadership.  MG Scott Miller assumed command of the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning from MG H.R. McMaster during a ceremony at 8 a.m., Friday, July 11, on the parade field behind the National Infantry Museum.  "As I come in here today, I'm about as excited about this assignment as I've been about any assignment in the US Military," Miller said just before the ceremony. "I'm a old infantryman, so I've been coming here since 1981. But when you look at Fort Benning Georgia, and a good assignment…  it comes down to people, it comes down to mission, and of course the community. And when you put all three of those together here in Columbus, Georgia—outside our gates and inside the gates—you've got one fantastic assignment."   Miiller is a 1983 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N. Y., and a graduate of the Marine Corps University, where he earned a Master of Science degree in Strategy. His military schooling includes the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

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WEST POINT - The Army Garrison at West Point welcomed its new commander, Colonel Landy Dunham, at a Change of Command Ceremony Thursday at Eisenhower Hall on the campus. Command Sergeant Major Joel Crawford took over responsibility from Command Sergeant Kevin Fauntleroy in the same ceremony. The out-going Commander, Colonel Dane. Rideout, reviewed some of his and his team’s accomplishments over the past two years. Teams he oversaw answered 2100 calls for fire and medical support, performed flood water rescue at Stony Point during Super Storm Sandy, soldiered on through sequestration, two furloughs, and a government shutdown, and kept the instillation safe for thousands of events and millions of visitors.

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Morning, June 30, 1964:  I said good-bye to my dad, mom, and younger sister in our home in South Philadelphia.  I walked the few paces to 2nd Street, turned left, walked to the next corner, caught the Number 5 to 3rd and Market, walked down to 2nd Street, caught the subway to 30th Street, took the train to NYC's Penn Station, walked up 8th Avenue to Port Authority, caught the bus which wound up the west shore of the Hudson to West Point's gate. When I walked through that door, my life changed forever as I joined what would become West Point's Class of 1968. My involvement with West Point's Class of 2018 started several months ago. My class has been planning a 50-Year Affiliation Program, associating us with these young men and women as they endured the gauntlet culminating in entrance ("reception") on July 2, and thereafter.

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In collaboration with the U.S. Military Academy, Simon & Schuster and Rowan Technology Solutions announced today that they will publish a series of books on military history, The West Point History of Warfare. North American rights were acquired by Vice President and Senior Editor Thomas LeBien from Eric Lupfer and Eric Simonoff, WME Entertainment. The West Point History of the Civil War will be the first volume in a series of definitive West Point military history works that Simon & Schuster and Rowan Technology Solutions will publish exclusively. The first volume will be available in both print and enhanced digital formats on October 21, 2014, and the introduction will be written by Colonel Ty Seidule, Head of the Department of History at West Point. The next volumes will include The West Point History of World War II and The West Point History of the American Revolution.

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WEST POINT, N.Y. – “Can Do” officers and noncommissioned officers from Company A, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, had the opportunity to learn various demolition skills, June 26, at West Point, from Task Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts, out of Fort Drum, N.Y.  The training consisted of basic demolition knots to the principles of electrical demolition; however, this was more than just an opportunity to learn some new skills for the 3-15th Inf., also known as the China Battalion.

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Last fall, at a leadership event at Abilene Christian University, former Procter & Gamble CEO Bob McDonald talked about how a West Point cadet prayer has influenced most of his business career. “It goes: ‘Help me to choose the harder right than the easier wrong,’ ” he said in an interview with college officials. “I always thought that was a powerful idea, the idea that if you’re doing something, and it feels too easy to do, it might be the wrong thing. Eight months later, as the nominee to become the next Veterans Affairs secretary, McDonald’s first order of business after confirmation will be to fix a host of departmental problems caused mainly by middle managers making those easier wrong decisions rather than the hard right ones.

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Mike Matthews is a Drury University graduate and former faculty member who now consults with generals and military leaders in America and abroad. His area of expertise is a powerful and enigmatic tool: the human mind. Matthews has written a new book arguing that psychology, not just firepower, will determine who wins the wars of the 21st century. The book is titled "Head Strong: How Psychology Is Revolutionizing War," and it is in many ways the culmination of a career for Matthews, now a professor of psychology at the United States Military Academy at West Point. "I tell people it took me 30 years to conceive the book and a year to write it," Matthews says.

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When I first heard about the exchange program between West Point cadets and students at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), I was intrigued and curious. I’ve always admired the discipline of anyone who knows at 18 they want to attend a military college, and I also have a deep appreciation for the creativity and focus of chefs. Still, I thought of the two groups as being polar opposites. The more we dug into the story, the more I understood how wrong I was. Yes, the cadets are dedicated and focused, but so are the student chefs. As for that creativity, it’s essential for problem solving, whether in a kitchen or on a battlefield. In reality, these 20-somethings have more in common with one another than they likely do with your typical college student. They’re also fantastic team players. In the military and in a restaurant, there are a number of important players, each working toward a common goal. But if that entire team doesn’t work together, everyone loses. It’s an important reminder for the rest of us.

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