Join us in congratulating the 2021 recipients of the WPAOG Distinguished Graduate Award. This annual award is bestowed upon those West Point graduates whose character, distinguished service and stature draw wholesome comparison to the qualities for which West Point strives, in keeping with its motto: “Duty, Honor, Country.”

Michael W. Wynne ’66
Randall M. Pais ’67
Thomas C. Shull ’73
Stanley A. McChrystal ’76
David M. Rodriguez ’76
Herbert Raymond (H.R.) McMaster Jr. ’84

WASHINGTON — On January 22, the U.S. Senate confirmed GEN(R) Lloyd Austin III ’75 as the 28th Secretary of Defense. The Senate voted 93-2 to approve Austin’s nomination to the job. “Secretary Austin is a trailblazer who has once again made history. His ability, integrity, and dynamic leadership earned him a place atop the Pentagon hierarchy. At every step of his career, he’s been a team builder and someone who focuses on the mission, leads by example, and gets the job done,” Senator Jack Reed, D-RI, said in a statement. Reed is the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Full story.

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of West Point magazine. The Winter issue of 2021 celebrates years of history and stories about West Point and the connection to the Long Gray Line. The Winter issue also covers - Fall Academics at West Point in the new COVID-19 environment, the 2020 Thayer Award Ceremony honoring Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, and Ring Weekend for the Class of 2021. The issue is in the mail, and the digital edition is ready for viewing and sharing.

Our dedicated AOG team has earned four 2021 CASE District II Awards in the following categories:

GOLD: Special Events: Single Day - 2020 United States Military Academy Graduation Production and Video
GOLD: Communications Improvement - A Gateway to Engagement, WPAOG's Sallyport Platform
SILVER: Videos: General Information - Metals of Honor West Point Cadets Receive Their Class Rings
SILVER: Targeted Constituency Engagement - Long Gray Line Outreach Initiative

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is the preeminent global non-profit association dedicated to educational advancement—alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services—who share the goal of championing education to transform lives and society. District II is the largest CASE district.

The Chief of Staff of the Army has announced that BG Mark C. Quander ’95 will be the next Commandant of Cadets at USMA. He is currently serving as the Commandant of the U.S. Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and will replace BG Curtis A. Buzzard ’92 later this year. “It is a true honor to be selected as the 79th Commandant of Cadets. It’s my responsibility to ensure we are developing and mentoring our Army’s future leaders of character while preparing our graduates to lead in an increasingly complex and uncertain world,” said Quander. “My family and I are excited for this opportunity and we look forward to joining the academy team. Go Army Beat Navy!”  USMA press release.

In an all-new update of WPAOG’s most historic publication, the 2020 Register of Graduates & Former Cadets contains more than 77,000 individual entries recording the names, classes and careers of every West Point graduate from 1802 to 2020. The 2020 Edition features a premium “Red Sash” red cloth binding embossed with gold foil, suitable for display in your office or home library. Early Bird pricing is $115 (plus tax for applicable states). After March 31, 2021 the price will increase to $150! So order now online or call us Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm at 800.426.4725.

COL(R) Ray Renola’s rise to West Point was a classic American tale. He was one of eight kids raised by Italian immigrant parents in a two-family in the West End of Providence, blocks from the Cranston Street Armory. His dad, Antonio, laid city sidewalks, and then after hours changed out of his laborer clothes to run a tavern he opened off Atwells Avenue. With that same work ethic, Ray performed well enough at Classical High to get into Brown. But halfway through, in 1936, he left for West Point. That meant restarting four years of college, but Ray wanted to join its legendary “Long Gray Line.” Read the full story about our Oldest Living Graduate.

On February 12 the Class Ring Memorial Program will hold the annual “Ring Melt” event virtually at West Point. This year the Class of 2022 will receive the legacy gold of 52 West Point class rings that were donated to WPAOG in 2020. We are sharing a few of the “Stories Behind the Rings” and the West Point Grads who wore them as we get closer to the day of the Ring Melt. Our first story is about Samuel E. H. France ’46.

Our Made in the USA hoodie is sure to keep you warm and cozy. Featuring West Point across the chest, our unisex style is an athletic fit available in sizes S-2XL. This hoodie is just one of the many items carried in the Gift Shop that has a USA label. Check out the assortment of our USA made items in our new virtual catalog, or search by Made in the USA at WPAOGGiftShop.com. Shop online 24/7 or give us a call M-F/10am-5pm at 800.426.4725.

Stand out among the competition at the first Service Academy Career Conference of 2021 on February 22-26. While much is changing, SACC is dedicated to bringing you the best connections possible—whether you are considering a career change or seeking to hire top-tier talent in your organization. To enhance the virtual experience, we have partnered with Brazen, the #1 virtual career fair platform on the market today. Learn more and register here: https://sacc-jobfair.com.

In spite of all of the challenges of 2020, it was a great year for cadets and faculty who pursued the opportunity to present their research and capstone projects at the peer-reviewed International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in November. A total of 16 cadets, second lieutenants from the Class of 2020 and faculty from the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering presented their work in 13 different sessions. The projects represent a diversity of projects across the civil and mechanical engineering portfolio — from robotic swarms to high fidelity fluid dynamics experiments to ballistics and the dynamics of bullet impacts, a wide range of papers were presented. Read more.

Reserve your space in the West Point Authors Bookshelf, a specially priced advertising section in West Point magazine showcasing books by West Point affiliated authors. Check out the latest West Point Bookshelf in the Fall 2020 issue to discover and support these books. Learn more about this and other WPAOG advertising and sponsorship opportunities.