MARCH 3, 2016 1 THE MARCH 3, 2016 VOL. 73, NO. 9 ® UTY ONOR OUNTRY OINTER IEW D , H , C PSERVING THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AND THE COMMUNITY V OF WEST POINT ® Friday Night at the Fights In front of an energetic crowd of more than 500 spectators, 24 fi ghters traded punches in the ring during the 60th annual Army West Point Boxing Brigade Open Feb. 26 at Crest Hall. The evening highlights included victories by previous BBO winners senior Alan Alvarado (Company H-1), who is also a two-time national champion, at 125 pounds and Company G-4’s sophomore Christian Bledsoe at 175 pounds (right photo), who defeated Company I-4’s junior Jonah Hershman. Also, two members from Company F-2 earned wins as freshman Vonn Grant (139 lbs., left in above photo against sophomore Mike Garrett) and junior Colton Sterk (147 lbs.) took home the titles. The evening also included special guests Medal of Honor recipient retired Col. Jack H. Jacobs and current WBA Middleweight Champion Danny Jacobs. See page 11 for results and photo. PHOTOS BY JOHN PELLINO/DPTMS VID (ABOVE) AND ERIC S. BARTELT/PV (RIGHT) 2 MARCH 3, 2016 NEWS & FEATURES POINTER VIEW NCOs graduate inaugural cohort of Benavidez LDP Story and photo by enhance the overall effectiveness of their TAC Staff Sgt. Vito T. Bryant teams,” Command Sgt. Maj. David M. Clark, USMA Public Affairs the U.S. Military Academy’s senior enlisted leader, explained. “This educational experience Twenty-five NCOs graduated from the will also prepare them to excel when they return inaugural cohort of the Benavidez Leader to the operational Army as future first sergeants, Development Program (BLDP) during a sergeants major and command sergeants major.” ceremony in the Thayer Award Room Feb. 26. The BLDP’s training regimen began with a Upon completion of the program, each week of ELDP graduates administering a course graduate received a certificate in social focused on leadership and history. For the next organizational psychology, which is accredited two weeks, program participants relocated to by Columbia University, and can be used as a Columbia University where instructors from level of proficiency in leader development and Teachers College taught courses in Leadership change management. and Supervision, Executive Coaching, Named after Medal of Honor recipient, the Organizational Psychology, and Group and late Master Sgt. Roy P. Benavidez, the BLDP Organizational Dynamics and Change. Included The inaugural cohort of the Benavidez Leader Development Program (BLDP) is an executive education leader development in the second phase were numerous enrichment poses for a group photo with leaders from the U.S. Military Academy and Dr. W. program designed to prepare West Point’s Cadet activities such as visits to the 9/11 Memorial Warner Burke of Teachers College, Columbia University following a graduation Company Tactical NCOs for the academic rigors and Museum, McGraw Hill Financial and the ceremony in the Thayer Award Room Feb. 26. Named after Medal of Honor associated with training cadets. New York Police Department to enhance the For the past 11 years, the U.S. Military classroom instruction. recipient, the late Master Sgt. Roy P. Benavidez, the course is an executive Academy has partnered with the United States’ “One thing that went exceptionally well education leader development program designed to prepare West Point’s Cadet oldest and largest graduate school of education, was the executive coaching portion,” course Company Tactical NCOs for the academic rigors associated with training cadets. Teachers College, Columbia University, for participant and Company G-4 TAC NCO, Sgt. “Once I actually started the course, I was just our irreplaceable noncommissioned officers the Eisenhower Leader Development Program 1st Class Timothy Brown said as he reflected on blown away by how much, as a senior leader, who share the responsibility of being integrators (ELDP) which prepares Company Tactical a key point of the BLDP. “It gave us a different there is still for me to learn about leadership and of cadet development,” said Col. Diane Ryan, Officers (TACs) for their assignment as the legal perspective by forcing us to look at things from leader development.” director of the Benavidez Leader Development commanders of companies within the Corps of many different angles. We learned to tailor our The Academy anticipates taking three years Program and deputy department head of the U.S. Cadets. Similarly, the BLDP equips TAC NCOs conversations and focus on the problems.” to reach its goal of having every assigned TAC Military Academy’s Department of Behavioral with education experience comparable to that of Master Sgt. Johnny Merriweather, a course NCO complete the program, which also awards Sciences and Leadership. “I hope that this their commissioned counterparts. participant and TAC NCO for Company I-4, 10 continuing education units accredited by program has provided the tools and inspiration “This program was designed to give our agreed. the International Association for Continuing for our TAC NCOs to bring their leader tactical NCOs a world-class executive education “Initially, I thought it may have been Education and Training. development skills to the next level both here in organizational leadership, to prepare them to something that would hinder me from achieving “We could and should have been doing more at West Point and in subsequent assignments better train and lead their cadet companies and other goals that I was working toward,” he said. to provide some commensurate experience for elsewhere in the Army.” “A Heartfelt Thank You” West Point Faculty Dear West Point community, military policeman a cup of coffee to warm us up. The lady that came in saying she was running I am a security guard at West Point, and on behalf late for church, but wanted to bring some afterward, member found dead of myself and all of the other security guards here, which she did. Even one of our own guards delivers By U.S. Military Academy Media Relations we want to say “thank you.” Thank you to all the coffee and, at times, food, to help warm us up. It is awesome to know in the hustle and bustle of military, dependents and civilians who over the past A U.S. Military Academy instructor was found deceased Sunday afternoon while today’s world that there are some people who think two months, when the weather was bitterly cold, off-post, according to the Atlantic City Police Department in New Jersey. Although of others, and do it out of the kindness if their hearts. took the time, and spent money, to show you cared an investigation is underway, there is no indication of foul play at this time. There are probably several other instances of this sort by bringing us hot coffee at the gates. Maj. Benjamin Recla, 33, was assigned to the Department of Civil and Mechanical of kindness, I wanted to return it by simply saying We do this because it is our job to ensure your Engineering and served as an officer representative for the West Point Flying Team. “thank you” from my experiences. safety. Most of the times, security or law enforcement “I wish to extend to his family the sincere and profound sympathy of all the I wish I knew your names to thank you personally. are thankless professions. The people of West Point officers, cadets and other members of this command,” said Superintendent Lt. Gen. Again, thank you from myself and all the other had changed that! From the lady that brings in two Robert L. Caslen, Jr. security guards here at West Point, I am proud to cups of Cumberland Farms coffee on a Monday Recla graduated from the academy in 2004 and was commissioned as a second serve and protect you. through Friday basis, or the lieutenant colonel’s wife lieutenant in the Aviation branch. He was assigned previously to the 1st Cavalry that asked him to turn around and come back through Division at Fort Hood, Texas, and served multiple deployments in support of Operation the gate so she could offer to buy myself and the —An Appreciative Security Guard Iraqi Freedom. 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Eric S. Bartelt The Pointer View ® is an unofficial publication authorized by AR 360-1. The editorial content of the 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. PV Managing Editor, 938-2015 10996, (845) 938-2015. Superintendent Michelle Eberhart The Pointer View is printed weekly by the Times Herald-Record, a private firm in no way connected Lt. Col. Christopher G. Kasker PV Assistant Editor, 938-3079 with the Department of the Army, under exclusive contract with West Point.