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GEN Robert Cone, USMA '79, dies at 59

General Robert W. Cone died on September 18, 2016. No cause of death has been reported at the time of this writing.

His WP-ORG eulogy page may be found here: http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1979/36399/

2019 Cadet Dies in Auto Accident on 9/11/16

Brandon T. Jackson, 20, from Queens, New York,.died in a single-car accident at about 1:50 a.m. in Croton, New York. According to reports. his car hit a guardrail and flipped over.

CDT Jackson was a defensive back for the Army Black Knights. He wore No 28. He played in all 14 games since his arrival in 2015 and finished with 68 career tackles and three interceptions, two of which came against Wake Forest in 2015.

West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, Jr. said, "We will honor his life as we mourn the untimely death of a young man who had a promising future as a leader in service to our nation. Brandon internalized our watch words, Duty, Honor, Country."

Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Diana Holland released a statement, saying, "The Corps of Cadets is very saddened by the loss of their teammate, Cadet Brandon Jackson, who was a proud and committed member of Echo Company, 2nd Regiment. We extend our deepest sympathies to Brandon's family and friends during this most difficult time."

“Words cannot describe the grief that our team is feeling over the loss of our brother and friend, Brandon" said head coach Jeff Monken. “He was a beloved teammate and our hearts are with his family at this time of tragedy.”

“We are heartbroken for Brandon's family, the team and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him," said Army West Point athletic director Boo Corrigan. “We will always remember Brandon for his kindness and do our best to honor his memory.”

Brandon's Mother was an Iraq War veteran and served in the Army Reserves.

Visit his Eulogy page

Army Pentagon personnel remember 9/11

fter 15 years, the number of those injured on 9/11 and still working in the Pentagon is dwindling.

Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell, who suffered third-degree burns on over 60 percent of his body, is now a state senator in Granbury, Texas.

Sgt. 1st Class Chris Braman, who pulled numerous casualties out of the Pentagon's smoldering embers, is now retired in California. Doctors have told him that his lungs, which were damaged by the toxic smoke on 9/11, would do better in the low humidity out west.

"Most people I know have either retired or gone on," said Carl Mahnken.

Mahnken is one of those deeply affected by 9/11 and still working in the building.

At 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, Mahnken was blown backward in his chair after American Airlines Flight 77 hit the side of the Pentagon just down the hall from where he sat at his computer.

"I got thrown directly backward," he said. Then his computer monitor landed on his head, causing a contusion about the size of a golf ball.

"It happened real quick, in the blink of an eye -- it happened that quick," he said.

The top general at the U.S. Military Academy said that “valid concerns” about separation of church and state were raised by people who questioned why the Army football coach asked a staff assistant to lead his team in prayer after an upset victory last week.

The issue emerged after Coach Jeff Monken was shown in a video produced by West Point celebrating with his players and directing a member of his staff to lead a prayer after an upset victory Sept. 2 over Temple University. The video was taken down at the direction of Athletic Director Boo Corrigan after West Point received complaints because it was offensive to some people and leaving it online would have been “like grinding salt into the wound,” said Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, the superintendent at West Point.

“Maybe 90 percent of the people who were out there supported the prayer,” Caslen said. “But, when you look at it from a legal basis and from a legal standpoint, and then you look at it from a leadership standpoint, there were some concerns, and I think they’re valid concerns.”

Staff Sgt. Miguel Sierra vividly recalls himself and his staff handling logistical matters in the aftermath of a sailor committing suicide.

As a behavioral specialist and the noncommissioned officer in charge of the Army Health Clinic at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Sierra said this experience impressed upon him the importance of teamwork and the need for Soldiers to maintain awareness of signs of distress among their fellow Soldiers.

Sierra recalls that just nine years ago, Soldiers would receive "after the fact training," meaning that units provided suicide education only following a suicide.

"When that happened enough times, people realized the issue was more serious than it was," he said. "Now, commanders and NCOs are getting the word out about suicide prevention. They're being more proactive and less reactive.

These days, commanders are more respectful of the advice of psychologists, psychiatrists and other health professionals who are trained to identify suicide risk factors and conditions that can serve as precursors to suicide like traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, he said.

Supporting and Developing Veterans

The Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point (TLDG) is leading an extraordinary Veterans' Initiatives program, which kicked off this week with a special supplement of the September issue of TD Magazine.

We are asking your help to spread the word about this initiative in support of veterans and for you to take some simple actions that will be a force multiplier.

This 32-page publication was developed in partnership with the Association for Talent Development (ATD), the world's largest association dedicated to those who develop talent in organizations. TD Magazine is their award-winning flagship magazine. This was distributed this morning to 40,000 talent development professionals across America, and is available for free at www.td.org/veterans .

The diaries of U.S. army officer George S. Patton (1885-1945) are part of a larger collection of Patton papers available for research use onsite in the Manuscript Reading Room of the Library of Congress. The entire collection spans the years 1807-1979, with the bulk of the papers concentrated from 1904 to 1945.

Buffalo Soldier Memorial Ceremony

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Buffalo Soldiers Association of West Point will hold its 55th annual memorial ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 4 from 12:15-1 p.m. at Buffalo Soldier Field.

The annual ceremony honors the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments. These African American Soldiers served in the Indian Wars; Spanish-American War; both World Wars, and the Korean Conflict. Additionally, these Calvary regiments were assigned to West Point in the early 1900’s to support riding instruction and mounted drill for the Corps of Cadets until 1946.

Today, they are celebrated with an annual ceremony to pay tribute to the devotion and exemplary service they provided to the nation as a Buffalo Soldier.

The public is cordially invited to attend the ceremony where Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, academy superintendent, will serve as guest speaker for the event.

Valid identification is required for those 17 and older upon entering academy grounds and all vehicles are

subject to search.

Modernization in the Russian military has resulted in exceptional cyber, electronic warfare, and anti-access/area-denial capabilities that have raised concerns in the U.S. Army, particularly in the wake of Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea and subsequent involvement in Syria.

"What we saw is that even though we are the best trained and best equipped Army in the world, our adversaries and technology don't wait on our timetable," said Maj. Gen. Walter E. Piatt, director for operations of the newly created Army Rapid Capabilities Office.

"Things keep moving. And we saw that very clearly with Russia's efforts in Crimea and Ukraine."

In an effort to ensure a rapid boost to the U.S. Army's own similar capabilities and prevent capability gaps from developing in the future, Secretary of the Army Eric K. Fanning has directed the creation of the Army Rapid Capabilities Office. That office stood up on Aug. 11.

As the Army continues to integrate women into combat arms jobs, the 75th Ranger Regiment has seen its first female soldier attempt to join its ranks.

The staff sergeant attended the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Ranger Assessment and Selection Program 2 in June, officials said.

RASP 2 is designed for soldiers in the rank of staff sergeant and above and all officers volunteering for assignment to the elite regiment.

“The female soldier did not meet performance objectives required for assignment to the 75th Ranger Regiment,” said Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt, a spokesman for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. “The female soldier has been afforded the opportunity to reapply for RASP 2 beginning December 2016.”