The Class of 2025 rejoiced with a sense of impending finality as they celebrated the annual 500th Night Banquet on Jan. 20. at the U.S. Military Academy.
This pivotal milestone marks a monumental step taken by the Class of 2025 as they spend their remaining 500 days enduring their academic and military endeavors leading to their graduation next year.
Cadets, arrayed in their dress uniforms, enjoyed appetizing drinks with their guests who fashioned floor-length gowns, and trimmed suits.
Before the feast, West Point leadership and special guests shared their excitement with cadets, socializing and providing lifelong wisdom to assist these future leaders along their military journey once they commission as Army officers.
During the ceremony, the key speaker, retired Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, USMA Class of 1975, imparted key lessons about the fragility of life, his military tenure, forming life-long friendships, and underscoring his central piece of leadership advice, "Real leaders don't count the days, real leaders make the days count."
"Few pieces of advice have stuck with me more than that one," Hertling said. "...When you graduate in 500 days, during your life in the Army, you'll continue to countdown the days to different things.
"Days until a training event, days on a foreign deployment, or an overseas tour. Days to an upcoming critical suspense that your boss gave you," he added. "Days until a promotion list is released. Days until half-day schedule and Christmas break. Days to train for a mission. Trust me, everything in your own mind is counted in days until you have to do something, but there is no plebe around to remind you, it just happens."
Hertling continued providing real-life anecdotes about his time as an Army officer, planning and arranging various military operations and witnessing the incredible ingenuity and perseverance of junior and senior officers and Soldiers living up to his personal adage, " ... making the days count."
"While you're working hard on academics, or your sports teams or during your limited free time. Take a look around," Hertling said. "Take measure of your classmates, of your friends, of the people who are with you tonight, of your parents, of your (tactical officers) and your peace and joy ... reflect on your leadership abilities over the next 500 or so days.
"Analyze where you're weak and where you're strong. And try and make up for it because there are going to be faces pretty soon looking at you, depending on you for the things that you're going to tell them to do. Learn and grow every day. Take advantage of some of the opportunities you have in your free time," he added. " ... Stop counting the days and make every one of these last 500 days count."
Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland expressed his gratitude to the 50-year affiliate class members who attended the event and noted how the class of 2025 will be honored to bear their gold class rings in the future, which were forged from the gold rings donated by alumni and family members.
"We're fortunate to celebrate this event with the members of the long gray line here tonight, in particular the members of the 50-year affiliate class, "the Class of 1975, Courage and Drive!" Gilland said, uttering their class motto. " ... Thank you for being here and for your incredible support to this class and these cadets. We can't do it without you. It's awesome to have you here. A special welcome to our alumni and family members who donated class rings to be melted and incorporated into the rings for the class of 2025."
Class President, Class of 2025 Cadet Kathrine LaReau, expressed her excitement and sentiments toward the class' triumph and emboldened their spirits by sharing who donned the gold on their class rings before they did.
"Yesterday, we melted down 88 rings donated from graduates of this institution, which were merged with the legacy gold containing rings from astronauts, Medal of Honor recipients, prisoners of war, four-star generals, and other distinguished graduates," LaReau said.
Look to your left and to your right. It may be hard to envision right now, but the guy that you play basketball with at Arvin Gym may one day become a future Secretary of Defense," she added. Your roommate may one day be the CEO of a Fortune 100 company. Your classmate who sits quietly in the back of the classroom might one day be the superintendent of West Point. We are surrounded by excellence here, and we often forget it during the day-to-day grind."
LaReau added that she and her peers will be entering an Army filled with new challenges and obstacles. However, there is no class more suited to deal with such challenges than the class of 2025.
“We are at the beginning of plenty of new changes affecting the military, the country, and the world," she said. " ... and I cannot think of a more competent, well equipped and caring group of individuals to lead through these challenges than the class of 2025.
"But perhaps, our greatest strength will lie in our togetherness, our togetherness with each other, which will bleed into the togetherness we will soon bring to our units and to the organizations we will lead. The world lacks togetherness, but the class of 2025 does not," she concluded. "Together, we will make it through these last 490 days until graduation. Together, we will change this world for the better and for the rest of our lives, "Class of 2025, Together We Will Thrive!"
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