Red Knight Soldier sets off to West Point

By Spc. Eric Provost, 3rd Brigade Combat Team Public AffairsMarch 27, 2015

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Lieutenant Col. Brendan Raymond, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, Division Artillery "Guns of Glory," 101st Airborne Division, presents Spc. Barrett Northrop, from 3rd Bn., 320th FAR, his certificate of appointment to ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Since 1802, the United States Military Academy at West Point has stood as a symbol of opportunity for those young men and women wanting to join the U.S. Army. What isn't as well-known are the opportunities the academy affords to Soldiers already serving.

A new pilot program from West Point's admissions office is planning to change that.

"We've been using new techniques to create a more balanced approach at finding, assessing, and selecting Soldiers for the Soldier Admissions Program," said Capt. Jason Dupuis, Soldier admissions regional commander with USMA.

The Soldier Admissions Program is the office through which enlisted Soldiers, both active duty and reserve, are enrolled into the academy.

Using these new techniques, admissions officers from West Point have begun contacting potential candidates to offer them the opportunity to study at the 213 year-old academy. One such candidate is Spc. Barrett Northrop, from 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment "Red Knight", Division Artillery "Guns of Glory," 101st Airborne Division.

"The offer was presented to me and in my mind, I'm thinking 'This is incredible, of course I'm going to apply'," said Northrop. "This is an incredible opportunity. I'm not going to pass this up."

For Northrop, West Point admissions sought the help of leadership within his battalion to see if the academy would be a good fit for the young Information Technology Specialist.

"I took Specialist Northrop out for a PT run, we met one on one. During that PT run I explained to him what West Point was. As a West Point graduate myself I felt like I could tell if he was ready," said Lt. Col. Brendan Raymond, commander, 3rd Bn., 320th FAR. "After that, I spoke with the battery command and they endorsed him as well."

Northrop distinguished himself to such a degree that he is receiving a direct appointment to West Point, bypassing the United States Military Academy Preparatory School most other candidates must attend prior to enrollment in the academy proper.

He will start at West Point this coming fall and will commission as an officer in the Army upon his completion of the academy as a member of the class of 2019.

"These next four years are going to be tough," said Northrop. "I'm going to focus on that, but I'm excited, for sure."

Dupuis says moving forward with this program in the coming year Fort Campbell will become a focal point for West Point.

"Northrop stands as a great singular example of success and I'm convinced there's thousands more," said Dupuis. "I look at Fort Campbell and I see a sense of purpose, a sense of duty, a sense of community."

The intention of this initiative from West Point is to create a growing network of information through which Soldiers can continue to strive to excellence.

"I'm trying to create a highway of success that Soldiers can get on and stay on. I just want to create opportunities for Soldiers," said Dupuis. "This is a campaign to improve the quality of our Army."

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