This officer served as a graduate assistant wrestling coach for his first assignment after commissioning. These assignments are normally about 6-9 months and in my case I was starting AOBC on 2 JAN after a 30 MAY commissioning. I did it mostly because I wanted to start my life (paying bills, living on my own-not in barracks, new freedom) in a familiar place close to my hometown, not because of any serious professional thinking...it had the benefit (unknown to me at the time), I believe, of making me a much better teacher, coach, mentor as an officer in general, as a leader of troops, as an SGI to new captains, and in my current position, as a trainer of new Armor LTs.

It is routine for West Point to take a very small number of its more successful athletes, usually one per program, and ask them to stay for 6-9 months as a 2LT to be a Grad assistant. Some of the duties they are given (see how they apply to working in the force): recruiting (retention), planning and executing strength and conditioning workouts (PT), practices (training), breaking down film (AARs), mentoring freshmen (mentoring young Soldiers/Officers).

A majority of the people I know who served as GAs had some potential for a "professional" (term used loosely) sports career, whether it was football, baseball, whatever, or to continue representing the Army in the World Class Athlete Program or All-Army Teams. USMA will assign these types of folks both for the institution and the individual. I only know of three that continued trying to pursue that course, all the rest entered their branch.

Given 2LT Campbell's situation--I was behind it if the Army did it right: assigning a mentor/trigger puller to him from the Army's PAO and another from Recruiting Command to fully develop/utilize his potential as a recruiter. It didn't seem like we were going to do it right, so I am with the policy change. As for the core values at USMA or athletics at the institution, I think we beat those up enough...