Cadets studying abroad in Taiwan had the opportunity to visit Xining market in Taipei where they had the chance to browse through local stores and delicacies. While exploring the local culture, they had the opportunity to visit a Taoist temple where locals visit and wish for success for the upcoming New Year. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2018 is the Year of the Dog.

The Army West Point women's tennis team finished off its 3-0 weekend with a thrilling 4-3 victory over NJIT on Sunday afternoon at the Lichtenberg Tennis Center. The Black Knights improved to 9-4 with their fifth straight win, while the Highlanders dropped to an even 4-4 on the season. Army improved to 8-2 in the all-time series against NJIT. It was the team's fourth straight win over the Highlanders. Melanie Allen and Ana Joyner improved to 14-9 as a duo and 7-4 in duals at the top position. Rookie Hannah Boubel clinched the match for the Black Knights. Boubel earned her fifth dual win. Danna Funaro picked up her 10th singles win of the year. Kirby Einck joins Joyner, Boubel and Funaro as Cadets with multiple wins on the weekend. Read More

The Annual Army-Navy Ski Race was at Victor Constant Ski Area West Point. This year the cadets squared off against the Midshipmen in a head to head competition in Alpine and Freestyle skiing. The Alpine event would be a winner take all, best run format in the disciplines of Giant Slalom and Slalom. The best of two runs would be added for the top 3 men and top 2 women on each team, with the lowest team total declared the winner. In Freestyle, a Rail Jam session, composed of two rails, with the highest scoring individual trick used to determine the winner in Men's and Women's Snowboard and Men's Skiing. After the morning Slalom and an excellent forerun by LTG Robert L Caslen Jr., Army sat 1,2,3 on the men's side, and 2,3 on the women's. Sawyer Harkins was fastest on the men's side and Anna Faux from Navy was fastest for the women. In the afternoon, Mac Lavis and Faux had the top times, with Army occupying the 2,3 for each side. Upon averaging the scores, the Army team proved stronger, winning Slalom with a combined time of 3:51.28 to 3:55.10 and Giant Slalom with a time of 4:16.72 to 4:20.16. In Freestyle Rail Jam, Jon Paul won Men's Snowboard for Army, followed by Blake Chide, Nick Groene, and Andrius Bernotas from Navy. Aidan McCarthy won Men's Skiing for Army followed by Peter De Stefano from Navy, and Julia Coon won Women's snowboard for Army.

CSM Guden and COL Ebner conducted a site visit to Rabat to visit cadets studying abroad in Morocco. The visit began with a cadet-led tour of their host city, demonstrating the cadets' adjustment to their temporary academic environment. Cadet-in-Charge Hannah Makuch organized a comprehensive plan that highlighted the cadets' efforts to study and practice the target language, maintain their physical fitness, and understand the rich historical and social diversity of their Moroccan host country. CSM Guden and COL Ebner also visited AMIDEAST, the Cadets' school in Morocco. There, they observed cadets in the classroom and received a brief from AMIDEAST staff and faculty on the academic and Arabic language program, the sources and methods for instructor recruitment, and student quality of life considerations. The visit also included a stop at the US Embassy where CSM Guden met with the Chargé d'Affaires (CDA), Stephanie Miley and provided mentorship to the Noncommissioned Officers and Marine Security Guard stationed in Morocco. That same evening, CDA Miley hosted the USMA traveling party, USMA Cadets, and US Embassy military personnel to an informal dinner at the Chief of Mission Residence. This event provided the Cadets an extended opportunity to learn about embassy functions and military roles within an embassy.

The Black Knights Drill Team competed at Tulane University’s annual National Mardi Gras Drill Meet. The Team won the exhibition and color guard categories and placed third overall. Cadet Jacob Kelley placed second in the individual exhibition category.

CPT Bruder '09 gave a tour of Pershing Barracks Renovation to Civil Engineering Cadets and Faculty. During the month of February, CPT Bruder, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Deputy Area Engineer for West Point, has given tours to cadets and faculty from the civil engineering program. In addition to explaining the intricacies of a project like this renovation, he also described the work environment and opportunities within USACE. The cadets enjoyed seeing the exposed original structure, observing construction of new components, and learning about the challenges of demolition and renovation projects, including contract management and quality assurance.

The team competed against league opponents and achieved a game record of 5-8 against teams that play D-1 at the national's tournament due to school size. The team grew a lot over the weekend in an effort to replace last semester's MVP who is studying abroad this semester. The team provided new additions with valuable game time experience to allow more focused practice prior to the league playoffs.

The Army’s Chief Historian, COL(R) Charles Bowery, Jr. (SES), addressed the forty-seven cadets enrolled in Introduction to Applied Aerodynamics on the history of Army aircraft during an evening lecture period. Mr. Bowery highlighted the technological advances beginning in the pre-Civil War era to modern day that have driven Army Aviation advancement and modernization to meet the needs of the overall force. He emphasized the importance of guiding the future of aircraft design by understanding the past. Mr. Bowery is the Executive Director for the United States Army Center of Military History, responsible for the overall supervision and direction of historical matters throughout the Department of the Army. His responsibilities include management of fifty-seven Army museums (including the West Point Museum), more than thirty historical centers, and overall supervision of the Army's military historians and history detachments. Mr. Bowery served on active duty for twenty-three years as an Army Aviation officer, commanding at all levels from platoon through battalion and serving overseas in Korea, Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He is a published author, speaker, and battlefield staff ride leader focusing on the American Civil War, and has taught Military History at the United States Military Academy. As commander of the 1-4 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Mr. Bowery played a significant role in the leader development of his junior officers, three of whom currently serve on the USMA faculty; CPT(P) Ashcraft (CME), CPT(P) Brown (DEP), and CPT(P) Delcuadro-Zimmerman (Math).

The Equestrian team travelled to Saddle River Equestrian Center on and had the opportunity to hone their skills, riding new horses in an unfamiliar environment. The team did an exceptional job in preparing for the upcoming Show at Crosswinds Equestrian Center in Lagrangeville, NY. The Army West Point Equestrian Team earned an impressive overall third place finish at their sixth IHSA horse show of the season at Crosswinds to compete against nine highly competitive colleges in the Northeast region. With nine top three finishes in multiple categories of competition, the team's performance was truly stellar. Some of the most notable placings are as follows: Team Captain Matilda Brady '19 won her Intermediate Flat Class and earned third place in Intermediate Fences. Because of her outstanding performance, Matilda also earned Reserve Champion High Point Rider for the weekend. Madyson Paul '21 and Amanda Roper '19 both earned second place in their respective Advanced Walk-Trot-Canter classes. Haley Middleton Snell '21 and Ashley Merritt '21 both placed third in their Walk-Trot-Canter classes. Lucy Harrill '21 won her Walk-Trot class, Cira Wolf '20 placed second in her Walk-Trot class, and Cali Palumbo '18 placed third in her Walk-Trot class. The team is continually improving and excelling.

CDT Thomas Weiss '19 and MAJ Jeremy Hershfield attended the annual American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Biothreats conference in Baltimore, MD. CDT Weiss is a Life Science major on the pre-medical track, actively researching antimicrobial resistance and bacteriophages with MAJ Hershfield and LTC Barnhill. The three-day event included scientists and policymakers from government, industry, and academia presenting talks and posters on diseases such as Influenza, Anthrax, and Ebola, as well as prevention, mitigation, and response strategies for dealing with mass outbreaks and acts of bioterrorism. MAJ Hershfield was a co-author on multiple posters from a previous assignment at the United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).

Yearling Ben Petrella of the Army West Point men's track and field team has been named the 2018 Corvias Patriot League Men's Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Lynne Mooradian and Kenneth Brinson were also awarded Patriot League Academic honors. Voting was conducted by the league's 10 cross country sports information contacts who could not vote for their own student-athletes. To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor. The Liverpool, N.Y., native is chemical engineering major at the academy and holds a 3.98 grade-point average. He also is a recipient of the Superintendent's Award for Excellence, and was awarded a spot on the 2017 Cross Country Academic All-Patriot League Team. This year he was also named to the Indoor All-Patriot League First Team. Read More

With his first career goals under his belt along with assists in Army West Point hockey's sweep over Sacred Heart last weekend, Tucker DeYoung was tabbed the Atlantic Hockey Association's Player and Rookie of the Week. DeYoung totaled four points in Army's final regular season series of the season. The Lake Bluff, Ill., native garnered back-to-back multi-point games which is the most of any freshman this season. The plebe gains the Black Knights' second Rookie of the Week nod and the team's second Player of the Week honor this season. He is the first Army player to receive both honors since Brendan Soucie last December. Army earned its third weekend sweep of the year with 6-0 and 4-3 victories over the Pioneers. The fourth-seeded Army West Point hockey team is set to host the fifth-seed Air Force Mar. 9-11 at Tate Rink for the AHA Quarterfinals. Tickets are now available to fans. Chairbacks can be purchased for $10 each, while bleacher seating is $9 a person.

Cadets studying abroad in the People’s Republic of China had the opportunity to engage in cultural immersion during the Chinese New Year holiday by going to China’s frigid northeast Manchurian heartland. There, in the provincial capital Harbin, Cadets observed the juxtaposition between Russia’s historic influence in the Far East and modern China’s assertion of its sovereignty.

Photo: L-R Cadets Lloyd, Rayl and Mcginty (all class of 2019) pose in front of the Russian-inspired Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin, China

The Army West Point baseball doubleheader set for March 25 against service-academy rival Navy has been moved to Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Three of the team's five regular season meetings this year will now be played at an MLB stadium. These two academies will also faceoff on April 20 at Fenway Park. The March 25 doubleheader will kick off at 11:00 a.m. before the two teams square off in the nightcap at 1:30 p.m. Game 1 will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Tickets are now on sale at www.orioles.com/navy and are $10 for general admission lower level seating, with all proceeds split evenly by the Naval Academy Athletic Association and the Fisher House Foundation, which provides a "home away from home" for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. The homes provide temporary free lodging, so families can be close to their loved ones during a medical crisis. There are several Fisher Houses located throughout the Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia areas, including five houses at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Members of the military in uniform will receive free admission at the gates. Concessions will be available with all proceeds also benefiting the two nonprofit organizations. Parking in Lots A, B, and C will available for $5.

Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership (BS&L) cadets, Sean Hurley '19 and Parker Petersen '20 co-led a fruitful Dean's Book Club discussion of "Leonardo da Vinci" by Walter Isaacson. They created engaging dialogue among faculty and cadets about a variety of topics in the book, including the relevance of meshing art and science to benefit innovation and education across many fields. Dr. Brianne Bilsky, Department of English and Philosophy (DEP), advised them as they prepared for the seminar.

Cow Tom Ottman and yearling Hudson Kay of the Army West Point men's swimming and diving team were recognized for their performance in the classroom by being named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team on Wednesday. "Tom and Hudson continue to push limits in and out of the pool," head coach Mickey Wender said. "They represent the program extremely well and set the standard for what is possible." To be considered for Academic All-Patriot League, a sophomore-standing student-athlete must maintain a minimum of a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and must have competed in the Patriot League Championships, unless missed due to injury. The Sports Information Directors then cast their votes from a pool of candidates. Ottman received the academic all-league recognition for the second straight year. As a Physics major, the Scottsdale, Ariz., native compiled a 3.386 grade-point average. He was a top performer at the Patriot League Championships, receiving All-Patriot League Second Team honors. He broke academy records in the 1650 (15:07.22) and the 500 (4:21.71) free. Read More

Captain Aaron Stark gave a class to the cadet candidates at The United States Military Academy Prep School (USMAPS) on managing their personal finances. The class covered a wide array of valuable ideas, including the importance of saving early and avoiding "get rich quick" schemes.

Cow Kara Wineinger and yearling Serica Hallstead of the Army West Point women's swimming and diving team were recognized for their performance in the classroom by being named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team on Wednesday. "Kara and Serica continue to push limits in and out of the pool," head coach Mickey Wender said. "They represent the program extremely well and set the standard for what is possible." To be considered for Academic All-Patriot League, a sophomore-standing student-athlete must maintain a minimum of a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and must have competed in the Patriot League Championships, unless missed due to injury.

The Sports Information Directors then cast their votes from a pool of candidates. Wineinger received the academic all-league honor for the second consecutive year. The Mathematical Sciences major carries a cumulative 3.973 grade-point average. At the league championships, she swam to a third-place finish in the 100 breast after touching the wall at 1:02.55. She also took eighth in the 200 breast (2:17.92). Hallstead earned her first career Academic All-Patriot League nod. As a Life Science major, she boasts a 4.013 GPA. As an All-Patriot League Second Team performer at the league championships, she placed second on the 1-meter board with a score of 267.55. She also claimed the second spot on the 3-meter board after posting a score of 293.40. Read More

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 worked on 17 distinct problems with a total of 193 solves for the entire team. Using capture-the-flag challenges, Mr. Eagle covered a tremendous number 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 AIAD over the past 4 years. Also, a retired Navy Lieutenant Commander. These cadets will be better (cyber) officers as a direct result of Mr. Eagle’s time.

Cadets trained in Mexico for the Mexican version of the Sandhurst Competition at the Mexican Military Academy (Heroico Colegio Militar) which happens to be 7,000 feet above sea level. USMA was invited to participate last year and the team has been in intensive training for 8 months, the 12-person team is drawn from across the Corps of Cadets. In preparation for the competition the cadets completed training on pistol shooting, first aid, rappelling and survival swimming.