July 3, 2002

West Point graduates face new mission after 9/11

Traverse City residents Ben Boekestein and Tony Wills complete rigorous four-year program

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       Duty, honor, country.
      After four years steeped in the credo of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Ben Boekestein and Tony Wills are newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenants in the Army ready for action.
      The former Traverse City residents graduated on June 1 with 956 of their classmates from the rigorous four-year program. It was a solemn ceremony that celebrated the Academy's 200th year and featured President George W. Bush, who gave the commencement address and shook hands with the graduating officers as they received their diplomas.
      "President Bush gave a great speech and it showed a lot about his character to stand up there and shake every graduate's hand," said Wills. "That was the coolest thing. We were afraid he would shake only the honor graduates' hands but he did them all."
      Boekestein and Wills are members of the first West Point class to graduate into the post-September 11th world. Their senior year began preparing them for the ongoing War on Terrorism, shifting emphasis from humanitarian outreach into active fighting.
      "My first three years we trained to see a certain kind of thing, peacekeeping missions," said Boekestein. "Then when 9/11 hit, we all knew that things would be different for us and they started refocusing what our mission would be."
      Boekestein, a 1998 graduate of Traverse City West High School, will head to Fort Benning in Georgia this week for infantry officer basic course. After that, he will complete three schools, including Rangers school. Then Boekestein will begin leading a platoon of the 101st Airborne at Ft. Campbell, Ky.
      "They are the ones in Afghanistan now but by the time I get there, they will be back," Boekestein said.
      Wills, a 1998 graduate of St. Francis High School, will report to Ft. Sill, Okla., for additional training in field artillery. After a five-month training period, he will remain at that posting to head an infantry-support platoon. Recently married, Wills is still considering his future with the Army and whether he will continue beyond his five-year commitment after West Point.
      "It is too early to decide about my career in the army," said Wills, who was recruited to the academy as a football player but wound up playing two years as a walk on to the junior varsity baseball team. "There are so many opportunities in both civilian life and military life."
      West Point is a Bachelor's program and Boekestein and Wills graduated with a B.S. degree, Boekestein in operations research and Wills in general management. Boekestein said that the academic rigors of West Point rivaled the physical and leadership challenges for which the academy is known.
      "The most challenging thing was the academics were pretty hard there," noted Boekestein, who studied math, management and history. "Summertimes were pretty challenging, too."
      Each summer, cadets spent months in specialized and advanced training. Boekestein completed rock-climbing school, was a squad leader for the class of 2004 and went to air assault school where he rappelled out of helicopters.
      Boekestein is pleased with the range of training and opportunities he had at West Point. While he is undecided about making the Army a career, Boekestein is eager to start his new training and duties.
      "West Point gives you many positions over your four years where you will be challenged, they make you do different things and learn about yourself," he said.
      During visits home or while talking with potential recruits and their families, he found there are still many myths about West Point.
      "People have all these misperceptions and I just want to take them there and show them," added Boekestein, who had 26 family members attend his graduation. "They think we wake up and get a daily beating."
      Part of the West Point experience is making friends that will last a lifetime, both graduates said. Cadets come from all walks of life around the country and even around the world; during their four years together, they forge indelible bonds.
      "The friends you make there are the best guys you'll ever meet," Will said. "I had 11 of them come down to Florida for my wedding, from all over the country."
      "These guys would do anything for you," he noted.