A two-goal performance in her collegiate debut propelled first-year Megan Raftery of the Army West Point women's lacrosse team to being named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on Monday. Raftery was one of three cadet-athletes with multiple goals in the team's season-opening 12-9 win over Monmouth on Saturday, converting on both of her free position attempts in the game. The Setauket, N.Y., native added a pair of ground balls and a draw control against the Hawks. The Black Knights return to Michie Stadium for their home opener against Hudson Valley rival Marist on Saturday. The opening draw is scheduled for 11 a.m. Read More

Two cadet teams from the capstone course Applied Systems Design and Decision Making, from the Department of Systems Engineering began work on their projects this past week: Highland Falls Revitalization. The cadets met with Highland Falls Village Mayor, Joe D'Onofrio, and Chamber of Commerce, Jim Modlin '77 to discuss initial project work and understand key project deliverables. The two projects will focus primarily on economic revitalization, to include:

• Growth and development
• New business opportunities
• Identifying and understanding key stakeholders
• Infrastructure needs of the Village
• The relationship between Highland Falls and West Point

Following weeks of in the pool, the Army West Point men's and women's swimming and diving teams are ready to get back into the water for the Patriot League Championships.

Sabrina Mortell has swam several solid times this season, including the fourth fastest in the Patriot League in the 1000 free (10:05.15). Fellow Cadet Meaghan McGovern holds the fifth fastest in the event at 10:09.28. Mortell also carries the fifth-fastest 1650 free time at 17:10.99.

Tom Ottman has performed well in the distance events and currently holds the top time in the league in the 1650 free at 15:28.50. He also ranks fourth in the 1000 (9:11.33) and third in the 500 (4:27.26) free.

The meet begins on Wednesday in Annapolis, Md., and will end on Saturday Feb. 17th. Meet Schedule - Video: Patriot League Network - Live Results: NavySports.com - Twitter: ArmyWP_SwimDive.

The Persian Forum met with the Zoroastrian community of the greater New York City area and observed their midwinter celebration of Saddeh at NY Zoroastrian Fire Temple in Pomona, NY. The festivities included Zoroastrian prayers recited in an ancient Indo-European language, the lighting of a great bonfire, various speeches in Persian and English on the significance of the occasion, dinner and dancing. Cadets mingled with the members of the community and learned about Zoroastrianism in both Persian and English.

Cole Casanova of the Army West Point gymnastics team has been named the Army West Point Athletic Association Athlete of the Week and Eastern College Athletic Conference Gymnast of the Week. Casanova led the field at the All-Academy Championships with a career-high 80.050. The Dallas, Texas, native earned four other career-high marks in the meet in which the Black Knights produced a season-best 399.550. The cow posted a score of 13.0 on rings, and on vault an Army season best score of 14.3. The Black Knights will be back in action on February 24 for senior day.

Dr. Nicholas Olijnyk, USMA Library's Liaison to the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and lead for digital initiatives, recently published a research article in the peer-reviewed journal, PLoS ONE. The article, titled, "Examination of China's performance and thematic evolution in quantum cryptography research using quantitative and computational techniques," presents an analysis of China's research capabilities in quantum cryptography, a game-changing technology for national security. The analysis was performed by plotting research impact measures and utilizing open source research metadata to map the intellectual structure and dynamics of China's quantum cryptography research efforts over the last 17 years. The findings provide an empirical indication that there has been a major shift in the international quantum cryptography research landscape. China has replaced the United States with respect to quantum cryptography research performance, likely a product of increased investment and international collaboration. For additional details, see the full article at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0190646.

Army hosted the Naval Academy Pistol Team for the annual Army-Navy Pistol Match recently. Army won the overall match with a three-event aggregate score of 6343 to Navy's 6162. Army won the first event, Air Pistol, with a four-person team score of 2209 to Navy's 2192. Garrett Plant '19 shot the team high score of 556 out of a possible 600. Army won the second event, Standard Pistol, with a four-person team score of 2108 to Navy's 2019. Quin Cochran '19 shot the match high score of 540 out of a possible 600. The final event, Free Pistol, was fired Sunday morning. Army won the event with a four-person team score of 2026 to Navy's 1951. Caleb Roth '19 shot the match high score of 516 out of a possible 600. Army did not have enough women to field a women's team but Liz Irving '19 shot the match high score of 558 out of a possible 600 in Women's Sport Pistol.

Cadets and faculty from the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership's (BS&L) Management Program visited Apollo Global Management Group in New York City. At Apollo the cadets were given classes and exposed to Apollo's various lines of business to include private equity, credit markets, and real assets. Additionally, cadets were exposed to Apollo's senior executives who shared their leadership insights and advice. The visit also included a discussion with multiple West Point graduates who currently work at Apollo. Apollo Global Management continues to partner with BS&L and the Management Program through multiple summer Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) experiences.

After holding NJIT to just four shots in the first half, the No. 12 Army West Point men's lacrosse team topped its opponent 14-5 at Michie Stadium Tuesday evening. Nate Jones recorded his second straight hat trick, while Sean O'Brien, Conor Glancy, Matt Manown, Ted Glesener and David Symmes all added two goals apiece. John Ragno went 12-for-13 on the faceoff and captured eight groundballs in the effort. Jon LaMonica led the way on defense picking up five ground balls. Army held NJIT scoreless for 30 minutes of the matchup. AJ Barretto was Army's starting goalie and is now 3-0 against the Highlanders. This was the third meeting between Army and NJIT. The Black Knights allowed just five goals which is a low in the series. Today's hat trick by Jones was the fifth of his career and the second of the 2018 season. Read More

Dr. David Frey, Dr. Michael Geheran, CPT Rick Lovering, and COL Jason Musteen of the History Department and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies accompanied 70 plebes to Washington, D.C. on the 23rd annual Beitler Family Foundation Holocaust Memorial Museum Visit. Cadets spent a half-day exploring the nation's capital, followed by a full day of intensive study at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. At the Museum, they were welcomed by Amanda Rooney-Stierli, who coordinates programs for military and government officials. Ms. Rooney-Stierli encouraged the cadets to reflect on how studying the Holocaust brings to light the dynamics that make mass atrocity possible, and think creatively about means of prevention.

With this prompt, cadets explored the Museum's permanent exhibit, which walked them through the rise of National Socialism and the spread of antisemitism, the gradual, step-by-step implementation of repression, and finally, the genocide of Europe's Jewish population and other “undesirables.” In the afternoon, cadets explored the Museum's special exhibits, including the “Syria: Please Don't Forget Us” exhibit, which featured cloths smuggled out of a government prison that record the names – scrawled in blood and rust - of Syrian prisoners. In addition, more than 55,000 photographs of victims and documents of the Assad regime smuggled out of the country are also on display. The day culminated with a presentation and discussion with a Holocaust survivor Alfred Münzer, who shared his moving stories of persecution, loss, and liberation. The Museum and the survivors inspired powerful self-reflection. As one cadet put it, “If there are problems within my control, I must take action. As an officer, I cannot be a bystander.”

The Psychology program of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership (BS&L) welcomed a visit and guest presentation with Steve and Liz Alderman, founders of the Peter C. Alderman Foundation. Dr. and Mrs. Alderman founded the Peter C. Alderman Foundation in the name of their son, who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. They founded this foundation with the goal to help people to rebuild, recover and thrive. The Foundation is a humanitarian and social innovation agency with operations in Africa and Asia, with programs to strengthen mental health and recovery for communities devastated by war and armed conflict. Dr. and Mrs. Alderman presented some of the Foundation's work with war traumatized populations in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia to Psychology program cadets and faculty. This work includes the First Lieutenant Daren M. Hidalgo Program for returned child soldiers in northern Uganda, maternal mental health programs, and psychosocial programs for South Sudan refugees interned in Rhino Camp in northern Uganda.

For the third time in five seasons, the Army West Point hockey team will be part of the opening ceremonies for a new rink. The Black Knights will take on Bentley this weekend for a two-game series in the Falcons' brand-new rink - Bentley Arena. Army and Bentley will face off for the second time in 2018 after meeting back in early January. The Black Knights came away with three points off a Friday night tie and a Saturday night shutout win. The opening ceremonies for the rink will begin Friday night prior to the 7:05 p.m. puck drop. Army has captured 24 points so far this season with nine league wins and six ties. The Black Knights currently sit in sixth place in AHA standings. Michael Wilson leads the squad with 26 points on 17 goals and nine assists. He is the only player in double-digits for goals. He is also first on the roster in power play goals (9) and is tops in game-winning goals with five. Dalton MacAfee leads the team with 17 assists this year and is followed by Dominic Franco (16), Tyler Pham (12) and Wilkinson (12). Read More

The Army West Point Nordic Ski Team competed in the University of Vermont (UVM) Invitational races held at the Sleepy Hollow Inn Nordic and Bike Center in Huntington, VT. This was the third event of the Eastern Collegiate Ski Conference (ECSC) season. The ECSC is a member of the United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA). The team competed against racers from Castleton, Clarkson, Cornell, Hamilton, Sterling, UVM and Wellesley. Roughly 100 racers were competing. West Point was represented by Ben Brea '18, Peter Elmlinger '19 and Tyler Stansbury '19, and Luke Purdy '21 and Logan Stansbury '21, this was the very first Nordic racing event for the Plebes. The races consisted of men's and women's relay races on Saturday and mixed-gender relay racing on Sunday. The West Point team is consistently improving.

Photo: Ben Brea racing on as part of a mixed-gender team that included teammate Peter Elmlinger and two women from Wellesley Colleg

Eighteen female cadets and six female faculty met for lunch for the department's eleventh Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Systers Luncheon. The luncheons are designed to bring female students and faculty in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Technology together in a casual, relaxing environment. Cadets and faculty alike enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with each other, and make new friends.

During the meeting they welcomed new majors discussing upcoming outreachs and professional development events. EECS Systers is USMA's chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery's Council on Women in Computing (ACM-W).

The Skeet & Trap team was lucky enough to join friends at Mashomack Preserve for a morning pheasant hunt. Joining the team was LTG Robert Caslen '75, Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, who spoke to the club and team about today's pressing national security issues. The team was very appreciative of Mashomack for their continued support and hospitality, and looks forward to having them up at Range 10 for a clays shoot in the fall.

Rosemary Martorana and Dean Baratta, formerly of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, guest lectured to cadets taking the Combating Terrorism Center's Homeland Security and Defense course. They discussed a wide range of domestic terrorism threats and provided students with unique insights into how state and local jurisdictions combat these threats on a daily basis.

Through one day of competition at the Patriot League Championships, the Army West Point men's swimming and diving team sits in second place with 107 points. Navy leads the pack with 132 points in its home pool. Boston U. (72), Bucknell (71) and Loyola (67) trail Army and round out the top-five with Lehigh (63), Colgate (61), Lafayette (43), American (39) and Holy Cross (36) right behind.

The Army West Point women's swimming and diving team left Lejeune Pool in third place at the end of the first day of the Patriot League Championships. Through one day, Navy leads the pack with 80 points, with Lehigh (64), Army (62), Boston U. (60) and Loyola (58) rounding out the top five with American (46), Colgate (46), Holy Cross (44), Lafayette (32) and Bucknell (30) trailing.

The January 2018 cover article in the Combating Terrorism Center's (CTC) monthly publication,
The CTC Sentinel, received widespread news coverage after its publication on 24 January. The article, written by scholars Fernando Reinares and Carola García-Calvo and entitled “'Spaniards, You're Going to Suffer:'” The Inside Story of the August 2017 Attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils,” featured new information about the attacks in Catalonia, Spain, last summer. The New York Times was the first to report on the article's findings, including the possibility that the cell was targeting Paris for an attack as well, in a story written by Rukmini Callimachi. Reporting on the article's findings also appeared online at Newsweek, ABC News, Fox News, and other news sites as well as the Associated Press.

The Army West Point women's basketball team had three Cadets score in double-figures to help avenge an early-season overtime loss and defeat Holy Cross, 66-57, in a Patriot League road contest on Wednesday night at the Hart Center. Janae McNeal and Madison Hovren both finished with double-doubles and pushed their double-digit scoring streaks to six games after putting in 25 and 16, respectively. Hovren went 6-for-12 from the field and corralled 12 rebounds to pair with her scoring total. McNeal recorded a season-best 12 rebounds for Army (13-12, 6-8 Patriot League) and had an overall complete game on the floor, shooting 10-for-17, while also picking up a season-best five steals. Daizjah Morris was key defensive presence for the Black Knights, but got it done on the offensive end as well, capping her night with 12 points against the Crusaders (10-15, 5-9 Patriot League). Read More

The Cadet Competitive Cyber Team (C3T) hosted world renowned software reverse engineer, Mr. Chris Eagle for their annual Reverse Engineering (RE) Workshop. For over 30 hours, the cadets work for on 17 distinct problems with a total of 193 solves for the entire team. Mr. Eagle is a fantastic educator on the foundations of computer science. Using capture-the-flag challenges, he covers a tremendous breadth of topics including memory layout, hardware design, compiler implementations and operating system internals. C3T reviewed problems from this past year s All-Army Cyberstakes Competition while preparing for the spring season competitions of Boston Key Party and Plaid CTF.

In appreciation of his continual support to the USMA Cyber Team, the C3T coaches surprised Mr. Eagle with a well overdue honor. He was awarded the Military Cyber Professional Association s Silver Order of Thor medal (SoT) to recognize his great contributions to the military cyber community. Mr. Eagle is the author of the IDA Pro Book, two-time DEFCON CTF champion, the system architect for the DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge, and a Senior Lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School. Mr. Eagle has been the graduate school advisor to C3T coaches and alumni and has worked with C3T members on Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) over the past 4 years. Mr Eagle is also a retired Navy Lieutenant Commander. The workshop was an incredible, unparalleled, educational/developmental experience for the C3T. These cadets will be better (cyber) officers as a direct result of Mr. Eagle s time. The dedicated training he provides the C3T Team would cost over $60,000 in tuition alone as provided during the Black Hat training events in Las Vegas.