Overseas Travel Program Expanding
Editor’snote: The following story was written by Marianne Hause, media relations specialist for VMI Communications & Marketing.
A contingent from Virginia Military Institute toured France during spring furlough thanks to the Olmsted Foundation’s Undergraduate Program (OFUP).
Eight 1st Class commissioning cadets along with their faculty leadership team, Col. Houston Johnson V, professor and head of the Department of History; Lt. Col. Jochen Arndt, associate professor of history, deputy director of the John A. Adams ’71 Center for Military History and Strategic Analysis (Adams Center) and OFUP director; and Col. David Gray, executive director of VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE), toured regions throughout the country.
The fully funded trip was co-sponsored by VMI’s Department of History, the Adams Center, and the CLE. Assistance was provided by the Office of Global Education (OGE). Cadets were chosen through a rigorous application process based on their GPA, ROTC ranking, a written essay, and personal interview.
The OFUP offers overseas travel and cultural immersion opportunities to service academy cadets, midshipmen, and ROTC students attending or associated with selected Title 10 senior military colleges. These trips are conducted in non-English speaking countries with exposure to national perspectives and a focus on the role of U.S. policy in those regions.
Arndt reported that to prepare for the trip, cadets hosted a reception for a French military delegation and French exchange students on post; developed their travel itinerary; participated in a reading seminar focused on the French culture, the American Revolution, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the period since; researched personal stories of VMI alumni who died during the invasion of Normandy; and attended safety briefings.
“Upon arriving in France, our first base of operation was the town of Bayeux in Normandy where the cadets learned the history of the Battle of Normandy by visiting the iconic church in Sainte-Mère-Église, one of the first towns liberated on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and Pointe du Hoc, where U.S. Army Rangers heroically scaled 100-foot cliffs under enemy fire,” he shared.
For Gray, who teaches courses on U.S. military history, a key event for the group was visiting the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach. “We spent several hours, allowing for cadets to find the graves of the fallen VMI alumni they had earlier researched, and report their acts of heroism,” said Gray.
The second base of operation was the city of Paris where cadets participated in a wide range of activities.
Johnson related highlights of their time in the capital city: “We took a gastronomic walking tour of the neighborhood of Saint-Germaindes- Prés where cadets learned about the production and cultural importance of food for France. We saw major sites like Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Champs-Élysées. We also visited Mont Saint-Michel and the Palace of Versailles and its gardens.”
Particularly informative for the cadets was dining with Olmsted Scholar, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sean Margot, who is currently studying at Sorbonne University, as well as U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Skye Martin and U.S. Army Maj. Calista Stoop, both of whom are currently studying at the French War College, École de Guerre in Paris.
While conversing over dinner, cadets learned about the Olmsted Scholar Program, and were inspired by the opportunities available to them as they embarked on their military careers in May.
For Samantha Waters ’26, a history major who was about to commission into the Navy, the trip is one she will never forget. She was amazed by how the people of France remember and respect the German World War II soldiers buried at La Cambe German War Cemetery in Normandy.
“They were the enemy, but the French recognize that the average age of those soldiers was 20,” she said. “They had mothers and fathers who waited for them to return. I think this prepared me more for the military. I’ll be faced with making difficult decisions, and risking human life should never be taken lightly.”
James Bangura ’26, who majored in computer science and would commission into the Army, had the unique opportunity of celebrating Eid al-Fitr, an Islamic observance kept worldwide, at the Grand Mosque of Paris.
AT TOP, future military officers in the VMI class of 2026 peek inside a German artillery bunker in Normandy during the group’s visit to France this spring. ABOVE, among the sites they visited was Mont Saint-Michel, a Benedictine abbey built between the 11th and 16th centuries and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. (photos courtesy of Col. Houston Johnson V)
“As a Muslim cadet, this was a significant moment for me,” he said. “It allowed me to practice my faith while abroad and experience how Islam is observed in a different cultural setting, further reinforcing the importance of religious and cultural understanding.”
Both cadets agreed the trip directly contributed to their preparation for military service by reinforcing what they have already learned about American and world history, the importance of working with partner forces; understanding different cultures, social norms and communication styles; and navigating throughout a foreign country.
-VMI Superintendent Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87 recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Olmsted Foundation, establishing the nation’s first Olmsted Intern Program for cadet overseas travel.
According to Col. Jeff Kendrick, director of OGE, the memorandum expanded and rebranded the undergraduate program that VMI has been running for several years.
“VMI is honored to continue the tradition of exposing future military leaders to national perspectives and the role of U.S. policy in those regions that are visited each year,” he said. “The highly selective program is reserved for top performing cadets, and selection is solely meritbased. Six to eight cadets will be chosen to participate in the program each year, and will receive full funding for one to three weeks of travel. While the new program shares many of the same objectives as the previous one, there is now more of an emphasis on cadet leadership and preparation for possible participation in the Olmsted Scholar Program for junior officers.”
THE COMMISSIONING cadets gather in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris, which was completed almost 700 years ago. (photo courtesy of Col. Houston Johnson V)
