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February 2019
Giving Sets Strong Pace in FY 2019 By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer, VMI Alumni Agencies
At the midpoint of Fiscal Year 2019, all indications are that the members of the VMI family continue to invest in the mission of the Institute by supporting all aspects of the cadet experience. As of Dec. 31, alumni, parents and friends had provided a generous total of $16.2 million in gifts and commitments. It is fascinating to observe trends in the interests of the VMI family. Most of the funding raised thus far – $12.3 million, to be precise – has come in the form of restricted gifts. Some of the gifts have been directed to existing endowments that support such things as need-based, athletic and merit scholarships, professorships, and existing endowments that generate unrestricted funds, as well. A good number of these gifts are in the form of commitments that, when realized, will support all aspects of the VMI education and ensure an ever brighter future for VMI. “Many of the donors who made these commitments did so knowing that they will not see the impact of their gifts firsthand,” said Warren J. Bryan ’71, VMI Foundation chief operating officer. “It is a testimony, therefore, to their confidence in the Institute and their shared conviction of the importance to VMI to the country that they make such gifts.” Of course, most members of the VMI family who participate in the ongoing effort to provide VMI with the private financial support necessary to keep it strong and keep it on track for the future do so by making gifts to the components of VMI Annual Giving: The Foundation Fund, the Keydet Club Scholarship Fund and the Athletic Operations Fund. Since the
beginning of FY 2019 – July 1, 2018 – 1,914 alumni, parents and friends have supported the Corps of Cadets through Annual Giving with gifts to all three funds totaling $2.6 million. “I always am grateful for the significant support that the VMI family provides through these funds,” said Steve Maconi, VMI Alumni Agencies chief executive officer, “because they enrich every aspect of the VMI education and provide financial support to our athletic program and the hundreds of cadets – more than a quarter of the Corps – who represent the Institute at the highest level of college sports.” Reunion campaigns always figure prominently in any year’s fundraising totals, and FY 19 is no exception. During the first half of FY 19, together, the Class of 1993’s 25th Reunion Campaign and the Class of 2008’s 10th Reunion Campaign raised $1.2 million in gifts and commitments. The Class of 1969 will present the initial proceeds of its 50th Reunion Campaign in April 2019, and it is shaping up to be a strong effort. As to the rest of the year, Maconi said, “Undoubtedly, we are off to a strong start in terms of support for VMI, and I thank all those alumni and friends whose generosity made it possible. Now, the rest of the VMI family has the responsibility to ensure that the year finishes as strong as it began and VMI has the private money it needs to continue to provide our cadets with an extraordinary and extraordinarily effective education that transforms them into citizen-soldiers of the type our country needs.”
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February 2019
Sharpe ’04: More Than a Rocket Scientist By Molly Rolon, Associate Editor, VMI Alumni Agencies “I’m not a rocket scientist,” said Matt Sharpe ’04 – clarifying, since he has been working at NASA since 2007. “I just happened to get into rockets. I’m not an engineer. ... I have no idea how they’re doing that.” Communication – leveraged through technology – is, however, Sharpe’s area of expertise. Sharpe’s work for NASA is in a field called human-computer interaction. Sharpe was introduced to the then-emerging field at VMI while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in computer science. In the midst of life at VMI, Sharpe “realized I didn’t like computer science. If I really didn’t like computer science and I’m a computer science graduate, what [could] I do next?” The HCI field was great match for Sharpe: “The aspect that I really, really like about computers is usability – usability and design.” In HCI, technology – fueled by computers – and people are brought together by experts. The experts design, build and tweak software with the end goal of maximizing the technology’s usability. While he was pondering future career choices and looking into HCI, Sharpe had another internal debate – whether or not to serve in the military. An Institute Honors full-scholarship cadet who was honored in many ways for his academic achievement at VMI, Sharpe began considering if he could better serve his country in a civilian capacity. “To me, the answer became yes,” he said. With that choice made, he began looking into graduate school options, and – on a scholarship from defense contractor SAIC – completed a compressed master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University, followed by working at SAIC for a couple of years before going to NASA. Sharpe, who purposefully studied
Sharpe ’04 subjects beyond computer science while at VMI and who wryly notes that he “was annoyingly one class short of a double major in English,” is a champion of clear communication. This certainly encompasses computers but also – and perhaps more importantly – means using precise language to communicate to a specific audience. “I love the English language. I don’t feel like people really see the connection to a broader set of fields. For me, when you talk about usability and design, how language communicates is incredibly important,” Sharpe said. “The language that you’re using in design is very, very important. I think more broadly than that, what I’ve come to realize is that
every single technological change is a culture change. You’re changing the culture in some way, and that means that you have to be able to communicate in a way that resonates with that culture – whether that’s an engineering team, whether that’s a board of advisers, whether that is a C-suite level executive – it has to resonate with them. And that you can only do through the English language.” When Sharpe began working at NASA, internal communication – although couched in technical terms – was a huge focus within the agency. NASA was responding to the findings of the investigation into the 2003 Columbia space shuttle explosion. In response to the investigation, a nascent
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group was initially tasked with writing requirements for a new problem reporting system. The group was HCI and Sharpe’s home at NASA. The space shuttle program had well over 25 separate problem reporting systems, Sharpe explained. The problem with so many systems is “they didn’t integrate well ... you don’t really get a good integrated picture. If you do get a good integrated picture, somebody’s got to go to those ... different systems to see what things are related and manually put all that together – and then it’s stuck in somebody’s head.” In the case of the Columbia disaster, a weak point in the shuttle’s heat shields caused the shuttle to disintegrate during re-entry. The weak point was caused during launch when foam fell off the fuel tank and struck the shuttle’s heat shields – an impact of 500-plus miles per hour. That foam falls off the fuel tank – called the orange tank in NASA circles – “was a known thing. It was designed to do that. It was a well-documented problem on the fuel tank,” Sharpe said. “It wasn’t really completely understood from an integrated perspective how that foam falling off could potentially affect the [space shuttle].” When Sharpe came onboard, the team he joined had just spent several months researching problem reporting systems in other domains and had created a prototype system. The team looked at everything from Navy vessels, which had many similarities with NASA systems, to nuclear reactors as models. One of Sharpe’s first tasks was to add two new “engineering data sets” – or raw data gathered from specific areas – to the system. Fast forward a decade-plus, and Sharpe is the assistant chief of the human-machine integration division. His team still works with problem reporting and enterprise software, but what’s most exciting to Sharpe is that within his team, he has “massive autonomy.”
His team is able to nurture projects from a whisper of an idea to viable end states: Finished, usable products. Aside from following the innate constrictions of a government system – inner-agency and federal regulations plus mandated cybersecurity levels – Sharpe is able to run his group “like we’re a little startup within the government.” “From the moment somebody comes to us and says, ‘Hey, I don’t know how you do what you guys do, but can you do it on this thing?’ we go in and we do user research, we understand what they’re looking at, we design their product, we build that product and then we host and maintain that product for them, we do their training, we do our own help desk, we do every bit of it from beginning to end,” Sharpe explained. “The thing that’s fun about it is that we own the entire thing, which is really not common.” Much of Sharpe’s time is spent working on “enterprise software for the engineering knowledge of a vehicle. The simplest example of that is problem reporting.” For instance, if a part breaks on the International Space Station, a long chain of actions ensues: Someone has to report the problem, figure out which part broke, how to report that the part broke, how to fix the part – document all the preceding – and then get approval to move forward. Sharpe’s team builds software specific to each vehicle or system need at NASA – in this case, fixing a part on the ISS. They also work on preflight verification systems and often add capabilities – like linking vehicle parts supply to a problem reporting system – to pre-existing systems. Daily, Sharpe deals in industry-specific terms – enterprise software, R&D, artificial intelligence, human-in-the-loop and machine learning. Industry-speak aside, the real challenge, Sharpe said, is not actually gathering data. It is “to get that data in a usable format.” “When you talk about integrating –
putting the engineering data together, it’s about getting the right data to the right people at the right time,” he continued. “For them to be able to make the decisions they need to without having to wait weeks for people to pass around information and email each other. ... to be able to spend time doing analysis without spending all your time trying to find the information.” Everything Sharpe’s division does is the “real-deal, in operation supporting [NASA] missions.” His specific role involves “forward looking research and design,” including “internet of things, augmented reality [and] cross system search machine learning ... wherever we think we’re going next. ... Those are the kind of areas where we do forward-looking research and development so we can plow that back into our operations.” Aside from his work at NASA, Sharpe also keeps current by serving on the boards of startups and recently earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Naval Postgraduate School. His experience at VMI, Sharpe said, has been helpful to him in his professional life. “I think VMI challenges you in such a way that you know what you are capable of. It gives you this perspective of, ‘Yeah, I’ve been through the worst. I’ve done worse; just dig in and get it done.’” His team – though they don’t build rockets in an agency synonymous with rockets – has become known for that ‘get-it-done’ mentality: “That is why we have the autonomy that we do. We’ve proven that we deliver. We’ve proven that we know what we’re doing. We’ve proven that when we say we’re going to do something, we actually do it. You go back to those simple things.” Simple things, values even, which – although not rocket science – may have sprung from a foundation built in imposing tan buildings, circled around a Parade Ground, topping a hill in Virginia’s great valley.
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Sgt. Maj. Sowers: Setting the Standard By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer, VMI Alumni Agencies
In summer 2018, Marine Corps Command Sgt. Maj. William T. Sowers assumed the duties of Institute and Corps sergeant major. Just the third person to hold the position since it was created in 1990, Sowers served 30 years in the Marine Corps, mainly in infantry units, although he served two tours “on the drill field” in Parris Island and San Diego. He began his service in 1988 at age 17, inspired by the many veterans he knew growing up in the Southside town of Stuart, Virginia. “Growing up, I was surrounded by veterans,” he remembered. An uncle had been an Army machine-gunner in Vietnam. One of Sowers’ neighbors was a Seabee in World War II, and his pastor served as a Marine in Vietnam. “These men had served, come home and become extremely productive citizens.” Unlike most of these men, Sowers kept serving after his initial enlistment. “I enjoyed what I did, and I thrived in an environment in which I served with high-quality Marines. Furthermore, many great leaders helped me develop as a Marine and a leader, and I wanted to continue that legacy.” He credits his wife for providing the support that allowed him to continue his career. “I am blessed with a good wife who understood what serving meant to me as well as the demands of the service. It takes a special individual to put up with all the moves and the long deployments,” said Sowers. Although he had no direct connections to VMI, he had long been aware of it. “In school, I took courses in Virginia history and, when studying the Civil War, learned about the New Market
cadets. Beyond that, VMI has a statewide reputation for being a tough and demanding place that turns out capable graduates who go on to do important things.” Sowers became more closely acquainted with VMI by serving with alumni in the Marines. He provided a few examples. “When I was serving with the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Marines, I met then-Second Lieutenant Jason Berg ’99. Right away, I knew there was something special about him. He was all substance and no flash. He knew his job thoroughly and got on with doing it.” “At my final duty station, the 1st Marine Division, there were 11 combatant commands, and three of them were led by VMI graduates. Lieutenant Colonel G.D. Hasseltine ’97 commanded the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Colonels Christopher Gideons ’91 and George H. Schreffler III ’94 commanded the 1st Marines and 5th Marines, respectively. All of them were impressive officers and leaders.” As he approached retirement, Sowers had an abundance of job opportunities, but none of them stood out. “Then, another Marine sergeant major sent me a message about the VMI job. It immediately struck me as a great opportunity to serve and to influence the next generation of leaders.” Throughout the application process, Sowers competed with many other well qualified and highly experienced candidates. Asked what made Sowers stand out, Col. William J. Wanovich ’87, commandant of Cadets, said, “Clearly, he was used to living up to and setting high standards. He exuded energy and enthusiasm. What impressed me and others was that he arrived with a good
understanding of VMI. He had done his homework, to include traveling from California to Lexington to speak with VMI’s first sergeant major, Al Hockaday.” As the 1st Marine Division’s command sergeant major, Sowers dealt with 23,000 Marines and sailors. At VMI, he interacts with approximately 1,600 cadets. It is a change in which Sowers delights. “At the division, I was influencing policy more than I was influencing people. To many, I was a name and a photograph on a wall. Here, I directly interact with 1,600 young men and women, and that gives me an opportunity to help them live up to their full potential.” Regarding what about VMI has impressed him so far, he replied, “There is a sense of history and tradition, and
Sgt. Maj. Sowers during Breakout Feb. 2, 2019. Photo by Micalyn Miller, VMI Alumni Agencies.
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there is a sense of purpose, a sense of mission, here. I can see why people are drawn to it.” He continued, “The chaplain, Col. Bob Phillips [’87], told me something early in the year that has stuck with me and always will. After seeing several young people leave barracks, I said to him, ‘Well, VMI isn’t for everybody.’ He replied, ‘Sergeant major, VMI is not for most people.’ That told me that it takes a special calling to come here – and to stay here.” Sowers also mentioned what he calls “the intangibles” of VMI. “You know that, by going through a common experience, they form lifelong friendships. In barracks, they learn things that will stick with them for life, like integrity, a sense of service and leadership. Most cadets come here with strong values, and VMI reinforces them.” “I also like how integrated everyone is,” he continued. “There are no companies with, say, only Army ROTC cadets and no special areas in barracks reserved for certain cadets. So, cadets learn to live and work with others, and this teaches them to be civil. Those are good skills to have in life, regardless of your career choice.” Although, as Wanovich said, Sowers did his homework about VMI, there was one thing that has surprised him. “I was somewhat skeptical when I heard that most activities were ‘Corps-led,’” he said. “So, I was a little surprised to see just how true that was and extremely pleased to see how well cadets fulfill those responsibilities – how cadets teach other cadets. Do they make mistakes? Sure. But by and large, we place an immense amount of faith and trust in our upper-class cadets, and they don’t let us down.” Alumni from the classes prior to 1990 did not have the experience of having senior noncommissioned officers as a permanent part of the commandant’s staff. When asked what role Sowers and
the two battalion training NCOs – Sgt. 1st Class Carmelo Echevarria and Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Bean – have in barracks, Wanovich replied, “It’s about standards. These NCOs do what NCOs do throughout the military: They know the standards, and they ensure VMI meets them. “Senior NCOs also bring a no-nonsense approach that cadets find appealing. Cadets know they came up through the ranks because they did the hard jobs. That knowledge means that cadets count on them to provide common-sense advice and answers.” To Wanovich, the NCOs fit in well with VMI’s overall ethos. “VMI is a place where everyone works hard because they know that’s what gets things done. NCOs bring that ‘go-to-work’ mentality to barracks, and that helps strengthen the ‘can-do’ attitude that cadets develop.” Regarding how Sowers fits in at VMI, Wanovich explained, “He quickly grasped all aspects of VMI. He did that through a daily interaction with the post, what is known in the military as ‘leadership by walking around’ and by attending a lot of meetings, such as those of the VMI Board of Visitors and the academic board. Some people might find that surprising, but in order to be as effective as possible in his work, he needs to understand what makes this place tick, not just how barracks works.” “In barracks,” Wanovich continued, “he has established himself with the Corps by setting great standards and conducting a dialogue with cadets. Most important, he applies his expertise and experience to accomplishing one goal: Helping cadets become more effective as leaders.” Summing up what he does at VMI, Sowers said, “Here, I continue to serve my country by influencing the development of its future leaders, whether or not they will serve in the military and lead others into harm’s way. Considering that, I count myself blessed.”
17 Earn Fall Academic All-Conference Honors 17 Keydets were named to the SoCon Fall Academic All-Conference Team released by the league Jan. 15, 2019. Each of the SoCon’s 10 full member institutions had at least 17 honorees, representing the sports of men’s and women’s cross-country, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball. To be eligible for the academic all-conference team, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.3 cumulative grade-point average at the conclusion of the fall semester and were required to compete in at least one-half of their teams’ competitions during the recently concluded campaign. In addition, the student-athletes must have successfully completed at least three semesters at their institutions, making true freshmen and first-year transfers ineligible for inclusion. A total of 354 student-athletes across the league earned the distinction. Below is the listing of VMI’s fall cadet-athletes who qualified for the honor. Men’s Soccer Sohrab Shaikh ’19 Women’s Soccer Marilyn Cardenas ’21 Sam Franklin ’20 Amber Risheg ’21 Sarita Walters ’21 Men’s Cross-Country Justin Adams ’20 Walter Kitson ’21 Jake Mazziotta ’21 Women’s Cross-Country Anna Armfield ’21 Isabela Melendez ’20
Football Zach Baker ’18 Brad Davis ’21 Reed King ’20 Jake Paladino ’19 Colby Rider ’21 A.J. Smith ’21 Jordan Ward ’21
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Libertini Advises on Policy in DoD Fellowship By Ashlie Walter, VMI Communications & Marketing
Jessica Libertini is promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Virginia militia by Brig. Gen. Jeffrey G. Smith Jr. ’79 at the Pentagon. Photo courtesy of Jessica Libertini.
For Lt. Col. Jessica Libertini, Ph.D., a yearlong fellowship in the U.S. Department of Defense pushed her beyond her comfort zone and expanded her connection to commissioning cadets.
In September 2017, Libertini, associate professor of applied mathematics, started a science and technology policy fellowship through the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science. The nonprofit places between 200 to 300 scientists and engineers in the three branches of government. Her position as an executive branch fellow allowed her to work with international policy makers in cooperation with other nations. “I wanted to do something different, and I wanted to challenge myself,” she said. As a country desk officer, Libertini managed a portfolio of seven to eight countries. She said she met regularly with embassy staff in Washington, D.C., and collaborated with service members from the Navy and Army. Libertini said her previous experience was on technical aspects of an issue, working with other mathematicians and scientists, but this was the first time working on the policy side. “I had always been on the technical side, always in the office with other analysts. To give that insight to decision makers, this was different. I was being asked about a lot of policy decisions,” she said. She traveled with Under Secretary of Defense Ellen Lord to Singapore for primary bilateral discussions, as well as to Jakarta, to work on extending cooperation with Indonesia. Libertini also provided support to then-Defense Secretary James Mattis concerning international cooperation. Her work with the fellowship will fold into the new “Math That Matters” curriculum at VMI, working to make the implementation of the curriculum more realistic and align the writing style more with what the Pentagon uses, since “Math That Matters” involves communication of one’s ideas. “I was always knowledgeable about what type of technical positions are available for [commissioning cadets], but not as knowledgeable what other people could do. I can talk with cadets in my courses – international studies majors, history majors – and give them ideas for foreign area officer jobs,” she said. Her connection to VMI was shown when retired Brig. Gen. Jeffrey G. Smith Jr. ’79 attended her promotion ceremony at the Pentagon.
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Richards ’19 Named SoCon Wrestler of the Month Cadet Neal Richards ’19, red-shirt junior, capped his incredible January by earning Southern Conference Wrestler of the Month honors Feb. 4, 2019. Richards won all eight of his matches in January, including four by pin and two by technical fall. He was named the All-Academy Championship’s Most Outstanding Wrestler after capturing the 174-pound title. He won three matches on the day, pinning No. 18th-ranked Spencer Carey of Navy in the finals in just 1:42. Richards is 22-3 on the season with eight pins, four technical falls and five major decisions. He has won 15-straight matches, a streak dating back to mid-November. Richards won three-straight Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week honors in January and has earned four this season. He won his two Southern Conference matches in January in a combined six minutes, one by pin against Appalachian State and the other by technical fall against Chattanooga.
Three Earn America East Swim and Dive Honors Three members of the VMI swimming and diving team earned America East Conference weekly awards this week after the Keydets competed at Old Dominion University Jan. 12, 2019. Cadet Stephen Hopta ’22 earned Male Swimmer of the Week accolades. The 4th Class cadet from McMurray, Pennsylvania, took third place in the 200 free (1:43.95) at ODU to break the program record and surpass the old mark of 1:44.11 set by Christian Shaner ’16 in 2013. Hopta also won the 200 back (1:54.50) and took second in the 500 free (4:47.46). He was a key part of the Keydet 400-free relay team that won the race in 3:12.51. Cadet Calle Biles ’20 took home America East’s Female Diver of the Week Award. The Vienna, Virginia, native placed fifth in the 1-meter event at ODU with a score of 142.35. She competed in the 50 (26.99) and 500 (2:51.19) freestyle events, finishing fifth in the 500. Biles also was a part of the 200-yard medley relay team that finished in 1:56.51. Cadet John Reed ’19 earned the conference’s Male Diver of the Week award. The 1st Class cadet from Clifton Forge, Virginia, won both the 1-meter and 3-meter events Saturday at Old Dominion with scores of 190.2 and 177.8, respectively. “It is fantastic to see our athletes recognized at the conference level,” said Andrew Bretscher, head coach. “Stephen
From left, Cadets Stephen Hopta ’22, Calle Biles ’20 and John Reed ’19.
had a strong meet this weekend and was able to set a new varsity record in another event, while also finishing very strongly in all this races.” Bretscher continued, “John has been performing amazing all season and has an outstanding win record on the 1-meter. This is his first year diving, so the progress that he has made is a testament to his work ethic and the coaching by Colonel Tom Timmes [’92]. “Calle has been doing great all year in diving as well, working on learning new dives every day. The work that she puts in by doing both swimming and diving is very unique in our sport, as most athletes compete in either swimming or diving, not both.”
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Save the Children CEO to Receive Daniels Award By VMI Communications & Marketing
Carolyn Miles, Save the Children CEO, will receive the Daniels award March 6, 2019.
Carolyn Miles, president and chief executive officer of Save the Children, has been selected to receive the Jonathan Daniels Humanitarian Award at Virginia Military Institute. She will accept the award March 6, 2019, at 11 a.m. in Cameron Hall. Miles will be only the fifth recipient of the Daniels Award since its inception in 1997. The award was established by the VMI Board of Visitors to honor Jonathan M. Daniels ’61, who gave his life to save a young black girl in Alabama in 1965. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant personal sacrifices to protect or improve the lives of others. “I am incredibly honored to be the recipient of this award. I accept it on behalf of the over 30 million children who today find themselves displaced due to war or
conflict. Jonathan Daniels stood for the protection of every child, and this award from VMI will inspire Save the Children, and me, to do even more,” said Miles. “We are honored that Mrs. Miles has accepted this award,” said William “Bill” Boland ’73, president of the VMI Board of Visitors. “I cannot think of any activity that shouts ‘humanitarian’ more than the daily struggle Mrs. Miles directs to care for some of the most vulnerable human beings in the world. Her quiet, determined leadership based on the value and dignity that should be accorded to all people reflects the core values that motivated Jonathan Daniels more than 50 years ago.” Save the Children is a global organization with the goal of driving down the number of preventable deaths for children under 5 years of age, ensuring that every child gets a high-quality basic education, and protecting all children from harm. The organization currently serves more than 157 million children in the United States and in 120 countries. Miles began her career with Save the Children in 1998 and became chief operating officer in 2004. She became president and CEO in September 2011. Under her leadership, Save the Children has more than doubled the number of children it reaches with nutrition, health, education and other programs. Miles’s signature issues include hunger, learning outcomes and ending preventable child deaths. Miles has served on numerous boards, including that of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, where she received her MBA. She is co-chair of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and is the chair of InterAction, the largest coalition of U.S.-based non-governmental organizations. In 2015, Miles was named one of 50 of the world’s greatest leaders by Fortune magazine. Previous recipients of the Daniels Award include former President Jimmy Carter, who received the inaugural award in 2001; former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, honored in 2006; international humanitarian worker Paul Hebert ’68 in 2011; and Georgia congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis in 2015.
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Courageous Leadership Series Brings Black Hawk Down Veteran to Post By Molly Rolon, Associate Editor, VMI Alumni Agencies
“Loyalty is the currency that allows a leader to lead with courage on the battlefield,” said Jeff Struecker, speaking to a packed house of cadets and area residents Jan. 30 at VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics. Struecker was speaking as part of the CLE’s Courageous Leadership series. The CLE selects an annual leadership theme, explained Col. Pat Looney, CLE deputy director, and further selects speakers whose message fit the yearly theme. “[Struecker] is a former military guy with combat action, and we thought that would resonate with the Corps of Cadets,” said Looney, who also noted the CLE’s funding comes from “very generous” alumni gifts. From his on-the-ground experience in Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 – more commonly referred to by the movie and book titled “Black Hawk Down” – Struecker has the experience and the authority to talk about courageous leadership. The title refers to the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters that were shot down during the Oct. 3, 1993, Battle of Mogadishu. The task force, comprised of elite forces from across the U.S. armed forces, arrived in Somalia in August 1993 with the aim of capturing clan leader and warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. On Oct. 3, the task force began their most dangerous mission yet: In broad daylight, dropping Rangers and Delta Force troops into Aidid-held territory to capture some of the warlord’s top leaders. “We knew this was a really, really dangerous scenario,” Struecker said. The operation was a multipronged coordination: Delta Force operators were dropped from MH-6 Little Bird helicopters directly onto a building in Mogadishu to apprehend Aidid’s men, Rangers fast-roped down from UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to provide security around the building and a 12-vehicle convoy of Rangers to pick up those captured and the forces who had been inserted by helicopter. Above all this, helicopters provided intelligence via radio. Shortly after the mission began a young ranger, Todd Blackburn, missed the rope and – instead of sliding down the rope and landing on the street below – fell 70 feet, sustaining serious head and neck injuries. Struecker, who was part of the convoy, was ordered to return to the compound with Blackburn. Struecker’s small convoy consisted of three HMMWVs: Struecker’s, in the lead with a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on the top; the middle vehicle – lacking any heavy weapons – carrying Blackburn; and bringing up the rear, another HMMWV equipped with a Mark 19 automatic grenade launcher. Minutes after departing the attack site with Blackburn, Struecker’s convoy began taking intense fire “from about 200 different directions.” The fire ranged from RPGs and
grenades, some from rooftops, to small-arms fire “on full auto.” En route back to their compound, Struecker’s gunner, Dominick Pilla, was shot and killed. Struecker, trying to give an accurate picture of what those moments were like, said the movie Black Hawk Down actually “downplays some of the violence.” “I’m not ashamed to admit at this moment, I started to get terrified for my own life. And started to think about my men: Uh-oh, we’re all going to die in the next few seconds,” Struecker said. He had to tell himself, “You better get yourself under control if you want to get your men under control.” When Struecker’s convoy arrived back at the task force compound, the “scene was total chaos.” People were running to and fro, helicopters getting ready to fly out and a loudspeaker was squawking. In the midst of this was a man who was an oasis of calm, Struecker remembered, and asked if the man was present. The man, Dr. Rob Marsh, was in the audience. When he stood, Struecker credited him for saving the lives of not only Blackburn but countless others, and the audience burst into applause. The small convoy had made it back to the base but a more difficult task still lay ahead for Struecker and his men. At this point, two Black Hawk helicopters had been shot down, and someone needed to go back into the city to secure the sites and rescue the personnel who had been onboard. Someone was Struecker, and his men. As he was cleaning his soldier’s blood out of the back of his HMMWV, he remembered thinking, “Jeff, if you go back out there, you will die tonight … If you drive your men through what you just went through, every one of your men will die tonight. If we go back out into those city streets, all of us are going to die.” One of Struecker’s soldiers, Spec. Brad Thomas, came to Struecker and voiced exactly what Struecker had been thinking, telling Struecker, “I can’t go back out there. I have a wife at home. And if I go back out there, I know I’m going to die.” This was a “leadership challenge,” Struecker said. “Because I [had] all of the authority with my position and with my rank to order this man to get back on the HMMWVs and to drive back out into those city streets. But I knew ordering him to do it might be counterproductive.” Struecker paused, looked at the cadets in the room and asked, “Those of you who are about to become combat leaders, those cadets in this room –What moves a man to get back on those HMMWVs? Is it raw power? Is that going to move a guy to get on those HMMWVs and to give his life if necessary?” The answer is not the flag or patriotism. Thomas voluntarily joined the Army and voluntarily entered one of the Army’ most difficult career paths when he became a Ranger. Unquestionably, Thomas “is a patriot,” Struecker said. Glory and awards are also not enough motivation, Struecker
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said. “Awards and glory doesn’t move a man or a woman to do some selfless act that will probably cost them their life,” he said. “The part that I don’t think that a lot of leaders in America understand is that the thing that will move a man or a woman to do something like this is love. ... It’s love for your buddies.” After a short conversation with Thomas, Struecker got into his HMMWV and prepared to re-enter Mogadishu, unsure if he would return alive. In the rearview mirror, Struecker saw Thomas pick up his weapon and get in the last HMMWV. “Not once but multiple times and spend all night long doing it expecting at any minute that he would get killed for going back out there, but willing to do it. Because he loved those men,” Struecker said. “[He was] willing to exchange his life for theirs.” From that love, Struecker said, comes loyalty. It’s not just on the battlefield, or related to physical feats of valor. “The thing that is much more powerful than leading people out of fear … is leading people out of love. Love buys loyalty and loyalty is the currency that allows you to make bold, courageous decisions,” he said. “Love will move people farther than fear will ever move them. “When I talk about leadership courage, it’s not just your willingness to stand up and to face the bombs and the bullets on a battlefield. Sometimes the greatest courage is to stand up and confront somebody,” Struecker said. “This is the essence of leadership courage. And my challenge to all of you, no matter what walk of life you come from, is: Be the kind of man or woman that the folks that who are following you say, ‘I will follow that man. I will follow that woman, even to my death, because I believe in them.’” Struecker illustrated his point by describing a confrontation between two powerful men in 1933. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had proposed large cuts in the military. Gen. Douglas MacArthur felt what he described as “paralyzing nausea” when facing the president – but still knew he needed to say something. Even knowing he would likely need to tender his resignation after speaking, MacArthur still defended the military. FDR soon stopped the direction the Army was going, and also did not accept MacArthur’s resignation. Following the conversation with FDR, MacArthur exited the White House and promptly vomited – the aftereffect of the “emotional fear” he felt confronting the president. What Struecker meant for the audience to grasp was the difficulty – for MacArthur and anyone else – to be a courageous leader. The day following the battle, Struecker started down the path toward a different sort of leadership and service. He was wellknown among his peers for his faith. Following the battle, he was barraged with questions from fellow Rangers about that faith. Soon after, he began serving as an Army chaplain. “I really felt God tugging me toward the ministry,” Struecker said. Struecker finished his Army career as a chaplain, deploying
nearly every year for the decade following the Battle of Mogadishu and serving men in some of the Army’s toughest units – including the 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment. From his personal experience, Struecker brought a unique point of view for soldiers: “The ability to say, ‘I know exactly what you’re going through, because I’ve been there.’” Cadets Adam Josephson ’19 and Karl Skerry ’20 were among the many cadets listening to Struecker. Both will commission in the military following graduation: Josephson as an Army infantry officer, and Skerry in the Marine Corps. They wanted to attend the talk to hear Struecker’s perspective as a veteran of a high-profile combat engagement. “I really wanted to get into more of the aftermath about how he dealt with his troops. His whole company got torn apart. They were left with nothing, and as a leader that’s a really tough task,” Josephson said. Skerry and Josephson were both struck by Struecker’s humility. He opened the night by saying that he was a “huge fan” of VMI and had been hoping to speak at the Institute for two years. Struecker brought a wealth of experiences and accomplishments – Ranger, Best Ranger, combat experience and a doctorate – but was “extremely humble,” Skerry noted. Both cadets also expressed their thankfulness to be attending an institution like VMI. “To be part of a school that would attract people like [Struecker]. He said he was excited to come and talk to us. To be a part of something like that is pretty special,” Josephson said.
Struecker speaking Jan. 30 in Marshall Hall, VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics. VMI photo by John Robertson IV.
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Around the World in 16 Days: Institute Brass Adds New Zealand to Nations Visited By Mary Price, VMI Communications & Marketing Long known as one of the Institute’s most well-traveled groups, the Institute Brass recently made a trip that brings to mind the title of a Jules Verne novel: “Around the World in 80 Days.” The VMI group, though, circumnavigated the globe by airplane in two weeks – and took their music to verdant, sunsoaked New Zealand, a nation that the ensemble had never before visited. For the Institute Brass, the trip was another chance to bond as a group, because all six of the cadets traveling to New Zealand had been to Morocco with the ensemble in April 2018. “They became like brothers and sisters,” said Col. John Brodie (Hon.), band director, of the cohesion that developed among group members. The cadets and Brodie began their long journey Dec. 28, leaving from Washington, D.C., and flying to Dubai before continuing on to Auckland, New Zealand, for a total of 28 hours airborne. Once in Auckland, the group had a few days to recuperate from jet lag before heading out to explore. “The people made it a great experience, and they really helped us out,” said Cadet Abby Dimirack ’20, who plays the trumpet. In contrast to Morocco, where the native language is French and the food is sometimes unfamiliar, New Zealanders speak English and eat many dishes popular in the United States, Dimirack noted. Both she and Brodie commented that the easygoing, “No worries, mate,” attitude prevalent among the natives made the trip especially enjoyable. While most Institute Brass trips involve multiple concerts, the trip to New Zealand was a bit unusual because the group only performed twice. That, Brodie and the cadets explained, had to do with the season and the schedule: Since the end-ofyear holidays coincide with warm weather in New Zealand, nearly everyone takes a vacation. Instead of performing in schools and at the U.S. embassy, as they had in Morocco, the group played for the general public instead at two outdoor concerts, one in Wellington, the nation’s capital, and the other in Palmerston North, the home city of Wayne Howe, VMI rugby coach. Proving that the VMI family is truly global, the group spent two nights at the home of Howe’s sister. At the concerts, attendance would often start out quite small but the numbers would grow quickly as the music drew people in, with many listeners staying to talk to the cadets afterward. At one of those concerts, Dimirack found herself talking to an
elderly lady who shared a piece of history that she’d never learned in school – that U.S. Marines had used New Zealand’s beaches to practice amphibious landings during World War II. “Since I’m in Marine Corps ROTC, I thought that was really cool to get some insight from some of the locals about the training,” said Dimirack. “That was just something I never expected to learn about at a concert.” Outside of rehearsals and performances, the group had plenty of time to explore the countryside. It wasn’t an agenda item when they arrived, but the group wound up visiting Kaituna Waterfall, the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, where they went over the 23-foot drop in a whitewater raft. They didn’t have swimsuits with them, so they took the plunge in their clothes – and came up soaked but smiling. It didn’t hurt that it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere. “For me, besides playing for the people, that was the coolest thing,” said Brodie. “That was a very cool experience,” agreed Cadet Andrew Wang ’20, a tuba player. The cadets also traveled by boat through a cave where thousands of glow worms live, and went to Hamilton, where the movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” was filmed and took a set tour there. Thanks to the warm weather, the beautiful scenery and the friendly people, “Part of me wanted to stay in New Zealand,” admitted Wang. Trips such as the ones to Morocco and New Zealand, Dimirack noted, have helped her learn to work with others in a way that family trips have not. “Traveling with a group of people who’s not your family is definitely difficult because they get on your nerves after a while,” she stated. “But we’ve gotten to kind of see that everyone’s experiencing this differently.” The group has to negotiate where to go next and what to play at the next concert, plus who will introduce the band at the next gig, she explained. “Things like that, you really get to know what people in the group are good at and what interests them,” she said. The Institute Brass’s next international destination is still undecided, but Brodie is leaning toward a trip to Paris, where the group might perform at the L’ecole Polytechnique over the 2019-20 winter furlough. In addition to Wang and Dimirack, cadets making the trip to New Zealand were John Dickenson ’20, MacGregor Baxter ’20, MacKenzie Haley ’20 and Tim Stallings ’20.
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Ramon and Damon Williams ’90 Inducted into William Fleming High School Hall of Fame By Jordan Whitman, Editor-in-Chief, VMI Alumni Agencies
Twins Ramon Williams ’90 and Damon his time at VMI was that “your character Williams ’90 were inducted into the Wilcounts more than anything. Be fair and do the liam Fleming High School Hall of Fame best you can do, no matter the outcome.” Jan. 11, 2019. They were previously inA few years after graduating from the Inducted into the VMI Hall of Fame in stitute, the brothers created TWIN Hoops® September 2001. – with TWIN standing for Together We IN“It was surreal. The William Fleming spire – in 1996 as a way to give back to their induction felt like a community effort; community of Roanoke, Virginia. Growing it was all of those little league, middle up, the brothers attended a camp in Roanoke school and high school coaches, friends called CORD – Community Organization for and players we competed against who Research and Development – that provided made us better,” Damon stated, regardthem with mentors and a place to hone their ing their induction into the William skills on the basketball court. Summer 2019 Fleming Hall of Fame. “So many had a will be the 23rd year for TWIN Hoops®. RaDamon Williams ’90, left, and Ramon hand in our success, and you can’t minimon said, “We were fortunate to have people Williams ’90 after being inducted into mize that. It was [our] foundation.” in our lives who believed in us and gave us an the William Fleming High School Hall of Coming from a family of five very athopportunity to develop our skills by attending Fame Jan. 11, 2019. Photo by Duncan letic children, the twins admit that their camps. We took over CORD and combined Williams Photography. older brother played a large part in their TWIN Hoops® in the name in 1996. CORD decision to pursue basketball. “My brother, Greg, was my was the hallmark camp everyone attended who played basketbiggest mentor. I grew up watching Dr. J., Julius Erving, ball in Roanoke. We didn’t want CORD to go away, so it sort in the NBA,” explained Damon. “But really, Ramon was of propelled us to start TWIN Hoops®.” Ramon explained probably a huge part of the mentoring as we competed [tothat the camp is “blessed with some great coaches, counselors gether].” Ramon echoed his brother’s sentiments, stating, and volunteers who help make it possible.” “We tried to play like our brother, Greg, who was the one Damon stated that their goal with TWIN Hoops® is to “give who got us interested in playing basketball.” back to the community, provide opportunities for others to The brothers played basketball together throughout high succeed and represent the values instilled by our parents and school, graduating in 1986, before making their way to others. It’s like the three-legged stool the late Giles Miller ’924 VMI to share the court during their college careers. They coined that referred to developing the ‘whole’ individual charexplained that they were interchangeable on the court, acteristics of a Keydet – the educational development, leadboth playing the same positions. Ramon said that the two ership/military and athletic prowess so that we are all better always dreamed of playing basketball together in college prepared to serve our communities.” if they were able to do so, and VMI allowed them that Following their time at VMI, the brothers pursued entreopportunity. While at VMI, they set an NCAA Division I preneurship by starting a trucking company together. Ramon scoring record for twin brothers of 3,252 combined points went on to a 22-year basketball coaching career, starting at from 1987-90. This record lasted for 19 years. Salem High School before moving to coaching positions at Ramon and Damon both attended VMI on athletic VMI, the University of Richmond, DePaul University, Ohio scholarships. They were able to get to know their beneUniversity and Virginia Tech. He also mentored three NBA factors well during their time at VMI. Ramon explained, draft picks during that time. In 2014, Ramon decided to “The decision to come to VMI was a tough one, but easy switch gears from coaching and started a career in fundraising to make. The opportunity to play Division I basketball on at the VMI Foundation. Damon has taught special needs chilan athletic scholarship was one reason, but the academic dren and coached boys’ and girls’ high school basketball as reputation of VMI and its strong alumni network were well as men’s basketball at the collegiate level. He has worked the main reasons to come to VMI.” in banking as a regional community development officer in Damon explained that the biggest lesson he took from Roanoke for more than 19 years.
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Marsh Remembered for Long, Superb Service By VMI Communications & Marketing
John O. Marsh Jr. pauses with Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, following the New Market Parade in 2006 during which Marsh received the New Market Medal. VMI photo by Kevin Remington.
John O. Marsh Jr., former Secretary of the Army for eight years in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush – his tenure ending just months before the fall of the Berlin Wall – died Feb. 4, 2019, at the age of 92. “Secretary Marsh was a true friend of the Virginia Military Institute,” said Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent. “He became enchanted by the VMI story during boyhood visits to the
Bushong Farm and in the years after devoted much of his time and wisdom to the Institute. He was a grand leader and will be missed.” The Bushong Farm and fields are the centerpiece of the New Market State Historical Park, the scene of the 1864 Battle of New Market in which the VMI Corps of Cadets turned the tide of battle and marched into history. VMI owns and operates the park, which is also the site of the Virginia Museum of the Civil War. Marsh served on the VMI Board of Visitors from 1976-80, during which time he guided major developments at the battlefield park. From 1998-99, he served as a visiting professor of ethics at the Institute. He was a frequent speaker to cadets, including many times when he addressed rats as they took their cadet oaths near the Bushong House. He was a recipient of the VMI New Market Medal, presented for exemplary and distinguished leadership to the nation, as well as the Harry F. Byrd Jr. ’35 Public Service award presented on behalf of the Byrd family by the Institute. These awards recognized his service in World War II, in the Army National Guard after the war, as a U.S. Congressman from 1963-71, and the numerous posts he held for President Gerald Ford, President Ronald Reagan, and Vice President Dick Cheney. Marsh is survived by children, Dr. John O. “Rob” Marsh, Rebecca Whitener and Scot Marsh, and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Glenn Ann Patterson Marsh, in December 2015. Marsh will be buried near the museum building at the New Market Battlefield, following a service in the Virginia Room of the Hall of Valor at 1:30 p.m., Feb. 15.
Reed Garrett ’15 Selected in Rule 5 Draft Reed Garrett ’15, former VMI pitcher, was selected in the Major League Baseball Rule 5 draft by the Detroit Tigers organization Dec. 13, 2018. Garrett had been a part of the Texas Rangers minor-league system the last five seasons. Garrett was the fifth pick in the first round of the major-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. This means that he will have to stay on the Tigers’ 25-man major league roster for the entire season or be offered back to the Rangers for $50,000. Garrett, a 16th-round draft pick for Texas in 2014, played at two levels for the Rangers farm system in 2018. The righthander served as the teams’ closer at both of those stops. Garrett had a 1.69 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 42.2 innings at AA
Frisco, with a 3-1 record and 16 saves. He finished the season at AAA Round Rock, totaling 19 innings, a 2.84 ERA and five saves. Held each December, the Rule 5 Draft allows clubs without a full 40-man roster to select certain non-40-man roster players from other clubs. Clubs draft in reverse order of the standings from the previous season. Garrett had a 3.29 ERA in three seasons with VMI in 23 starts and 56 appearances. He really came on as a junior, earning second-team Big South honors with a 2.23 ERA, tossing a no-hitter against Lafayette University with one walk and 13 strikeouts. He was also a three-year G. Gilmer Minor III ’63 Annual Scholarship recipient.