Trip to West Point

Ben Whitlock
Class of 2015

I have somewhat of an affinity for the United States military. I believe that our Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen sacrifice much in service of the country. Of course, each Service member sacrifices in different ways. However, all sacrifice a portion of their personal lives in service of the United States and her interests. Never has this fact been more apparent to me than now.

The McConnell Center sent Joel Thomas and me to the US Military Academy, West Point, to participate in the 66th annual Student Conference on United States Affairs - SCUSA. West Point held many thrills for me because of the unique nature of the conference, but the experience was thrilling in more ways than I had expected. I knew that West Point was the training academy for US Army officers. I knew that the military base was the oldest continually occupied base in the US. Also, I knew that the base had been closed to civilians since 2001. However, I learned about the traditions, the Corps of Cadets and the West Point way of life. While these lessons were only part of SCUSA's purpose - to bridge the civilian-military divide - they were surprisingly thrilling and telling. I learned about our military, as well as US national security interests by visiting West Point.

I'm thankful for this experience; but more than anything, I'm thankful for these young women and men who are already learning to serve our nation - our home.

Kick On!

Ben Whitlock is a senior McConnell Scholar studying political science and history. He is from Greensburg, Ky.