Most Americans who pay attention to the United States Armed Forces have heard of West Point. The four-year educational institution was founded in 1802 and is where many future members of the Armed Forces go to begin their journeys in service. West Point’s mission is “to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U.S. Army.”
One of the people that plays an important role in that mission is COL Nicholas Gist ’94, who works as the Head of the Physical Education Department at West Point. One title he holds with honor is “Master of the Sword.” He may not have predicted what he was going to be doing in the future when he was growing up in Alpine, CA, but he does credit how he was raised as a big reason why he is where he is today.
