amecock azette - West Point Association of Graduates

CHARLIE COMPANY,
3RD REGIMENT,
USCC
amecock
azette
2¢
V O L U M E
2 ,
I S S U E
2
A “Major” Decision
SECTIONS:
2,3 - Grad Gab
S E P T E M B E R
2 0 1 1
By CDT Matthew Rowe „14
4,5 - Current Connections
6 - Game On!
8 - The Funnies
9– What’s Up West Point?
10-Letter From the Editor
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
From Class to Brass
2
Fun Facts
2
The Unsanctioned
3
Academic Rankings
3
Operation Mess Hall
4
Conquering the BEAST
6
Out with the Old...
7
The Funnies
8
What’s Up W.P?
9
Game On!
Top: Cadets Emily Woods and Morgan White, contemplate and soak in information about possible majors.
There are many intersections
along the path of life that hold
great significance in deciding the
journey that lies before us. For the
class of 2014 one such intersection looms on the horizon. By 30
September, all yearlings must
have declared their major.
The means of deciding a major
vary from one person to another.
In a recent survey, Yuks in C-3
were asked for the reasons behind
choosing their particular major.
The answers ranged from “…to
get to med school Broski” to very
detailed and thought out plans for
one’s future such as a “…double
major because history will prepare
me for law school and Foreign
Area Studies will help me on the
career path to becoming a Foreign Area Officer.” However, a
common thread among all responses was a keen interest in the
subject and desire to learn more
in their chosen field of study. The
company was fairly evenly divided
between those who wanted a
science or mathematics major and
those seeking a major in some
field of humanities with 41%
choosing science/engineering and
58% choosing humanities.
Whether well planned out or a just
a hunch, the majors being chosen
right now hold large implications
in the course the Yuks lives will
take. For the members of the
class of 2014, this truly is a major
decision.
PAGE
2
From Class to Brass
by Eric Kelly „91, Introduction by Alexis Salmon „14
including West Point… look
towards the future, always.
Grad Gab:
Stories,
memories,
current
news, and
inspiration,
connecting
the ―Old
Grads‖ of C-
Have you ever wondered why
the academics of West Point are
tough? Have you ever wanted
to go back in time and do some
not so nice ―stuff‖ to COL Silvanus Thayer? Have you ever
sat down after a long day of
studying, quizzes, WPRs, mess hall
food, sports, and PME classes,
asking yourself, ―what the heck
am I doing here?‖ If you answered yes to all of these questions, don‘t lie to yourself, then
the following article is for you.
Provided by Mr. Eric Kelly (‘91), it
is a small look at a group of
Gamecocks who survived the
academic rigors of West Point
and went on to do even bigger,
better, and more important
things. Remember Gamecocks,
at times life may be terrible, but
all things must come to an end,
The attached picture is of
members of C-3's class of 1991.
The picture was taken in the
winter of 1989, when we were
yearlings. One of my best
friends, Scott McNamara, decided that he wanted to go to
SUNY Binghamton. Scott and I
were on the Cross Country and
Track teams, together. I always
ran with him, when we did
those long 10-mile runs. I was
cut from the team, during the
indoor track season, of our
plebe year. Scott continued to
run on the team. I'm not sure
exactly why he wanted to
leave West Point. Maybe he
wanted to try running at SUNY
Binghamton. I don't know.
However, a few of us got together to wish Scott good luck,
by throwing a pizza party. The
group, in this picture, is still
pretty close. There are a couple missing from the photo that
stay in touch via Facebook.
Some of these guys are LTC's,
right now. Some have retired
from the Army, after 20 years.
Others, like myself, Chuck, Scott
and Lee are civilians. Lee and
Scott are the only two, in this
picture, who did not graduate
from West Point. The rest of us
graduated, although I just
barely got to graduate. Let me
point out who is who, in the
picture: Sitting on the chair, on
left side of photo is LTC Glenn
McCrill (He's currently deployed
to Kuwait). Sitting on the
ground, in the front is Dave
Neary (He has a successful
civilian career going). Standing in partial "as for class" is me,
Eric Kelly. I'm a civilian (I did
two tours in Saudi Arabia, with
Patriot MIssile units, and got my
combat patch for the first deployment, in 1992. I did a year
of Army Reserves from 2003 to
2004, but was not allowed to
serve any longer). Sitting on
the bed, with the pizza in his
hand is Scott Mcnamara (He is
the trackster who left, and now
has a family. We stay in touch
via Facebook). Wedging his
face in there is LTC Chris Ferrell
(Very successful military career
ongoing). Next is Lee Haikel (I
think he left West Point during
our Cow Year). Final one, sitting on the bed, is LTC(Ret.)
Karl Kurz (He had a great military career, and now has a
happy family). Lying on the
top bunk, in "as for class" is LTC
Kevin Banks (He is deployed to
Afghanistan, right now. Next,
lying on the bed is Charles Lipeles (He is Vice President of
Sales at a scientific glass company). Finally, lying on the top
bunk is LTC Brian Halloran (He
lived in Afghanistan (a combat
zone) for 3 straight years. My
hat is off to him. I believe that
LTC Halloran is working at the
Pentagon, for the time being.
That's everyone in the photo.
Class of 1991 C-3 Fighting
Cocks!
Fun Facts-- What Went/Is Going Down with Gamecock Grads!
Another C-3 alum is COL(P) Kim Field (maiden name Cochrane).
She also came out on the Brigadier promotion list. So, this year’s promotion list to BG had TWO C-3 alumni!!
-COL Dan Karbler
My wife (Chelsea) and I had a baby on 29 Aug 2011. He
was born at 2308, and weighted in a 9lbs 8 oz and was
21.25 in long. We named him John Harrison Tippett and
will call him Harrison. -JB Tippett ‘03
VOLUME
2,
ISSUE
2
The Unsanctioned
PAGE
by Alexis Salmon „14 and biography, Michael E. Lamke/representative
Mr. Lamke first contacted me after reading, yes, an Issue of the Gamecock Gazette. He himself
is a former Gamecock and now an author. Mr. Lamke‘s request was that I find cadets eager
to read a new and thrilling novel that he had published, The Unsanctioned. Mr. Lamke created
the main character, Captain Lane Evans, out of the people and personalities he had met at
West Point and in his military career. He hopes to write a sequel developing his character further, on the feedback received from cadets who have read his novel. Mr. Lamke will be visiting
West Point to promote his new novel on the 15th of September. Below is his biography in addition to a synopsis of his book. Check out this great read!
Biography: Mike Lamke is a West Point graduate and served time in the military and as a private
contractor in Iraq. He currently works for Lockheed Martin supporting Homeland Security and
Law Enforcement programs. He lives in Frederick, Maryland with his wife and two children.
Synopsis: Former Army Captain Lane Evans is now the Aide to the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand.
Lane, a veteran of Iraq, is experienced in using a secret U.S. intelligence database to uncover
the identity of anonymous Internet users. When Lane unmasks a Thai Blogger, he captures the
attention of Colonel (Ret.) Tom Lewis who is running a covert operation for the Director of National Intelligence to stop the world's most influential anti-American Bloggers. The highly ambitious Ambassador dispatches Lane to support Lewis, with a secret mission to ascertain the innerworkings of this unconventional program. Leaving his Thai girlfriend, Ana Maksawan, in Bangkok,
Lane travels to Washington to join Lewis and is instantly tasked with uncovering anonymous
Internet users all over the world. To complete his secret mission, Lane solicits assistance from a
former colleague and current CIA analyst, Eve Maier, rekindling a passionate desire that has
simmered for several years. Lane's tenacity eventually leads to a shocking discovery. Anonymous Bloggers are being killed. His intrusions haven't gone unnoticed. Now, he and Ana are
targets, and Lane has to move fast. His quest to uncover the truth, save Ana, and end Lewis'
sinister program will test his courage, challenge his faith in longtime confidants, and force him to
finally choose between the only two women he's ever loved.
Academic Rankings… From a Squid’s Perspective
Informational link provided by Jim Russell „69, written by Jill Laster
web link http://militarytimes.com/blogs/scoopdeck/2011/08/01/how-do-the-academies-measure-up/#.TjmlheINpYg.email
The Naval and Coast Guard academies — as you might expect — aren‘t the first colleges to consider when you‘re looking for a party school.
But alongside ranking high as a ―stone-cold sober‖ school in this year‘s Princeton Review rankings, the two academies got high marks for accessible professors, low marijuana use and
―running like butter‖ (meaning administration works well).
On the not-so-good end: The Naval Academy ranked seventh for ―least happy students‖ of the
376 U.S. schools included in this year‘s rankings and 14th for ―dorms like dungeons.‖ The Coast
Guard Academy placed similarly, ranking fourth for ―least happy students‖ and fifth for ―dorms like
dungeons.‖
West Point
Best Classroom Experience — #1
Most Accessible Professors — #1
Best Athletic Facilities — #3
Best Health Services — #3
Everyone Plays Intramural Sports — #4
Stone-Cold Sober Schools — #5
Most Politically Active Students — #6
Don‘t Inhale (marijuana usage reported low) — #7
Students Study the Most (report highest # of study hrs per day) — #7
Best College Library — #8
Future Rotarians and Daughters of the American Revolution — #9
Most Conservative Students (lean right politically) — #13
College Town Not So Great — #14
Most Religious Students — #15
3
PAGE
4
Operation Mess Hall: Cadets Weigh In
Current
Connections:
By CDT Claire Williams ‟14
An inside look
at what‘s
going on in
the Corps,
and the
current class
mates of C-3
in particular!
As announced by Brigadier General Ted Martin
during his class in-briefs throughout Reorganization Week, the mess hall is undergoing substantial changes this school year. BG Martin
outlined his vision for the food system for
the cadets: a return to mandatory dinners
and better food. Between the commandant‘s actions and recent budget cuts,
cadets are facing a food system with little
to no resemblance of last year – no more
tablecloths, spicy chicken patty, or evening
grab-and-go. As the Corps has been predictably outraged, we went straight to the Gamecocks
to get their input on the new system.
What would you do about the mess hall
if you were Commandant for a day?
I would burn the mess hall down. Aside
from arson, I would also alter and expand the options for fruit and cereal at
breakfast.
I would find ways to save food and try
to set up a program to donate all the
uneaten food left over after each
meal.
I would ration out the amount of food
at each meal better. Some have too
much, others have not enough.
I‘d definitely try to find a way to make
the food a little better quality, or at least
keep more of the meals around that the
majority of cadets actually like.
I would at the very least improve meal
planning - like for breakfast sometimes,
they'll put out cream cheese and there
will be NOTHING for breakfast that you
should put cream cheese on in any way
shape or form. If there were any way
that food could be served at an appropriate temperature instead of sitting in a
case for an hour beforehand turning
lukewarm, that would be another big
change too. Overall I don't think the
food is that bad, it's the presentation
and planning that's horrible.
VOLUME
2,
ISSUE
PAGE
2
What is your least favorite meal?
Turkey cutlet.
-Jake Henry, ‗12
I really hate the dinners where
they hand you some unnamable mess of meat, sauce, and
vegetables and you have to
smell it before you can figure
out if it's edible. -Natalie Stone,
Omelet - Ross Boston, ‗13
waffle sticks because they're always dry. -Michael Finnochio, ‗15
This new form of bison burger we had today. That was utterly disgusting.
Ricky Galindo, ‗14
What
is
your fa
vorite
Meal?
Chick
en cris
pito R
Patty.
. I .P.
Spicy
C
hicken
My fav
orite m
eal is C
with M
hicken
ashed
Cordo
Potato
n Bleu
e
s
.
-Micha
el Finn
ochio
, ‗15
Spicy
Chick
en Pa
tty - R
oss Bo
ston, ‗
Chick
en Pa
tty
-Ricky Ga
lindo,
13
‗14
I love
cold c
ut lunc
screw
hes be
up a tu
cause
rkey sa
you ca
ndwic
n't
-Nata
h.
lie Sto
ne, ‘14
1
/1
9/13
5
PAGE
6
Behind the Mask
Above: CDT Armijo
the newest C3
Gamecock Mascot.
Game On!
This section is
all about C-3.
From ancient
relics to current
events, this
page is all
about us, the
Game Cocks!
A new school year, a
new school, a new
mascot. For plebes,
2011 is a year of
change. Spirit dinner
on the 8th of September was to bring out
the pride for our companies. It was meant
to bring us together
within our company.
But what kind of company would we be without
our dearest mascot? Let‘s
have a look at the Gamecock behind the mask.
―How did you come about
being our mascot?‖
By CDT Christina Cox „15
pany as a whole?‖
Armijo: ―It‘s pretty cool. At first
you think it‘s nerve-wracking,
but when you‘re wearing the
mask, no one knows it‘s you
so you just play the part.‖
―Is this something you take
pride in, or would you rather
do something else for the
company?‖
Armijo: ―I enjoy it. I can do
what I want and no one
knows it‘s me!‖ (Not anymore!)
―What‘s the best and worst
thing about your job?‖
Armijo: ―The worst part definitely has to be the suit, it is so
Armijo: ―I honestly don‘t
know. My team leader came hot! The best part is that I can
in one day and said ―Oh, by be as spontaneous as I want
the way, you‘re our company to be.‖
mascot‖ or something along ―Anything to add? Any last
those lines.
words?‖
―What‘s it like knowing you‘re Armijo: ―Go Gamecocks!‖
representing our com-
VOLUME
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ISSUE
2
PAGE
C-3 i.e. Champions of 3rd Regiment
By CDT Joe Hayslett „14
If you were not aware, last has really good players and is startyear C3 won two USCC in- ing to learn to play together really
well.
tramural championships.
Both the football and soccer teams beat out all their
competition and brought home
trophies to display in the C3
company area. How do the
reigning champs feel about
their performance for this year?
C3 football coach CDT Lieutenant Jeffery Hexom feels confident about his team. He and
fellow team members have
been seen discussing plays and
strategies during lunch. Cadet
Hexom stated, ―This year we have a
bunch of big players, we will be better than last year.‖ Their first game is
not for another few weeks, but the
team eagerly practices and awaits
there opportunity to win yet another
championship.
Other C3 intramural teams are just
as confident in their ability to bring
home the gold. CDT Corporal Michael Tougher guarantees that the
Gamecock‘s wrestling team will
make it to the finals. As for C3 basketball, though the team has gotten
off to a rough start their spirits are still
strong. Cadets Maher Ali, and Lukas
Findley agree that this year‘s team
Right: Images of C3 cadets in
their Brigade Finals soccer
match.. Needles to say, they
WON!
7
PAGE
8
The Funnies Page Related to Cadet Life… Kind of…
The Funnies:
Finding the
comedy in
every situation...
even cadet life.
What’s Up West
Point?:
Find out what‘s
going on at
West Point.
From Ike Hall
productions, to
cadet activities,
if you‘re visiting
West Point or a
permanent resident, this is the
place to look
and see what is
going on at our
―Stony Castle‖
on the hill.
school
VOLUME
2,
ISSUE
2
PAGE
9
What‟s Up West Point? A look at what‟s happening in August...
To get further information about what is happening at West Point visit:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WestPointUSMA and Twitter: http://twitter.com/WestPoint_USMA
H
I
A
K
L
E
The Soldier
Show
Ike Hall 7:00PM
Sunday September 18th
L
Class of ‘76 and
‘81Reunions
SEP 15 - 18, 2011
Class of ‘66 Reunion
SEP 22 - 25, 2011
Class of ‘91, ’96, ’01, and
’06 Reunions
SEP 22 - 25, 2011
Attention C3 Old Grads!
C3 is hosting a BBQ after the
homecoming football
game parade, OCT 1,
in central area! Hope
to see you there!
Support former Gamecock Andrew
Mackenzie ‘11 as he completes
Ranger School. Write to address:
ARMY FOOTBALL
SEP 3 AWAY N. Illinois
SEP10 HOME SDSU
SEP 17 HOME Northwestern
SEP 24 AWAY Ball State
Mountains: 14 August - 03 September, 2LT Andrew Mackenzie,
5th Ranger Training Battalion,
ATTN: 09-11, 1 Camp Merrill,
Dahlonega, GA 30533-1802
Florida: 04 September - 20
September, 2LT Andrew
Mackenzie, 6th Ranger Training
Battalion, ATTN: 09-11, 6069
Walkers Lane, Camp James E.
Rudder
Eglin AFB, FL 32542
Come SUPPORT West Point Athletics!
Sat. Sep 17 MSoccer vs. St. La Salle West Point 8:15PM
Sun. Sep 18 WSoccer vs. Delaware West Point 1:00PM
Thurs. Sep 22 WSoccer vs. Howard West Point 4:00PM
Fri.-Mon. Sep 23-26 WTennis vs. Eastern Chamionship West Point All Day
Sat. Sep 24 MSoccer vs. Holy Cross West Point 7:00PM
Fri. Sep 30 WVolleyball vs. American West Point 7:00PM
Fri. Sep 30 Sprint Football vs. Mansfield West Point 7:00PM
As we start out a new volume, The Gamecock Gazette solicits you
to share more of your stories about your cadet, military, and civilian experiences. The Gamecock Gazette connects current C-3
Cadets with the Old Graduates of C-3, keeping people informed
with a few good laughs. This newsletter will also document C-3’s
history in the making.
For October’s Issue, we ask graduates to send in articles
about their memories of West Point during the fall. From
GAMECOCK GAZETTE
Charlie Company, 3rd Regiment, USCC stories about football games, to midterms, and even about
Halloween and “the Ghosts” of the academy, all tales are
Company C-3 TAC Officer:
MAJ Arthur Rutnarak
(845) 938-2101
arthur.rutnarak@usma.edu
Company C-3 TAC NCO:
SFC Scott Swanson
(845) 938-2694
scott.swanson2@usma.edu
Gamecock Gazette
Editor:
CDT Alexis Salmon
P.O. Box 3586
West Point, NY 10997
(845) 515-5485
alexis.salmon@us.army
.mil
welcome.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the newsletter, please get in touch with C-3 through any of the contacts to
the left.
Thank you for all of your contributions and stories. This newsletter
couldn’t have worked without your help and support. We hope
you’ve enjoyed another issue of the Gamecock Gazette!
Letter From the Editor by Alexis Salmon „14
I hope you all enjoyed
this issue of the Gamecock
Gazette. In this edition I
wanted to focus on the academic pillar of West Point.
From the stories of Gamecocks who made it beyond the
academic rigors of “The Point”
to become authors, general
officers, and other successful
businessmen, to the list of high
academic rankings from a
“Squid,” to articles about current cadets making “Major Decisions,” I think we captured a
good picture of academy academics and completed our
goal.
Thank you to all the
Old Grads who shared their
pictures, news, and past
memories. Your stories help
us to see beyond the academics of West Point and inspire
us to reach for difficult but attainable (as shown by your example) goals.
like to submit an article/
picture, please feel free to contact me through the information listed above. Remember,
keep a look out for the October issue of the Gamecock Gazette! Game On!
Again, thank you to all
the cadets who took time out
of their busy schedule’s to submit articles and add to our gazette. The paper would not be
the same without your, photos, thoughts, and stories.
Again, I hope you enjoyed the latest issue of the
Gamecock Gazette. If you
have any comments, recommendations, or if you would
Respectfully,
CDT Alexis Salmon
Company C-3, USCC
Class of 2014, USMA