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CLASS OF 2004
"A Ft Knox Tale"

The Battle of CALFEX:  Or How Tenacity Led to Victory - David Churchill Barrow (Cadet - Jennifer)
The Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX) at Ft Knox provided lessons in strategic warfare for West Point parents that went above and beyond what was learned at the actual exercise.  Sometimes persistence, tenacity, or just plain stubbornness can win the day.

When we arrived at the rappelling tower parking lot to pick up our daughter, a West Point Parents Club Member gave us the grim news: There were no tickets available for CALFEX.
The Army had not taken visiting West Point parents into account.  I asked our fellow Floridian, Col Swanson, what he planned to do.  "I intend to be at the CALFEX parking lot tomorrow at 0700."  This was said with the steely determination of Grant's famous dictum: "I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer."  Following his lead I arrived the next morning to find a long line of equally determined West Point parents.  A Captain in an air-cav stetson launched the first attack.
"Sorry to disappoint you folks, but we have no tickets here."  "You should make some calls.  Sometimes they reserve tickets for us," one said.  "Call protocol" Col Swanson offered.  "Alright, alright, I'll make some calls."
"We've double checked with everybody.  There ARE NO tickets reserved for you."
A few trickled back to their cars, but the line still held its position.  I went back for reinforcements (my wife and son).  As I tried to re-enter the CALFEX parking lot I was stopped by and M.P.
"Do you have tickets, sir?"
"No, Corporal."
"Well, there are none here sir."
"Corporal, I heard they might find room on the
last bus or something for the West Point par

ents.  Do you have information or orders to the contrary?"
"Uhm...No sir."
He waved us on with a befuddled look, and we rejoined Col Swanson just as a Major made an announcement:
"I have enough tickets for everyone now in this waiting are, but that's it."

Victory never tasted so sweet.  Hot, loud and impressive, best describes the experience of watching Abrams, Bradleys, Apaches, Humvees, and Palladins operate individually and in coordination on a muggy Kentucky summer's afternoon.  Some fundamentals change only in the degree of complexity.  The careful coordination of arms (infantry, cavalry, and artillery) was the forte of Napoleon, and the basis of his famous corps d'armee system.  As the commander explained the scenario over an excellent scale model of the entire battlefield, it became apparent that they were envisioning the device of an apparently weak left.  This was the same stratagem used by Napoleon at Austerlitz.  But technology has multiplied the options exponentially.  For centuries military science has been compared to chess.  Today it could be compared to playing Mr. Spock's three dimensional chess, with only seconds between moves, and hell breaking out all around, West Point strives to create leaders who not only function, but excel under those conditions.

Jennifer Barrow:  Jennifer is glad that the challenges of Buckner are now behind her.  The moment she most enjoyed during summer training was manning a .50 caliber on a Humvee at Ft Knox, sneaking up on an "enemy" humvee, and wiping them out (theoretically of course, with blanks).  She visited with us every day from Sunday through Wednesday while at Ft Knox, and it was fun to pretend to be a civilian, <<see "The Battle of CALFEX">> even if only for a few hours.  Jennifer has decided that Patton will not be her role model when she squares away her plebe.  Omar Bradley, the "G.I. General," is more her style.  Setting a good example, and a quiet but clear line of communication will be priorities.