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Staying Committed: LTC (P) Tom Nelson ’04
During his time as a cadet at West Point, Lieutenant Colonel (Promotable) Tom Nelson’s commitment to a military career began to solidify. “The challenges and purpose-driven environment fueled my determination,” he says; “however, it was when the Army offered me the opportunity to attend graduate school and teach in the USMA Department of Math that I knew I’d be in for a career.”
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Alternate Routes
I grew up in Happy Camp, California, a small logging community where Bigfoot statues outnumber stoplights four to zero. When I was 6 years old, my mom called me and my siblings into the house to watch Neil Armstrong become the first person to walk on the moon. Like so many kids from that era, that became my dream, and I knew I had a lot of work to do.
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Grads of the Ghost Army
It took 50 years to declassify their actions and another 28 years for its soldiers to get recognition for their role in World War II; however, on March 21, 2024 the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, popularly known as “The Ghost Army,” received the highest honor Congress bestows, a Congressional Gold Medal, an award first given to George Washington in 1776.
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New Captains Lead with Vision
On June 13, 2020, members of the Class of 2020, sitting six feet apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic, graduated on the Plain, without any friends or family present.
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The Special Forces Scholar
Since 1960, nearly 150 West Point graduates have pursued graduate study as Olmsted Scholars, many of whom later rose to important positions of senior leadership in the Army (including Ambassador and General John P. Abizaid ’73 [Retired], former Commander, U.S. Central Command; and Lieutenant General Patrick J. Donahue ’80 [Retired], former Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Forces Command).
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Duty, Honor, Country—All the Way!
“Stand up! Hook up! Shuffle to the door! Airborne!” Now imagine taking a long walk toward, not away from, a mine or IED and diffusing it without a bomb suit or robot, instead with what could be jumped in: rope, scissors, and explosives. Fire in the hole! Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) combined with Airborne—that’s courageous, selfless service.
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Eyes Right: No Excuse
Throughout the entirety of my first year at West Point, these were the only four acceptable answers to any question. I collided with this new reality a generation ago, on Reception Day in June 1992. A cadet wearing a red sash told me to learn only these four responses during Beast Barracks.
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West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center: Now More than Ever
The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (CTC) has been featured in the pages of West Point magazine before; however, those articles came at a time when counterterrorism played a central role in national security and in the lives of graduates.
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The West Point Coaches’ Character-Building Formula
Using an unwritten formula, West Point coaches have inspired and helped train thousands of cadets to become commissioned leaders of character. What principles would be on the West Point coach’s blueprint for character? It could start, “I am a West Point coach who coaches warrior athletes,” and would likely include an ethos about Duty, Honor, Country and the Army values. Coaching philosophies from each West Point coach would provide additional principles to the formula.
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Celebrating 20 Years: The Master Teacher Program
The United States Military Academy is investing in faculty development. On May 13, 2024, the Master Teacher Program (MTP) celebrated two important milestones: completing 20 years in existence and surpassing 1,000 graduates.
