Connections are everything
Such concepts, like sicilian, the Irish mafia, long ago entered the consciousness of American ordinary people, the history of these groups in the United States lasts almost a century and a half. And for some time now, Americans began to use the expression "West Point Mafia". And it does not apply to criminal clans, and to the US government, more precisely to a certain segment of government.
We are talking about those, who once studied together at West Point Military Academy. It is the oldest US academy with traditions; the military fort of West Point served as a naval checkpoint on the way of the British squadron during the American Revolutionary War. The expression "West Point Mafia" entered into political use in 2017 year, when the book by Peter Ammon and Patina Thompson appeared West Point Mafia Revealed.
West Point alumni have built a strong network of influence in government, and when some of them reach the heights of the political Olympus, they, usually, pull up their former classmates. The careers of many of these people are surprisingly connected..
Military Academy graduate 1986 Mike Pompeo went from being commander of a tank battalion in Germany to director of the CIA, then US Secretary of State. At the academy, Pompeo was the best student and informal leader among students.
His fellow Defense Secretary Mark Esper was a career soldier., then he was engaged in the sale of weapons; at 2017-2019 gg. served as Secretary of the US Army.
Ulrich Brechbul is now an adviser to the State Department, where did Mike Pompeo take him, with whom they founded Thayer Aerospace. Brechbul was also president and CEO of the company Migratec Inc., executive director of a law firm Chamberlin Edmonds and Associates Inc., health-related, the head Appenzeller Point, LLC and chairman Avadyne Health. Was implicated in a scandal with a leak of data on the interference of American diplomats in the internal affairs of Ukraine.
Another graduate of the academy - Brian Bulatao, also worked in Thayer Aerospace. When in 2017 g. Pompeo was appointed director of the CIA, he immediately took Bulatao as his advisor. At the State Department, Bulatao is the Deputy Secretary of State for Administration, that is, in charge of budget and real estate issues, being at the same time the main advisor.
Another old friend of theirs at West Point, Mark Green, Senator from Tennessee, defending Donald Trump's position on the reform committee.
A photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Finally, lobbyist David Urban, who is also a commentator on the channel CNN. AT 2016 g. he was an advisor to Trump and campaigned successfully in Pennsylvania. He now heads the commission on military monuments and is the president's confidant in the current election campaign.. In my time, when Pompeo came to Congress, Urban put him in touch with the "right people".
And here are some of West Point's stellar alumni 1986 of the year, who continue their careers as professional military: Deputy Commander, United States Army, General Joseph Martin; Commander of the Allied Ground Forces of NATO in Europe, General J.. Thompson; head of the United States National Guard Dan Hokason; Major General Robin Fontez, dealing with the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan; Director of Peacekeeping and Stabilization Operations Patrick Antonietti; Lieutenant General Eric Wisley, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Armed Forces Futures Command, which is engaged in modernization and development of new strategies.
certainly, they all do not forget to help old comrades. Director of chain stores 7-Eleven Joseph de Pinto, who also studied at West Point, in an interview he admitted, what he "Sleeps better now, since these guys are in their current places ". Founder of a chain of stores 7-Eleven Rick Minicozzi - also a West Point graduate 1986 of the year. Joe de Pinto speaks, that until now they all help each other, because "they had a friendly class". This friendship in other countries could be called differently, but in the US, lobbying is officially legal.
Former history lecturer at West Point Academy and military strategist Danny Sursen writes, that this small group of people has leverage from Congress to K Street - a block in Washington, where are the lobbying offices, fulfilling any desires, from discrediting politicians to coups in other countries. Therefore, the release motto 1986 year "Courage never leaves" has a slightly different meaning for these people.
Politico notes: “The West Point Mafia is an extremely powerful circle at the highest levels of government. They consult each other on government issues, rely on each other in intimate matters, meeting at informal dinners and parties in Washington with their spouses ".
The "mafiosi" themselves do not at all hide their connections and also jokingly call themselves the "West Point Mafia".
Leonid Savin
