Category Archives: Uncategorized

Refitting the PTB Website

PTB, I am in the midst of reconstructing our old “PTB” website unto a new platform – there have been several attempts to get all of PTB to participate. Many pictures and documents have already been added, but we still have some gaps. Please be patient as I try to recreate the over 30 years of memories unto this new platform. If you have copies of ANY old PTB related docs – Newsletters, invites, pictures, please let Joe Rangitsch know.

Classmates with no Email

PTB – if you know of any classmates who are not in our Google group or who are not getting Fizzer’s Quarterly Newsletters, please let either Fizzer or myself know so we can contact them so we can all stay in touch.  Thanks in Advance

Joe Rangitsch, 770-843-6075 , jrangitsch@gmail.com

New Dean Named

 

COL Tim Trainor ’83 Nominated to be Dean of Academic Board

 

Proud to Be, 83’s own, Colonel Timothy E. Trainor, has been nominated for promotion to the rank of brigadier general and assignment as Dean of the Academic Board, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.  He is currently serving as Professor, Department of Systems Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.  Tim, we all know you are good, but we know Donna gets a major assist. 

Did someone say 30th Reunion Party at the Dean’s house?  I still say “Beat the Dean.”

Congratulations to Donna, Tim, and family!

A message from Doug Wheelock

   

 

   

“Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew –
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.”

 

Gillespie Magee – ‘High Flight’

 

       

 

 

 

It’s launch day, and there is a reassuring peace over the steppe in the cool of the morning.  Went for a run along the Syr Darya river and watched the sun rise over the barren landscape.  My next sunrise will be in Earth orbit, so I took a little extra time this morning to enjoy the breeze and the smell of the sage and the river.  I know that the sweet smell of the Earth is something that I am going to really miss.  When I returned from my 15-day Space Shuttle mission in November 2007, the most dramatic experience for me was the moment the hatch opened on the runway at Kennedy Space Center, in the middle of the wildlife sanctuary.  I had only been away from the planet for 15 days, and realized how much I take for granted…but not this morning.  I stood by the river for a while watching the desert awaken, and thought that tomorrow morning maybe I will try to find this place to see what it looks like from space.  The photo above is a rare glimpse of the Soyuz rocket from inside the flame trench.  Going to get a little toasty at this spot in just a few short hours when we light the fire! 

 

We had our final meeting with the ‘Government Commission’ last evening.  Mostly formality, but a chance to uphold tradition and officially sign over the rocket to the crew.  A panel of officials interacted with our instructors, evaluators, and the leadership of each sub-system on the vehicle to review the readiness of the crew and the spacecraft.  We sat behind glass in an adjoining room to maintain our health-stabilization protocol and listened intently as the past 2 years of our training were analyzed and discussed.  Each crewmember was asked to stand and speak.  This is the culmination of countless hours of work, time spent away from home, late nights, and the internalization of the art and science of space flight…boiled down into about 15 seconds of the best Russian you can muster up…I just said thanks, and let the Commission know how proud a moment in history this is, that just 20 years ago, this event would have been in the realm of the impossible.  It was a celebration of achievement it space, and a charge for us to continue to carry the torch of passion for exploration and discovery.  I’ll have to admit that I felt a little ‘weak in the knees’, since it was such a profound experience.  As during my back-up assignment last December, I wanted to say something really profound, but I just stuck with the ‘Three Be’s’ :  Be Bold – Be Brief – and Be Seated.

 

Following the Commission, we had a crew press conference, and then watched the old Russian movie “The White Sun of the Desert”, as is tradition for all Soyuz flight crews to watch together, the night before the launch.  “The White Sun of the Desert” is quite possibly the most popular and beloved Russian movie of all time.  There are many quotable ‘one-liners’ in the movie that have become part of everyday conversational Russian.  It is a lot of fun to watch with native Russians, it is part of their culture…and not a bad movie either.  The movie really has nothing to do with space, it just happened that about 20 years ago, during the prosperous years of the Russian Mir Space Station and frequent Soyuz launches, the Cosmonaut Hotel (which is still a bit Spartan) was able to acquire its first video cassette tape player/recorder.  For this place, it was truly a marvel of technological achievement at the time, and the Cosmonauts here were thrilled with the notion of maybe having ‘movie night’ while in quarantine.  As the story goes, everyone went on a search for a movie to watch…they searched high and low, inside the gates, and outside in the village (which was then called ‘Leninsk’).  In all of Leninsk, where you could have probably counted the total number of televisions on one hand…there was only one video cassette tape movie to be found.  It was “The White Sun of the Desert”…and a new tradition was born.

 

The feeling in the air here this morning is glorious!  We are ready and excited about the coming hours and the moment when we will light up the starry night.  We have had a great time these past couple of days laughing together and talking about time being like sand in an hourglass.  It is incredible to watch these final hours of preparation, and amazing to see before your eyes the triumph of ideas, vision, and the thirst for knowledge and understanding over worn out ideology and political / cultural differences.  A Russian Cosmonaut, and two U.S. Astronauts, launching together as a crew, on a Russian rocket to the International Space Station…I wonder how many people, 50 years ago, when NASA first came into existence, would have believed this would ever be possible.  Only the real dreamers, I am sure.

 

Only about 9 hours now until launch, and I am getting that very same feeling that I had just prior to suit-up for my mission on the Space Shuttle Discovery.  It’s not really fear, or even anxiety at this point, just a heightened sense of awareness.  Getting in the zone, and feeling comfortable so far.  Our ride is standing ready at the launch pad.  The rocket is fueled and all of the pad interface checks are complete.  All systems are ‘Go’.  Thought I would share some photos of the rocket making its way to the pad.  This is an incredible sight. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raising the rocket into position:

 

 

 

 

“One sweet ride”…standing proudly on the launch pad…in the spectacular sunrise…the same spot where ‘Sputnik’ once stood waiting and Yuri Gagarin’s heart raced at the advent of the space age.  Doesn’t Old Glory look beautiful in the rising sun?

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Time to Fly!!!

 

 


 

 

 

 

Launch viewing information:

 

You may view the Soyuz TMA-19 launch on the Web at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station

 

 

Dedicated to my Dad…the one man that never stopped believing in me.  Thanks, Dad.  I love you, and you will be in my every thought as we light up the night! 

 

 

“The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky displays His handiwork!”  Psalm 19:1

 

 

Grace and Peace…

 

Wheels

 

 

 

Doug Wheelock Update

Doug’s life in space got a lot more interesting this past week when the ammonia pump broke.  From the story that follows, it looks like they better fix it quick.

Doug and his fellow astronaut are now going to take a couple walks in space to do just that.  This setback comes just weeks after the station had a near miss with the resupply ship – it went flying out of control by the space station.  Mission control was able to get it docked the next day.

 


Down to the Wire for Station Repair Spacewalks

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2010/08/02/spacestation.jpg(Credit: NASA)

NASA astronauts and engineers are refining plans for two spacewalks by astronauts Douglas Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson to replace a large ammonia pump module that shut down Saturday, knocking out one of the International Space Station's two cooling loops.

The astronauts hope to carry out the first spacewalk Friday morning, starting at 6:55 a.m. EDT, and a second excursion Monday to finish the job, one of the so-called "big 14" on a list of critical components that require spacewalk repair if problems crop up.

NASA managers initially targeted Thursday for the first spacewalk and Sunday for the second, but decided late Monday they needed more time to review procedures.

"This is an anomaly we knew someday would happen," said space station Program Manager Mike Suffredini. "It's an anomaly we have trained for; it's an anomaly we have planned for."

With four spare pump modules on board the station, "we're in a good position to go solve this problem," he said. "It is a significant failure, though, in terms of systems on board ISS, so it's one we need to go after."

The shutdown of coolant loop A forced the station crew, working with flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center, to quickly power down a variety of critical systems to prevent overheating, including a communications channel, two of four stabilizing gyroscopes, a GPS navigation sensor and several computer control boxes and heaters.

Engineers attempted to restart the pump early Sunday and "the data suggests the motor and impeller are not frozen," Suffredini said. "In fact, the motor did start to pump some of the ammonia when we tried to start it the second time."

"Finding a "Short" in the System

But in a repeat of the Saturday malfunction, a circuit breaker tripped within a few moments "so this tells us there's a short somewhere in the power feed to the motor between the controller and the motor."

The pump module was installed and electrically activated in 2002. The pump was not turned on for active cooling until late 2006. Based on ground testing, the "mean time between failures" was calculated to be around 100,000 hours. The pump in question failed earlier than that, after about 80,000 hours of combined electrical and mechanical operation.

Suffredini said engineers hope to get the faulty unit back for a detailed failure analysis, but there is no room on the next two shuttle flights, the final two missions on NASA's manifest. There is congressional support for an additional flight next June, however, and if that mission is approved, Suffredini said room would be available to bring the old pump home.

In any case, flight controllers analyzed heat loads after Sunday's restart attempt and were able to revive one of the shut-down gyros. Other components were switched to coolant loop B and officials said the six-member crew – three American astronauts and three Russian cosmonauts – was never in any danger.

But the coolant loops, which circulate ammonia through huge radiators to dissipate the heat generated by the station's electronics, are critical to lab operations. With one loop out of action, the station is one failure away from a major shutdown that would be much more difficult to resolve.

As a result, NASA managers decided Sunday to defer more routine tasks in an already planned spacewalk Thursday and to proceed instead with a pump module changeout, a job that will require two spacewalks to complete.

The loop A pump module is mounted on the forward face of the station's main power truss, just above and to the right of the Destiny laboratory module, in the starboard 3, or S3, truss segment. Its loop B counterpart is mounted to the left of Destiny in the port 3 truss segment.

The Boeing-built 780-pound pump modules measure 5-and-a-half feet long, 4 feet wide and 3 feet high. It is too large to fit aboard European or Russian unmanned cargo craft.

With only two, or possibly three, flights left on NASA's shuttle manifest, the agency been launching as much in the way of spare parts and components as possible on recent flights as a hedge against failures after the shuttle stops flying.

Four spare ammonia pump modules already are stored aboard the space station. One is mounted on External Storage Platform No. 2 by the Quest airlock on the right-side of the station, about 30 feet or so from the failed unit in the S3 truss segment. That is the pump that will replace the one that malfunctioned.

A second pump module is mounted on ESP No. 3, attached to the upper side of the port three power truss segment on the left side of the station. A third is attached to a logistics carrier on the lower side of the P3 truss segment and the fourth is attached to a carrier on the upper side of the starboard 3 truss.

Wheelock and Caldwell Dyson were preparing to carry out a spacewalk Thursday to mount a robot arm mounting fixture on the Russian Zarya module and to prepare NASA's central Unity module for attachment of a storage compartment during a shuttle flight in November.

They practiced an ammonia pump swap out during a September 2009 training run. Astronauts at the Johnson Space Center are now practicing the swap out in the huge swimming pool NASA uses to simulate weightlessness to refine those procedures and develop a reliable timeline.

Ready for Space Walk

That information will be radioed to Caldwell Dyson and Wheelock for review on the space station over the next two days.

"They're in great spirits, they're ready to do this EVA," Suffredini said. "This is one of the 'big 14' EVAs, which to date we haven't had to do yet. The big 14 refers to some of the major (components) an increment crew might have to do without the shuttle vehicle there.

"We don't train them all," he said. "The crews train generically for maintenance and then train for some of the big 14. This particular one, the crew did train for, so they have some familiarity with the task being asked of them."

Overall, he said, "we're actually in great shape. To have the EVA already planned (for this Thursday), that is significant because there's quite a bit of work to configure the airlock, get everything set up for the crew to use the suits."

Most of that work had already been done in preparation for the previously planned spacewalk and "that was really a blessing in terms of the time to get to this job." Even so, spacewalk planners needed more time to refine procedures for the pump replacement EVA, pushing the first excursion to no earlier than Friday.

The current plan calls for the astronauts to first remove the failed pump module and temporarily mount it on an external storage fixture. A "jumper box" will be attached to two of the ammonia lines, preventing possible pressure problems as coolant in the lines expands.

The pump module "is a difficult box to maneuver with, it's a big, unwieldy object," said space station Flight Director Courtenay McMillan. "So maneuvering it around and handing it off between crew members if that needs to be done, that could take some time. None of that part of it is technically difficult, but it's just very time consuming and takes a lot of focus."

The new pump then can be removed from ESP-2 and bolted into place on the S3 truss segment. During a second spacewalk, Wheelock and Caldwell Dyson will make the required electrical connections, disconnect the jumper box and attach the ammonia lines.

Engineers are still thrashing out the details. With a single working coolant loop, the electronics used to run and operate station's robot arm cannot be allowed to overheat. Its not yet clear whether the arm can be used to move a spacewalker, the spare pump module, both or neither.

Another complication is managing the station's solar arrays. The station and its huge arrays can generate a charge as the lab moves through the tenuous upper atmosphere at 5 miles per second and two devices, called plasma contactor units, operate during spacewalks to minimize the shock hard to the spacewalkers.

With the failure of coolant loop A, one of those devices is out of action. Under current flight rules, that would require all but two of the station's solar arrays to be parked and locked in a favorable orientation, unable to track the sun, during the spacewalk. If that rule remains in play, the astronauts could be faced with additional powerdowns during the spacewalk.

Finally, planners will have to make sure Wheelock and Caldwell Dyson have enough air and power for possible ammonia contamination "bake out" procedures at the end of the spacewalk. Engineers plan to vent the ammonia lines leading to the pump module on Tuesday, but even residual ammonia poses a risk if it is brought back into the station on a contaminated spacesuit.

As a result, the astronauts must have enough time available at the end of their planned work to let any trace amounts of ammonia bake out, or sublimate, before re-entering the space station.

"Since the external loop uses ammonia as the cooling fluid, all the lines are pressurized with ammonia and have to be released by the crew during the EVA," McMillan said. "We've done this before with different parts of the thermal system. The crew is very well trained on how to do decontamination if they get ammonia on them during the procedures. But it presents a timeline challenge to make sure we have enough room in the timeline to account for that."

Liberty Bowl Award

 General receives Liberty Bowl’s highest honor

 

By Isidro Reyna

Army News Service

A college bowl game’s highest honor was presented this week to an Army general who has been recognized for exemplary service to the nation.

 

Brigadier Gen. Kenneth E. Tovo, USMA Class of 1983 and deputy commander, Special Operations Command – Europe, was presented with the 2008 AutoZone Liberty Bowl’s Distinguished Citizen Award at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 9.  The general was honored for embodying the founding principles of the 50-year-old bowl game.

 

 

“Having thought about what the bowl stands for — liberty — and that this is a milestone year, we decided to honor someone in uniform,” said AutoZone Liberty Bowl Association President Mike Longo, USMA Class of 1983.

 

“It is our honor to award the AutoZone Liberty Bowl’s Distinguished Citizen Award to a great leader, a great friend and a great citizen,” Longo said.

 

Tovo joins a list of previous winners who have been awarded the honor since 1972, including Navy Vice Admiral William Lawrence, Air Force Lt. Col. John A. Dramesi and the late U.S. Congressman G.V. Sonny Montgomery.

 

“I feel honored to be included in such a great group of Americans,” Tovo said. “This award really honors Army service of both the Soldiers and Family members who are defending our nation in this critical time in our history; and they should be proud of their service.”

 

Nominations for the award were made by the Liberty Bowl Festival Association and were then considered by the AutoZone Liberty Bowl executive staff under the leadership of bowl president, Michael Longo.

 

Longo, Tovo’s former roommate, served in the same company with the general when they were both lieutenants in their first assignment with the 82nd Airborne Division.

 

Tovo accepted the award on behalf of all the Soldiers and Family members serving the nation.

“ Family members , like their service members, are serving the nation,” said Tovo. “They’re part of the strength of

the nation and this country and its citizens appreciate that.”

 

Winners must have given outstanding service in his or her career field, demonstrated honor and integrity during their career and personal life and be viewed as a role model for young Americans.

 

“I’m honored that a member of the Army has been selected to receive the award,” Tovo said. “It highlights the nation’s respect for what the Army is doing for the country right now.”

 

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl is scheduled to be broadcast on both radio and television Jan. 2.

 

The game will feature a match-up of teams from Conference USA and the Southeastern Conference.

Class Constitution

CONSTITUTION For the USMA CLASS OF 1983

ARTICLE I: Preamble

SECTION 1. The name of this organization is the United States Military Academy Class Of 1983, hereinafter referred to as the Class.

SECTION 2. The Class is a non-profit, self-sustaining, private organization, and will exist until the death of its last Regular Member.

SECTION 3. The Class is not an instrument of the United States Government. It exists solely to serve the members of the Class and, through the Class, the United States Military Academy. It shall be administered by individuals not acting within their official capacities as officers, employees, or agents of the United States Government.

SECTION 4. The purpose of this Constitution is to provide a vehicle for the administration of the Class after graduation from the United States Military Academy.

ARTICLE II: Purpose and Object

SECTION 1. Purpose. The purpose of the Class shall be to perpetuate the association of the members begun as Cadets and to support and further the ideals of the United States Military Academy.

SECTION 2. Object. The object of the Class is to provide a means for administering Class affairs, to define membership, to deal with Class-related financial matters, and to provide a point of contact, through Class Officers, with the Association of Graduates (AOG). The Class shall be its membersÕ association supported by contributions or fund-raising activities and shall not be carried on for profit.

ARTICLE III: Membership

SECTION 1. The regular membership of the Class will automatically include all graduates of the USMA, Class of 1983. In addition, it may include Associate and Honorary Members. a. Regular Members shall be all USMA graduates from the year 1983 who are officially recorded by the Association of Graduates, to include those cadets who were reassigned to the Class from a higher class and who subsequently completed the requirements for graduation. b. Associate Members shall include those persons who were members of the Class of 1983, at the time of acceptance of the Class into the Corps of Cadets, but who are not Regular Members. Associate Members must be nominated by a Regular Member and approved by the Executive Board, otherwise referred to as the Board. c. Honorary Members shall consist of all persons to whom the Executive Board has offered membership and who have accepted this offer. The Board must have a majority vote to approve an offer for Honorary Membership.

SECTION 2. Regular members shall have all rights guaranteed them by this Constitution.

SECTION 3. Associate and Honorary members shall have all rights of Regular Members, except the right to vote in class matters.

SECTION 4. Resignation. Members of the Class may withdraw from this association, if desired. Resignation will be effective upon receipt by the Board of a letter from a member, the subject of which shall be "Request to Resign from the USMA Class of 1983."

ARTICLE IV: Officers

SECTION 1. Classification. The Officers shall be comprised of Honorary and Regular Officers.

SECTION 2. Honorary Class Officers. The Honorary Officers are the President, Ray Royalty; Vice President, Keith Heathcock; Treasurer, Wayne Detwiler; Secretary, Michael McManigal, and Historian/Scribe, Tom Kirkland, who were elected by the Class while Cadets at the United States Military Academy. Honorary Officers shall serve from the ClassÕ graduation until the fifteen- (15) year reunion. Unless re-elected as Regular Officers, Honorary Officers shall have no further responsibility for Class administration. They shall hold their positions for life. Vacancies in these positions will not be filled.

SECTION 3. Regular Class Officers. The Regular Officers shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, an Historian/Scribe, a Fundraising Officer and an Information Systems Officer. These officers shall perform the duties as prescribed by the Bylaws and in accordance with the parliamentary authority adopted by the Class. a. Election. The Regular Officers shall be elected from the Regular Members of the Class to serve for five (5) years or until their successors are elected, unless they should sooner die, resign, or be removed. Their five-year term of office shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the Class Reunion at which they are elected. b. Vacancies. Vacancies resulting from the resignation, removal, or death of a Regular Officer may be filled by majority vote of the Board, and the officer so chosen shall hold office until the next Reunion. Should the Presidency become vacant, the Vice President shall assume the office of President, and the vacancy shall exist in the office of the Vice President. The Board may then fill the Vice PresidentÕs vacancy.

SECTION 4. Impeachment Procedures.

a. Class Officers may be impeached for the following reasons:

(1) extended negligence of duties; negligence is defined as any dereliction of duty that is related to oneÕs responsibilities,

(2) a lack of desire to serve in the best interests of the Class, or

(3) an inability to perform in the best interest of the Class, or an inability to properly represent the members of the Class.

b. Any Regular Member may request impeachment proceedings against a Class Officer. Such request must be submitted in writing to the Board in order to initiate proceedings. Such request must include explicit reasons for which impeachment procedures are requested.

c. Within thirty (30) days of receipt of such request, the Board shall designate a Committee not comprised of any Regular Officers to investigate the matter. The Committee shall number no less than five (5) Regular Members, and not more than nine (9) members.

d. The Committee shall determine whether sufficient cause exists to impeach the Class Officer. A three-fourths vote of the Committee is required to proceed to a Class vote.

e. The Class will be notified of the impeachment proceedings by mail. Notification will include explicit reasons for which impeachment proceedings have been brought against the Class Officer and that the Committee has found sufficient cause to initiate a Class vote.

f. Voting will be done by ballot. All ballots returned within forty-five (45) days of the ballot mailing date shall constitute a quorum. A two-thirds vote is required to impeach a Class Officer. The Class Officer against whom impeachment proceedings have been brought may not vote.

g. In case of impeachment, the vacant office will be filled in accordance with Article IV, Section 3.b. of the Class Constitution.

ARTICLE V: Executive Board

SECTION 1. Membership. As a minimum, the Executive Board shall be comprised of the Regular Officers. The Board shall not number more than nine Regular Members of the Class.

SECTION 2. Voting. More than one-half of the total members of the Board shall be present, in person or via telephonic or electronic means, for business to constitute a quorum. Board decisions shall be determined by majority vote when a quorum is present. Votes may be made in person, in writing, or by telephonic or electronic means.

SECTION 3. Responsibilities. The Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Class between its business meetings, fix the hour and place of meetings, make recommendations to the Class, and shall perform such other duties as are specified in the Bylaws. The Board has responsibility for organizing class activities and for directing use of the Class Administration Fund. The Board shall make a formal report of its activities available to the Class at least once annually. The Board shall be subject to the orders of the Class, and none of its acts shall conflict with the actions taken by the Class.

SECTION 4. Meetings. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, its regular meetings shall be held on the first day of each quinquennial reunion.

ARTICLE VI: The Class Ring

The retention and wear of the Class Ring shall be governed by the tradition of the United States Military Academy.

a. The USMA Class of 1983 Class Ring may be worn only by Regular Members.

b. The family of any deceased member of the Class may retain the Class Ring.

ARTICLE VII: The Class Crest

The Class Crest shall be the property of the Class. The Class reserves all rights.

ARTICLE VIII: Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of RobertÕs Rules of Order shall govern the Class in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution, and any special rules of order the Class may adopt.

ARTICLE IX: Adoption of Constitution

This Constitution, as approved by two-thirds of those classmates who return a ballot within 60 days of delivery of the ballots, will become effective immediately after the ClassÕ fifteenth Reunion.

ARTICLE X: Amendment of Constitution

This Constitution may be amended at any Regular Meeting of the Class by a two-thirds vote of the Regular Members present in person or by proxy. Proposed amendments will be submitted by the Board to all Regular Members for approval, together with a written explanation of the amendmentÕs purpose and a ballot. In case of an amendmentÕs submittal being between Regular Meetings, the notice of proposed amendment will provide not less than sixty (60) days for Regular Members to return their ballots. A two-thirds vote, of those Regular Members who return their ballot, will be required to approve the proposed amendment.

ARTICLE XI: Dissolution

The Class shall be dissolved and all assets remaining shall become the property of the Association of Graduates upon the death of the last Regular Member of the Class.

BYLAWS For the USMA CLASS OF 1983

ARTICLE I: Duties of the Class Officers

SECTION 1. President. The Class President shall coordinate the affairs of the Class and shall preside over the Executive Board and at Class functions and meetings. The President shall assume leadership for the business aspects of the class to include reunion planning, replacing Class Officers, setting up special or ad hoc committees, attending the annual Class Leaders Conference hosted by the Association of Graduates, etc.

SECTION 2. Vice President. The Vice President shall assist the President and shall preside in his absence. He/she shall also serve as Vice President of the Board.

SECTION 3. Secretary. The Class Secretary shall maintain records of the affairs and business of the Class and will assist the President in any administration pertinent to the Class. He/she shall ensure minutes are kept of Class meetings. The Secretary shall forward copies of all minutes to the AOG to be placed in the Class archives. The Secretary shall coordinate with the Association of Graduates to prepare and maintain a Class Locator. The Secretary shall coordinate the sending of flowers to funerals of class members and coordinate all gifts provided by the Class for any purpose. The Secretary shall maintain lists of class sons and daughters who are attending West Point. The Secretary shall coordinate all class mailings not specifically associated with reunion activities.

SECTION 4. Treasurer. The Class Treasurer shall attend to the finances of the Class and shall maintain records of all transactions. The Treasurer shall make such disposition from the Class funds as are authorized in Articles III and IV of these Bylaws. The Treasurer shall ensure that the most recent balance of the Class funds and a record of transactions are reported to the Board at least annually. The Treasurer shall report all account balances to the Class at each reunion business meeting.

SECTION 5. Historian/Scribe. The Class Historian/Scribe shall maintain the Class archives and all permanent records of significance to the Class and shall forward all copies of such to the AOG Class archives. He/She shall record and report Class activities through the Class column in ASSEMBLY Magazine and shall ensure the publication of Class obituaries.

SECTION 6. Information Systems Officer. The Information Systems Officer shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining the Class home page on the World Wide Web, with or linked to the AOG website; for posting information pertinent to the Class on the home page; and for maintaining the Class List Server for the exchange of electronic mail. The Information Systems Officer shall be the focal point for e-mail addresses and assure that they as well as address changes, when they are provided, are passed on to the Association of Graduates. The Information Systems Officer shall have primary responsibility for enhancing and improving class communications through technology.

SECTION 7. Fundraising Officer. The Fundraising Officer shall be responsible for goal setting, establishing, maintaining and leading the Class fundraising efforts.

ARTICLE II: Meetings and Elections

SECTION 1. A Regular Meeting will be held at each quinquennial reunion. At the fourth quinquennial reunion and thereafter, elections for Regular Officers will be held, the President will report on the status of Class affairs, the Treasurer will report on Class finances, and such other business may be conducted as determined by the Board or a majority of Regular Members in attendance.

SECTION 2. The Board may call for a Special Meeting at any other time it deems appropriate. Notices of Special Meetings will be provided by mail, e-mail or facsimile not less than sixty (60) days prior to the meeting.

SECTION 3. Only Regular Members may vote on Class matters. Any Regular Member may vote on behalf of another Regular Member pursuant to a written proxy, an executed copy of which must be filed with the Secretary at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.

SECTION 4. For elections and other Class matters at a Regular Meeting, a quorum will consist of the Regular Members in attendance in person and by proxy. For elections, the nominee receiving the most votes will be elected. For all other matters, except in impeachment procedures, a majority of a quorum will be required for action.

SECTION 5. The Secretary will mail a report of each annual meeting to all Class members.

ARTICLE III: Class Gift and Administrative Funds

SECTION 1. The Class may maintain a Class Gift Fund with the AOG that will be administered by the Treasurer in conjunction with the AOG. The purpose of the Class Gift Fund is to provide such gifts as the Class may determine to the United States Military Academy and the AOG. The USMA Superintendent and the Class must agree on the use of these funds.

SECTION 2. Upon approval of the Board, the Treasurer may establish one or more Administrative Funds with the AOG or elsewhere for the administrative affairs of the Class. From time to time, the Board shall establish limits on the TreasurerÕs authority to withdraw funds from such accounts for any expense or series of related expenses without the additional signature of another officer. The Administrative Funds shall be used for Class administrative purposes, to include gifts to sons and daughters who graduate from a service academy, contributions or flowers upon the death of a member, and other purposes as approved by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE IV: Class Gifts

The Class in accordance with Article II, Section 4 of the Class Bylaws, will approve class gifts to the United States Military Academy and the AOG. Upon approval of a gift, the Executive Board may authorize the Treasurer to make specific disbursements from the Class Gift Fund in fulfillment of such gifts.

ARTICLE V: Committees

The Executive Board may create such committees, as it deems necessary and appropriate. Committees shall report to the Executive Board, except in the case of committees formed for the purposes of impeachment proceedings.

ARTICLE VI: Amendments

SECTION 1. Proposed amendments to these Bylaws will be submitted by the Executive Board to Regular Members for approval, together with a written explanation of the amendmentÕs purpose and a ballot. In case of an amendmentÕs submittal being between Regular Meetings, the notice of proposed amendment will provide not less than sixty (60) days for Regular Members to return their ballots. A majority of those voting will be required to approve the proposed amendment.

SECTION 2. Any Regular Member may request the Board to consider a proposed amendment for Class approval. If the Board does not recommend the proposed amendment, the Regular Member may submit the proposed amendment for Class consideration at his or her own expense.

Class Constitution

CONSTITUTION For the USMA CLASS OF 1983

ARTICLE I: Preamble

SECTION 1. The name of this organization is the United States Military Academy Class Of 1983, hereinafter referred to as the Class.

SECTION 2. The Class is a non-profit, self-sustaining, private organization, and will exist until the death of its last Regular Member.

SECTION 3. The Class is not an instrument of the United States Government. It exists solely to serve the members of the Class and, through the Class, the United States Military Academy. It shall be administered by individuals not acting within their official capacities as officers, employees, or agents of the United States Government.

SECTION 4. The purpose of this Constitution is to provide a vehicle for the administration of the Class after graduation from the United States Military Academy.

ARTICLE II: Purpose and Object

SECTION 1. Purpose. The purpose of the Class shall be to perpetuate the association of the members begun as Cadets and to support and further the ideals of the United States Military Academy.

SECTION 2. Object. The object of the Class is to provide a means for administering Class affairs, to define membership, to deal with Class-related financial matters, and to provide a point of contact, through Class Officers, with the Association of Graduates (AOG). The Class shall be its membersÕ association supported by contributions or fund-raising activities and shall not be carried on for profit.

ARTICLE III: Membership

SECTION 1. The regular membership of the Class will automatically include all graduates of the USMA, Class of 1983. In addition, it may include Associate and Honorary Members. a. Regular Members shall be all USMA graduates from the year 1983 who are officially recorded by the Association of Graduates, to include those cadets who were reassigned to the Class from a higher class and who subsequently completed the requirements for graduation. b. Associate Members shall include those persons who were members of the Class of 1983, at the time of acceptance of the Class into the Corps of Cadets, but who are not Regular Members. Associate Members must be nominated by a Regular Member and approved by the Executive Board, otherwise referred to as the Board. c. Honorary Members shall consist of all persons to whom the Executive Board has offered membership and who have accepted this offer. The Board must have a majority vote to approve an offer for Honorary Membership.

SECTION 2. Regular members shall have all rights guaranteed them by this Constitution.

SECTION 3. Associate and Honorary members shall have all rights of Regular Members, except the right to vote in class matters.

SECTION 4. Resignation. Members of the Class may withdraw from this association, if desired. Resignation will be effective upon receipt by the Board of a letter from a member, the subject of which shall be "Request to Resign from the USMA Class of 1983."

ARTICLE IV: Officers

SECTION 1. Classification. The Officers shall be comprised of Honorary and Regular Officers.

SECTION 2. Honorary Class Officers. The Honorary Officers are the President, Ray Royalty; Vice President, Keith Heathcock; Treasurer, Wayne Detwiler; Secretary, Michael McManigal, and Historian/Scribe, Tom Kirkland, who were elected by the Class while Cadets at the United States Military Academy. Honorary Officers shall serve from the ClassÕ graduation until the fifteen- (15) year reunion. Unless re-elected as Regular Officers, Honorary Officers shall have no further responsibility for Class administration. They shall hold their positions for life. Vacancies in these positions will not be filled.

SECTION 3. Regular Class Officers. The Regular Officers shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, an Historian/Scribe, a Fundraising Officer and an Information Systems Officer. These officers shall perform the duties as prescribed by the Bylaws and in accordance with the parliamentary authority adopted by the Class. a. Election. The Regular Officers shall be elected from the Regular Members of the Class to serve for five (5) years or until their successors are elected, unless they should sooner die, resign, or be removed. Their five-year term of office shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the Class Reunion at which they are elected. b. Vacancies. Vacancies resulting from the resignation, removal, or death of a Regular Officer may be filled by majority vote of the Board, and the officer so chosen shall hold office until the next Reunion. Should the Presidency become vacant, the Vice President shall assume the office of President, and the vacancy shall exist in the office of the Vice President. The Board may then fill the Vice PresidentÕs vacancy.

SECTION 4. Impeachment Procedures.

a. Class Officers may be impeached for the following reasons:

(1) extended negligence of duties; negligence is defined as any dereliction of duty that is related to oneÕs responsibilities,

(2) a lack of desire to serve in the best interests of the Class, or

(3) an inability to perform in the best interest of the Class, or an inability to properly represent the members of the Class.

b. Any Regular Member may request impeachment proceedings against a Class Officer. Such request must be submitted in writing to the Board in order to initiate proceedings. Such request must include explicit reasons for which impeachment procedures are requested.

c. Within thirty (30) days of receipt of such request, the Board shall designate a Committee not comprised of any Regular Officers to investigate the matter. The Committee shall number no less than five (5) Regular Members, and not more than nine (9) members.

d. The Committee shall determine whether sufficient cause exists to impeach the Class Officer. A three-fourths vote of the Committee is required to proceed to a Class vote.

e. The Class will be notified of the impeachment proceedings by mail. Notification will include explicit reasons for which impeachment proceedings have been brought against the Class Officer and that the Committee has found sufficient cause to initiate a Class vote.

f. Voting will be done by ballot. All ballots returned within forty-five (45) days of the ballot mailing date shall constitute a quorum. A two-thirds vote is required to impeach a Class Officer. The Class Officer against whom impeachment proceedings have been brought may not vote.

g. In case of impeachment, the vacant office will be filled in accordance with Article IV, Section 3.b. of the Class Constitution.

ARTICLE V: Executive Board

SECTION 1. Membership. As a minimum, the Executive Board shall be comprised of the Regular Officers. The Board shall not number more than nine Regular Members of the Class.

SECTION 2. Voting. More than one-half of the total members of the Board shall be present, in person or via telephonic or electronic means, for business to constitute a quorum. Board decisions shall be determined by majority vote when a quorum is present. Votes may be made in person, in writing, or by telephonic or electronic means.

SECTION 3. Responsibilities. The Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Class between its business meetings, fix the hour and place of meetings, make recommendations to the Class, and shall perform such other duties as are specified in the Bylaws. The Board has responsibility for organizing class activities and for directing use of the Class Administration Fund. The Board shall make a formal report of its activities available to the Class at least once annually. The Board shall be subject to the orders of the Class, and none of its acts shall conflict with the actions taken by the Class.

SECTION 4. Meetings. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, its regular meetings shall be held on the first day of each quinquennial reunion.

ARTICLE VI: The Class Ring

The retention and wear of the Class Ring shall be governed by the tradition of the United States Military Academy.

a. The USMA Class of 1983 Class Ring may be worn only by Regular Members.

b. The family of any deceased member of the Class may retain the Class Ring.

ARTICLE VII: The Class Crest

The Class Crest shall be the property of the Class. The Class reserves all rights.

ARTICLE VIII: Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of RobertÕs Rules of Order shall govern the Class in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution, and any special rules of order the Class may adopt.

ARTICLE IX: Adoption of Constitution

This Constitution, as approved by two-thirds of those classmates who return a ballot within 60 days of delivery of the ballots, will become effective immediately after the ClassÕ fifteenth Reunion.

ARTICLE X: Amendment of Constitution

This Constitution may be amended at any Regular Meeting of the Class by a two-thirds vote of the Regular Members present in person or by proxy. Proposed amendments will be submitted by the Board to all Regular Members for approval, together with a written explanation of the amendmentÕs purpose and a ballot. In case of an amendmentÕs submittal being between Regular Meetings, the notice of proposed amendment will provide not less than sixty (60) days for Regular Members to return their ballots. A two-thirds vote, of those Regular Members who return their ballot, will be required to approve the proposed amendment.

ARTICLE XI: Dissolution

The Class shall be dissolved and all assets remaining shall become the property of the Association of Graduates upon the death of the last Regular Member of the Class.

BYLAWS For the USMA CLASS OF 1983

ARTICLE I: Duties of the Class Officers

SECTION 1. President. The Class President shall coordinate the affairs of the Class and shall preside over the Executive Board and at Class functions and meetings. The President shall assume leadership for the business aspects of the class to include reunion planning, replacing Class Officers, setting up special or ad hoc committees, attending the annual Class Leaders Conference hosted by the Association of Graduates, etc.

SECTION 2. Vice President. The Vice President shall assist the President and shall preside in his absence. He/she shall also serve as Vice President of the Board.

SECTION 3. Secretary. The Class Secretary shall maintain records of the affairs and business of the Class and will assist the President in any administration pertinent to the Class. He/she shall ensure minutes are kept of Class meetings. The Secretary shall forward copies of all minutes to the AOG to be placed in the Class archives. The Secretary shall coordinate with the Association of Graduates to prepare and maintain a Class Locator. The Secretary shall coordinate the sending of flowers to funerals of class members and coordinate all gifts provided by the Class for any purpose. The Secretary shall maintain lists of class sons and daughters who are attending West Point. The Secretary shall coordinate all class mailings not specifically associated with reunion activities.

SECTION 4. Treasurer. The Class Treasurer shall attend to the finances of the Class and shall maintain records of all transactions. The Treasurer shall make such disposition from the Class funds as are authorized in Articles III and IV of these Bylaws. The Treasurer shall ensure that the most recent balance of the Class funds and a record of transactions are reported to the Board at least annually. The Treasurer shall report all account balances to the Class at each reunion business meeting.

SECTION 5. Historian/Scribe. The Class Historian/Scribe shall maintain the Class archives and all permanent records of significance to the Class and shall forward all copies of such to the AOG Class archives. He/She shall record and report Class activities through the Class column in ASSEMBLY Magazine and shall ensure the publication of Class obituaries.

SECTION 6. Information Systems Officer. The Information Systems Officer shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining the Class home page on the World Wide Web, with or linked to the AOG website; for posting information pertinent to the Class on the home page; and for maintaining the Class List Server for the exchange of electronic mail. The Information Systems Officer shall be the focal point for e-mail addresses and assure that they as well as address changes, when they are provided, are passed on to the Association of Graduates. The Information Systems Officer shall have primary responsibility for enhancing and improving class communications through technology.

SECTION 7. Fundraising Officer. The Fundraising Officer shall be responsible for goal setting, establishing, maintaining and leading the Class fundraising efforts.

ARTICLE II: Meetings and Elections

SECTION 1. A Regular Meeting will be held at each quinquennial reunion. At the fourth quinquennial reunion and thereafter, elections for Regular Officers will be held, the President will report on the status of Class affairs, the Treasurer will report on Class finances, and such other business may be conducted as determined by the Board or a majority of Regular Members in attendance.

SECTION 2. The Board may call for a Special Meeting at any other time it deems appropriate. Notices of Special Meetings will be provided by mail, e-mail or facsimile not less than sixty (60) days prior to the meeting.

SECTION 3. Only Regular Members may vote on Class matters. Any Regular Member may vote on behalf of another Regular Member pursuant to a written proxy, an executed copy of which must be filed with the Secretary at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.

SECTION 4. For elections and other Class matters at a Regular Meeting, a quorum will consist of the Regular Members in attendance in person and by proxy. For elections, the nominee receiving the most votes will be elected. For all other matters, except in impeachment procedures, a majority of a quorum will be required for action.

SECTION 5. The Secretary will mail a report of each annual meeting to all Class members.

ARTICLE III: Class Gift and Administrative Funds

SECTION 1. The Class may maintain a Class Gift Fund with the AOG that will be administered by the Treasurer in conjunction with the AOG. The purpose of the Class Gift Fund is to provide such gifts as the Class may determine to the United States Military Academy and the AOG. The USMA Superintendent and the Class must agree on the use of these funds.

SECTION 2. Upon approval of the Board, the Treasurer may establish one or more Administrative Funds with the AOG or elsewhere for the administrative affairs of the Class. From time to time, the Board shall establish limits on the TreasurerÕs authority to withdraw funds from such accounts for any expense or series of related expenses without the additional signature of another officer. The Administrative Funds shall be used for Class administrative purposes, to include gifts to sons and daughters who graduate from a service academy, contributions or flowers upon the death of a member, and other purposes as approved by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE IV: Class Gifts

The Class in accordance with Article II, Section 4 of the Class Bylaws, will approve class gifts to the United States Military Academy and the AOG. Upon approval of a gift, the Executive Board may authorize the Treasurer to make specific disbursements from the Class Gift Fund in fulfillment of such gifts.

ARTICLE V: Committees

The Executive Board may create such committees, as it deems necessary and appropriate. Committees shall report to the Executive Board, except in the case of committees formed for the purposes of impeachment proceedings.

ARTICLE VI: Amendments

SECTION 1. Proposed amendments to these Bylaws will be submitted by the Executive Board to Regular Members for approval, together with a written explanation of the amendmentÕs purpose and a ballot. In case of an amendmentÕs submittal being between Regular Meetings, the notice of proposed amendment will provide not less than sixty (60) days for Regular Members to return their ballots. A majority of those voting will be required to approve the proposed amendment.

SECTION 2. Any Regular Member may request the Board to consider a proposed amendment for Class approval. If the Board does not recommend the proposed amendment, the Regular Member may submit the proposed amendment for Class consideration at his or her own expense.

 

Class Officers

  President

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Mark Morehouse is our class president. Email the section proctor to make a suggestion or email Mark directly by clicking the link below.

 

mark.morehouse@mail.house.gov

 

May 83 – May 84 Ft Benning IOBC; Ranger, Jumpmaster, and Pathfinder Schools
May 84 – Jun 87 Ft Richardson, Alaska

  • Platoon Leader, Co C (Airborne), 4-327 Inf
  • Co XO, Co C (Airborne), 4-327 Inf (transitioned to 1-17 Inf)
  • Bn S3 Air, 1-17 Inf
Jun 87 – Dec 87 Ft Benning IOAC
Jan 88 – Jun 88
  • Ft Benning Office of the Infantry School Secretary
  • Project Officer
Jun 88 – Jun 90 Baxter Healthcare Corp, Scientific Products Div, Edison, NJ, Sales Rep
Jul 90 – Jan 97 Lehman Brothers, Fixed Income Division, New York NY, Sales Rep — Institutional, U S Govt securities
Feb 97 – Nov 98 Deutsche Bank Securities, New York NY, Sales Rep — Institutional, U S Govt securities
Jan 99 – present Garban LLC, New York NY, Broker, U S Agency securities
  • Married 10 May 96 to Kathleen Mara
  • No kids (yet)
  • Living in Manhattan since '91
  • We enjoy travel, skiing, and Army football games!

Vice President

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  Chris Mozina is our class vice president. Email Chris directly by clicking the link below.

 

cmozina@msn.com

 

 

Secretary

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Dave Nash is our class secretary. Email Dave directly by clicking the link below.

 

david.nash@usma.edu

 

Dave Nash is on active duty, assigned as an instructor in the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He recently co-authored the book "Distributed Simulation", and conducts research in the area of digital image halftoning. David A. Nash.

Major, Field Artillery
Instructor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Thayer 1115, (914) 938-5575, fax: 938-5956, DSN: 688
e-mail: dd9875@exmail.usma.edu

 

 Treasurer:

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Jeff Geraci is our class treasurer.Email the section proctor to make a suggestion or email Jeff directly by clicking the link below.

 

jsgeraci@firstcommand.com


Information Systems Officer:

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Mike Lyons is our class Information Systems Officer. Email Mike directly by clicking the link below.

 

mlyons@aspire.net

 

MILTARY: TROOP ASSIGNMENTS:
1984 – 1987
  • FORSCOM, Fort Knox, Kentucky
  • B Battery, 5/41 Field Artillery – FDO
  • B Battery, 5/41 Field Artillery – XO
  • HHB, 1/77 Field Artillery – S-2
1988 – 1993 – USAREUR
  • G3 Operations, 1st Armored Division, Ansbach, FRG – Operations officer
  • HHB, 3/17 Field Artillery, Ansbach, FRG – Assistant S3
  • A Battery, 3/17 Field Artillery, Ansbach, FRG – Battery Commander
  • HHC, 7th US Corps, Stuttgart, FRG – Aide-de-camp to Deputy
  • Commanding General, 7th Corps
  • HHC, US Army Element, Army Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) – ADC to
  • DCOPS, AFCENT
MILITARY TRAINING:
1983-1993
  • Field Artillery Officer Basic Course,
  • Armored Officer Advance Course,
  • Airborne,
  • Combined Arms Services and Support School.
MILITARY AWARDS:
1983-1993
  • BSM,
  • DMSM,
  • MSM,
  • ARCOM,
  • AAM,
  • SWA Service w/three stars,
  • Republic of Kuwait service
CIVILIAN:
1993-1995 Deloitte & Touche, New York, NY – Auditor and consultant
1995- 1997 LANSystems, Donnelly Enterprise Solutions, New York, NY – Project Manager, Manager, Client Services, Director, Engineering Operations.
1997-Present WinStar Professional Services – General Manger, NY
EDUCATION:
September 1995. Masters of Business Administration, Finance and Accounting, New York University
  • Wife – Maureen
  • Son – Michael, born 10/25/97
  • Play Left wing for the NY Chiefs in Hockey North America league,
  • enjoy golf,
  • Army Football season ticket holder.

 

Historian/Scribe: 

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Mark and Cheryl are our class scribe. Email Mark and Cheryl directly by clicking the link below.

 

MConnors@DBPUB.com

 

Mark and Cheryl want to hear from you. Send them an update for the assembly.