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23 Apr 2019Military.com
By Richard Sisk

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is finally getting a statue of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, one of its most famous graduates, who led the Union to victory in the Civil War.

It will be unveiled Thursday by the 18th president’s great-great grandson, Ulysses Grant Dietz, an art curator at the Newark Museum in New Jersey. The statue, by sculptor Paula Slater, presents a hat-less Grant in his four-star general’s uniform.

The 7.5-foot statue of Grant, who stood about 5-foot-8 in life, was made possible by what West Point described as a “generous donation” from the family of Robert A. McDonald, class of 1975, a former Department of Veterans Affairssecretary.

The unveiling marks the sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, of Grant’s inauguration as the 18th president. He served two turbulent terms during the “Reconstruction” era, West Point said in a news release.

Statues of three other generals and West Point graduates — Dwight Eisenhower (class of 1915), Douglas MacArthur (1903) and George Patton (1909) — are already in place on the academy’s grounds, but plans for one of Grant did not get underway until the House Armed Services Committee recommended it to the Army in 2016, according to the release.

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By: Leo Shane III 

House lawmakers will hear directly from the victims of military medical mistakes next week in a hearing looking at whether Congress should consider changing the rules regarding malpractice cases against the Department of Defense.

Among those scheduled to testify at the hearing on April 30 are Sgt. 1st Class Richard Stayskal, a Green Beret fighting stage four lung cancer because of Army doctors errors, and the widow of Air Force Staff Sgt. Dean Patrick Witt, who was left in a vegetative state after a botched appendectomy surgery.

Natalie Khawam, an attorney for Stayskal, said the 37-year-old father of two is in considerable pain daily but will appear before the House Armed Services Committee to “show that there needs to be accountability for these doctors.”

At issue is a 1950 Supreme Court decision called the Feres doctrine which lower courts have cited repeatedly to block troops from claiming medical malpractice damages for actions related to their military service.

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22 Apr 2019Military.com | By Matthew Cox

The U.S. Army says it will meet its readiness goals by 2022, but young sergeants in most infantry and close-combat units don’t know how to maneuver their squads or do basic land navigation, Military.com has learned.

For example, sergeants in the majority of the Army’s active brigade combat teams (BCTs) don’t know the importance of gaining a foothold when leading squads on room-clearing operations, according to a series of report cards from the service’s Asymmetric Warfare Group, known as the AWG.

The findings come at a time when the Army is racing to transition from the counter-insurgency mindset that existed in Iraq and Afghanistan to one focused on preparing combat units to fight in large-scale, conventional battles against a foe of equal strength.

Since March 2018, the AWG — a special, operational advisory unit involved in training brigade combat teams in subterranean (Sub-T) warfare operations — has submitted reports to Army leaders on several occasions identifying trends that show small-unit leaders lack proficiency in key skills required for any type of combat, a Defense Department official with knowledge of the reports told Military.com on the condition of anonymity.

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Communication is the key to keeping West Point alive and relevant – within the Class, Societies, Parents Clubs ….and across the generations.
In the very early days of the internet, WP-Org was created to facilitate communication by and between West Point grads. Simply put, WP-Org was in the forefront of internet communication.  Safe, secure communication.  Admittedly, over the past two decades, many other internet based modes of communication have gained popularity – and I certainly use them – with caution.  However, when on the WP-Org sites, I don’t worry that my personal information will be harvested, nor am I bothered by ads that pop up because I clicked on a link.  I know that when using the WP-Org email lists and websites, all is secure.

There’s great value to  all the other social media platforms that we use and enjoy (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc)  and with it’s customized, easy to use services, WP-Org can serve as the central hub for Classes, Societies and Parent Groups as the permanent repository and “action site” for events and information. I have personally appreciated the 24/7 support and access to relevant databases when helping coordinate events – big and small.  
My husband’s Class celebrated their 50th reunion last May – and frankly, were it not for the many services offered by WP-Org (email lists, web pages, credit card sites) the reunion would have been much more costly as we would have had to pay someone to manage the reunion for us.  With the help of WP-Org and the forbearance of Dutch’s classmates, all enjoyed a fantastic multi-day event.  

Similarly, the West Point Society of Hawaii just completed another successful Founders Day event with over 260 attendees – and looks forward to using the services of WP-Org for their upcoming Army v. Hawaii football events.  

WP-Org is also known for its incredible customer service, with a “live” person answering your call or email 24/7. There hasn’t been a time that I could not reach out to either of the WP-Org employees (yes, only two keep everything humming along) and get immediate resolution of my issue or question.

When you combine the customer service with the secure services offered, there is no doubt in my mind that WP-Org continues to offer a true value to all those affiliated with the West Point community.  Please help us continue to serve you.

Please check out our Privacy Policy at:  
http://www.west-point.org/privacy-statement/
And now – how you can donate and keep WP-Org serving you for the next six months:  

Donation page linking to all payment methods (credit card, check or PayPal):
http://www.west-point.org/donate
       
By credit card:       
https://secure.west-point.org/donate/

By check, please indicate class year and affiliation:
        WP-ORG (please note new address)       
23802 Oscar Road       
Spicewood TX 78669
       
By PayPal::       
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GXGCWRKX48UHY
      After entering Donation Amount, login to PayPal account. On next screen, please click on “Add special instructions to the seller”; enter class year and affiliation, and comment if you wish.

Fund Drive Donation Report, sorted by WP-ORG member group, etc.:https://secure.west-point.org/donate/report/

WP-ORG Budget April 19, 2019 – September 19, 2019:http://www.west-point.org/budget

What is WP-ORG & Why Donate?:
http://www.west-point.org/why_donate/

Many thanks,
Megan Hostler
WP-Org Advisor

WP-ORG,

Last Sunday we kicked off Fund Drive 45. As I write, we’re at 34% : ) Fantastic!

Let’s keep it going. Here is the link: https://secure.west-point.org/howtodonate.html

This morning I’m sitting in my dark office, watching the morning rays of sun illuminate springtime in the Texas Hillcountry. The trees are newly leafed; the grass already tall and in need of mowing. Bluebonnets have sprouted in lush bunches straight out of the rocks in my driveway. Mockingbirds are singing and screeching and tangling with each other midair like drunk pinwheels.

I’m opening yesterday’s postal mail, much of it donations for WP-ORG this time of year. One in about every ten contains a handwritten note along with a check. The last envelope today, postmarked from Hawaii, was from a Class of ’48 Grad who wrote, “Thanks for your great service to all our graduates. We of ’48 have just over 40 still with us but, of them, many are users of your service. Aloha.”

And that, right there, is why we do what we do. Human relationships are the most valuable things we can nurture in life. And nearly 71 years after graduation, these classmates and lifelong friends are continuing to weave the story of the Class of 1948, using services provided by WP-ORG, supported by donations from all those who appreciate West Point.

What we are doing at WP-ORG is good and valuable. And everything WP-ORG is was built on your support. Please donate to Fund Drive 45 so we can continue, as a community, to write the story that begins with West Point.

Sincerely, 
Megan Klein
WP-ORG INC

Fund Drive 45 Donation Link: http://www.west-point.org/donate

Fund Drive 45 Budget: http://www.west-point.org/budget/

Fund Drive 45 Report: https://secure.west-point.org/donate/report/

Donations by check should be sent to our NEW address:

WP-ORG
c/o Megan Klein
23802 Oscar Road
Spicewood, TX 78669

Six seconds. Not enough time to do much of anything, but Cpl. Jonathan Yale and Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter made their last six seconds on Earth count in a way that has passed into Marine Corps legend.

Their astonishing heroism in stopping a truck bomb attack that threatened the lives of scores of Marines and Iraqis is now the subject of a short film that will have its first screening next month.

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VIEDO: https://dod.defense.gov/Videos/videoid/630249/
President Donald J. Trump presented former Army Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer II with the Medal of Honor during a ceremony at the White House for his heroic actions in April 2008 as a Special Forces medic in Afghanistan.

Soldiers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, took top honors this week in the Army’s searches to find both the best combat engineers and the best mortar crew in the service.

Two officers from the 39th Brigade Engineer Battalion were named best Sapper on Thursday, according to a release from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, while four noncommissioned officers from the 82nd Airborne Division aced the Best Mortar competition at Fort Benning, Georgia.

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Major League Baseball pulled the curtain back today on a number of special edition 2019 uniforms, to include editions designed to honor the fallen and celebrate military personnel throughout the month of May.

One noticeable change, compared to previous seasons, is that the League is taking a more subtle approach with its Memorial Day uniform accents in an effort to respect the real meaning behind the day, Melanie LeGrande, Major League Baseball’s vice president of Social Responsibility, told Military Times.

“From Major League Baseball’s perspective, it was important for us to ensure that we were being appropriate to the spirit of Memorial Day,” LeGrande said.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to celebrate and support the military, to honor those who have been lost, and to understand their memory, their commitment, and how we feel about military families who have lost a loved one.”

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HOPKINTON, Mass. (Tribune News Service) — Army Gen. James McConville, who has been nominated to become the next chief of staff of the U.S. Army by President Donald Trump, will start wave three of the Boston Marathon.

“Born and raised in Quincy, Massachusetts, it’s an honor to support the Boston Marathon,” McConville said in a statement. “It’s an even bigger honor to be the official starter of wave three. Boston is not just a place with a rich history, it’s also an attitude – a winning attitude. The men and women running on April 15th are all winners.”

The Hopkinton Marathon Committee picks the starters for waves two through four.

McConville, the 36th vice chief of staff of the Army, ran the 2017 Boston Marathon with his son and Gen. Joseph Dunford, joint chief of staff.

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