- Joined
- Jul 28, 2009
- Messages
- 21
Ladies & Gentlemen-
My name is MAJ Jon Belmont and I am the Northeast Regional Commander in the West Point admissions office. I am seeking every available outlet to put the word out about West Point and what it takes to become an Officer in the US Army. I have a "gold bar recruiter" working for me before he starts his basic officer training - 2LT Spencer Garrison (USMA '09) will be conducting a series of briefings throughout the Northeast region as you can see below. Please visit the website he's set up for this trip:
www.armyofficership.com
A brief schedule summary is as follows:
Syracuse University, NY
21 August, 6 PM
Rochester, NY (@RIT)
22 August, 1 PM
Niagara University, NY
23 August, 12 PM
Buffalo, NY (@Canisius)
23 August, 4 PM
St. Bonaventure, NY
25 August, 6 PM
State College (Penn State)
26 August, 6 PM
Franklin Mills Mall (Army Experience Center), PA
28 August, 4:30 PM
Princeton University, NJ
29 August, 1 PM
Drexel University, PA
30 August, 1 PM
The following letter is part of a mailing I'm sending out, but since electrons are free, here it is online below.
If you have any further questions, please refer to my signature block at the bottom of this post.
-------------------------------------------------------
Dear West Point candidate,
Along with the invitation to our West Point / ROTC presentation, I wanted to add a personal note sharing some thoughts and advice with you, based on my experience as a recent West Point graduate and newly commissioned Army Officer. As I look back on my cadet experience, I know going to West Point was the right choice for me, and I’m thankful for the opportunity. Thanks to the Academy, I got a great liberal arts education on a full scholarship, made true friends from all walks of life, grew stronger, became a more independent, caring, disciplined person, learned about life and leadership from great mentors, and best of all – I’ve graduated into a career as an Army Officer, a profession all about leadership and service.
A quick summary of my West Point experience: On the academic side – the rigorous course load focused both on humanities and sciences, plus military classes. I majored in Leadership and tracked in Civil Engineering, graduating with a Bachelor of Science, and I had unique learning experiences along the way, like my corporate internship at Walmart to study business leadership. As for fitness and athletics, I took classes as wide-ranging as gymnastics, combatives, and water rescue, plus ran on the Marathon Team. Most military training goes on during the summer; I learned basic soldier skills in Cadet Basic Training my freshman summer, then in my junior year became the teacher, serving as a Basic Training squad leader for eleven new cadets. I also took part in Big Brothers and Officer’s Christian Fellowship.
Looking ahead, I’ll be stationed in Washington State as an Engineer Officer and given command of an Army Engineer platoon – about thirty soldiers plus a few million dollars of military equipment. When overseas, our job will involve construction and security operations, helping safeguard both fellow servicemen and the local population. Meanwhile, I have friends and classmates who will serve as leaders in Aviation, Infantry, Medical Service, Military Police, Armor, Intelligence, Logistics, and more. We’ll all serve minimum five years active duty – then some may stay for their full career, others may head off and pursue other interests, but I know that everything West Point and the Army teaches us about leadership, service, and character will stay with us for life.
In some ways, I think my story provides a good snapshot of the West Point experience, but then again each cadet truly has their own story to tell. My teammates Paul and Michelle, for instance, might highlight their semester traveling through China and France, or my roommate Nate might note his summer internship at the National Security Agency. We can truly take ownership of our experience and blaze our own path. There’s just one common thread, one united purpose, linking our experiences – the desire to improve ourselves, lead others and serve our country. I am truly grateful to be a part of such a time-honored yet cutting edge profession, and if it sounds like something you want to be a part of, I’ll encourage you to find out more about West Point and also ROTC, two great paths to becoming an Army leader. Certainly it’s a challenging journey, but it’s absolutely worth it – if your heart is in it.
So now is the time for you to explore your many college options and career aspirations. Understand the paths available to you, learn all you can, and finally pick the path that’s right for you. It’s your decision – take charge! So think you might be interested in West Point or ROTC, but not yet sure if it’s really for you? Perfect – that’s why we’re hosting a presentation in your area this August! It will be an excellent opportunity for us to meet you and share more information to help you decide whether West Point or ROTC is right for you. We’ll also share our advice on applying – how to best prepare yourself and become competitive for admission. After the presentation, you can also talk individually with us.
Whatever path you choose, I wish you the very best and hope you achieve all your goals and dreams for the future. Enjoy high school, make the most of your college experience, and finally, find a career that’s not just your job but your calling. You have a lot to look forward to, so stay motivated!
Go Army! All the best,
SPENCER GARRISON
2ND LIEUTENANT, U.S. ARMY
USMA, CLASS OF 2009
---------------------------------------------------------------
My name is MAJ Jon Belmont and I am the Northeast Regional Commander in the West Point admissions office. I am seeking every available outlet to put the word out about West Point and what it takes to become an Officer in the US Army. I have a "gold bar recruiter" working for me before he starts his basic officer training - 2LT Spencer Garrison (USMA '09) will be conducting a series of briefings throughout the Northeast region as you can see below. Please visit the website he's set up for this trip:
www.armyofficership.com
A brief schedule summary is as follows:
Syracuse University, NY
21 August, 6 PM
Rochester, NY (@RIT)
22 August, 1 PM
Niagara University, NY
23 August, 12 PM
Buffalo, NY (@Canisius)
23 August, 4 PM
St. Bonaventure, NY
25 August, 6 PM
State College (Penn State)
26 August, 6 PM
Franklin Mills Mall (Army Experience Center), PA
28 August, 4:30 PM
Princeton University, NJ
29 August, 1 PM
Drexel University, PA
30 August, 1 PM
The following letter is part of a mailing I'm sending out, but since electrons are free, here it is online below.
If you have any further questions, please refer to my signature block at the bottom of this post.
-------------------------------------------------------
Dear West Point candidate,
Along with the invitation to our West Point / ROTC presentation, I wanted to add a personal note sharing some thoughts and advice with you, based on my experience as a recent West Point graduate and newly commissioned Army Officer. As I look back on my cadet experience, I know going to West Point was the right choice for me, and I’m thankful for the opportunity. Thanks to the Academy, I got a great liberal arts education on a full scholarship, made true friends from all walks of life, grew stronger, became a more independent, caring, disciplined person, learned about life and leadership from great mentors, and best of all – I’ve graduated into a career as an Army Officer, a profession all about leadership and service.
A quick summary of my West Point experience: On the academic side – the rigorous course load focused both on humanities and sciences, plus military classes. I majored in Leadership and tracked in Civil Engineering, graduating with a Bachelor of Science, and I had unique learning experiences along the way, like my corporate internship at Walmart to study business leadership. As for fitness and athletics, I took classes as wide-ranging as gymnastics, combatives, and water rescue, plus ran on the Marathon Team. Most military training goes on during the summer; I learned basic soldier skills in Cadet Basic Training my freshman summer, then in my junior year became the teacher, serving as a Basic Training squad leader for eleven new cadets. I also took part in Big Brothers and Officer’s Christian Fellowship.
Looking ahead, I’ll be stationed in Washington State as an Engineer Officer and given command of an Army Engineer platoon – about thirty soldiers plus a few million dollars of military equipment. When overseas, our job will involve construction and security operations, helping safeguard both fellow servicemen and the local population. Meanwhile, I have friends and classmates who will serve as leaders in Aviation, Infantry, Medical Service, Military Police, Armor, Intelligence, Logistics, and more. We’ll all serve minimum five years active duty – then some may stay for their full career, others may head off and pursue other interests, but I know that everything West Point and the Army teaches us about leadership, service, and character will stay with us for life.
In some ways, I think my story provides a good snapshot of the West Point experience, but then again each cadet truly has their own story to tell. My teammates Paul and Michelle, for instance, might highlight their semester traveling through China and France, or my roommate Nate might note his summer internship at the National Security Agency. We can truly take ownership of our experience and blaze our own path. There’s just one common thread, one united purpose, linking our experiences – the desire to improve ourselves, lead others and serve our country. I am truly grateful to be a part of such a time-honored yet cutting edge profession, and if it sounds like something you want to be a part of, I’ll encourage you to find out more about West Point and also ROTC, two great paths to becoming an Army leader. Certainly it’s a challenging journey, but it’s absolutely worth it – if your heart is in it.
So now is the time for you to explore your many college options and career aspirations. Understand the paths available to you, learn all you can, and finally pick the path that’s right for you. It’s your decision – take charge! So think you might be interested in West Point or ROTC, but not yet sure if it’s really for you? Perfect – that’s why we’re hosting a presentation in your area this August! It will be an excellent opportunity for us to meet you and share more information to help you decide whether West Point or ROTC is right for you. We’ll also share our advice on applying – how to best prepare yourself and become competitive for admission. After the presentation, you can also talk individually with us.
Whatever path you choose, I wish you the very best and hope you achieve all your goals and dreams for the future. Enjoy high school, make the most of your college experience, and finally, find a career that’s not just your job but your calling. You have a lot to look forward to, so stay motivated!
Go Army! All the best,
SPENCER GARRISON
2ND LIEUTENANT, U.S. ARMY
USMA, CLASS OF 2009
---------------------------------------------------------------
