GOSHEN – Lt. General James Bartholomees III joined Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus Thursday night for his first public appearance since being named the superintendent of the US Military Academy at West Point.
His appearance is part of the county’s ongoing Leadership Speaker Series that Neuhaus began earlier this year and hosted at the county’s Emergency Services Center in Goshen.
A 1995 graduate of West Point, Bartholomees is the fourth generation of his family to attend the prestigious military institution. He told the audience it took two tries for him to get into the school and that when he was chosen as its new leader, it was a complete surprise and one he never expected. When discussing adversity, he said it’s important to learn from one’s mistakes and have empathy – something he instills in young servicemembers.
“I’m thinking about those back to the lieutenant level because I’m preparing cadets to become lieutenants. And they’re having great conversations about how they interact with their company commanders,” Bartholomees said. “It’s really exciting.”
Before arriving at West Point, Bartholomees served as commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division U.S. Army Hawaii. Other assignments include deployments to Haiti with 82nd Airborne Division and to Bosnia-Herzegovina with the 3rd Infantry Division. He has also deployed several times to Iraq with the Army’s 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, as well as various deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Comments