VMI Cyber Corps

Alumni and Friends of VMI:

Cyber Corps Numbers: 392

New Commandant: An article appeared in the Aug 6 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch indicating that VMI has replaced its commandant. According to the article, Col. James N. Joyner, director of cadet affairs, was named acting commandant to succeed Col. Keith Dickson, who has held that position for 14 months.

The article also stated: "Dickson, a 1976 VMI graduate and decorated soldier, was appointed commandant of cadets in June 1996 and will remain at the school to teach history. School officials refused to discuss the reasons behind his removal, but Dickson had clashed with leaders of VMI's ROTC programs, which are run by the US Department of Defense, over the enforcement of regulations and other issues. As part of the spat, the Defense Department had withdrawn from campus the tactical officers who served as advisers to the corps of cadets and helped conduct inspections."

I guess we all need to stay tuned.

Less Than Two Weeks: In less than two weeks the first women will matriculate at VMI. The latest info I have from the admissions office indicates that 32 women have submitted their deposits and 25 have fully completed their reservations. Admissions is projecting that 470 new cadets will be on hand for matriculation on Aug 18. This new cadet class will constitute the largest in VMI's history.

Speaking of New Cadets: One of the women to matriculate at VMI will be from the Russian town of Krasnodar. Her name is Yulia Beltikova and she is a former exchange student to the US. The Washington Post contained an article about her and she sounds pretty darn sharp. She'll be attending VMI on a full academic scholarship and she'll receive alumni assistance for her travel between the US and Russia.

In the Words of Art Buchwald: One of Art Buchwald's humor columns recently made mention of VMI. The thrust of the column was President Clinton's upcoming summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard. The column dealt with questions about this vacation spot. A sample of the column follows:

I received my first call at 7 a.m. from a staffer on a Miami newspaper.

"What is the staple diet of the inhabitants"

"Their main source of protein is avocado dip and nacho chips washed down with gallons of California chardonnay."........

"What do people on the Vineyard talk about?"

"They're certain that Elvis is on the island, but nobody knows if he rents or owns. We also talk a lot about whether Chelsea should have gone to VMI instead of Stanford......"

You gotta love Art Buchwald!!!

Meanwhile...At the Pentagon: I was recently staying at the Residence Inn at Pentagon City. I noticed a bunch of ROTC student staying there and actually ran into a VMI cadet who, along with the other ROTC folks, was finishing up a two week summer internship program at the Pentagon. I gotta say that this cadet was very impressive. Goes to show that VMI continues to be well represented by the Corps.

That's all for this week!!!

Yours in the Spirit,
RB Lane '75

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Last Updated: October 11, 2009

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