VFW Commander-in-Chief visits CGSC

On March 13, 2023, the CGSC Foundation facilitated a visit to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College by VFW Commander-in-Chief Timothy M. Borland and VFW Director of Programs Lynn W. Rolf, III, for a walk and talk tour of the Lewis and Clark Center and the College.

VFW VFW Commander-in-Chief Timothy M. Borland stops by the MacArthur Room in the Lewis and Clark Center during his visit to CGSC on March 13, 2023. The MacArthur Room contains furniture and memorabilia from General of the Army MacArthur’s last office at West Point and is a popular stop during tours of the building.

CGSC Dean of Academics Dr. Jack Kem was the host of the day and provided Borlund and Rolf a briefing on Army University and the Command and General Staff College. After the briefing, Kem escorted them on a tour of the Lewis and Clark Facility highlighting not only the state-of-the-art educational facilities, but also the history and heritage of the Army found in the numerous galleries, displays, and memorabilia displayed throughout the building.

After the tour, CGSC Supervisory Professor and CGSOC Teaching Team Chief Richard Caya took Borland and Rolf into one of his classrooms and demonstrated the capabilities and methodologies used during CGSOC instruction.

During the visit Rolf pointed out that Borland’s visit to CGSC was the first by a sitting VFW Commander-in-Chief. CGSCF President/CEO Rod Cox took the opportunity to mention to Borland that he, Dean Kem, and Professor Caya were all Life Members of VFW Post 56, located in Leavenworth. Cox also thanked Borland and Rolf on behalf of the CGSC Foundation for the VFW’s sponsorship of the CGSOC General George C. Marshall Award, the recognition awarded annually to the top graduate of the CGSOC resident class. The Marshall Award is one of the fifteen CGSOC graduation awards the CGSC Foundation provides in support of the College to foster and recognize academic excellence.

CGSC Dean of Academics Dr. Jack Kem, left, thanks VFW Commander-in-Chief Timothy M. Borland for his visit to the College on March 13, 2023.

The CGSC Foundation facilitates visits to Fort Leavenworth and CGSC from time to time as part of its outreach mission. The standard “walk and talk” experience includes a tour of the Fort Leavenworth post and learning about its rich history through the old historic buildings, landmarks and monuments and the national cemetery. After the post tour, the visitors are brought to the Lewis and Clark Center to tour the Command and General Staff College, which includes viewing the Fort Leavenworth Hall of Fame and International Hall of Fame displays, the various art displays and more. The tours also typically include a briefing about Army leader development and how CGSC fits into that process, as well as a visit to a standard CGSC classroom to get a technology demonstration. Occasionally, the Foundation coordinates for the visitors to get a chance to participate in hands-on computer simulations or other activities.