Soldiers Take NCO Oath Twenty-Five Sergeants Took the Oath of the Noncommissioned Officer at the NCO Induction Ceremony Held Oct
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Men’s Soccer vs. Navy 8 p.m. Friday ® Clinton Field VOL. 65, NO. 43 SERVING THE COMMUNITY OF THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT NOVEMBER 6, 2008 Soldiers take NCO oath Twenty-five sergeants took the oath of the noncommissioned officer at the NCO Induction Ceremony held Oct. 29 at Eisenhower Hall’s Crest Hall. The oath was administered by MEDDAC 1st Sgt. Stephen McNichol. The NCO Induction Ceremony celebrates the newly promoted sergeants joining the ranks of the professional noncommissioned officer corps. It recognizes the transition of a sergeant from “just one of the guys or gals” to a noncommissioned officer. State Sen. William Larkin, (R- Orange County) congratulated the inductees and presented each of them with a copy of “The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide (FM7-22-7).” Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Violet McNeirney also congratulated the new sergeants and presented them with a copy of the NCO Creed. KA THY Eas TWOOD /PV USMA grad astronaut to walk in space By Emily Tower first trip to the final frontier, which Space Station. To accomplish that, is scheduled to last through Nov. Kimbrough will walk in space, U.S. Military Academy graduate 29. which he called the best among Lt. Col. Shane Kimbrough isn’t “It sounds cliché, but it’s a “many cool things” he’ll get to do. sure if he’s excited about his dream come true,” Kimbrough said “I haven’t thought about it as Thanksgiving meal this year. But, Oct. 30 in a telephone interview scary,” Kimbrough said, describing he’s downright giddy about where from the Johnson Space Center his feelings about the space walk. he gets to eat it. in Houston. “The whole crew has “I’m sure that is some of the military Kimbrough, USMA class of worked a long time for this. It’s nice training coming out. You kind of 1989, won’t get home cooking, but to know we are in the end game.” know what the hazards are and do he does get to eat whatever he’s The crew went through a dress what you can to minimize that. It’s served up in outer space. rehearsal last week, and Kimbrough very similar in that regard to Army Kimbrough, an astronaut, and said getting to be in the actual folks doing missions today.” the rest of the crew of STS-126 are shuttle was a thrill. To train for his space mission, scheduled to blast off into space His mission in space will Kimbrough had the help of a West Nov. 14. This will be Kimbrough’s be to resupply the International Point cadet this summer. Yearling Elizabeth Connors interned at NASA this summer for her Advanced Individual Academic Development trip. During her time there, she shadowed Kimbrough. Lt. Col. Shane Kimbrough dons a training version of his shuttle She went through simulators launch and entry suit in preparation for a full fuselage trainer with him and practiced landing the mockup training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at shuttle. She ran out of fuel the first NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Suit technician Justin Roberts time she tried it but still managed to assisted Kimbrough. NASA PHOTO land the virtual shuttle. gravity,” Connors said about her suit has to be checked for holes. Connors also helped Kimbrough experience with Kimbrough’s Connors also attended many through a rehearsal of his space mission. meetings with Kimbrough and walk from the shuttle to the space She also helped him try on his learned just how much there is station and back again. space suit -- a process that can take to making a space mission See RED, page 3 “It wasn’t too hard, but I had six hours because each part of the See SPACE, page 3 2 November 6, 2008 First cadet medical school acceptance received By Sgt. Vincent Fusco community college to take medical school acceptance. recommendations, confi dent in his PAO prerequisite college courses “Sean is one of the few students abilities as a student. and develop his study habits. you see in a lifetime,” Sloop said. “He “He is a complete Soldier- Firstie Sean Kelly of Company In his yearling year, Kelly can be anything, in any profession scholar, which is what the Army has G-4 from Tecumseh, Mich., was studied organic chemistry, he wanted to undertake.” to have,” Sloop said. “I think Sean the fi rst cadet this academic year the chemistry of carbon The next year, Kelly became will be an excellent doctor for the to be accepted to medical school compounds. a chemical engineering major and Army in the 21st century.” following graduation. He felt intimidated at took on three extra life science His Family is impressed with The University of Michigan fi rst as the only yearling in a courses. That, along with playing his acceptance to a college close to sent Kelly via YouTube a humorous diffi cult cow class. rugby on the weekends, kept his home but encourages him to keep video that confi rmed his acceptance But when his instructor, schedule constantly booked. studying and learn what he can at the end (http://www.med.umich. Lt. Col. Joseph Sloop, The semester in which he studied during his attendance. edu/medschool/message/). Department of Chemistry for and took the Medical College “They’re not making an overly “I couldn’t tell if it was going and Life Science associate Admission Test proved to be his huge deal about medical school,” to be an acceptance or something professor, saw the high most academically demanding time Kelly said. “They’re just being else,” Kelly joked about the video. marks on his assignments, at West Point. supportive. I’m looking forward Kelly said he always wanted he encouraged Kelly to ask “I’m up until 1 or 2 (a.m.) every to learning as much as I can in the to pursue a career in medicine, but more questions in class to help night doing homework, putting the next few years -- the course load what he considered his inspiration the other students engage the best I can do into it,” Kelly said. at West Point defi nitely prepared was during high school when his material. Kelly kept a schedule of working me for it.” grandmother was diagnosed with “If the smart ones don’t solely on courses during the work In addition to his Michigan cancer. ask the questions, then other week to keep his weekends available acceptance, Kelly also has been A year after her diagnosis, she Firstie Sean Kelly students won’t want to ask for rugby and time to study for the honored in an induction into Gamma was pronounced cured, but an open from those events, Kelly made them,” Sloop said. MCAT, on which he received high Sigma Epsilon, a national honorary unexpected stroke claimed her life the decision to apply to West Point Organic chemistry is one of the marks. chemistry society. the next week. and commit to studying medicine. most diffi cult undergraduate courses To apply to medical school, Though his mind is not yet “The doctors felt like they did He was accepted and went students need to complete in order Kelly had to send copies of his made up on which medical specialty everything they could,” Kelly said. through Beast Barracks in 2004, to become a doctor. grades and recommendations from he would like to go into, Kelly is “But they never made us feel like but he had a leg injury that put Sloop saw Kelly’s potential for fi ve instructors to a highly selective leaning toward becoming a trauma every answer had been found.” him on medical leave for a year. In success in medicine and advised faculty board for consideration. surgeon and learning how to apply Having too many questions left that time, Kelly attended his local him to continue his pursuit of Sloop wrote one of Kelly’s See MED SCHOOL, page 3 DD Form 93 needs updating and records reviewed for DIMHRS Submitted by Directorate of any part of the death gratuity. the spouse. and benefi ciary designations. Any and update their DD 93 and fi les Human Resoiurces The Army does this by sending a As a result, the Offi ce of the Soldier who has completed a new by making an appointment with spousal notifi cation letter. Spousal Secretary of Defense published an DD 93 since Aug. 19 does not have the Military Personnel Division by Based on changes to law over notifi cation is required for Soldiers updated version of the DD Form to redo it. Any Soldier who has not calling 938-2035/5060/8489. the past two years, Soldiers have who are married, even those legally 93, Record of Emergency Data, completed a new DD 93 since Aug. Before making an appointment greater fl exibility in determining to separated or pending a divorce but to accommodate the new death 19 must get this accomplished. to update records, review the most whom they designate to receive their still married. gratuity options. In preparation of DIMHRS current ORB/ERB and OMPF. $100,000 death gratuity. Effective The Army will not tell the Effective immediately all implementation March 1, all Soldiers The point of contact for July 1, the law allows Soldiers to spouse who the Soldier elected to Soldiers must complete a new DD are required to review their ORBs/ appointments is Laura Perez at designate up to 10 beneficiaries, receive their death gratuity. The Form 93 to properly capture the ERBs, SGLV/DD 93 and OMPF.