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Stories in this issue:
- Parent Updates
- Field Trip to James Madison's Montpelier
- College Acceptances
- Guest Speaker during Wednesday's Drill
- Retan Rifles Places Second at Keysville Parade
- Bravo Zulu
Parent Updates
All parent updates can be located on Fork Union Military Academy's website on the Parent Updates page. Click the link to view on forkunion.com!
Important Information on Christmas Leave Arrival
CHRISTMAS LEAVE ARRIVALS – SUNDAY, JANUARY 9, 2022
- Cadets must return to campus on Sunday, January 9 from 0900-1900 (9:00 AM-7:00 PM). The barracks will not be open before 0900, so please plan accordingly (i.e., if your student is returning on Saturday, they must coordinate to be picked up and stay with a local family).
- FUMA Transportation is not operating on Saturday, January 8, and will not be able to support any requests.
- Cadets will have a CQ/study hall on Sunday night, so please work to have your student back at or before 1900 (7:00 PM) (exception to this policy will be granted for students riding the shuttle, and private hire transportation with an appropriate justification for the late arrival).
DINING HALL NOTES ARRIVAL
- The dining facility will be open on Sunday, January 9 from 1715-1800 (5:15 PM-6:00 PM). Please plan accordingly if you are dropping your cadet off earlier in the day. The Social Center will have a few food items available for sale.
PARENT DROP OFF
- On Sunday, cadet drop off is at the Commandant’s office from 0900-1400 (9:00 AM – 2:00 PM). After 1400 (2:00 PM), drop off is at the company areas.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please email BJ York at yorkw@fuma.org with any additional questions.
This information can be found on forkunion.com under the Parents Page, Parents Updates Page and Commandants Department Page.
It's time to order graduation announcements
Seniors and senior families, it time to order your graduation announcements from Jostens! Please visit the website below to order your announcements.
Parents Association Online Store
Support the Parents Association a by shopping in our online pop-up store now until December 15th. Sizes and quantities are limited and Christmas delivery is not garenteed. All orders will ship in the order they are received.
Place your order today!
February ACT Test Information
For those cadets wanting to take the February ACT test here at FUMA, the registration deadline is Friday, January 7th. Please contact Ms. Rhonda White with any questions at whiter@fuma.org.
Remember to always check the School Calendar for more information throughout the next few weeks.
American Government & History Classes Tour James Madison's Montpelier
The cadets in Dr. Welch’s Dual Enrollment Intro to American Government Class and Major Wallace’s history class went to James Madison’s Montpelier. At Montpelier, they were treated to a tour of the estate, along with discussions of the Constitution’s creation, James Madison’s political thought, and the importance of slavery to Madison’s plantation. They were even treated to a session with Ltc. Patrick Campbell, who recently retired from FUMA and is now a tour guide at Montpelier.
The Corps of Cadets Experienced a Special Guest Speaker on Wednesday
We welcomed famous journalist Alex Kershaw to campus
Fork Union Military Academy welcomed to campus famous journalist Alex Kershaw, who spoke to the entire Corps of Cadets this past Wednesday during drill.
Kershaw spoke to the Corps about his most recent novel The Liberator. His 2012 book tells the story of Texas-born Felix Sparks, an officer in the 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division, who participated in four amphibious invasions in Europe and commanded the Thunderbird unit that liberated Dachau on April 29, 1945. It has been praised for its gritty realism and described by the Wall Street Journal as an "exceptional chronicle of one soldier's experience in WWII."
The recent Netflix Original "The Liberator" is based of Kershaw's novel and was released on Nov. 11, 2020.
Following his talk, Kershaw handed every cadet a signed copy of the novel.
Retan Rifles Places Second at the Keysville Christmas Parade
Two weeks ago, the Fork Union Military Academy Band and Honor Company (Retan Rifles) performed at the Keysville Christmas Parade.
Yesterday, it was announced that they placed second overall as a unit.
"This is an amazing thing for our students and for the school," said ETN1(SS) John Warren. "The cadets who performed put in their own personal time outside of class, sports and clubs to prepare for this event.This is the beginning of something we can all be extremely proud of and the rebirth of a legacy that we all know FUMA stands for."
Retan was led by Cadet First Sergeant McDonnell and Cadet Second Lieutenant Girod while the band was led by the drum major, Cadet Sergeant First Class Burgess. Their hard work and dedication are what the Corps of Cadets stand for.
Bravo Zulu from Col. Coggins
Every Friday the Fork Union Military Faculty and Staff meet to nominate a few who have exceeded the standards and demonstrated superlative performance. Whilst we have various awards and recognitions - a simple "Well Done!" we hope, is also appreciated. The combination of the Bravo and Zulu nautical signal flags, i.e., Bravo Zulu, also referred to as "BZ," is a naval signal, typically conveyed by flag hoist or voice radio, meaning "Well Done" with regard to actions, operations or performance.
The following are the Bravo Zulu awards for this week:
Cadet First Lieutenant Elijah Luis Munoz is a senior and fourth-year cadet in Alpha Company. He is a boarding student from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a member of our football and track and field teams. In addition to fulfilling his personal duties, Cadet Munoz often takes initiative to assist other lieutenants when they are away. Daily, he ensures his company’s Dining Hall area is clean and neat before departing. Cadet Munoz also earned all-state honors for football this week. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Munoz!
Cadet Staff Sergeant Travis Shepard is a freshman and third-year cadet in Charlie Company. He is a boarding student from Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Several months ago, Cadet Shepard was chosen to be the Commander of the middle school Drill Team. The team put in many practice hours, and it was evident on the day of execution that the training and hard work paid off. This week, he was a member of the Physical Fitness Challenge and had the best all-around score. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Shepard!
Class of 2022 | This week, members of the Class of 2022 completed their Senior Seminar courses by achieving a collective goal of 100% college acceptance, making them the quickest class to accomplish this goal in recent years. Additionally, they have received nearly $2 million in scholarships—nearly half of last year’s total, and we are only in early decision season! The Class of 2022 is recognized for their hard work and dedication in Senior Seminar since August. Bravo Zulu, Class of 2022!
College Placement & Academic Services Office Members of the College Placement office - Mrs. Kelsey Hill, Dr. James Benson, and Mrs. Victoria Beaulieu are recognized for helping our seniors achieve their class accomplishments listed above. Bravo Zulu, Mrs. Hill, Dr. Benson, and Mrs. Beaulieu!
MAJ Jonathan Greenspon facilitated a visit to campus by New York Times best-selling author Alex Kershaw this week. After class on Wednesday, Mr. Kershaw presented a special presentation to the Corps of Cadets on his 2012 book The Liberator: One Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau, which was recently adapted to the screen in a Netflix drama series by the same title. Mr. Kershaw’s The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter made him a two-time New York Times best-seller. We appreciate MAJ Greenspon’s efforts in getting Mr. Kershaw on campus and presenting our cadets with this wonderful opportunity. Bravo Zulu, MAJ Greenspon!
Mr. Joshua Adams, Network Admin, recently came in after hours to restore network access for our campus to ensure faculty and cadets had internet access before class the next morning. We appreciate his efforts to keep our network up and running seamlessly. Bravo Zulu, Mr. Adams!
Mrs. Kelly Barnette is recognized for her hard work in keeping parents up to date with communications and pictures of their cadet. She also managed the multi-day PG Basketball Christmas Tournament last week. We are thankful for her dedication to the Academy. Bravo Zulu, Mrs. Barnette!
We hope you all have a very Happy Holidays!!
Thank you!
Credits:
James Benson, Kristin Firewicz, John Warren, Alexander Welch