Department of Systems Engineering
From 1-3 Dec 2014 Cadets Robby Hill, Coleman Grider, and Hunter Wood visited 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft Bragg, NC to conduct research for their capstone project. The purpose of the trip was to interview Special Forces Soldiers to elicit technological requirements that will enhance the Solider as a System future concepts. Their Capstone Project supports the U.S. Army Engineer Research Development Center’s initiative to build an Engineered Resilient System architecture that leverages information technology and tradespace visualization methods to help inform conceptual designs of future systems. The cadets had the unique opportunity to train with the Combat Diver Operational Detachment Alpha 3215. They observed the team conduct Close Quarter Battle training and learned the fundamentals of shooting. The most significant outcome was the leader development opportunities the cadets’ experienced while talking with the Special Forces Officers and NCOs from E-6 to E-9. “The trip was easily the best experience I have had thus far . . . we learned the traits of the best and worst lieutenants from senior NCOs with an enormous amount of combat experience . . . I now have a better understanding of how to conduct myself as an officer in a way that would be most effective.”
Department of Law
Cadets taking Advanced Constitutional Law visited the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., to observe oral argument in a case involving the use of mandatory minimum sentences for defendants convicted of armed bank robbery offenses. After the argument, which included extensive questioning of counsel by virtually all of the Justices, the cadets met with Justice Elena Kagan to discuss how the Court goes about selecting the cases to hear and making its decisions. The cadets also toured the Courthouse and the Capitol building. The trip section was led by the Department of Law’s Constitutional Law Chair, Tony DiSarro, and Assistant Professor, CPT. Amy McCarthy.
Cadets Spend The Day At USMAPS Answering Questions
On Monday, 17 November, the Centers for Enhanced Performance from both USMAPS and USMA sponsored a trip section for graduates of the prep school to head back “up the hill” and meet and share some advice with current cadet candidates. Throughout the day, Cadets lead discussions and answered questions from the cadet candidates on a variety of topics ranging from the transition into USMA, making the most of the year at the Prep school, balancing academic and athletic responsibilities, military requirements, and many other topics pertaining to life as a USMA cadet. CIC Veronica Byant (’16) is seen above providing guidance and advice to a cadet candidate at the conclusion of the Women’s forum.
Department of English and Philosophy
Dr Marc Napolitano Performs “A Christmas Carol” for Cadets, Faculty and Community: On Saturday 4 December, in Jefferson Hall’s Haig Room, Dr. Marc Napolitano delivered a dramatic performance of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” Preceded by an interactive presentation on puppet design, the afternoon promised holiday cheer and delivered a captivating rendition of a classic text for all in attendance.
Cadets in CFAF’s Hudson Valley Culture Forum Experience the Valley’s Offerings: On Saturday, 6 December, 2014, seven members of the Hudson Valley Culture Forum took a daytrip to see a local legend, eat at a hidden gem, and support local arts. The first stop was Wing’s Castle in Millbrook, NY, a castle-like dwelling that local residents Peter and Lori Ann Wing began building over 40 years ago. Peter and his wife, Toni Ann, constructed Wing’s Castle using materials gathered locally from old farms, blast sites, and auctions, to create a unique and awe-inspiring structure jutting out of the countryside. Despite Peter’s passing mere months ago, Toni Ann enthusiastically agreed to give the cadets a personal tour around the grounds. Next, the forum stopped at the Terrapin Restaurant in Rhinebeck, NY. Situated in a re-purposed church, Terrapin Restaurant uses ingredients from local farms, dairies, and breweries. After their meal, the cadets were able to observe Rhinebeck’s yearly Sinterklaas festival, which honors Rhinebeck’s heritage by re-creating a celebration Dutch settlers brought to the town over 300 years ago. Finally, cadets visited the Ulster Performing Arts Center to watch the Ulster Ballet Company perform Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. After a riveting show, the ballet company graciously invited the cadets backstage to talk with the dancers about the performance, their experiences, and ballet in general.
Department of History
On 18 November, Lieutenant Colonels Jason Musteen and Dave Siry and four Cadets presented their lessons learned from the World War I staff ride to about 50 members of a Civil War Roundtable in Stamford Connecticut at the Stamford Historical Society. This outreach opportunity not only highlighted the wonderful academic opportunities the Academy provides but also showcased the high-caliber students that West Point attracts. Cadets Curtis Valencia, Haley Lee, Jim Trollan, and Sarah Bitner discussed their experiences blending history and literature in the study of the Great War, and fielded all questions expertly.
On 8 December, General (Retired) Fred Franks presented a lecture to cadets enrolled in Major Jon Heist’s elective course, Strategy, Policy, and Generalship, on his experience as the VII Corps Commander during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Surprisingly, this was the first time that General Franks was invited to speak on this subject at West Point. For about an hour he spoke on the origins of the Gulf War, the objectives of the George H.W. Bush administration, military strategy, and the role of VII Corps during the ground war. After the lecture, he answered cadet questions. His professional advice on leadership and strategic planning was invaluable. Overall, the session provided the cadets valuable insight into this important, but increasingly forgotten, conflict through the eyes of one of the generals that fought it.
Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering
Table Top Exercise: On 4 December, cadets enrolled in NE450 Nuclear Weapons Effects (45 cadets from 3 sections), with LTC Dave Williams and LTC Ken Allen, executed Persian Gold Table Top Exercise. This is an extraordinary interdisciplinary exercise brought from the National Defense University, Center for the Study of WMD, which provided two experts in the field, Dr. Mark Mattox and Mr. Nima Gerami, to facilitate. This exercise gave the cadets from varying disciplines within the NE Core Engineering Sequence and the Nuclear Engineering major to develop and debate strategic initiatives and policies to address Iran’s pursuit of nuclear technologies and nuclear weapons. During the three hour exercise, the cadets received a detailed country briefing on Iran from an expert, Mr. Nima Gerami, and worked in groups to explore strategic ways, means, and ends to approach Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
Cadet Capstone Team Members Visit Occupations, Inc. On December 3rd, Cadets Theriot, Wilson, and Howlett, Class of 2015 Mechanical Engineering majors, and faculty advisors COL Boettner and MAJ Fox, visited Occupations, Inc. in Middletown, New York to conduct their preliminary design review of their initial design to improve efficiency of heavy-duty stapler assembly. Occupations, Inc. employs workers with disabilities to help enhance quality of life for these individuals. Currently, the number of workers who are able to assemble these staplers is very limited due to the requirement to carefully align parts for pin insertion. The supervisors and vocational specialists provided valuable feedback for the cadets to refine their design as they continue the project during term 15-2.
Center for Innovation and Engineering Hosts a Collaborative Initiative in Biomechanics and Bioengineering: A group of researchers met in Mahan Hall to initiate collaborative efforts between USMA academic departments and medical researchers. Participants represented Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, Civil and Mechanical Engineering, History, Chemistry and Life Science, as well as the Physical Therapy, Orthopaedic Surgery, Podiatry, and Orthopaedic Research Services at KACH. The participants used the forum to present their research initiatives with the intent of establishing potential collaborations. This led to important discussions of the academic and technological resources available in each department, and how they can be shared amongst researchers with common goals. Additionally, LTC Craig Quadrato presented on the availability of computational and financial resources, through the High Performance Computing Modernization Program, that could benefit this line of research. The meeting culminated with a shared objective of creating a more regular meeting schedule for researchers pursuing biomechanics and bioengineering. The meetings will rotate amongst departments to broaden the participants’ perspective on ongoing research, and the availability of resources.
ME404 Capstone Project Team Spray Presentation at the 2014 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Montreal, Canada. Cadet Zachary Lee attended and presented research at the 2014 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) in Montreal, Canada from November 17-18. Cadet Lee was the lead author for a paper entitled “A Comparison of Shadowgraphy and X-Ray Computed Tomography in Liquid Spray Analysis” that was accepted for publication at this conference. The research has been conducted by the ME404 capstone group, Team Spray, in collaboration with a group at Army Research Laboratory and two academic departments at Stanford University. The presentation centered on using shadowgraphy and X-Ray computed tomography in analyzing liquid sprays from two hollow cone atomizers. Spray characteristics play a key role in combustion performance, so accurate spray analysis plays a key role in developing effective nozzles and atomizers. Team Spray will continue experimentation in liquid spray analysis as part of their capstone effort this and next semester.
CE483: Design of Concrete and Masonry Structures Visit Construction Site for New Cadet Barracks. On December 2nd and 4th, all Civil Engineering Firsties visited the construction site for the new cadet barracks as their final lab for the course. Mr. Tim Pillsworth, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project manager, gave a short presentation to the cadets covering the general scope of the project including utilizing a reinforced concrete structure with a gravity load bearing granite block façade. The project is designed to meet specific sustainable and resiliency requirements as well as an improved quality of life experience. Then, Mr. Pillsworth walked the cadets around the construction site highlighting how the reinforced concrete structure is actually constructed. This site visit allowed the seniors to see first-hand many of the engineering details presented throughout this course, and many other CE courses, as well as the scale and complexity of an actual project.
Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering
Army-Navy Spirit December 8-11, GEnE continues to inspire by bringing “Beat Navy” spirit into the hallways. Faculty members and their families pitched in to create mini spirit posters in support of this weekend’s Army-Navy football game.
Department of Foreign Languages
Semester Abroad Program (SAP) / Academic trip sections:
Russian: Three Russian SAP cadets on semester abroad spent time at the Latvian National Defense Academy in Riga, Latvia. While there the cadets lived with their Latvian and other NATO cadet counterparts and participated in various tactical training. Their time in Riga concluded with a Black Coffee Ceremony to remember Latvian cadets killed in combat in 1919.
French: Cadets studying abroad at Saint Cyr, the French Military Academy, took part in the reenactment of the Battle of Austerlitz two weekends ago on Saturday 29 November. The battle, one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s greatest victories, was a tactical masterpiece in which the French Empire decisively defeated the Russian and Austrian armies on 2 December 1805. The battle reenactment was followed by a une grande soirée that evening to celebrate the glory of France.
German: USMA Cadets on semester exchange at the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt, Austria visited the US Embassy in Vienna for Thanksgiving (27 Nov 2014) and enjoyed a traditional American Thanksgiving feast (turkey, sweet potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans and pumpkin pie and pecan pie for dessert) with the embassy staff and presented Ambassador Alexa Wesner with a bouquet of flowers. Arriving early, the cadets toured the historic first floor of the embassy where President Jimmy Carter's Vienna meetings took place. The ambassador’s home has a rich history and is full of decorative art pieces.
Arabic: Eleven Arabic students are finalizing their studies in Morocco, Jordan, and Oman. Cadets in Rabat, Morocco, traveled to Merzouga, Tetouan and Chefchaouen over the break, and are preparing their final papers for submission next week. In Jordan Cadets are finishing studies following their successful Thanksgiving celebrations with other expatriate students at their apartment overlooking the US Embassy grounds. All three groups return to West Point on 20 December. Cadets in Muscat, Oman have completed their studies and begun clearing the Center for International Learning; they return to West Point 12 December.
The French Forum enjoyed Les Misérables on Broadway in NYC Tuesday 02 DEC. Students currently learning French were able to practice their French with Dr. Christophe Corbin and one another on their journey to and from the theater. They even learned a bit of history of the French Revolution, and the socio/political/economic issues surrounding the era.