By Matthew Newgent, ’96
MacArthur Society Board Member

Lt General Mike Flynn, USA ret, said at the West Point Board of Visitors (BoV) meeting on July 11, 2025 that he wasn’t going to be a wallflower, and he showed everyone present what he meant.

Once General Flynn started speaking, all present knew that this was not going to be the typical dog-and-pony show of USMA BoV meetings of the past, where the superintendent, the commandant, and the dean provide their reports while attendees smile, nod, and ask no real question or have any meaningful discussion.

Flynn gave a master course in leadership on the dangers of DEI, the purpose of West Point, taking care of the troops, willingness to use creativity and personal resources to serve USMA, the true nature of warfare from his many years in combat, and honor. He also gave an impromptu war talk for the cadets. This is all from an officer who did not graduate from West Point.

All members of the Long Gray Line—present and future–and every loved one of the American Soldier owes a debt of gratitude to LTG Flynn for the work he has embarked upon to reform the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. And it seems that he is just getting started.

The US Military Academy

When Congressman Stanford Bishop (D-GA) called for a return to programs that supported DEI, Flynn powerfully yet professionally pushed back on calls for DEI in any form,

“If you want to learn about social justice, go to the University of Rhode Island! I know because I went there.”

Flynn further addressed the cadets present,

“They will face an enemy with ZERO care for diversity. There is no bias on the battlefield, except the enemy who wants to kill you… Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I have spent five years in combat” (emphasis added).

Flynn also reminded everyone present the charter of the BoV and what Americans called for,

“I report to the President, and I work at his pleasure…. America sent a resounding message that it does not want DEI, and the president responded by removing it from our service academies. …I fully intend to carry out the orders of the President and the will of the American people.”

In a later conversation that day with General Flynn, he told me,

“It’s not the U.S. social justice academy at West Point, it’s the U.S. Military Academy at West Point” (emphasis added).

Passion for West Point

Never have I witnessed an officer of his rank express such passion for West Point’s purpose of developing highly competent leaders who win our country’s wars.

“When I became a new second lieutenant, I kept my eyes on the West Pointers because they had it together. The entire US Army looks to West Point to develop leaders who set the example.”

The Real Win

Flynn reminded us of the importance of winning where it really matters.

“We have gotten away from winning… This is about life and death. It’s about preparing to win wars and bringing our soldiers home. I don’t care if we win on the football field. I care if we win on the battlefield.”

A few years ago, I would have disagreed with him and said, “We can do both,” but losing on the battlefield has darkened everything else, including a “winning” football season. Our focus must be and should always be training cadets to win our country’s wars.

For the Troops

Flynn’s passion to serve extends to the enlisted soldiers as well. Superintendent LTG Steve Gilland reported that the enlisted barracks construction project was three years behind schedule and the enlisted soldiers were living in substandard barracks, held up in part due to a massive flood that damaged the barracks days before the handover to USMA.

Meanwhile, West Point has been building a $170 million addition to the football stadium.

Flynn put fire to the leadership present, including about six first class cadets (seniors),

“What kind of message are we sending here to the cadets when we are not taking care of enlisted soldiers?!”

Flynn suggested a creative way to fund such economic shortfalls and overcoming complexities of Military Construction (MILCON) budgets and Congressionally appropriated funds, “There has got to be a way that we can use donations from donors,” and he then offered to introduce some of his contacts to assist in such an endeavor, “I know some very successful people who would donate right now to this cause.”

Flynn offered his full support to LTG Gilland and his willingness to engage right away,

“General Gilland, tell us what you need, and we’ll work on getting it for you… And I am talking about making calls in the next couple days to make this happen.”

Honor

Flynn also spoke very humbly about when we as a fighting force are not accomplishing the mission, “How do we get people to stand up and say we are losing?”

He spoke to the cadets,

“You have to have the guts to speak up to your commanding officer when things aren’t right.”

Flynn speaks of the moral courage of facing one’s peers and superiors. All present there knew he spoke from experience because he was one of the few that spoke up and told the truth when the official narrative of the wars in the Middle East was a lie, and he paid a dear price for telling the truth.

The Cadet Prayer comes to mind—which all West Point alumni are very familiar with, which reads in part,

“… Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won.”

Clearly, honor is not uniquely a West Point alumni virtue.

Warrior Ethos

Throughout the morning, the heart of Flynn’s actions seemed to be to imbue the warrior ethos into the cadets so they will be mentally equipped to lead and win on the battlefield.

Flynn has often spoken in the past of what America expects of the combat soldier, one who can dispatch the enemy in a firefight and, if a child is in the field of fire, remove that child tenderly from the field of battle to safety, then return to dispatch more of the enemy.

Having heard many “war speeches” myself, this impromptu speech by General Flynn was one that every cadet should hear. The Corps of Cadets would benefit tremendously from Flynn speaking to them.

Flynn’s leadership reminded us that while Duty, Honor, Country may be the West Point motto, these monolithic virtues are not unique to West Point alumni.

West Point has long needed a reboot, and the MacArthur Society has been working with esteemed alumni societies representing USNA–the Calvert Task Group, and USAFA—Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services (STARRS), for the long-term reform of US Service Academies.

We three societies have proposed the Duty, Honor, Country Commission (DHCC), the intent of which is:

• • • Maintain what is good—and West Point does many things right
    • Correct what needs reforming
    • Remove what is unnecessary or harmful
    • Restore the heart of what develops leaders of character who win our country’s wars

West Point needs long-term reform, and at this July BoV meeting, a distinguished ROTC-commissioned officer took West Point a major step forward.

We at the MacArthur Society of West Point Graduates are deeply grateful for LTG Mike Flynn’s wholehearted engagement on the West Point Board of Visitors. We thank you, LTG Flynn.

For Duty, Honor, Country,

Matthew Newgent
USMA Class of 1996
Board Member, VP for Donor Relations
MacArthur Society of West Point Graduates