West Point Archives

Sexual Assaults Doubled At West Point

March 11, 2018/in Military, Military News

West Point assault

For the fourth year in a row, sexual assault reports increased at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. The 50 cases reported during the school year nearly doubled from the prior year, up from 26.

Both the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy saw only slight increases.

The Defense Department did try to put a positive spin on the latest numbers, saying that more people were feeling emboldened to report sexual abuse and that students are aware of treatment programs, showing confidence in the system.

Reporting a sexual assault is difficult for any victim, under any circumstance. For those at military academies or serving in the military, the difficulty is compounded by the close living conditions inherent in there. Also, sexual assaults are sometimes accompanied by collateral misconduct (e.g. fraternization, sex in the barracks, breaking curfew, or underage drinking) on the part of the victim; issues which are either minor violations or non-existent rules at civilian schools but carry severe sanctions at the Academies.

The reports will rekindle a problem that has plagued the military as increasing numbers of women join the armed services. The increase in sexual assault reports in the service academies is similar to what is happening in the military as a whole.

“We are absolutely committed to making the Academies safe,” Robert Wilkie, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, said in a press release. “It is imperative that these future officers understand how eliminating sexual harassment and assault advances our ability to protect the nation.”

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Army Junior ROTC Honors Florida School Shooting Victim Peter Wang

February 22, 2018/in Military, Military News

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By Debbie Gregory.

Peter Wang’s dream of attending West Point and serving in the U.S. military was tragically cut short when he was fatally shot during the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day.

In an act of heroism and selflessness, the young cadet died holding a classroom door open so his teachers and fellow students could escape the shooter.

Wang, who was a 15-year-old freshman, was wearing his U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) uniform when he was gunned down, was awarded the Medal of Heroism by the U.S. Army. West Point posthumously admitted Wang to the school’s Class of 2025.

Two other JROTC members were also killed: 14-year-old Cadet Pvt. Alaina Petty, who was laid to rest on Monday in front of more than 1,500 mourners, and 13-year-old Cadet Pfc. Martin Duque, whose funeral is Saturday. They, too, have been awarded the Medal of Heroism.

The Army awards the Medal of Heroism to JROTC cadets who perform “acts of heroism.”

“The achievement must be an accomplishment so exceptional and outstanding that it clearly sets the individual apart from fellow students or from other persons in similar circumstances,” the Army said in a statement. “The performance must have involved the acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities, exemplifying praiseworthy fortitude and courage.”

Florida’s governor, Rick Scott, directed the Florida National Guard to honor Wang, Petty, and Duque at their funerals. Petty’s medal was presented to her family at her service Monday morning. Duque’s family will receive the medal at his service on Saturday.

Wang was buried Tuesday in uniform, at his family’s request, and the JROTC Heroism Medal was on his uniform. A second medal was given to the family as a keepsake.

The funeral procession was escorted to Wang’s final resting place at Star of David Memorial Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Chapel by Patriot Guard motorcycle riders and members of the American Legion.

The following was posted on West Point’s Facebook page:

“One of West Point’s priorities is to develop leaders of character who are committed to the values of Duty, Honor, and Country. Peter Wang’s actions on February 14th are an example of those very principles and for this reason the academy honors his dream of being a West Point cadet with a 2025 letter of acceptance.

Posthumous admissions offers to West Point are given in rare instances.

The Broward County school system’s JROTC program boasts an average enrollment of 7,650 students annually across 28 of its 34 high schools.

I am thankful that we live in a nation that allows us free speech and to hold different points of view. I rarely express my personal views, but in this case, I feel compelled to do so. It is the least that I can do to honor all of the victims of this tragedy and other massacres.

I am a mom, and my heart is so heavy for the parents who have experienced the unimaginable pain of losing of a child, especially in such a senseless manner.

My son’s wonderful girlfriend and one of my valued staff members, along with her boyfriend who recently transitioned from the military, literally ran for their lives in Las Vegas. They survived, but are dealing with PTSD and survivor’s guilt, and may never be the same.

I respect our 2^nd Amendment for citizens to bear arms for protection. But it is not necessary for any person, other than law enforcement personnel and combat military to have automatic assault weapons and/or devices to automate weapons. We must have strong legislation to regulate these types of weapons in order to try and prevent massacres such as those that occurred in Parkland, Las Vegas, Sandy Hook, etc.

Mental health is part of the issue, but without a doubt the main issue is automatic weapons. There are many people with mental health issues that do not harm anyone. There are people who are perceived to be normal who snap. It is a lethal combination when disturbed people are able to have or easily obtain assault weapons and literally mow down innocent victims. I do not understand why any reasonable person(s) would oppose controls on assault weapons.

It is a sad state of affairs when organizations such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) have power over state and federal elected officials to sway them from their sworn duty to protect the people they are supposed to serve.

Too many children and others have lost their lives and their childhoods. The survivors have been changed forever. They are the adults in the room now.

We must work together on both sides of the aisle and change things. We need to put people before special interests and political pressure. We need to protect our children.

NEVER AGAIN.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

Army Surgeon General Nadja West Featured in CNN Badass Web Series

June 26, 2017/in Government, Military, Military News

By Debbie Gregory.

Army Surgeon General Nadja West has recently been featured in a new web series by CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash.

West and the other “Badass Women of Washington” have broken glass ceilings across our nation’s capital. West has distinguished herself by collecting an impressive array of “firsts.”

In 2013, West was the first black female major general of the Army’s active component, and was Army Medicine’s first African-American female two-star general. In 2015, she became the first black surgeon general. And in 2016, West became the first African-American female lieutenant general and the highest-ranking woman to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

At the age of two, West was adopted by a military family, her father having served as a logistics warrant officer. He and his journalist-activist wife had already adopted 11 children, with West becoming the youngest of their 12.

According to West, an early, positive influence on her life was seeing the black, female character Lt. Nyota Uhura on the bridge of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise. Uhura was one of the first characters of African descent to be featured in a non-menial role on an American television series.

West has always felt gratitude towards her biological mother for making a decision that although tough, was in her child’s best interest.

“My mom decided that she couldn’t take care of me or didn’t want to take care of me,” West said. “I’m just very thankful that she decided to give me a chance at life because you could have had other options.”

Besides West, nine of her siblings went on to serve in the U.S. Army. In 1978, West applied to the U.S. Military Academy at the encouragement of one of her brothers; she was one of the 126 women accepted into the Academy’s third class that allowed women.

Breaking barriers at the Academy certainly came with its own set of challenges. When she arrived, there was just one all-male class left, but she said for some, the goal was to “run all the women out before they graduated.” And although she had some reservations about her decision to attend, being pushed to drop out only served to strengthen her resolve to succeed.

After West graduated from West Point with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, she attended medical school at George Washington University.

Her Army medical service included deployments in the first Gulf War, Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

West is a role model, especially to her own daughter and her son, who is now following in his mother’s footsteps as a plebe at West Point.

To see the feature on West and the other “Badass Women of Washington” visit http://www.cnn.com/specials/politics/badass-women-of-washington .

Three Brothers Graduating From West Point

May 23, 2017/in Military, Military News

By Debbie Gregory.

For the first time in more than 30 years, three brothers will be graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at the same time.

It was four years ago that brothers Noah, Sumner and Cole Ogrydziak entered West Point as cadets. On May 27^th, the Texas natives will be graduating with the U.S. Military Academy’s Class of 2017.

Oldest brother Noah is 23, and twins Cole and Sumner are 21.

While they were in different regiments at the school, they always tried to make time for each other.

“Usually on the weekends we’ll buy a pizza at Grant Hall over there and we’ll watch a movie together. Just hang out,” Cole said.

Their mother, Kristine, served in the Coast Guard for 10 years, and their father, Randal, is a Coast Guard captain who is retiring next month after 38 years of service. Following the graduation ceremony, the family will take part in the traditional “pinning ceremony.” Dad Randal will exercise his privilege as a commissioned officer to personally give his sons their oaths and place bars on each of their boys’ shoulders as they become second lieutenants.

“He’ll be our first salute, too,” Sumner said. “And I couldn’t be more happy.”

Both of their grandfathers were also in the military. The three Ogrydziak brothers received presidential appointments, which are available for children of career military personnel.

Noah will be in the Signal Corps , Sumner is headed to South Korea, assigned to the Army engineers, and Cole is headed to a medical school to become a doctor.

This will be the first time three siblings graduated West Point together since 1985, when Rose, Anne and John Forrester became officers at the same time.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

West Point Graduate, Taylor Force, Killed During Trip to Israel

March 15, 2016/in Military Veteran, Veteran News

By Debbie Gregory.

Members of the Vanderbilt community will gather Friday, March 18, to remember Taylor Force, a graduate student who was killed March 8th in a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, Israel.

“Innocent of any wrongdoing, Taylor was taken cruelly from his family, his friends, fellow students at Vanderbilt University, and his community, in an act of terror which we condemn with all of our strength,” said William Gaunt, the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Tel Aviv, on behalf of US Ambassador Dan Shapiro.

Ten other people were wounded in the attack in Jaffa, an ancient port city that is now part of Tel Aviv. The attacker, who was identified as a Palestinian, was shot and killed during the knife rampage.

Force, 28, was a first-year MBA student and a 2009 graduate of West Point. He was part of a group of 28 Owen Graduate School of Management students who traveled to Israel to learn about global entrepreneurship.

The business student was an avid skier and guitar player who loved horses and ranch life, following a childhood spent in Texas.

His attendance at West Point had Force following his grandfather’s footsteps.

Force served in the Army from 2009 to 2014, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then took about a year off after active duty. He lived in Lexington, Kentucky, before moving to Nashville to attend Vanderbilt. He was due to complete his studies in 2017.

The Vanderbuilt service is closed to the public, and priority will be given to members of the Owen School community, as well as those who knew Force well.

We at MilitaryConnection.com would like to offer our sincerest condolences to the family, friends and schoolmates of this fine young man.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

Military Connection: Soldier is Being All That He Can Be

May 18, 2015/in Education, Military News, Military Spouse

By Debbie Gregory.

“Be all that you can be, in the Army.”

It may be an outdated recruiting slogan, but that doesn’t make it any less true today than it was in the 1980’s. That was the battle cry that brought many young Americans into Army recruiting offices during the Cold War. Soldiers today are still realizing their dreams through service in the Army, becoming all that they can be, and more.

Private First Class Nathaniel Okyere-Bour of the New Jersey Army National Guard is one shining example of this. Okyere-Bour is realizing his dream of attending West Point.

Okyere-Bour’s mother taught him the value of sacrificing in order to accomplish your dreams. She had always wanted to be a nurse. When Nathaniel was only three years old, his mother sent him to live with her family in Ghana, while she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. Okyere-Bour moved back in with his mother once she was an intensive care nurse at a Manhattan hospital.

With his mother’s determination as an example, Okyere-Bour set out to achieving his own goals. As a teen, he gained admittance into New Jersey’s elite McNair Academic High School. As graduation approached, Okyere-Bour ambitiously applied to elite colleges, including Duke University and the University of Chicago. The young man was accepted into both schools, but couldn’t afford them. So instead, Okyere-Bour enlisted into the New Jersey Army National Guard in 2013, with a plan to use the force’s tuition waiver to attend Rutgers University.

But it was during basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, that Okyere-Bour discovered his true calling. After Okyere-Bour’s battalion commander, who had attended the Military Academy at West Point, described what it meant to him to be a West Pointer, a chord was struck. From that point on, Okyere-Bour had his heart set on going to West Point.

As an enlisted man, Pfc. Okyere-Bour has proven himself to be among the best and brightest, with true leadership potential. His performance as a soldier, along with outspoken desire to attend West Point, prompted all of the officers in Okyere-Bour’s chain of command to write letter of recommendation for him.

In June, Okyere-Bour will join the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Class of 2019.

Let Pfc. (soon to be Cadet) Okyere-Bour’s story serve as an example that no matter where you come from, or even where you are now, what matters is where you want to be and what you are willing to do to get there. And let Okyere-Bour’s mother’s story serve as the example that accomplishing your goals don’t just impact you, but your children as well.

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