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October 2018
Keydets in Space: VMI & CubeSats By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer, Alumni Agencies
What measures 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters, can be built in a VMI laboratory and will provide cadets hands-on experience in the space industry? The answer is: CubeSats. And soon, cadets will have the means to research, develop and build them on post and watch them get into orbit, thanks to an $82,800 grant from the Jackson-Hope Fund that will fund the new Spacecraft Design Laboratory, led by Col. Joseph Blandino of the mechanical engineering department. CubeSats began as a way to introduce university students to the design and building of satellites and offering them the reward of seeing them fly in space. Now, although they still fly almost exclusively in the lower thermosphere, CubeSats have come into their own as research and commercial platforms. According to Blandino, the increasing interest in CubeSats marks a sea change in the approach toward satellite development. “In the past, the space community focused on large, multipurpose satellites that take years and cost billions of dollars to develop and build.” He gave the example of NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, which has been under development for 20 years and so far has cost NASA about $10 billion. “These are impressive machines, but if they fail in orbit, you have wasted enormous amounts of time, money and effort.” National security policymakers, Blandino pointed out, now realize that depending on a relatively small number of multipurpose satellites makes the U.S. military’s space capabilities increasingly vulnerable. If an enemy compromises 30 to 40 satellites, The Department of Defense would lose communications as well as what he terms “its eyes and ears.” CubeSats provide a means by which the military’s space assets can be distributed over a wider network of satellites, making them “more redundant, more robust.” Further accelerating the drive toward CubeSats is the rise of “commercial space,” including companies such as SpaceX and Blue Horizon that offer launch services, often using smaller rockets to boost smaller payloads into orbit. A block of a dozen CubeSats, which would weigh about 40 pounds, can be launched – often, according to NASA, as auxiliary payloads on
previously planned missions – for as little as $30,000. Contrast that to the $8,500 to $10,000 per pound it costs to launch a payload on a large rocket, such as a Delta V. These are motivators for the expansion of the use of CubeSats – and the establishment of the Spacecraft Design Laboratory at VMI. But, according to Blandino, the central reason to establish of the laboratory was not the “gee-whiz” nature of the technology, but a desire to add value to the education that cadets receive. “I can’t say there was a ‘struck-by-lightning’ moment when it hit me that VMI should establish this lab,” said Blandino. “It grew out of talking to hundreds of cadets, prospective cadets and their parents. From those conversations, I realized that, although VMI stands out from so many other schools in so many ways, we had to find a way to ensure that our cadets, our alumni, stand as people who are thoroughly prepared to be leaders in the field of engineering.” He continued, “Sure, we can say with all honesty that we have an excellent faculty. But other schools have great teachers, too. We can say that we have a demanding curriculum, but the fact remains that we teach courses like thermodynamics and materials much like every other school.” In the Spacecraft Design Laboratory, Blandino says, “cadets will gain invaluable practical experience in this rapidly expanding field by developing platforms to test what some see as ‘high-risk’ technologies.” When asked what he meant by “high risk,” Blandino explained that neither government nor industry will use anything in a high-value project that does not have “flight heritage.” “There are some exciting new technologies out there, but unless they can be tested in space, their development will be significantly slowed. CubeSats offer a low-cost way to develop and test high risk technologies.” In the short term, he sees cadets developing a ThinSat (a satellite that is around 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 cm) next year and, in two years, a CubeSat that will test either a deployable boom that is an essential component of solar-sail technology or a deployable solar array technology. His vision for the long term
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is ambitious indeed. “Over their time at VMI, cadets will be on a team that will first develop and fly scientific balloon payloads. The next year, it will design and build a ThinSat and get that into space. In the third year, the goal will be to get a CubeSat launched. Put another way, over the space of three years, they will be designing, building and flying spacecraft of increasing complexity. These are ‘hands-on’ projects that both faculty and cadets love.” “This is an objective way for VMI to demonstrate how good its cadets are. It will put them in front of the people who make hiring decisions and offer internships at established corporations like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman as well as the small companies that are claiming a growing share of an industry that does $320 billion in annual business,” explained Blandino. “The military is placing even greater emphasis on space because it is the new ‘high ground,’ and it will be contested by more and more countries. For those cadets who want to serve in a space-related role in the military and national security agencies, the knowledge and experience they’ll get will enhance their ability to serve the country.” Blandino also offered some thoughts on the Jackson-Hope
Fund grant that will make the laboratory’s development possible. “I am very grateful that the Board of Overseers decided to support this project by awarding it one of the Fund’s Grants for New Directions in Teaching and Research. Quite frankly, there is no way we could create a Spacecraft Design Laboratory without that support. Using this money, we’ll be developing a program that will release cadets’ untapped potential by giving them opportunities to do meaningful research and practical work that will culminate in building and flying spacecraft. That will demonstrate their intelligence and effectiveness and so open doors for them in terms of internships while they’re cadets and of graduate education and jobs when they graduate.” “The world is in a new Space Age – India plans to have manned flights by 2022 – and the United States is in a new Space Race,” Blandino said. “If we hope to compete in all aspects of space, economic as well as military and scientific, we need to develop the technologists, scientists and engineers who can lead the space industry. With this new laboratory, VMI can play a significant role in meeting that national need.”
Formerly used only in low orbits, cubesats are now moving into deep space. This spacecraft deployed from a Mars-bound NASA probe in May 2018. Photo by NASA.
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October 2018
Paul A. Bouis ’67 and Lois W. Ford-Bouis: “It’s We Who Are Truly Blessed” By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer, Alumni Agencies
Dr. Paul Bouis ’67, right, and Lois Ford-Bouis on post in October 2018. Photo by Micalyn Miller, VMI Alumni Agencies.
At a football game at VMI, the focus is properly on the players and the coaches. However, many people are essential to ensuring a proper game day experience: Those who prepare the field, stock the concession stands, ensure the team’s equipment is ready, and sell and collect tickets. And there are some who might not even be present but who play an important role in VMI athletics as a whole: Those who give so generously of their treasure, talents and that most precious commodity of time in support of VMI’s cadet-athletes. Two such people are Paul Bouis ’67, Ph.D., and his wife, Lois W. Ford-Bouis. Both have been longtime donors to
the Keydet Club. Bouis made his first gift to what was then the Alumni Educational Fund in 1967, and through graduate studies in chemistry and a long career in the chemical industry, he has given every year since then – with the sole exception of one when he served in Vietnam. He later honored his first wife who died in 2004 by establishing the Nancy Peterson Bouis Scholarship, which supports multiple sports teams because “it would keep her spirit – her memory – alive at a place of which she was a big fan.” Ford-Bouis’s first gift in support of VMI athletics came in 2004, after she had retired to Lexington following a decadeslong career managing human
resources for many large corporations. Greg Cavallaro ’84, then-Keydet Club chief executive officer, approached her to consider establishing a scholarship in honor of her brother, Robert L. Watson ’64, who had captained the basketball team that won the 1964 Southern Conference championship. In 1977, Watson, who was then the head coach of the University of Evansville basketball team, and his entire team died in a plane crash. She liked the idea of a scholarship, because as she recalls, “It is what [Bobby] would have done if he were alive.” However, rather than create the scholarship in his name alone, she decided to honor everyone who was on that VMI championship team. “Like
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Bobby, those teammates went on to do great things with their lives, and I wanted to recognize their accomplishments by giving other young men the same opportunity they had.” Thus, she established the 1964 Championship Team Basketball Scholarship. Their support of VMI cadet-athletes doesn’t end there, however. Both have served several years as academic advisers for the Athletic Department, each helping approximately 10-15 cadets a year. In this role, they meet with cadets once a week and, as Ford-Bouis describes it, “help them with their study skills, help them learn time-management skills and, overall, keep them on track, which often isn’t easy considering the distractions that they encounter being a VMI cadet.” Bouis also tutors some of them in chemistry, applying the teaching skills he picked up as an adjunct professor at many schools and as a cadet. “During my 1st Class year, one of the assistant football coaches, Jim Sam Gillespie ’59, brought me three rat football players and told me they were in danger of flunking chemistry. We worked hard, and they all passed. And, I am happy to say, all three were instrumental in VMI’s victory against VPI in November 1967.” Asked what they enjoy about their role as academic advisors to cadet-athletes, Ford-Bouis said, “You see them mature over time. It’s amazing how much progress they make in just one year as you encourage them and build them up.” Bouis observed that the interaction with the cadets allows them to “get to know them as individuals, and that’s important because there’s more to them than being athletes. For example, two of VMI’s current football captains
have academic stars in STEM majors.” “I wish more alumni and friends could interact with cadet-athletes like we do,” said Ford-Bouis. “Often they don’t have a good understanding of all they have to do. They forget the demands on them as cadets and students and just see them as athletes.” The couple also has served as host families for cadets since 2005. Asked what the challenges associated with that are, Ford-Bouis replied, “Every cadet is different. Some definitely need help adjusting to VMI’s demands; others are just fine with them. We just need to adapt to them. But, as with academic advising, the effort is worth it, because we get a front-row seat as they mature. It is amazing to witness.” The two don’t limit their service to just cadets, however. Both of them have served on the Keydet Club Board of Governors, and Ford-Bouis was a member of the VMI Alumni Agencies’ search committee that eventually hired Steve Maconi as the Agencies’ first CEO in March 2017. They also assist new coaches at VMI with acclimating to the area and the Institute. Bouis also serves as an unofficial photographer, attending games and practices of many sports and shooting pictures of the cadet athletes. He adds a personal touch by sending the images directly to the cadets. “It’s to the point,” he laughs, “where some of them only contact me when they hope I caught their latest great moment.” “I know from firsthand experience what being a NCAA athlete at VMI can give you,” said Bouis. “For me, it gave me a lot of confidence – and not just in my physical abilities – and it gave me my first opportunity to be a leader. It was something that I saw
in other athletes when I was a cadet. For example, as a rat, I dyked for Buzz Birzenieks ’64, who roomed with Lois’ brother. I saw how Bobby acted as team captain, and I learned from him that your walk had to match your talk.” Ford-Bouis said she thinks that for many athletes at VMI, the experience is something of a wake-up call. “Many of them were the stars on their high school teams and among the best players in their region. They come here and see that their teammates are often better than they are, and they realize that, if they want to get some playing time, they’ll need to work hard. Then, they confront the challenges of barracks and the classroom. All that helps them develop not only humility, but also a sense of purpose and an ability to focus.” Some might wonder why these two have been so generous with their treasure, talent and time for so many years, but for them there are no such questions. “I’m aware that, for many, athletics is all about wins and losses,” said Bouis, to whom the Keydet Club presented its highest honor, The Spirit of VMI Award, in 2011. “But, at VMI, it’s different because its cadets graduate with a set of values that are timeless and invaluable and an education second-to-none. They are ready to win at the game of life.” “These young people become a valued part of your life and you have the satisfaction of seeing them go and do great things with their lives, in their careers and in their communities,” said Ford-Bouis. “Parents often come up and thank us for what we do for their son or daughter. I always tell them there’s no need, for it’s we who are truly blessed.”
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October 2018
Tom Slater ’90: Rooting for the Keydets from the Big Leagues By Molly Rolon, Assistant Editor, VMI Alumni Agencies
After graduating from VMI, Tom Slater ’90 – in his first season as the assistant hitting coach for the New York Mets – began a career that found him guiding players at all levels of baseball. Slater started out coaching at his high school alma mater, St. Christopher’s in Richmond, Virginia; served as both assistant and head coach at several colleges, including VMI and Auburn University; and spent summer 2006 coaching the USA Baseball National Team to a gold medal at the International University Sports Federation World Championship in Havana, Cuba. From 2009-17, Slater worked in the New York Yankees minor league system. Before his recent move to the Mets, Slater managed and coached pin-striped minor leaguers all over the eastern U.S., ranging from Tampa to Trenton. “The neatest thing about the major leagues is getting to watch the best players in the world compete every night ... and their work ethic that they bring to the ballpark every day to prepare for the game,” Slater said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity, thankful [to] every coach at every level I’ve ever been around, every player I’ve ever been around. I’m just thankful for all those guys.” Slater has genuinely enjoyed coaching at every level. He said he has been “fortunate at every stop: College, professionally, everywhere – I’ve been fortunate to be around so many good coaches and good players, it’s ... been a real blessing.” Off the diamond, Slater keeps up with his former players. After nearly a decade with the Yankees organization, Slater is now able to see some of his former players on the major league diamond. “It’s exciting to see the kids you spent time with in the minor leagues now excelling at the major league level. Really, I feel that way about the kids I coached in college who went on to have major league careers and the kids that didn’t go on to play,” he said. “Jonathan Hadra [’04, head Keydet baseball coach] played for me when I was the head coach there at VMI, so I’m pumped for how awesome the baseball team is doing there.” Slater’s Keydet protégés go beyond Gray Minor Stadium, points out Marshall Simpson ’90, Slater’s friend and brother rat: “[Slater] has created a continuity of coaching success at the college level that has not only blossomed
Tom Slater ‘90, right, during his time as head coach for the Keydet baseball team. Photo by Chuck Steenburgh ‘86.
into a gold standard baseball program at VMI with Jonathan Hadra but also with head coaching positions at JMU [and] ODU.” JMU’s head baseball coach is Marlin Ikenberry ’95, who was Slater’s assistant at VMI; while another former Slater assistant – Chris Finwood ’88, who worked under Slater at Auburn – heads ODU’s baseball program. Simpson continued, “When you talk of our VMI baseball program, it commands respect and when you mention Tommy in the industry of baseball, you get the same feedback.” Slater’s family has deep roots at VMI – including his father, Tom Slater Jr. ’66, and grandfather, Thomas G. Slater ’932. Although he “grew up around VMI,” attending football and basketball games, he credits his arrival at VMI to Donny White ’65. As head baseball coach, White first recruited Slater to play Keydet baseball. Later, as athletic director, White brought Slater back as head baseball coach. His history with VMI made Slater’s return as head coach in 2001 “really special to me,” he remembered. “I’ll always be thankful and grateful to Donny White for giving me the opportunity to be there as both a player and a head coach.”
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At VMI, several Keydet coaches who were on the staff during Slater’s cadetship were still on VMI’s coaching staff. During both Slater’s coaching and playing days the lacrosse and baseball fields, along with the two teams’ locker rooms, were beside each other. This proximity resulted in former lacrosse coach Doug Bartlett getting to know Slater as a cadet. During Slater’s tenure coaching Keydet baseball, the two picked up where they left off, often discussing Institute athletics and their coaching philosophies. “I had a tremendous amount of respect for those [coaches] when I was playing at VMI. When I became head coach ... they were really helpful to me,” Slater said, recalling the relationships he built not only with Bartlett, but also with Mike Bozeman and John Trudgeon – track and wrestling coaches at the time. “Tom – both as a player and coach at VMI – was a fierce competitor. Losing was a never an option,” Bartlett recalled. “His teammates and players could easily pick up on that, because he truly led by example. He didn’t ask anything of his players or teammates that he wouldn’t ask of himself.” Echoing Bartlett, Simpson said, “Tommy really embodies the spirit of VMI. He is a very humble guy, but also a hard
charger with a real edge who lives his life to – and holds other to – a high code of behavior and expectations.” While a cadet at VMI, Slater had roommates who ran track and played basketball, and friends on other teams, including wrestling, football and lacrosse. He remembers the camaraderie built not only through the friends he made on the baseball diamond, but with fellow cadets who played other sports. “I enjoyed going to all the sporting events ... as a cadet,” Slater said. “It was always fun to go out and watch your buddies in other sports compete.” Slater’s traveling lifestyle and recent move to the big leagues haven’t changed his status as a Keydet sports fan. “I still follow VMI in every sport to this day. I’m a big fan of the school and a big fan of the teams there,” he said. “I root for all our teams – every sport.” Slater started four years as Keydet, ending his college career with school top-five rankings in total bases, runs scored, doubles and RBIs. Under Slater’s coaching, Keydet baseball improved and had a record-breaking 24 wins in the 2003 season. Additionally, Slater was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 2003. He matriculated from Richmond, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI.
2018-19 Wrestling Schedule Announced Making preparations for the season to begin next month, Jim Gibson, VMI firstyear wrestling head coach, announced his program’s 2018-19 schedule. The slate is highlighted by four home events at Cormack Hall, including the season opening dual versus George Mason Friday, Nov. 2. The Keydets will also face SoCon power Appalachian State Jan. 13, instate foe University of Virginia Jan. 18 and rival The Citadel Feb. 23 at home this season. VMI will compete in several tournaments throughout the season including the Hokie Open and the Keystone Classic in November, the Lock Haven Classic in late December and the All-Academy Championship hosted by Norwich Jan. 26. “Our competition schedule is made
to prepare our guys to excel in the postseason,” Gibson said. “I feel this schedule does just that. It will give our cadet-wrestlers the opportunity to square off against some excellent competition both within the conference and out.” Sandwiched between two tournaments, the Bucknell Duals will feature VMI taking on host Bucknell, Cleveland State and Buffalo Sunday, Nov. 11, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Before conference action begins in January, the Keydets will square off against Davidson and Sacred Heart Dec. 1 in Davidson, North Carolina, and a week later travel to the New York City region to face Columbia Dec. 8 and Hofstra Dec. 9. VMI will also wrestle with Northern Colorado in a tri-dual Dec. 9. The postseason begins Sunday, March
10, at the SoCon Championship hosted by Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina. The NCAA Championship will be two weeks later in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from March 21-23. Visit www.vmikeydets.com for VMI sports schedules and news.
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The Vietnam War at 50: Critical Reappraisals By Molly Rolon, Assistant Editor, VMI Alumni Agencies VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics skillfully orchestrated a one-day symposium about the Vietnam War titled “The Vietnam War at 50: Critical Reappraisals” Sept. 24, 2018. The symposium was inspired by the Ken Burns/Lynn Novik Public Broadcasting Service documentary on the Vietnam War, a war which shaped a generation and still resonates with many Americans today. “Controversies over the proper strategy and tactics to pursue, the quality of leadership and discipline in fighting units, the media’s impact on popular support for the war and the mistreatment of American prisoners of war raged then and continues even now,” explained Col. David R. Gray, Ph.D., center director. He continued, “The Vietnam War remains the most controversial and consequential conflict in the post-World War II era. The war’s outcomes profoundly impacted not just American domestic politics, but also the existing international order ... which fractured American consensus on political, social and military affairs, leading President Richard Nixon to vow for ‘no more Vietnams’ in the future.” The event drew VMI alumni, including 11 brother rats from the Class of 1967. Phil Gioia ’67 was a speaker on one of the afternoon panel discussions. Jan Abernathy ’67, who trained U.S. Army tanker troops in Germany but did not see service in Vietnam, said, “I wanted the perspective of age and of people who were actually involved.” The night before the symposium, 10 brother rats from 1967 treated several current cadets to a meal off post. The 11th brother rat, Gioia, was attending a reception for symposium speakers and arrived late to the gathering. He made up for his delay by bringing storied journalist and fellow presenter Joe Galloway along, to the delight of the gathering – particularly the cadets – said Joan Abernathy, Abernathy’s wife. The symposium began Monday morning with opening keynote speaker and Vietnam veteran former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb. He referred to a map of Southeast Asia, calling it “the most dynamic region in the world at the end of World War II.” Withdrawals of conquering and colonial powers – the Japanese, Dutch, French and British among them – left political and power vacuums in the region. Added to the mix were China’s internal struggles between nationalists and communists. The “region was in a flux,” Webb said. French Indochina – the French colonial empire stretching across Southeast Asia – was a source of revenue for France. Following World War II, it was also a distinct reminder of France’s former standing as a major power on the world stage. When Ho Chi Minh established an independent communist state in 1945, France deemed a military response necessary, resulting in the
First Indochina War. This war sowed the seeds that brought the U.S. to Vietnam from 1955-75 for the Second Indochina War, known as the Vietnam War in the U.S. “The stability of this entire region was in play,” said Webb, pointing out that Lee Kuan Yew – a major political player in Southeast Asia who is known as the father of modern-day Singapore – “always insisted that what the United States did in Vietnam allowed the rest of this region to stabilize politically and ... economically and to begin to grow to the point that ... 30 percent of the world trade comes through” Southeast Asia. After Webb, participants shifted gears and gave their attention to four panel discussions: U.S. strategy, Vietnamese strategy for both the north and south, experiences leading tactical troops, and the role of journalists and media in the Vietnam War. The well-rounded panels began in the morning with professors, who were able to present overviews based on years of research. The afternoon panels were presented by journalists and veterans who discussed Vietnam using their first-person experiences in the war. The panels started with the big picture – U.S. strategy in Vietnam. Mark Moyar, Ph.D., laid out a general timeline for the war and discussed strategic errors on the part of the U.S., and the changing type of warfare faced by troops and commanders at all levels during the war. The war began as a counterinsurgency, Moyar said, then became a blend of conventional warfare and counterinsurgency and ended being fought as a conventional war. Moyar was followed by retired U.S. Army Col. Greg Daddis, Ph.D., who – in focusing on Gen. William Westmoreland’s strategy in Vietnam – brought the discussion around to the difference between tactical and political success. “It’s very difficult to translate military successes into political progress,” said Daddis, a veteran of Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. Addressing the cadets in the room, he continued, “I would ask you to consider this as tactical leaders: How do you translate your success on the tactical battlefield to political progress on the strategic battlefield?” Jacqueline Whitt, Ph.D. and U.S. Army War College professor, was the final panelist on the American perspective. Whitt talked about understanding the Vietnam War “in the context of American grand strategy and American identity.” Echoing remarks made by both Gray and Moyar, she noted that debates about Vietnam continue today – even in the War College classes she teaches. Students “rehash what went wrong in Vietnam” during discussions about recent military efforts in the Middle East and Afghanistan, Whitt said. The morning’s second panel, a discussion on the Vietnamese strategic perspective, began with Andrew Wiest, Ph.D., who spoke about strategy in the south: The Republic of Vietnam and its Army of the Republic of Vietnam. “A full understanding of
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the Vietnam War simply has to come to grips with the wartime role played by the Republic of Vietnam armed forces,” said Wiest, underscoring the importance of comprehending the challenges faced by south Vietnamese forces – those forces aided by the U.S. in the war. “American victory in the war was only possible if ARVN learned to translate battlefield success into strategic sustainability.” ARVN and the government in Saigon – the RVN capital – faced an uphill battle when compared with their northern neighbors, the inaptly named communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam. RVN did not have a common ideology to bind its country and troops together, Wiest said. Fearing a military coup in Saigon, RVN – and thus ARVN – focused heavily on technical training while failing to emphasize patriotism or nationalism and disregarding the “why” for the training and the fighting that followed. The south, Wiest said, lacked a “unifying political will” but fought a long conflict and saw troop loyalty while suffering heavy casualties. This evidence led Wiest to conclude that although “ARVN comprehensively failed in 1975 ... ARVN had potential,” he said.
“Perhaps, potential enough to have won [the] war under different circumstances.” Pierre Asselin, Ph.D., talked about the northern strategy. “We’re still asking the wrong question,” Asselin said. “We’re still obsessed with why the U.S. lost. We never ask, ‘Why did Hanoi win?’” The northern communist regime – the DRV and its fighting force, the North Vietnamese Army – had clearly defined objectives and a unified political will and ideology. Victory for the DRV and NVA was summarized in three objectives: Unconditional U.S. disengagement, Saigon’s collapse and reunifying Vietnam – north and south – under a communist government. In achieving these objectives, the DRV were masters of utilizing “information, disinformation [and] misinformation” in their favor, Asselin said. In the north, true casualty numbers were not reported, and to the world at large, the DRV used images of women engaged in the conflict to gain sympathy on the world stage. After lunch, VMI’s own Gioia, along with Ron Milam, Ph.D., shared their combat experiences commanding and advising troops at the small unit tactical level, discussed their preparation for war
Ron Milam, Ph.D., left, and Phil Goia ’67 at a panel during the Vietnam War at 50 Conference Sept. 24, 2018. Photo by Micalyn Miller, VMI Alumni Agencies.
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and offered advice to cadets. Gioia went through Army ROTC at VMI, and noted that the best preparation he had for combat in Vietnam was the Army’s Ranger School. Milam’s officer preparation came through the Army’s Officer Candidate School, which both men said was an excellent path for producing leaders quickly. Gioia commanded both professional soldiers and draftees. The professional soldiers under Gioia’s command in the 82nd Airborne Division were a well-trained, tightly-knit, top-notch group. The draftees he commanded, Gioia said, were also outstanding troops. In his second tour – this time with the 1st Cavalry Division – Gioia commanded a unit comprised of 75 percent draftees. The only noncommissioned officer above E-5 was the company first sergeant and the unit had just a few days to train together before going to Vietnam. “What I saw in Vietnam demonstrated the concept of the citizen soldier,” Gioia said, talking about commanding draftees with little training or prewar cohesion. “These kids – and they were kids, they were 19 and 20 years old – turned out to be superb infantrymen.” Gioia, when asked what he learned from VMI, responded, “A lot.” He noted that he had already learned basic military bearing from VMI, which gave him a head start when he came into the Army. “VMI does give you something that is different from a lot of the other ROTC schools. It’s a full military college. It’s a military institute. When you graduate from here, you’ve got a whole kit bag full of stuff,” Gioia said. Gray, pointing to the cadets in the audience, ended the panel by asking Gioia and Milam what advice they had for “the next generation of small unit leaders.” “It’s a little bit of a hackneyed phrase; I know that it’s been portrayed in Hollywood a lot about ‘Never ask your men to do anything you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself,’” Milam replied. “But I think for junior officers [it] is so important. I think it’s also important that you always think of the men that you’re leading as being the most important thing that you’re ever going to do. ... Think of them first.” Gioia concurred and added that junior officers should trust the technical expertise of their subordinates, and to seek advice of their noncommissioned officers while retaining a leadership role. During the panel, Gioia noted that his brother rat, retired U.S. Army Col. Jim Joyner ’67, was in the audience. Gioia and Joyner served together in stateside units and were in Vietnam together, although in different companies. The two were bonded through their time at VMI, but the bond was strengthened by their service together in Vietnam, Joyner said, recalling that the two friends were able to keep tabs on each other in theater through radio contact and sending notes between their bases. The two men keep in touch to this day, and it was Gioia who told Joyner about the symposium. Joyner noted that – like most Vietnam and Vietnam-era veterans – he did not receive a warm welcome when he returned home. In fact, no one wanted to talk about the war. “It was not an experience where somebody patted you on the
back and said, ‘Good job, welcome home,’” Joyner said. “This [the symposium] was really the first the first event I’ve ever had where people came up and said, ‘You did a good job.’” The day’s final panel was a spirited discussion about media coverage in Vietnam. In the realm of media and journalism, Vietnam War was notable in two main regards: Technology and freedom of the press. On the technology side, television brought the war into the majority of U.S homes, Gray said. Both Galloway and his fellow presenter, Jim Sterba, spent more than four decades as foreign correspondents. Galloway noted the extreme freedom given to the press during the war. As long a reporter possessed a press card and signed a short waiver at the military press office, the reporter was able to use any available military transport and was “free to join any unit that would have you,” Galloway said. For journalists, this was a drastic change from both World War I and II, when there was full censorship by the military, reporters were subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and even wore uniforms. Anything a journalist wanted to report was reviewed by a full-bird colonel before it was sent. In Korea, the level of military censorship fluctuated. The true control in media coverage from the theater lay with the military, as they held the only communication lines in or out of Korea – limiting the pipeline by which journalists could send stories and photos. Both Galloway and Sterba said there was vast mobility available through military transport. Sterba described a day when he covered a battle in Cambodia, hitched a ride on a helicopter, turned in his film to The Associated Press bureau, wrote his story and was showered and eating supper at a French restaurant in Saigon by 7 p.m. The symposium was capped off by the moving testimony of Dr. Hal Kushner, dinner keynote speaker. Kushner held his audience captive with his detailed description of the five-plus years he was held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He was captured after a helicopter crash. Soon after his capture, he was offered a post working in a Vietnamese hospital. The catch was he would be required to denounce the U.S. and its efforts in Vietnam. Kushner refused, telling his captors he preferred death over betraying his country. His captor responded that, in light of the coming maltreatment Kushner would experience, death would be the easier choice. Captured Dec. 2, 1967, Kushner and his fellow prisoners were released March 16, 1973. One of many cadets who were able to attend the symposium, Cadet Jacob Gann ’20 gave the event favorable reviews. He found Kushner’s account of his years as a POW particularly “inspiring,” Gann said. “With 50 years’ perspective, this symposium reflected on several of these issues,” Gray said. “Our speakers and panelists did a great job covering these topics helping us achieve our desired outcomes for our cadets and guests.” Full video of all conference speakers and panels are available for viewing at the CLE’s YouTube channel. C-SPAN will air parts of the symposium on their American History TV channel later this fall.
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Mattis Addresses Corps of Cadets By Ashlie Walter, VMI Communications & Marketing Exuberantly received by the VMI Corps of Cadets, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis detailed the challenges cadets will soon face in a military – and a society – that needs leadership, allies and modernization. He is the third secretary of defense to speak at the Institute this century and spoke to cadets, faculty and staff in Cameron Hall Sept. 25. Mattis, who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1969 and has played a leadership role in multiple wars, defined the primary powers of American influence in the world – those of intimidation and inspiration. To illustrate that power of inspiration, Mattis shared a story about one of the men who had failed to kill him over the years – an enemy engineer who was captured attempting to lay an improvised explosive device on the road Mattis was taking to a remote base overseas. Following the engineer’s capture, Mattis spoke with him. “I want you all, especially you young people, to listen to me here. He said, ‘General, do you think if I’m a model prisoner, could I one day immigrate to America?’ Think about that. “The hatred he felt was so much that he would go out and put a bomb in the road to kill us, but the example of America was so strong that if he could be sitting where you are today or have his son or daughter in that audience, he’d have given his eyeteeth,” said Mattis. “It wasn’t just because we caught him. This was deeper.” Mattis reminded cadets that each of them are part of that legacy of inspiration and they must fight to defend it. “You give up that moral and ethical high ground, that historic
Mattis addressing the Corps Sept. 25, 2018. Photo by Micalyn Miller, VMI Alumni Agencies.
legacy that we carry with us, at our nation’s peril,” said Mattis. “So you hold that close. You take care of each other.” He described the U.S. military as the first line of effort to keep the American experiment alive. Its purpose, he said, is to intimidate adversaries. It does that by being ready and willing to engage in the difficult, often vicious, aspects of war when called upon. “Anytime a military loses sight of its purpose, it gets beaten. … We need very high levels of readiness,” Mattis said. A second line of effort Mattis highlighted is maintaining and strengthening alliances. “Anyone who reads history knows that nations with allies thrive, but nations without allies basically wither away,” he said. Mattis praised George Marshall, Class of 1901, for creating a plan to unite broken countries on both sides of the conflict following World War II. “He extended a hand to our allies flattened in the war… but he also went to adversaries. Think of how vicious [the fighting] was,” he said. “Then he turns around and helps set up a plan to draw these nations back together into this community of nations.” After rebuilding Europe, Marshall was also instrumental in establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, something an Australian ambassador told Mattis was the “most sacrificial act in world history.” However, he also noted that the U.S. is no longer in the postWorld War II era when a devastated Europe was rebuilding. Mattis emphasized that those same countries now have substantial resources and should not rely on the U.S. to “carry the full burden.” Mattis went on to say the U.S., as a nation, is still working on building something better. “We’re still building a nation; it’s hard work but noble work. Don’t ever think we are done. We are not perfect, but we will always strive to be better,” said Mattis. “We are stronger when we are together.” In terms of building a better nation, VMI serves as the model for the skills U.S. society needs, including leadership and maintaining a “fighting stance,” Mattis said. In addition to elaborating on policy and strategy details, Mattis drew a personal connection with members of the Corps, referring to them throughout the address as, “my fine young cadets,” and offering advice on how to engage with their subordinates after commissioning. During a question and answer session, cadets asked questions on topics including the role of women in combat, vulnerabilities in cybersecurity, the U.S. military as a global police force and the need for a more physically fit society. “There are a lot of badass women here,” said Cadet Logan Amico ’20, “some more physically fit than I am and smarter than I
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am,” in asking whether females in combat roles make U.S. fighting forces more effective. “Because so few women have signed up along these lines, we don’t even have data that I can answer your question,” said Mattis “There are a few stalwart young ladies who are charging into this, but they are too few. Right now it’s not even dozens. It’s that few. The jury’s still out on it, but what we’re trying to do is give it every opportunity to succeed.” Mattis encouraged cadets to take individual initiative to contribute to a stronger nation. “We need some of you to be the Spartans at the gate because we’re not going to hang onto these freedoms because our grandfathers fought,” said Mattis of the current state of physical fitness in the nation. “Every generation is going to have to fight to keep this experiment alive,” he continued. “Take the fitness that you’re expected to maintain here into every walk of life – not just your family,
but your parish, your school district, your local community. Get out there and start working with the kids when they’re young.” Mattis also spoke about the evolving nature of strategic challenges. “How we protect the country was brought into stark relief on 9/11 … everyone in a uniform knew we had let down America on 9/11,” he said, emphasizing that U.S. defenses must remain adaptable to current threats. Regarding cyber threats, Mattis proposed that a plan down the road might be offering government-backed cybersecurity solutions to private businesses. Before leaving the stage to a standing ovation, Mattis gave the Corps a few final words to remember. “Every one of you could have picked an easier school to go to. Here are three words I leave with you to keep you from laying on a shrink’s couch at 45 wondering ‘where did my life go?’” said Mattis. “Put others first.”
Marine Corps ROTC Cadet Honored for National Achievement By Mary Price, VMI Communications & Marketing
For the fourth time in the past six years, a Marine Corps ROTC cadet from VMI has been recognized for exceptional performance at summer training for future officers. Cadet Alex Dragan ’20 was recognized Saturday, Sept. 29, during halftime of the home football game against Mercer University for finishing first in his class of 85 at Platoon Leaders Course for the Marines this summer. In recognition of this achievement, he was presented with the highly prestigious Marine Corps Commandant’s Trophy by Maj. Gen. James “Chip” Bierman ’87, commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command at Quantico, Virginia. “[Dragan] is an impressive young man,” said Col. Craig Streeter ’91, commanding officer of VMI’s Naval ROTC. “He kind of has it all: He’s physically strong, he’s doing really well academically, he’s got leadership potential and he’s active in the Corps of Cadets. He’s just an amazing representative for VMI.” Streeter explained that Dragan was one of seven Marine Corps officer candidates nationwide honored with the commandant’s trophy this year – five from classes of the Platoon Leaders Course and two from classes of Officer Candidate School. Both PLC and OCS prepare future officers in what Streeter called “the ultimate job interview for the Marine Corps;” the only difference is that PLC is for candidates who do not have Marine Corps scholarships and OCS is for those who do. “To graduate number one is amazing,” Streeter commented. “It’s an extremely competitive field.”
When Dragan left for the six-week long PLC, it wasn’t with the expectation of turning in an amazing performance. He recalled having an attitude of just trying to do his best. “Whenever I go into anything, I tell myself, ‘I’m just going to get through this,’ but once I start, then I start making goals once I’m doing it,” he explained. In the end, Dragan finished the course with an 88.7 GPA in academics, an 89.3 in leadership and a 98.9 in physical fitness. He also scored a perfect 300 on the Marine Corps physical fitness test. Dragan’s accomplishments would be commendable in their own right, but they’re even more so given the harsh reality of PLC. Dragan explained that the day began with a 4:30 a.m. wake-up call, immediately followed by one to two hours of physical training. After showers and breakfast, the day was filled with academic classes on Marine Corps culture, traditions and rank structure, along with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which is a federal law setting forth the legal system for all who serve in the military. At the end of the day, there were drills, weapons cleaning and squad bay cleanup – plus physical and mental check-ups to ensure no candidate had untreated issues that would hinder performance. Bedtime was supposed to be 9 p.m., but most attendees – Dragan included – wound up staying up another hour or two to prepare for the next day’s classes. Each week, a list would be posted, giving attendees’ scores so far in the course. When Dragan saw his number near the top,
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week after week, he recalled thinking, ““Wow, I’m actually doing pretty good.” “I was kind of surprised, honestly,” said Dragan of the moment when he found out he was the top finisher. “I feel like I was just doing a job, and I happened to do it well, so they gave me the award. But it’s not about the award for me.” Dragan is the first to acknowledge that without VMI and Naval ROTC, he’d have never done so well. Naval ROTC classes had already exposed him to much of the classroom material he was taught at PLC, and the Naval ROTC’s “bulldog” program had strengthened him mentally and physically. “They make it a similar environment to OCS,” said Dragan of the bulldog program, which is an intense physical training regimen designed to prepare cadets for the rigors of OCS. “It’s very physically demanding,” said Dragan. “Everything you do has to be intense, or you kind of get punished for it. Bulldog really helped me as far as my confidence.” That’s precisely why VMI has run the bulldog program for so many years, said Streeter, who went through it himself as a cadet. “The goal of bulldog is to physically and mentally prepare these young men and women … [so] that they are able to show up at PLC or OCS and be ready to go,” Streeter commented.
The multiple award winners over many years bear testament to the success of the bulldog program – and the commitment that VMI’s Naval ROTC makes to cadets. “We have a very strong NROTC program,” said Streeter. “We think we prepare our young men and women for OCS and PLC better than anyone in the country. People that show up at OCS from VMI are expected to do very well and always do. They finish near the top of their class.” As for Dragan, Naval ROTC has been a path to a lifetime dream. The son of a Marine Corps officer and the brother of an enlisted Marine, Dragan had always known the Marine Corps was for him. He began looking at military schools during his junior year in high school, and a couple of visits to post was all it took to convince him that VMI was the school for him. “VMI was kind of my one and only choice,” said Dragan, a psychology major and assistant prosecutor on the Honor Court. Now, he can’t imagine what his life would now be like without the Institute. “I’m very happy I made the decision to come here,” Dragan noted. “I don’t know what kind of man I’d be today if I hadn’t.”
Cadet Alex Dragan ‘20 after being presented with the Marine Corps Commandant’s Trophy. VMI photo by Kelly Nye.
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Governor Appoints Board of Visitors Members By Col. Stewart MacInnis, VMI Communications & Marketing
Gov. Ralph Northam ’81 announced the appointment of one new member to the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors and the reappointment of three current board members June 13, 2018. Beginning a four-year term July 1 was Thomas E. Gottwald ’83, chairman of the board of the Richmond-based New Market Corp. Reappointed to additional four-year terms were Conrad Hall ’65, Richard K. Hines V. ’66 and Joe R. Reeder. Gottwald is chairman of the board, president and chief operating officer of the New Market Corp., which is the parent company of Afton Chemical Co. and Ethyl Corp. He graduated from VMI in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and shortly after earned a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. As a cadet, he was president of his class and played football for four years and was an academic all-American. He served from 1998-2004 as a member of the VMI Keydet Club Board of Governors and currently serves on the VMI Jackson-Hope Board of Overseers. He is involved in numerous civic activities in the Richmond area, including the Virginia Home for Boys, the Valentine Museum and the Children’s Museum of Virginia. Hall, former president and CEO of Dominion Enterprises and a 1965 graduate of VMI, holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. His career in marketing and communications began at Landmark Communications Inc., where he continues to serve on the board of directors. He also served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army and is a past president of the VMI Foundation. Hines, a partner in the Atlanta-based law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, has served as president of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel. A 1966 graduate of VMI, he served two years in the U.S. Army as an armor officer before entering and graduating from Vanderbilt Law
Thomas E. Gottwald ’83 and Ann Parker Gottwald pose with Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62 during a campaign event in Richmond in July 2017. VMI file photo by Kelly Nye.
School. He previously served as a member of the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees. Reeder, a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig and former under-secretary of the Army, has served as chairman of the Panama Canal Commission’s board of directors and as a member of the U.S. Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure Council. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy, a master’s degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a juris doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law. Leaving after the maximum of two 4-year terms is Bruce G. Gottwald Jr. ’81, managing director of Jonah LLC, a private investment management company in Richmond.
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Solar Telescope Offers New Observational Capabilities By Ashlie Walter, VMI Communications & Marketing
Col. Greg Topasna explains how the solar telescope on top of Maury-Brooke Hall will function remotely. VMI photo by Kelly Nye.
This fall, astronomy students will have a new tool to aid in their studies in the form of a solar telescope installed over the summer on the roof of Maury-Brooke Hall. In June, Physical Plant employees installed a small, white dome with a retractable door on the southern side of Maury-Brooke’s roof that will house three separate telescopes to study the sun. One will be a 10-inch telescope with a calcium k-line filter for measuring the sun. Col. Greg Topasna, Ph.D., professor of physics and astronomy, said he is excited about the new venture because he will be able to spend more time on observations with cadets than time setting up the machine. “I would only have them for an hour or two during class time. Now they can start when the sun is up, and this gives them longterm data,” he said.
The major benefit of the telescopes is seeing solar phenomena over time, using visualizations such the famous diagram called “the butterfly.” When multiple images of the sun are captured over time, patterns can develop that look like a butterfly. A small computer will be installed with the telescope allowing Topasna to control it remotely from his office in Mallory Hall. A weather station was also installed to measure when weather conditions are suitable for opening the dome. If the weather is not suitable, the dome will not open. He said the new telescope would not compete with the 20-inch telescope housed in the VMI observatory at McKethan Park. However, he would like to see the same remote-control technology installed at the observatory. The telescope and dome were paid for with departmental funds.
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Udinski ’21 Named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week Coming off a record-setting performance at Western Carolina University, Cadet Reece Udinski ’21, quarterback, was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 24, 2018, by the league office. The slinger from North Wales, Pennsylvania, set three program records in the Keydets’ 52-50 loss to the Catamounts, posting new school standards in completions (43), attempts (72) and passing yards (491). His nearly 500 yards through the air were good for seventh in a game in SoCon history, while he added four touchdown passes on the day. Udinski led VMI on two scoring drives of more than 60 yards after the Catamounts – who entered the contest receiving votes in both major national polls – took a 15-point lead with 6:19 left in the game. The weekly award also marks the first time a VMI offensive player has achieved the honor since wide receiver Aaron Sanders ’17 accomplished the feat Oct. 26, 2015. Chattanooga linebacker Marshall Cooper was named Defensive Player of the Week, and The Citadel running back/kick returner Rod Johnson was named Special Teams Player of the Week.
Cadet Reece Udinski ’21. Photo by Firehouse Photos.
Hernandez ’21, Luckett ’20 Named SoCon Runners of the Week
Cadets Davone Hernandez ’21 and Logan Luckett ’20. Photos courtesy VMI Sports Information Office.
Cadets Davone Hernandez ’21 and Logan Luckett ’20 have been named Southern Conference men’s and women’s runners of the week, respectively, for competition that took place Sept. 5-11, 2018. Hernandez, a 3rd Class cadet, came in third overall to lead the Keydets to a second-place finish at the James Madison University Invitational in New Market, Virginia, Sept. 8 with a time of 26:22 in the 8k run. Luckett, a 2nd Class cadet, lead VMI to a third-place finish at the JMU Invitational. The Elk Rapids, Michigan, native finished 10th overall with a time of 20:34 in the 5,200-meter run. “Logan has been a solid leader for our team,” said Dr. Drew Ludtke, VMI cross-country coach. “Luckett and Anna Armfield ’21 ran together for the entire New Market race. They helped pace their teammates at the start of the race. I was happy with our leaders and the entire team for working hard to prepare for and execute the plans for the meet. The team atmosphere and attitudes have been excellent, and I am looking forward to carrying that environment forward into the SoCon Championships.” “Davone has started the season well. He is having fun in practice and at the meets, which will be very helpful in his long-term development as well as short-term performance, continued Ludtke. “I am looking forward to watching the season progress, as we have a good depth of talent this year.”