Do Your Duty!

Do Your Duty!

When I was young, one of the first lessons my parents taught me was that words have meaning. If you make a promise, you keep it. The one thing you don’t do is break your promise because doing so is a betrayal of trust. Throughout my life I made promises and took...

Character and Composition Matter

In the month of August, both Forbes Magazine and US News & World Report ranked West Point as American’s Best College in each of their respective annual rankings.  The rank and follow-on accolades are tribute to a national treasure – the United States Military...

“Women in Combat: An American Story” NY Times August 19, 2009

This letter to the Editor of the New York Times appeared in both the on-line and print versions of the New York Times on August 19, 2009. To the Editor: The topic of women in combat remains controversial. Conventional wisdom and current law prevent women, no matter...

The Moment of the Oath

I am at a loss of words for the momentous and seismic shift we witnessed today with the inauguration of Barack H. Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America. The joy and hope of people everywhere was palpable as a new chapter in our Nation’s history...