SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 1 WWW.WESTPOINT.EDU THE SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 VOL. 76, NO. 36 OINTER IEW® DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY PSERVING THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AND THE COMMUNITY V OF WEST POINT Honoring Buffalo Soldiers ® (Above and right) Members of the Buff alo Soldiers Fort Hood Chapter rode the Army Mules with the ceremonial wreath from The Plain to the Buff alo Soldiers plaque at Buffalo Soldier Field Saturday. (Far right) During the 58th annual Buffalo Soldiers Memorial Wreath Laying ceremony, Class of 2020 Cadets Bethany Nunnery, Riaz Lane, Brian Savidge and Mary Monnard placed the wreath in front of the plaque and saluted to honor the Buffalo Soldiers. The memorial honors those from the 9th, 10th, 24th and 25th Cavalries who served at West Point from 1907 to 1947. Photos by Michelle SchneiDer/PV 2 SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 NEWS & FEATURES POINTER VIEW Gen. Dempsey visits West Point to educate cadets about leadership Story and photos by Michelle Schneider Maj. Nathan Pfaff, instructor in the PV Staff Writer Department of English and Philosophy, assembled a framed photo of a letter Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of of condolence from Ulysses S. Grant Staff and retired Gen. Martin Dempsey visited to the widow of his fellow role model the U.S. Military Academy on Friday as a turned subordinate Gen. Charles guest speaker for the West Point Humanities Ferguson Smith who died April Center’s fourth annual Zengerle Family 25, 1862. “Gen. Smith was Grant’s Lecture in Robinson Auditorium. The Zengerle Family Lecture Series was commanding officer at West Point and established to invite major figures to the then the roles reversed during the war. academy each year in order to share diverse The sentiment in the way it was written perspectives that will challenge cadets to think stuck out to me as what Gen. Dempsey about the human dimensions of leadership, means when he says, ‘Make it matter.’ education, culture and warfare. The letter symbolizes the care you take Dempsey was the first graduate of West with those who are left behind and Point to speak at the Zengerle Lecture Series. embodies the principles of which Gen. He was recently named Honorary Knight Dempsey led and dealt with when a of the Most Excellent Order of the British Soldier is killed in combat,” Pfaff said. Empire, one of Time Magazine’s 100 most Class of 2021 Cadets Tony Blanco and influential world leaders and a West Point Taylor Stringer presented the gift to Distinguished Graduate. Dempsey. The purpose of Dempsey’s lecture was to inspire and encourage cadets to learn how to ways you can do that is by living a felt the unimaginable combination of courage and cadets to remember from his speech, he said, live up to the standards West Point serves to life—you have to be in tune with yourself fear that is service in combat. was be a good human being. build in them. He consistently emphasized the and extraordinarily in tune with those you Dempsey drew upon war stories from “We follow a lot of doctrinal models of importance of being the kind of leader who are leading.” history and his own past to give cadets the what leadership needs to look like, and I cares about other people. During the lecture, Dempsey presented vivid and realistic perspective needed to think that personal testaments like he made “You have to figure out for yourself his own personal touch with quotes that were take leadership in combat more seriously, today is important for us to understand that that you are in competition for the trust meaningful to him and accompanied the and to serve as a role model for others while there is more to leadership than just following and confidence of those who follow you,” powerful images on the screen behind him. hopefully preventing casualties of war in the a model and adopting specific values that Dempsey said. “You need to be the prominent One photograph helped Dempsey teach his future. are assigned to you,” Class of 2021 Cadet voice in that competition, and one of the message to cadets that leaders in combat must “As leaders, we cannot just sit here (idly Tony Blanco said. “Gen. Dempsey is a very demonstrate with) the fact that we are taking causalities. authentic leader. He doesn’t try to dictate selflessness So, we had a leadership conference and philosophies in a way that seems textbook for the benefit found that we were becoming too routine. oriented. He puts into the terms of a general of their teams. Insurgents figured out their routes and placed goodness that can ensure all sorts of different The a land mine, so we started making policies kinds of leadership styles.” picture and reinforcing things, but I wanted to get Dempsey said during the lecture that showed a personally involved,” Dempsey said. “I flew the Army is a profession, not a job or valiant marine to a (forward operating base) and I watched an occupation, and encourages people to running a patrol do its thing, and I grabbed the squad become leaders of consequence to avoid their through the leader and brought him over to the side and standards from slipping. Valley of asked, ‘What were you doing just before you Dempsey also emphazied the line, the Shadow got here?’” “making it matter,” which relates to both the of Death in After Dempsey finished his story, he extraordinary things people may accomplish Okinawa talked about how a team must rely on each in their life or simply performing a small act to resupply other rather than be self-serving. He shared of thoughtfulness that goes unnoticed. machine guns that building effective teams requires a “History is going to find you. It won’t find and was taken leader to care about his or her followers and all of you, just some of you. It found me and I by a combat understand their challenges whether it’s their wasn’t looking for it. You never know which photographer health or family issues. He said that when one it is or how many of you, and since you from a people confide in you, teams can be built upon don’t know, you’re all candidates,” Dempsey foxhole. It the foundations of respect and trust. said. “Here is my thought on ‘making it Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and retired Gen. showcased Of the many leadership qualities discussed matter,’ it’s about being there for someone, Martin Dempsey visited the U.S. Military Academy on Friday as what by Dempsey, he reiterated trustworthiness, helping someone, and if you can go through a guest speaker for the West Point Humanities Center’s fourth Dempsey approachability and empathy toward other life and make something matter, you’re going annual Zengerle Family Lecture in Robinson Auditorium. described as Soldiers. The most important trait he wanted to make a big difference.” 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. 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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: DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 3 Brooks’ message to ‘Speak Up’ part of Diversity & Inclusion Conference By Brandon O’Connor Assistant Editor As the keynote speaker of the U.S. Military Academy’s Diversity and Inclusion Conference, retired Gen. Vincent Brooks, USMA Class of 1980, had a simple message. When you are included, it is not enough to take your seat at the table and be happy to be there. It is what you do once you are given a seat that really matters. “When you have decided to stand up and step up, once you’re inside and included, you must speak up,” Brooks said. “You have to make sure that the perspective that you bring, that unique perspective, is part of the mix. Sometimes that takes a lot of moral courage to do that because often you feel so honored even to be in the room that you don’t want to put that at risk where you would now be excluded from the room.” He called on those gathered to, “Stand up, step up, speak up and build-up.” To offer their unique experiences to the discussion and not be afraid of voicing their opinion.