Pointer View IDF Officers Participate in Taglit-Birthright Israel Visit to West Point Story and Photos by Michelle Schneider PV Staff Writer
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 1 WWW.WESTPOINT.EDU THE SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 VOL. 76, NO. 36 OINTER IEW® DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY PSERVING THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AND THE COMMUNITY V OF WEST POINT ® Branching Out (Left) A cadet talks to a member of the Field Artillery branch during Branch Week at the U.S. Military Academy Wednesday. See Page 3 for story and photos on Branch Week. Photo by Spc. Robert Luna/USMA PAO 2 SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 NEWS & FEATURES POINTER VIEW IDF officers participate in Taglit-Birthright Israel visit to West Point Story and photos by Michelle Schneider PV Staff Writer The U.S. Military Academy had the honor and privilege of hosting nine Israeli Defense Forces officers during their first visit to North America Monday with Taglit-Birthright Israel. The visit was facilitated by the United Church of Christ Chaplains at West Point. Taglit is the Hebrew word for discovery, and it was a day of many new experiences for the IDF officers. Cadets from West Point have visited Israel through Taglit-Birthright Israel’s program, but it was the first time in the nonprofit’s history IDF officers have visited North America in what they call a reverse- encounter. Taglit-Birthright Israel is an international Israeli Defense Forces officers salute Col. nonprofit that started in 1999 and hosts Jewish David “Mickey” Marcus’s tombstone at the students from all throughout the world. The West Point Cemetery Monday. This was the goal of the organization is to immerse people last stop during their visit to the U.S. Military into the Israeli culture and way of life while Academy during their reverse-encouter tour building friendships throughout the world. with Taglit-Birthright Israel, an international Orifa Bino, the director of Mifgashim, the nonprofit that provides Jewish students Hebrew word for Encounter, helped oversee the the opportunity to live abroad in Israel and events that took place during the IDF officers’ integrate amongst nationals. 10-day tour in the United States. The purpose perspectives,” Bino said. “I want them to learn cadets and the IDF officers met in the morning participant of Taglit-Birthright Israel in 2016. of their visit to West Point was to engage in and to know their similarities to Americans and learned about the history of the academy as “It was an incredible experience to see their learning opportunities and build cross-cultural and to know the other Army’s ways through they walked around campus. They eventually culture, how their military works and all the relationships. listening to the cadets.” regrouped at a foreign language classroom in things that make us alike and different, but at “They are learning about America not Several representatives from Taglit- Washington Hall where a map of Israel was the end of the day it’s really cool to see how only from the Jewish perspective, but all Birthright Israel, West Point personnel, Jewish projected onto a screen. similar we all are,” Weisman said. “Today, The IDF officers introduced themselves they can do the same and see how we operate. and pointed to the areas they are from. They We are great allies with Israel and work with shared their names, ranks and background and them, and we will probably continue to work some cadets practiced their Hebrew by doing with them for a long period of time.” the same. After touring Branch Week, the Israeli As the day progressed, the IDF officers officers and West Point cadets were led by had the unexpected opportunity to learn about Chaplain David Ruderman to the West Point the United States Army during Branch Week, Cemetery where they viewed Col. David a time of year when representatives from “Mickey” Marcus’s grave. different career fields set up static displays to He was an American Jew and West Point help cadets determine their future Army careers graduate widely credited for helping Israel at Diagonal Walk on The Plain. gain independence during the Arab-Israel “It’s serendipity that they have those booths War of 1948. They visited his grave to honor and different tents because they show all of the his contribution, dedication and sense of different parts of the military,” Taglit-Birthright volunteerism. Program manager of North America Andrew The day ended at the grave of Col. Marcus Kasdan said. “Each of those static displays where IDF officers saluted his tombstone spoke to people based upon commonality, before parting ways with the cadets to continue whether it was intelligence, paratroopers or their journey of discovery in North America. something else.” “I want to see the budding of individual The heart of the IDF officers’ reverse- personal relationships and for our cadets and A cadet and Israeli officer listen to an American Solider introduce himself in Hebrew. encounter trip was to strengthen the bonds visitors to share some mutual understandings The energy of the foreign language classroom at Washington Hall was bursting with between Israel and the United States by about military service,” Ruderman said. “Our excitement and laughter as West Point cadets and Israeli Defense Forces officers developing friendships with Jewish cadets at countries and militaries share many values, so were able to reconnect with old friends and make new ones during their tour with West Point. Class of 2021 Cadet Max Weisman it makes sense for us to get together and build the Taglit-Birthright Israel program. is a member of the Jewish choir, chapel and a these relationships.” 40 Mulberry Street, Middletown, NY 10940 POINTER VIEW ® To subscribe to the Pointer View or The Army civilian enterprise newspaper, the Pointer View, is an authorized publication for members The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not if you have delivery problems, call 845-346-3213. of the Department of Defense. Contents of the Pointer View are not necessarily the official views of, or constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised by the U.S. Army or the Times Herald- Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams Brandon O’Connor endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of the Army or the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Record. Superintendent PV Assistant Editor, 938-3079 The editorial content of the Pointer View is the responsibility of the U.S. Military Academy Public Everything advertised in this publication will be made available for purchase, use or patronage Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt [email protected] Affairs Office, Bldg. 600, West Point, New York 10996, (845) 938-2015. without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, Public Affairs Officer Michelle Schneider The Pointer View is printed weekly by the Times Herald-Record, a private firm in no way connected political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. Eric S. Bartelt PV Staff Writer, 938-3684 with the Department of the Army, under exclusive contract with West Point. The Times Herald-Record is If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, the publisher PV Managing Editor, 938-2015 michelle.schneider@westpoint. responsible for all commercial advertising. will refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation has been corrected. [email protected] edu POINT POINTER VIEW IN FOCUS: BRANCH WEEK SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 3 Cadets gather knowledge on career opportunities during Branch Week Story and photos by Brandon O’Connor Assistant Editor Spread throughout the apron of The Plain at the U.S. Military Academy, the Army’s 17 branches worked to recruit their future officers. Branch Week at West Point brings together representatives from each of the branches to enable cadets to learn more about their postgraduation options and for the branches to sell themselves to future officers. The heavy equipment began rolling in over the weekend and will stay in place through Saturday, giving cadets the opportunity to visit the displays and learn more about the roles of each branch and what life is like for their officers. Upper-class cadets have the ability to tour the displays at their leisure and while plebes and yearlings have the same freedom, they also have designated rotations through each station in order to give them an initial understanding of every option available. “I’m aiming at learning about the different career paths, what opportunities are available in each different branch and for the branches that catch my eye I want to know more specifically how do I go about succeeding in that branch,” Class of 2022 Cadet John Gordon said. After going through the displays for the first time as a plebe last year and then taking time to walk through again this year, aviation has stuck out to Gordon as his top choice so far. With two more chances to go through Branch Week Warrant Officer 4 Seth Gabbard talks to Class of 2021 Cadets Ryan Companion and Walter Wecker about the Blackhawk before locking in his final branch rankings as a Medevac helicopter and opportunities in the aviation branch during Branch Week at the U.S. Military Academy Monday. firstie, his goal is to learn as much as possible this year than they were last year,” Gordon said. my captain’s time looking like for this branch. I able to utilize my major, which is physics with to inform his decision. “Last year, I just kind of wanted to see ... what know a little bit more to get more information a minor in nuclear science. You don’t really get “My questions are a little bit more pointed they’re doing? But this year, I can (ask) what is out of the people I’m talking to.” that chance most places.” Class of 2020 cadets will lock in their For branches with less name recognition, branch preferences for the sixth and final time Branch Week is an opportunity for them to next week and will find out their branches in introduce themselves to 4,400 future officers.