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 16 Oct 2020:
- Mrs. Kate Goad, Advancement Communications & Events Coordinator, energetically participated in the preparation and successful completion of our Day of Giving, the planning of our Founder's Day celebration, the filming of our Parent's Day parade (which required her to also 'drill' on Wednesday to practice camera angles), the promotion of several virtual Alumni events, and the behind the scenes work for our Virtual Parent's Day weekend. Bravo Zulu, Kate Goad!
- LtCol. Pat Campbell, USMC (Ret.), while only a part-time member of the faculty, makes his presence felt each term he is in the classroom teaching AP US Government. His interactive classroom activities facilitate higher-level thinking and active engagement with real-world concepts and big issues. When our AP US Government students sit down to take the AP exam in May, they will undoubtedly be equipped the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully complete the exam. His success in the classroom is undeniably connected to his active pursuit of professional development opportunities. For example, this past summer, he attended a virtual AP Institute and also served as a reader for the AP US Government exam. We look forward to having LTC Campbell teach a new course offering during Term 4: AP Comparative Government. Bravo Zulu, Pat Campbell!
- Cadet Sergeant John Bowdish, squad leader for 3rd Platoon in Alpha Company, has had 0 PAI infractions and had one of the best rooms in the company for room inspections. Cadet Bowdish works hard in the barracks and the classroom. He earned high marks on his AP US government test and leads by example. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Bowdish!
- Cadet Private Myles Garrett, member of 1st Platoon in Bravo Company, has joined the football team and with that comes 5 a.m. workouts with Coach Appel. In Coach Appel's workouts, there are two levels of Bricks and Foundations. To get into Bricks you must pass the Tier testing, and on 14 October 2020, Cadet Myles Garrett passed his tier test. His teammates rallied behind him while he was taking the test, Cadet Garrett stated, "I used their motivation to pass this test", as he passed the test on his first try, which is a major accomplishment according to Coach Mark Shuman. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Garrett!
- Cadet Sergeant First Class George Gurney, Platoon Sergeant with Charlie Company, demonstrated exceptional performance of his duties this week. Specifically, he maintained excellent bearing and tact when resolving an altercation between two cadets in the dining hall. He handled the situation calmly and with poise, and overall deescalated the situation until the TAC Officer arrived. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Gurney!
- Cadet Private Zach Wood, offensive tackle with the Postgraduate Football team in Delta Company, demonstrated an outstanding ability to communicate with a can-do attitude and sheer willingness to improve his company. He always makes sure the little things are executed to perfection. Cadet Wood fulfills necessary detailed tasks such as taking out all trash and executing the proper mannerisms of door holding. He communicates with everyone in a way that creates an overall efficient, comfortable environment. Cadet Wood spent this entire week ensuring that all of the Delta Company tables in the dining hall were cleaned by the cadets before they departed. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Wood!
- Cadet Sergeant First Class Sean Seabolt, Assistant Operations Non-Commissioned Officer for the Corps of Cadets, set up the field for our Parent's Day Weekend parade that was filmed on 15 October 2020. His goal was to have the field set up, so that every member of the parade knew where to go and ensured that the spacing between the companies was to regulation. He then refined the parade field setup by updating a PowerPoint slide as to the appropriate spacing and distance between companies, so that it can be used years down the road. Cadet Seabolt has set up and torn down the parade field for the past 8 weeks, and after each setup, he integrated with the Retan's Cannon Squad to assist in firing the cannon. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Seabolt!
We are proud of our Cadets, Faculty and Staff for all they do. This was another great week at FUMA. We have no COVID-19 cases amongst our Cadets, Faculty, Staff or supporting personnel on campus. A Bravo Zulu to the Fork Union Military Academy community, which includes all of us, Alumni, Board of Trustees, Alumni Board, Parents, Donors, Friends and retired faculty/staff for your prayers and support. We go forward together... In God We Trust! Go FUMA!
DL Coggins
President
Fork Union Military Academy