How West Point can help inspire leaders
By Tom Lough
Thursday, Feb 2
Cadets from the United States Military Academy are participating in pre-game activities for the Army versus Navy Football game on 11 Dec. 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Megan Hackett/Army)
I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the timely, focused, and significant article by Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves, “Educating future US Army officers to fight and win. We must remain committed to the concept of the informed soldier, a trait that is made possible by our dedication to the individual freedom that our country offers. Reeves’ commentary brings this concept into sharp focus at both the strategic and the tactical levels.
I would like to offer to Army Times readers an amplification of the article’s message. In the statement, “West Point cannot, and will not, fail in its mission to educate and train thinking officers,” the author focuses on two significant components of the academy’s focus. An amplified perspective refers to all three focus components of the current United States Military Academy mission: " … to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets …”
The concept of inspiration as an additional mission imperative was addressed by Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland, the current U.S. Military Academy at West Point superintendent in the Fall 2022 issue of West Point Magazine. He wrote, “…the ‘inspire’ aspect of our mission statement is critically important. While education and training prepare us to serve, inspiration helps define why we serve, underpinned by our values, ideals, and shared commitment to support and defend the Constitution.”
https://www.armytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2023/02/03/how-west-point-can-help-inspire-leaders/