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The Olmsted Foundation Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 2 April 2013

Naval Academy Foreign Affairs

Conference (NAFAC)

Foundation President Bruce Scott and Vice President

Bob Stratton traveled to Annapolis on April 9, 2013 to

attend a portion of this year’s Naval Academy Foreign

Affairs Conference (NAFAC), which The Olmsted

Foundation helps support both financially and with

Scholar participants.

The three-day conference brings together over 150

students to participate in roundtable discussions, and

delegates work together to design solutions to many

different domestic and international issues. This year’s

conference, entitled “A Time of Transition: Crafting

Policy for the Near Term,” examined the near-term

effects of current geopolitical trends and events. Each

day of the conference focused on a specific theme

within the over-arching concept of transition.

The conference is both planned and executed by

Midshipmen and this year, as in years past, they did an

outstanding job. Everyone involved enjoyed the

intellectual challenges presented and were appreciative

of The Foundation’s support.

Three Olmsted Scholars participated in the conference

as senior advisors: Mark Golden (OSC 67, Madrid,

Spain), Brendan Mulvaney (OSC 03, Shanghai, China)

and Gary Sampson (OSC 09, Kaohsiung, Taiwan).

They assisted the conference participants in different

roundtables and helped them collectively formulate

and express their thoughts and observations.

While at NAFAC, the Foundation staff, along with the

active duty Navy Director, Capt Alec Mackenzie (OSC

98, St. Petersburg, Russia), also had meetings with the

USNA Superintendent, VADM Mike Miller, and the

Dean-Provost, Dr Andrew Phillips, to discuss the

ongoing partnership between the Naval Academy and

The Foundation.

Olmsted Scholar Class of 2014

On March 12, 2013, the Olmsted Foundation Board of Directors met in Falls Church, Virginia and selected the

55th class of Olmsted Scholars. The Board selected 19 officers for the Olmsted Scholar Class of 2014. These

officers and their projected locations for overseas study are listed below:

James Armstrong, Capt, USMC, Podgorica, Montenegro

Justin Bergen, CPT, USA, Montevideo, Uruguay

James Billings, LT, USN, Shanghai, China

Karlie Blake, LT, USN, Louvain, Belgium

Timothy Boswell, CPT, USA, Paris, France

Justin Bronder, Capt, USAF, Poznan, Poland

Jennifer Floyd, LTJG, USN, Jerusalem, Israel

Peter Gomez, CPT, USA, Madrid, Spain

Joseph Gorman, Capt, USAF, Taipei, Taiwan

Shane Hughes, Capt, USAF, Bangkok, Thailand

Ruth Kelty, 1st Lt, USMC, Maputo, Mozambique

Jared Koelling, CPT, USA, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Matthew Murphy, Capt, USAF, Kunming, China

Jeffrey Ryan, LT, USN, Kyoto, Japan

Raissa Sanchez, CPT, USA, Lisbon, Portugal

Dale Trakas, CPT, USA, Istanbul, Turkey

Michael Walls, Capt, USMC, St. Petersburg, Russia

Thomas Walsh, Capt, USAF, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Jared Wilhelm, LT, USN, Mendoza, Argentina

(l to r) Mackenzie, Stratton, VADM Miller, Scott)

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The President’s Perspective

Finally, here in “weltstadt” Falls Church, Virginia, we have temperatures going above 70 degrees. Spring has finally

arrived, and we all are excited about welcoming the new Class of 2014 at our annual meeting and reception that will

occur at Anderson House on June 1, 2013! I am pleased to let each of you know that, once again, we have selected some

very remarkable young officers from all the Services to participate in the Olmsted Scholar Program. We have never had

more candidates apply, and I thank all of you for your efforts to encourage the “best and the brightest” of your young

officers to submit applications. I want to stress that we are doing all we can to attract diversity candidates as well, so I

urge all of you on active duty to identify high potential minority officers and encourage them to embark on the Olmsted

experience.

As proud as I am of our newest class, I want to take a few moments to reflect on a luncheon the staff and I had in the

Pentagon a few months ago. We invited all the active duty Olmsted Scholars in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area

to join us. Much to my amazement, there are at least 28 active duty Olmsted Scholars serving in the D.C. region. But

what made it so special was listening to where the Scholars are assigned. We were blessed by the attendance of Vice

Admiral Kurt Tidd, J-3 of the Joint Staff, Rear Admiral Jamie Foggo, currently serving on the Navy staff, and Air Force

Brigadier General Tim Fay, currently serving in J-3 of the Joint Staff as well. But what the luncheon unveiled was the

remarkable contribution to our National Security that Olmsted Scholars were providing to the Nation. Scholars were

working in key billets on all the Service Staffs, on the Joint Staff, within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, at the

State Department, the CIA, and finally on the National Security Council. Why so many Scholars in such key billets?

Because of your unique Scholar experience, you have the opportunity to give back to the Nation an in-depth

understanding and perspective on many of the most daunting security issues facing our Nation today. This is what

General Olmsted envisioned when he endowed the program some 55 years ago, and I know he must be smiling as he

looks down on all the great work the Scholars are doing today. Hope to see many of your at Anderson House on June

1st!

Chairman’s Corner

Last quarter I described how we overcome one big

challenge to making the Olmsted Scholar Program work

well, enlisting field commanders to help us more

effectively spot “tomorrow’s leaders” today. But once our

Scholars are selected, a second challenge presents itself…

getting those Scholars and their families to the right school

in the right place. It’s much tougher than it used to be.

With little knowledge of my assigned school on either my

or the Foundation’s part, I received a check and orders that

read “Go…and keep the USAF in the loop.” And so I did.

But that was nearly 50 years ago, and things have changed.

During most of the Cold War, the good guys spoke

English, the bad guys Russian and our allies were well

defined. That also defined where most Scholars studied.

But today’s security interests range worldwide, and our

Scholars need to follow those interests. Using a “strategic

template” reviewed annually by the Board, the Foundation

staff works hard to build a balanced distribution of Scholar

presence, all while accommodating stated preferences. It’s

not easy, and it reflects a lot of effort.

Not all schools are the same, which presents a different set

of challenges. Quality of instruction, costs which balloon

rapidly, scarcity of graduate degrees, and a growing

penchant for offering key courses in English rather than

the host language combine to make “academic beddown” a

real jigsaw puzzle. The academic environment defines the

biggest part of every Scholar’s experience, and it takes

research, flexibility, persistence and negotiating skills to

make things turn out right.

Last are the concerns for security that wrap around every

Scholar and family stationed overseas. No matter where a

Scholar lives and studies, in today’s world either the

Ambassador or the Combatant Commander has ultimate

responsibility for security and welfare. In all too many

situations, including some that really make one wonder,

the easy answer has been “no.” Even when it’s “yes,

provided…,” concerns lead to designated housing and a

tether to the embassy that belies the very experience we

are trying to provide for Scholars. It has become much

tougher for them to “disappear into the woodwork” as we

did years ago.

Yet it continues to happen, producing the right outcomes

despite the challenges. This is because we pick the right

officers, share a clear vision of what it takes for success,

and work hard together to define ways of overcoming

obstacles and making things happen. Our Foundation Staff

deserves real kudos here, and it’s a constant pleasure to

watch their achievements.

Henry (Butch) Viccellio. General,(Ret), USAF

Chairman of the Board

Bruce K. Scott, MG (Ret), USA

President & CEO

3

The Olmsted Foundation Board of Directors met on March 12, 2013 at the Falls Church office to review finance

and investment issues, select officers for Olmsted Scholar Class of 2014, and vote in four new members of the

Board. The new members of the Board include Tom Donovan, COL, USA; Alec Mackenzie, CAPT, USN; Angie

Suplisson, Col, USAF; and Dr. Chris Howard, Lt Col, USAFR (Ret).

You can learn their backgrounds by accessing their profiles on the Olmsted Foundation website via Scholars Corner.

Olmsted Foundation Board Meets in Falls Church

Hosting Spanish Students

Doug Fowler (OSC 09, Montevideo, Uruguay) is

currently serving as the Chief of the English

Department at the Spanish AF Academy in San

Javier, Spain. Unlike USAFA, this is officer training

and pilot training at the same time. His 300+ students

don't have much time for English, but they need a

high level of English to graduate. Doug teaches extra

night classes and encourages the students to speak in

English at every opportunity.

Doug stated, “My time as an Olmsted Scholar in

Uruguay taught me that you cannot separate culture

from language. So, I use every English class as an

opportunity to teach American culture (warts and

all). Some of my most successful lessons have dealt

with the 2nd Amendment, Route 66, the Blues,

American Football 101, and the American concept of

privacy.”

He also helps the cadets planning Jul – Aug trips to

the USA. A few Cadets will travel to New York City,

Washington DC, and San Francisco and they could

use a place to sleep and maybe someone to take them

to a baseball game. Several others will go anywhere

as long as they can stay with a family for a couple of

weeks and practice English. Contact Doug at

douglas.fowler@yahoo.com if you’re interested in

this opportunity to continue your Olmsted experience.

Doug Fowler and Spanish Cadets on a no-notice 25km

march along the Mediterranean coast. He used it as an

opportunity to speak to the cadets one-on-one, since he

normally has 30 in a class.

4

REFLECTIONS OF AN OLMSTED SPOUSE

When I first learned we would be given the

opportunity by the Olmsted Foundation to live in

Kyiv, Ukraine I was puzzled about what I was going

to do with my time. I did not know if I wanted to look

for work as a design engineer or possibly an unrelated

profession. What I did know was that I wanted to

spend time developing my newest hobby, archery. I

had been practicing archery throughout Ukrainian

language school in Rosslyn, VA and found the sport

to be challenging and stress relieving. Beyond the

sport being physically challenging, it requires focused

concentration. I had never shot in a competition or

had a formal lesson, but I knew that I just liked

shooting. Throughout language school, I started

researching Ukrainian websites about archery and my

language teacher often incorporated this subject in our

lessons. I learned about some of Ukraine’s

local archers and archery shops in Kyiv. It was a fun

way to learn the language by focusing on something

in which I was interested.

When Angela and I went on our familiarization trip to

Kyiv, I made going to the archery shop a top priority

behind finding a place to live. There I learned where I

could shoot and meet other archers, and what

equipment would be hard to buy in Ukraine. When I

returned to the US, I stocked up on the equipment I

knew I would need to get started in competitive

archery in Ukraine.

Once I moved to Ukraine, I was ready to meet some

new friends and begin training in my new sport. I

showed up at the local archery field and introduced

myself to the locals. They were surprised to see a

foreigner coming to join them, but they were very

welcoming. Soon I met a fantastic archery coach

named Dmitry Lvovskiy. I began archery lessons with

him approximately three times per week. My

training was in Ukrainian since he does not speak any

English. Fortunately, some teammates were able to

help with translation when necessary, and I had a

good base from the year of language training prior to

moving to Ukraine.

Here are some reflections of an Olmsted spouse regarding the time he spent in Kyiv, Ukraine. Jason

Reber sent this to us as he and Angela have returned to the USA and are stationed at Fort Gordon,

Georgia. Jason works as a design engineer for John Deere and MAJ Angela Reber (OSC 09) is assigned

as the Executive Officer, 297th Military Intelligence Battalion.

Over the next two years, I competed in over 10

archery tournaments with the team throughout

Ukraine and in Poland. Other international

competitors competed in these tournaments, so I

made friends from all parts of Ukraine and other

Eastern European countries. Because many of these

athletes had never competed with an American

before, they found it impressive that anyone would

travel so far, and attempt to learn and speak

Ukrainian (especially as compared to Russian). They

thought the objectives of the Olmsted Scholar

Program and US Military quite interesting. The local

news channel even interviewed me in L’viv, Ukraine

and the tournament directors often were so kind to

recognize me as a “Guest of Ukraine” with a token

for traveling to their cities and attending their events,

and often asked me to join them for dinner after the

tournament.

For all of the

tournaments, I

traveled with

my Ukrainian

t e a m m a t e s .

We took the

overnight train

or a small bus,

and sometimes

traveled in my

car to other

U k r a i n i a n

cities or to

Poland. It was an interesting experience to see how

these striving Ukrainian athletes traveled so cheaply

and found ways to save money. We typically only

ate food from the grocery store (bread and fruits) and

stayed in very small rooms for rent. Once we stayed

in a room that was $6/night! I was even able to enjoy

some training at a former Soviet Olympic training

compound in Ukraine. Angela would join me when

her studies allowed, also having the opportunity to

explore these cities with my teammates. I also

Jason Reber (R) and his coach and

teammate, Dmitriy Lvovskiy (L))

5

inspired one of my American friends who came to

visit us in Ukraine to donate a bow to a worthy

young Ukrainian athlete. It was especially great to

watch the younger athletes improve each

tournament.

I even improved my tournament success. During a 3-

person team tournament in L'viv, Ukraine, my two

Ukrainian teammates and I earned the bronze team

medal. Then later we travelled to Radzymin, Poland

for a special archery tournament. This event was a

relay style for a continuous 24-hour period, a

‘marathon’ for archers. People from over 10

different countries attended, of which I was the only

American. My team and I shot extremely well,

earning the silver team medal! It was exhilarating to

have shot for 24 hours and then be on the medalists’

podium. It felt that the hard work with my coach, the

teamwork built with my Ukrainian teammates, and

my ambition to do it in Ukrainian to ‘live’ the

culture for the past year was paying off. My next

tournament success was an individual bronze medal

in Legnica, Poland. I had a two-time Olympic

medalist coaching my every shot for that

tournament. What a thrill it was to be around such

great athletes!

Archery was certainly an interesting way to try to

experience another culture. It was a way to be active

in the community, to improve significantly my

Ukrainian language, and a great way to really to get

to know my archery team and travel throughout

Ukraine, and see the country from a local

perspective. This training provided me an

opportunity to make memories and friendships that

will truly last a lifetime. I encourage all Olmsteders

and spouses to find something they are passionate

about and make friends in their host city, because for

me this was the ultimate cultural experience.

Jason Reber, OSC 09, Kyiv, Ukraine

Proudly displayed in The Olmsted Foundation’s office is

a shadow box with a certificate and an American flag that

was flown in the Foundation’s honor on a combat

mission over Afghanistan. George Granholm (OSC 09,

Freiburg, Germany) is the Director of Operations for the

17th Airlift Squadron at Charleston AFB and was the

aircraft commander. George is shown displaying the flag

at Bagram Air Base, where he also briefed a group of

young officers on the Olmsted Scholar Program.

Olmsted Presentation at AFIT

On March 7th, Col Angie Suplisson (OSC 01 , Lyon,

France) gave a briefing on the Olmsted Scholarship to

100 2Lts at the Air Force Institute of Technology

(AFIT) at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The 2Lts are

Master's students at AFIT, and the Olmsted briefing

was part of AFIT's 2Lt Mentoring Program which

hosts monthly briefings on career and officer

development topics. After the briefing, many

enthusiastic 2Lts stayed to ask more questions about

this exciting opportunity. Col Suplisson is currently a

PhD Student at AFIT, researching aircraft Automatic

Ground Collision Avoidance Systems (Auto GCAS).

6

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon

On 2 Mar 13, Abu Dhabi hosted its International

Triathlon. Billed as the "World's Most Glamorous

Triathlon" since 2010, the triathlon offered three

courses: Long, Short and Sprint. Jamil Musa (OSC

11, Rabat, Morocco) completed the "Short" course,

finishing a 1.5 km swim, 100 km bike and 10 km run

along a route that included Abu Dhabi's corniche and

the famous Yas Marina Formula One Circuit, while

Jay Bessey (OSC 10, Ifrane, Morocco) completed the

"Sprint" course that measured half the "Short" course

distance. It was a great weekend that showcased the

city's modernity and international appeal. Any

Scholars interested in challenging themselves and

participating in a well-organized triathlon in the

Middle East should consider this race!

Mud Run at Monterey in March 2013

On March 23, 2013, a group of Scholars currently at DLI got together for the annual Big Sur Mud Run. They

assembled two teams for the fun five mile run through multiple mud pits, a few climbing walls complete with

Marine Corps Sergeants "encouraging" them, and most importantly, a beer stand at mile 3!

Team “Merica" consisted of Mark Hickie (OSC 13, Rio de Janiero, Brazil), Scott Wallace (OSC 13, New Dehli,

India), Mike Kendall (OSC 13, Hangzhou, China),

Andrew Pesature (OSC 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina)

and Andrew’s brother Dan (Army FAO studying

Arabic).

Team "Pretty in Pink" consisted of Elia Hickie (OSC

13, Rio de Janiero, Brazil), Kim Kendall, Tobe'

Pesature, Kaylan Pesature (Dan's wife) and Lacey

Supinger (AF FAO studying Arabic). They had a great

time, as evidenced by the post-race photo.

Burns Night

Tim Kuehne (OSC 07, Shanghai, China) sent us an

update from England where he is currently stationed

along with Chris Kulas

(OSC 99, Prague, Czech

Republic). He stated,

“Greetings from brightening

and warming England, and I

want to update the

Foundation on a recent event

that would make General

Olmsted proud.”

He noted, “The purpose of

the Scholar Program is to ...

ac qu i re a n i n - dep t h

understanding of foreign cultures, thereby further

equipping officers to serve in positions of great

responsibility as senior leaders in the United States

Armed Forces.” To that end, they both demonstrated

those immersion skills when the British-American

Committee at RAF Mildenhall hosted Burns Night.

The night is a tribute to one of the most-beloved

Scottish poets, Robbie Burns and attendees are fairly

warned: "Please note that this will not be a

politically correct evening. The tradition of Burns

Night dates from a far less sensitive period."

Tim reported, “Chris Kulas dazzled the crowd with

his poetic lyrics, with both a fine tribute to Robbie

Burns and to the attendees as well. It was a fabulous

evening, embracing the culture and engaging in the

fun of our host nation!”

7

Air Force Promotions

Two Olmsted Scholars were recently nominated for the

rank of Major General:

Steve Shepro, OSC 93, Strasbourg, France

DT Thompson, OSC 93, Linz, Austria

Three Olmsted Scholars were selected for promotion to

the rank of Colonel:

Phil Cali, OSC 04, Krakow, Poland

Jon Jensen, OSC 06, Bergen, Norway

Steve Renner, OSC 99, Budapest, Hungary

Army Promotions

Two Olmsted Scholars were selected for promotion to the

rank of Colonel:

Tom Nelson, OSC 01, Budapest, Hungary (BTZ and

SSS Fellowship at Stanford)

Bill Medina, OSC 99, Valparaiso, Chile

Maj Brian Denaro, OSC 06, Guangzhou, China, and &

Lt Col Craig Perry, OSC 03, St. Petersburg, Russia, on

Air Force squadron command list

LTC Parker Frawley, OSC 04, Moscow, Russia, took

command on 3 Apr 13 of 1st Attack Reconnaissance

Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment at Ft Riley

LCDR Mike Nordeen, OSC 05, St. Petersburg, Russia,

screened for Navy Strike Fighter Sq command

MAJ(P) JT Eldridge, OSC 06, Moscow, Russia, and

MAJ(P) Terry Butcher, OSC 06, Bangkok, Thailand, on

the Army principals O-5 command list

MAJ(P) Jason Condrey, OSC 07, Bucharest, Roma-

nia, and LTC Todd Grissom, OSC 06, Kyiv, Ukraine,

on the Army alternate O-5 command list

A REMINDER… Please keep your information in

your profile current and up to date. Submit updates

through Scholars Corner on the website or send

updates to scholars@olmstedfoundation.org

RECENT PROMOTIONS

Dinner in Paris

Earlier this month, Nick Brown (OSC 62, Paris,

France) and his wife, Diane, hosted a dinner party at

their Paris apartment for the US Naval Attaché.

Also attending were Paul Rogers (OSC 11, Lyon,

France) with his date, Julie, and Patrick Murphy

(OSC 11, Munich, Germany) and his wife, Susan.

Both Rogers and Murphy ran the Paris Marathon

two days later, finishing in less than 4 hours!

Across the Generations

Bruce Grossetta (OSC 70, Buenos Aires) and his wife

Gail had met Sean Baerman and family in Tucson

before they left for their Olmsted experience in

Argentina. Noting in the Olmsted Christmas Letter that

the Baermans had completed their Olmsted experience

and just moved to Miami for Sean's follow-on

assignment at SOUTHCOM, the Grossettas arraigned

to meet up with them in Miami as they completed a

cruise from Rio so they could discuss how Buenos

Aires had changed in the 40 years since they were

there. A true meeting across the generations of

Olmsted Scholars.

COMMAND SELECTIONS

Pictured are Bruce (OSC 70), Sean (OSC 11)

and Teague (OSC 33???)

YOU CAN HELP! We continually look for outstanding young officers for the Olmsted Scholar Program. If you know of any eligible officers, please encourage them to register as future Olmsted Scholar Candidates on the website, or to contact The Foundation directly with any questions about the program.

201 Park Washington Court

Fall Church, VA 22046

WE NEED YOUR INPUTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS

We will send all following editions to all Scholars electronically. We will NOT be sending

any hard copies by mail unless you specifically request it. Should you desire a hard copy

of the newsletter be mailed to you, please notify the Foundation at the e-mail address

below.

If you have any updates, articles or news that you feel should be considered for inclusion

in the Olmsted Foundation Newsletter, please send that information to the Foundation.

Keep us informed of any career or life transitions. The Olmsted network may be able to

help connect with other Scholars that can assist with these types of transitions, so please

let us know.

We thank all of you in advance for your participation and inputs.

scholars@olmstedfoundation.org

Inside this issue:

Olmsted Scholar Class of 2014

Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference

Olmsted Foundation Board Meets

Monterey Mud Run

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon

Burns Night

More news and information about the Olmsted Foundation

and the Olmsted Scholar Program can be found at:

www.olmstedfoundation.org