I finished a stretch of major tests Thursday evening when I took my Engineering Exploration test and was anticipating some rest and relaxation this weekend, something that I have not had much of since arriving here at Tech. Not that I was going to go too many hours without working on school work, I did look forward to some pre-game festivities. Maybe one of these days I will actually win a ticket in the lottery and attend a home game, but for now, tailgating and possibly watching all of the Virginia Tech – Miami game on TV would suffice. I have just returned from two tailgates and feel refreshed enough to tackle some more chemistry and linear algebra homework.
The heavy rain and lack of an umbrella did not deter me from attending tailgate parties. The first was hosted by the Galileo Program, which I am a member. It was nice hanging out with students from my engineering classes and being able to just talk in a relaxed environment. During the school week, everybody is busy. The tailgate party was inside Lee hall on the 2nd floor in the lounge. It was originally going to be outside, but the weather convinced those who were organizing it to change the location. I was one of the first people to arrive, so I got there before the lines got too long for food. They served hamburgers and hotdogs cooked on the stove. The food was all pretty good and I had a great time hanging out with other people in Galileo.
The second tailgate party was hosted by a VT alumni group from northern Virginia, where I am from. What a small world! This past June, at my friend from high school and now college roommate’s graduation party, another guest recognized my father’s name as being pretty famous in the internet community upon introduction. This man, Mr. Bowman, is a neighbor of my friend/roommate and is working in the same field that my father is nationally known, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). It is a specialized area that many people have not heard of, so it’s a small world that this man knew of my father. At that party, Mr. Bowman told me how he and some of his Tech friends travel to Blacksburg for home games and that they like to host tailgating parties. He encouraged me to visit his group this fall, which I did for the first time today. I am glad that I went. The VT alumni group had a spectacular assortment of food. I love D2 but still miss home cooking. This group also had hamburgers and hot dogs, but an assortment of other foods as well. The tastiest item there was the homemade sausage, especially the jalapeno filled ones. They also provided an assortment of desserts, including my favorite, brownies. It was pouring down rain all around us and I was wet and chilly from the walk, but we stood under the canopy and talked and ate until full.
I think that it is interesting how at an early summer party, someone recognized my father and then became interested in me when he learned that I was going to attend Virginia Tech. I am far from home and it was nice meeting alumni from my area. Now that I have met more people, I will feel comfortable participating in social and volunteer activities during winter breaks and the summers when I am at home. For such a huge school, Virginia Tech alumni seem like a very close group. And they are definitely proud of their football team! I look forward to the day when I can attend a live VT game myself. I have entered the lottery to win tickets for every game so far, but have not had any luck as of now. I know a few people who have acquired tickets to every home game so far. Most of my friends who are attending games buy the tickets themselves, as opposed to waiting until they win one in the lottery, and have even paid well over $100 for a ticket. I was surprised that there weren’t more people giving away tickets to the Miami game today because of the rain. Just from being outside, even sheltered under a canopy, I still got soaked and was somewhat cold. Several people on my hall who were attending the game came back at half time because it was getting so cold and they were afraid of getting sick. But for the majority of the Hokies I saw, nothing would deter them from tailgating or game attendance. Now that’s school spirit!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Hurt Locker - Not Just Another War Movie
THE RUSH OF BATTLE IS OFTEN A POTENT AND LETHAL ADDICTION, FOR WAR IS A DRUG. Those were the words displayed across the screen before the opening scene in the movie, The Hurt Locker, the 2009 American war thriller on the Iraqi war. The film follows an EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Team through their final month in Iraq after their original team leader was killed trying to disarm an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). While this movie is about war and the military, its purpose is not action or combat, but to reveal the struggles within a select Army bomb squad as they try to adjust to a new team lead. These struggles were both internal and external.
The team’s youngest member, Specialist Owen Eldridge, wrestles with issues of life and death after failing to shoot the insurgent who detonated the IED that killed their original team leader. Eldridge meets with a psychologist to discuss his emotional state, namely that he is troubled by a strong feeling that he too will be killed while on a mission. During one particular session, feeling that his psychologist cannot relate to what is troubling him, Eldridge offers for the therapist to accompany the team in the field so he can better understand what his patient has to endure on a daily basis. The psychologist joins the team on a mission and ironically ends up being killed by an IED explosion. In spite of this setback and feeling even more bewildered, SPC Eldridge becomes more and more confident throughout the movie, determined to fight his internal struggles and the demons of war.
For Sergeant JT Sanborn, his difficulty lies more directly with the new team leader, Staff Sergeant William James, than anything internal. SSG James is described by SGT Sanborn as “reckless.” On the team’s first mission under the lead of SSG James, James decides to defy protocol by wearing a bomb suit instead of initially dispatching a robot to examine the suspected IED. This risk taking, added to the fact that James often fails to communicate with his team, has Sanborn rightfully worried. It’s not that anyone is concerned about James’ skill as James has disabled over 870 IEDs and is one of the best technicians, but the problem is that often James does his job with disregard to his team’s safety. The only thing on Sergeant Sanborn’s mind is getting out of Iraq alive and well, and with only one month left in their rotation, he sees James as a threat to their safety and his chances of reaching that date alive.
To SSG James, his job is the best in the world. James is an unusual soul who loves the thrill of disarming IEDs. Having served in the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan, a unit which has experienced extremely intense combat areas, James was hardened to danger. He sees nothing wrong with the way he works. James likes to have fun while doing his job despite the seriousness of his line of work. While conversing with a Colonel who was complimenting James’ skill, the Colonel dubbed James “a wild man” after asking James what the best way was of disarming an IED. SSG James had replied, “The way you don’t die, Sir.” Under his bed, James keeps a box filled with the detonator switches from every IED that he has ever disarmed. James preserves those pieces because he is fascinated with things that almost killed him. When one day SPC Eldridge peers into James’ box and pulls out a necklace with a wedding ring on it, Eldridge asks what the ring was doing in the box. James replies, “Like I said: things that almost killed me.”
A setback in the movie is when SPC Eldridge is accidentally shot by SSG James while chasing down a group of insurgents who had detonated an IED under an M1A2 Abrams tank. The team seemed to have been falling apart with only a few days remaining in their rotation in Iraq when this occurred. Luckily, however, in spite of all of the challenges and risks, they all make it back alive.
While at home with his wife and son, SSG James cannot seem to adjust to life without war. While playing with his infant son, James explains to him that as one gets older, there are fewer activities in life one really enjoys, and that it may be only one or two things that give true satisfaction. The movie ended with a scene of SSG James stepping off a helicopter after it landed in Iraq. 365 days until the end of his next rotation. I don’t know what message that gives to a son, war being more important and satisfying than family, but fortunately his son was an infant and could not see that his father was more satisfied fighting than being at home. It seemed as if SSG James was destined to be a military man.
Before I saw the movie, I thought it would be merely a war movie with a lot of action and little or no plot. I was surprised by the storyline and really enjoyed the movie as it examined the war’s effect on each of the main character’s personality. The audience is able to truly get to know the characters and understand what it is each is going through without having to actually be there. I have seen the movie several times already, and I enjoy watching it every time.
The team’s youngest member, Specialist Owen Eldridge, wrestles with issues of life and death after failing to shoot the insurgent who detonated the IED that killed their original team leader. Eldridge meets with a psychologist to discuss his emotional state, namely that he is troubled by a strong feeling that he too will be killed while on a mission. During one particular session, feeling that his psychologist cannot relate to what is troubling him, Eldridge offers for the therapist to accompany the team in the field so he can better understand what his patient has to endure on a daily basis. The psychologist joins the team on a mission and ironically ends up being killed by an IED explosion. In spite of this setback and feeling even more bewildered, SPC Eldridge becomes more and more confident throughout the movie, determined to fight his internal struggles and the demons of war.
For Sergeant JT Sanborn, his difficulty lies more directly with the new team leader, Staff Sergeant William James, than anything internal. SSG James is described by SGT Sanborn as “reckless.” On the team’s first mission under the lead of SSG James, James decides to defy protocol by wearing a bomb suit instead of initially dispatching a robot to examine the suspected IED. This risk taking, added to the fact that James often fails to communicate with his team, has Sanborn rightfully worried. It’s not that anyone is concerned about James’ skill as James has disabled over 870 IEDs and is one of the best technicians, but the problem is that often James does his job with disregard to his team’s safety. The only thing on Sergeant Sanborn’s mind is getting out of Iraq alive and well, and with only one month left in their rotation, he sees James as a threat to their safety and his chances of reaching that date alive.
To SSG James, his job is the best in the world. James is an unusual soul who loves the thrill of disarming IEDs. Having served in the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan, a unit which has experienced extremely intense combat areas, James was hardened to danger. He sees nothing wrong with the way he works. James likes to have fun while doing his job despite the seriousness of his line of work. While conversing with a Colonel who was complimenting James’ skill, the Colonel dubbed James “a wild man” after asking James what the best way was of disarming an IED. SSG James had replied, “The way you don’t die, Sir.” Under his bed, James keeps a box filled with the detonator switches from every IED that he has ever disarmed. James preserves those pieces because he is fascinated with things that almost killed him. When one day SPC Eldridge peers into James’ box and pulls out a necklace with a wedding ring on it, Eldridge asks what the ring was doing in the box. James replies, “Like I said: things that almost killed me.”
A setback in the movie is when SPC Eldridge is accidentally shot by SSG James while chasing down a group of insurgents who had detonated an IED under an M1A2 Abrams tank. The team seemed to have been falling apart with only a few days remaining in their rotation in Iraq when this occurred. Luckily, however, in spite of all of the challenges and risks, they all make it back alive.
While at home with his wife and son, SSG James cannot seem to adjust to life without war. While playing with his infant son, James explains to him that as one gets older, there are fewer activities in life one really enjoys, and that it may be only one or two things that give true satisfaction. The movie ended with a scene of SSG James stepping off a helicopter after it landed in Iraq. 365 days until the end of his next rotation. I don’t know what message that gives to a son, war being more important and satisfying than family, but fortunately his son was an infant and could not see that his father was more satisfied fighting than being at home. It seemed as if SSG James was destined to be a military man.
Before I saw the movie, I thought it would be merely a war movie with a lot of action and little or no plot. I was surprised by the storyline and really enjoyed the movie as it examined the war’s effect on each of the main character’s personality. The audience is able to truly get to know the characters and understand what it is each is going through without having to actually be there. I have seen the movie several times already, and I enjoy watching it every time.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
ACTs and More Tests
As most everyone who knows me well is aware, I am in the process of reapplying to West Point. I do not intend to write about the various aspects of this process each week, but it’s just been all consuming in some ways the past few weeks. I completed my nomination packets just before leaving for college, which took a lot of work, but have had to continue to work on this application process since arriving at Tech, such as the Candidate Fitness Assessment I wrote about earlier, and communicating with and coordinating other people’s roles in the process, like my high school counselor, my local Liaison Officer, and the USMA South Eastern Regional Representative (MAJ Tolman). Because any improvement in my combined applicant score would boost my standing in the appointment process, I had hoped to retake the ACT test this fall. I did very well on the ACT last year, scoring in the 90th percentile, but after discussing every possible way of improving my combined applicant score with MAJ Tolman earlier this summer, I decided that I would re-take the ACT again this fall at Tech. Unfortunately, the nearest test location is at a high school in Roanoke, approximately 50 miles away by bus and would also involve walking or a taxi to get to the test site. (Even then, public transportation gets me to the Roanoke bus station after the start of the test time.)
Virginia Tech is not a registered ACT testing center. The ACT Arranged Testing Office requires that a list of conditions be met before allowing one to take an ACT test at a location that had not previously been approved as a certified testing center. Individuals may arrange a special test session if their religious faith prohibits them from taking a Saturday test, if they reside in countries where there is no certified testing center, if they are confined to a hospital, or if they do not have a testing center within 50 miles of their current location. If approved, the special testing arrangement would also have to be scheduled during an ACT testing window.
Dr. Brandon Phillips, the Arranged Testing Supervisor at the Counseling Center here at Virginia Tech, agreed to proctor the test if it was approved by the ACT. Before classes started, I drafted a letter to the ACT explaining my transportation issues, filled out their forms, and met with Dr. Phillips to get all of the paperwork completed and signed. Dr. Phillips had to certify that his testing center met all of the ACT requirements, such as the proctor being fluent in English, having experience giving similar tests, being a staff member of the institution where the test would be given, having access to a safe to securely store the testing materials, and agreeing to proctor the test. Dr. Phillips completed his part of the forms and signed everything, agreeing to the conditions. I mailed the packet with a check for the registration fee and waited.
Just yesterday, I received an email from Dr. Phillips informing me that the ACT Arranged Testing Office had contacted him to say that they had denied my request to take the ACT test at Virginia Tech. They stated that my request did not meet their requirement that I was over 50 miles from a registered testing center. Dr. Phillips checked MapQuest and said that a direct route indicated that Blacksburg is only 40 miles from Roanoke. Unfortunately, even if public transportation was an option (it is not because it would get me to the Roanoke bus station after the test begins), the ACT must have ignored my letter. I feel that a reasonable person would understand that by taking a bus route, the route is longer than a direct route by car, and then walking or taking a taxi to the high school where the test would be given adds miles to the distance traveled.
I am disappointed that I will not be able to retake the ACTs, but I am becoming more and more relieved now, mostly because of the amount of work I have been assigned from my other classes. In the next two weeks, I have four major tests. Most of the tests should go well because I am already reading the material and studying for them, but something like Chemistry, I could use the extra time preparing for. (I took an accelerated math and science program in high school so I have not had Chemistry for three years, making the material almost foreign to me. I mostly dislike having to name elements from their given formulas and getting the formula from the given names.) I am looking forward to taking the other tests, though. I have to take my Linear Algebra test by the Monday evening deadline, and I also have a big Calculus test later in the week. I have been scoring well on all of my linear algebra quizzes so far and took AP Calculus in high school and really understand the material, so I am confident that I won’t have any problems on either of those tests. A week from now, I have my Engineering Exploration test, which I have also begun studying for. Engineering exploration is the “weed out” course for engineering students, so there is a lot of pressure to do very well in that class.
These next two weeks and after will be very busy, and with the extra time I intend to spend on Chemistry and Engineering Exploration, it is probably a good thing that the ACT Arranged Testing Office denied my request. Never mind that I am not familiar with Roanoke and that this would have been my first trip using public transportation, really increasing the chance that I would not arrive on time even if the buses from Blacksburg began their routes earlier than they do on Saturdays. I guess there is a chance too that had ACT approved my request and the bus schedule ran earlier, I could have still been late to the test since I am not familiar with public transportation or Roanoke. That would have been horrible to put time, money and effort into retaking the ACT and then missing the test, costing me sleep and half a Saturday study time as well. Instead, I will think positive and assume that this denial is for the best and will focus on my grades now instead of worrying about retaking a test that I already have decent scores on. Doing well on these tests will be very satisfying, and I intend to give it my full effort.
Virginia Tech is not a registered ACT testing center. The ACT Arranged Testing Office requires that a list of conditions be met before allowing one to take an ACT test at a location that had not previously been approved as a certified testing center. Individuals may arrange a special test session if their religious faith prohibits them from taking a Saturday test, if they reside in countries where there is no certified testing center, if they are confined to a hospital, or if they do not have a testing center within 50 miles of their current location. If approved, the special testing arrangement would also have to be scheduled during an ACT testing window.
Dr. Brandon Phillips, the Arranged Testing Supervisor at the Counseling Center here at Virginia Tech, agreed to proctor the test if it was approved by the ACT. Before classes started, I drafted a letter to the ACT explaining my transportation issues, filled out their forms, and met with Dr. Phillips to get all of the paperwork completed and signed. Dr. Phillips had to certify that his testing center met all of the ACT requirements, such as the proctor being fluent in English, having experience giving similar tests, being a staff member of the institution where the test would be given, having access to a safe to securely store the testing materials, and agreeing to proctor the test. Dr. Phillips completed his part of the forms and signed everything, agreeing to the conditions. I mailed the packet with a check for the registration fee and waited.
Just yesterday, I received an email from Dr. Phillips informing me that the ACT Arranged Testing Office had contacted him to say that they had denied my request to take the ACT test at Virginia Tech. They stated that my request did not meet their requirement that I was over 50 miles from a registered testing center. Dr. Phillips checked MapQuest and said that a direct route indicated that Blacksburg is only 40 miles from Roanoke. Unfortunately, even if public transportation was an option (it is not because it would get me to the Roanoke bus station after the test begins), the ACT must have ignored my letter. I feel that a reasonable person would understand that by taking a bus route, the route is longer than a direct route by car, and then walking or taking a taxi to the high school where the test would be given adds miles to the distance traveled.
I am disappointed that I will not be able to retake the ACTs, but I am becoming more and more relieved now, mostly because of the amount of work I have been assigned from my other classes. In the next two weeks, I have four major tests. Most of the tests should go well because I am already reading the material and studying for them, but something like Chemistry, I could use the extra time preparing for. (I took an accelerated math and science program in high school so I have not had Chemistry for three years, making the material almost foreign to me. I mostly dislike having to name elements from their given formulas and getting the formula from the given names.) I am looking forward to taking the other tests, though. I have to take my Linear Algebra test by the Monday evening deadline, and I also have a big Calculus test later in the week. I have been scoring well on all of my linear algebra quizzes so far and took AP Calculus in high school and really understand the material, so I am confident that I won’t have any problems on either of those tests. A week from now, I have my Engineering Exploration test, which I have also begun studying for. Engineering exploration is the “weed out” course for engineering students, so there is a lot of pressure to do very well in that class.
These next two weeks and after will be very busy, and with the extra time I intend to spend on Chemistry and Engineering Exploration, it is probably a good thing that the ACT Arranged Testing Office denied my request. Never mind that I am not familiar with Roanoke and that this would have been my first trip using public transportation, really increasing the chance that I would not arrive on time even if the buses from Blacksburg began their routes earlier than they do on Saturdays. I guess there is a chance too that had ACT approved my request and the bus schedule ran earlier, I could have still been late to the test since I am not familiar with public transportation or Roanoke. That would have been horrible to put time, money and effort into retaking the ACT and then missing the test, costing me sleep and half a Saturday study time as well. Instead, I will think positive and assume that this denial is for the best and will focus on my grades now instead of worrying about retaking a test that I already have decent scores on. Doing well on these tests will be very satisfying, and I intend to give it my full effort.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
My Candidate Fitness Assessment Success
Last Tuesday (Sept. 1), I completed an impressive 16 pull ups, threw a basketball 88 feet from my knees, ran a 7.2 second shuttle run, cranked out 82 pushups and 96 sit ups, and ran a 6:41 minute mile, all in only 30 minutes. This was my third time taking the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) for West Point, which has been my goal for my undergraduate engineering degree and commissioning source since I was a young child. I reached the maximum scores on several of the events last Tuesday, just falling short of a perfect 100 point score. Fortunately, the lack of sleep due to a 3:00 a.m. dorm fire alarm and an 8:00 a.m. Chemistry Lab did not slow me down as I had feared. My adrenalin was pumping, and I was going to pull this off.
I am extremely pleased with my most recent CFA scores, and quite relieved. I would have preferred another month to train, but with the possibility of the Swine Flu hitting campus and getting sick and loosing the conditioning I had worked so hard for all summer, I decided that the sooner I took the CFA, the better. New to college, acclimating to a different schedule, and lacking sleep, I had not imagined that I would be able to do as well as I had done this past week.
My first CFA was not so satisfying. Almost a year ago, I took the test for the first time at my local high school, not doing as well as I had anticipated. I had trained for that test and had been confident that I would be able to score well on the pushups, sit ups, and the shuttle run; however, I was not as confident about the remaining events, especially the mile run. I had never been much of a runner, always competing in sports reliant on upper body strength, such as shot put and discus, and power lifting. That day, I struggled through the mile, the last event of the assessment. Already exhausted from the previous five events and pushing myself hard, I tried to keep a pace but poor conditions outside made breathing difficult and half way through the run, began to lose speed. I only managed an 8:30 minute mile, 30 seconds short of the passing score. My tester submitted my scores on-line and I went home that day discouraged, my dream lost. Imagine my shock when I received a letter from the West Point Admissions Board not much later saying that they were going to allow me to retake the CFA. Because my overall average score was so high due to the other tests, the Admissions Board wanted to give me a second chance! This is almost unheard of. My high school A.P. Physics teacher, a West Point graduate, said as much. I consulted my school’s track coaches and teachers who had experience running for suggestions and trained hard for one month, and then retook the assessment. Several of my scores improved some with this added training, but most importantly, I ran a 7:13 minute mile. The people I had consulted said that shaving that much time off of my run in so short a time was excellent improvement. It had also been my best mile time until last Tuesday.
West Point expects that the officers it produces be top notch leaders in order to gain the respect of their men; therefore, three components are examined for admission, and they are: leadership, academics, and fitness. On a trip last November to meet with a West Point Admissions Officer, I was told that I way exceeded the leadership requirements and that my academics were strong. Because I had officially passed the CFA at this point, I thought everything was fine. For athletes, the CFA is extremely important and weighs the most in a candidate’s file, more so than leadership and academics. For all candidates, it is the initial test to make sure that one will be able to keep up with the physical rigors of the Academy. Most all candidates are required to have participated in sports throughout their high school career even if they were not star athletes, which is where I fell, and their overall athletic score is almost solely based on the candidate’s CFA score. One thing I heard from the start and then repeatedly throughout the application process was to “Score well on the CFA; Start practicing now.” This message is prominent on the West Point web site, and was repeated at college fairs where USMA representatives were present, and stressed by the elected officials’ academy nomination representatives. Obviously, not passing the CFA the first try last year had hurt my overall candidate score. It looked hopeful that I would receive an Appointment this past spring, and I was one of the later candidates to be rejected for the class of 2013. Knowing that I am beginning the reapplication process with such a good set of scores is inspiring.
Meeting a rigorous set of fitness standards for admission is only the beginning of what will be expected of me should I receive an appointment to West Point this year. Every 6 months, cadets take the Army Physical Fitness Test (more commonly referred to as the APFT), which consists of pushups, sit ups, and a 2 mile run. The APFT is also given to Army personnel every 12 months. If a cadet or a member of the Army is not able to pass the APFT, there are consequences. If a cadet does not pass these tests, he/she is given three attempts, each attempt after the first weighing heavily on their Military Point Average (MPA), the “GPA” for military achievement. If a passing score is not met after the third attempt, they are dismissed from the Academy. Army personnel can be relieved of duty and essentially removed from service if they do not meet APFT requirements. Fitness is compulsory in the Army and has become an important part of my life as well, just like academics and service to the community.
While a student at Virginia Tech, I plan on staying active in athletics by participating in a couple of student organization sports, which should enhance my own fitness regimen. I will soon begin training with the boxing team and will also be training in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), another student organization here at Tech. I will remain fit and anticipate that through discipline and active sports participation throughout the year, passing fitness tests will become routine. General Douglas MacArthur, when he was Superintendent at West Point, started the rigorous athletic program because he believed that officers needed to be physically fit. He said about fitness through the West Point intramural program, that “On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seed that on other days and other fields will bear the fruits of victory.”
I am extremely pleased with my most recent CFA scores, and quite relieved. I would have preferred another month to train, but with the possibility of the Swine Flu hitting campus and getting sick and loosing the conditioning I had worked so hard for all summer, I decided that the sooner I took the CFA, the better. New to college, acclimating to a different schedule, and lacking sleep, I had not imagined that I would be able to do as well as I had done this past week.
My first CFA was not so satisfying. Almost a year ago, I took the test for the first time at my local high school, not doing as well as I had anticipated. I had trained for that test and had been confident that I would be able to score well on the pushups, sit ups, and the shuttle run; however, I was not as confident about the remaining events, especially the mile run. I had never been much of a runner, always competing in sports reliant on upper body strength, such as shot put and discus, and power lifting. That day, I struggled through the mile, the last event of the assessment. Already exhausted from the previous five events and pushing myself hard, I tried to keep a pace but poor conditions outside made breathing difficult and half way through the run, began to lose speed. I only managed an 8:30 minute mile, 30 seconds short of the passing score. My tester submitted my scores on-line and I went home that day discouraged, my dream lost. Imagine my shock when I received a letter from the West Point Admissions Board not much later saying that they were going to allow me to retake the CFA. Because my overall average score was so high due to the other tests, the Admissions Board wanted to give me a second chance! This is almost unheard of. My high school A.P. Physics teacher, a West Point graduate, said as much. I consulted my school’s track coaches and teachers who had experience running for suggestions and trained hard for one month, and then retook the assessment. Several of my scores improved some with this added training, but most importantly, I ran a 7:13 minute mile. The people I had consulted said that shaving that much time off of my run in so short a time was excellent improvement. It had also been my best mile time until last Tuesday.
West Point expects that the officers it produces be top notch leaders in order to gain the respect of their men; therefore, three components are examined for admission, and they are: leadership, academics, and fitness. On a trip last November to meet with a West Point Admissions Officer, I was told that I way exceeded the leadership requirements and that my academics were strong. Because I had officially passed the CFA at this point, I thought everything was fine. For athletes, the CFA is extremely important and weighs the most in a candidate’s file, more so than leadership and academics. For all candidates, it is the initial test to make sure that one will be able to keep up with the physical rigors of the Academy. Most all candidates are required to have participated in sports throughout their high school career even if they were not star athletes, which is where I fell, and their overall athletic score is almost solely based on the candidate’s CFA score. One thing I heard from the start and then repeatedly throughout the application process was to “Score well on the CFA; Start practicing now.” This message is prominent on the West Point web site, and was repeated at college fairs where USMA representatives were present, and stressed by the elected officials’ academy nomination representatives. Obviously, not passing the CFA the first try last year had hurt my overall candidate score. It looked hopeful that I would receive an Appointment this past spring, and I was one of the later candidates to be rejected for the class of 2013. Knowing that I am beginning the reapplication process with such a good set of scores is inspiring.
Meeting a rigorous set of fitness standards for admission is only the beginning of what will be expected of me should I receive an appointment to West Point this year. Every 6 months, cadets take the Army Physical Fitness Test (more commonly referred to as the APFT), which consists of pushups, sit ups, and a 2 mile run. The APFT is also given to Army personnel every 12 months. If a cadet or a member of the Army is not able to pass the APFT, there are consequences. If a cadet does not pass these tests, he/she is given three attempts, each attempt after the first weighing heavily on their Military Point Average (MPA), the “GPA” for military achievement. If a passing score is not met after the third attempt, they are dismissed from the Academy. Army personnel can be relieved of duty and essentially removed from service if they do not meet APFT requirements. Fitness is compulsory in the Army and has become an important part of my life as well, just like academics and service to the community.
While a student at Virginia Tech, I plan on staying active in athletics by participating in a couple of student organization sports, which should enhance my own fitness regimen. I will soon begin training with the boxing team and will also be training in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), another student organization here at Tech. I will remain fit and anticipate that through discipline and active sports participation throughout the year, passing fitness tests will become routine. General Douglas MacArthur, when he was Superintendent at West Point, started the rigorous athletic program because he believed that officers needed to be physically fit. He said about fitness through the West Point intramural program, that “On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seed that on other days and other fields will bear the fruits of victory.”
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