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Wounded Warrior CPT Edward “Flip” Klein Engages Cadets about Leadership in PL300 On 29 September 2014, BS&L Alumnus CPT Edward “Flip” Klein visited the department, engaged with faculty from BS&L and the Simon Center, and taught cadets in PL300 (Military Leadership). The topic was power and influence. CPT Klein discussed his experiences as a platoon leader, leadership instructor at the Infantry School, combat commander in Afghanistan, and wounded warrior. Cadets learned that one’s use of power and influence reveals one’s character, and that they should strive to use various types of power in ways that make them increasingly trusted and influential. Too often, leaders use power in ways which get short term results, but only undermine their long-term influence.

Leaders from NYC Google Campus met with BS&L Management majors Leaders from Google’s NYC campus joined Cadets in the Management program’s Human Resource Management course on 3 October 2014. The Google leaders discussed how their firm selects and manages talent and develops organizational culture to support its strategy and create an enduring competitive advantage. Cadets have been discussing recruitment, selection, training and development in class. They were able to discuss how these processes occur in an organization that receives 2 million resumes per year and has doubled in personnel each of the last 10 years.

On Tuesday 7 October, cadets enrolled in HI358 Strategy, Policy, and Generalship culminated their study of the First World War, Inter-war Period, and Second World War with a trip section to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Home, Museum, and Presidential Library in Hyde Park. Museum staff helped the cadets analyze a number of primary documents from the library and provided a tour of the home, while Major Jonathan Heist led a colloquium on US generalship during World War II. Having focused on American strategic decision-making throughout this period, this visit deepened the cadets’ understanding of both the challenges faced by America’s political and military leaders during the Second World War and their responses to those challenges.

On 8 October Major Dan Horst and Captain Nathan Jennings led eleven cadets on a historical tour of the West Point Cemetery. The event began with lunch and a discussion of the rich individual and institutional histories represented in the cemetery by Colonel Ty Seidule in the Clausewitz Room. Cadets then travelled to the cemetery where they learned the history of the Old Cadet Chapel, along with the fascinating stories of the significant persons buried on the premises.

On 8 and 9 October, Lieutenant Colonel Jason Musteen, Major David Musick, and Major Stuart Peebles conducted a West Point fortifications staff ride with more than 60 cadets from HI301X History of the Military Art Cadets played the roles of key figures from the American Revolutionary War, while they toured Constitution Island, Fort Putnam, and other important redoubts and batteries around West Point.

Semester Abroad Program (SAP) / Academic trip sections: Spanish: Cadet Valerie Kutsch completed the final ruck march with third-class cadets during the Spanish Military Academy cadet summer training program. USMA Cadets participated with third year cadets of the Spanish Military Academy to experience a portion of their summer training. Cadet Kutsch found the experience of working closely with her counterparts in Spain rewarding, and she is excited for the academic semester to begin. The experience has greatly increased her confidence in her language proficiency.

French: Cadets attending SAP at the French Military Academy, Saint-Cyr, joined French cadets for a ceremony in Paris at Les Invalides recently where Saint-Cyrien “bazars” (Plebes) meet their “binomes” (Team Leaders) for the first time. The following is a brief description of the event:
The ceremony began in the Tomb of Napoleon, with the bazars on the lower level – standing quietly with their heads lowered, reflecting on the significance of the tomb and their commitment to being in the French army.

The second class cadets (the class we are with) all gathered around the upper level that looked down upon Napolean’s coffin and the level of the bazars. The bazars were called to attention, did an about face to face the center, and the second class began singing. It was very moving and impressive, especially with the acoustics of the tomb. The singing of the cadets is incredible, especially because they all sing beautifully and in harmony. The second part of the ceremony was conducted in the square of the Musee de l’Armee, and this is when the second class marched forward in front of the formation of bazars, stood in front of their respective bazars, and both the 2nd class and 3rd class (bazars) sang a song together.

German: The West Point Cadets abroad in Austria finished their field training exercise in late September. During the graduation ceremony, they met the Austrian Chief of Defense, General Othmar Commenda. General Commenda assumed his current post in July of 2013.

Cadets Deliver Presentations at Mid-Hudson Philosophical Society Meeting In the Haig Room on Saturday, 27 September, DEP’s philosophers (both faculty and cadets) hosted the inaugural meeting of the Mid-Hudson Philosophy Society (MHPS). The Society brings together philosophy faculty and undergraduate majors from West Point and four regional institutions: Bard College, SUNY New Paltz, Marist College, and Vassar College. The morning session began with a welcome to the 45 attendees from acting Dean, COL Eugene Ressler, and West Point MHPS sponsor, Professor Robert Tully, followed by a lecture on David Hume’s concept of probability, given by Professor Don Garrett, Chair of NYU’s Department of Philosophy. At the afternoon session, four APL cadets gave original and lively presentations: CDTs Nick Cale, Brad Hodgkins, Zach Hoffman and Sam Kolling (pictured). In between presentations, the visitors dined in the Mess Hall and enjoyed cadet-guided tours. The Society will meet annually in rotation. Next year’s gathering will be at Vassar

West Point Writing Center Provides Writing Assistance to Cadets Enrolled in Eleven Core Courses In its third year of operation, the West Point Writing Center (WPWC) has conducted over 200 peer consultations since opening last month, with 156 individual cadets requesting appointments. The 24 Writing Fellows who conduct the consultations are enrolled in EP490 (Writing Process, Argument, and Pedagogy), an independent-study elective offered by the Department of English and Philosophy, the gateway seminar for its Writing Fellows Program. The WPWC provides service to all interested Cadets enrolled in all core courses; thus far this semester, Cadets have sought assistance for assignments in 11 separate core courses. The WPWC will remain open for the duration of the academic year.

The New York County District Attorney (Manhattan), Cyrus Vance, third from left, visited West Point on 15 October. Mr. Vance visited the Department of Law and led class discussions in the courses Criminal Law and Introduction to Legal Studies. He and his chief of staff, Jeff Schlanger, briefed faculty members on the work of prosecutors in New York. Mr. Vance's presentations to cadets concerned how he decides to prosecute cases and how, in some instances, he agrees to release from prison innocent people that he believes were wrongly convicted. (Also pictured are NYPD Detective Ray Winslow, second from left, and DA Vance’s Chief of Staff Jeff Schlanger, third from right).

EV471 - Ecology Students Visit the Wolf Conservation Center On Tuesday, 7 Oct 14 Environmental Science majors of the Class of 2015 visited the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) in New Salem, NY as part of their EV471 Ecology field trip. The WCC was established to promote wolf conservation by teaching about wolves, their relationship to the environment, and the human role in protecting their future. The WCC accomplishes its mission through onsite and offsite education programs emphasizing wolf biology, the ecological benefits of wolves and other large predators, and the current status of wolf recovery in the United States. Environmental Science majors were exposed to all sides of the issue to include wolf biology, habitat requirements, and issues for and against the reintroduction of wolves.

Domestic Affairs Forum to CFR: On 10 October 2014, a group of ten cadets from the Domestic Affairs Forum ventured to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City to attend a panel discussion titled, "The Sunni-Shia Divide" featuring NPR foreign correspondent Deborah Amos and dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Dr. Vali Nasr. Cadets joined an interdisciplinary audience of undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty from all over the tri-state area. Not only did the panelists contextualize the long and contentious religious history between Sunni and Shia Muslims, Amos and Nasr also offered astute observations on the current state of affairs in the Middle East, particularly Iraq, Syria, and ISIS. Following the discussion, Cadets had time to mingle with their civilian counterparts from nearby universities and interact with CRF staff and fellows. Trip sections like this allow cadets to share their insights and perspectives with civilians, meet the Superintendent's intent for continued engagement with institutions and organizations in New York City, and enrich their academic experience. The cadets absolutely enjoyed themselves and appreciated the opportunity to visit the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations.

In the current issue of The Network Science Center Newsblast they delve into Political instability due to food insecurity. As part of its mission to support military units deployed on stability and security operations, the Civil Information Sharing (CIS) Project is undertaking a food system research effort that will provide additional insight into the link between food security and instability. Participating in this effort is the Defense Threat Re-duction Agency at West Point. Objec-tives of the research effort include developing methods of identifying the components of food systems and once identified, developing indicators for assessing weakness of and identi-fying potential threats to the system. Such knowledge can assist command-ers in deciding courses of action for stability and security missions where food insecurity is an issue. Click the cover to read more.

Visit the West Point Network Science Center Website and Blog

Three boxing teams squared off with a total of 14 bouts at a USA Boxing sanctioned event during a Golden Age-themed Ballroom Boxing extravaganza Oct. 18 at the Uchee Creek Activity Center.

The event featured bouts between the Fort Benning Boxing Club, U.S. Military Academy men's boxing team and Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Boxing Club to see who is the best boxing team in the Army, said Spencer Folds, sports specialist and event coordinator. The Benning Boxing Club competed in 12 bouts and won 6, USMA competed in 8 bouts and won 7 and the Fort Jackson Boxing Club competed in 8 and won 2. Joshua Meléndez, USMA, won with a TKO in the third round against Landon Wolf, Benning, in the novice 165 weight class. Read More

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2014 American Society of Civil Engineers Annual Conference. The West Point Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) attended the Annual Conference in Panama City, Panama from 7-11 October. The conference theme was “From Community Projects to Giga Projects: Civil Engineers Having a Global Impact.” ASCE chose Panama City for the conference location in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal. Given the vital role that West Point trained engineers played in the planning, design, and construction of the canal, it was appropriate to have faculty and cadets represent the Academy and the military engineers at the conference. There were numerous concurrent sessions on the Panama Canal history and construction as well as other large projects such as the Big Dig in Boston, and the Abu Dhabi Central Market. Other topics included financing large projects, sustainability, risk sharing and mitigation, ethics consideration, and more. Jorge Quijano from the Panama Canal Authority gave the opening keynote address, highlighting the history and construction of the original canal and discussing the challenges associated with the $5 billion expansion of the canal to allow passage of larger, “post-Panamax” ships. Later in the conference, MG Bo Temple presided over the ASCE and EWB (Engineers Without Borders) leadership and awards presentation. LTG Tom Bostick, the Chief of Engineers, participated in the Industry Leaders Forum, where he discussed how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was tackling some of the most difficult infrastructure challenges. His discussion was particularly inspiring to the cadets and younger engineers in the audience, exhorting them to continue to learn and grow as engineers so that they can find answers to the problems of tomorrow. Following his session, the cadets were able to meet with LTG Bostick where he urged them to continue to pursue professional engineer certification and stressed the importance life-long learning. Additionally, MG John Peabody of USACE was part of a panel discussion about converting engineering vision into reality.

The Cadets participated in the professional activities of ASCE and developed an appreciation for the society’s efforts to promote the Civil Engineering profession. These activities included concurrent sessions focused on specific topics as well as networking opportunities to meet other students, faculty, and engineering professionals. The conference included a guided tour of the Miraflores lock facility and the construction site of a new set of locks that will double the shipping capacity of the canal. Miraflores is one of two locks on the Pacific Ocean side that lifts ships 87 feet above sea level to Lake Gatun. One more lock system on the Atlantic Ocean-side allows ships to complete the passage. The canal expansion will allow ships nearly four times larger (capacity wise) to transit the canal. In the conference closing session, the conference organizers and the delegation from the New York metropolitan ASCE section announced the 2015 ASCE conference, which will be held in New York, New York

Team Spray Experimental Testing at Army Research Laboratory. Cadets Zachary Lee, Tyler Sowell, John Beck, and Zachary Glass conducted planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) experiments on liquid sprays at Army Research Labs from 06-07 October 2014. This project team performed experimental investigations of liquid fuel sprays in collaboration with the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and two academic departments at Stanford University. The objective of this project is to validate X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT) scanning experiments being conducted at Stanford University with the PLIF method for characterizing liquid sprays. Diagnostic techniques for characterizing liquid sprays – including X-Ray CT scanning, shadowgraphy, and PLIF - are valuable in modeling and predicting liquid droplet size, spray cone angle and other parameters of liquid sprays. Developing the ability to diagnose spray systems is expected to play a pivotal role in the development and testing of future spray nozzles, which could reduce fuel consumption across the entire spectrum of Army engines. The project team performed experiments for two different nozzles – 2 millimeter and 1.5 millimeter diameters – over a range test conditions. Over the next few weeks, the cadet team will analyze the data and then present the results at the annual USMA/ARL Technical Symposium.

Site Visit to Boston Dynamics and MIT Lincoln Labs. Cadets and faculty from XE475 (Mechatronics), ME404 (Intro to Mechanical Engineering Design, and EE401 (Senior Capstone Course) visited Boston Dynamics and MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory for site visits and introductions to robotic systems. Boston Dynamics is home of the “Big Dog”, LS3 (Legged Squad Support System), and the Atlas humanoid robot. Cadets observed demonstrations of these robots and their uses for both supporting military operations and civilian applications. LS3, pictured below, can carry up to 400 lbs and move 20 miles for a 24 hour duration. The group then traveled to Lincoln Labs for an overview of robots using ground penetrating radar to assist in navigation, and also a virtual world to research the interaction between soldiers, ground vehicles, and unmanned aircraft. Cadets were also able to brief their Capstone Project Preliminary Design Reviews to customers and experts in the field. 35 cadets were in attendance along with faculty from C&ME and EECS (Dr. Paul Muench, Dr. John Rogers, LTC Phil Root, LTC Christopher Korpela, MAJ Amber Walker, and CPT Dan Brown).

Astronomy Club trip section: On 18 October, the Astronomy club traveled to New York City to the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History and Urban Starfest in Central Park organized by the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. Sixteen cadet members of the Astronomy Club and three of their OICs: Dr. Paula Fekete, Dr. Roger Burk, and CPT Danny Thebeau, participated in this trip section. After watching the show Dark Universe, narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, in the Hayden Planetarium, cadets visited various museum exhibits. In the evening, the entire group participated in Urban Starfest in Central Park, an event organized by the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York and by the Urban Park Rangers. Numerous telescopes were brought out to Central Park’s Sheep Meadow to allow Starfest participants amazing views of the night sky. Cadets and OICs were able to meet and greet Al Nagler (in photo below), noted telescope designer and founder of Televue, a company located in Upstate New York that makes some of the most exquisite telescope eyepieces. All participants enjoyed “walking out” a scaled model of our solar system, an activity put together by the Urban Park Rangers. The Urban Starfest ended with a raffle drawing. One of our cadets, Montana Bilger, a plebe who already is committed to becoming a Physics Major, won an Astronomer’s Handbook. The trip, the space show and the meeting participation fired up cadets’ imagination and allowed them to meet people with successful careers in science.

Toga Duathlon: On 19 October, MAJ Will Koch escorted the West Point Triathlon Team to the Toga Duathlon in Nyack, NY. The Triathlon Team had a great race at Toga's Annual Fall Duathlon. Four West Point cadets and one visiting Coast Guard Academy cadet competed. Remington Ponce-Pore '18 took 2nd overall in the race. Dylan Varrato '17 and Rachel Gold '18 both took 1st place in age group results. The remainder of the team is in the final training week to defend the team's five-straight Half-Ironman National Championship status.

Trip Section: On 22 October, MAJ Nestor Echeverria and cadets enrolled in NE350 (Radiological Engineering Design) traveled to STERIS Isomedix in Chester, NY to see a real-world application of radiation technology that applies their required design project. Additionally, cadets will gain a better understanding of transportation, shielding, security, safety, disposal or radioactive waste in support of course requirements. STERIS Isomedix uses a radioactive source to sterilized medical supplies. While there, they reloaded new Colbalt-60 sources into their irradiation facilities, thus providing the cadets a unique opportunity to observe the inner workings of the machines and the process of transporting and handling radioactive materials.

Semester Abroad Program (SAP) / Academic trip sections: French: A few cadets attending semester abroad at St Cyr, the French Military Academy, spent the weekend visiting Mont St Michel in Normandy. It dates back hundreds of years as an abbey on an island fortress – the second most visited cultural site in France.

Spanish: Cadet Ocasio and Cadet Hannah (SAP 15-1 Chile) traveled to Santuario de la Naturaleza Yerba Loca, Santiago de Chile, a national park full of waterfalls, rivers, and hiking trails. The cadets experience a wonderful day with nature.

11 Arabic students have returned to their studies following a weeklong break for the Eid al Adha holiday. During the break Cadets from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco traveled within Morocco and to Europe where Cadets visited the France, and Switzerland. Cadets studying in Jordan traveled through Jordan and Israel, visiting Wadi Rum in Jordan and Jerusalem, Nazareth, Tel Aviv, and the Sea of Galilee. The highlight of their trip was the opportunity to discuss Israeli-Palestinian issues with Jews and Palestinians alike during their separate religious holidays, Eid al Adha and Sukkout. Cadets from AMIDEAST in Rabat, Morocco traveled to Europe as well, visiting Paris, Budapest, and Vienna before returning to Rabat. Cadets from CIL in Oman visited the hinterlands of Oman as well as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. All have now returned to school, completed mid-term exams this past week, and are continuing their studies.

French: 13 cadets and 1 officer from the French Forum visited Québec this past weekend. They experienced and explored this francophone city in Canada in order to enjoy the cultural aspects of the French language in North America. The majority of travelers are taking French classes and some are majoring in French. An historical link was explored between the arrival of French settlers to the area and the modern, culturally and linguistically distinctive, and vibrant city today. Highlights of the weekend included a walking tour of the old city and a traditional, French-Canadian dinner.

Arabic: On 18 October 2014, the Arabic Club visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in Manhattan to view the Islamic Collection, which spans Islamic art from late antiquity through the Ottoman period. Nine Cadets and one DFL faculty member participated. Of particular interest to Cadets was an armored helmet from 15th century Spain, the last known piece of Muslim Spanish armor in the world. In the evening Cadets enjoyed a traditional Lebanese meal in one of Brooklyn’s Arab neighborhood eateries.

Professor Martin Flaherty, co-director of the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice in New York City and visiting Professor at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, was a guest lecturer on 17 October to LW 481 International Law. Professor Flaherty, an expert on International Human Rights Law (IHR), discussed the significance of IHR, utilizing his experiences in addressing human rights abuses in both Northern Ireland and China. Drawing upon lessons learned in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Professor Flaherty addressed the interaction of IHR and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) during both international and non-international armed conflict. Professor Flaherty’s visit included a tour of the historic West Point grounds, eating with the cadets in the mess-hall, as well as a rousing photogenic moment with members of the West Point band as they prepared to entertain the Cadets.

DEP Spruces up Quarters 148 On Sunday, 19 October, over 25 members of the Department of English and Philosophy and volunteers from the Cadet Fine Arts Forum and the APL major cleaned up the interior and exterior of Quarters 148. Sweeping, mopping, raking, and pruning were just some of the chores on the crisp, sunny afternoon. The cleanup was the first stage in preparation for future renovations to convert the quarters to the future home of the CFAF. The efforts were accompanied by great teamwork, camaraderie, and a stunning view of the Hudson River.

DEP and SOSH Conduct Engagement with Culinary Institute of America: Ten upperclass cadets travelled to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park at the end of September to take part in the USMA-CIA Exchange, a program hosted by DEP and SOSH. The exchange is focused on civil-military relations and exposing cadets to professions that are surprisingly similar to the military—chefs wear uniforms with insignia and respectfully respond to their seniors with a resounding, “Yes, Chef!” With their chef partners, cadets attended classes on food sovereignty and security, participated in a timed cooking competition, and finished their day with a discussion on how their assumptions about civilians had been challenged (all while enjoying the fruits and vegetables of their labor). The CIA chefs will travel to West Point in November to participate in a day in the life of a cadet.

Cadets in the CFAF’s Studio Arts Forum Travel to NYC: On 18 October, the Studio Arts Forum (SAF) explored the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York during the Arts Gowanus Open Studios. Major Lay Phonexayphova, OIC of the SAF, led five inspiring cadet artists in their examination of the plastic arts. At the open studios, cadets met and exchanged ideas with local artists discussing ways to tap into their creative sides. Eighty five different buildings opened their studios to the public, and over 200 artists participated in the event. The warm October afternoon was a perfect setting for artistic creativity and discovery.

Cadets Enrolled in EN102 Travel to NYC: Visit Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Opera and Public Library Special and Rare Book Exhibits On 16 October, Dr. Marc Napolitano and MAJ Erin Hadlock took cadets in Fall EN102 to the New York Public Library and Lincoln Center for a backstage tour of the Metropolitan Opera. The cadets on Dr. Napolitano’s trip section toured the Met’s costume, wig, and scenery workshops before visiting the auditorium. In this magnificent performance space, cadets learned about the history of the Met’s priceless crystal chandeliers and its 24 karat gold-plated ceiling. While at Lincoln Center, cadets also visited the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, where they were allowed to view several archival materials from operas and plays, and to peruse a special exhibit celebrating the 45th anniversary of Sesame Street. Cadets assigned to MAJ Hadlock’s trip section explored the complex textual history of Shakespeare’s plays while viewing a copy of the rare first folio edition of Shakespeare’s works; even the most reluctant book lovers were amazed by the NYPL’s collection of books that are over 400 years old. This trip section allowed students to consider the importance of rare book preservation, to discuss the NYPL’s splendid collections and rare curiosities (both textual and non-textual), and to visit some of the special displays and exhibits currently on show.

Army Debate Tournament: Army Debate Hosted the 48th Annual West Point Tournament this weekend after commemorating the life of Mr. Robert Whitfield, USMA Class of 1948. 18 schools with over 200 competitors spent the weekend in Thayer Hall debating various aspects of US social policy. Our cadets managed the logistics, conducted operations, and provided mission command for the entire operation. The cadets courtesy, professionalism, and leadership made a great impact on all participants. A special thanks to COL Jebb, COL Nielsen, MAJ's Ramsey and Bolding, CPT Karr, and Dr's Brantley and Liebert for their time and support judging throughout the weekend and assisting with all aspects of administering this great event. In addition, Army Debate would like to thank the SOSH Admin staff and West Point's IETD for their assistance over the weekend..

Model UN Victory at Yale: The USMA Model United Nations Team competed in the Security Council Simulation Yale in their first tournament of the year this past weekend, the 16th-19th of October. The team placed first overall and won the award for outstanding large delegation. Seven of the eleven cadets placed first, second, or third in their respective committees. Cadets Cyrus Cappo and Ezra Engel won first place in their first Model UN Tournament. Cadet Jason Lally won his second first place gavel in his Model UN career. USMA Security Council Simulation Yale MUN Results Cyrus Cappo (Class-2017)-1st Place Sneha Sing (Class 2017)-3rd Place Jason Lally (Class 2015)-1st Place Jack Bagdadi (Class 2017)- 2nd Place Jon Paul (Class 2018)-3rd Place Brad Torpey (Class 2018)-2nd Place Ezra Engel (Class 2017)-1st Place The

Grand Strategy Program: From 16 to 19 October 2014, the William P. Clements, Jr. Center for History, Strategy, and Statecraft at the University of Texas at Austin hosted a high profile conference titled, “Intelligence Reform and Counterterrorism after a Decade: Are We Smarter and Safer?” The conference featured panels and discussions with prominent scholars, politicians, and policymakers, including U.S. Representatives Mac Thornberry and Michael McCaul, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper, Acting Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) David Shedd, former National Security Advisor Steven Hadley, former SOCOM Commander ADM (Ret.) William McRaven, and former Director of the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) Matt Olsen, among many others. The cadets participating in this trip section each minor in USMA’s Grand Strategy Program (GSP) and had several opportunities to personally interact and engage with these accomplished intelligence and counterterrorism officials to better understand how senior policymakers leverage information as an instrument of national power in an ever complex threat environment.

Domestic Affairs Forum: The Domestic Affairs Forum visited The New York Times, NBC/MSNBC studios, and The Wall Street Journal. Cadets had the opportunity to engage with producers, editors, and reporters in this engagement with NYC and the media world. Special thanks to Sosh's own COL (Ret.) Jack Jacobs for helping organize the trip.

Cadets and faculty from the Departments of Systems Engineering and Mathematical Sciences attended the American Society for Engineering Management 2014 International Annual Conference hosted by Old Dominion University from 15-18 October in Virginia Beach, VA. MAJ Pat Sullivan presented work on "Reducing Energy Consumption in America's Government Buildings", MAJ Thomas Nelson presented "Creating Continuity in Multi-Year Research Projects at the Undergraduate and Graduate Levels", Mr. Dave Chennault presented "Risk Management Perspectives for Aging Technology Infrastructure Challenges", COL Donna Korycinski presented "The Evolution of the Undergraduate Engineering Management Curriculum at West Point", and LTC Schott presented with LTC Worthan on "Optimizing Lieutenant Training at the Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence." Cadets Zachary Sostak (Team Captain), Jesse Glenn, Ryan Utter and Andrew Soncini participated in the case study completion, while Cadet Gabe Lewis, Cadet Raphael Waruinge and 2LT John Werner presented work from their capstone projects. Additionally, Dr. John Farr chaired the session for Best Dissertation Competition. The Engineering Management Program won the Founder's Award for Excellence in Academic Leadership of Undergraduate Education Programs in Engineering Management.

BS&L Cadets and Faculty participate at the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society Conference in Ottawa, Canada: Members of the Sociology Program of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership contributed to the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society Conference in Ottawa, Canada, from 18 to 19 October, 2014. Dr. Morten Ender, LTC Remi Hajjar, and Cadets Will O’Keefe, Tyree Meadows, Josie Antilla, Ian McWilliams, and Jennifer Webster presented their research projects. Dr. Ender and LTC Hajjar also chaired panels at the conference.

CDT Zachary Panto, receives recognition from Commander, Navy SEAL and SWCC: On 22 September 2014, MAJ Christina Fanitzi from BS&L's West Point Negotiation Project (WPNP) presented CDT Zachary Panto, F-1 ’16, a coin and letter of appreciation on behalf of the Navy Captain Steve Wisotzki, Commander; Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC). In August, CDT Panto served as a role player to illustrate and afford the SEAL and SWCC participants the opportunity to practice managing difficult negotiation counterparts. Without cadet efforts, the training is far less realistic. WPNP is a USMA faculty effort to improve the ability of military leaders to negotiate and is an activity within BS&L's West Point Leadership Center (WPLC).

West Point Negotiation Project (WPNP) teach Navy SEALs 20-21 September, West Point Negotiation Project ran a 1.5 day training seminar for 22 Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen, and Marine Reconnaissance leaders enrolled in the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Platoon Leaders Course, at Naval Amphibious Base (Norfolk, VA). The mobile training team included MAJ (P) Aram Donigian (BSL-Alum), Professor Jeff Weiss (BSL Adjunct Professor/Vantage Partners), and MAJ Michael Rybacki (BSL). During the workshop, leaders (E-7 through O3) were introduced to negotiation as a leader competency, learned how to analyze negotiation situations, and practiced managing difficult negotiation counterparts. The Project has run training for SEALs two times annually, since 2011, and recently expanded to serve as the primary negotiations training team for all four NSW Platoon Leader’s Courses, annually. WPNP is a USMA faculty effort to improve the ability of military leaders to negotiate and is an activity within BS&L's West Point Leadership Center.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - West Point and West Lafayette have more in common these days. Through a partnership between Purdue University and the U.S. Military Academy, 80 plebes and a dozen yearlings gained an authentic research experience in toxicology, analytical chemistry and chemical engineering.

The link for the freshman and sophomore West Point students was made possible through the Purdue-led Center for Authentic Science Practice in Education (CASPiE), a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiative led by the Discovery Learning Research Center in Discovery Park. Read More

WEST POINT, N.Y. - A try from captain Collum Magee in the 76th minute of the game lifted the sixth-ranked Black Knights to a 34-30 upset victory over third-ranked Kutztown in conference play from Anderson Rugby Complex on Saturday afternoon. 

Army held the advantage for a majority of the game before Kutztown pounded out 11 unanswered to take the lead. Magee's try and a successful conversion from vice-captain Logan Pearce gave the Black Knights the edge in the waning minutes. 

"It's a great day to play rugby against a great team like Kutztown and everyone really came together and it's a great victory for us this year," head coach Mike Mahan said. Read More

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army volleyball team erased a 2-0 deficit in a five-set comeback win over Bucknell in its annual Dig Pink match on Saturday evening at Gillis Field House. The Black Knights took the match with set scores of 22-25, 20-25, 25-18, 32-30 and 15-11.

The result helped Army to a sweep of the season series with Bucknell as the team improved to 11-13 and 6-5 in the conference. Bucknell dropped to 4-15 overall and 3-8 in the Patriot League.

The Black Knights' offense ran through rookie setter Avery Alexander, who was credited with a season-high 52 assists and she also contributed 13 digs for her third straight double-double. On the receiving end of Alexander's passes were Jaden Pickell (18 kills), Nicole Perri (16), Carolyn Bockrath (15), Amber Clay (nine) and Rachel Gearon (nine). Defensively, senior Deanna Dalton dug out 30 balls and Kristen Smeland had 19 in the win. Perri added 13 digs for her second double-double of the season. As a team Army set season highs in digs (105) and assists (68) and blocks (13). Read More

Please see this statement from LTG Caslen in response to recent news articles about Army Football. Click here to read LTG Caslens article

Army's young rifle team improved to 3-2 on the year and 2-1 in the Great America Rifle Conference following a 4618-4587 win over North Carolina State at the Kilbourne Rifle Range Saturday afternoon on the campus of VMI.

The primary focus of the Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations remains cadet education, but it also continue to invest in scholarly research among faculty and the community at large.  Dr. Kevin Stringer ’87, was the recipient of a CSCMO annual research grant and has admirably represented the Center at educational events in the U.S. and abroad, earning him the title of CSCMO Fellow.  This article, published by Military Review, is an example of Stringer’s work.

Linwood Ham ’88 is the Director of Inter-Governmental Affairs at the U.S. Institute of Peace and runs a program that hosts several cadet interns each summer. He co-authored this article with COL(R) Paul Hughes, who is a member of the CSCMO Advisory Council.

Sophomore Sam Gottlieb tallied just before halftime and senior Madison Oliver added an insurance goal off a free kick in the second half as they led Army to a 2-0 defeat of Lafayette Saturday evening to clinch a berth to the Patriot League Women's Soccer on Senior Night at Clinton Field.

"I tell people I do the hard things because they're hard," Mooradian said. "In two years, I'll be in charge of people's lives in tough places so these things help prepare me."

In addition to the airborne training, mountain training, competing on the sprint-football and crew teams in his first two years and his everyday work load as a cadet at the United States Military Academy, Mooradian decided to sign up for the inaugural Maryland Ironman competition. The triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike course and a full 26.2-mile marathon and takes place in Cambridge, Maryland. Read More

Trip Section: On 22 October, MAJ Nestor Echeverria and cadets enrolled in NE350 (Radiological Engineering Design) traveled to STERIS Isomedix in Chester, NY to see a real-world application of radiation technology that applies their required design project. Additionally, cadets gained a better understanding of transportation, shielding, security, safety, disposal or radioactive waste in support of course requirements. STERIS Isomedix uses a radioactive source to sterilized medical supplies. While there, they reloaded new Colbalt-60 sources into their irradiation facilities, thus providing the cadets a unique opportunity to observe the inner workings of the machines and the process of transporting and handling radioactive materials.

Triathlon Team: During 24-26 October, eleven cadets traveled to Austin, TX to compete in the Ironman 70.3 Collegiate National Championships. The West Point Team swept the Collegiate division with 1st place male Dylan Morgan ’16, 1st place female Cat Sedy ’16, Men’s Team National Champions, Women’s Team National Champions, and overall Team National Champions. Additionally, four cadets, Dylan Morgan ’16, Cat Sedy ’16, Angelica Dickson ’16 and Jacob Slife ’18 all qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in 2015. Dylan Morgan was 10th overall in the entire race and the fastest amateur athlete with a collegiate championship record time of 4 hours and 8 mins to complete the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and half-marathon. For five of the eleven cadets, this was their first time competing at the half-ironman distance. This is the third consecutive 70.3 national championship for the team under Head Coach Ian O’Brien and the third consecutive World Championship qualification for CDTs Morgan and Sedy. In addition to the cadet athletes, the OIC of the team, LTC Ken Allen, competed in the event and was 9th out of 266 men in the 40-44 year old age group division.

On 24 September, Ray Eason, USMA '94 addressed members of the West Point Excel Scholars Program as part of their Fireside Chat series. While here, Mr. Eason participated in the West Point Scholars Program run by SOSH; after graduation he went to Oxford as a Marshall Scholar. Serving on the West Point faculty after company command, Ray left active duty, received an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and is currently on Wall Street and as an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley. During the interactive discussion, Mr. Eason and the Excel Scholars dialogued on the importance of scholarship programs, networking, and mentorship.

Cadets traveled to the Palisades Mall to conduct research on social interactions and phenomena, otherwise called an Ethnography, of the mall population. On Saturday, 25 October, 15 cadets traveled to the Palisades Mall to conduct research on social interactions and phenomena, otherwise called Ethnography, of the mall population. Each student of PL371, Introductory Sociology, prepared a research proposal to look at a topic of their choice, which included observing gendered family roles in walking with young children, the prevalence of walking with and using cell phones in a social setting, responses to broken social norms, racial and gender representation of fast food workers and kiosk sales representatives, and consumer demographics between high-end and low-end clothing stores. The cadets will each write a paper based on their research methods and findings, and also include a brief literature review of other research done on their same topic of interest.

On Saturday 18 October, Phi Alpha Theta, led by Major Shauna Hann and Captain Mark Ehlers, took seven cadets to learn about the significance of local history and how communities seek to preserve their history. The Orange County Historian, Johanna Yaun, explained the strategic importance of the Hudson Valley during the Revolutionary War and led a tour of Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site. The cadets then learned about the industrial history of the region from one of the board members of the Newburgh Historical Society, Russell Lange, while touring the David Crawford House, a nineteenth century restored mansion of one of the earliest shipping magnates in the region. Overall, the cadets gained an appreciation of the Hudson Valley’s importance to American history and an understanding of why public history and community involvement is important to saving its legacy.

On 27 October, students from the HI 158 Advanced Regional Studies in World History (East Asia) course had the opportunity to meet with Stanley J. Atkins, a WWII veteran and former Master Sergeant who served in the China-India-Burma (CBI) theater of operations. Mr. Atkins shared his experiences serving in Burma and Chongqing, China as an intelligence analyst under Generals Joseph Stilwell and Albert Wedemeyer. He described what it was like to fly blisteringly cold aerial resupply missions over the Himalayan Mountains (also known as “the Hump”) and discussed working with Chinese forces and some of the American impressions of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong during the war. Finally, Mr. Atkins stressed the need for Army leaders to develop a strong understanding of foreign language, culture and history and thanked the cadets for their commitment to serving the nation.

On October 25 and 26, in partnership with 1st Battalion, 150th Aviation Regiment of the New Jersey Army National Guard, an expedition of 31 cadets from the Class of 2018 and 8 faculty from the History Department conducted a multi-faceted staff ride throughout the Hudson River Valley that explored the historical importance of the Fort Ticonderoga and Saratoga battlefields. In addition to physically exploring seminal historical events that the cadets have studied in the classroom, , the helicopter component of the staff ride offered an opportunity to execute real-world tactical training. Prior to boarding the four Blackhawks generously allocated by the New Jersey ANG, Lieutenant Colonel Jason Musteen trained loading procedures and provided an air mission brief that exposed the cadets to the importance, and professionalism, of standardized military operations.

The opportunity to experience well-planned and resourced Army training had a powerful effect on the participants, most of whom had never flown in a helicopter before. Cadet Edward Fullerton noted after surveying the Hudson River Valley and the strategically positioned fort that, “combining military training with academic pursuits is killing two birds with one stone. It’s getting us ready to be both historians and second lieutenants, but will also benefit us during summer training and later in our careers.” Another inspired attendee, Cadet Joy Schaeffer, agreed, emphasizing that “the aerial view” gave them “a unique perspective in order to analyze the battlefields.” She also attested that “viewing Mt. Defiance from the air” also allowed them “to appreciate how it dominated Fort Ticonderoga,” a point reinforced by Captain Jonathan Romaneski as he led the cadets through discussions from the parapets of the stone fort overlooking Lake Champlain.

Captain Josh Silver encouraged them to marry their book knowledge with their newfound appreciation of the actual terrain. As the groups moved across the battlefield while following original attack routes and examining actual fighting positions, each cadet explained with faculty input their assigned leader’s actions and impact on the unfolding battle at key locations. According to Dr. Samuel Watson, a USMA Professor of History who specializes in early American warfare, this type of staff ride training “forces the cadets to adopt the perspectives of leaders and assess why and how real tactical leaders chose courses of actions with consequences.” The professor also noted that, “briefing these roles to their peers and professors, on critical points across the battlefield, also fosters mental agility that will serve them well at the Academy and as officers.”

By layering observation from above with analysis amongst the actual terrain where soldiers fought and died over mastery of North America, the cadets attained a more comprehensive understanding of timeless tactical fundamentals and decisional processes. Cadet Jared Cope, who played the role of colonial officer Rufus Putnam, summarized their perspective best: “The experience is awesome because no other history program does this. Only at West Point can you get an air mission brief and fly to your historical destination.”

DEP Hosts Luncheon to Welcome New Majors. On Wednesday 22 October, DEP hosted a luncheon for APL majors. DEP faculty members and majors from the classes of 2015 and 2016 joined in welcoming the 24 newest APL majors to the Department. After congratulatory remarks from the Department Head and a presentation on new and exciting changes in the APL program, everyone enjoyed lunch and some informal social interaction, while appreciating the venue’s historic views.

Philosophy Forum Hosts Dr. Henry Pratt of Marist College. On Tuesday, 21 October, the Philosophy Forum hosted Dr. Henry Pratt of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Marist College. Dr. Pratt discussed his work on the philosophy of comics and the viability of comic book to film adaptations. He explored the possibilities and limitations of the media of comics and film. The event was well-attended by cadets and faculty and the discussion was lively and searching. The forum explored innovative forms of expression while inspiring cadets to engage in deep, creative thought.

Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering. K’NEXercise – Building Construction Managers! Cadets enrolled in CE450, Construction Management, competed in the K’NEXercise on Tuesday, October 21st, 2014. The competition requires teams of cadets to prepare estimates, bids and construction schedules, and then execute the construction of the awarded project using rapid setting concrete and K’NEX components. The cadets complete the project by preparing a claim for the courts to hear to resolve issues that cost the team time and money on the day of construction. The winning teams in the Tower, Bridge and Hall projects were led by Cadets Frank Chen, Roman Burns and Marshall Kobylski, respectively.

CME Cadets and Faculty Build Air Force Bonfire Airplane. At the request of USCC CME cadets and faculty members built the airplane for the Air Force bonfire. Volunteer firstie mechanical engineering cadets Micah Uchida (Computer-Aided-Design drawings and ordnance fabrication), Christina Cox (landing gear and structural components), Taylor Ferguson (frame and wings), Andrew Barthel (frame and nose), and Mark Hesford (sheathing and landing gear) with faculty advisors MAJ Josh Keena, LTC Phil Root, and Dr. John Rogers constructed a scale model of an F-16 fighter for the Air Force bonfire over a three-day period, 24-26 Oct.

Department of Systems Engineering. Cadet James Cho presented the results of his social media study. CDT James Cho presented his AIAD research entitled “Analyzing Sub-national sentiment with Twitter” at the 2014 SAS Analytics Conference. CDT Cho conducted his research this summer at Data Tactics in Washington DC and was advised by Major David Beskow in the Department of Systems Engineering.”.

Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering. Physical Geography Terrain Walk This week cadets in EV203, Physical Geography, got up close and personal with the physical landscape of West Point during the terrain walk lesson. The rich and complex geologic history of the Hudson Valley offers outstanding learning opportunities for the cadets. Cadets observed the geomorphology they learned about the previous week, examining evidence of endogenic and exogenic forces that have shaped our ‘Rockbound Highland Home.’ The terrain walk reinforces several key concepts from the geomorphology block, including the theory of plate tectonics, rock formation, weathering, mass wasting, and erosion. Cadets also discussed how humans have modified the landscape of West Point over the centuries to suit our needs. Cadets

EV300/301 Cadets Measure Particulate Matter Concentration in Hayes Gym During IOCT. On Friday, 24 October, cadet teams from EV300 and EV301 coordinated with the Department of Physical Education (DPE) to collect indoor air quality data during the Indoor Obstacle CourseTest (IOCT). The cadet teams wrote their own hypotheses about the perceived poor air quality in Hayes Gym that causes "Hayes lung" during the IOCT and are using the scientific method to test these hypotheses. CDTs Emily Speziale, Alaura Walz, Matt Day, and Tiara Hansen tested for particulate matter in the air and CDT Nicole Zajimovic tested carbon dioxide levels. Their results will be detailed in term project reports and the cadets have invited members of DPE to attend their oral presentations at the end of the semester.

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Cadets Attend 2014 Grace Hopper Conference. Nine cadets, along with faculty CPT Marisol Torres and Dr. Suzanne J. Matthews attended the 2014 Grace Hopper Conference, held on October 7-11 in Phoenix Arizona. The EECS cadets who attended the conference were CDTs Lisa Jones, Angie Ketcham, Mary Liu, Alissah McGill, Jennifer Niemann, Anna Rapp, Holly Rodeo and Jinny Yan. CDT Audra Morrow from CME also attended this year.

CDT Lisa Jones presented a poster accepted at the conference: “Using MapReduce to Compare Large Collections of Evolutionary Trees”, a project advised by Dr. Suzanne J. Matthews. Dr. Matthews was also the scholarship committee co-chair of the conference, and received a token of appreciation from the Anita Borg Institute for her contributions. The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is the largest consortium of women in computing in the world. It is named in honor of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, inventor of the compiler, and an early pioneer in many aspects of computing. At the conference, students get to learn about (and often demo) the newest technologies, and attend talks given by famous academics, researchers and CEOs. Dr. Shafi Goldwasser, winner of the 2012 Turing Award for her work in cryptography and two-time winner of the Gödel Prize in theoretical computer science, gave the opening keynote at this year’s conference. Presentations were also given by Satya Natya (CEO of Microsoft), Dr. Arati Prabhakar (Director of DARPA), and Dr. Maria Klawe (president of Harvey Mudd College). The conference is produced by the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Anita Borg Institute, and is sponsored by many of the giants of the tech world, including Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Cisco, DropBox, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Yahoo! and LinkedIn.

EECS Faculty Member Presents at Frontier in Optics/Laser Science Conference. CPT Donald E Sedivy attended the Frontier in Optics/Laser Science Conference in Tucson, AZ from 19-23 OCT 14. During the conference, he gave a 15 minute presentation entitled “Simulation of Multiple-Optical-Axis Pattern-Integrated Interference Lithography (PIIL) Systems” based on this recent work at Georgia Tech. While in attendance, CPT Sedivy listened to 49 different lectures on a wide variety of developing technologies in the optics field to include a lecture from 2014 Nobel Laureate W. E. Moerner who spoke about his award-winning research on super-resolution microscopy.

French: Some of the cadets attending semester abroad at St Cyr, the French Military Academy, spent the weekend visiting Verdun, a famous WWI battle between the Germans and the French. Our SAP Cadets witnessed an annual ceremony there to commemorate all the French soldiers who died in battle there in 1916. As could be expected, it was quite an emotional event for the French cadets.

Arabic: 16 Cadets from the Model Arab League travel to Washington, DC this week to attend the National Council on US-Arab Relations Policymakers’ Conference. The conference will run all day Tuesday and Wednesday, 28 and 29 October, and features presentations and discussion by some of the greatest academic, diplomatic, Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development and corporate minds working in the region. This annual event highlights key challenges facing the League of Arab States and kicks off the annual parliamentary procedure competition season for this West Point debate team run under the auspices of the Arabic desk of the Department of Foreign Languages

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WEST POINT, N.Y. - - Army junior forward Katie Holder and freshman midfielder Clare Shea were among 33 players voted for All-Patriot League honors in Monday’s women’s soccer announcement by the league office. Holder was tabbed for first-team honors and Shea was named to the third team.

It is the second straight year that Holder was honored by the league following her selection to the third unit last year. The Army junior led the Black Knights in goals (six), points (12), game winners (three) and shots (50) to also rank among the conference leaders.

A starter in all 18 games, Holder is the team’s leader in Patriot League matches with three goals, six points, 25 shots and two game winners. The Army forward closed out conference play tied for second in game winners and sharing third in goals. Read More

WEST POINT, N.Y. – For the third time this season, Army linebacker Jeremy Timpf has collected a national honor.

Timpf made a career-best 17 tackles in the game against Air Force on Saturday, eclipsing his previous high of 14. Timpf's tackles were the most since Steve Erzinger posted 21 on Sept. 3, 2011. Timpf established a career-high with 12 solo stops and also posted a career-best three tackles for losses of 10 yards. He was honored with the Football Bowl Subdivision Independent Player of the Week award for the second time this year.

Timpf, a sophomore from Tucson, Ariz., earned the national nod back on Sept. 29 after returning an interception for a touchdown at Yale. That week he also took home College Sports Madness Independent Defensive Player of the Week honors. Read More

Network Science is an emerging scientific disci-pline that views the world as a large collection of people, organizations, biological organisms, and machines connected to form large, diverse, com-plex, networks in a myriad of ways. However, basic science continues to lag engineering capabilities in the sense of enabling predictive models of behaviors of existing complex networks which comprise the operational environment encountered by Army commanders at all levels (e.g. interdependent social, cognitive, communication and information net-works).

Major sources of this inability to predict future state of complex, composed networks are the persistent barriers to sharing/analyzing sufficient information to accurately understand the current state of such networks. This short note discusses a novel approach to resolving one of these barriers to sharing information, establishing local trust among distributed, unfamiliar individuals, and outlines how such a result would enable sharing of medical infor-mation across security boundaries with trusted users and groups, including among international partners. Read More

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