FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Dec. 11, 2009) -Judge James E. Baker, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, thanked graduates at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Dec. 11 for their continued service in support of the nation. "...I jumped at the opportunity to come out here," he said. "because I simply wanted to say 'thank you' - thank you for putting into the simple language of action the high ideal which is your oath of service to support and defend the Constitution. As you and your families know, that oath is not cost free."
Baker encouraged the 366 students who graduated from the Army's Intermediate Level Education Course at Fort Leavenworth to look at the attribute of moral courage as well as physical courage when judging a leader's worth. Graduates included U.S. Army officers, sister service officers, 46 international officers from 45 countries, and one interagency representative.
Class president Lt. Col. Richard G. Malish, U.S. Army Medical Corps, took top U.S. honors as the General George C. Marshall Award winner. The Marshall Award is presented to the distinguished graduate in each regular class in recognition of scholarship and leadership. He also received the Birrer-Brooks Award for Outstanding MMAS Thesis for his work on "The United States Army Battalion Surgeon: Frontline Requirement or Relic of a Bygone Era'" Malish also took home the Excellence in Joint Service Warfare Studies Award, the Brigadier General Benjamin H. Grierson Award for Excellence in Strategic Studies, and the Excellence in Joint, Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence Writing Award. In addition, Malish earned an MMAS as well as a Master's in Business Administration during his time at CGSC.
Maj. Tiong Keat Tan, Singaporean Army, received the General Dwight D. Eisenhower Award. The Eisenhower Award is presented to the most outstanding international student for military scholarship.
During the ceremony, College leaders conferred 45 master's degrees in Military Art and Science (MMAS), a record number for the winter cycle class. In addition, leaders recognized individual students whose work or performance demonstrated excellence deserving of award.
Individual award winners for Class 09-02 are:
Maj. Chad C. Chalfont, U.S. Army, the General George S. Patton, Jr., Award. This award recognizes the class Distinguished Master Tactician.
Maj. Erik E. Hilberg, U.S. Army, the Major General James M. Wright Award. This award recognizes the class Distinguished Master Logistician.
Maj. David K. Anderson, U.S. Army, the General Douglas MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Award.
Maj. Martin Arcand, Canadian Army, the Major General Hans Schlup Award. This award was implemented in honor of excellence in international relations.
Maj. Steven C. Moe, U.S. Army, Homeland Security Studies Award. This award is sponsored by the CGSC Foundation and recognizes excellence in homeland security research.
Maj. Damon A. Delarosa, U.S. Army, and Maj. Martin Arcand, Canada, the Iron Major Award. This award recognizes exceptional physical fitness.
Maj. (CH) Dawud A. Agbere, U.S. Army, The Father Donald Smythe Military History Award. This award, endowed by Armed Forces Insurance, is presented for excellence in history studies.
Maj. Shawn M. Umbrell, U.S. Army, The Arter-Darby Military History Writing Award. This award was established in 1980 through the efforts of Harry Darby, former U.S. Senator from Kansas and then Maj. Gen. Robert Arter, to recognize and encourage serious scholarship regarding the military profession.
The Command and General Staff College ILE Course is designed to educate and train field grade officers to be adaptive leaders, capable of critical thinking, and prepared to operate in full-spectrum Army, joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational environments. For more information about Class 09-02 ILE graduation and the College, please visit www.cgsc.edu.
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