Wings Over Rockies - Tribute Event - Friday Sept. 9, 2011

Join the Fun!

Army Airforce Footbal Game Tailgate

The information for the Tailgate for the A-AFA football game has been posted on our website.

Join the fun!!!  Remember to sign-up early so they'll know how much food to prepare!

Go here for the Flyer

Go here for the map to the Tailgate.



BEAT AIR FORCE

Team RWB (Red White & Blue)

This summer 3 USMA Old Grads/WPAOG-Denver members, 4 graduates of the Coast Guard Academy, and 5 others will be running in the Wild West Relay for Team Red, White and Blue (Team RWB).

Team RWB is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the way wounded veterans are reintegrated into society when they return from combat and exit their position in the Active Duty force or National Guard.   While much has improved since the post-Vietnam era, some polarization between veterans and our society still exists today. Strong relationships between wounded veterans and their fellow Americans are critical to veterans’ reintegration into civilian life as well as our nation’s success. 

 

That’s why Team RWB’s mission is to enrich the lives of wounded veterans and their families. Team RWB works toward this mission by focusing on three key areas: 1) Endurance Events, 2) Social Leadership-Based Networks, 3) One-on-One Relationships with veterans. 

 

The Wild West Relay is a 200-mile relay race from Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs, CO. Our 12-person team will consist of men and women, veterans and family, Old Grads and Coasties, friends and colleagues focused on creating greater awareness on the needs of our veterans. While we will be providing the blood, sweat and tears that come along with such an event, the support that you provide will be making the true difference. If you are interested in supporting, there are many options. To donate to Team RWB, click here:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/adambrady/wild-west-relay-2011

 

If you have a large SUV, van, or small camper that you are willing to donate, please contact Adam Brady at adam.brady02@gmail.com

"Today" show Video on Team RWB: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/43180324#43180324

Wild West Relay website: http://www.wildwestrelay.com/

 

Thanks.

 

-Jason Conner - Cl of 2002

Checkout who was at the WPSD Berry event

Again, I'm working on video quality, but you'll get some idea of the layout & who was there.  Consider joining us for a future event!

June 11 - Berry Address to WPSD

Sorry for the quality of the video.  We'll get better!

To hear the entire audio from Gen Berry's address, go to www.denverwestpointer.org & then go to the DOCUMENTS listing  (Or, just click here).  Download the address (in 2 parts) & listen to it at your leisure.

Blue the new pink?

Runners assemble weekly at DuPont park to remember fallen 5th Brigade members

Mile after mile, Lisa Hallett runs to remember the man she’s adored since she was a teenager.
She fell for John Hallett on a church trip to Mexico in 1996. She lost him on Aug. 25, 2009, when an improvised explosive killed the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Army captain and three others while they rode in a Stryker on a mission in Afghanistan.
Reeling from his death, Lisa Hallett laced up her sneakers two days later. She ran to regain a sense of control over a life that had suddenly lost its direction.
“Running is very tangible to me,” said Hallett, 29. “I need it.”
She still runs for John and for herself, but these days she’s flanked by dozens of other service members and military spouses on weekly routes through the city of DuPont.
Many runners wear blue shirts listing the names of fallen soldiers from Capt. Hallett’s unit, the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/05/29/1685512/runners-assemble-weekly-at-dupont.html#ixzz1NrA5RB3f

USMA '99 Running for Denver Office

My name is Chris Herndon and I am a candidate for Denver City Council, District 11. I am a West Point Graduate, class of 1999, which led me to two tours oversees, including peacekeeping in  Kosovo and combat in Iraq. After leaving the military I moved to Denver and worked for several years at Denver International Airport. Since leaving DIA, I have managed the Walmart in Englewood through a program where military leaders are trained for a year and sent in to run Walmart Supercenters. My time in the military gave me irreplaceable experience in leadership, service, problem solving, and collaboration-all values I consider integral to an efficient city government. My time at Walmart has given me the insight into business operations and I can safely say I now know more about numbers that any one person could ever hope to know. My biggest reason for running is the passion for public service instilled in me by my parents, including my mother, a Kansas City Public Schools teacher for over thirty years. I currently chair the Outreach Committee for my Stapleton United Neighbors Board, I have tutored students at Montbello High School, and taught Financial Peace Literacy to NE Denver residents through my church, True Light Baptist. I have spent my life serving my community and I would appreciate your support in helping me continue to serve the people of Denver. There are only a few weeks left and I need all the help I can get. Please consider volunteering or showing your support through a donation. For more information go to www.herndonfordenver.com.

Local Member Announces Run for US Congress

David Jackson, '73 (your WPSD Treasurer & sometimes webmaster) announced at the Academy BizNet today that he has thrown his hat into the GOP race for Colorado District #7 for the US House of Representatives.

Running as a fiscally responsible, yet socially centrist candidate for the GOP, Dave believes that when voters spoke last fall, the Congress didn't necessarily listen or believe. Look at his platform & if you agree with him, let him know.

Checkout his website, www.davidjacksonforcongress.com

Follow him on Twitter 

"like" him on his Facebook page

Join his Facebook Group

BE A HERO, HIRE A HERO Veterans Career Expo 2011

We are "Mobilizing" Service Academy Grads to seek their company's support for the BE A HERO, HIRE A HERO Veterans Career Expo 2011 being conducted in New York City by Hire Disability Solutions, Academy Recruiters LLC, Veterans Across America, the New York Times and several Wounded Warrior support organizations in May and November. Each Expo is open to all Veterans and Active Duty personnel with specific attention given to our Wounded Warriors. Conducted a few years ago, this program was attended by 7,000 Veterans and 122 Companies and resulted in the placement of over 500 veterans. Attached is our ad for the Veteran Expo.
Veterans attending the Expos will include the following:

+  West Point, Annapolis and Air Force Academy Graduates
+  Active Duty Junior / Senior Officers and Non-Commissioned officers
+  Technical &Non-Technical Enlisted Personnel
+  Wounded Warriors
+  Military Veterans
A Resume Database of all Veterans attending the Expo will be available to companies both during and after the program.

The dates for the two Expos:
Tuesday, May 24 - New Yorker Hoteland Monday, November 7th - Intrepid Sea &Space Museum

To Register:
Companies &Vendors: Email / call Ken Williams, USMA '69 at KenWilliams@Academy-Associates.com / (203) 798-6029
Candidates:  Log on to www.hireds.com and click on the Expo icon to register and upload your resume.



The Problem We Need to Solve

Today's soldier has great difficulty in finding civilian employment, especially those that have been wounded in combat and are physically challenged. Unfortunately, the government has been of little assistance in helping our combat veterans to find career opportunities. Additionally, many of today's company Executives, Managers and Human Resources professionals have little, if any, experience hiring military personnel and will routinely exclude military personnel from employment consideration.


The Objective of these Expos is not only to bring together companies and military service members, but also to provide companies the opportunity to better understand the true value of these individuals as future employees. As part of this program, a percentage of the proceeds will be given to Veteran / Wounded Warrior support organizations. It's now our turn to give back!

     *                *                *                *                *                *                *               

Next Steps: Please forward this email to anyone that may be interested in reviewing this information. If your company is interested in supporting and/or participating in these events, I would appreciate a contact person who we can call once our plans have been finalized.


A "Kick-Off" Breakfast is scheduled for April 6 at the New York Time Building for Companies interested in participating in our Expo programs.  The address is 620 - 8th Avenue, 15th floor, NYC from 8:00-10:00 AM.


Please email / call me at KenWilliams@Academy-Associates.com  / (203) 798-6029 for additional information.


Thank you for any assistance you can provide.


Ken Williams, LT. Colonel, USA, Ret
West Point Class of 1969
President
Email: KenWilliams@Academy-Associates.com
Phone: (203) 798-6029
Web Site: www.AcademyRecruiters.com

About Academy Recruiters LLC
      
Established by West Point Graduates in 1977 to assist Vietnam Veterans leaving the military, our firm today provides Program / Project Management Staffing and Executive Search services. We specialize in finding C-Level Executives, Managers and Technical Engineering “Leaders” (Grads &Non-Grads) for our corporate clients.

Our industry focus currently includes Defense, Consulting, Manufacturing, Construction, Energy, Medical, Financial and High-Tech. We have 10 professional Recruiters on staff and a network of over 100 specialty recruiting firms.


Our typical searches are listed below;

+    Presidents / Vice Presidents / Directors / Board Members & Executive Coaches
+  Partners / Principals / Senior Consultants
+    Business Developers / Capture Managers / Technical Sales
+    Program / Project Managers
+    Acquisitions / Purchasing / Contract Specialists
+    Financial Professionals
+    Contract Project Managers (Short-Term)
+    Technical / System Engineers (EE, ME, IE, Civil, Nuke, Aero)
+    Operation Managers
+    Junior / Senior Military Officers / Non-Commissioned Officers
+    Wounded Warriors (Combat Veterans)

A Forgotted Founder?

Victor Madeja, USMA ‘70 Reminds us (and offers....)
This is about founders who might be forgotten, in case you wish to remind others.


The obvious physical founder was Thaddeus Kosciuszko. He returned to Poland to help defend the world’s second written Constitution. After the country was occupied, he “declared independence” from Prussian and Russian occupation to again fight for freedom. He repeatedly urged his friend Thomas Jefferson to create a professional military school. Both men were also friends of Thomas Paine, who was instrumental in building the foundation for this country’s independence, without which there would have been no need for a military academy. There is more information about relevant Polish history on the "Newsletter" page of my website (www.valorww2.com) and the Home Page has enough to make you an expert on Thomas Paine (corrections on either are always welcome).


Why now? In January, I was voted director of the Thomas Paine Friends organization (see http://www.thomaspainefriends.org/) and in the next year I hope to add a few good ones.


Founders Day best wishes,
Victor Madeja
USMA ‘70+

Colorado Troop Enlistment Ceremony

Local member Hosts Radio show

Live Thursdays 2-3PM MST

Show Debuts March 31, 2011
 

 

The show will be titled, MILITARY MATTERS - The Voice of Encouragement for the Military & Their Families.  It will "air" on CASTLEROCKRADIO.COM at noon on Wed, tho' the programs can be downloaded & listened to anytime.  Live broadcasts will be from Castle Rock, but I can interview anyone from anywhere by phone.

 

Wish me success & thx for your help!  Maybe I can interview you?

More info at: http://www.castlerockradio.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=143585

DAVID KOTZEBUE, OWNER                   

MAJOR ENTERTAINMENT

Welcome Home Wounded Marine at DIA

Ground combat soldiers interviewed recently said that there are two things they would like the citizens back home to do as a way to feel less detached from the troops serving in combat zones - serve others and sacrifice something. Ever since WWII, American citizens have been detached from their military serving in combat; we've been able to enjoy a normal life while our troops serve their country in harsh, hostile conditions, sacrifice the good life back home for the misery of the battlefield, and sacrifice their lives and limbs for their buddies on the left and right. They grieve alone for the remainder of their lives for their buddies who never came home. We'd like to encourage everyone to sacrifice a few hours this Saturday, March 12, to honor a Golden, Colorado Marine that none of us know who was severely wounded in Afghanistan in December by an Improvised Explosive Device. Let's show him and his family that Colorado families appreciate his service and sacrifice by honoring him with a large turnout.
Lance Corporal Daniel C. W. Riley lost both legs and several fingers on his left hand, among other external and internal injuries. He has been in military hospitals since then, just got fitted for his "Stubbies," and took his first steps last week. He has been granted two weeks of recuperation leave at home, after which he will return to San Diego for about six months of additional rehabilitation and therapy. To follow him on his family's blog see http://danielcwriley.blogspot.com/2011/03/walking.html
Daniel's flight (United 0342) is scheduled to arrive at DIA at 2:50 PM Saturday (you can track it on United's website before you leave home to be sure it's on time). Family, friends, the Patriot Guard Riders, and others will welcome him home at the usual spot for greeting visitors on Level 5 at the top of the escalator leading up from the train platform. Bring an American flag and/or a Marine Corps flag, your kids and grandkids, and tissue.
And, please remember to pray for Daniel and his family, who will need much prayerful support for the indefinite future.

USMA needs an RV

USMA has the need for a donation of a self-propelled RV of at least 37 feet in length.  Must be in good condition and running order.  The vehicle would be modified for use as a mobile event operations center.

Please contact Elena Meskill '99, WPAOG's Director of Class & Annual Giving, if interested:  Elena.meskill@wpaog.org or 845-446-1536.
Thanks!

Society Member to speak at the National Infantry Museum

WPS Denver member Richard B Adams is a featured speaker at the National Infantry Museum's April 9th symposium on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War

National security, freedom of speech at the heart of Frederick author's debut suspense novel, 'The Unsanctioned'

 

The seed for the book was planted when Lamke was in a graduate school program at Texas A&M University that focused on national security. A research topic of interest was the influence of the Internet on terrorism and extremist behavior. "I thought that how Internet extremists affect national security and how a country's government reacts to that would be a good book topic," he said.

To read more, click here

"The Parting: A Story of West Point on the Eve of the Civil War"

Remembering the Civil War

By Richard Barlow Adams

2011 begins the sesquicentennial years of the American Civil War, and whatever your take on the “why” and “relevance” of the four-year conflict that resulted in more American dead and grievously wounded than suffered in all other American wars combined, its continuing impact on present day America is undeniable. Is this right? Is this healthy? Should we have “gotten over the war” by now and swept it under the rug of history? Whatever your view, the fact is that more American literature has focused on the Civil War than on any other aspect of American history. Civil War organizations continue to abound, with long histories and faithful memberships. Every year, Civil War reenactment groups revisit in greater numbers the battlefields of old, and a growing number of Civil War round tables populates both North and South, and states not even in the Union at the time of the war.

Given this reality, and drawing upon my experiences as a graduate of West Point, I recently published a historical novel, The Parting: A Story of West Point on the Eve of the Civil War—fitting to the start of the sesquicentennial period. The story enters the Victorian world of West Point and the Class of 1861 as this band of fifty brothers and best friends experience a growing chasm within the class. The story is written with the Academy's Corps of Cadets as a microcosm of the nation, which it very much was, and with the intent of factually presenting historical events during the eleven-months leading up to the first major battle of the Civil War.

With few exceptions, the story characters are real and their relationships to one another are based on non-fictional sources. The story’s protagonist is John Pelham from Alabama, the most popular man in the class and perhaps the greatest young officer in the Confederacy. His Academy friends include Edmund Kirby of New York, Tom Rosser of Texas, George Armstrong Custer of Ohio, Henry du Pont of Delaware, Adelbert Ames of Maine, and many others. When the class begins its final year, Pelham meets Clara Bolton, a Philadelphian belle who captures his heart. In the months that follow, Pelham, Clara, and the Class of 1861 witness the unraveling of the Union and the birth of the Confederacy against the political backdrop of states' rights, slavery, the Democratic and Republican Parties, the fire-eaters of the South, and the abolitionists of the North. The story concludes with classmates and best friends confronting one another across Bull Run.

“Thanks to the great work of Rich Adams in The Parting, such a terrible period in America’s history is presented in a most profound and riveting fashion. There is a truth on these pages we can all benefit from. A great read.” –Hal Moore, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Ret.), Distinguished Graduate of West Point, and co-author of the book and top box office film, We Were Soldiers Once…And Young.

Rich Adams is a registered professional engineer specializing in environmental issues. He and his wife split their time between Greenwood Village, CO, and Sandestin, FL, and his author’s website is www.RichardBarlowAdams.com. The Parting is available at Tattered Cover bookstores in the Denver area and can be ordered in hardback, softback, and eBook from major bookseller websites.

Founder's Day Speaker Selected for March 5, 2011

LTC Jim Bradford has been selected by West Point to be the Founder's Day speaker in Denver this year.  Here's his bio:

LTC Jim Bradford  received his commission as an Infantry Officer in 1989 from New Mexico Military Institute.  Upon completion of the Infantry Officer’s Basic Course, Jim’s first duty assignment was at Schofield Barracks, HI where he served as a rifle and specialty platoon leader, company executive officer, and battalion staff officer for 4th Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division.

Following the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, LTC Bradford was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry, 1st Armored Division in Baumholder, Germany where he served as Battalion S3 Air, Rifle Company Commander, and Headquarters Company Commander which included deployments to Bosnia and the Former Yugoslav Country of Macedonia.

Jim and Daniele moved to Washington DC in 1998 where LTC Bradford was assigned as a military assistant and operations officer for the White House Military Office serving both President Clinton and President Bush.

Following  CGSC, LTC Bradford was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, FT Drum, NY where he served as the Division G3 Training Officer and as Chief of Operations for CTF-Mountain in Afghanistan.  Jim was later assigned to 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team as the Battalion S3 and as Brigade S3 and Brigade Executive Officer, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.  During his assignment with the 10th Mountain Division, Jim deployed to Afghanistan twice  and Iraq once.

In 2006, LTC Bradford was assigned  to US Pacific Command, Camp Smith, HI where he served as a Ground Operations Planner for Standing Joint Force Headquarters.

LTC Bradford assumed command of 1-63 Combined Arms Battalion as part of 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division in May, 2008 which  deployed to Iraq from October 2008 to September 2009.  LTC Bradford will depart command in May 2010 for West Point where he will serve as a Regimental Tactical Officer with the Corps of Cadets at West Point, NY.

LTC Bradford holds an undergraduate degree from New Mexico Military Institute and the University of Texas and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Government from Troy State University.  His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Combined Arms Services Staff College, the Command and General Staff College, and the Joint Forces Staff College.

LTC Bradford’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star (4 oak leaf clusters), Joint and U.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal, Joint and U.S. Army Commendation Medal (6 OLC), the Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medal, UN and NATO Medal, Joint and Army Achievement Medal (4 OLC).  Jim wears the Ranger Tab, Airborne Badge, Air Assault Badge, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, and Presidential Service Badge.