It’s been almost a week since the letter of clarification (see my previous BLOG entry) was disseminated to limited distribution by the Superintendent of West Point. The damage caused by the Academy’s re-branding and trademarking campaign remains. Hopefully there has been additional and personal back channel communication with parents whose graduates are fighting and continue to die for their country. That they have been profoundly hurt and offended by the Cease and Desist letters they’ve received is a matter of record.
The USMA Association of Graduates (AOG) is attempting to distance itself from this entire affair and who can blame them? They’re poised to kick off a fund raising campaign in the near future and it’s in their best interest to let the furor die and hope that people will forget. Or, with enough time having passed, at least forgive. This distancing, stating that the Cease and Desist campaign is a unilateral move on the part of the Academy, takes on a pronounced pallor when viewed in light of the fact that the AOG is a beneficiary by contract of a percentage of the income stream generated by the USMA trademarks.
To the extent that his or her staff determines a commander’s effectiveness, the Superintendent’s staff failed him. From the poorly planned and even more poorly executed campaign against graduates and parents by the USMA Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA – the lawyers), to the lack of effective direction provided by the Academy’s Dr. Seuss quoting Public Affairs Officer, the trademarking and re-branding effort continues to plow along with all the finesse of a drunk at High Tea.
~ Dempsey
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