West Point Command Channel Channels 8/23 Will Hold a Kickoff Campaign Meeting at 10 Arrives
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DECEMBER 4, 2014 1 THE DECEMBER 4, 2014 VOL. 71, NO. 46 OINTER IEW® DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY PSERVING THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AND THE COMMUNITY V OF WEST POINT ® The Wait is Over The moment nears as envelopes are distributed and the fi rsties await the command to open and reveal their new branch insignia Nov. 20 during the branch notifi cation ceremony at Eisenhower Hall Theatre. With the addition of Cyber, cadets now have 17 commissionable branches they can enter after graduation. DMI provides a four-year education and mentorship program designed so cadets can make informed decisions on their branch preferences, but ultimately, branching is determined by the needs of the Army. This year, 96 percent of the Class of 2015 received one of its top fi ve choices and 80 percent of the class received its top branch preference. Branch Night for the Class of 2015 included remarks from the commandant of cadets and retired Lt. Gen. Joseph DeFrancisco, Class of 1965 graduate and recipient of the Distinguished Graduate award. See Pages 3-4 for story and photos. PHOTO BY MIKE STRASSER/PV Congress in session Company teams INSIDE with another compete to be & semester of SIMEX named brigade ONLINE for yearlings. champs. KATHY EASTWOOD/PV MIKE STRASSER/PV WWW . POINTERVIEW . COM WWW . USMA . EDU SEE PAGE 6 SEE PAGE 8 2 DECEMBER 4, 2014 NEWS & FEATURES POINTER VIEW Safety concerns: hauling crude oil through West Point By Dr. Chris Hennen When public concerns surfaced about the risks associated and risks involved, and sources of reliable information during DPTMS Emergency Plans Specialist with Bakken oil rail shipments, United States Military Academy an emergency. Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr. directed an The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and We are at the dawn of a promising time for energy production immediate top-to-bottom review of worst-case rail crude oil Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Association in this country. This is a positive development for our economy accident preparedness and response capabilities. of American Railroads websites provide balanced perspectives and for energy independence. But concerns have been raised In response to this directive, West Point emergency on crude oil rail shipments. over the safety related to transporting oil product to refineries. management officials have been working with county, state Should an emergency occur, reliable and timely information More crude oil is being shipped by rail than ever before, and federal representatives to review and synchronize response may be obtained through the West Point information hotline with much of it being transported out of North Dakota’s Bakken plans and to identify and resolve capability gaps. A key player (938-7000), the Garrison Facebook page and the Desktop Alert shale formation to refineries on the East, West and Gulf coasts. in this effort is the rail carrier, CSX, who has been very helpful mass warning notification system. It’s a trend that is growing because the energy industry has in assisting us in this effort. found rail shipments to be more flexible than fixed pipelines. Most At a crude oil incident-response workshop at West Point of the eastbound crude travels south from Albany to refineries Nov. 12, one CSX official remarked, “Safety is always our top Have a Plan and Make a Kit: in New Jersey or Pennsylvania via ships, barges or trains along priority, and we have a shared responsibility to ensure crude oil Have shelter-in-place and evacuation plans in mind to the Hudson River. is transported without incident from origin to destination.” enable decisive, effective action should the need arise. Lengthy strings of black, ominous-looking train cars carrying He said that the railroad industry is moving on a broad front The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety Bakken oil pass through West Point at a rate of about 20 trains to ease safety concerns about trains hauling crude oil, agreeing and Health Administration Evacuation Plans and Procedures per week. to measures such as setting lower speed limits, increasing track eTool website provides extensive information on protective Although Bakken oil makes up less than 4 percent of inspections, equipping trains with advanced braking systems and actions. rail shipments, and 99 percent of these shipments reach their retrofitting tank cars to improve their damage-resistance capacity. Crude by rail has become a permanent part of our nation’s destination without incident, the large increase in the frequency However, emergency preparedness is not only for emergency energy infrastructure and the “new normal” along the line of these trains, coupled with the volumes of product transported responders; knowing what to do before, during and following an that passes through West Point. by each train, has increased the risks. Oil tapped from shale emergency is a critical part of being prepared and may make all Preparing for a hazard makes good sense; it could save deposits is generally more volatile and flammable than traditional the difference when seconds count. What can you do? your life. Are you and your family ready? crude oil. Stay informed: Educate yourself and others on the hazards NIA helps Soldiers through Operation Shoebox The West Point Chapter of the National Infantry Association collected non-perishable donations from shoppers at the Commissary and Post Exchange Nov. 14 during its “Operation Shoebox” event, which collects items such as cans of fruit, drink mixes, candy, magazines and playing cards to send to Soldiers in Afghanistan and Walter Reed Medical Center. KATHY EASTWOOD/PV The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised by the U.S. Army or the Times Herald-Record. 40 Mulberry Street, Middletown, NY 10940 Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, ® POINTER VIEW To subscribe to the Pointer View or or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, The Army civilian enterprise newspaper, the Pointer View, is an authorized publication for members physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user, of the Department of Defense. Contents of the Pointer View are not necessarily the official views of, or if you have delivery problems, call 845-346-3118. or patron. endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of the Army or West Point. Eric S. Bartelt A confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser The Pointer View ® is an unofficial publication authorized by AR 360-1. The editorial content of the PV Managing Editor, 938-2015 will result in the refusal to print advertising from that source. Pointer View is the responsibility of the West Point Public Affairs Office, Bldg. 600, West Point, New York Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, Jr. 10996, (845) 938-2015. Superintendent Mike Strasser The Pointer View is printed weekly by the Times Herald-Record, a private firm in no way connected Lt. Col. Webster Wright PV Assistant Editor, 938-3079 with the Department of the Army, under exclusive contract with West Point. The Times Herald-Record is Public Affairs Officer Kathy Eastwood responsible for all commercial advertising. PV Staff Writer, 938-3684 POINTER VIEW DECEMBER 4, 2014 3 (Above) Class of 2015 Cadet Nickole Kaple is overwhelmed with emotion on Branch Night Nov. 20 after the anxiety she felt vanishes upon seeing the Aviation insignia inside her envelope. A 25 percent reduction in Aviation slots made Kaple and others uncertain of their chances. (Left) Class of 2015 Cadet Chase Snow has his Infantry insignia pinned on by Col. Scott Halstead, director of the SImon Center for the Professional Military Ethic. Snow said Halstead, his Military Leadership mentor, shares his love for the Infantry. Branch Night brings new sense of belonging Story and photos by Mike Strasser last, you still have some level of uncertainty about followed. Assistant Editor the contents of the envelope,” Snow said. “The four days leading up to Branch Night, Snow was among the 80 percent of his class I barely ate or slept due to my nerves,” she said. BRANCH Branch Night is an unknown finally known, who received their top choice, and, as required by “The only thing that kept me sane last week were a newfound sense of belonging and a milestone the Army, 70 percent branched into combat arms. my Mil Art paper and training for the Sandhurst SELECTIONS celebration all compressed into one tense hour Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. John Thomson Competition.” Air Defense: 52 inside West Point’s landmark theatre. also announced that 96 percent of the class would While the good news is the majority of cadets Adjutant General: 33 Cadets from the Class of 2015 got to experience get one of their top five branches. will earn one of their top five branches, there’s Armor: 68 it Nov. 20 when they gathered inside Eisenhower “This is a significant achievement, especially always a fraction whose choices don’t align Aviation: 88 Hall and collectively opened the envelopes given that we had a 25 percent cut in the popular with the needs of the Army. Cadets call it “force Chemical: 8 revealing their new branch insignias. Aviation allocations from the previous year … ,” branch” but they learn in the Department of Cyber: 15 Perhaps the most excruciating part of Branch Thomson said. Military Instruction’s branch education and talent Engineer: 136 Night is the wait. An entire day of classes, followed That’s when her head sank down into her hands management program that it’s not always about Field Artillery: 128 by formation and the walk over to Ike Hall, only and a few reassuring pats on the back followed.