The West Point Kendo Club attended the 23rd Annual Shidogakuin Youth and Collegiate Tournament at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. Participating in this tournament from West Point were six cadets and MAJ Takayoshi Tsukamoto, an exchange officer from the Japan Ground Defense Force serving with DMI. This group joined about 200 other participants, mostly from various collegiate clubs in the Northeast. CDT Abdul Rahim tested for rank advancement conducted by the United States Kendo Federation (USKF) and successfully passed his exam achieving the rank of 1st Kyu. The cadets participated in both individual matches, as well as a team tournament. All members performed well, learned a great deal, and had an excellent experience. Both CDT Kim and CDT Chaikin did an excellent job organizing the club’s participation and coaching its members.

The USMA Law Enforcement Tactics Club (LETC) conducted Corrections training with the Orange County Sheriff Department Special Operations Group (SOG) Deputies Daniel Greir and Chris DeSanta. The SOG at Orange County specializes in serving high risk warrants, VIP escorts, responding to barricaded suspects, and within the jail they conduct forced cell extractions. The seven cadets who attended training were the first outside entity to receive force cell extraction training from SOG. The training that the cadets received was an extension of months of use of force training that the cadets have learned and practiced. Within the corrections area of law enforcement, this training familiarized the cadets with specialized elite police units that work within corrections and high risk operations they execute. The training reinforced how the use of force applies in all spectrum of law enforcement and demonstrated the role of elite policing units who operate in corrections verses those who primarily operate in street policing environments. The training facility at Orange County jail provided the cadets with a mock cell to perform realistic and tempered execution of forced cell extraction scenarios. The high caliber instruction provided by SOG, accompanied with their real life experience, will have lasting impact on the members of LETC. This event with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department furthered West Point’s outreach to the local community and provided the cadets with world class policing training.

Dr. Howard Prince, former head of BS&L, generously continued his invitation to West Point to attend the Hatton W. Sumners Leadership Conference at the University of Texas at Austin. Cadets BJ Wallce, Ashley Lott, Kenner Broullire, Aimee Edgington, and MAJ Charles Rowan represented the Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership at the 2016 Sumners Leadership Conference at the University of Texas at Austin. The conference allowed students to develop their leadership abilities through opportunities to see and hear inspirational leaders discuss approaches to leadership from their lives. Cadets engaged as members of teams comprised of students from all over the United States and Mexico. Cadets learned about ethical leadership, growing from adversity, and the importance of follower-ship. Attendees were able to see an application of leadership from a global non-profit standpoint that demonstrated the need and feasibility for enacting change at the grassroots level. Keynote speakers included: Leland Melvin: the only person to play in the NFL and go to space as a NASA astronaut, Barbara Pierce Bush: CEO and co-founder of Global Health Corps and Dr. Robert E. Kelley: Leadership expert and best-selling author.

The Cadet Community on Civil-Military Operations (C3MO) traveled to the Union League Club in New York City to hear GEN(R) David Petraeus speak on the role of Civil Military Operations (CMO) during the War in Iraq and the continuing role of CMO regarding ISIS and the conflict in Syria. The Union League Club is a private social club in New York that hosts an active speaker series. The Cadets had the opportunity to interact with members of the club, including many prominent New York City residents (and a few West Point graduates), who also offered their unique perspectives on the topics of conversation.

CENTER VALLEY, PA - Freshman outfielder Ashley Yoo has been named the Patriot League's Rookie of the Week after going nine-for-16 during the Army softball team's 3-2 weekend at the USF Under Armour Showcase. This is the second week in a row a Black Knight has garnered Rookie of the Week honors. "Ashley has done so many great things for our team thus far," said head coach Michelle DePolo. "I am glad people outside of our team are recognizing her abilities on the field. She is a fun player to watch and finds a variety of ways to contribute to the team's success each day. Two different players from Army as back-to-back Rookie of the Week honors speaks volumes about the diversity of our team and strength of our plebe class." The Placentia, Calif., native started for Army in all five games and had multiple hits in four of the contests. She recorded a .563 batting and slugging percentage in nine at-bats. She had a team-leading three RBIs and tallied one RBI in three-straight games. Yoo reached nine bases and had an on base percentage of .588. The freshman recorded two hits and a run in the Black Knights' game against No. 24 USC Upstate. Read More

WINTER PARK, FL - The Army West Point men's tennis team finished its spring break matches with a win against the nationally-ranked Division II squad Rollins on Tuesday evening by the score of 4-1. The Black Knights took four singles matches to take the victory and improve to 10-6 while the No. 26 Tars fell to 1-10 this season. Junior Grant Riechmann had a strong win in the second singles flight. He took a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Casey Austgen. It was the third straight win for Riechmann as he evens his singles record at 7-7. Sophomore Michael Nguyen moved to 8-3 in the spring with his fourth straight victory, cruising to a 6-3, 6-0 win over Hayden Rodriquez in the number four position. Army was able to take the match with wins from senior Harrison McCormick and sophomore Michael Sienko in the last two singles flights. Read More

CLEARWATER, FL - The Army West Point softball team halted UMass Lowell Wednesday afternoon at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex to conclude their trip to Florida with an 11-10 record. The Black Knights went 4-2 while in the sunshine state and won four of their last six games. The River Hawks jumped out to a 1-0 lead off Army errors in the first inning. The Black Knights were able to tie things up in the bottom of the first when Kasey McCravey got on base from a hit and advanced to scoring position on a steal. Mae Wadyka pushed McCravey to second on a groundout to the pitcher and then a groundout to the shortstop by Ashley Yoo allowed McCravey to score.

In the bottom of the second, Army captured three runs on one hit and one error to take its first lead of the game at 4-1. It was three up, three down in the third inning which put the Cadets back up to bat, but they were not able to convert any runs. Both teams were scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings which helped the Black Knights' maintain their 4-1 lead. In the top of the sixth, Gladys Esparza-Gallegos picked up three-straight groundouts to hault any scoring chances for UMass Lowell. The Black Knights denied the River Hawks from scoring in the top of the seventh allowing just one hit and clinching the game 4-1. Read More

The USMA Japanese Forum visited Carnegie Hall in New York City, to view a traditional Japanese show known as “Kyogen, Noh, and Kabuiki”. All of the performances are spoken in old-fashioned Japanese, and their dance technique has not been changed since the 19th Century or older. Cadets had a good opportunity to be exposed to the very traditional culture of Japan.

The West Point Jewish Chapel Hillel club travelled to Annapolis, MD, to attend the Jewish Warrior Weekend. Cadets had the opportunity to link up with their midshipman counterparts for Sabbath services on Friday Night. Rear Admiral Paul Becker, Deputy Director of Na-val Intelligence, discussed his experiences as a Jewish Naval officer. The next day, as part of a round table discussion, cadets and midshipmen addressed a variety of topics relating to Judaism and the military. The group then embarked on a community service project, followed by a scavenger hunt where cadets learned about the history of the Naval Academy. Saturday evening featured a service to conclude the Sabbath, followed by a talent show in which cadets and midshipmen plied the judges with a variety of theatrical, musical, and comedic performances.

A ten person delegation from the USMA Model UN team attended the UCBMUN hosted by the University of California Berkeley in San Francisco, CA. Debate topics ranged from education reform to suppressing terrorism in Pakistan. Cadets engages in vigorous debate and advanced the image of the academy and civil-military relations. The following cadets were recognized: CDT Carolyn Williams, Outstanding Delegate; CDT Daniel Hogestyn, Out-standing Delegate; CDT Jesse Nelson, Honorable Mention; CT Jackson Armstrong, Honorable Mention; CDT Rokas Dubinas, Verbal Mention; CDT Cyrus Cappo, Verbal Mention; and CDT Johnathan Richards, Verbal Mention. CDTs Jack Bagdadi, Michael Sims, and Benjamin Denn also contributed to the success of the team.

The West Point Debate Team travelled to Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY, to compete in the Northeast Regional Tournament. Class of 2019 Debaters CDTs Vanessa Chen and Isabella Minter won the Novice Division, and 9th and 7th place speaker awards, respectively. CDT Flores and CDT Kreher broke into the Quarterfinal Round in the Novice Division. The Class of 2018 Debaters CDT Matthew Watts took home the 8th place Speaker Award. CDT Hickey and CDT Matlack broke into the Final Round for the JV Division. CDT Barlow and CDT Silverman qualified for the National Debate Tournament. The Class of 2016 Debater CDT Michael Barlow won Top Speaker in the Open Division.

CLEARWATER, FL - The Army West Point baseball team erased a three-run deficit in the final inning to complete its first come-from-behind victory of the 2016 campaign, 13-12, over the Harvard Crimson from Jack Russell Stadium on Thursday afternoon. After trailing by as much as five runs at one point, the Black Knights (7-9) battled at the plate and producing when they reached base. Five batters in Army's lineup recorded multiple hits. The offensive effort was led by sophomore left fielder John McCarthy, who was three-for-four at the dish with a couple walks, two runs scored and three runs batted in. Stu Schley played the role of hero today, with his lone hit coming in the form of a walk-off RBI single to right. Read More

NEW YORK CITY - The Army West Point wrestling team battled through the first day of the NCAA Championships, picking up a pair of wins at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. "At the national tournament, there are always crazy things that happen," said head coach Kevin Ward. "We had some really good matches today, and we lost some that really hurt. Bottom line is that we have a couple of guys alive in the tournament with a chance to get on the podium. We are excited for them to chase their goals."

The day started with 141-pounder Logan Everett coming out victorious in his first-ever match at the national championship tournament. The junior from Tioga, Pa., took a 4-2 decision over 10th-seeded Todd Preston of Harvard. Everett was joined by senior Brian Harvey at 174 pounds as the only Black Knights to advance past the opening round. The 15-seed posted an 8-2 victory over UT Chattanooga's Sean Mapes for his 24th of the season. Against the Big 12 champ, Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State, the New Palestine, Ind., native was an escape shy of advancing to the quarterfinals, suffering a 3-2 setback. Weatherspoon defeated Cornell's Brian Realbuto in the opening round. Read More

Nearing the conclusion of the best season in Army West Point women's basketball, the Black Knights face Syracuse on Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The team's historic season includes program records of 29 wins, 19 straight victories and a fourth consecutive trip to a national postseason tournament. Click here to watch the video. The week began with ESPN's NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday evening before the team took the court at the Carrier Dome for the first time for practice on Thursday afternoon. Below is a quick look at some of the videos and written articles that followed the team over its exciting week. See More

Eric Arzaga ’18 from WPAOG on Vimeo.

Cadet Eric Arzaga ’18 spent this past summer working with the Public Housing Authority in Washington, D.C., where he learned about the work being done in low-income communities. “I am here to serve,” says Arzaga. “It’s my calling.” Hear more from Cadet Arzaga and learn about the many experiences offered to cadets through the Academy Scholars Program, another Margin of Excellence opportunity supported by West Point donors through the For Us All Campaign.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - The Army West Point men's rugby team erases a 21-12 halftime deficit to upset the fifth-ranked Utes of Utah, 29-26, Saturday afternoon. Army scored twice in nine minutes in the middle of the first half, starting with vice-captain Jake Banarhall erasing the goose egg in the 21st minute. The reigning D1A Rugby Player of the Week Luke Heun would add to the first-half scoring in the 30th minute with a conversion coming from Andrew Borer, his first of two in the match. "I'm very proud of this team," said head coach Matt Sherman. "Today we put in a fully committed effort after a day of rest against a very good team on the road. Every player gave the full measure. The best part is we can still be far more accurate in our execution, which we will need against Navy next week." Read More

On Thursday, March 10th, cadets from the Creative Writing Forum attended the preliminary rounds of the Women of the World Poetry Slam competition at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. The event is organized by Poetry Slam Incorporated and features acclaimed performance poet Mahoganey Brown as its event coordinator. They embraced the cadets, even allowing them to participate as judges! This inaugurated an enduring relationship between Poetry Slam Incorporated and the Creative Writing Forum.

WILMINGTON, NC - After the first round of the Seahawk Intercollegiate, the Army West Point golf team ranks second with 280 strokes trailing No. 20 Duke by one stroke. Today's round was minimized to 18-holes instead of 36 due to a multitude of rain relays throughout the morning. "The team played great today and put themselves in a good position going into the final round," said head coach Brian Watts. "Marcus is playing some terrific golf right now along with Dean and Peter. It is good to see some of this hard work paying off for the team. We're looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully in contention the last few holes."

The Black Knights totaled a seven-under score of 280 in today's round fueled by senior Marcus Plunkett's four-under (68) performance. Plunkett is tied for first after day one alongside Duke's Matt Oshrine. Dean Sakata and Peter Kim both rank tied for third after 18-holes with scorecards of three-under (69). Matt Plunkett stroked a one-over 73 today to rank tied for 25th, while Justin Pagila, Parker Harris and Nick Turner are T-40th with 75 strokes. Read More

The Department of English and Philosophy hosted its sixth Works-in-Progress Colloquium of the academic year. These events allow faculty, English and Philosophy majors, and other interested cadets to listen, and respond, to ongoing research in the fields of English and Philosophy. This week the department used the opportunity to support their cadet’s preparation for the Ethics of War Conference scheduled at Villanova University next month. The following three first-class cadets presented their ongoing research: CDT Samuel Andersen, "The Ethics of Care and the Moral Equality of Combatants;" CDT Samuel Kolling, "A Collectivist Justification of the Moral Equality of Combatants;" CDT Ivellisse Velez-Morey, "The Necessity of Just Soldiers in Unjust Wars." Each cadet did an excellent job and will certainly represent the USMA well next month at their conference.

The West Point Department of History. On 19 March, the Balkans staff ride group returned to USMA. Here are CDT Sasha Mokhtari's thoughts on the experience as a whole: "After 13 long hours of flying from Dubrovnik to Zagreb to Frankfurt to then New York, we finally returned back to West Point. The last eight days have not only been rejuvenating but also extremely eye opening. For most of us, our knowledge of the Balkans prior to the staff ride was very limited. However, our experiences in Sarajevo and Srebrenica proved to be invaluable when it came to comprehending the gravity of the Bosnian genocide. Listening to the tragic stories of many Bosnians throughout the trip, particularly the survivors of the 1995 Massacres in Srebrenica, reminded us how crucial internalizing the past is in preventing future.

Our time in Dubrovnik was equally as important. Dubrovnik provided the perfect setting to reflect on our experiences in Bosnia as a group as well as develop a new appreciation for the Balkans. The picturesque beauty of Dubrovnik took our breathes away, as we walked above the Old Town along its towering fortress walls. The endless view overlooking the the Adriatic Sea reminded us how fortunate we were to be able to visit such a extraordinary place. The warm, cloudless, Mediterranean climate of Croatia was the perfect ending to our Balkan adventure. Ultimately, the juxtaposition between Bosnia and Croatia made for a very insightful staff ride--a trip that none of us will never forget."