Cadets and Cultural Landscapes: Cadets in STAP EV203 Physical Geography used in-class lessons about the components of culture to engage in a scavenger hunt. The exercise allowed cadets to investigate how cultural ideas are represented in the Academy's architecture and the spatial layout.

AIADs: The Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering prepared 22 cadets (including one plebe) to go on Advanced  Individual Academic Development(s) to nine locations, two of which are international, this summer.

When I reunited with 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company on Day 2 of their CLDT Offensive training lane, all the platoon members seemed to be in great spirits. And why not? When I left them on Friday, they were just beginning their rest and refit period after being out in the field for 96 hours on their Movement-to-Contact exercise. "R&R was awesome," said a smiling Jaime Molacek '14, the Platoon Sergeant during today's rotation, "we got over eight hours of sleep!" After performing weapons maintenance, the members of the platoon also had an opportunity to take a hot shower and eat a hot meal. The menu included burgers, chicken, and salad, but as Kyle Gicewicz '15 said, "Anything would have been better than an MRE!" Now the platoon was in its patrol base planning a raid on a DIABLO compound.

Read more and see photos!

The Geography Program Graduation Reception:  The Geography program held a reception for family and friends of graduating majors. This ceremony recognized the many accomplishments of our 47 graduating human and environmental geographers.

Photo: Thesis award winners Cody Ikkala and Harrison Green along with LTC Lohman and Dr. Krakowka.

Australia AIAD:  Cadets Stephen Chong, Samuel Brown, and Joseph Jude (Life Science majors, 2015) began their AIADs at the Australian Army Malaria Research Institute with COL Carl Brinkley and LTC Norman Waters.

Photo:  Sam Brown culturing malaria
parasites.

Washington Penn Plastics:  Cadet Nebyou Abera ‘16, began his AIAD at Washington Penn Plastics. He is studying the current ventilation capability and efficiency increases of multiple manufacturing systems.

IADAs:   The Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering prepared 22 cadets (including one plebe) to go on AIADs to nine locations (two international) this summer.

Crew Team:  Seven members of Army Crew traveled to Gainesville, GA to compete in the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) National Championship where 56 collegiate rowing clubs from across the United States participated. Two boats qualified to compete in this championship, men’s varsity fours (Cadets Courtland Adams, John Buonforte, Stewart Landefeld, James McAuliffe and Kevin Zander) and women’s double (Cadets Caitlin Rowe and Madeline Grucella). The women quickly learned to scull, which is using oars on each side of the boat in just a few days before the championship. They ended up placing 5th overall, finishing just 44 seconds behind the leader over the course of a nine minute race. The ACRA also recognized several cadets with national awards. Three Firsties qualified for the Northeast Regional All-American team. Also, several cadets were recognized for their academic performance.

Spirit Group:  The Spirit Support Group received their new “Blackjack” costume to prepare for the 2013 Army Football season.

“Experience is the best teacher…” –Ben Franklin

If Benjamin Franklin’s maxim is correct, then the cadets participating in Cadet Leader Development Training (CLDT) are in the best classroom possible, all 16,000 acres of it. CLDT is the pinnacle of the Cadet Summer Training experience. Over the course of 19 days, six companies comprised mostly of rising firsties and a few rising cows are engaged in three simulated, yet realistic, training modules that are designed to test everything they have learned related to leadership from the West Point experience. 

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West Point cadets are in Mississippi Tuesday and Wednesday of this week to learn about the civil rights movement.

The United States Military Academy has begun a program of civil rights studies in the departments of law and history that involves integrating classroom lessons, film review, and a staff ride through the Southern states, visiting significant and historic locations of the civil rights movement.

The visit focuses on the study of Civil Rights and Law in a historical context.

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And follow the cadets via their blog!

Due to overwhelming demand, the Spring 2013 issue of West Point magazine has been re-printed!

If you were one of the many who wanted extra copies, stop by our Gift Shop or call 845-446-1645.

This issue is all about what makes the Academy unique. Sections include People, Tradition, and Academics. Click here to check out the digital version.

When his college athletic career ends, Chris Rowley '13 will begin his post-graduate education.

But his post-grad work will be different from almost every other athlete in the NCAA baseball tournament.

Rowley, the ace of the pitching staff for the United States Military Academy, soon will begin his training as a field artillery officer.

"Fort Stewart," he said. "Second Brigade, Third Infantry Division. That's a unit that deploys a lot. We don't really know where we're going next."

Afghanistan?

"Could be," Rowley said. "The war's winding down. We'll see."

Afghanistan, or any place where they will be placed in harm's way, is not on the radar of many other NCAA athletes. But the radar is different for athletes at West Point.

"There are challenges just like any other university," Rowley said. "We like to say we don't have it any harder than anybody else. That way we don't have an excuse.

"It is demanding. I'm sure that's the same way at a lot of places in the country. We just want to compete on a national level."

Read more about the tradition of Army Baseball

But the athletic life is different at West Point, no matter how bright a spin Rowley tries to put on it.

The pool of athletes from which coaches at West Point have to pick is smaller than most. And once the young men and women are enrolled, they face every challenge of every college athlete, plus everything inherent with attending a military academy.

Read more

The Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Award Ceremony:  Eight cadets were presented with awards during the department award ceremony.   Cadet Geoffrey K. Easterling received the Frances Hesselbein Award for excellence in servant leadership. Cadet Christopher J. Moropolous received the 2LT Spencer Dodge Award for excellence in Psychology. Cadet Marti N. Warner received the Kurkowski-Reed Award for excellence in Engineering Psychology. Cadet Jeffrey H. Kim received the National Commandery Award for excellence in Leadership and Management. Cadet Carolyn B. Fiore received the Dr. Charles H. Coates Award for excellence in Sociology. Cadet Matthew R. Feiring received the COL Jeffrey A. McNally Award for excellence in Leadership, Management, and Sociology. Cadet Kiley F. Hunkler received the Eisenhower Award for the study of Psychology and Engineering Psychology. Cadet Andrew J. Lopez received the BG Howard T. Prince II Award for excellence in Behavioral Sciences and Leadership.

Photo:  CDT Andrew J. Lopez receiving the BG Howard T. Prince II Award from BG(R) Prince during the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Award Ceremony. 

Chemistry and Life Science Cadet Awards Ceremony:  The Department of Chemistry and Life Science conducted its annual cadet awards ceremony.  Cadet Marc Samland was recognized as the Plebe with the highest average in General Chemistry during academic year 2013.  Cadet Erin Mauldin is awarded the Daughters of the US Army Award for Excellence in General Chemistry as the member of the class of 2014 highest overall performance in General Chemistry. Cadet James Raab was awarded the Merck Index Award for Graduating with the highest academic performance in Organic Chemistry.  Cadet Raab was also awarded the American Institute of Chemists Foundation Award for Outstanding Firstie Majoring in Chemistry. Cadet Matthew Latarte was awarded the Brigadier General James H. Ramsden Award as the #2 Graduating cadet with superior academic performance in the Department of Chemistry and Life Science. Cadet Drew Long was presented with the National Organization of the American Legion Award as the #1 Graduating Cadet with superior academic performance in the Department of Chemistry and Life Science.  Cadet Dylan Russell was awarded the American Institute of Chemists Foundation Award for Outstanding Firstie Majoring in Life Science.  Cadet Joshua Dillard was awarded the American Institute of Chemists Foundation Award for Outstanding Firstie Majoring in Chemical Engineering. Cadet Daniel Godlasky received the Mid-Hudson American Chemical Society College Recognition Award for recognition in College research. Cadets Kelley Cassidy, Dylan Hanna, Daniel Godlasky and Dylan Russell represented the inaugural class of graduates from our American Chemical Society certified Chemistry degree program and were presented with a certificate of recognition. The following cadets were also recognized for their membership in the Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry Honor Society: Aaron Brockshus, Steven Burroughs, Kelley Cassidy, Ryan Doerzbacher, Joshua Dillard, Sean Fitzgerald, Dylan Hanna, Matthew Letarte, Drew Long, Noreen Masciello, Emmanuel Perez, James Raab, Lowell Stanford, John Todd, and Christopher Wallace. 

Department Academic Award Ceremony:   The Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering hosted an academic award ceremony to present the LTG Leslie R. Groves Award to Cadet Christopher Malachosky who had the highest average in nuclear engineering.

Photo:  Class of 2013 Physics Majors with Prof. Lainis and COL Naessens

Report: West Point Undergraduate Historical Review :  History major cadets under the leadership of CDT Tara Lacson, ’13, editor published the second issue of the third volume of Report: West Point Undergraduate Historical Review at the end of the semester. The Report is available at the History Department website and in print copy. 

It has been a long road from the small village in India where her parents were born, and her life began, but immigrating to the United States of America, becoming a naturalized American citizen, and on the cusp of becoming, perhaps, the first generation Indian woman cadet at theUnited States Military Academy at West Point, in the Academy's prestigious 211-year history, is a "dream come true", for 18-year-old Sneha Singh. She is proof that hard work, discipline, a positive mental attitude, and remaining patient and focused can result in turning dreams into reality. Sneha will enter the prestigious Academy on July 1. Sneha will begin a 47-month odyssey that will culminate with a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. Sneha hopes to pursue her dream of becoming a medical doctor and plans to study in a major that will prepare her for applying to medical school. 

Read more about her journey via The Times of India

For four years, the Class of 2013 was groomed to be the new leaders of the U.S. Army. Once they leave West Point, they will begin their journey in taking over that enormous responsibility.

Business Insider recently visited West Point to talk to some young men and women who may indeed take on that role, the leaders of this year's graduating class. Meet them below:

Watch videos

Rain, wind, and temperatures in the low 50s could not dampen nor chill the spirit of the 1,007 graduates from the Class of 2013, who got their diplomas and were commissioned as second lieutenants on Saturday. However, relatives and friends of the graduates gave Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the 2013 Graduation Speaker, a loud round of applause when he opened his remarks by saying, “I am not unaware, especially on a rainy day, that graduates and their guests prize brevity.” Hagel used his speech to remind graduates of their “awesome responsibility” to lead soldiers and told stories relating to two USMA graduates, Dwight D. Eisenhower ’15 and Robert George Keats ’65, to impart lessons of leadership. “The most important part of leadership is taking responsibility for your actions and decisions,” Hagel said. He then repeated Eisenhower’s handwritten note on the eve of D-Day in which the general assumed sole responsibility in the event that the invasion of Normandy failed. “That is accountability,” Hagel told the graduates. Hagel concluded his speech by informing the graduates about Keats, who was killed ten days after assuming command of Bravo Co. of the 2-47 9th Infantry Division, the unit in which Hagel served during the Vietnam War. A letter from Keats’s days as a cadet was read at his funeral on the ground of the West Point Cemetery. It said, “The world can only be saved by people striving for the ideal.” Hagel tied Keats’s sentiment to the Class of 2013’s motto: “Defending the Dream.” “You chose to be a soldier at a very defining time in our Nation’s history; you too are fighting for an ideal,” Hagel said, “America needs you and it is counting on you to uphold this ideal.” Good Luck Class of 2013!

See photos

Cadet Olind - American Chemical Society Undergraduate Student Award in Environmental Chemistry:  Cadet Johannes Olind, an environmental engineering major in the class of 2013, was awarded the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Student Award in Environmental Chemistry. This award recognizes outstanding students currently enrolled in chemistry, environmental engineering, environmental science, or other programs emphasizing environmental chemistry. Johannes was selected for his interdisciplinary work related to the speciation of lead on the surface of Polonite, a mineral based sorbent.

AbilityOne Design Challenge:  The capstone team of Cadets Tom Devane, Greg Fearnley, and Justin Suh, all mechanical engineering majors in the Class of 2013, was named the third place winner ($3,000) of the 2013 AbilityOne Design Challenge sponsored by the Institute for Economic Empowerment to develop a device to assist workers with disabilities. They designed, built, and tested a work station to improve worker productivity in a stapler assembly production process. The cadets' work station reduced average stapler assembly time by disabled workers by 28%. A video demonstration of their device was submitted as part of the competition and can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ayIH5uT9MIk

HI108 Guest Lecturer:  The plebe course in international history hosted Professor David Painter, a Georgetown University professor, who lectured on an article he wrote for the Journal of American history titled “A Global History of Oil”.   Painter discussed how “oil bolstered U.S. military and economic might, and enabled the U.S. and its allies to win both World Wars and the Cold War” in a lecture that explained the global significance of the emerging oil markets to the history of the twentieth century. 

For Colt Sterk, the dream of West Point began in eighth grade. That year, he wrote an essay that won him the honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

"When I grasped the fact that this soldier willingly gave his life for me, a stranger, just so I can live freely, it made me want to serve my country as well," recalled Sterk, now an 18-year-old senior graduating from Eagle High.

That was the spark, and his interest in the nation's oldest military academy was enthusiastically shared by his best friend, Cyrus Cappo. Cappo's older brother, Chase, was a cadet at West Point (Class of 2012) -- and a big influence on the two boys, who met while playing Optimist football.

Chase helped coach the boys' football team before he left for the Academy. He brought home exciting stories about life at West Point and opportunities to travel and study abroad and meet members of Congress and other dignitaries.

"The more I learned about it, the more excited I got. West Point is hallowed ground," said Cyrus, rattling off legendary graduates such as Gens. MacArthur, Grant, Lee and Patton.

While in junior high, Colt and Cyrus began talking about going to West Point. Their parents thought the boys might change their minds along the way, but West Point remained No. 1 on their college lists -- even after they visited Ivy League schools such as Princeton and Cornell last summer.

"They have never wavered from this goal," said Misty Sterk, Colt's mom and a biology teacher at Eagle High.

For the first time in its 83-year history, three seniors from the same graduating class of Gloucester Catholic High School, located in Gloucester City, New Jersey, have been admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Brandon Wethman, Nick Marks, and Devin McCall were nominated earlier this school year by their local congressmen and were recently notified of their appointments.

Wethman, whose grandfathers served in World War II, and an uncle in the Korean Conflict, said he plans to major in defense and strategic studies and military history. "Defense and strategic studies is unique to West Point and has a lot to do with international relations," he says.

Read more

Orienteering:  Cadets Jacob Grant '15 and  William Miller '15 have been named to the U.S. National Team to represent the United States at the Junior World Orienteering Championships at Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, Jun 16 - Jul 7.

Team Handball (Men’s): Men’s Team Handball wrapped up their season with impressive finishes at the national tournament in Reno, NV. West Point Black, competing in the Elite Division, was able to win third place. Jonathon Hunter ’13 again wowed the crowds with his lockdown defense and acrobatic finishes, his defensive spark helped propel the team past a strong Chicago team and into the semi-finals. Sean Boyle ’14 and Ian Emory ’13 were also instrumental in stopping Chicago’s potent attack. In the Firsties' last game against Los Angles, West Point was down a few goals at halftime but Craig Champlin ’13 and Andy Theising ’13 would not be denied a victory in their last game in a West Point uniform and sparked a riveting comeback to claim the bronze medal. Throughout the tournament Connor Holt ’15 and Bryan Teaton ’13 provided the offensive firepower to keep West Point in the games while Bobby Allibone’s ’13 strong defense helped keep goalie Kristian Schott ’13 out of trouble. West Point Gold, competing in the Open Division, finished in fourth place. They received strong contributions from many underclassmen; Corinth Cross ’16 and Nate Green ’15 led the offense while Alec Zeck ’16 and Christian McKenrick ’16 both helped lock down the defense in front of Keith Brittan ’16 in goal.

Chemical Engineering: The West Point Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Club was nominated for national recognition as the Outstanding AIChE Student Chapter for AY2013. Cadet Seamus Bann '15 was nominated as the Donald F. Othmer American Institute of Chemical Engineers National recognition award winner for being the academically top USMA sophomore chemical engineering cadet for AY2013. Cadet James Haworth ’16 was nominated as American Institute of Chemical Engineers Freshman National award winner as the most involved AIChE Student Chapter Member from his class year at USMA for AY2013.

On May 22, 2013 an article appeared in The New York Times regarding an incident that took place at USMA and came to the attention of Academy leaders in 2012. On May 23, the Academy Public Affairs Office issued the following statement:

Dear friends, graduates and supporters,

A Tactical Non-Commissioned Officer assigned to West Point from 2009-2012 is  involved an on-going investigation for possession of inappropriate images taken without consent.  The U.S. Army and the U.S. Military Academy take any violation of the law seriously, and are pursuing all criminal allegations.

Once discovered in 2012, the USMA leadership took action and immediately notified the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command for further investigation, while simultaneously removing the individual from contact with the Corps of Cadets.  The individual was removed from West Point earlier this year.  

He has since been charged with several violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

CID Special Agents, in conjunction with appropriate counselors and support staff, notified all identified potential victims, and the Army will ensure the military justice system works through to its proper conclusion.  The Army will protect the privacy of the individuals involved as well as continue to offer
support services as required.

The Army is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of our cadets at the
Military Academy at West Point.

LTC Webster M. Wright III
USMA PAO

********

Last night, May 22, cadets heard screaming coming from the darkness of the Hudson River. Realizing someone was in the water, Class of 2016 Cadets Sam Mo and Daniel Bleyl, both corps squad swimmers, jumped in the river as classmate Pierre Archambeau notified emergency services. They spent 20 minutes in the river helping the two stranded kayakers tread water before a power boat, operated by Pete Hanlon, the Crew Club officer in charge, along with Cpt. David Lai, an assistant coach, arrived to assist them to shore.

Duston Saunders ’72, Coach of the USMA Pistol Team, has been asked by the Team USA Delegation to coach the USA Pistol Team at the 2013 World University Games.  He will be allowed to have 7 men and 4 women on the team and will be taking Cadets Michael Cheney '13, Shane Greene '14, Heather Deppe '13, Victoria Joye '13, and Melody Yap '15.  Additionally, he will take one collegiate pistol shooter from Navy, The Citadel, The Ohio State University, North Dakota State University, and University of Nebraska each.  They will be competing in Kazan, Russia from 9-17 July against pistol teams from 80+ other countries.

Cadet Drew Long '13 is among 13 future Medical Corps officers who will be attending medical school following graduation from the U.S. Military Academy on May 25. Having achieved the highest grade point average among them, he was presented with the 2013 Richard M. Mason Memorial Award by Col. Felicia F. Pehrson, commander of Keller Army Community Hospital May 21. 

The Life Science major was accompanied by his family -- father, Jeff; mother, Nancy; and brother, Air Force Capt. Brit Long. He was also joined by 10 other classmates as they were welcomed into the Army Medical Corps and received their Army Medical Regimental Crest. Pehrson spoke to them about the passion of Army physicians and how they can affect the lives of so many people in their profession.

"May you never lose your drive and passion to be a healer, and I want to congratulate you and wish you the best in your careers," she said.

Pehrson spent a little time with the Long family before the presentation and congratulated the cadet on graduating with a 4.1 GPA. 

"This is a challenging school with a very challenging program, and it speaks volumes that you did so well," she said. "That's what medical schools look for. They don't just want brains--they're looking for people with character and West Point clearly graduates students who've developed that and tend to be well-rounded."

The award Long earned is named after the 1968 USMA graduate and highly decorated Vietnam War veteran who left the service to pursue a career in medicine. Mason died of cancer in 1977 at the age of 30 and his parents founded the award in his honor.

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All Graduation information can be found on the Parent Information page at westpoint.edu.

Graduation Frequently Asked Questions - Class of 2013 - Updated May 16. 2013
Helpful information for planning your visit!

Map and Shuttle Bus Information - "New"

Commissioning Information

Glee Club: The West Point Glee Club presents its Graduation Concert on Tuesday evening, May 21st at 7:30 p.m. in Eisenhower Hall Theatre. The annual concert is a highlight of USMA Graduation Week, offering a rare opportunity for the public to hear the renowned college choir perform in concert “at home”. The concert will feature contemporary choral selections as well as military, patriotic and West Point songs. Tickets are not required for this free concert.

Crew Team:  The Crew Team competed on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, PA. The team’s final race of the regular season, the annual Dad Vail Regatta draws crews from across the nation and even some from Canada. This year, teams from more than 130 different schools raced the 2000 meter course. There was tough competition, however, the Army team fought hard, with several of its boats making it as far as the grand final. The Novice Men’s Team had a successful weekend. Both of its boats make it to the grand finals, its four placing 6th behind several top notch schools. The eight team came in 4th behind the rowing powerhouse Drexel, Virginia, and Michigan. The Men’s Varsity Eight also rowed hard and advanced to the semi-finals, rounding out their season with a 5th place finish.

Alcohol Awareness: Cadets Andrew Laib and Luke Kramer, with guidance from the Commandant, BTD, Cadet Hostess, and DCA, organized a pilot program “Know Limits: 21st Birthday Training” for alcohol awareness. Cadets were given alcoholic beverages over a meal, and then underwent field sobriety and breathalyzer testing to better understand the effects of alcohol.

G&EnE Projects Day:  G&EnE showcased the work of the Class of 2013 majors during Projects Day. Cadets displayed twenty-four posters in topics such as “Present and Future Spatial Distribution of Collisions in the Newburgh-Middletown Urban Area” (Cadets Benton Beltramo and Michael Williams),  “The Aboriginal People of Taiwan: Maintaining the Culture through Radical Indigenism” (Cadet Alicia Dotson), “Solar Powered Chicken Coop in Rural Uganda” (Cadet Susan Kiernan), and “Wind Sock Representativeness and Terrain Effects: Fort Putnam and the North Dock Area” (EV387 Students). Cadets Justen Anka, Andrew Colvin, Matt Fitzgerald, and Lisa Kim presented their design project, “Composting on FOBs with Waste Shipping Containers,” along with a 3-D model, to judges for the Scott R. Clark Innovation for Soldiers Award. Additionally, two project teams from EV490, Advanced Environmental Engineering Design, met with the intellectual capital team from ARDEC (Picatinny Arsenal) and were invited to apply for patents.

MG390 Negotiation Simulation Exercise:  Cadets enrolled in the BS&L course, “Negotiation for Leaders” (MG390) executed a negotiation simulation exercise on Constitution Island. Cadets were provided scenario information and prepared in advance. They were then evaluated in the conduct of bi-lateral and multi-lateral negotiations, which they conducted with role-players and with other cadets. 

Dirtman Water Challenge:   Cadets enrolled in EV401 (Physical and Chemical Treatment) competed in the annual DIRTMAN Water Challenge.  Cadets applied their knowledge of processes commonly used in drinking water treatment to construct a small-scale treatment system.  Each team of cadets was able to convert effluent from the Target Hill Waste Water Treatment Plant to meet US EPA Drinking Water Standards.

Brooklyn Environmental Remediation Site:   Cadets enrolled in EV488 (Solid and Hazardous Waste Management) travelled to Brooklyn, NY to visit an ExxonMobil remediation site near Newtown Creek (a "superfund" site).  The cadets were able to view a full scale remediation design that targets a large subsurface petroleum spill.

Bruce B. O’Neill Class of 1982 Memorial Cadet Orienteering Award:  The Bruce B. O’Neill Award is presented each year to a cadet on the West Point Orienteering Team who demonstrates excellence in leadership and orienteering skills.  This year’s winner is the Team Captain, Cadet Andrew Eck ‘13, Company F1. Cadet Eck placed 3rd at this year’s intercollegiate championships.

Camp Bucker Water Treatment Plant:  Cadets enrolled in EV401 (Physical and Chemical Processes) conducted a lab at the Camp Buckner Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to complete a field survey of a water treatment “package plant.”

Orienteering Team Awarded at DCA Clubs Night:  The Orienteering team was honored for earning the highest Competitive Club team average for both Academic Performance (team average 3.55) and Military Performance (team average of 3.41).

Scott Clark Award for Innovation:  The Diagnostics on Demand engineering team lead by Cadets Christopher Wallace ‘13, Life Science, and Erik Hunstad ‘13, Computer Science, won the 2013 Clark Innovation for Soldiers Award at Projects Day. The award project was required to “demonstrate an innovative approach to solving a problem of direct application to the Army. [The award is designed] to encourage cadets to demonstrate for soldiers innovations which can benefit soldiers.” The cadet team designed and built a prototype device to assess the presence of metabolic disorders and infectious disease biomarkers in the biological samples from soldiers in the field. This device may lead to on-the-spot diagnosis of conditions affecting deployed soldiers in remote areas who don’t have access to physicians or advanced hospital care facilities. The goal of the team is to provide a robust, hand-held tool for small unit leaders to improve the health care support to their soldiers and the combat effectiveness of their unit.

From the Athletic Director’s Update, The softball team captured the Patriot League Championship with two shutout wins over top-seeded Lehigh.  After defeating Bucknell in the opening game, the softball team was sent to the loser’s bracket with a loss versus Lehigh.  Another win against Bucknell in an elimination game sent the team to the championship round to face the Mountain Hawks.  Morgan Lashley threw back-to-back shutouts, allowing only a total of three hits in the two games to earn tournament MVP honors.  The team earned its first NCAA berth since 2002 and will head to Austin to face No. 4 Texas.  Friday night’s game can be seen live on the Longhorn Network. 

The baseball team will play for the Patriot League title for the third straight season after taking out Navy in two straight games in Annapolis last Saturday.  Chris Rowley set the tone with a complete game in a 4-2 game one victory.  Patrick Mescher provided the big hit in the series-clinching 7-3 win with a two-RBI single that broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning.  The Black Knights will head to top-seeded Holy Cross for the best-of-three championship series beginning with a doubleheader on Sunday.  Not only did the two victories against Navy keep the baseball team’s season alive, it also wrapped up the year’s series with the Mids.  We finished the year even with a 16-16-1 record, including a 7-6 mark in the spring.  Adding in the record versus Air Force, we boasted a 20-18-2 record versus our fellow academies this season.

The track & field team earned some academic recognition this week with the announcement that Scott Geary was named to the Academic All-Patriot League team.  Scott was one of 10 members of the team which honors both athletic and academic performance.

The Army's future leaders have visited members of the Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command to discuss tomorrow's technology with today's experts.

Eight cadets and four West Point faculty members met with members of SMDC/ARSTRAT's Technical Center to discuss laser projects the cadets have been working on.

"We have a cadet team here today that has been working on some high-energy laser weapon research, and they are going to brief their work to the experts here at SMDC, get some feedback from them, and hope some of the work they have produced can be of value to the command," Lt. Col. John Hartke '88, professor of photonics at West Point, said. "The command has always treated us very well. It is always great working with SMDC and one of the great things is that SMDC actually has an office at West Point. The office there always helps us with the synergy between the work we are doing at the academy and the work that SMDC is doing.

"We are looking forward to a great interaction, and it is going to be good to work with the experts who are here -- the people who are doing this every day," he added. "I have five young men who are about to graduate in 30 days and go out to be lieutenants in the Army. Their exposure to SMDC, its mission, and the development of high-energy laser weapons is of great value because when they go out into the Army and they start seeing SMDC people around, they have an understanding of what the people here are doing to help them in the field."

Read more from USASMDC/ARSTRAT Public Affairs

You can also read more about Hartke and other ways West Point is providing intellectual capital for the Army in the Summer 2013 issue of West Point magazine, out this July.

American Society of Civil Engineers Upstate New York 2013 Student Competition: The West Point Student Chapter of the ASCE attended the annual Upstate New York Student Competition.  The competition consisted of several events, including the Mead Paper Presentation, the Steel Bridge Competition, and the Concrete Canoe Competition. Other competing universities included Clarkson University, Cornell University, Ecole de Technologie Superieure, Hudson Valley Community College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo, SUNY Canton and Syracuse University. 

The topic of this year’s Mead Paper Presentation was “Body of Knowledge – Is it Ethical to Associate Credentials with Competency.”  Cadets Joseph Speight and Mark Owens represented West Point by giving presentations on ethics in engineering. Both cadets provided insightful yet different perspectives but in the end, Cadet Joseph Speight took home 1st Place in the Essay Competition. 

The Steel Bridge Team consisted of Team Captain Seth Bell and Team Members Trevor Knowles, Kyle Kilroy, Rich Austring, Chalermpat Pariya-Ekkasut and Joseph Speight. Tasked with designing an all-steel bridge, the West Point Steel Bridge Team designed and manufactured each piece for constructability and performance in mind. The team was able to construct the bridge in less than 30 minutes under numerous constraints, including limitations on freedom of movement in order to represent building the bridge over a river.

The Concrete Canoe team consisted of Team Captain James McLoughlin and Team Members Mark Owens, Aaron Schares, and Alexander Pinigis.  Their final product, a lightweight concrete canoe named “River Rat”, was nothing short of phenomenal.

CE400 Seminar: Mr. Peter Coote, PE, Esq, and USMA 83, presented a seminar on engineering and the law. He emphasized the contribution of the engineering profession to society, stressed importance of ethical behavior, and explained the standard of care.

EP394 Shakespeare - As You Like It:  Cadets enrolled in EP394 Shakespeare performed the Bard‘s comedy As You Like It as part of DEP’s Projects Day activities. Cadets studied and adapted the text, provided a soundtrack, and made a variety of staging and interpretive decisions throughout rehearsals. Every cadet in the class contributed to the success of the performance, with Cadets Liam Phillips and Alix Efaw playing the demanding lead roles of Rosalind and Orlando.

Network Science Excellence Award:  Each year, the NSC presents the Network Science Excellence Award to NSC cadets who work diligently on network science related projects.  There were four winners, two of which were tied for second place.  1st Place: “Leveraging Host Protein Network Topology to Identify Cancer-Causing Pathogens”, Cadet Joseph Hannigan; 2nd place (two-way tie): “Identifying and Isolating Influential Subgroups in Social Media Networks”, Cadet Jeffery Nielson; and” Effective Measures for Predicting Spread in SIS Models”, Cadet Robert Delany; Honorable Mention: “Identifying Sets of Epidemic Spreaders in Complex Networks”, Cadet Geoffrey Moores.   

Department of Energy Excellence in Energy Award:   The USCC Energy and Environmental (E2O) Cadet Chain of Command presented the inaugural Department of Energy (DOE) Excellence in Energy award to the Cadets of Lee Barracks.  Cadets Christopher Boldt and Kiley Hunkler represented 1st Regiment in receiving the award in recognition of reducing their barracks energy consumption by over 10% during Term 13-1. Dr. Unruh, the Program Manager of the Federal Energy Management Program, represented DOE during the presentation of the award.

Brigade Swap Meet:  The D/G&EnE led Energy & Environmental Chain of Command conducted the second annual swap meet on Project‘s Day. Cadets from across the Corps brought and swapped hundreds of uniform items, civilian clothing, books, and shoes. The Swap Meet was a resounding success and all remaining non-uniform items were recycled or donated to Good Will.

DP&NE Projects Day:  The Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering hosted Projects Day and nineteen cadets presented 22 projects resulting from Nuclear Engineering capstone design and individual research.  Demonstrations of the operational High Energy Laser system and the Pelletron Accelerator caused a great deal of interest. Cadets Jordan Smith '13 and Daniel Blaine '15 received the best individual research presentation award from the Department.

AIChE Club Success:  The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Cadet Club received a $500 check from the New York Metro Section of the AIChE for a winning proposal for an Army Strong contingent of 40 AIChE Club Chemical Engineering majors, members of the CH362 course, and faculty to travel to the Newburgh Brewing Company to observe industrial scale science and engineering in action. This trip is tied directly into the CH362 objectives and supports chemical engineering goals, and believe it or not, no alcohol was consumed on this trip.

Metropolitan Museum of Art:  Cadets in EN302 Advanced Composition, EP360 Eastern Art, and EP390 Reading the Frontier, teamed up to spend the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 

British Literature Forum:  The Department of English and Philosophy hosted a joint USMA-Fordham University British Literature Forum.  The forum, organized into four 90-minute panels featuring cadet and student scholarship, addressed a wide range of themes, contexts, and narratives central to the nineteenth- and twentieth-century British and Anglophile literary tradition. Art, Philosophy, and Literature majors included Cadets Ellen Chamberlin, Tim Dore, Alix Efaw, David Faust, Jeff Ferebee, Cait Gamble, Tyler Lamb, Emily McCarthy, Oliver Matheson, and Daniel Zaleski.

Academy Idol Competition:  On Projects Day, DEP hosted the third annual Academy Idol competition. Nine plebes currently enrolled in EN102, having been selected as the best performers in the class of 2016, performed monologues from plays by Shakespeare and Sophocles. Cadet Joseph Burr was named this year‘s “Academy Idol” for his stirring performance as King Lear. Cadets Geoffrey Davis and Raoul Valencia received prizes for second and third place for their portrayals of Titus (from Shakespeare‘s Titus Andronicus) and Oedipus (from Sophocles‘Oedipus Rex), respectively. The monologue competition was followed by a choral competition in which groups of EN102 students recited choral speeches from Greek tragedies.

APL Majors Senior Thesis Projects:  Six Art, Philosophy, and Literature majors who have completed the senior thesis project presented a summary of their work in front of an audience of fellow cadets, faculty, and friends. The Literature track cadets--Cadets Eileen Deegan, Emily McCarthy, and Marshall Moten—participated in a panel discussion similar to the format used at many academic conferences. The Philosophy track cadets—Cadets Patrick Benevento, Eric Brauninger, and Stephanie Wangeman--made individual presentations. Both sets of presentations were followed by a question and answer period. The senior thesis represents a year‘s work under the tutelage of a senior Department faculty member and typically results in a 35-50 page monograph on a subject of important critical debate within the literary or philosophical fields. 

Distinguished Lecture Series:  Mr. Tom Deierlein (USMA ‘89), CEO of ThunderCat Technologies visited West Point to speak to cadets as part of ‘83 DLS. During his visit he had office calls with Department leadership, dined in the cadet mess hall, and discussed values-based leadership and leading through adversity with 40 BS&L majors and cadets. The ‘83 DLS is a core component of the West Point Leadership Center, aiming to advance the study and practice of leadership at the Academy through meaningful engagement with influential leaders from all sectors

Cadet Academic Recognition:  Cadets Katie Wacker ‘14 and Jozlyn McCaw ‘14, and Cadet Victoria Emerson ’13 were inducted into Alpha Phi of New York, the USMA Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociological Honor Society.

Triathlon:  Cadets Brian Trainor ‘13 and Dylan Morgan ’16 represented West Point in the Junior Elite Male Cup and the Under 25 Elite Development Race at the East Coast Elite Triathlon Festival. Trainor finished 10th in the Under 25 Developmental race while Morgan finished 12th in the Junior Elite race and qualified for the Junior Elite National Championships. Cadets Kelly Kingma ’14, Catherine Sedy ’16, and Christian Ryan ’14 travelled to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands to compete in the St. Croix 70.3 (Half-Ironman) Triathlon and brought home the 1st Place Team trophy.  Summary of Awards earned: 1st Place Team: West Point Triathlon; 1st Place Female (18-24): Kelly Kingma; 2nd Place Female (18-24): Catherine Sedy; 3rd Place Male (18-24): Christian Ryan; 2013 Ironman World Championship Qualifier: Kelly Kingma; 2013 Ironman 70.3 World Championship Qualifiers: Kelly Kingma, Catherine Sedy, Christian Ryan.

Crew Team:  The Team journeyed to Whitney Point to compete in the annual New York State Championship Regatta.  Racing against 35 other New York colleges, the Army placed fourth for the overall team points trophy.  The Novice Men’s Eight finished 1st, beating the 2nd place team by a significant margin of 15 seconds. The Novice Women’s Eight made it through the heats and into the finals and finished 6th. The Men’s Varsity Eight advanced to the Grand Finals and ultimately placed 5th.

Marathon Team:  The Marathon Team performed superbly this past weekend at the New Jersey Marathon and Long Branch Half-Marathon. Cadets Marc Samland, Rachel Phillips, and Rex Sheikh set personal records and qualified for the 2014 Boston Marathon. Cadet Johannes Olind finished #8 overall in the half-marathon with a time of 1:18:59 just two weeks after running Boston Marathon. 

Foreign Language and Culture Forum (Korean-American Relations):  Cadets from the Korean-Relations (KARS) arrived in NYC and met with four Old Grads of the years ranging ’91 to ’04. Cadets dined and engaged about West Point and the past/present state of the Corps of Cadets. They received guidance from the Old Grads about their career opportunities and what life is like outside of the Army.

Mr. Randy Cate, President of the West Point Parents Club of Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia presented a check for $30,000 to the West Point Association of Graduates for the Class of 2013. This gift was made possible through the sale of West Point afghans, an annual fundraiser in support of each graduating class. This year, the Parents Club sold more than 1,000 afghans, interwoven with the Class of 2013 crest.

“We are pleased to present this gift in support of the Class of 2013,” said Cate on behalf of the Parents Club during a check presentation in Jefferson Hall on May 2. “We congratulate them on their successful completion of the 47-month West Point experience, and we thank them for taking on the challenge of leading soldiers in today’s Army.” This is the 11^th year that the West Point Parents Club of Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia has sold afghans in support of the graduating class. And over the past several years, it has donated more than $170,000 to the West Point Association of Graduates through this fundraising effort. Class of 2014 afghans will go on sale in August. If you are interested in purchasing your own afghan, ordering information will be posted on www.west-point.org/parent/wppc-mddcva in early August.  

Last month, the West Point Parents Club of New Jersey (WPPCNJ) presented a check for $13,759 to the Class of 2013 as well. This gift was a result of the WPPCNJ’s fundraising effort to sell Challenge Coins designed for each West Point graduating class. All of the profits from these sales are in turn donated to that class. Going forward, the WPPCNJ aims to increase the contribution to each successive graduating class as word spreads about these coins. If you are interested in purchasing a coin, please visit http://tinyurl.com/a7rvjuv. 

“The support of our West Point Parents Clubs is so important to the Association and the Academy,” says Natalie Worthan, the WPAOG’s Assistant Director of Annual Giving. “These clubs help unify parents and past parents with a common thread and mission—to give their time, talents, and gifts in support of West Point and the Corps of Cadets. The clubs have become a strong and active fundraising network that aims to advance the West Point experience for cadets and play an important role in our For Us All Campaign, the WPAOG’s $350-million fundraising initiative. We could not be more grateful for the outstanding work and generosity shown by our Parents Clubs.” 

Army firsties Chris Boldt, Nate Combs (pictured), Ben Jebb,Zach Watts and Will Wilson have been honored as members of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) 2013 Hampshire Honor Society. The list is comprised of college football players from all divisions who were starters or significant contributors, and maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2 while completing their eligibility.

A total of 703 players from 259 schools qualified for membership in the program’s seventh year. Army’s five selections tied a program best and were the most among the service academies.

Read more from Army Athletics

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Cadet Antonia Allen '13 was recently selected by Chrysler Group LLC to receive a GEM Master's Fellowship as a member of the 2013 GEM Fellowship cohort and will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall.

Allen, from El Paso, Texas, was chosen for her academic merit as an electrical engineering major. She joins an elite class of 3,000 past GEM Fellows. "I think it is easy to sometimes underestimate what you can accomplish or second-guess yourself, so for me, this honor represents … validation of my abilities as a scholar," said Allen, who plans to follow in her grandfather's footsteps by serving in the military. "I think it is
important to search for ways to continually improve … and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to become a better scholar and a more qualified leader for the soldiers I will one day command."

The mission of the U.S. Military Academy is to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the United States Army. Allen will be commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army upon graduation at West Point May 25.

More than 200 guests attended the West Point Association of Graduates’ Donor Tribute Day to see firsthand the impact of their support on the Corps of Cadets and to celebrate each other’s commitment to West Point.

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Projects Day at the United States Military Academy began in 2000 when one academic department invited external guests to witness the applied research its cadets had done in support of the Army and the Department of Defense. Now, with projects sponsored by over 80 agencies and organizations, including the West Point Association of Graduates, Projects Day encompasses research in all 13 academic departments, the Department of Military Instruction, and the Department of Physical Education. According to Brigadier General Tim Trainor ’83, Dean of the Academic Board, sponsor feedback from the event demonstrates that the quality of work being done by our cadets is “phenomenal” and “making a difference.” Major Riley Post ’01, Economics Instructor with the Department of Social Sciences, told a group of graduate donors that he sees Projects Day as a microcosm of West Point. “Today, we get to see a return on investment… three-to-four years coming to academic fruition,” he said, but he also linked his own cultural immersion experience as a cadet in 2000 with Crossroads Africa with his work as a company commander in 2007 building trust with tribal leaders in Basra, Iraq, to suggest that these projects will continue to pay dividends for the cadets later in their Army careers. With over 250 research posters, papers, and presentations taking place all over post, Projects Day and West Point will be making a difference for our country well into the future.

See Photos from Projects Day 2013.

CIT Interdisciplinary Operational Energy CAPSTONE:  The Core Interdisciplinary Team (CIT) kicked off its CAPSTONE event in CH102/152 culminating its first year of implementation. This year-long program focused on engaging the plebe class on operational energy issues via an interdisciplinary/collaborative approach in PL100, MA103/104, IT105, EN101, and CH101/151/102/152 in order to help generate an Energy-Informed Culture within the Corps and Staff & Faculty.

Mission Command Leader-2-Leader:  In partnership with the Simon Center, CALDOL facilitated a Leader-2-Leader (L2L) session centered on the experiences of  four leaders from Black Knight Troop 3/61 CAV who fought the 3 October 2009 Battle of COP Keating. CPT Stoney Portis, CPT Andrew Bundermann, CPT Chris Cordova, and 1SG Jonathan Hill vividly described harrowing moments from the fight, immersing cadets in their experiences as a catalyst for conversation and learning. 

The Concrete Canoe Team:  The USMA Concrete Canoe team took their vessel, the River Rat, for its maiden and final voyage around Lusk Reservoir. For an independent study project, a five person team consisting of Cadets James Mcloughlin, Mark Owens, Aaron Schares, Alex Pingis and Nate Ryba completed two semesters of independent study, research, and design culminating in the construction of a concrete vessel for competition at the ASCE Northeast student regional conference in April 2013. Upon completion of testing their craft, the team sectionalized the canoe for projects day display, to investigate the causes of cracking and to ascertain the performance of the post tensioning cable they installed after casting

ME496 Capstone Live-fire Range Testing at Picatinny Arsenal:  USMA Cadets Steve Hart ’13, Paige Youngerman ’13, and Chris Retsch ’13, and research engineers from the Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC) conducted live fire range testing of a 40mm non-lethal grenade obscurant at Picatinny Arsenal’s Range.  The 40mm non-lethal grenade was developed as part of ME496, Mechanical Engineering Capstone.

Habitat for Humanity-Westchester:  Led by Cadet Nick Pappas, two cadet teams enthusiastically and effectively assisted Habitat for Humanity-Westchester in the reconstruction of a 130 year old house in Yonkers, NY. This house, when completed, will go to support an OEF/OIF veteran and his/her family.

Mechanical Engineering Club and Program Manager, Engineer for JPADS:  The Club hosted Mr. Aaron Mebust, Program Manager for US Department of Defense Joint Precision Airdrop Systems (JPADS) Programs of Record, and Mr. Justin Barber, JPADS Research and Development Manager and Engineer. Mr. Mebust and Mr. Barber, working for Airborne Systems, Inc., have been deeply involved in the development of the T-11, MC-6, and ARAPS personnel parachutes. 

West Point Negotiation Project Workshop:  BS&L's Negotiation Project hosted the West Point Negotiation Workshop, for 86 participants, in Jefferson Hall. Workshop participants included 58 West Point cadets, 18 visiting cadets, 8 officers, and 2 FBI agents. Visiting cadets came from the U.S. Naval Academy, Royal Military College (Canada), and ROTC programs at Yale, Princeton, MIT, Cornell, St. Bonaventure, and Texas A&M. Cadets learned the importance of negotiation as a leader competency, were introduced to a framework for systematic analysis of negotiation situations, and practiced negotiating in a series of role-playing exercises.

Cadets-Created Teaching Aids for STEM Education:  ME370 cadets were tasked with designing a teaching aid to demonstrate a college-level principle related to STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to cadets in the 7th – 12th grade.  The six winning devices will be manufactured and the cadet designers will be given the opportunity to travel with the Director of the Center for STEM Education on an Urban STEM Outreach trip to demonstrate their device. Manufacture of the teaching aids and cadet travel are being supported by the Center for STEM Education.

Education and Professional Development Colloquium:  Eight cadets from the Department of Systems Engineering attended the Military Operations Research Societies (MORS) "Education and Professional Development Colloquium" held at the Naval Academy.  Five cadets presented their honors work and all eight participated in the group case study competition. The cadets efforts led to their groups being awarded the first, second and third place finishes amongst tough competition.

Service Academy Design Challenge: Cadet Killian Burns, Steve Davidson, Sungi Cho, and Max Saurwein travelled to Shalimar, FL (near Eglin AFB) to compete in the Service Academy Design Challenge. This year’s challenge required teams to build a horizontal gap crossing system for use by squads in traversing varied obstacles up to 20 feet across.

 Goldman Sachs Growth Markets Summit Participation:  Six cadets from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering travelled with Dr. Jon Malinowski to the Goldman Sachs Growth Markets Summit in New York. The all-day event, simulcast around the world, featured 43 speakers and panelists sharing their thoughts on globalization, world affairs, and the economy.

3rd Place at National Security Innovation Competition:  Cadets Paul (Mitch) Johnson, Brandon Clumpner, and Ethan Naylor won 3rd place along with a $2,500 cash prize at the Seventh Annual National Security Innovation Competition held at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. The competition serves as a venue to link college students conducting cutting-edge research on concepts and technologies intended to meet national security and defense capability needs, with government and industry consumers. The Cadets presented their work titled “Mobile Flame Suppression System (MFSS): An Autonomous Approach to Individualized Flame Injury Protection" which is also their ME496 Mechanical Engineering Design Senior Capstone Project.  Winners of 1st and 2nd Place were PhD research projects, making West Point’s team the top undergraduate project at this international competition for the second year in a row.

Student Workshop on Civil-Military Operations (SWCMO). The Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations held the first annual Student Workshop on Civil-Military Operations (SWCMO).  The event allowed nearly 100 EV482 cadets and guest students from Middlebury College to intensely examine Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR

Energy Security Research:  Cadet Mary Prakel and Dr. John Farr from the Center for Nation Reconstruction and Capacity Development and the Department of Systems Engineer briefed their methodology on conducting cost benefit analysis for energy security projects in Washington.  Based upon comments from the presentations, the methodology is being refined and comments addressed and will be briefed to Army leadership this summer for final approval.

American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Mid-Atlantic Section Meeting:  Three cadets conducting independent research (NE489) travelled to the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Mid-Atlantic Section Meeting at the NYC College of Technology in Brooklyn, NY to present their work. The cadets delivered poster presentations: Cadet Chris Malachosky on Optical Flash from Nuclear Weapons, Cadet Chris Antweiler on Dry Storage Casks for Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, and Cadet Brandon Passons on Diffraction Enhanced Imaging using Accelerator-generated X-ray.  All three cadets were recognized with the Best Student Poster Presentation Awards.  The travel was funded by the Class of 67 Endowed Chair MACC Account.

UAS Capstone Project:  Cadets Mario Turi and Matt Oechsel briefed the results of their capstone research project to MG William T. Crosby, the Army’s Program Executive Officer for Aviation, and to staff members from the Army Project Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), at Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, AL. The project was prompted by costly mishaps caused by unmanned aircraft operator errors, which the cadets traced to the monotony of some UAS operations and resulting operator inattention. Cadets Turi and Oechsel, and along with their teammates Phil Hilaire and Chris Law, investigated approaches to the problem that involved both the human and machine components of the UAS, and ran an experiment to determine the ability of over-the-counter energy drinks to increase alertness in a UAS operation scenario. They recommended a commercially available alertness monitor currently used by long-distance Australian truck drivers as the best long-term solution.

IEEE Green Technologies Conference:   Cadet Brian Severson, accompanied by LTC Dan Bennett, presented the accepted paper “Feasibility Study of Photovoltaic Panels in Military Temporary Housing Structures” at the IEEE 5th Annual Green Technologies Conference.   This paper, as part of the Army’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory’s (CERL) efforts, looks at ways to reduce the amount of energy consumed by temporary barracks structures, B Huts, and the resultant cost and inherent danger of providing fuel to Army outposts in deployed environments. 

West Point Camporee 2013 STEM Outreach:  Cadets and faculty from the Electronic Experimenter’s Group (ELEX) and EECS volunteered to support the 51st annual West Point Camporee. The cadets provided an interactive demonstration of common military robots that are currently fielded within the Army and included a challenge to recover inert, training-aid IEDs. The ELEX members also provided demonstrations of current club projects such as the ELEX Tri-color LED sign and Le Dominoux (LED dominoes). 

Earth Week:  The Energy & Environmental (E2O) Chain of Command led the Corps of Cadets in a celebration of Earth Week.

Research Presentation:  Cadets Frank Arnold ‘14, Dan Blaine '15, Jay Trexler '14, Bobby Allibone '13, Jordan Smith '13, Tyler Federwisch '13, Tim Bowers '13, Cliff Crofford '13, from the departments of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Civil and Mechanical Engineering, and Systems Engineering presented to the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) in Huntsville, Al. The cadets spent over two hours presenting their work to members of SMDC's Directed Energy Directorate on the use of a high energy laser weapon system for the defense against mortar attacks.

IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Practical Robot Applications:  At this conference, Cadet Stuart Baker presented a paper entitled “GPU Assisted Processing of Point cloud Data Sets for Ground Segmentation in Autonomous Vehicles” that described how graphics processors could improve the processing of data from LiDAR systems.   

The lacrosse team learned that John Glesener is one of 25 candidates for the 2013 Tewaaraton Award, which is presented to the nation’s top player.  The five finalists will be announced on May 9.  Also, Brendan Buckley earned his second straight Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor. 

In Golf, Army finished the season third at the Patriot League Championship.  Plebe Marcus Plunkett finished second and was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, as well as collecting first team All-Patriot League honors.  Yearling Robby Hill tied for sixth and cow Brandon Baerwaldt tied for ninth to earn second team All-Patriot League accolades.  In baseball, Army finished third in the Patriot League standings.  They will travel to Annapolis, MD to face Navy in a best-of-three Patriot League Semifinal Series May 11-12. 

Tactics Club: The Small Unit Tactics team conducted their final field training exercise (FTX) in the West Point training areas. The club conducted a forced foot march into sector, tactical movement over terrain, a dynamic air assault raid demonstration (ASSLT), two day and night raids and an ambush.  During the joint FTX, 25 members of the club teamed with 6 members of the United States Navy Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC).  Platoon Sergeant, CDT Garrett Kennedy was recognized by the Sea Cadets as being extremely professional, knowledgeable and key to their integration into training.

Pipes & Drums: The United States of Corps of Cadets completed their first recording session with SSG Lane of the USMA Band. The Pipes & Drums recorded on the main stage of Eisenhower Hall Theatre where they played their first of three sessions of recording material. 

Skeet & Trap:
The team donned their India whites for an unforgettable evening at the Union League Club of New York, which was especially memorable thanks to the opportunity for the cadets to meet Chief of Staff of the Army, GEN Raymond Odierno.  The team also enjoyed remarks at their dinner by K.T. McFarland, who served in the Nixon and Reagan administrations and now is a national security analyst for Fox News. On Sunday, the team hosted the Union League shooters at USMA Range 10 for our annual shooting match, winning  458 to 425.

Electronics Experimenters Group: Cadets from the Electronic Experimenter’s Group (ELEX) and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science volunteered to support the 51st annual West Point Camporee. The cadets provided an interactive demonstration of common military robots that are currently fielded within the Army. The ELEX members also provided demonstrations of current club projects such as the ELEX Tri-color LED sign and Le Dominoux (LED dominoes).  

Scuba: Team members of the USMA SCUBA club certified 20 basic and 3 advanced divers during the last Open Water class of the academic year at the underwater dive park at Dutch Springs, PA.  The final dive of the weekend was a team tradition where the Firsties wear their dress grey uniform in lieu of a wetsuit to say a final farewell to Dutch Springs and their career as a NAUI Diving Instructor at USMA.

Protestant Chapel Choir: The Protestant Chapel Choir journeyed down to the US Naval Academy for a bit of inter-choir bonding.  The cadets went on a walking tour of the "Yard" in Annapolis, visited the Naval Academy museum, and toured the giant water tanks and wind tunnels used by the midshipmen for their engineering projects. A local Annapolis graduate hosted both the Army and Navy Protestant choirs for a social, which included a hymn sing and a thrilling 7-5 Army victory over Navy in Ultimate Frisbee. The next day, the two choirs combined for Sunday services in the Naval Academy's beautiful chapel.

Outdoor Sports: Two Bass Fishing teams competed in the FLW College Fishing division at Smith Mountain Lake, Va.  The team of David Collins ’13 and Parker Hite ’15 landed two bass and finished in the top half of the 50 boat field. Collins and Hite missed qualifying for the Northern Regionals by only one pound. The team has two more opportunities to qualify.  The Bass Fishing forum also launched from Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey and landed 11 stripers putting more than 40 pounds of fish in the cooler for the upcoming end-of-year fish fry.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will deliver remarks at the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2013 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 25. 

About 1,000 cadets are expected to graduate and be commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army after completing their 47-month leadership experience at West Point. 

Each year, hundreds of cadets from all academic departments participate in Projects Day by presenting a design project or thesis. Whether individually or as a team, cadets demonstrate their ability to integrate academic and military knowledge and skills, as well as demonstrate presentation and communications skills. The event also gives cadets a chance to explore majors, learn from examples, and fulfill an integrative experience requirement.

Check back later today for photos and coverage by WPAOG.

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