In the month of August, both Forbes Magazine and US News & World Report ranked West Point as American’s Best College in each of their respective annual rankings. The rank and follow-on accolades are tribute to a national treasure – the United States Military Academy. There has been both praise and criticism of the methodology […]
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There is only one first day of Kindergarten
August 27, 2009 in Education
The first day of kindergarten is a momentous day for both child and parent. The weeks and days leading up to the first day of school have been filled with anticipation and excitement. Visits to the school, meetings with teachers, introductions to the principal, shopping for a new outfit, learning bus riding procedures, and packing, […]
“Women in Combat: An American Story” NY Times August 19, 2009
August 20, 2009 in Character
This letter to the Editor of the New York Times appeared in both the on-line and print versions of the New York Times on August 19, 2009. To the Editor: The topic of women in combat remains controversial. Conventional wisdom and current law prevent women, no matter how able, from serving in units with direct offensive combat […]
They told, They’re out!
May 11, 2009 in Issues
1st Lt. Dan Choi, 2002 West Point graduate, Arabic linguist and Iraq War veteran, is being fired from the United States Army for publicly announcing that he is gay. In the Army equivalent of a pink slip received by postal mail on 23 April 2009, Choi was informed of his firing because of what he […]
Substance and Style
January 22, 2009 in Role Models
January 20, 2009 dawned as a day filled with anticipation, excitement, hope and celebration as Barack Obama was sworn into office as our 44th president. It was a great day for America. And for most of it, with the exception of a workout, I sat planted firmly in front of a television with laptop and […]
The Moment of the Oath
January 21, 2009 in Character
I am at a loss of words for the momentous and seismic shift we witnessed today with the inauguration of Barack H. Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America. The joy and hope of people everywhere was palpable as a new chapter in our Nation’s history opened. Today was a day […]
A Few Good Women
December 17, 2008 in The Book
Porcelain on Steel: Women of West Point’s Long Gray Line was borne out of my experience as a high school volleyball coach in 2004. Concerned with whom some of my athletes admired and considered role models, I began thinking about some of the women with whom I went to school and served along side in […]
Women in Combat — Just Doing Her Job
December 5, 2008 in Role Models
The topic of women in combat remains controversial. Conventional wisdom and current law prevent women, no matter how able, from serving in units with direct offensive combat missions — Infantry, Armor, Artillery and Special Forces. The justifications for this exclusion include that women are not fit for combat and battlefield stress because they lack the […]