Photo By Kyle Osterhoudt | Class of 2025 Cadets Gabriella Sorrentino and Isaiah McNeilly were chosen as the...... read more read more
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WEST POINT, N.Y. – Class of 2025 Cadets Gabriella Sorrentino and Isaiah McNeilly were chosen as the recipients of the 2024 Lt. Gen. Hal Moore Athlete of Excellence Award and received their accolades during a ceremony Nov. 14 in the Haig Room.
Now in its 13th year, the award recognizes the attributes of a male and female first-class cadet who best exemplify the qualities of Lt. Gen. Moore – mental toughness, perseverance, winning spirit and humility – and the tenets of the Warrior Ethos observed during matriculation of the Department of Physical Education (DPE) combatives curriculum and in competitive sports.
During his opening speech to the award attendees, Col. Nicholas Gist, head of DPE, mentioned the history of Moore and his leadership attributes, specifically his involvement in the Battle of the la Drang Valley in November 1965 during the Vietnam War. The events of this battle have been chronicled in the book, “We Were Soldiers Once … And Young,” authored by himself and Joe Galloway, and then the 2002 film, “We were Soldiers,” starred by Mel Gibson as Moore.
Outnumbered almost 3-to-1 during the three-day battle, Gist said that “In austere conditions, on unknown ground, and with limited intelligence, all while employing new air mobility tactics (with 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry), Hal Moore led by personal example by communicating clear intent, demonstrating the Warrior Ethos in his personal presence, and fighting to win.”
A 1945 U.S. Military Academy graduate and Distinguished Graduate, Moore’s exceptional leadership led him to one day having an Army base, Fort Moore, formerly Fort Benning, in Georgia, be named after him.
“He placed mission first. He never accepted defeat. He never quit.
And never left a fallen comrade,” Gist said of Moore. “He spoke often about his own journey and importance of a growth mindset … At West Point and in the Army, we immerse our people and organizations in tough, realistic training that builds cohesion, esprit de corps and trust. The demands of our profession are necessarily high and winning matters. Lt. Gen. Hal Moore understood that better than anyone, thus our continued recognition of him through this award.”
In front of several faculty members, Corps of Cadets members, family and Moore’s son, retired Col. Dave Moore, Gist acknowledged the two runners-up, Class of 2025 Cadets Miruna Duracu and Logan Powell, before recognizing the winners.
Gist said identifying the two awardees for their character and commitment to excellence is based on them “having shown a consistent commitment to excellence that is quantified in their grades. More importantly, both are respected for the character that we all see in their contributions to their cadet companies, their teams, to the Corps, and the future profession they will join in six months.”
“Cadets Gabriella Sorrentino and Isaiah McNeilly exemplify the leader attributes displayed by Lt. Gen. Moore throughout his career,” Gist explained. “Both demonstrate excellence across all pillars at West Point, but what is more remarkable is their continued commitment to growth. Humble and proud but never satisfied, these two future Army leaders highlight the value of performance character and leader presence.”
Moore Award recipients’ reactions to earning the honor
An American History and Philosophy major from Monroe, New Jersey, Sorrentino is a member of the Army West Point Boxing Team. She views receiving the Hal Moore Award as “an incredible privilege knowing how deserving many of my peers are of this recognition.”
“To me, it represents the culmination of a considerable amount of time and effort I have put into developing as a leader in all aspects of my life,” Sorrentino said. “Simultaneously, there is much I still have to learn and experience to live up to his legacy.”
Sorrentino expressed that being a great leader means “being someone who all of my teammates can rely on.”
“As an Army officer, I know I will be entrusted with significant responsibility,” Sorrentino stated. “As I continue to progress toward this goal, I want to ensure that I am someone others know will not only achieve success but can be trusted to get there the right way. I want to be known as someone who always brought something to the team and could help others be the best version of themselves.”
One of the best moments in her Army Boxing career was when she earned the Northeast Regional Boxing championship while being named the outstanding female boxer of the event. It is those moments in the ring where Sorrentino believes helps her lead from the front.
“I know that every success or failure in the ring is a result of my work ethic, commitment, mindset or attitude on that day,” she said. “When I am at my best and feel like I’m demonstrating those things – regardless of the result, I know that I am leading my teammates … I get to demonstrate what it means to be an Army boxer with how I perform. I feel like my energy and grit in the ring is a direct reflection on myself, my team and West Point, and I feel a lot of pride knowing that.”
Outside of the ring and combatives, Sorrentino is a motivated individual who is interviewing for a Rhodes Scholarship this weekend and is also the Corps of Cadets’ Honor Captain.
“I ask myself if I can do more, if I can push harder to ‘leave no doubt’ as we commonly say on the boxing team,” Sorrentino exclaimed. “All of this is to say I carry my athletic experience and my mindset as an athlete into every element of my life.”
As for McNeilly, a Mechanical Engineering major from Madison, Connecticut, receiving an award named after such an esteemed leader such as Moore, “is a profound recognition of the dedication and mentorship invested in my growth.”
He views the guidance of his mentors – Capt. Jacob Davel, Maj. Kathryn Davel, Dr. Gregory Freisinger, Capt. Mitxel Totorica and his Tactical Officer/NCO Team – as being instrumental in his evolution.
“Without them, I would not have had the opportunity to represent a remarkable figure in military history and leadership,” McNeilly said. “Leaders like Lt. Gen. Moore exemplify what it means to inspire and develop others, and those who have supported me have deeply influenced my understanding of how such leadership shapes Soldiers’ lives.”
McNeilly remarked that being a great leader is not represented by a grade or a performance metric as checking boxes is not a mark of great leadership.
“‘The Army is a people profession,’ is a concept that we have been taught from the first day we arrived at West Point, and this could not be more true,” McNeilly explained. “To be a great leader is to know the strengths and weaknesses of your people, which is only possible through interactions.
“The best leaders I have encountered are those who are willing to sacrifice their own time to develop others,” he added. “While I am proud of my achievements at West Point, I will continue to remind myself of the importance of people as opposed to marks of achievement when considering what makes a great leader.”
McNeilly said that as competition breeds excellence and discomfort exposes weaknesses, it is through the challenges of his extracurricular activities that has helped him “battle myself mentally when I know development is the result.”
“As a member of the West Point Parachute Team and competitor at the Best Sapper Competition, it isn’t the challenge of jumping out of a plane or running up DeRussy Hill as part of a four-hour workout that led to my development,” McNeilly stated. “It is the challenge of managing work, relationships and academic goals at the same time while under stress that has taught me more about myself than anything else. Through those experiences, I have learned how people are always watching, whether at West Point or not, and being able to represent the academy on some of these platforms has been an incredible opportunity.”
His biggest achievement at West Point was finishing a ruck march ahead of the second-place team, and seeing the West Point flag waving at the finish line during the Best Sapper Competition.
“Competing against the top Soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment, 101st and 82nd … (it was) reminding them at every point that they couldn’t keep up with us physically, which gave Sam (Dickerson) and I an immeasurable amount of pride.”
McNeilly credits his athletic and DPE experiences in shaping his character and building great habits by “exposing him to failure.”
“(Every) success gained … was a mark of the amount of time I put into preparation and willingness to develop,” McNeilly said. “The habit of recognizing the payoff of practice and being willing to put time into it will lead to success in the future.”
Overall, receiving the award allowed McNeilly to verbally repay those who helped him succeed at the academy.
“The award is a reward of an achievement for the amount of hours spent with my mentors and instructors who have been willing to take time out of their lives to develop me,” McNeilly concluded. “Their selflessness is admirable … and while I am the one receiving the award, it would not have been possible without their help.”
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.14.2024 15:31 |
| Story ID: | 485321 |
| Location: | WEST POINT, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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