On May 22, WPAOG presented the 2018 Distinguished Graduate Awards during the Alumni Review. This year’s recipients were: COL(R) Dana G. Mead ’57, Mr. Thomas C. Barron ’65, LTG(R) Larry R. Jordan ’68, GEN(R) William C. Wallace ’69, HON Sloan D. Gibson ’75, and HON Douglas E. Lute ’75. The review was preceded by the Alumni Exercises; West Point’s oldest living graduate, Col (USAF, R) Kermit R. Dyke ’40, laid the wreath at Thayer’s Statue. The Alumni Luncheon followed the review, and guests included the Distinguished Graduates, guests and classmates, and reunion attendees from the Classes of 1943 January, 1948, 1953 and 1968.

Get ready, the fifth annual All Academy Challenge starts on May 31! Help USMA beat Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine by making a gift between May 31 and June 4. The school with the highest alumni giving participation rate during these 5 days wins, so no matter the size of your gift, or where you choose to designate it, your participation counts toward victory! By giving, you will not only help us win, you’ll also support Margin of Excellence programs at West Point that are critical to the education and development of the Corps of Cadets. To participate, please make your gift during the Challenge from May 31 to June 4! GO ARMY! BEAT ’em ALL!

To further WPAOG’s vision “for the Long Gray Line to be the most connected alumni body in the world,” WPAOG today unveils a new networking tool, Grad Link, which provides an enhanced level of connectivity with fellow grads. Grad Link improves upon the popular “Find a Grad” feature from the WPAOG website, allowing you to directly connect with fellow grads. It combines data from WPAOG with information from your LinkedIn profile to help you quickly and easily find grads that share your interests. You will be able to conceal some of your personal information, such as your email address, location or entire profile. You can access this secure platform today on your mobile device through the Google Play Store, Apple App Store or with your web browser. To ensure an easy sign-up experience, please make sure the email address attached to your LinkedIn account is on file with WPAOG by contacting GradLink@wpaog.org. More information.

Please join us in welcoming the Class of 2018 into the Long Gray Line on May 26! USMA has announced that Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the commencement speaker. Graduation is scheduled for 10 am at Michie Stadium, and you can watch the ceremony live online beginning at approximately 9:35am EDT.

The Army West Point Baseball team took down service-academy rival Navy 5-3 at Annapolis on May 21 to sweep the Patriot League Championship Series and claim its league-leading eighth conference crown. With the win, the Black Knights advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. They will learn their regional placement during the NCAA selection show on Monday, May 28, at 12pm on ESPNU. Read more.

Long days of little food and sleep affected every waking moment for CPT Natalie Mallue ‘09, as she neared the end of Third Phase at Ranger School, deep in the murky waters and terrain of Florida's swampy Camp Rudder. But after three months of attending the demanding course and enduring recycle during the final phase, Mallue knew it would soon be over, the grueling days and nights culminating in one crucial thing: the coveted Ranger tab. When Mallue graduated from Fort Benning in April 2017, she became only the sixth female to pass Ranger School and the first to wear both the Ranger and Sapper tabs in the U.S. Army. Full story.

The West Point Obstacle Course Racing Team (Black and Gold) finished the year competing in the Tri-State Spartan Beast—a 15+ mile race consisting of over 30 obstacles. In their tradition of excellence, they conquered the course. In the Men's 20-24 age group, OCR swept the podium with CDT Ryan Rocca ’20 (1st), CDT Richard Iwuagwu ’19 (2nd), and CDT Ben Jones ’20 (3rd). In addition, Cadet Eva Gould ’19 finished first in Women’s 20-24, and was the third female overall. The performance of all seven OCR racers reflected well on USMA and the Army.

Sometime in early March 2016, Kent Troy ’81 and his wife, Ingrid, went to the Tacoma Trophy store, located outside Joint Base Lewis-McChord, to place an order for a project regarding their West Point class. DJ Brown, the proprietor of this store, recognized the West Point crest and asked if they happened to know a graduate named Bob Kenevan. DJ showed them a Howitzer from the Class of 1970 and 29 medallions that had been ordered by Dr. Bob Kenevan ’70 in November 2014 which were to have been picked up sometime in March 2015. Even though Kenevan had paid for the medallions, he never returned to pick them up, and all attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. DJ and his wife knew how important this project had been to Dr. Kenevan, so they held on to the medallions and the Howitzer in the hope of getting them to the intended classmates. Full story.

Registration for the 25th Annual Alumni Golf Outing closes June 1. It will be at West Point, June 7-9, 2018. Reconnect with alumni, former classmates, and your alma mater. Registration fee includes two rounds of golf, all meals, a boat cruise, and some great prizes! All graduates and guests are invited to come celebrate a quarter century of great golf at West Point. View Agenda.

TAPS, the official memorial magazine of the Long Gray Line, contains the fascinating and inspiring life stories of West Point graduates. Pre-order a copy of the 2018 edition online. We are now accepting articles for the 2019 edition. Guidance on submitting articles may be found online or by calling 845.446.1647.