West-Point.ORG, The West Point Connection

By Judith Latham
Washington
02 October 2007

...In a new book, A Time to Lead: For Duty, Honor, and Country, the four-star general who formerly served as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, offers his lessons in “leadership that works” at this critical juncture in U.S. history.  General Wesley Clark says that, as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he learned that you have to “follow orders before you give them.”  Speaking with host Judith Latham of VOA News Now’s Press Conference USA and with VOA correspondent Meredith Buel, General Clark says that leadership is about duty,  “not letting people down,” following through on your obligations, being “on time and on message,” and being prepared.

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Jon Scott, anchor of "FOX News Live" weekdays, writes of his experience as a parent on A-Day for the Class of 2011. Writen from from a father's perspective.

" Most were 18-year-olds when they arrived at West Point to be molded into officers — leaders — in the United States Army. It's tough work and it isn't for everyone, even for some of those who might have wanted to attend West Point for years. They'd awaken at 5 a.m., take a few minutes for personal grooming and be outside for P.T. (physical training) by 5:30. The grueling conditioning program was only the start to each day filled with challenges, criticism, setbacks, exhaustion and misery. Somewhere in there they also developed pride, camaraderie, strength, teamwork and confidence. That's what helped them endure and even enjoy what most of the rest of us would probably describe as a miserable experience."

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Associated Press  |  August 07, 2007

...Among the officers cited in the report are Army Brig. Gens. Vincent Brooks, deputy commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, and Robert Caslen, commandant of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy.

Air Force Maj. Gens. Peter Sutton and John Catton also appeared in the video.

Sutton, who has retired, and Caslen "accepted full responsibility for their actions and committed to be more alert to ethical issues in the future," according to the report.

Brooks told investigators he believed he did not violate any rules. Due to Christian Embassy's long tenure of working with Pentagon employees, Brooks said he saw the group "as a sanctioned or endorsed activity."

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Part 1 of 5 in a series. Tom Deierlein had been out of the Army for 10 years when he was unexpectedly called up from the IRR.  This series tells Tom's story from his recall to the Army, his charity work in Iraq, his wounding by a sniper bullet and his rehab/recovery:

"Deierlein didn’t have to be in that filthy Baghdad neighborhood. When the Army reached back into his life in October 2005, he was well past his eight-year service obligation to the military. A senior-level advertising executive, he lived in a trendy Manhattan apartment and had a share house in the Hamptons. He was engaged to marry a beautiful airline pilot. He owned a tuxedo and wore it often. He hadn’t worn an Army uniform in 12 years. "

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Greg Bruno of the Times Herald-Record reports that the West Point Honor Code will be reviewed by a committee of leaders appointed by Superintendent Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck. 

An honor code study group has been formed to review the state and status of the honor system at West Point, academy leaders announced yesterday.

Under the guidance of retired generals, past and present cadet leaders and academy staff, the committee will analyze general feelings toward honor at West Point, and drill into specific areas where improvements could be made.

Issues to be addressed include the state of plagiarism in academic classes and the type of legal advice cadets accused of honor violations should receive.

Former Commandant and co-recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Graduate Award, MG Joseph P. Franklin '55, has written a new book called Building Leaders the West Point Way (available from Amazon with a commission to WP-ORG if you use the link provided).  From the book description:

U.S. Military Academy graduates are found at the highest levels in every walk of life: military, education, business, medicine, law, and government. "But," says Franklin, "you don't have to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy to embrace its ideals or to benefit from the wisdom that is taught there. Competent, even inspiring, leadership is within the grasp of nearly everyone." The principles of leadership-including Duty, Honor, Faith, Courage, Perseverance, Confidence, Approachability, Adaptability, Compassion, and Vision-can be internalized and polished to one's own level of expertise and ambition.

Some additional background and coverage can be found through an Investor's Business Daily article.

If you have not received an email from the "friendsofarmyswimming" distro list in the last month and would like to be added to the organization, please contact Carolyn Harris @ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Join the current team on the 28th and 29th of September and participate in the Alumni Swimming and Diving Meet 2007. 

U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Franklin (Buster) L. Hagenbeck recently announced that retired Gen. Tom Schwartz, a member of the USMA Class of 1967, will head a study group to conduct a comprehensive review of the Army football program and its relationship to the total West Point experience.

"The group will conduct an unbiased and strategic analysis of the factors affecting the competitive success of the program," Hagenbeck explained. "Their recommendations will be vetted against the mission, vision and goals of the academy." According to Col. Kelly Kruger, West Point's Director of Policy, Planning, and Assessment, the panel is being convened because football is such an integral part of academy life.