3050/ANCGCC/0399/01

Lieutenant General William J. Lennox, Jr
Superintendent
U.S. Military Academy
West Point,
New York 10996                                                              4 March 2002

As a former Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, may I convey my warmest good wishes and congratulations to the officers and cadets of the Corps on their 200th Anniversary. West Point has a long and honourable history of commissioning officers of the highest intellectual and moral standards that have faithfully served the United States of America and her Allies.

General McArthur's words "Duty, Honor, Country" still encapsulate the core values required by a professional military officer. Never more than today, the profession of arms requires officers of integrity, physical and mental robustness, initiative, and the intellectual agility to adapt to the diverse situations that confront our nations across the spectrum of peace, crisis and conflict. This is a substantial challenge, but I have no doubt that West Point will continue to train young officers to these high standards.

May your next 200 years be as successful as your last.